After a chase in the darkness, the group gradually withdrew. After a quick cleanup and interrogating some survivors, Qin Mu and his men disappeared back into the night.

The next afternoon, Ashina Simo and his men appeared at the battlefield of the previous night. Seeing the vultures circling in the air and refusing to leave, Ashina Simo and his men continued their pursuit.

They hadn't been chasing each other for long when autumn rain suddenly started falling, forcing them to stop.

“Don’t worry, if we can’t march, neither can those Tang people,” Ashina Yugushe advised.

They found this place in the pouring rain and managed to squeeze in.

“After the heavy rain, it will be difficult to track them down.” Ashina Simo said with a worried expression, turning his gaze away.

"It's alright! I've already ordered a blockade of the Juyan Lake area. Unless they cross the desert, they have no chance of escaping. Now that we know their purpose, we can just go and block them," Yu Gu She reassured her.

Although Ashina Simo knew that what he said made sense, he still felt vaguely uneasy. But what could he do when even marching was impossible in the heavy rain?

…………

Compared to Ashina Simo and his group, Qin Mu and his companions had a much tougher time. They hadn't found suitable shelter from the rain by nightfall, so they simply continued on in the downpour. Fortunately, they had collected many animal hides along the way, enough for each person. They stopped to rest in the latter half of the night and continued their journey in the rain the next day. Finally, they found a tribe, slaughtered them, and settled there.

The key was having enough supplies. We cut down wooden sticks, stuck them in the ground, and roughly sewed up animal hides, which could at least provide shelter from the rain.

With shelter from the rain, they could light a fire, warm themselves, and eat hot food, making life comfortable for everyone. It should be said that the heavens were on their side; the heavy rain lasted four days, giving Qin Mu and the others four days to recuperate. This made up for the hardships they had endured recently.

These past few days haven't been entirely idle either. The supplies have been reprocessed, resulting in at least tens of thousands more arrows and several thousand more javelins. A large quantity of cooked food has also been placed in the Heavenly Mystery Tower.

Based on the prescription provided by Qin Mu, Han Chen brewed two batches of bone broth, using the medicinal herbs to nourish and regulate everyone's bodies.

The rain stopped, and Qin Mu and his group set off again. This time, following their plan, they changed direction and headed towards Zhangye. Their main objective was to lure the wolf clan into believing they were about to cross the desert.

The heavy rain washed away the tracks on the road, which made things much easier for Qin Mu and his men. They wiped out five more tribes and then turned around again at the edge of the desert.

In the desert, although the traces are equally obvious, they can be completely disappeared with just a gust of wind.

Qin Mu and his group didn't necessarily want to cross the desert, but it was vast, and without a guide, even with stargazing, it was easy to lose their way. Most importantly, Qin Mu knew the desert's dangers; quicksand and sandstorms were beyond human control. Even their mounts weren't suited for desert travel—camels. Large animals like the triangular ox would easily get stuck and be unable to move an inch.

As expected, Ashina Simo and his men lost track of Qin Mu and his group. With no other option, after the rain stopped, they had to head towards Juyan Lake to participate in the interception and encirclement. However, before they even reached Juyan Lake, they received news that Qin Mu and his men had slaughtered several more tribes and were charging towards the desert.

Being led by the nose is extremely unpleasant, but they have no choice but to follow. After all, if Qin Mu and his group actually enter the desert and even only one-tenth of them return, it will mean they have failed. Not only will they lose face, but they will also become traitors to the wolf clan, a title they cannot afford to gamble with or bear.

Ashina Simo and Ashina Yugushe had no choice but to divide their forces again. Ashina Simo led 30,000 men to pursue and kill them, while Yugushe went to Juyan Lake to set up an ambush as a precaution.

Harsh environments often forge talent. Through countless battles, Qin Mu and his group exuded a palpable killing intent, with someone advancing in rank almost every day.

Their weary appearance couldn't conceal their sharp spirit; their tattered armor only amplified their imposing presence. Even their banners bore several holes, but nothing diminished their resolve. Of the more than six thousand who had ventured beyond the pass, less than five thousand remained, some missing limbs, yet they sat firmly on their mounts, their faces resolute as they gazed ahead. Everyone believed that their leader would surely bring them back.

Across the Gobi Desert, a stretch of turquoise water rippled, bringing a sense of relief to those accustomed to sand and stones.

"We shall rest here tonight. After tomorrow, endless battles await us until we enter the Jade Gate Pass, at which point we can finally relax. I hope all my brothers will carry with them honors and receive His Majesty's reward in Chang'an!" Qin Mu said loudly, standing on the back of the rhinoceros.

No one answered; they all just pounded their chests with their fists.

After the group rested and left the camp, their mounts were still the top priority. Since they had such a good water source, they decided to give their mounts a good wash.

Seeing the expectant look in Princess Changning's eyes, Qin Mu, along with Cheng Huaimo and Xi Junmai, set up a tent at the diving spot so that Princess Changning and the other girls could take a bath.

Along the way, it was easier for the men, as they could take a bath as long as there was a water source, but the women could only wipe themselves with water.

Originally, they should have been a group of pampered young ladies, but after fighting their way through the battles, they earned everyone's respect, and no one objected to them enjoying a little bit of privilege.

Juyan Lake is very large, and their location on this side of the Gobi Desert is just a small place, so they are not worried about being discovered, especially since it was already getting dark.

Thick leather quilts shielded them from the firelight, allowing them to rest well. The next day, before dawn, the group began preparations. This time, everyone had to carry their own food and water, as it was uncertain whether they would be separated by the current.

Qin Mu personally led his men to distribute the food, patting each soldier's arm vigorously as they came to collect it, and saying, "Take care!"

"Take care!" He nodded vigorously, replied, and then led his mount to form a line.

They now cooperated quite well; a general-level expert leading a hundred cavalrymen was quite a luxury. But this ensured that everyone could follow the arrow in front and fight their way out of the encirclement.

Heavy cavalry led the way, light cavalry flanked them, and wounded soldiers and surplus mounts followed behind. Five thousand men, after half a month, once again set foot on the grasslands.

It's already late September, and they don't know how the battle is going, nor are they thinking about that. Their main concern is how to break through the encirclement.

Upon encountering the first wolf tribe, they knew things were indeed in the worst possible light. An army of twenty thousand men charged out from the tribe!

"Woo! Woo! Woo!" The desolate sound of bull horns echoed across the grassland. At the same time, a plume of smoke rose into the sky from within the tribe.

"Kill!" Qin Mu gave the order, and with a wave of the command flag, everyone urged their mounts on, increasing their speed.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The war drums sounded, and three thousand light cavalry charged forward swiftly like arrows released from a bow.

In cavalry battles, only three arrows are allowed in the heat of battle. This means that when two cavalry forces charge, even the most skilled archers have only three chances to fire three arrows before engaging in close combat. In reality, most can only fire two arrows, and those at the forefront only have one chance.

Arrows rained down through the air, almost blotting out the sun. The Tang army clearly had the upper hand, as they were mostly throwing javelins. The long javelins flew through the air, falling in parabolic arcs, causing many members of the wolf tribe to fall from their mounts, or to fall to the ground along with their horses.

As for the Tang Dynasty, because they had captured a large number of animal hides, most of the men and their warhorses were now wrapped in hides. Although they were not as heavily armored, ordinary arrows could not seriously injure them, since arrows falling in a parabolic trajectory were not as powerful as those that shot straight down.

After exchanging fire, the light cavalry circled around the wolf pack a hundred meters away, spreading out to the left and right, revealing the heavy cavalry in the center.

The heavy cavalry, like a sharp blade, plunged fiercely into the wolf pack, while the light cavalry, spreading out to the left and right, launched another wave of attacks, then followed behind the heavy cavalry. In an instant, everyone transformed from a square formation into a wedge formation.

They had become very adept at using this tactic. The light cavalry suddenly spread out to the left and right, causing most of the wolf clan's arrows to miss, since they were firing in a covering pattern along the path the cavalry was advancing.

The strength of the Triangular Bulls completely exceeded the wolf clan's expectations. Coupled with their heavy armor, they were practically impervious to swords and spears. Even the six hundred cows in the central army were able to knock the wolf clan members and horses over.

Twenty thousand wolves were no match for Qin Mu and his men. A single charge cleaved them in two, and the wolves, watching the departing cavalry, had no desire to pursue them. In that single blow, they lost three thousand soldiers. Unsure whether Qin Mu and his men would turn back, they could only rally and reorganize their ranks at their commander's shouts, preparing to face another possible attack.

It wasn't until Qin Mu and the others had run a thousand meters away that the wolf clan's leaders looked at each other, pondering whether to give chase or not.

In the end, they still chose to give chase, but not in a great hurry. They were afraid that Qin Mu and his group would turn back and fight to the death. If they were forced into that situation, it was uncertain whether Qin Mu and his group would survive, but they certainly wouldn't have many survivors. Just look at that one charge; they lost more than three thousand men, including more than ten experts. One top expert was killed, one was crippled, and one was seriously injured.

One smoke signal, then two, then three in a single day—this foreshadowed an attack on three large, prepared tribes. It also indicated that the first two tribes had certainly failed to hold out.

Ashina Yugushe had already given up hope on the third tribe. He had spent the entire day wandering the grasslands without getting anything. He was inclined to ignore Qin Mu and the others, since the biggest losses had been suffered by Ashina Duobi, and he had only felt offended as a wolf himself.

Now, Qin Mu and his men were killing their own men, so Yu Gushe felt heartbroken. But thinking that there was still a checkpoint ahead, he decided to lead his men to chase after them.

On the grasslands, the only way to build a city is with mud, which is extremely difficult for wolves. Therefore, a two-meter-high mud wall is already considered a masterpiece.

"Brothers! Let's take down this shabby checkpoint and go home!" Cheng Huaimo shouted, brandishing his axe.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" came a deafening roar of battle cries. The soldiers were filled with fervor, raising their weapons and shouting at the top of their lungs.

This dilapidated checkpoint was a joke in the eyes of the Tang people. Any large family in Chang'an would have built a better and more heavily fortified residence.

Leading the charge were Cheng Huaimo, Yuchi Baolin, Baili Rou, Xin Liao'er, Bu Mang, Zhang Yi, and twenty top experts from the Six Doors. Braving a hail of arrows, they launched their charge. Behind them were heavily armored cavalry, and then the rest of the troops.

As the war drums sounded and the aura of righteousness descended, Qin Mu rode a rhinoceros at the head of the heavy cavalry, flanked by Huang Sanjian and Princess Changning.

Cheng Huaimo and the others brandished their weapons, leaped from their mounts, and flew towards the top of the wall like large birds.

The heavily armored cavalrymen shielded their faces with their left hands and brandished their weapons with their right hands to deflect the rain of arrows; the light cavalrymen, on the other hand, unleashed a barrage of arrows and javelins at the city walls.

The most reckless was Fang Yi'ai. This guy and Xi Junmai each rode a triangular bull and charged towards the city gate of the checkpoint, raising their axes high and chopping down.

The garrison numbered ten thousand, which should have been more than enough to defend this pass, which was only a little over a hundred meters long; any more would have been too much of a challenge. However, Qin Mu and his men were far more skilled than most. In a single encounter, they stormed the city walls and began a massacre of the wolf tribe.

The wolf clan had quite a few skilled fighters, but they were still far inferior to Yuchi Baolin and his men. Moreover, after they occupied part of the city walls, even more men joined the charge.

You should know that Qin Mu's skilled men are from the Six Doors. They easily jumped over these low walls, even though they were wearing heavy armor.

Fang Yi'ai and his men broke through the city gates, and the army entered the city. The cavalry charged and killed the infantry, making it even easier for them to kill.

As Qin Mu leaped onto the city wall, he saw Huang Sanjian fire arrows one after another, then swayed and leaned against the city wall.

Xin Liao'er coughed up blood at the foot of the city wall; Cheng Huaimo's axe was stuck in the ground, and he lay beside him; Yuchi Baolin's halberd fell to his feet, and he covered his right arm with his left hand.

Han Chen had already rushed towards the group, and Qin Mu asked in surprise, "What's going on?"

“The top experts of the Wolf Clan are at least third-rank generals. Fortunately, he didn’t know Brother Huang was here.” Bu Mang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said. Only then did Qin Mu notice that the handle of his silver-white axe was bent.

Looking at the over two-meter-tall, burly wolf on the ground, one could see a long, finely crafted iron arrow embedded in his right eye, throat, and abdomen—the very same arrows used by Huang Sanjian. From the scene, it was clear they had engaged in a life-or-death struggle in that short time.

"How is it?" Qin Mu asked with concern.

"I'm fine, I won't die!" Cheng Huaimo struggled to sit up and said.

"Don't move!" Han Chen glared at him and said, then looked up at Qin Mu and said, "General Xin and Cheng Huaimo are seriously injured and cannot travel!"

"I'm fine!" Xin Liao'er tried to get up, but couldn't, and stubbornly said.

"Don't move! Rest well, I'll take care of everything!" Qin Mu stopped him.

Strangely enough, this checkpoint is a special place. The area in front is open, but once you get to the checkpoint, it's only about two hundred meters wide. Behind it is a passage, which leads to the Western Regions. On both sides are cliffs over a hundred meters high.

The cliffs are of varying depths and are scattered haphazardly, as if they were carved out by someone with a knife.

It is said that this cliff connects the Gobi Desert and the Gobi, and it would take at least a month to travel around it. The cliff is too steep for mounts to pass through, and even for humans, it would be difficult.

Of course! You could try using a weapon to push down the cliff, slowly making your way back up. But for most people, even a fall of only a few dozen meters, even if it's just dirt below, would be extremely painful. And if you injure your leg, you'd probably just have to wait to die down there.

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