Chapter 106: The Hidden Dragon Society

Chapter 106: The Hidden Dragon Society

Ashina listened to the words of the tribe leaders inside the tent, his face fierce as he retrieved a section of dried finger from around his neck.

There was a ring on the finger. Ashina had made this dried finger into a pendant and hung it around his own neck.

Mosi Ashina, who was at one side, saw this scene and immediately recognized that the finger was his.

Mosi’s expression changed involuntarily.

Ashina held up the finger, his face cold and stern. “This is a finger that the Xiao Kingdom people chopped off my son! This is a trampling on our Ashina Tribe! I made it into a necklace and hung it around my neck to constantly remind myself! This time, no matter what, I will fight the Xiao Kingdom to the end!”

After he said this, especially after seeing that dried finger, the expressions of everyone became solemn, and the entire gathering fell silent.

Ashina asked the messenger soldier, “What did that person look like?”

The messenger soldier seemed to be recalling. “Reporting to the Khan, that person wore a white monk robe of the Xiao Kingdom and a bamboo hat. There was a black veil on the bamboo hat! Oh, and he was holding a silver monk’s staff as tall as a person.”

Upon hearing this, Ashina suddenly stood up.

“Mr. Hidden Dragon?”

Someone nearby, seeing this, asked curiously, “Who is Mr. Hidden Dragon?”

Ashina addressed the crowd. “This is a distinguished guest. Everyone, continue eating and drinking here. I will go receive him!”

Hearing Ashina’s words, everyone became even more curious. “Ashina, who is it that requires you to personally welcome them?”

“Right, bring that person here, let us see. We are not outsiders.”

“Yes, coming at this critical moment, he must be here to beg for mercy!”

Ashina listened as everyone spoke, one after another.

He then said to the crowd, “Everyone, you may want to see him. But, he may not necessarily want to see you!”

Everyone’s faces stiffened, and they all showed fierce expressions. “What kind of person is he? Us seeing him is giving him face, and he dares not want to see us?”

“True… Ashina, are there such pretentious people in the Xiao Kingdom? I really want to see…”

Before these people could finish, Ashina interrupted them.

“Enough! Even I have to show Mr. Hidden Dragon some respect! If you are not afraid of causing trouble, you can come along. But, if something happens, don’t come looking for me later! You should know, although Mr. Hidden Dragon is from the Xiao Kingdom, he is different from the Xiao Kingdom people you know!”

After Ashina said this, although the tribe leaders were curious about who this Mr. Hidden Dragon was, they did not speak up again.

“Ashina, just don’t be persuaded by him and make our trip here a waste!”

Ashina listened to their words and sneered coldly. “If they are willing to hand over the Xiao Kingdom throne to me, then I might consider their conditions!”

The group laughed heartily.

After Ashina left, he walked to the outside of their camp.

Under the moonlight, a person wearing a white monk robe, leaning on a monk’s staff as tall as a person, and wearing a black-veiled bamboo hat stood motionless outside the camp!

Ashi saw this and hurried forward with quick steps.

Upon seeing the visitor, he respectfully placed his palms together. “Mr. Hidden Dragon, what wind blew you here! Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

The man called Mr. Hidden Dragon heard this and said calmly, “Ashina, as long as you are willing to come see me, my trip here is not in vain!”

Seeing this, Ashina said to Mr. Hidden Dragon, “Mr. Hidden Dragon, you are my benefactor! How could I possibly refuse to see you. Let’s talk over there.”

Mr. Hidden Dragon waved his hand. “No need! Actually, I only came to say one thing.”

Ashina listened, a trace of doubt in his eyes, and said respectfully, “Mr. Hidden Dragon, please speak directly.”

Mr. Hidden Dragon said to Ashina, “I came to tell you to withdraw your troops. Your attack on the Four Northern Desert Prefectures this time is not well-timed! You still need to wait for the right opportunity! If you withdraw your troops, you may have an unexpected gain!”

Ashina heard this and smiled. “Mr. Hidden Dragon, are you serious? Right now, we are like an arrow on the bowstring that must be released. Once the bow is drawn, can the arrow turn back?”

Mr. Hidden Dragon saw that Ashina said this and had no further words.

Leaning on his silver monk’s staff, he turned and walked away.

“Mr. Hidden Dragon, is that all you came to say?”

Mr. Hidden Dragon said, “Yes. Since you won’t listen to what I told you, I have no other methods.”

Ashina said, “Didn’t you say? That army of one hundred thousand is not trained by Xiao Dingshan! A bunch of new recruits from disaster victims, how could they be a match for our Turkic cavalry? If you want me to withdraw troops, you must give me a reason.”

Mr. Hidden Dragon said, “My words are the reason! If you do not withdraw your troops, this time you will surely suffer heavy losses and return empty-handed!”

After hearing this, Ashina felt somewhat disdainful towards this mysterious Mr. Hidden Dragon.

Because he simply could not imagine how they could lose!

“Mr. Hidden Dragon, I am willing to listen to you. But Turkic is not something I alone decide. I’m afraid…”

Mr. Hidden Dragon waved his hand. “Everything has its way. I have told you, and that is worthy of the friendship between us. Whether to withdraw troops or not is your choice!”

As he spoke, Mr. Hidden Dragon heavily struck the ground with his silver staff.

They saw a little page boy driving a carriage coming over. It stopped before Mr. Hidden Dragon.

Mr. Hidden Dragon flicked his sleeve and looked at Ashina standing in place. “Ashina! The road has been pointed out for you. How you walk it is your business!”

Saying this, Hidden Dragon in the white monk robe boarded the carriage.

The little page boy waved the whip in his hand, turned the carriage around, and left.

After leaving a few hundred meters, the little page boy drove while saying, “Sir, they are unwilling to withdraw troops, right?”

Hidden Dragon sitting in the carriage had already taken off the bamboo hat on his head, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Naturally. These Turkic soldiers have been pampered by the people of the Four Northern Desert Prefectures into arrogant troops!”

The little page boy asked with a trace of doubt, “Sir, since you knew, why did you still come to persuade them?”

Hidden Dragon’s face was calm. “The purpose of my coming to persuade them this time was not that I really thought there was a way to make them withdraw troops. My goal was to make them remember that I once advised them after they suffer a crushing defeat. After they are defeated, when they recall my advice, won’t they see me as a prophet? After their crushing defeat, if I give them some suggestions again, won’t they obey me then?”

The little page boy showed an expression of sudden understanding. “Mr. Hidden Dragon, you are wise! But why are you so sure they will be defeated?”

Hidden Dragon sat in the carriage, his eyes slightly narrowed. “You talk too much!”

The little page boy immediately showed a fearful expression, his voice trembling. “Sir, I know I was wrong!”

Hidden Dragon said slowly from inside the carriage, “Tell the President that if he has any questions, he can ask me directly.”

Hearing Hidden Dragon’s words, the little page boy trembled all over. “Sir, I…”

“No need to explain. The first time you were assigned to my side, I knew you were the President’s person! I don’t mind! However, you know my rules!” Hidden Dragon’s voice came from the carriage without any emotion or tone.

The little page boy drove the carriage, his forehead already covered in sweat. “Sir… I… I was wrong!”

“Drive! Back to the Central Plains. We won’t get involved in this mess in the Northern Desert for now!” Hidden Dragon said calmly.

The little page boy acknowledged and dared not say anything more.

…

“Father Khan, is that the Mr. Hidden Dragon you mentioned?”

Just as Ashina was staring blankly in the direction Hidden Dragon left, a voice came from beside him.

“Mosi, why are you here, kid?” Ashina came back to his senses, somewhat surprised.

Mosi Ashina smiled awkwardly. “I was worried about Father Khan…”

Ashina exposed his thoughts. “You were worried that someone came to persuade me, and I gave up the idea of attacking the Xiao Kingdom again.”

Mosi smiled awkwardly, a trace of hatred in his eyes, and nodded.

Ashina patted Mosi’s shoulder. “Don’t worry! Nothing and no one can stop the hooves of our Turkic cavalry!”

Mosi also looked in the direction Hidden Dragon left. “Father, who exactly is that person? So mysterious!”

Ashina shook his head. “I only know he is from an organization called the Hidden Dragon Society. I don’t know what this organization does, but from listening to Mr. Hidden Dragon, he praises this organization highly! And the fact that our Ashina Tribe became the strongest tribe among the Turkic tribes is closely related to him!”

“If not for their connections and advice! Making the Four Great Clans of the Four Northern Desert Prefectures reach a tacit understanding with me, we wouldn’t have grown so fast under the support of the Northern Desert people! To the point of even surpassing the Helu Tribe, the most warlike tribe among the Turkic tribes! It’s no exaggeration to say, without Mr. Hidden Dragon, there would be no Ashina Tribe as it is today!”

Hearing this, Mosi was deeply shocked in his heart. “Then his advice this time, you are not planning to follow it?”

Ashina said to Mosi, “Although he helped me, I don’t know his stance. Clearly, he wants me to become stronger, but is also afraid I become too strong. After all, if I become too strong, he will lose control over me! For this war, I simply cannot imagine how those people can fight us! How they can defeat us!”

Mosi listened and nodded repeatedly. “Father Khan is wise, I think so too. If their Hidden Dragon Society is really powerful, they wouldn’t hide in the shadows like rats in a gutter, not even daring to show their faces!”

Ashina nodded approvingly. Although Mr. Hidden Dragon had helped him, in Ashina’s eyes, it was merely a matter of each taking what he needed. Although he thought Mr. Hidden Dragon had some ability, Mosi had spoken his mind.

If one truly had ability, why would one not even dare to show one’s face?

After Ashina returned to the Central Command Tent, all the tribe leaders asked.

“Ashina, what did your old friend want?”

“Yes, why so mysterious? You’re not unwilling to tell us, are you?”

…

Ashina returned to his main seat and scanned the people present.

“They came to try to persuade us to surrender!”

Hearing this, everyone present immediately fell silent.

Ashina continued, “But, I told him to get lost! For this battle, we will never retreat! We will not stop until we reach the Capital and sit on that dragon throne! Wu!”

“Wu! Wu! Wu!”

All the tribe leaders present couldn’t help but raise their arms and shout.

Ashina said, “We won’t wait any longer! Let the provisions and supplies come slowly. Tomorrow at first light, we attack Yanbei City! Once we open this gateway city, the Northern Desert gateway will be wide open for us! Tomorrow, we will celebrate our victory inside Yanbei City! Alright?”

“Once we enter the city tomorrow, we will carry out the three-all policy! Kill all, burn all, loot all! Let those Two-Legged Sheep of the Northern Desert know the consequences of offending us Turks!”

Ashina said this while raising his arm and shouting.

Everyone, like big apes, raised their arms and shouted again: “Wu! Wu! Wu!”