Chapter Twenty-Two: When Paths Cross, the Brave Shall Prevail

Ashina Yanyun watched Lin Qian arrive with such a small force, yet as a military commander, his gaze swept over the ten thousand men with a flicker of surprise.

The Dragon Cavalry he commanded could be considered the elite of the elite in the Northern Wu Kingdom; their movements were uniform, acting like a bulldozer on the battlefield. Just as he was beginning to believe the Dragon Cavalry was invincible, he realized that the ten thousand men opposite him were wearing two different styles of armor. It was clearly a hastily assembled force, including the White Pole Infantry he had encountered during his earlier assault on Chunping City.

"With such a motley crew, you want to fight me?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Ashina Yanyun noticed something amiss. The three thousand men in the front, who had shielded the White Pole Infantry behind them, each wore an expression of iron-willed determination. It was evident this was not their first time on the battlefield; their defensive posture and their equipment all pointed to one fact: these were seasoned veterans, iron-willed warriors who had survived blood and tears.

"This is curious. I hadn't expected the Great Qian to have such well-trained soldiers."

Looking toward the center of the formation, he saw a man riding a horse with an air of leisurely indifference. "Are you Lin Qian?"

Ashina Yanyun whispered a command to his mount, urging it forward. Lin Qian tapped his horse with his whip and came to a halt about fifty paces away.

"So, you are the Sixth Prince of the Northern Wu Kingdom. I hear you have already eliminated several of your brothers and that you will be the future Khan of Northern Wu. Is that true or not?"

Ashina Yanyun laughed, his eyes filled with pride and confidence. "Rest assured, I will not only be the Khan of Northern Wu, but one day I will march to your Great Qian capital and seat myself on your Emperor's dragon throne!"

Lin Qian chuckled, but a split second later, his gaze turned sharp. "Seated on the dragon throne? That wish of yours may never come to pass."

Lin Qian spoke with absolute finality, which did not surprise Ashina Yanyun. He assumed Lin Qian was about to declare that he would do whatever it took to stop him from reaching the capital. To his utter shock, however, Lin Qian blurted out: "Because I will pull the man currently sitting on that throne down before you ever get the chance!"

The absolute certainty in his tone and the sharp, piercing gleam in his eyes proved one thing: Lin Qian meant every word. This seemingly insane idea was actually his true intent. For a moment, Ashina Yanyun was stunned. Before arriving at Maple Forest Ferry, Northern Wu scouts had already sent him intelligence on Lin Qian. Had this former heir to the Western Conquest Prince’s mansion, who had just left the Imperial Horse Bureau and been reinstated, truly harbored... treasonous intent?

Ashina Yanyun laughed heartily. "In that case, we share a common goal. Perhaps I can even help you in the future, providing you with grain and armaments!"

Initially, Ashina Yanyun had addressed Lin Qian with the posture of an apex predator. But unexpectedly, Lin Qian flashed a set of white teeth, looking harmless, only to say something that nearly choked Ashina Yanyun: "Whatever I need, I will take from you myself. I find your warhorses quite impressive; rather than making me fight for them, why not just hand some over now?"

"You!" Ashina Yanyun’s expression shifted instantly. The Dragon Cavalry were different from other units; forging their thirty thousand sets of armor and horse barding had taken over a decade and cost a fortune. How could he just give them away?

"You want the Princess back and you want to negotiate with me? We shall see if you have the capability! Lin Qian, do not disappoint me!"

With that, Ashina Yanyun turned his horse and returned to his main formation. This was their first clash. Ashina Yanyun desperately wanted to prove his invincibility within this corner of the world. Especially when faced with Lin Qian’s aggressive gaze, the peerless warrior felt a sense of unease. Such a look—one of looking down upon all living things and holding the world in the palm of one's hand—was a look only he should possess. He never imagined that a mere "Southern barbarian" could harbor the same.

"Prepare to engage!" Ashina Yanyun commanded in a low voice.

A signal flag fluttered, and two ten-thousand-man units slowly moved out from the flanks, five thousand men each. They intended to use a pincer maneuver to crush the seemingly fragile formation before them.

To get the Princess back, he would have to prove his worth. At the very center of the formation stood a carriage, and inside sat none other than Ye Huang. Ashina Yanyun rode up to the carriage and lifted the curtain. "Is that man over there a rival for your heart? To come and save you with such a small force—what commendable courage! It seems if I want you to marry me willingly, he is the greatest obstacle, am I right?"

Ye Huang’s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly poked her head out of the carriage, scanning the area until her eyes locked onto Lin Qian. As someone who had experienced the Battle of Chunping City firsthand, she knew exactly how formidable the thirty thousand Dragon Cavalry were.

"Brother Lin Qian!" she shouted in desperation. "Stop fighting! Run! They won't do anything to me!"

No sooner had her voice faded than Ashina Yanyun’s followed: "Indeed, I won't do much—at most, I shall take pity on her and make her my bride! Hahaha!"

"You shameless wretch!" Ye Huang gritted her teeth in rage, yet she was powerless against him.

Lin Qian, seeing the two five-thousand-man cavalry units charging from the flanks, actually laughed. These cavalrymen had never witnessed the power of modern weapons. Specifically, the units Ashina Yanyun had brought were not light cavalry, but heavy cavalry clad in full plate armor. Such "heavy tanks" were not only inflexible, but the concussive force of the explosions would shatter their internal organs; the heavier the armor, the worse the internal injuries would be.

"Qin Yong, Li Yuanying! Lead your units and show them what we’re made of! Do not let anyone look down on me!"

Qin Yong and Li Yuanying were overjoyed; this was a perfect opportunity to earn military merit. Without a second thought, they rallied their men and charged out!