“Although Red Stone Gorge is not a large area, it cannot be surrounded by a few hundred people. Secondly, this is ultimately Tang territory, and the Turks have only sneaked in. The longer they stay, the more likely they are to be exposed. Therefore, they will be more impatient than we are.”
..............
Outside Hongshixia Gorge, Mr. An was leading a group of people to set up camp.
"Sir, shall we not go in?" The bald man asked his boss as he saw the Turks preparing to enter and search.
"Why go in? Don't you know what Red Stone Gorge is like? It's like a maze. The widest passage is only wide enough for three horses to walk side by side. What do you think would happen if you ran into that guy surnamed Lu in there?"
The bald man shuddered almost instinctively upon hearing this. Although Lu Xuan hadn't seriously fought anyone for nearly a year, they had ultimately cooperated for almost a month. It was during that time that Lu Xuan solidified his position as the strongest swordsman in the Great Horse Camp. Because all those who were dissatisfied were gone...
What he remembered most vividly was that Lu Xuan's body, while appearing robust, wasn't particularly exaggerated. However, once you sparred with him, you'd understand what "exaggerated" truly meant. His strength was almost inhuman. He could wield a thirty-pound horse-slaying saber with such power that it could cleave a man and his horse in two with a single stroke.
He possesses immense strength and lightning-fast reflexes. Mr. An once remarked that Lu Xuan's swordsmanship was utterly atrocious. However, with his strength and reaction speed, even his atrocious swordsmanship became invincible. His strikes were swift and ruthless. There was no way to dodge or block; how could anyone possibly win?
The bald man stopped mentioning going in. He even began to feel sorry for the Turks who had gone in first, wondering what would happen to them when they faced Lu Xuan.
Inside Redstone Gorge, four Turkic knights were cautiously searching every corner. Unfortunately, the gorge was far too complex. They wandered left and right, eventually getting lost.
The four men were speechless for a moment, and were about to return when suddenly dark clouds covered their heads. Before the soldiers could react, Lu Xuan's body plummeted from the sky, slamming heavily onto the head of one of the knights. The knight didn't even utter a sound; his neck fractured, and he died instantly.
At this moment, Lu Xuan displayed astonishing balance. He jumped down from a height, crushing a Turkic soldier to death, yet he remained firmly on his horse's back. With a sweep of his massive saber, he decapitated another soldier before he could even raise his sword.
The other two soldiers quickly created distance, drew their swords to retaliate, and tried to shout a signal. But the moment they opened their mouths, two sharp crossbow bolts pierced their throats.
Lai Xi and Lieutenant Li each carried a military crossbow and rushed out from the corner.
The three men swiftly dragged the four corpses away and covered the bloodstains on the ground with yellow sand. Soon, the scene returned to calm. Meanwhile, Lu Xuan and the others had already appeared in another corner.
This was the first time Lieutenant Li and Lai Xi had witnessed Lu Xuan's true fighting prowess. That thirty-plus-pound horse-slaying sword was like an ordinary broadsword in his hands. With a single strike, he cleaved the man and shield in two. Lieutenant Li exclaimed in astonishment, "If you were in the army, you would definitely be a peerless warrior capable of taking on a hundred men!"
Even Rachel was full of praise.
"When we return to the Tang Dynasty, I will personally recommend you to the Emperor so that you can serve in the army."
"Absolutely not." Lu Xuan immediately refused. This was ridiculous. Although he held the Tang army of this era in immense respect, it was best to avoid the battlefield if possible. Charging into battle, one wrong move and you'd be dead. Wouldn't that be a disgrace to transmigrators?
"If we really manage to get this done, and we return to Chang'an with the goods, you can help me petition the emperor for a reward, so he can give me a house and some gold and silver, and I can live a wealthy life in Chang'an."
"The relics are of great importance; one house is far from enough. It's just a pity to waste all your skills. Don't you really want to consider joining the army?"
"Alright, these are things we can consider after we get to Chang'an. Let's focus on the present first. Another group of people is coming."
Not far away, a squad of six Turkic soldiers was searching towards them. The three exchanged a glance, quickly dispersed, and took their respective positions.
------------
Chapter Twelve: The End
By the time the Turks noticed that someone was missing, Lu Xuan and his two companions had already successfully buried more than thirty Turkic soldiers in the nearby yellow sand.
The Turks noticed the shortage of manpower and began to gather their forces, moving closer to the area where Lu Xuan and his two companions were operating.
"That's about it, they're starting to gather over here."
"Let's begin then."
Just as a large number of Turkic soldiers were surrounding and killing the three, the camel caravan began to break out from another direction. The old man, Xiao Si, Wen Zhu, and the last remaining soldier—four people in total (not counting the monk)—held Turkic shields for protection and rushed towards the designated passage.
"The real battle is about to begin. Let's all accept our fate."
After Lu Xuan finished speaking, he was the first to rush out. The three of them took the initiative to lure the Turks away, giving the caravan time. After all, those people there were mostly old people and children, and their fighting strength was completely insufficient.
The long saber dragged across the yellow sand, producing a sound like gravel rubbing against metal. This time, Lu Xuan's horse-slaying saber was completely unsheathed. He didn't ride a horse; the terrain inside Red Stone Gorge was too complex, and riding would only hinder his performance. Besides, he was actually more adept at ground combat.
Lu Xuan, clad in light armor, nimbly climbed onto a weathered rock. Seeing a group of six Turkic soldiers walk past beneath him, he leaped down and plunged into their midst.
Before the group of six could even react, Lu Xuan's saber had already drawn a piercing arc.
With a single stroke, four heads were severed, flying skyward. This was accompanied by the terrified screams of the Turks. The other two soldiers, only now drawing their swords, had already lost all courage to retaliate at the sight before them. They spurred their horses, attempting to flee.
However, Lu Xuan clearly had no intention of letting the prisoners escape alive. The warhorse had barely started moving when Lu Xuan's body shot forward like a spring. His long sword swept across the ground, severing all four of the horse's legs from behind.
With two cries of pain from their warhorses, the two knights fell heavily to the ground. Behind them came the sharp gust of Lu Xuan's blade.
In the span of four or five breaths, Lu Xuan had killed six people. He took a deep breath, then turned and disappeared into the chaotic rocky forest.
On the other side, Lieutenant Li and Lai Xi didn't possess Lu Xuan's domineering combat prowess. However, they were armed with military crossbows given to them by Lu Xuan. These were deadly weapons in this kind of flanking maneuvering. At close range, even the Turkic armor couldn't withstand the powerful crossbow bolts. Working together, the two killed more than a dozen Turkic soldiers.
Lu Xuan's body moved like a monkey, darting back and forth across the tops of the chaotic rocky forest, occasionally swooping down to claim a wave of heads. Relying on his astonishing physical strength, he single-handedly threw hundreds of Turkic soldiers into chaos.
But no matter how circuitous the route, space was always limited. To give the caravan time, the three of them had to lead the Turks to even more distant places. This further reduced the area they could operate in.
The Turks weren't fools either; they began to tighten their formation, setting up an impenetrable wall, and gradually encircling and killing the enemy from all sides towards the center.
Lu Xuan and his group were finding it increasingly difficult to locate any lone enemies. However, they had essentially achieved their objective: the vast majority of the Turkic soldiers had been drawn to their side. The caravan had now safely reached the exit.
It's time to break through.
Behind a boulder, Lu Xuan, holding a broadsword, took a deep breath. The next step was a direct confrontation. He bent slightly, his entire body in a state of gathering strength.
A group of Turkic soldiers had just turned the corner when they saw Lu Xuan standing there, sword in hand. They were momentarily stunned by Lu Xuan's brazen actions. Just as they were about to shout at him, a blur flashed before their eyes. The yellow sand beneath Lu Xuan's feet suddenly exploded. His entire body shot forward like a taut spring. His saber, in perfect coordination with his swift movements, swung in a chilling crescent moon pattern.
He didn't know any swordsmanship, so he attacked in the simplest way possible. Concentrating all his strength, and using his speed and the weight of his weapon, he charged into the front ranks of soldiers before they could even react. They felt a chill on their chests.
A crescent-shaped arc of light flashed across their chests. Four Turkic soldiers. Man and armor alike, were sliced in two by an unstoppable force, like cutting through tofu.
A series of chest wounds, spurting internal organs and blood, sprayed into the sky. Before all of this landed, Lu Xuan had already passed through four mangled bodies and charged into the Turkic ranks.