Chapter 92: Human Hearts (3)

“If we bypass this mountain peak, we’ll reach Bolun Post.”
Aina came forward, holding the reins of the horse, and pointed at the distant green peaks before pausing. “The terrain here is extremely rugged. It’s better if we get out of the mountains as soon as possible.”
Zhang Yanji took over the conversation, snorting coldly. “Just placing 500 soldiers at the pass ahead will block our path completely. If someone deliberately blocks it with rocks, we might starve to death!”
Pu Dachui glanced at him. “If that’s the case, we can simply turn our horses and fight our way back!”
“I think you’re overthinking it. The Tubo people are already far behind us. How could there be ambushes ahead?”
Dou Qing smiled and changed the subject.
Though the speaker meant no harm, the generals of the Tongwu Camp were shocked. “Commander, we should send some scouts to investigate ahead!”
Li Kuo was also worried and nodded. “In that case, Yu Cheng, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Understood!”
Xianyu Yucheng clasped his fists and turned his horse to assign troops.
Not long after Xianyu Yucheng left, Zhang Yanji leaned close to Li Kuo. “Brother Kuo, you need to be careful. Some people seem kind and gentle on the surface, but their hearts are darker than anyone else’s!”
Li Kuo’s heart skipped a beat as he took a deep breath. Not wanting his emotions to affect the troops’ morale, he forced a smile. “Can’t you be more lenient? Commander Gao isn’t that kind of person.”
“We’ll find out when the time comes!”
Zhang Yanji snorted and uttered a harsh remark.
In fact, Li Kuo also doubted this greatly. The army under Commander Gao Xiuyan was stationed at Hukou Zha, tasked with blocking the main Tubo forces. With over 20,000 Tubo cavalry passing by him, how could he not notice?
Even if the Tubo troops were marching at night, with horses covered and soldiers silent, he should have pursued them once he discovered it, right?
By allowing the Tubo forces to reach Jiuqu like this, where were his own troops?
Seeing his reaction, Zhang Yanji softened a bit. “Maybe things aren’t as bad as we think. But we still need to be cautious!”
Although the sun had risen, the mountain breeze was still refreshing. There was a small stream beside the path, gurgling over the pebbles in a pleasant sound. The morning breeze, mixed with moisture, blew against the soldiers’ cheeks, invigorating them.
But Li Kuo had no mood to appreciate the scenery. His mind was racing, considering every possibility.

Perhaps the Tubo people also rushed at the camp overnight and broke through Hukou Gate? Maybe they came from another pass, taking a longer route? “Be honest, damn it, be honest!” Loud cursing voices came from afar, startling Li Kuo, who grabbed the reins of his horse and rushed in the direction of the noise. Xianyu Yucheng was leading a captured scout, guarded by a squad of scouts, toward the front army. “Order everyone to be armed and on guard!” Li Kuo never expected there to be ambushes here; his relieved mood instantly turned anxious again. At the command of the colonel, everyone cleared a small area in the valley, and his trusted subordinates formed a circle around it. “Kneel!” Xianyu Yucheng dismounted and threw the tightly bound scout onto the hard dirt road. The scout let out a muffled groan but didn’t beg for mercy. Xianyu Yucheng yanked off the black sack covering the man’s head and kicked him hard. What! The moment he saw the man’s face, Li Kuo was shocked like struck by lightning. Thin frame, long face, slightly curled eyelashes—this man was clearly Su Yas, the youth from the Naji tribe who had tried to assassinate him! “Tell them to release me!” Su Yas said coldly before staying silent, simply raising his head proudly. “Release him,” Li Kuo ordered, waving his hand. “Colonel!” “Brother Kuo, that scumbag tried to assassinate you!” “General, think carefully!” His trusted generals knelt down, pleading with him. “Release him!” Li Kuo repeated, raising his voice further. “Sigh!” Reluctantly, Xianyu Yucheng kicked Su Yas in the knees. “Be obedient!” Freed from the ropes, Su Yas brushed dust off his robe and slowly stood up straight. “You must be dying to know who I am.” He paused. “But that doesn’t matter. I’m here to save you.” “Tch!” Pu Dachui spat out thick phlegm. “You wretched brat thinking you can save us? You probably wish the colonel died soon, right?” Pu Dachui was merciless, spewing insults like beans. “You should know the pass ahead is already blocked.” Su Yas ignored Pu Dachui’s provocation and continued, “That’s right. It was Gao Xiuyan who sent people to assassinate you and block the pass. Oh, I forgot to mention—Itosatak was also his order to kill.” Li Kuo’s heart trembled; he almost fell off his horse.

“What makes me trust you? I think you’re actually a spy sent by Tubo, aiming to sow discord among my troops in Longyou.”
The young man forced a smile, remaining silent to Suyas’s words.
“Whatever you think. If you want to experience what it’s like to be pierced by arrows at the mountain pass, I won’t stop you.”
Suyas shrugged, his gaze turning distant.
“Why did you save me?”
Li Kuo’s mind was in chaos; he couldn’t make sense of anything. If what Suyas said was true, he could have easily used this opportunity to trap and kill him in the valley—so why save him?
“It’s a long story. If you don’t want to starve to death in this valley, come with me. We can talk as we go.”
Suyas continued to speak calmly, refusing to give a definite answer.
“Why should we trust you?”
“Do you really have any other choice? There are dozens of crossbows hidden behind the mountains ahead. Your scouts must have seen them.”
Xianyu Yucheng swallowed hard and snapped, “That’s none of your business!”
“I trust you!”
Aina stepped forward and extended her hand.
Suyas used her help to stand up, smiling bitterly. “Tag, it seems I owe you an apology. I deceived you for so long.”
Aina tilted her head. “Since you first entered the Nagi tribe’s camp, I knew you weren’t a Dangxiang. There was no deception—none of that matters. As long as you can lead us out of the mountains, the past can be forgotten.” (Note 1)
Aina’s voice deepened, her gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.
Note 1: Dangxiang people: One of the ancient northern ethnic groups in China, belonging to the Western Qiang tribe, hence the term “Dangxiang Qiang.”