The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

When Talilan and his men finally found King Shaodang after going through untold hardships, the scene before them made them heartbroken.

King Shaodang was pierced by several arrows, blood gushing from his wounds, staining the ground beneath him red. Due to a long period of lack of effective treatment, King Shaodang was now weak, and it seemed as if the flame of life would be extinguished at any moment.

Talleyrand's heart was broken, and tears rushed out like a flood. She stepped forward quickly and tightly grasped the King's hand, which was gradually becoming cold, trying to convey her strength and warmth.

King Shaodang used his last bit of strength to raise his hand and gently touch his daughter Talilan's face, but his arms were too heavy to move.

Helplessly, he could only reveal a weak yet relieved smile and whispered, "My daughter, although your uncle participated in this rebellion, I never believe he would actually harm me. Everything he did was simply to make our Shaodang tribe stronger, perhaps even to unify the entire Qiang people one day. It's a pity that he was exploited by those with ulterior motives. So, please do not blame him."

After hearing her father's words, Talleyrand was filled with anger and resentment. She shook her head vigorously and replied firmly, "No! He is no longer my uncle. He has committed such a crime and must pay the price for it!"

King Shaodang seemed to have more to say, but ultimately swallowed it back. He took a deep breath and continued in a weak voice, "Daughter, I know you've always been in love with the Qin man named Ying Bu, but I also know you have no interest in power. In fact, I've secretly observed Ying Bu for a long time, and he's truly a trustworthy man you can entrust your life to. When your brother comes of age, you can hand over the tribe to him, and you...go pursue your own happy life."

As soon as he finished speaking, King Shaodang's originally bright eyes gradually lost their luster, as if he had exhausted all his vitality and energy and fulfilled his last long-cherished wish in this life.

Talleyrand, standing by, burst into tears after hearing her father's words, blurring her beautiful face. She cried heartbreakingly, "Father...Father...please don't leave me! Please open your eyes and look at your daughter again!"

Every cry was filled with endless sorrow and reluctance, echoing in the empty cave, heartbreaking.

However, no matter how Talleyrand called, King Shaodang never responded to her. He just lay there quietly, as if he was sleeping in an eternal dream.

Ying Bu followed Wang Er closely, leading a group of people behind him, galloping like the wind, and arrived at the Shaodangbei camp at the fastest speed.

At this moment, the camp was bustling with activity, with over 7,000 soldiers already gathered there. They all had solemn expressions, ready for battle.

Inside the tent, the commander of the Left Army, Gagu, sat at the head of the tent, his face solemn as he surveyed the numerous generals below. Ying Bu and the commander of the Imperial Guard entered the tent and stood still.

Gargu took a deep breath and said in a low but powerful voice, "According to the latest intelligence just received, the king has unfortunately passed away due to his severe injuries..."

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a thunderclap exploding in everyone's ears, and the entire tent fell into a dead silence. Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent, but their faces all showed a heavy and sad expression.

At that moment, the commander of Talleyrand's guards suddenly stood up, his eyes determined and full of fighting spirit. He shouted, "Everyone, do not lose heart! The princess has already dispatched the Southern Guards to support us. A total of 9,000 men are advancing at full speed towards the royal tent. Now is the critical moment for us to work together and closely cooperate with the princess to avenge the king and attack the royal tent!"

These words were like a raging fire, igniting the fire of revenge in the hearts of everyone present.

Immediately, Kagu ordered the mobilization of 5,000 troops and headed straight for the king's tent.

Ying Bu secretly selected a full one hundred elite cavalrymen from his personal guards, and then set off ahead of schedule without stopping.

At this time, where the royal tent was, King Zhong Qiang personally led his mighty army of 50,000 and had already set up camp steadily around it.

At the same time, Tariq also successfully assembled several teams including the Right Army, the Rear Army and the West Guard Army, with a total number of more than 10,000 people.

Night fell, and all was quiet except for the flickering candlelight in the tent. King Zhong Qiang smiled broadly and offered Tariq a hypocritical comfort: "Future King Shaodang, once we completely eradicate Talilan, you'll have nothing to worry about!"

However, Tariq's face was solemn, and he responded in a low voice, "King Zhong Qiang, you are wrong. I am not the future King of Shaodang. The only one truly qualified to be King of Shaodang is my brother, Taridun. And to be honest, I have no intention of fighting for the throne at all. Also, please remember that the first condition for our cooperation is to ensure the safety of my brother and niece, Taridan. They must be captured alive, and no harm is allowed to them!"

Upon hearing this, a flash of murderous intent flashed across King Zhong Qiang's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He replied with a forced smile, "Okay, okay, everything will be as you say."

Under the cover of night, Ying Bu led his men to the outside of the king's tent. Ying Bu's goal was to carry out a "decapitation operation", with the goal of either capturing King Zhong Qiang alive or capturing Tariq.

Ying Bu led Wang Er and five other men as they cautiously approached Tariq's tent. Like hunters in the dark, they took every step with extreme caution, fearing to alert the slightest sign of trouble.

When the patrolling soldier passed by, Ying Bu attacked with lightning speed, knocking the guard unconscious. Then, the group tiptoed into the camp.

At this moment, Tariq was immersed in a sweet dream, unaware of the impending crisis. Suddenly, a cold breath hit him, causing him to open his eyes. He saw five or six people standing before him, holding gleaming blades pressed against his neck.

Ying Bu lowered his voice and said coldly: "If you want to live, don't make a sound!"

Tariq was immediately overwhelmed by endless fear, but when he found that the person who came was just tying him up, he breathed a sigh of relief. He looked closely and was surprised to find that the person in front of him was the Qin envoy who visited that day.

Tariq made an indistinct whimpering sound, and Yingbu, seeing this, tore off the cloth stuffed in his mouth.

Tariq asked softly, "You Qin people, we have no grudges against each other, why did you kidnap me?"

Ying Bu's eyes widened with rage as he shouted, "You are a scoundrel who colluded with foreign enemies and killed his brother for power. I really want to chop you down right now!"

Tariq shook his head repeatedly in horror, his voice trembling as he said, "I didn't kill my brother! Absolutely not! There must be a misunderstanding!" His wide eyes were filled with disbelief.

Ying Bu's face was solemn, and he slowly said: "King Shaodang was hit by several arrows and was seriously injured. He could not get medical treatment and he has unfortunately passed away." After saying that, Ying Bu couldn't help but sigh, with a trace of sadness in his eyes.

Upon hearing this news, Tariq was struck by lightning. He instantly lost all strength, his legs giving way as he collapsed to the ground. His eyes were glazed over, and he kept muttering, "Impossible... Impossible... I just wanted the tribe to thrive. How could it have turned out like this? How could it have happened?"

Tears streamed down his cheeks and dripped onto the cold ground. At this moment, he felt as if he had been abandoned by the whole world, falling into endless pain and self-blame.