Chapter 853: Scouring the Turkic Steppe (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”General.”
At this moment, a low voice rang out at Li Siye's ear.
”Tibetan vultures have been sighted. They've noticed us.”
Li Siye's eyes flashed as he turned to follow the scout's gaze. To the southwest, a massive black vulture had appeared in the sky, circling in the air as it clearly observed them. Even farther off, he could see a black silhouette mounted on a warhorse peeking out over the horizon, watching them from a distance.
From his dress, he was clearly a Tibetan horseman.
”There's no need to worry. Let them do what they want.”
Li Siye quickly turned back around.
”There's no one left in Ü-Tsang's north that can threaten us.”
With this, Li Siye turned his gaze back to the north, transforming into an unmoving war god, silently waiting and watching.
……
Northwest of Qixi, across the long arc of the border and deep into the Turkic steppe…
Rumble!
Soon after Li Siye had departed, Cheng Sanyuan had left with three thousand Wushang Cavalry, traveling through the Turkic steppe along its most lush and fertile regions. The Wushang Cavalry rarely ventured this deeply into the steppe, so Cheng Sanyuan had brought three guides.
A thin Hu mounted on a warhorse pointed ahead and said, ”Milord, another ten-some li ahead is an oasis. The Gu-er-ri Tribe's people often water their cows and sheep there.”
”All soldiers, move out!”
A cold light in his eyes, Cheng Sanyuan held aloft his sword and thrust it forward. Instantly, thousands of cavalry surged past him, charging toward that area. Thirty minutes later, the three thousand Wushang Cavalry had arrived. What they were greeted with was not the sight of a clear oasis, but thousands upon thousands of cows and sheep, as well as Turkic shepherds dressed in lambskin.
”Shit, it's the Han!”
”How did their soldiers appear here? Run away!”
At the sight of Cheng Sanyuan's forces, the Turkic shepherds panicked. Some of the shepherds rapidly assembled a small defensive force that galloped forward to intercept Cheng Sanyuan.
”Kill!”
Without the slightest hesitation, Cheng Sanyuan and his three thousand Wushang Cavalry swept forward like a storm. Turks had fierce personalities, and while these shepherds appeared innocent, were they to put on some armor, they would all become regular Turkic warriors that would follow the army into the underbelly of the Central Plains to wreak havoc amongst the common folk.
This principle was obvious to everyone. There was no emotion or mercy in this battle, and when it was over, the earth around the oasis was stained with blood and covered with the corpses of livestock and shepherds.
”Let's go! To the next one!”
Cheng Sanyuan's sharp eyes turned to the north as he swung down his arm. Like black clouds, the three thousand cavalry swept toward their next destination.
One after the other, Cheng Sanyuan continued to follow Wang Chong's order, scouring the water sources of the Turkic steppe of shepherds and tribes. His movements were fast and brutal. In just one day, several dozen water sources had been cleared.
Countless shepherds and tribes fled in panic, and this incident quickly bore fruit.
……
”Bastard!”
Upon receiving the urgent news from the shepherds, the Turkic deputy general stationed on the western border of the Khaganate slammed his hand against the table and got to his feet.
”These Han are acting too brashly! Do they really think that we Turks have no one else?”
With the death of the Black Wolf Yabgu, all his soldiers had fallen under the command of this deputy general. Until Ishbara Khagan appointed a new Yabgu, the thirty-thousand-some cavalry of the west were under his control.
”What have you found? Only three thousand? No sign of that Young Marquis?”
Nalou Lubu propped his hands against the metal table and leaned over it, his expression savage.
”General, we've already scouted things out,” the kneeling Turkic scout subserviently said. ”That Wang Chong of the Great Tang is not present. The one commanding this force is some nameless officer, and he only has three thousand soldiers. We've confirmed this report multiple times.”
”Pass on my order! Assemble the army and get ready to leave! We'll crush these Han until nothing is left.”
Nalou Lubu's voice echoed through the tent, but he had already leapt over the table and walked out.
In the battle of Qixi Armory, Agudu Lan and his five thousand elites had been wiped out, dealing a massive blow to the Western Turkic Khaganate's forces around Qixi. However, despite all that, the Khaganate still had a formidable force in the area.
Nalou Lubu was perhaps not as famous as Agudu Lan, but he was still a general of some renown amongst the Western Turks, and a veteran of many battles. Together with his thirty thousand soldiers, he presented a powerful force.
Rumble!