Chapter 46: Flying Sand (III)

Sparse raindrops fell on Kalia’s head, neck, and arms. He took deep breaths, inhaling the rainwater to calm the fear in his heart. This nightmare was too terrifying—thousands of Tang cavalry charging forward, slashing down anything that stood in their way! It couldn’t be real. Thank goodness it wasn’t real!

After standing there in the rainy night for what felt like half a cup of tea’s time, Kalia gradually recovered from his shock. Damn it, he had actually slept until evening! Slapping his shiny forehead, he realized what had happened. Those brats had gone to the river to fetch water, while he had taken a nap among the rocks. Who would have thought he would sleep through the night, and those idiots still hadn’t returned!

“Someone! Anyone! Are everyone fucking dead? Help!”
Kalia roared like a wounded beast, but no one responded. Only his voice echoed in the valley throughout the long night.

“Ah!”
“Ah!”
The scene resembled his dream, with one difference—no Tang soldiers! He was relieved; as long as the Tang army hadn’t arrived, everything was fine. Those idiots must have fallen asleep after fetching water, just like him! Damn useless bunch! Once they returned, he would give them a good beating!

“Sss!”
It was freezing cold! The rain grew heavier, catching Kalia off guard as he shivered and cursed loudly.

“That damned weather, always causing trouble!”
Spitting out phlegm, he stumbled to a bush to take shelter from the rain. Judging by the rain, it seemed it wouldn’t stop today.

“Crack!”
“Crack!”
Kalia took out his flint, trying to strike sparks to warm himself, but the surrounding rocks were soaked—how could he start a fire? After cursing a few more times, he angrily threw the rocks into the valley.

“Damn it! Damn it!”
Fuming, Kalia stamped his feet when he suddenly saw a flash of light. Thinking it was just an illusion, he rubbed his eyes and looked into the valley.

“Sss!”
The sight nearly scared him to death. He fell to the ground, scrambling backward while rubbing his eyes.

“It’s cavalry! It’s cavalry!”
He repeated frantically, as if possessed. “Cavalry! Tang cavalry!”
Looking across the valley, the torrential rain revealed specks of gold everywhere!

The Tang cavalry raced through the stormy rainy night, each holding a torch! The tiny flames flickered in the heavy rain; whenever doused by the rain, they would suddenly reappear, emitting a strange blue glow.
“Whoosh!”
“Whoosh!”
Kalia stared in shock as the Tang cavalry passed through the valley, powerless to do anything. He could clearly hear the rustling wind caused by their movement and the clattering of their horse hooves, yet he was utterly helpless!
He was alone—what could he do? Pushing boulders down now would only draw the Tang soldiers’ attention!
Those bastards! Why the hell had they taken so long to return? Even if they were asleep, couldn’t the heavy rain wake them up?
No, no—he couldn’t just watch those Tang soldiers pass through the Valley ofValley of the nameless safely. General Ruitel would kill him; he’d definitely tear him to pieces!
Five hundred, six hundred, a thousand…
The Tang cavalry moved so fast that he couldn’t count how many there were. Each had two or maybe three horses… What could an army like this be doing passing through Kuixi City?
Could it be…?
Kalia seemed to see his own head being cut off by Ruitel and hung on the city walls as a warning. With such a major incident, Ruitel surely wouldn’t take responsibility—he’d push him forward as a scapegoat! The king trusted only Ruitel; he wouldn’t listen to his explanations.
No, he couldn’t let this happen. He had to rush back to Kuixi City and report to the king about the Tang army’s breakthrough.
After making up his mind, Kalia stumbled down the mountain.
He couldn’t give up—he absolutely couldn’t!
In the torrential rainy night, a slightly hunched figure could be seen flickering in the darkness…
The setting sun shone over the cold grass beside the heavy gates, while moss covered the ground after the rain.
The red and purple flowers had turned to dust, and the cuckoo’s call marked the beginning of a new summer season.
After a bout of cold rain, a vast expanse of clear sky appeared!
After successfully passing through the Valley ofValley of the nameless, the Tang cavalry gradually slowed down.
Zhang Yanji was in high spirits, clapping his hands repeatedly and saying, “Kuo, your strategy is truly brilliant! We’ve crossed the Valley ofValley of the nameless without losing a single soldier—what a damn satisfying experience!”
Li Kuo gently adjusted the reins of his horse and said, “It wasn’t anything special. No one is perfect; we’re all human. How could we possibly resist thirst? The hardest part was figuring out when they’d go to fetch water. If we threw it too early, it wouldn’t work well. If we threw it too late, it wouldn’t have any effect at all.”

“Well, Brother Ke, with my brain, I probably won’t ever be able to keep up with you in this life!” Zhang Yanji joked self-deprecatingly. Cancan laughed and said, “Brother Ke, what exactly did you throw into the river with Brother Yucheng? It was really effective! The defenders of Kuixi City hadn’t even reacted when we already crossed the valley!”
“It’s nothing much, just some poison.”
Li Ke waved his hand, unwilling to talk about it further.
“What? Just poison?”
Pu Dachui snapped in anger, “These scumbags are trying to ambush us! Why did you only add poison to the river now? It’s not that I, Pu, am being overly sensitive, but they’re trying to kill us!”
“It’s the lord of Kuixi City who wants our lives, not these soldiers!”
Seeing Pu Dachui go crazy again, Li Sheng whipped his mount to get closer and said, “The governor is kind-hearted and doesn’t want to harm innocents. These people are just poor souls doing the bidding of their superiors. Why bother arguing with them?”
“I don’t care! He’s trying to kill us!”
Pu Dachui was also angry and argued with Li Sheng, “In the heat of battle, do you care whether they’re ordinary soldiers or generals with ranks? They’re still just people with heads and arms! If you don’t cut off their heads, they’ll stab you in the back the next moment!”
“But this isn’t a battlefield!”
Li Ke gave Pu Dachui a glance and sighed, “Dachui, if it were a battlefield, I wouldn’t hesitate to fight the enemy. But right now, it’s not a life-or-death situation! They’re just carrying out their lord’s orders. They don’t even know who we are!”
“That’s still acting as an accomplice to the villain!”
Although still unconvinced, Pu Dachui’s aggressive attitude had clearly weakened.
“Even if they deserve to die, what crime have the people of Kuixi City committed? There’s only this one river in a hundred miles around Kuixi City. If the people drink the poisoned water, more than just one or two families will be harmed!”