My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

The steel behemoth roared once more, pouncing on the next Hunnic settlement that was still in a daze or had just heard the terrifying rumors.

In the time that followed, the Xiongnu people fully understood the terror of blitzkrieg.

Huo Qubing made the most of the mobility of the three heavy trucks and three thousand cavalry.

They even developed formulaic strategies.

Heavy trucks clear the way, their bright lights intimidate, they savagely ram into the core area, and crossbow bolts precisely target the resistance nodes.

The cavalry swept across the flanks, dispersing the crowd, burning tents, looting horses, and deliberately letting some of the routed soldiers escape to spread panic.

One after another, small and medium-sized Xiongnu tribes were crushed by this torrent of steel and fire before they could fully comprehend what was happening, or even while they were debating whether the news brought by the fleeing soldiers was true or false.

Resistance was minimal, and the collapses occurred faster each time.

The Han army suffered minimal losses, while the psychological shock and actual losses inflicted on the Xiongnu increased exponentially.

However, the steel behemoth is not truly perpetual motion; it also has its limits.

"General Huo, our fuel is running low!"

A voice came through the walkie-talkie. Huo Qubing was just about to reply when he saw a truck ahead make a loud bang, belch out a cloud of black smoke, and crash to the ground on the grassland.

No matter how the driver tried to restart it, it only made a weak sputtering sound and could no longer roar.

……

"Can it be fixed?"

Huo Qubing looked at the completely disabled vehicle and asked a question.

The craftsmen from the Imperial Workshop who had been brought over fiddled with the objects, then shook their heads with a bitter expression.

Huo Qubing fell silent, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. After a moment of thought, he climbed onto the hood of the carriage, waved his hand, and his voice became impassioned.

"Brothers! Relying on these divine weapons that fell from the sky, we fought our way from Chang'an to here, crushed the Left Wise King, razed seven or eight tribes, and terrified those Xiongnu bastards! Isn't that enough?"

"not enough!"

Someone in the crowd immediately shouted.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Yes! Not enough!"

Huo Qubing suddenly swung his arm.

"We've come for revenge! We've come to tell all the Xiongnu that those who offend our mighty Han will pay a bloody price! Now, our divine army is tired and needs a rest. But does that mean we should just give up the war?"

His gaze swept across every face.

"Our warhorses aren't tired yet! Our ring-pommel swords aren't dull yet! Behind us are reinforcements from the General and His Highness the Crown Prince! And more importantly—"

He pointed north.

"Those routed soldiers, terrified out of their wits, are taking their last shred of courage back to their larger tribes!"

"They are telling those Xiongnu nobles who haven't yet suffered a defeat that the Han people have arrived, bringing with them glowing, roaring iron monsters, and that they are unstoppable!"

Huo Qubing's gaze swept over the crowd, and he waved his hand passionately.

"So, what do you say? Should we stop now and wait for the iron beast to be repaired, or should we take advantage of their shock and skepticism and launch a surprise attack on them?"

The confusion and worry in the soldiers' eyes were gradually replaced by a renewed fighting spirit.

"Fight! Fight alongside the general!"

"Even without iron beasts, we are still fine sons of the Han people!"

"Charge! Let them see that even without those iron lumps, the Han army's blades are still deadly!"

Morale soared once again.

Huo Qubing nodded in satisfaction and quickly issued the order.

"Li Gan! Take all the brothers in vehicle C who are still able to move, along with the personnel in vehicle B, and rely on these two vehicles to build a defensive position on the spot, guard the prisoners and some of the spoils of war, and wait for General Wei Qing to come to the rescue from the rear."

"The craftsmen are doing their best to repair chariot B, or to salvage usable arrows and parts from it and chariot C!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

Li Gan clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"All other cavalrymen, follow me to transfer to spare horses, carrying only three days' worth of rations and necessary arrows!"

A cold glint flashed in Huo Qubing's eyes.

"Furthermore, load all the remaining fuel from the other vehicles onto the armored vehicle. Let it serve as the vanguard once again, knocking on the gates of the next tribe! Once its fuel runs out, that will be the time for our cavalry to charge!"

"Here you go!"

The entire army responded with a thunderous roar.

Soon, the team split into two.

Huo Qubing continued his campaign, while Li Gan stayed behind to support Liu Ju and his men.

Several days later, banners fluttered and armor clanged.

"Can it be fixed?"

Liu asked the craftsmen in charge of the workshop.

"Car C is simply short of fuel, but this car..."

Several craftsmen looked at the second chariot and shook their heads.

"This vehicle... is severely damaged. The internal structural components that transmit immense force are twisted and broken, and it cannot be repaired without the original blueprints, a specialized furnace to recast the parts, and the skill of a master craftsman."

Liu Ju remained silent for a long time.

"Since it can't be repaired... let's just bury it."

"Buried?"