Dream of the Red Chamber: From a Border Ruffian to a Capital Tyrant

After an incense stick has burned.

"Huff... Huff..."

The rapid, heavy breathing echoed violently in Jia Lang's ears like a broken bellows.

It felt as if a huge boulder weighed down on Jia Lang's chest, so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

Although they had rested for a whole day yesterday, they encountered several extremely fierce battles that night, including raiding the camp and breaking through the encirclement.

At this moment, both the man and the horse were on the verge of exhaustion.

If it weren't for the sheer will to "get home alive" that everyone was holding onto, they probably would have collapsed on this wasteland long ago, horse and all, and never got up again.

Jia Lang suddenly turned his head to look behind him. The group of Xiongnu pursuers, like a leech, were frantically closing the distance with the help of their horses. He could even see the cold glint reflected from their sabers.

He clenched his teeth until his mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood, and finally made a resolute decision.

"Li Tiedan! Li Huowang! Zhang Xinhuo!"

"At your command!"

"You three lead the main force ahead; I will personally cover their retreat and draw them away!"

Jia Lang suddenly pulled on the reins, and the warhorse let out a mournful neigh. He turned around and shouted at his trusted and beloved generals, including Li Tiedan, who were also exhausted.

Upon hearing the sudden shout, Li Tiedan and the others hurriedly reined in their warhorses. They were all exhausted, like dead dogs, but they looked at their commander Jia Lang with shock on their faces.

"General!"

Li Tiedan's eyes widened, bloodshot, and his voice trembled slightly with extreme exhaustion and excitement.

"General! You mustn't!"

As Jia Lang's most loyal and fierce generals, Li Huowang and Zhang Xinhuo were also shocked and hurriedly tried to dissuade him, unwilling to live alone.

"Shut up!"

Jia Lang's eyes widened, his face filled with murderous intent, and he shouted angrily:

"This is a military order!"

"These barbarians want my head, not yours!"

"Besides, the main force is too conspicuous; following me will only lead to our demise!"

"No one can escape!"

"General!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers around him immediately teared up and cried out in unison, their voices filled with sorrow at their unwillingness to abandon their commander.

"Enough with the chit-chat, it's settled!"

Jia Lang gave them no chance to refute, shouting sharply and sweeping his gaze across Li Tiedan like a knife:

"Li Tiedan!"

"Listen to me, you're a soldier I trained!"

"If you bring back even one less person, when I return, I will punish you according to military regulations and have your head chopped off!"

Having said that, Jia Lang didn't linger for a moment. He suddenly spurred his horse, turned its head, pointed the heavy hammer in his hand to the sky, and like a lone arrow released from a bow, charged headlong into the darkness in another direction.

"General—!!"

As Li Tiedan and the others watched Jia Lang's resolute departing figure, tears welled up in their eyes and streamed down their blood-stained faces like broken beads.

They glanced back at the ever-approaching, demonic pursuers. Li Tiedan fiercely wiped away his tears and snot, gritted his teeth, and, remembering the general's death order, let out a roar with all his might:

"Walk!!!"

.........

After parting ways with Li Tiedan and the others, Jia Lang, like a lone wolf, rode his horse alone to a steep, barren slope.

"Herod—!!"

He suddenly pulled on the reins, and the warhorse reared up, its front hooves flying high, its iron hooves striking the rocks with dazzling sparks, and it let out a long neigh.

Jia Lang remained as steady as a mountain on horseback, letting the wind tousle his long, disheveled hair. He turned to look at the surging torrent of Xiongnu cavalry, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a hysterical fervor.

He took a deep breath, gathered all his strength from his dantian, and let out a roar as loud as thunder:

"A bunch of uncivilized, savage ants!"

"Grandpa Jia Lang is here!"

"If you've got the guts, come over here and take my head!!"

This roar, carrying boundless killing intent, caused the oncoming Xiongnu cavalry to pause, and the sound of their hooves involuntarily slowed down.

At the foot of a hill not far away, a Xiongnu centurion rode up to Danghu's side. Looking at the demon-like figure on the slope, a hint of fear flashed in his eyes, and he asked in a low voice:

"My lord, this dried-up dog is extremely ferocious, what should we do?"

The Xiongnu leader narrowed his eyes, a green light flashing in his pupils, a mixture of greed and ruthlessness. A cruel smile curved his lips as he sneered:

"What to do? Humph!"

"This man is Jia Lang, the deputy commander of the garrison at Yanmen Pass!"

"That's the man the Great Khan has offered a bounty of ten thousand gold pieces for—his head!"

"If we can capture this man alive and present him to the Great Khan, we will be heroes of the grasslands, enjoying endless riches and glory!"

"If we let him escape, who among us can bear the wrath of the Great Chanyu, just for the destroyed food supplies?"

"Pass down the order! Divide the troops into two groups!"

"Leave half of the warriors to continue pursuing the remnants; the rest, follow Bendanghu to surround and kill these two-legged sheep!!"

Before he finished speaking, Danghu spurred his horse's flanks and pointed his curved sword forward. His warhorse charged like an arrow toward the hillside where Jia Lang was.

Seeing that the Xiongnu army had indeed divided its forces as expected, drawing half of its troops in the opposite direction from Li Tiedan, Jia Lang's tense lips relaxed slightly, and he let out a long sigh, silently praying:

"Li Tiedan, you bastard, you must lead the brothers back to Yanmen Pass alive..."

After he finished speaking, the last trace of warmth in his eyes instantly froze into ice. He abruptly turned his horse around and galloped wildly into the desolate wilderness, which was completely opposite to that of Li Tiedan and the others.

"Boom!"

The horse's hooves flew wildly across the withered grass, raising clouds of dust. It was not the disheveled state of his escape, but the embers of his indomitable fighting spirit burning brightly in his heart!

......

This frantic run took a full half hour!

When Jia Lang reined in his warhorse again, the magnificent horse was foaming at the mouth and soaked to the bone.

Jia Lang turned his head and looked back. Behind him was a vast, boundless plain, and at the edge of that line of sight, a dark shadow representing death was rapidly approaching like a malignant tumor.

"Glug... Glug..."

Jia Lang casually pulled off the leather water bottle from his waist, tilted his head back, and took a few big gulps.

Afterwards, Jia Lang did not enjoy it alone, but instead put the spout into the warhorse's parched mouth, gently patted the horse's sweat-drenched neck, and murmured:

"Hey buddy, don't drink too fast..."

"We're not running anymore, we're not running anymore..."

"Judging by the time, Tie Dan and his men should have already reached the pass..."

Jia Lang raised his head, his gaze piercing through the many obstacles, looking towards the direction of Yanmen Pass, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.