Chapter 118 - 117: Little Prince Bo Gudun
In the original story, Zuo Tianyuan and his son were able to expand the Nine Swords Alliance and replace Zhenwu Hall. This was largely because the two of them were exceptionally skilled at building connections.
It wasn’t just in the Central Plains Martial World; they had even managed to recruit people from the Grassland Tribes, like Bo Gudun.
In the future, when the Nine Swords Alliance replaced Zhenwu Hall, this Little Prince, Bo Gudun, would lead the Chi Shu Tribe out of the Western Grassland and catch their enemies completely by surprise.
Chen Yuan didn’t know when Zuo Tianyuan and his son had first contacted Bo Gudun.
’But I just annihilated the Xu Family and killed Wu Youqing, and now this Bo Gudun shows up. It’s obvious the Nine Swords Alliance can’t stomach it and is looking for trouble.’
’As for Jiang Xibai of the Po Jun Guard, he just coincidentally ended up taking the heat for me.’
In the past, the Po Jun Guard had fought fierce battles alongside Xie Wenyan against the Great Xia Court’s army. They were truly the elite of the elite.
If they were garrisoned across Ning Province like the other White Tiger Guards, their combat prowess would have surely eroded from long periods of idleness.
That was why the Po Jun Guard frequently patrolled the borders of Ning Province, wiping out bandits and guarding against raids by the Grassland Tribes.
However, the Grassland Tribes in Western Ning Province had been doing quite well for themselves in recent years. They lived comfortably by smuggling and selling horses, so they rarely raided Ning Province anymore.
’This time, Bo Gudun was leading his elite troops to raid Kaiping Prefecture. He must have run into Jiang Xibai’s Po Jun Guard squad along the way.’
’Seeing so many aggressive Grassland cavalry, Jiang Xibai would have certainly advanced to question them. Unsurprisingly, a fight broke out, and Bo Gudun’s plan to launch a surprise attack on Kaiping Prefecture fell apart.’
At Chen Yuan’s command, all of Kaiping Prefecture mobilized with haste.
With his recent feat of annihilating the Xu Family, Chen Yuan’s prestige in Kaiping Prefecture had completely eclipsed that of Qi Yuanming, who had governed the prefecture for years.
With a single order, the White Tiger Guards assembled and headed for the Western Grassland to rendezvous with the Guan Family.
"Master Guan, we’ll need your men’s help to find the Chi Shu Tribe."
The Chi Shu Tribe and Jiang Xibai’s Po Jun Guard were both cavalry units, so their battle was a running fight, not a static one.
By the time news of the clash arrived, both sides were long gone from the initial location.
But the Western Grassland was vast. If they searched aimlessly like headless flies, the Po Jun Guard would likely be wiped out by the time they were found.
Guan Zhenshan had a group of Grassland herdsmen under his command. Having grown up in the Western Grassland, they were experts at tracking and knew the terrain intimately.
"Rest assured, Lord Chen. Leave it to me."
Guan Zhenshan said, then immediately sent dozens of Grassland herdsmen fanning out to search for tracks.
"Master Guan, how do you get these Grassland People to be so obedient?"
Chen Yuan was genuinely curious.
’Those not of our kind are sure to have different loyalties.’ Five hundred years ago, when the Golden Horde rose to power, they fought countless fierce battles with the Great Xia Court. Back then, the two sides were like fire and water.
Things were better now, but the Court remained wary of the Grassland Alien Race; otherwise, it wouldn’t have embargoed all sorts of supplies to them.
At the same time, the Central Plains People viewed the Grassland People as barbarians, while the Grassland People felt the Central Plains People were cunning and untrustworthy. The perception each side had of the other was poor.
Guan Zhenshan smiled. "There’s no great secret. It’s just a matter of empathy.
The Grassland Alien Race are people, too. They also want stable lives and ample supplies.
Other merchants from the Central Plains come to buy their horses, but they always trade with shoddy goods and drive a hard bargain.
But when my Guan Family does business with them, our dealings are honest. When we hire them to herd horses, we treat them the same as our own Guests.
Over time, they naturally learned who was better to deal with.
Of course, there’s one other condition: the Guan Family is not weak.
Otherwise, if some of the smaller tribes see you as an easy target, they’ll try to force you to buy their sick horses."
Guan Zhenshan was an honest man, and it was precisely this honest character that had allowed him to build Celestial Star Ranch to its current scale.
Just as they were speaking, a Grassland herdsman returned to report that he had found their trail.
At that moment, a dozen miles from Chen Yuan’s position, hundreds of Chi Shu Tribe cavalry had surrounded several dozen Po Jun Guards clad in crimson Battle Armor at the foot of a small hill.
The knight at the fore wore Crimson Gold Heavy Armor and a Ghost Mask, and he wielded the Profound Dragon Cold Steel Spear. Like a crimson dragon, he smashed straight through the Chi Shu Tribe’s encirclement, and the Po Jun Guards followed close behind, breaking out of the trap.
"Useless trash! You outnumber them almost ten to one, and you can’t even stop a handful of men!"
Bo Gudun charged up from the rear, lashing the lead centurion across the head and face with his horsewhip.
He was in his thirties, but his skin wasn’t the dark, ruddy color of other Grassland people. Instead, it was rather pale. With his high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes, it was clear he had some Western Regions blood.
He wore a magnificent Golden Helmet and Golden Armor, intricately engraved with patterns of birds and beasts, as well as the script of the Golden Horde.
This was armor passed down from Bo Gudun’s ancestors, the armor of the legendary Thirty-Six Kings of the Golden Horde.
"Your Highness, forgive me! That Po Jun Guard leader is too powerful. The elite ten-man squad led by Puhunu was routed in a single exchange. There was no way to stop him."
The centurion knelt before Bo Gudun’s boots, kowtowing with an utterly subservient attitude.
Bo Gudun raised his whip to strike again, but an old man completely shrouded in a black robe rode up from the rear and stopped him.
"Enough, Your Highness. Let us continue the pursuit. Chi Na Cang Ling gave us the vast Grassland, and with it, broad minds.
Ukhalyang is a loyal servant. You should give him another chance."
In the entire Chi Shu Tribe, the only noble was Bo Gudun himself, the Little Prince. Everyone else was merely a servant who could be beaten or killed at will.
But this black-robed elder was a Great Witch Priest, a figure whose status transcended tribal lines throughout the Grassland.
Bo Gudun snorted coldly. "Since Master Su Lu pleads for you, I’ll spare you this time, you wretched servant!"
"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Master Su Lu!"
The centurion, Ukhalyang, moved to kiss Bo Gudun’s boots in gratitude, but was sent flying with a kick.
Bo Gudun’s face was a mask of irritation. "I thought we could launch a clean surprise attack on Kaiping Prefecture and kill that Inspector, Chen Tian. I never expected to get bogged down here by the Po Jun Guard.
If this drags on any longer, Kaiping Prefecture will get wind of us. How can we call it a surprise attack then?
This is the first time Brother Zuo has asked a favor of me. If I screw up something this simple, won’t my Chi Shu Tribe look like a bunch of complete fools?"
Master Su Lu shook his head. "It may be a good thing that we can’t go to Kaiping Prefecture.
Your Highness, you must understand that the Central Plains People cannot be trusted. You put too much faith in that Zuo Feiyu."
"The Central Plains People can’t be trusted? And I suppose that Hachal and Lin Khanate lot can be?"
Bo Gudun gritted his teeth. "They’re nothing but a pack of traitors, and they dare call themselves a Khanate?
I am the true descendant of Cang Ling, the heir of the Thirty-Six Kings of the Golden Horde!
Master Su Lu, Brother Zuo may be from the Central Plains, but he acknowledges my rightful status.
After my Chi Shu Tribe was driven from the heart of the Grassland, we only survived thanks to the support of the Nine Swords Alliance.
The Central Plains People talk of righteousness, but we descendants of Chi Na Cang Ling also live by a code: repay every kindness and avenge every grievance!
We’ve taken so much from Brother Zuo. It’s time for the Chi Shu Tribe to act.
Master Su Lu, I’ll have to trouble you to use a Demon Spirit to tie up those Po Jun Guards as quickly as possible."
With a sigh, Master Su Lu nodded reluctantly and drew a Wolf Skull from within his robes.
As he began tapping on the Wolf Skull, a series of strange notes issued from his throat, and a bizarre, ghostly green light instantly shot into the ground.
The next moment, the Po Jun Guards who had just broken free found their warhorses slowing down. Some of the mounts even began to bleed from their mouths and noses.
One by one, Po Jun Guards began to fall behind, only to be cut down by the men of the Chi Shu Tribe.
The lead knight in the Crimson Gold Heavy Armor saw this was going badly. He immediately raised his Profound Dragon Cold Steel Spear and, against all odds, wheeled his horse around to rescue his men.
Bo Gudun sneered and drew a long saber.
Grassland cavalry typically used Curved Sabers, but the weapon in Bo Gudun’s hand was a straight-bladed Horizontal Saber. Its edge was like a mirror, reflecting a brilliant light.
"Kill them all!"
Bo Gudun led the charge himself, thundering toward the remaining Po Jun Guards.
The few dozen Po Jun Guards were already exhausted. Facing an enemy that outnumbered them ten to one, they were on the verge of collapse.
The lead knight in the Crimson Gold Heavy Armor was also at his limit, but he steeled himself to burn his Qi Blood for one final, all-out attack.
Just then, the thunder of a great number of hooves roared from the distance.
A flicker of light appeared in the eyes of the knight in Crimson Gold Heavy Armor, and he looked toward the source of the sound.
Chen Yuan galloped into view. The monstrous Demonic Qi and dazzling Blood Qi on his Cyan Dragon Blood Drink erupted simultaneously as he slashed down. The attack was like a torrential, black-and-red river surging backward, and wherever it passed, the Chi Shu Tribe’s cavalry were torn to shreds.
"I’m here to help!"
Bo Gudun wheeled his horse around abruptly, his eyes bloodshot and his expression savage.
The Chi Shu Tribe had been shattered by the Hachal and Lin Khanate. Now, with fewer than a thousand members left, every death was a devastating loss.
Yet this newcomer had just killed at least a dozen of his men with a single strike!
"You’re courting death!"
The long saber in Bo Gudun’s hand blazed with a dazzling light. An incredibly ferocious aura enveloped him as his muscles bulged. With a roar, he charged forward to meet Chen Yuan’s strike.
A biting wind howled. Bo Gudun’s strike was one of pure, ultimate power. His saber tore through the air, unleashing a deafening shriek.
The wave of demonic energy was torn asunder. As the two blades clashed, both Chen Yuan and Bo Gudun were forced back two steps.
A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Yuan’s eyes. ’This Bo Gudun is incredibly strong. His Physical Cultivation is on par with the monks from the Vajra Prajna Temple.’
The Martial Dao cultivated by the Grassland Alien Race differed somewhat from that of the Central Plains. It focused on Body Refining—the most basic, primitive kind—tempering their bodies until they were like savage beasts.
’Moreover, Bo Gudun possesses another strange power, one that seems to suppress True Qi.’
"Who are you?"
A look of shock flashed in Bo Gudun’s eyes.
He was at the Peak of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm, but with the Secret Techniques of the Golden Horde Royal Family and the blessing of the Soul of Cang Ling, he could even fight a master in the Condensing Truth Realm. He was virtually unrivaled among his peers.
’This man before me is just as young, yet he can match my strength. He’s no ordinary person.’
Chen Yuan regarded Bo Gudun with a faint, unreadable smile. "Weren’t you the one who came to kill me? And you don’t even recognize me?"