sovbooks Chapter 5 The God of War Arrives
Chapter 5 The God of War Arrives
As soon as Liu Yao's shout subsided, the man at the other end of the mountain path immediately dismounted, unfastened the sword from his waist and threw it far away on the ground, raised his hands, and walked forward alone.
The man was dressed in the standard leather armor of the Youzhou army. He was tall and straight, and his face showed signs of hardship and unconcealed shame. He stopped ten steps away from the two of them and bowed deeply to Gao Zidan. His waist was bent very low, and his attitude was extremely respectful. He completely ignored Liu Yao, who was standing by with his sword drawn.
"This humble servant, Murong Baiyao, leader of the Youzhou cavalry, greets Young Master Gao."
His voice was hoarse, filled with guilt and unease. His head was bowed, and he dared not look at Gao Zidan.
Gao Zidan was taken aback, and subconsciously frowned. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. As for why this person was so respectful to him, he was completely baffled. He had no memories of the original owner from childhood to adulthood, and had no idea what was going on with this person.
He suppressed his doubts, adopting a cold and aloof demeanor befitting someone who had suffered a great upheaval, and asked, "I don't recognize you. What do you want from me?"
Upon hearing this, Murong Baiyao lowered his head even further, his face filled with even deeper shame. He hurriedly explained, "My lord, please forgive me. When my late father was alive, he helped and saved my life. My entire family owes our existence entirely to his care. The Gao family suffered a calamity, and I should have repaid him with my life, but... but I truly had no choice!"
He glanced at the mountain path behind him, then looked at Liu Yao, his tone full of resentment and helplessness: "After Xiang Yu, the governor of Youzhou, took control of Youzhou, he brought a large number of his Jiangdong loyalists and placed them in various camps as military supervisors. We, the local Youzhou soldiers, are subject to his control everywhere, and any disobedience is a capital offense. This time, the massacre of the Gao family of Shanggu and the pursuit of the young master were all ordered by Xiang Yu. Those military supervisors from the south personally supervised the battle. Even if we sympathize with the Gao family, we have no choice but to follow them into battle, otherwise our families left in Youzhou will all be implicated."
Liu Yao listened coldly from the side, his hand gripping the hilt of his knife never loosening, his eyes sharp as knives, fixed on Murong Baiyao, showing no sign of letting his guard down. He had seen too many conspiracies and intrigues in chaotic times, and naturally would not lower his guard because of a few words.
"Just now, the Chanyu counterattacked and killed the vanguard officer and the garrison commander—both of them were Xiang Yu's trusted men from Jiangdong. They usually bullied and oppressed our local brothers in the camp, which had long aroused resentment among the people." Murong Baiyao's tone gradually became agitated. "With their deaths, the brothers in the camp all breathed a sigh of relief. No one wanted to hunt down the Gao family's orphan for Xiang Yu's trusted men anymore. So, I took a few trustworthy brothers and tied up the remaining southern supervisor who was watching us, and came here specifically to apologize to you, my lord."
After saying this, he bowed deeply again, his tone earnest: "After I returned, I reported that the military supervisor had been killed by the Xiongnu Chanyu, and that Young Master Gao had been abducted by the Chanyu. With no one to testify, Xiang Yu's men could not find any fault. I only ask that you understand, Young Master, that we, the local brothers of Youzhou, never intended to exterminate the Gao family."
Liu Yao snorted coldly and spoke, his voice rough and full of pressure: "You talk a good game, but you're all just empty words. Why should I believe you? If you really want to apologize, bring the person you tied up here so I can see them!"
"Yes! Yes! I'll bring it over right away!"
Murong Baiyao quickly responded and turned back to wave at the other end of the mountain path.
The remaining six or seven riders immediately rode over, and the two horses with people tied to them were pushed to the front.
The man bound to the first horse was dressed in the same standard armor as the garrison commander, with a fierce face. He was being gagged and making muffled noises, his eyes filled with resentment. He was probably the Jiangdong direct subordinate supervisor brought by Xiang Yu.
"This is the military officer Xiang Yu planted in our camp, and also the supervisor of this pursuit. He has harmed many of our brothers in the past, and is determined to kill you, my lord." Murong Baiyao pointed at the man and said in a deep voice, "I have brought him here. Whether you kill him or torture him is entirely up to you, my lord!"
Gao Zidan glanced at the man indifferently, said nothing, and then focused her gaze on the person tied up on the second horse.
The man was dressed in faded, muddy, and tattered clothes. He was thin, with disheveled and tangled hair. His face was covered in dust and abrasions, and his hands were tied behind his back. He was huddled on the horse's back, looking utterly wretched and without any spirit. He was the very image of a desperate and destitute refugee.
"This is a retainer of the Gao family that we captured when we searched the mountains earlier," Murong Baiyao quickly explained. "After Xiang Yu slaughtered the Gao family, he ordered the capture of all Gao family retainers. This brother was hiding in the mountains and was captured by our patrolling brothers. I knew he was a member of the Gao family, so I secretly hid him and didn't hand him over to Xiang Yu's direct subordinates. I brought him along to return to you, my lord."
He paused, then added, "This brother's name is Han Xin."
"Han Xin?!"
Upon hearing those two words, Gao Zidan's mind went blank, as if struck by lightning. She froze on the spot, her heart pounding wildly, almost leaping out of her chest!
Han Xin?!
Han Xin, the unparalleled military genius?!
Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, who fought a desperate battle, ambushed from all sides, swept across the land, and assisted Liu Bang in establishing the Han Dynasty that lasted for four hundred years?!
He transmigrated here, still worried about his life and the resources of the 1,800-strong Yongming tribe, when suddenly a military genius, Han Xin, fell from the sky?!
With Han Xin around, what about Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, and the Song Dynasty? In this chaotic world, wouldn't they be easy prey?!
A surge of overwhelming joy instantly coursed through his body. He almost couldn't control his expression, quickly clenching his fists to suppress the excitement welling up in his eyes. He stared intently at the disheveled man on horseback, mentally showering him with praise—truly a military genius! Calm and collected in the face of danger! Even in such a predicament, he remained patient and patient! This is the kind of person destined for greatness!
On the surface, he maintained the composure of a scion of a noble family, only nodding slightly, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Thank you for your hard work, Captain Murong. Untie the man and bring him here."
Murong Baiyao quickly agreed, stepped forward to untie Han Xin's ropes, and dragged the military officer off his horse and threw him on the ground.
Han Xin staggered slightly, moved his wrists which were numb from being tied up, lowered his head and quickly walked to Gao Zidan. He bowed deeply to him, his voice restrained and hoarse, carrying a hint of unease: "This humble one, Han Xin, greets the young lord."
He didn't dare to raise his head the whole time, his shoulders were slightly hunched, showing the restraint and unease of a down-and-out person.
But in Gao Zidan's eyes, this was all the low-key forbearance of a military genius! It was the shrewdness of someone who remained silent until the moment of truth! He quickly reached out to help Han Xin up, his tone filled with undisguised warmth: "Sir, you've suffered! With you here, the Gao family is fortunate!"
Liu Yao, watching this scene from the side, raised an eyebrow, assuming that Gao Zidan had seen an old friend of his. He secretly sighed that the kid was lucky, having just escaped with his life and already having men sent to him. He didn't take this down-on-his-luck commoner seriously at all.
Murong Baiyao looked at Gao Zidan and bowed again: "My lord, this is all I can do. We should not stay here any longer. Xiang Yu's large army may catch up soon. You should leave as soon as possible. I will take my brothers back and will never reveal your whereabouts."
Gao Zidan looked up at him, nodded, and said calmly, "I will remember what happened today. I, Gao Zidan, will repay Captain Murong's kindness in the future."
Upon hearing this, Murong Baiyao's face showed even greater shame, his ears turning red. He quickly bowed deeply again, his waist almost touching the ground, his voice tinged with bitterness: "My lord, please don't say such things! I am already deeply grateful that you don't blame me for my previous helplessness and have forgiven me. How could I dare to accept your kindness! The Gao family saved my family and gave us a second chance at life. Not only have I failed to repay their kindness, but I have also watched helplessly as the Gao family suffered. I can never atone for this guilt in my lifetime. This trivial matter today is not even a fraction of my sins. How could I dare to mention any repayment?"
He paused, then looked up and instructed, "This place is dangerous. You must leave as soon as possible, sir. Xiang Yu's large army may catch up at any time. After I return, I will definitely help you cover your tracks and ensure that no one can find out where you are."
After saying this, he bowed deeply again, then turned around and led his brothers to mount their horses, and soon disappeared at the end of the mountain path.
The riverbank fell silent again, leaving only corpses scattered on the ground, and the Southern Army Commander, his mouth gagged and left to writhe on the ground, staring at everyone with venomous eyes.
Liu Yao glanced at the military officer, his face expressionless. He raised his hand, drew his sword, and with a flash of cold light, cleanly decapitated the man, splattering blood everywhere. He casually flicked the blood off his blade, sheathed it, and shouted to the crowd in a gruff voice, "This place is no place to linger! Xiang Yu's main force will hear the commotion and catch up in less than half an hour! Everyone mount your horses and head towards Bingzhou!"
The guards immediately responded and mounted their horses.
Gao Zidan was still immersed in the joy of finding "the God of War Han Xin" until Liu Yao urged him, which brought him back to his senses. He quickly pulled Han Xin next to him and they were helped onto the horse.
Surrounded by dozens of riders, the two turned their horses around and galloped westward toward the mountains where Bingzhou and Yunzhou bordered. The horses' hooves shattered the silence of the riverbank, and the cold wind whipped up snowflakes that stung their faces. Gao Zidan lay on the horse's back, glancing back at Han Xin beside her every now and then, unable to contain her excitement.
Ahead lay endless mountains, the Yongming tribe struggling to survive in the cracks, and a chaotic and unknown world. But Gao Zidan felt that his ambition to dominate the chaotic world had already laid the most solid foundation.