Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The cement formula controversy had barely subsided, and the two heads hanging at the North Gate had not yet been removed, when another, more direct and bloodier contest suddenly erupted on the trade artery upon which Han Yuan depended for survival.

The western route of the Goods and Trade Avenue is a golden trade route connecting Hanyuan with the Western Regions and the heart of the grasslands.

In the past, caravans came and went here in an endless stream, their camel bells ringing out, bringing abundant wealth to Hanyuan.

However, recently, a notorious group known as the "Black Wind Bandits" has taken up residence on this road.

This band of bandits moved elusively, appearing and disappearing like the wind, specializing in robbing Hanyuan merchant caravans returning laden with their goods.

They were extremely ruthless, robbing without leaving any survivors. They disguised themselves as nomadic bandits, but in battle they were well-organized, highly coordinated, and especially skilled in archery and horsemanship, making them far from an ordinary rabble.

Several small and medium-sized caravans have already been robbed, resulting in the loss of both people and goods, and heavy losses.

"Your Highness," Liu Yidao, the captain of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau in charge of protecting the trade routes, reported with a grim face, "Black Wind has struck again! Three days ago, in the Wind-Rolling Meadow, 150 li west of Wild Fox Ridge, they robbed a caravan from the Shengchanglong Trading Company returning from the Western Regions. All thirty guards of the caravan were killed in battle, with no survivors. The goods were completely looted, including Western Region spices and gems worth 100,000 strings of cash."

"Can you find any trace of him?" Xiao Chen's voice was calm, but those familiar with him could hear the killing intent surging beneath that calm.

"Night Owl's brothers followed the trail for three hundred miles and entered Vulture Valley."

Liu Yidao pointed to a treacherous valley on the map, "The terrain there is complex, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and... this was discovered at the valley entrance."

He presented a uniquely shaped bronze arrowhead, three-sided with a blood groove, and a faint wolf head mark engraved on the arrowhead.

"The standard armor-piercing arrows of the Northern Yan Golden Wolf Guard."

Wang Dashan recognized them at a glance, "It really is them!"

"Bei Yan has resorted to these underhanded tactics because they can't win in a direct confrontation, can't win in a business war, and can't steal the technology."

Xiao Chen picked up the arrowhead, his fingers tracing the cold tip. "Disguising myself as a bandit allows me to plunder my wealth and cut off my trade routes, while avoiding the risk of direct war."

"A well-thought-out plan."

He tightened his fingers slightly, and the arrowhead made a soft "crunching" sound. "Unfortunately, they messed with the wrong person."

"Liu Yidao." Xiao Chen looked up.

"Your subordinate is here!" Liu Yidao straightened his back.

"How's the training of your merchant protection force going?"

"Reporting to Your Highness!"

A glint of fanaticism flashed in Liu Yidao's eyes. "The entire army consists of five hundred men, all handpicked from the scouts and elite soldiers of various armies. They are equipped with the Treading Swallow Horse, the Cold Abyss Type III crossbows, the Bright Light Fine Scale Armor, and armor-piercing hand crossbows. They are skilled in mounted archery, tracking, infiltration, and raids. Though only five hundred, they are as effective as five thousand!"

"it is good."

Xiao Chen nodded. "I'm giving you a task."

"It's not about suppressing bandits."

His gaze fell on the black dot on the map that represented Vulture Valley. "It is—a thousand-mile pursuit, to wipe them all out."

"We must not only kill all the Black Wind Bandits, but also reclaim the goods."

"We also need to find their stronghold and find evidence of their collusion with the Northern Yan military."

"Then," Xiao Chen's voice was icy cold, "bring back the bandit leader's head to me."

"Your humble servant obeys!" Liu Yidao knelt on one knee, his voice resounding.

At dawn the next day, the west gate of Zhenbei City quietly opened.

Five hundred elite soldiers of the merchant protection army, clad in light black armor, gray cloaks, and face shields, led by Liu Yidao, surged out of the city gates like a silent iron torrent, rushing along the western line of the trade road towards the Wind-blown Meadow.

They did not fly flags or sound horns; their horses' hooves were wrapped in thick cloth to minimize the sound of their galloping.

Each person was equipped with three horses, taking turns riding them to maintain high-speed maneuverability. They left only a faint trail of dust in their wake.

Three days later, the wind tumbled over the meadow.

The sight before them made even these seasoned veterans, who had seen countless battles, spit fire in their eyes.

More than a dozen horse-drawn carriages, reduced to mere skeletons, lay scattered on the charred meadow.

The corpses of dozens of guards and crew members of the Cold Abyss caravan were carelessly discarded and had long been devoured beyond recognition by wild wolves and vultures.

The goods were looted, leaving only some broken boxes and scattered spices.

"Search!" Liu Yidao gritted his teeth and said.

The Night Owl's elite tracking team immediately dispersed, searching the chaotic scene like hunting dogs for any clues.

"Captain, look!"

One of the trackers pointed to a barely perceptible tire track on the ground, "They went northwest. The vehicle was heavily loaded, so they couldn't have been going too fast."

"Chase!" Liu Yidao leaped onto his horse.

The five hundred iron cavalrymen started moving again, like a pack of wolves that had smelled blood, clinging tightly to the almost vanished trail, and relentlessly pursuing it in the northwest direction.

Another two days and one night of relentless pursuit.

The traces eventually disappeared at the entrance to a desolate and lifeless valley with jagged rocks—Vulture Valley.

The entrance to the valley is narrow, allowing only three riders to pass side by side, with steep cliffs on both sides.

Faint sounds of shouts and neighing horses could be heard from within the valley, along with... a rich aroma of wine and meat.

"They are celebrating their victory."

Liu Yidao sneered, "That's right, we robbed such a big heist, it's time to celebrate."

"Captain, shall we launch a full-scale attack?" the deputy asked.

"No."

Liu Yidao shook his head. "His Highness wants to wipe them out completely, not alert them. A night raid."

He divided the five hundred men into three teams.

A team of one hundred men, carrying crossbows and grappling hooks, circled around to the tops of the cliffs on both sides of the valley.

A team of two hundred men lay in ambush at the valley entrance, ready to intercept and kill the fleeing enemy.

He personally led his two hundred most elite men, waited until midnight, and sneaked in from the front, bursting the enemy's defenses.

At midnight, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

The noise in the valley gradually subsided, leaving only the sounds of snoring and the soft crackling of the campfire.

The crossbowmen on the cliff top were already in position. The ambushers at the valley entrance had also opened their traps.

"action."

With a wave of his hand, Liu Yidao, a short knife dangling from his mouth, led two hundred similarly dressed men into the valley silently, like a raccoon dog.

Inside the valley, the Black Wind Bandits' lair was surprisingly an abandoned small military fortress!

There were at least two thousand people gathered inside! More than half of them, although wearing messy fur robes, clearly had curved swords of the Northern Yan style under their heads when they slept!

Many people still have tattoos unique to grassland people on their faces and hands, but the layout of the camp and the arrangement of sentry posts are completely in the style of a regular army!

"They really are Northern Yan soldiers!" The last trace of doubt in Liu Yidao's heart disappeared.

"Kill!" he roared, and charged towards the largest tent—that must be where the bandit leader was!

"Enemy attack!"

The tranquility of the valley was instantly shattered by sharp whistles and screams.

"Release the arrows!"

At the top of the cliff, a hundred powerful crossbows fired simultaneously!

"Buzz—"

A dark rain of arrows, like the scythe of death, covered the sentry posts and the gathered horses on the outskirts of the camp!

"Whoosh whoosh-"

Inside the valley, Liu Yidao led two hundred elite soldiers, each armed with an armor-piercing crossbow, and at extremely close range, conducted a ruthless roll call on the bandits who rushed out of their tents, still unaware of the situation!

"what!"

"Ugh..." Screams instantly filled the air.

"Form ranks! Form ranks!"

A Northern Yan officer who looked like a leader shouted loudly.

"Fuck you!"

Liu Yidao had already rushed in front of him like a ghost, his specially made horse-slaying sword drawing a fierce arc!

"Thud!" The officer, armor and all, was cleaved in two!

"The Hanyuan Protectorate Army is here! Those who surrender will not be killed! Those who resist will be killed without mercy!" The deputy's roar echoed through the valley.

But what he received in response was a fierce counterattack from even more bandits.

They were well-trained and fearless, and quickly recovered from the chaos of the surprise attack, beginning to organize resistance.

"Crossbowmen, suppress the enemy! Swordsmen, follow up!"

Liu Yidao calmly gave instructions.

Two hundred elite troops, like a sophisticated killing machine, steadily advanced through the chaotic enemy camp, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake.

The crossbowmen on the cliff top continuously rained arrows on the densely packed enemy areas and used grappling hooks to harass the enemy below.

The ambush troops at the valley entrance also rushed in, blocking the "bandits'" escape route.

The battle lasted from midnight until dawn.

When the first rays of sunlight shone into Vulture Valley, the valley was already a scene of carnage.

Of the more than two thousand Black Wind bandits, only a few hundred managed to escape into a side path deep in the valley amidst the chaos; the rest were all annihilated!

The valley was littered with corpses and rivers of blood.

The Hanyuan Protectorate Army also suffered dozens of casualties, but no one was captured and no one retreated.

Inside the largest tent, Liu Yidao found the Black Wind bandit leader—a burly man with a face full of scars and a golden wolf tattooed on his chest, a centurion from Northern Yan, along with secret letters and military orders exchanged with the Northern Yan border army that he hadn't had time to destroy! The evidence was irrefutable!

"Cut off his head and pickle it with lime."

Liu Yidao coldly ordered, "Take inventory of the goods. Take what you can carry. What you can't take, along with this den of thieves, burn it down!"

"yes!"

Three days later, at Langshankou, a key border town of Northern Yan.

Early in the morning, General Yelü Xiong was drinking mare's milk wine in his camp, looking dejected. Lately, everything had gone wrong, and his mood was at its lowest point.

Suddenly, a sharp "whoosh" sound pierced the air!

A thick crossbow bolt suddenly fell from the sky and, with a "thud," embedded itself deeply into the flagpole in front of the central army tent!

There was also something wrapped in oilcloth tied to the arrow shaft.

"Enemy attack!" The camp was thrown into chaos.

Yelü Xiong rushed out of the tent and saw the crossbow bolt; his expression changed.

This range... at least three hundred paces! Only the powerful crossbows of the Cold Abyss have this power!

"Take it off!" he shouted.

The guards climbed the flagpole with trepidation and took down the oilcloth package.

Upon opening it, he screamed in shock, his hand trembled, and the oilcloth package fell to the ground, rolling out a grotesque human head, whitened by lime!

"It's...it's Bald Eagle, the leader of 'Black Wind'!" an officer who recognized the bandit leader exclaimed.

Beside the human head, there was also a roll of parchment.

Yelü Xiong suppressed his shock and anger, unfolded the scroll, and saw that it was written in both Chinese characters and Northern Yan script:

"A personal letter from Yelü Xiong, the garrison commander of Northern Yan:"

"Your country's scoundrels, disguised as bandits, robbed my merchants and slaughtered my people. My army protecting the merchants has razed Black Wind's lair, beheaded three thousand, and recovered the goods. We present the head of the bandit leader, Bald Eagle, as a warning to others."

"If there is a next time, this head will serve as your example!"

"—Liu Yidao, Commandant of the Hanyuan Protectorate Army."

"puff!"

Yelü Xiong coughed up a mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he nearly fainted. It wasn't just from the humiliation, but also from the fear!

Black Wind was a disguise made by the Khan's elite Golden Wolf Guards, with the aim of cutting off Han Yuan's trade routes.

Now, not only has the mission failed and two thousand elite troops been wiped out, but even the evidence has fallen into the hands of the other side!

"How can the soldiers of Han Yuan be this strong?"

A chill ran through him.

The opponent is not only powerful, but also ruthless and merciless in their retaliation!

"General, we..." the lieutenant asked in a trembling voice.

"withdraw!"

Yelü Xiong gritted his teeth and said, "Order the entire army to break camp and retreat fifty li!"

He dared not stay here any longer. Heaven knows if that elusive merchant protection army would sneak in in the middle of the night and cut off his head too!

On that day, the Yan garrison at Langshan Pass, under the panicked orders of their commander, abandoned a large amount of supplies and hastily retreated fifty li.

The reputation of the Hanyuan Protectorate Army for its thousand-mile pursuit, bloodbath of bandit dens, and horrifying enemy deaths spread like the coldest wind on the grasslands, instantly reaching the northern border and terrifying all those with ill intentions!

The merchant protection army returned in triumph. They not only recovered most of the stolen goods, but also brought back irrefutable evidence of the Northern Yan's disguised bandits robbing caravans, as well as the head of the bandit leader.

Xiao Chen personally greeted them outside Zhenbei City and rewarded the three armies handsomely.

The head of the bandit leader, Bald Eagle, was hung at the North Gate, alongside the heads of Urhan and Wang Laosan.

"Well done, Liu Yidao."

Xiao Chen patted Liu Yidao on the shoulder, "This battle not only demonstrated the might of our Merchant Protection Army, but also let the world know that those who offend our Hanyuan merchants, no matter how far away, will be punished!"

"Serve the Prince! Fight for Han Yuan!" Liu Yidao exclaimed excitedly.

"Issue the order," Xiao Chen said to Zhou Tong, "to publish the details of this incident, the evidence, and the results of the merchant protection army, and distribute it throughout the world through the caravans."

"I want everyone walking on the Road to Prosperity to know that Han Yuan will not only make them rich, but also protect them!"

"yes!"

As expected, the news caused a sensation throughout the world.

The merchants and travelers applauded, their confidence in and sense of belonging to Hanyuan greatly increased.

The "Trade Road" not only quickly recovered its former prosperity, but the number and scale of caravans were also greater than before!

Northern Yan, on the other hand, suffered a humiliating defeat and its morale plummeted.

The Black Wind Incident became an unspeakable disgrace for the Northern Yan army, and it also instilled in them a deeper fear of Han Yuan's military strength and determination to retaliate.