Chapter 52: Zhao Ergou, reporting for duty!

The city gates creaked open slowly, like an aged man heavy with the experiences of a lifetime, finally willing to open his heart.

At the sight, Zhao Ergou took a deep breath, as if to draw the very scent of victory deep into his lungs.

He abruptly dug his heels into his horse's flanks. The warhorse, wincing in pain, let out a long neigh and charged forward through the gates, taking the lead.

"Brothers, follow me into the city! Let these bastards see how our Tenth Squad wins a battle!"

His voice was thunderous, ringing out at the city gate like a sudden peal of thunder. That arrogant swagger of his seemed about to pierce the vault of heaven and punch a hole right through the sky!

The soldiers behind him joined in with cheers that shook the earth, as if they wanted to roar away all the pent-up frustration of the past few days.

One by one, they puffed out their chests, like victorious roosters, overflowing with pride.

Entering the city, Zhao Ergou and his men dismounted.

Leading their horses, they marched in a grand procession through the streets of Yinshan City—a spectacle beyond description.

Over a thousand warhorses, every single one plump and sturdy, their coats sleek and glossy, were unmistakably top-tier steeds at a glance.

This display completely stunned the townspeople.

They stopped in their tracks to watch, pointing and whispering among themselves.

"Where did all these horses come from? Since when has our Yinshan City had so many horses?"

"Who knows? They look like they belong to our Yinshan Army. Could they have won a battle?"

"These horses are magnificent! They're taller and fiercer than any we usually see!"

On the other side, General Sima Xin and Commander Yang stood by the city gates, staring at the vast, moving sea of horses with eyes bulging out of their sockets.

Their jaws dropped so wide they could easily have swallowed a goose egg.

This... this was practically an entire cavalry force!

One had to bear in mind that their Yinshan Army, numbering a full thirty thousand, possessed a mere two thousand iron cavalry.

It wasn't that they lacked the desire to build a larger cavalry unit; rather, even a clever housewife could not cook a meal without rice!

The State of Qin suffered from a scarcity of horses, especially proper warhorses, which were pitifully rare.

Lacking suitable grasslands for grazing and breeding horses, their supply of warhorses relied primarily on captures and purchases.

Yet the Rongdi people were hardly fools; how could they easily sell warhorses to their enemies?

Consequently, Qin's cavalry had never been able to truly develop, remaining a persistent source of anxiety for them.

"General Sima!"

Seeing General Sima Xin, the Slayer of the Rongdi, personally come out to welcome them, Zhao Ergou leaped down from his saddle and strode toward Sima Xin with an air even more commanding than a general's!

With a sharp slap, he executed a crisp military salute, his voice resonant and full of vigor: "Zhao Ergou, leader of the Tenth Squad of the Assault Battalion, reporting for duty!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Sima Xin looked at Zhao Ergou, a bright light of excitement flashing in his eyes like a starving wolf spotting a tender lamb. He uttered the word "good" three times in succession, revealing how stirred his emotions were at that moment.

"Did you lot go pillaging the Rongdi cavalry? You've brought back so many fine horses. Quick, tell me what you've been up to these past few days!"

"Commander Yang!"

Zhao Ergou saluted Commander Yang as well, overflowing with such warmth it was as if he were meeting a long-lost brother.

After all, Commander Yang was their superior officer, and the proper courtesies had to be observed.

Commander Yang waved a hand, signaling that Zhao Ergou and his men needn't stand on ceremony.

As he looked at Zhao Ergou, it felt as though his heart were being scratched by a cat—an unbearable itch.

This rascal truly possessed extraordinary skill!

He had vanished with his subordinates for five or six days, only to return with this multitude of warhorses. It was simply miraculous!

"Reporting to the General, we indeed went raiding the Rongdi. Not only did we seize horses and slay numerous enemies, but we also launched a direct assault on the Gaoque Pass and captured quite a few supplies!"

Zhao Ergou grinned, flashing a mouthful of white teeth in a display of supreme triumph, as if saying: "Well, aren't I amazing?!"

"Tell me the details!" Sima Xin's interest was piqued. He wanted to witness firsthand what abilities this fellow possessed to have stirred up such a massive commotion.

To think that the roughly sixty men led by Zhao Ergou possessed such capability!

Zhao Ergou made no secret of it and recounted their experiences over the past few days from beginning to end.

Naturally, he wasn't foolish enough to reveal everything, selecting only what could be safely told to Sima Xin.

"First we did this, then we did that, and finally we executed a feigned retreat, beating those Rongdi bastards until they cried for their mothers and pissed their pants! Hahaha!"

Zhao Ergou spoke with flourishing gestures and radiant enthusiasm, his passion so intense he felt as though he had returned to the battlefield, slaughtering all in his path!

Commander Yang and the surrounding soldiers listened to the narrative with mouths agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

This sounded entirely too mystical!

Rampaging across the Rongdi grasslands and cutting down countless foes, yet sustaining virtually negligible casualties.

It was nothing short of a fairy tale!

Simple as it sounded in the telling, executing it must have been harder than ascending to the heavens.

After all, they had never even heard of such guerrilla warfare tactics.

"Over a thousand warhorses, supplies piled like mountains, not to mention the countless enemy soldiers slain—such a feat of merit is truly rare. Once I report this to General Yang, I shall ensure you are showered with glory and richly rewarded!"

Upon hearing this, Sima Xin slapped his hands in delight, giving Zhao Ergou's shoulder a heavy, approving pat.

This fellow was indeed extraordinary. Combined with his merit in raiding the enemy camp, if his cultivation level were sufficient, he could be promoted straight to the rank of commander.

Moreover, judging by the aura around Zhao Ergou, it had been only a short while, yet he had already reached the Great Completion of the Martial Artist realm.

Wasn't this fellow merely at the Martial Disciple stage just a few days ago?!

Such a rate of cultivation growth was utterly demonic.

The return of Zhao Ergou and his men, along with their bounty of warhorses and numerous supplies, spread like wildfire throughout the entire Yinshan Army.

"What? Old Liu and the others aren't dead?! And the bastards actually brought back so many horses and supplies?!" Upon hearing the news, Qian Dashan's eyes bulged as if he had just seen a ghost.

The squad leader glanced at Qian Dashan. "Do you desperately wish they were dead?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant... how did they manage to resurrect?"

"Bah, no, that's not it—I mean how did they avoid getting hacked to death by the Rongdi."

The more Qian Dashan tried to explain, the more tangled his words became, breaking out into a cold sweat of anxiety.

"Shut your trap!" The squad leader could no longer bear it. Why did this fellow speak with such a loose tongue? If he couldn't speak properly, he should keep his mouth shut.

Qian Dashan scratched his head, offered a sheepish grin, and obediently clamped his mouth shut.

He had merely been somewhat excited to hear that Zhao Ergou and the others were still alive and had simply tripped over his own tongue.

Zhao Ergou and his men handed over all the captured warhorses and supplies in a lump sum to the Yinshan Army.

As for the gold, silver, and glittering trinkets, those naturally found their way into their own pockets!

When you were risking your life with your head hung on your belt, nobody would do it without some sweet perks!

The supplies and warhorses turned in could also be exchanged for a substantial amount of military merit and reward money, which were tangible, solid benefits.

Especially the precious medicinal herbs for healing—those were lifesavers that could preserve your little life at a critical moment!

Having finished taking care of these matters, Zhao Ergou and his men were finally able to catch their breath and were promptly sent off to rest.