Return of the Swallow

Qin Yining's group discussed the route within the time of burning incense. At this time, the tribesmen were all ready to go.

Knowing that pursuers were targeting them, all the tribesmen were very quiet. They only followed the large army in an orderly manner, heading west in the wind and snow.

Sure enough, not long after, a team of a thousand people arrived at the place where the Minuo tribe had camped.

The cavalrymen pulled the reins and urged the horses to circle in the camp.

The general leading the team got off his horse and lit a bonfire in the place where the security tent was once covered, but was now covered by a light layer of snow. He squatted down to check, and then he punched angrily.

"What a cunning bunch!"

They were just a step late. If they had come a little earlier, wouldn't their thousand elite soldiers, who were fighting these people in close combat, not be able to get back the food? Now the Khan is furious, and their superiors are urging them urgently. If the food cannot be retrieved, and once the Khan gets angry, they may not be able to eat anything good!

"General, what should we do? The snow fell at the wrong time. Now the surroundings are completely white. They have been running away for a while. It may not be easy to follow their footsteps."

"It's not easy to chase! I don't believe that they can go faster than us with their baggage! Everyone must cheer up and give Khan a perfect explanation. Otherwise, no one will know what the consequences will be. hope to see!"

Everyone felt horrified by what he said.

Even if the Khan was an extremely wise and reasonable man, the failure to complete any of the errands he sent was due to their incompetence, not to mention the fact that this time they lost food and fodder that was crucial for starting a war.

The group of people carefully explored the footprints left on the snow and moved closer to the direction of Minobu.

At the same time, Qin Yining was in the team and received news that the scout had returned to report.

"You mean. A cavalry team of nearly a thousand people has already caught up?" Lu Heng asked in Tatar with a solemn expression.

The scout said: "Yes, I am not wrong. Everyone on the other side is riding a horse. At first glance, it is different from the small teams we encountered before. Chief, what should we do now?" In Minuo In the hearts of the tribesmen, Qin Yining and Lu Heng are their tribe leaders. Even because Lu Heng fell into a coma in the desert, they relied on Qin Yining's command to get out. Therefore, the tribesmen trust and respect Qin Yining more than Lu Heng. There are even more.

So when the scout asked this question,

He looked at Qin Yining expectantly.

However, Qin Yining couldn't understand what he said.

Lu Heng told Qin Yining what he had just said, and finally said: "The situation is so tense now, what should we do? Should we fight, or should we continue to escape?"

Qin Yining's brows were knitted into knots, and her lips were bitten by her white teeth because of anxiety.

"The situation is not good." Qin Yining said seriously: "The other party arranged a cavalry team. Although we also have horses, we carry so much baggage, and not everyone can have a horse to ride. If we only care about this If you run away, I'm afraid you'll be caught up within a few days."

How could Lu Heng not know the seriousness of the matter? However, the tribesmen of the Minuo tribe are very united to begin with. The tribesmen who have crossed the desert together are not only related to each other, but many of them also have strong feelings for each other. At this time, no matter who they decide to leave behind, It's impossible. Therefore, it is impossible for some people to mount their horses and leave first.

"Tell me, should we use this food..."

"Give up this food?"

"Yes. If we didn't bring the baggage, the pursuers might not hold on to the clansmen." Lu Heng muttered, "I think the mission of the pursuers is not to kill us all. It’s just to find food and grass.”

Qin Yining was silent when he heard this, "I don't think so."

"Oh? What do you say?" Lu Heng asked.

Qin Yining said slowly: "The loss of food and grass does not mean that Siqin will not be held accountable if the food and grass are recovered."

Lu Heng was suddenly enlightened and said in a deep voice: "I understand."

In their current situation, if they put down the food and grass and run away on their own, the other party's picking up the food and grass would at best be regarded as retrieving lost property. Siqin would eventually need to catch them and hold them accountable.

Regardless of whether Siqin's purpose is food or accountability, the soldiers below have no idea what Khan is thinking. They only want to do things without any loopholes for people to catch.

Therefore, even if they put down the food and fodder, they are likely to continue to be hunted until they are caught. Once they are caught and fall into the hands of Siqin, they will have more reasons to start a war with Dazhou Zhouxuan.

This matter is simply terrifying to think about...

Uncle Arhan heard clearly what Qin Yining and Lu Heng said. He whispered these words to the Halbala brothers and several other highly respected clan members in the team, and everyone looked solemn.

Everyone discussed it for a while, and finally said in disapproval: "We will never hand over the food. We get this food for the future of our tribe, and there are many old people and --\u003e\u003e

The children are still waiting for us to return with food! Even if we die, we will never hand over the food! "

Uncle Arhan also agreed with this statement.

"Yes, I don't agree with handing over food. Utkin Khan is the husband of Anari Khan. They are both the same tyrants. Even if there is temporary peace now, we will live under his hands in the future. Our Mino tribe Sooner or later, I will be tortured completely by him. Instead of living like a ghost by then, it is better to fight with all my strength now."

When Lu Heng heard this, he couldn't help but laugh when he looked at Qin Yining, "It seems that you understand everyone better."

Qin Yining waved her hands with a wry smile, "These are all choices made out of desperation. If possible, who would be willing to put themselves in danger."

Lu Heng sighed, "Yes."

Uncle Arhan said: "Now that we have decided, which direction should we continue to go?"

Lu Heng took out the map from his pocket. This is a suggested map drawn these days based on the oral accounts of people from the Minuo tribe who are familiar with the terrain here. The general landforms and directions are marked very accurately.

"We are here now."

Lu Heng pointed to a location in the west of the Tatar border near the Zhou Dynasty.

"The pursuers are all cavalry, and they are very fast. They are not only chasing us for food and grass, but they will definitely pursue us. If we still follow the original method and use the advantages of weather and terrain to avoid, we will definitely be overtaken soon."

Uncle Arhan said: "I didn't expect that we had chosen such a desolate place in the west, and they still caught up with us."

"If we fight in close combat, there will be no benefit, and many tribesmen will die for it. So we have to choose a direction where they can't catch up."

"But which direction can't they catch up with? They are cavalry."

Qin Yining looked at the map and murmured: "It's impossible to escape now. Either stay where you are and wait to die, or be caught up and killed, or choose a direction that they don't dare to pursue."

"You mean..." Lu Heng looked at the no-man's land not far from them on the map in horror, "You're not talking about this area, are you?"

Qin Yining's slender white index finger tapped the position mentioned by Lu Heng, then nodded and said: "Yes, that's right here."

It was a desert.

It was different from the desert they crossed before. Although the desert they crossed before was full of dangers, they knew that as long as they walked in the right direction, that desert was a shortcut to the capitals of the Zhou Dynasty and the Tatars. If you are well prepared, walking through that desert will take much faster time than taking the official road.

But the desert Qin Yining is talking about now is different.

This is a real no-man's land, because this desert is so big that no one has ever walked out of this desert. No one knows where and what is on the other side of the desert, and no one knows whether there is an oasis in the desert.

If they broke into this death area, they might really have no way to survive.

Uncle Arhan told the tribe about the conversation between Qin Yining and Lu Heng, but the tribe was also silent.

Everyone is shrouded in fear.

"I can't make decisions for everyone, so I'm just making a suggestion. Whether or not we should take this path depends on everyone's opinions. But based on my understanding of Utkin Khan, while he was retrieving food and grass, We also want to arrest people to vent our anger. If we are caught, the clan members may not end well.

"We are outside, it is easy to be caught and the consequences will be disastrous. Anyway, we are going to die outside, so we might as well try our best. Looking at us entering this desert, the pursuers will not dare to chase us in. They are They are carrying out errands for the sake of glory and wealth. How could they really risk their lives and head straight into the desert? Maybe we can wait until they leave and come out. Or maybe we can get out of that desert."

Lu Heng said, "But what's more likely is that we can't get out of that desert and die together."

Qin Yining nodded and said: "Yes. This is the most likely. But if you stay and get caught, you will also die."

The words of the two people were heard by everyone around them in silence.

Arhan thought for a long time and said in a deep voice: "Let's go."

Qin Yining and Lu Heng both raised their heads and looked at Arhan.

Uncle Arhan said: "You didn't have to follow us to capture the enemy. Our tribe decided not to hand over the food and fought with Utkin Khan to the end because of our hatred of genocide. But you two are not Tatars in the first place." Tartar. Our tribe is very grateful that you are willing to come all the way with us. Now we are on the border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and you two are protected by experts. You must have bypassed the pursuers without knowing it. It is not difficult to directly enter the Great Zhou Dynasty. You should go back to your country and stop following us."

Si Qin and Qin Yining couldn't help but sigh when they heard this.

Uncle Arhan said this to the tribesmen around him. The tribesmen all showed reluctance to leave, but even if they were reluctant to give up, they nodded understandingly and urged them with words that Qin Yining could not understand, obviously wanting them to leave.