Dragon Canon

The Shattered Realm.

The Zhao delegation moved along at a leisurely pace. Although the Shattered Realm was a lawless land teeming with horse bandits, it wasn’t like the horse bandits were fools. The moment they saw the thousand-strong cavalry escorting the convoy and the fluttering banners of the state of Zhao, they all quietly vanished.

The Zhao cavalry was renowned throughout the world, and the horse bandits had no desire to test the sharpness of their blades with their heads.

Just then, an army appeared ahead of the delegation. Their armor were gleaming, and their banners were flying high bearing the word “Jin.” The general in charge of guarding the convoy spotted the force from afar, spurred his horse forward, and demanded, “Who dares block our path?”

Feng Lin rode forward and replied, “This subordinate is Feng Lin, a deputy general of Western Jin. I have been ordered to await you here and escort the Princess through the pass!”

After the general returned to the carriage and relayed the message, a voice from within said, “Have him come forward and speak.”

Feng Lin rode alone to the princess’ carriage, dismounted, and bowed. In terms of proper etiquette, he dared not neglect a single detail. The young woman before him wasn’t just the Zhao Princess of Ning[1], but also the younger sister of the First Consort. The Zhao princess herself might not be able to do much to him, but a single word from the First Consort could remove ten of his heads.

“What territory are we in?”

“Your Highness, we are still within Anzhao Commandery. We are about to enter to Bianning Commandery.”

“Anzhao Commandery...” Inside the carriage, the princess repeated the name several times before saying, “Lead the way.”

Feng Lin replied, “Horse bandits are rampant in this area, and some of the factions are quite powerful. I intend to deploy an elite unit to guard your carriage to ensure your safety.”

“I don’t like people around my carriage. Don’t block my view.”

Since the princess had spoken, Feng Lin dared not say more. He divided his troops into two groups: one to clear the path ahead, and another to travel alongside the delegation several li to the side, ready to block any horse bandits who might appear from the west.

The young woman in the carriage looked out of the window and gave a surprised, “Huh?” She then said, “These soldiers are surprisingly well-trained. I thought you said that, apart from the northern border troops, the rest of the Western Jin army are pathetically weak? Oh, but the ones leading the way for us are pretty bad.”

The old man yawned and said, “Western Jin is vast, and capable people are plentiful. There will always be those who wish to make a name for themselves. The formation he’s arranged is a bit odd, though. I’m afraid he has ulterior motives.”

The young woman asked, “Will horse bandits really come to raid us?”

“Not only will they come, but there will be two groups.”

The young woman perked up immediately. “Really? Can I command the defense then?”

The old man shook his head immediately. “I taught you military tactics and formations in private to keep you entertained, not lead armies for real. Care to guess how many days your sister will lock you up in the Jin capital if she finds out that you adore this stuff?”

The young woman slumped back in her seat, but remained defiant. “I know! You’re just afraid I’ll scare those Jin noblemen, aren’t you? I’ve heard they’re all a bunch of sissies—I really have no interest in them at all... Anyway, why don’t you tell me about the plan for this time? The horse bandits will be showing up any moment now—surely I can hear about it now? I’m sure knowing just a little won’t ruin my sister’s plans!”

The young woman’s beauty was truly rare in this world. Her aggrieved look was enough to melt anyone’s heart.

The old man sighed helplessly. “Your sister was just like this when she left the capital. Oh, fine, I suppose I can tell you a little more. In addition to our gifts, we’ve brought something else with us this time. That item cannot leave the ground or move too quickly. That is why we’re traveling in this convoy.”

“Oh? What kind of treasure is it?” The young woman’s eyes lit up with intense curiosity, like a kitten spotting a ball of yarn.

The old man chuckled and said, “It’s not a treasure at all. In fact, it’s a dangerous object. You mustn’t see it. Many in the royal court know we are carrying this item, and many also know it’s meant for the King of Jin. Soon,the horse bandits will arrive, snatch it from us, and then deliver it to the King of Jin.”

“I see!” The young woman said, “The King of Jin doesn’t want anyone to know he’s acquired this item, right?”

The old man nodded. “Exactly.”

“Isn’t this a bit like that saying... trying to cover something up only to make it more obvious?”

The old man smiled and said, “As long as there’s no direct evidence proving that the item has ended up in the King of Jin’s hands, it’s fine.”

“The horse bandits are meant to take the fall, then?”

The old man chuckled but said nothing.

The young woman asked again, “But why are there two groups of horse bandits?”

“The first group isn’t exactly on our side yet. This old man is planning to gauge their strength and see if they’re worth recruiting. If they’re capable enough, I’ll hand the item over to them. But if they fail the test, there’s still the second group of horse bandits, and they’re definitely our own. They’ll take the item and deliver it to the King of Jin.”

The young woman’s curiosity was piqued even further. “Who’s in the first group? How do you plan to test them? Do you need my help?”

The old man laughed. “Is the Great Zhao about to fall that we need the Princess of Ning to intervene personally? The leader of the horse bandits who’ll be arriving shortly is called Wei Yuan—the very young man who had erected the realm stone in the west. As for my test, it’s quite simple.

“In these turbulent times, personal strength and the ability to rally followers are equally important. If he can withstand a strike from me using one-third of my Dao power, and have thirty Dao Foundation-stage cultivators among his men, then he’ll pass the test.”

The princess exclaimed in surprise, “One-third of your Dao power? Isn’t that equivalent to a top-tier late-stage Dao Foundation stage cultivator?”

“Not really. I’m old, and my cultivation has regressed somewhat over the years. One-third of my Dao power now is merely on par with a Heaven-tier peak Dao Foundation stage cultivator. I won’t make things difficult for him. As long as he can withstand my attack, he’ll pass.”

“Wei Yuan, Wei Yuan...” The princess repeated the name until she suddenly remembered something. “I think I’ve seen his records? Hasn’t it been less than a year since he formed a Dao Foundation? Don’t you think that your standards are a little too high?!”

The old man replied calmly, “That’s why I said he’ll pass as long as he can withstand it.”

Just then, the ground started trembling. The escorting general, a veteran of countless battles, immediately ordered the convoy to halt. The cavalry then gathered and formed a defensive formation.

A cloud of dust began to appear on the distant horizon. A massive band of horse bandits could be seen surging forward in staggering numbers.

Feng Lin also spurred his horse back to the convoy. Upon seeing the bandits, he narrowed his eyes and immediately ordered the troops marching alongside the western flank to form a defensive line to block their advance.

The Zhao general frowned. In his view, the best course of action for Feng Lin would be to withdraw these men and form a defensive line around the convoy. While they blocked the enemy’s advance, he would lead the cavalry and provide support from the flank. But now, several thousand infantrymen were forming up several li away from the convoy in open terrain. They had no fortifications or horse repellers[2], no powerful bows or crossbows, and scarcely a few Dao Foundation-stage commandants among them. No matter how he looked at it, facing the horse bandits like this was tantamount to courting death.

These soldiers were all tall and burly, strong and robust. To the Zhao general, someone who had commanded troops into battle for a long time, they were a sight to behold. Thus, he found it hard to bear watching them go to their deaths like this. But these were not his men, nor were they soldiers of the State of Zhao, so he could say nothing. He could only hope that the horse bandits approaching were a rabble.

As the rolling dust clouds rapidly drew near from the distance, the figures within them gradually became clear. As it turned out, these horse bandits were well-equipped and riding fine steeds. Each one had a crossbow slung beside their horse, and their numbers were vast as well—there had to be four or five thousand of them.

The Zhao general’s expression grew grave. Were the horse bandits of the Shattered Realm all this elite? Even in Zhao, these men would be qualified to join the main cavalry force.

With his one thousand iron cavalry at his command, the Zhao general did not fear the enemy even though they were outnumbered. However, it was certainly going to be a grueling battle.

Sitting atop his horse, Feng Lin watched the surging horde of horse bandits with the trace of a savage grin on his face. He was eager to see the look on Yue Qilin’s face when he realized that the troops he had led had all been wiped out.

Moments later, several horsemen appeared at the foot of a distant mountain. Behind them, more and more horsemen were emerging from the mist shrouding the slopes.

As soon as he rounded the mountain’s base, Wei Yuan saw two forces locked in combat in the distance. He was taken aback—he hadn’t even arrived yet, so how had the fighting already begun?

1. Ning is a country of Zhao. ☜

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheval_de_frise ☜