Chapter 83: The Blood Robe (8)

In fact, Abus did indeed serve to hold back the Tibetan troops along the southern route of the Chilin Mountains.
Sixty thousand soldiers gathered at the foot of the mountain city. Though they merely surrounded it without attacking, their presence sent shockwaves of fear through the defending generals.
The commander of the mountain city of Alsu was a thousand-soldier leader named Fue. He was originally a tribal herder from the river delta area and had joined the garrison temporarily after the start of the Tang-Tibet war. Thanks to his prestige within his tribe, he was entrusted with a crucial task by the southern governor, Lun Ruolan, and appointed as a thousand-soldier leader responsible for defending Alsu.
Alsu was the gateway to the southern region of the Chilin Mountains. Seizing Alsu would enable further advances toward Bai Gu and Wan Xiu. Taking control of these two strategic locations would give a huge advantage in the war. Looking north, there was a vast highland grassland. With just a command, the Tang generals could march eastward and easily take control of the Jiugu Dafei River basin.
Watching the dense ranks of Tang soldiers at the foot of the mountain, he felt his thighs trembling uncontrollably. If those Tang soldiers attacked, even a force of five or ten thousand men wouldn’t be able to hold back such an onslaught!
He would never allow them to reach the mountain plateau! Under no circumstances could the Tang forces cross Alsu!
In truth, there was more than one route to cross the Chilin Mountains and enter Tibet. One could take the northern route through the western side of Qinghai, or the southern route via Bai Gu and Wan Xiu. The reason why Shibao City in the middle of the mountain range was considered the only key point was due to considerations for large-scale military operations.
The ancient Tang-Tibet trade route was always known for its perilous terrain, and Shibao City was built at a strategic point in the steep mountains, overlooking the vast Huhuang region from above. Once atop Shibao, the terrain would gradually flatten, forming a small, relatively flat area, which was extremely advantageous for stationing and transporting large numbers of troops. In contrast, both the northern and southern routes were less suitable for large-scale military movements, reducing their military value significantly.
But this didn’t mean the Tang forces wouldn’t launch an attack from the south!
As the saying goes, deception is always useful. Perhaps the Tang forces besieging Shibao City were just a decoy; their real goal might be to eliminate the defenders of Bai Gu and Wan Xiu, then encircle Shibao City from behind via Moliyi Post!
“Hiss.”
Fue felt his vest soaked with cold sweat. If that were the case, how could the twenty thousand soldiers at the foot of Shibao City withstand the fierce assault of the Tang forces? Without reinforcements, Shibao City would become an isolated fortress in the vast Chilin Mountains, quickly overtaken by the Tang flag!
“Pass my message to the garrison in Bai Gu. Tell General Nal not to send reinforcements to Shibao City lightly. Say that the Tang forces’ true target is likely the southern route!”

Fue turned to one of his bodyguards and gave him a few orders before handing him an eagle-bone flute. “This is the token. General Nal will understand when he sees it.”
“Understood!”
The bodyguard bowed and gladly took the order before leaving.
How much longer would this war go on? Fue sighed inwardly and shook his head.
“Enter!”
Pu Da Chui shouted loudly, swinging his iron hammer with all his might.
It had been two and a half hours already. The blades of their swords were worn out, their battle robes stained red from blood, yet the Tibetans in front of them kept coming, growing more and more fierce. They braved the rain of arrows shooting from the rocky plains on both sides and rushed toward Lu Chai like demons.
Step by step, inch by inch, despite trying their best to stop the Tibetans’ advance, they were forced back to the edge of Lu Chai due to the overwhelming numerical disadvantage!
He felt his strength slowly draining away, his joints growing stiff and rigid. He was tired—Pu Da Chui was actually tired!
There was still half an hour left. The commander wanted them to hold on for another half hour!
Pu Da Chui gave a bitter smile and bit hard on the tip of his tongue.
“Ah!”
The intense pain made the man cry out, as warm fluid instantly filled his mouth. Slightly fishy, slightly sweet—this was the taste of blood!
“Hahaha, hahaha! Come on, let’s fight fiercely tonight!”
The man swung his iron hammer and struck at a nearby Tibetan soldier. Seeing that Pu Da Chui’s strength was fading, the soldier tried to circle around him and attack his back. But unexpectedly, Pu Da Chui suddenly regained his vigor, wielding his hammers with great force.
Seeing the hammer coming toward his chest, the Tibetan soldier instinctively raised his curved sword to block it.
But how could that iron curved sword withstand the weight of the massive hammer? It collapsed as soon as it made contact.
“Thud!”
The hammer, carrying full force, slammed into the Tibetan soldier’s chest, shattering his ribs!
The heavy blow to his internal organs caused blood to surge upward, forcing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
“Damn you, Tibetan brutes! Take another hit from me, old Pu!”
Without stopping, Pu Da Chui stepped forward and struck the Tibetan soldier’s head.
“Crack!”
With a sharp sound, the soldier’s skull was crushed, his brain splattered everywhere.
“Haha, hahaha! Who else wants to come?”
Pu Da Chui looked around and stood there, hammer raised.
Frightened by his might, the dozen or so Tibetan soldiers nearby exchanged glances, all with worried expressions.

“Kill him! Kill that Tang general and you’ll get a thousand sheep as reward!”
A Tibetan centurion shouted, pointing at Pu Da Chui’s nose and offering such a generous reward.
Hearing such a huge bounty, the Tibetan soldiers’ eyes gleamed with a fierce light—the same look wild animals have when they spot prey, the gaze of hunters!
“Come on! If there’s one, I’ll kill one; if there are two, I’ll kill both! If I die, so be it—I’ll just lose two eggs!”
Pu Da Chui had completely forgotten his exhaustion. With wounds all over his body, he charged at the dozen or so Tibetan soldiers.
“Stab his knees! Stab his knees!”
The Tibetan officer shouted, waving his arms and pointing at Pu Da Chui’s lower body.
“Sss!”
Several silver snakes, with their fangs bared, bit into Pu Da Chui’s lower body, tearing through his clothes and piercing his knee bones.
“Ah!”
Pu Da Chui let out a loud scream as he instinctively fell forward.
“Kill him! Whoever kills him will get a thousand sheep!”
“Cut off his head! Bring his head to claim the reward!”
The Tibetan centurion’s grotesque, smiling face appeared before him, filled with triumph and defiance.
Pu Da Chui felt his consciousness growing increasingly blurred, until everything before his eyes suddenly turned black.