Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

The Hun watched helplessly as his companion's arm was chopped off. In an instant, an uncontrollable rage erupted like a volcano! His eyes widened, and he roared angrily. He raised his gleaming machete high and rushed forward fiercely, shouting "Ah! Ah!"

Yang Xing was startled by this, but it was too late to dodge. With a swish, the Hun's machete slashed across his arm, leaving a deep wound and gushing blood. The blade, still stagnant, struck the man standing next to Yang Xing. The man didn't even have time to scream before his head and body were torn apart, his skull tumbling to the side, blood splattering all over the ground.

Yang Xing was so frightened by the bloody scene that he broke out in a cold sweat. However, there was no time for distraction. In a flash, the deadly machete was raised again, whistling and slashing towards him fiercely.

Faced with this life-or-death situation, Yang Xing had no choice but to grit his teeth, raise his long sword, and strike the Xiongnu head-on. With a resounding clang, the two swords collided heavily, sending sparks flying. The immense force of the impact numbed the knuckles of both men's hands, and they each involuntarily took two steps back.

At this moment, the leading Hun watched the battle unfold, his heart aching with anxiety. They had come here merely to test the enemy's strength and plunder some food. They had never imagined they would encounter such a formidable and fearless foe. Not only had they wasted so much time, but their plundered food supply was also meager. Thinking of this, the leading Hun flew into a rage, roaring at the top of his lungs, urging his men to attack faster and more decisively, slaying every last one present without leaving a single one alive.

Both sides, completely unconcerned about personal injury, resorted to all-out resistance in the bloody clash. The Huns' goal was clear: to exterminate everyone and steal all the food. However, for those inside, their only concern was saving their own lives. Despite the Huns' ferocious, vicious faces and hideous expressions, they had no time to think about anything else; their only hope was to resist with all their might.

Facing a formidable enemy, if one person alone couldn't defeat the Huns, then two or three would join forces and fight side by side! Ultimately, this fierce battle resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, leaving only a few men remaining. It took an average of three or four people in the house to kill a single Hun. This was undoubtedly a life-or-death struggle, but it was also the only way to protect some innocent civilians.

Although we were at a disadvantage, the Xiongnu also suffered heavy losses. After a fierce battle, fifty or sixty of our men sacrificed only a dozen Xiongnu dead. Clearly, in this unequal battle, we suffered a heavy loss. However, even so, those Xiongnu who dared to penetrate deep into our territory did not gain much advantage. The Xiongnu leader, in particular, saw his losses mounting and knew he could no longer fight. He hurriedly fled the safe house with two of his men. Then, they mounted their horses and vanished into the distance like frightened birds.

Yang Xing and the people around him watched the Huns retreating further and further away, their hearts pounding like drums. When the Huns were completely out of sight, Yang Xing quickly called on everyone to move.

"Quick! Close the door!" he shouted, his voice trembling in the tense atmosphere. Everyone responded, frantically slamming the heavy door shut. However, simply closing the door didn't seem to provide enough security, so someone suggested bringing in some heavy objects to prop it up.

Chen Lai was the first to respond. Gathering all his strength, he lifted one huge rock after another and painstakingly placed them against the door. Seeing this, the others followed suit, some carrying thick logs, others dragging huge rocks. Working together, they finally used various heavy objects to hold the door firmly in place. Once they were sure the door was securely sealed, they breathed a sigh of relief, but they remained vigilant.

Next, they carefully checked the door and found that the lock was loose, so they found tools to fasten it to the ground. After doing this, everyone collapsed on the ground like a deflated ball, gasping for breath. Time passed by minute by minute, and it was only after a long time that they gradually recovered from their extreme fear.

At that moment, everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on the bodies scattered across the ground. Blood gushed out from the wounds, pooling into pools of crimson, gleaming with a frightening light in the sunlight. Those once vibrant beings, chatting and laughing with them just a moment ago, were now beheaded, lying coldly on the hard floor. The sight sent shivers down their spines, their scalps tingling.

A young child in the crowd, witnessing the horrific scene before him, could no longer contain his inner fear and grief, and burst into tears. His sobs were deafening, seemingly piercing the heavens. The others, hearing the child's heartbreaking cries, felt an indescribable sadness well up in their hearts. They thought of their own uncertain fates, wondering if they might be lying here tomorrow. This feeling of grief instantly enveloped everyone, and tears welled up in their eyes.

Finally, someone couldn't hold it back anymore. Following the first sob, more and more people joined in the weeping. One person's cry set off a chain reaction, leading to even more people bursting into tears. For a moment, the entire space was filled with grief-stricken cries, rising and falling, intertwining, and spreading through the hearts of the people. Each person wept over their own helplessness, the sadness of this world, and the reality that human life is as worthless as grass.

In this atmosphere of endless sorrow, everyone was shrouded in fear, not daring to close their eyes for even a moment. They endured the day until dawn broke in the east. As the first rays of sunlight shone across the earth, Yang Xing finally lost his patience. After whispering with the others, he slowly pushed open the long-closed door with trembling hands. Meanwhile, Yang Xinchen, tightly gripping the sharp broadsword he'd captured from the Huns, cautiously rushed to the door.

Outside, a blanket of white snow blanketed the world, as if draping the earth in a thick layer of silver. Amidst this pristine whiteness, only the messy footprints left by the Xiongnu cavalry last night stood out. Suddenly, Yang Xin and Chen Lai's eyes were drawn to several steeds pacing back and forth not far away. A flicker of excitement flashed in their eyes, and they immediately stepped forward to sign for the horses.

One of the horses seemed to sense their joy and neighed joyfully. Yang Xin excitedly called out, "Young and old, come out! There are several horses outside! We can have a snack of delicious horse meat today! Come out and kill the horses!" This shout was like a thunderclap, shattering the morning tranquility. In an instant, several strong young men rushed out of the house.

When they saw the unclaimed horses, their faces flushed with excitement. They sprang into action, hastily leading the horses to a nearby tree and tying them securely to its trunk. Their faces lit up with unconcealable joy, and they rubbed their hands together with excitement, as if they could already smell the delicious aroma of horse meat.

Yang Xing had made remarkable contributions in this fierce battle against the Xiongnu. His wisdom, courage, and command were remarkable, earning him immense admiration and a natural willingness to follow his advice. As Yang Xing began to speak, everyone turned their attention to this hero.

Watched by so many, Yang Xing felt a surge of ambition. He straightened his back and spoke in a resonant voice, "Everyone, we have two things to do right now. First, we must clear out the bodies of these Xiongnu. Second, we must properly prepare the remains of our relatives and fellow villagers and dig graves nearby for burial." He then looked around and called out, "Which of the grandmothers or middle-aged women would be willing to come out and help with the horse meat? We'll slaughter a horse later, and everyone will have a good meal tonight!"

After arranging all this, Yang Xing walked up to Chen Lai again and asked with a smile, "Brother, I wonder if you can ride a horse?" After hearing this, Chen Lai scratched his head a little embarrassedly, and replied with a wry smile, "Brother, to be honest, I have never ridden a horse. At most, I have ridden a donkey." Yang Xing looked at Chen Lai's slightly embarrassed look and knew that he could not force him, so he stopped asking.

Yang Xing then raised his voice and called out to the crowd, "Hey, gentlemen, is there anyone here who's good at riding?" As soon as he finished speaking, a tall, thin man, seemingly in his thirties, stepped out from the crowd. He seemed a little timid and replied softly, "I... I can ride. I used to work as a groom for a wealthy family, but they later fired me because they no longer needed so many people due to war."

Yang Xing, as if he had received a shot of cardiac stimulant, instantly regained his spirits. He anxiously said to the elder brother, "Brother, swift as the wind, mount a fine horse and gallop towards the county town like an arrow from a bow. Tell them that the Xiongnu are attacking and that our safe house was raided yesterday. The damage is severe. Please pay attention to this matter and prevent the Xiongnu from entering our territory again!" Then, turning to the man next to him, he said, "Brother, go and get this elder brother some food to fill his stomach on the road. We will kill a horse and cook meat at home and wait for him to return with the news." The expert man was not shy either. He nimbly turned around and mounted his horse, bowed to Yang Xing, and said in a loud voice, "I'll go right away and will live up to your trust and bring back good news!"