Chapter 78: The Fury of the Naimans

The majestic and magnificent Altai Mountains stood proudly between heaven and earth like a giant. The rolling peaks outlined a majestic skyline, piercing straight into the clouds, with a breathtaking momentum.

Under the gentle caress of sunlight, the snow on the mountaintop refracted a golden holy light, like brilliance shed by a god, illuminating the entire world.

Spreading from the foot of the mountain was an endless grassland, like a boundless green carpet spread out by nature, stretching wantonly to where the sky meets the earth.

At this time, on this vast grassland, a cavalry team of more than a thousand people was marching slowly.

The golden light of the sun sprinkled on them, but failed to dilute the smell of blood and sin.

Everyone’s face was brimming with satisfied smiles. Blood that had not yet dried remained on their sabers and spears, and saddles were hung full of wealth plundered from Naiman tribes.

This was precisely the cavalry under Li Xiao’s command; they had just sacked another Naiman tribe.

“Da Long, these Naimans are really damn rich.”

“Just a tribe of a few hundred people has so many cattle and sheep for us to snatch at will, haha.”

Li Sanhe rode his warhorse behind Li Xiao, laughing energetically.

Beside him, he was also leading two horses. On the back of each horse lay a bound woman.

There were also some scattered valuable items; these were all Li Sanhe’s spoils of war.

“It’s also because the Naiman men were all conscripted to the Altai Mountains; otherwise, it wouldn’t be easy for us to snatch so many things,” Li Xiao shook his head gently and smiled.

Since entering the Naiman territory, they had really let themselves go.

A group of Naiman old people, women, and children simply couldn’t stop the tough Northern Border cavalry.

The troops of the three Thousand Households took turns to act. In just a few days, five Naiman tribes had been looted clean.

Cattle, sheep, women, all kinds of supplies and wealth, all became the spoils of the Northern Border Army.

This land of the western Naiman grassland completely became a paradise for the cavalry under Li Xiao to roam freely.

And in front of them, this was already the sixth tribe to be sacked.

Roughly estimated, the cattle and sheep Li Xiao snatched during this period were no fewer than fifty thousand, and there were more than two thousand Naiman women.

These were spoils Li Xiao and the others snatched by doing private work, definitely different from Xiao Simo’s side.

Things eaten into the stomach, don’t let anyone make them spit it out.

“Unfortunately, other tribes got the news and ran far away; we can’t find them at all,” Li Sanhe shook his head with an unwilling look.

This kind of battle where one could breach a Naiman tribe without any effort and with almost no damage to oneself was simply what all generals dreamed of.

But this business of earning while lying down ended here.

Other tribes were all scared away.

The tribe in front of them was only caught up by Li Xiao and the others after a long chase.

But due to worrying about encountering the Naiman Khan Court’s army, Li Xiao didn’t dare to go too deep.

Taking the spoils of war, he prepared to return to his temporary base camp.

“They can’t run away,” Li Xiao chuckled.

“When the Khitan army breaches the Altai Mountains, we will continue to attack eastward; those tribes will also be in our bag.”

But now, the action must stop.

Li Xiao had a clear understanding in his heart; the Naimans wouldn’t watch helplessly as they acted recklessly in their territory.

They had probably already dispatched troops to pursue and kill them.

However, he was ready to meet the battle.

“Moo moo moo~”

Cattle and sheep made low sounds in the team, driven forward by the soldiers of the Northern Border Army.

And those captured women were now shrinking in the middle of the team.

Bound with ropes on their bodies, they were driven forward like livestock.

Many had messy hair scattered on their cheeks, and their clothes were torn to tatters.

Their eyes were full of fear and despair, and low sobbing sounded from time to time.

But just at this time, three cavalry figures suddenly appeared at the rear of the team, chasing quickly toward the team.

“Chief.”

“A large group of Naiman cavalry is catching up behind.”

Three scout cavalry came to Li Xiao and reported loudly.

“How many Naimans?” Li Xiao asked in a deep voice.

But he wasn’t too surprised inside; he had long been prepared for the arrival of the Naiman army.

After all, no force could allow an enemy army to plunder wantonly in their own territory.

In fact, Li Xiao thought the Naimans would arrive earlier.

Didn’t expect them to arrive only after the sixth tribe was robbed.

“Many, at least four or five thousand,” the scout answered.

Around four or five thousand, a bit more than Li Xiao imagined.

But it also meant the Naimans didn’t have many troops left in the Altai Mountains main camp.

“Discard all cattle, sheep, and wealth.”

“Bring the prisoners, retreat.”

Li Xiao’s order quickly reached the ears of the soldiers.

Although very reluctant to part with these cattle, sheep, and wealth, they all knew clearly that they couldn’t run away carrying these things.

So, the soldiers threw the women onto the horses’ backs one after another and left quickly.

Rumble rumble rumble!

Dense hoofbeats sounded on the earth.

The five thousand cavalry led by Kuchlug soon arrived here.

Looking at the cattle and sheep running all over the mountains and plains, an excited smile appeared on Kuchlug’s face.

“Almost caught up with them.”

These days, he had been leading people to search for traces of the Liao army.

Fortunately, not long ago, they met several fleeing herdsmen who claimed their tribe was attacked by Liao people.

Kuchlug was overjoyed on the spot.

Leading the army to follow the herdsmen back to their tribe, and chasing all the way along the traces left by the cattle and sheep herds.

Finally, he caught the tail of the Liao people.

Wearing thick leather armor, a black gold-inlaid leather hat on his head, holding a curved saber, Kuchlug shouted loudly.

“The Liao people are just ahead, kill for me.”

“Don’t let a single person go.”

In fact, without Kuchlug’s order, the group of Naiman soldiers under him couldn’t wait to rush forward.

Because among them, many people’s tribes were looted clean by the Liao people, parents and sons killed, wives snatched.

Completely ruined families and deaths; the huge blow made these Naiman soldiers gradually crazy.

Howling as they rushed forward, no one could stop their determination to avenge their relatives.

On the grassland east of the Altai Mountains, two cavalry forces were in a chase.

The distance between them was less than ten li.

Warhorses galloped, like thousands of troops trampling the firmament, shaking the grassland to tremble.

And those captured Naiman women, seeing this sudden change, ignited a spark of hope in their eyes.

They guessed it might be their own people coming to save them.

So, some women began to struggle on the horses’ backs, trying hard to jump off.

Unfortunately, they were held down firmly by the Northern Border men.

Some stupid women placed alone on horses successfully broke free and got down.

But immediately after, they were trampled into meat paste by the warhorses behind.

The Naimans following closely behind looked at the corpses of these women on the ground, and fire seemed to spew from everyone’s eyes.

“Kill those Liao dogs.”

“Revenge!”

“Kill into the west of the Altai Mountains, kill all Liao people.”

Naiman soldiers roared angrily.

Kuchlug rejoiced secretly in his heart; morale was usable.

He just needed to eliminate this Liao army, and these five thousand troops would become his most loyal supporters.

Other brothers would never be able to threaten his position again.

“Kill!”

Seeing the distance between the two sides getting closer and closer, at this time, Li Xiao’s army finally arrived at the destination.

In front was a small valley, with two rows of low hills on the left and right.

And behind was the Naiman army of five thousand, rolling toward the valley overwhelmingly like a torrent of iron and blood.

Li Xiao immediately ordered loudly: “Kill all the prisoners.”

“Leave no one alive!”

Hearing this order, the soldiers of the Northern Border were stunned one after another.

Some looked at the beautiful Naiman women in their arms, indeed feeling a bit reluctant.

But during this time, Li Xiao had established absolute prestige in this army.

Soldiers didn’t want to taste the flavor of disobeying military orders.

So, they could only grit their teeth and extend the blade to the necks of the Naiman prisoners.

“Go!”

A few minutes later, Kuchlug’s army arrived in front of the pass, looking at the corpses of Naiman women all over the ground.

These soldiers were stunned instantly.

Immediately after, someone in the crowd shouted: “Mother!”

“Mother!”

“Mother!”

Some soldiers rushed out frantically, looking for their wives and daughters among the corpses all over the ground.

And seeing the miserable scene before them, other Naiman soldiers could no longer suppress the anger in their hearts. Veins bulged on their foreheads, faces ferocious, every breath carrying a heavy sound.

“Kill, kill all those Liao people.”

“Skin them and pull out their tendons.”

“Revenge.”

At this moment, the Naiman soldiers erupted in bursts of roars, the anger in their hearts reaching the peak.

Many were imagining whether their wives, daughters, and relatives were also killed by this bunch of damned Liao people.

In this way, everyone’s anger could no longer be suppressed.

Like the roar of a volcanic eruption, the army of five thousand roared frantically, rushing forward like a surging wave.

At this moment, even if Tayang Khan came, he couldn’t extinguish their anger or stop them from seeking revenge.

(End of this chapter)