Prologue

  In 121 BC (the second year of the Yuanjia era of Emperor Wu of Han), in July, he went to the Western Regions.

  In the far north, snowflakes dance in July. Dark winds howl with rage, and the heavens lose their color.

  The vast grassland has lost all its green color, as far as the eye can see, it's hard to distinguish the six directions.

  A loud neigh pierced through the sky, startling a few fluttering snowflakes.

  On a mountain peak, a lone horseman suddenly appeared. The horse was a sweat-blood steed, its coat blending with the sky and earth. Its body was clad in iron-plated armor, while the rider wore a red robe and black helmet. A ring-handled sword hung at his waist, one hand grasped the reins, and the other was placed on his forehead as he gazed out into the distance.

  Although the knight was destined to see nothing useful, he stubbornly maintained this posture for a long time.

  In front of and behind this ride, both are a horse on flat land. The difference lies in the fact that there is nothing in front, while behind, secrets are hidden.

  Half a day ago, in a forest not far behind this cavalryman, suddenly appeared eighteen thousand iron riders!

  "General Zhao." Another cavalryman came galloping from behind, forced to approach slowly in the deep snow. The same warhorse, the same attire, the two men were identical except for their faces.

  Zhao Po Xu did not turn his head, nor did he respond. His movements didn't change in the slightest. Just past twenty years old, his facial features were sharp and clear-cut, his eyes like an eagle's. Even in the wind and snow, it was still easy to sense the resolute aura emanating from his entire body.

  Even in such a harsh environment, this determination has never changed in the slightest.

  The knight who came later was at the age of knowing his fate, different from Zhao Po Yu. A faint worry appeared on his face, his eyebrows were tightly locked, he stood beside Yue Yi, looking in the same direction as Zhao Po Yu, with a serious expression. "Half a day ago, the weather was still good, I didn't expect it to suddenly snow so heavily at this time. The heavy snow covers the entire field, I don't know how General Qin is doing, if General Qin can't arrive on time, what should we do in this icy and snowy land..."

  "General Gongsun!" Zhao Poyu, who had not moved at all, suddenly interrupted him with an icy tone that seemed to blend in with the surroundings. "How dare you make wild guesses about General Qin's situation? If you continue to spread rumors and disrupt our army's morale, don't blame me for being ruthless."

  Gongsun was rebuked by Ji Zong, but his face didn't show any displeasure. He forced a smile and said, "General Zhao, why must you speak like that? I'm also worried about General Qin's safety. After all, this time we're going to conquer the Western Regions and completely eliminate the Xiongnu. It depends on whether General Qin can... Haha, now I'm wearing the armor of the Dragon Rider Army too, so I'm considered a member of the Dragon Rider Army..."

  Zhao Poju reined in his horse, turned around and rode towards the woods, saying coldly: "A defeated general like you, if it weren't for you, how would General Qin have risked his life? Indeed, today you are wearing the uniform of the Dragon Cavalry, but I must remind General Gongsun that the Dragon Cavalry has never had a soldier who abandoned his comrades and escaped alone. There wasn't one before, there isn't one now, and there won't be one in the future!"

  Zhao Poju finished speaking and left without looking back, leaving behind a furious Gong Sun who was grinding his teeth in anger.

  The snowstorm soon buried all traces of their conversation.

  ……

  Fresh blood seeps through red robes, white snow covers iron armor, blood water dissolves snowflakes, sweat gathers into a stream.

  The wind whistled past his ears, piercing deep into his eardrums, drilling into his brain, forming a buzzing sound. Qin Cheng suddenly loosened the reins of his warhorse, turned around, and with lightning speed drew his bow and shot three arrows in quick succession!

  Behind him, a hundred paces away, the pursuing soldiers let out three clear cries of despair, mixed with the wails from their own camp, and the sound reached Qin Cheng's ears, blending with the cries of his own cavalry.

  From a distance, one could see that in the snowy veil, countless white-clad black-armored cavalrymen were chasing after more than two thousand red-clad black-armored cavalrymen. They were like two giant dragons and snakes, one in front of the other, madly rushing forward, with the latter's fangs almost biting into the former's tail.

  Bright red blood flowers burst forth from time to time in the two camps, appearing particularly eerie and ghostly in the storm. Like a huge white painting, with a few drops of crimson ink scattered on it!

  The wind and snow disrupted the soldiers' line of sight, but could not disrupt their footsteps.

  "General, hurry and leave! I'll stay behind with my brothers to cut off the enemy's retreat!" A red-robed black-armored cavalryman rode his horse closer to Qin City, shouting loudly and urgently.

  They were already at the back of the team.

  "Shut up!" Qin Cheng rode his horse while occasionally turning back to shoot out icy four-edged iron arrows.

  "General, the wind and snow are very heavy. Only if you leave first can we reunite with General Yue Yi and then turn back to launch a big attack on all sides to avenge our brothers - only then will your divine steed have a chance to shake off these pursuing soldiers!" A young soldier shouted, momentarily forgetting about the wind and snow, and the iron arrows shooting from behind, "The 18 Riders of Yan Yun will definitely protect you safely, General!"

  "Carriage and horse, don't think I don't know you're a girl!" Qin Cheng said coldly, flicking his hand to throw an iron arrow behind the young knight. "Clang!" The sound of two iron arrows colliding came from behind the young knight. "Not to mention women, even if it's a rough and unrefined man, I've never let you guys leave me behind without reason. When has the Cavalry ever abandoned their comrades or left them unattended?"

  The young knight's expression faltered, and he was greatly shocked. All these years, he had thought that no one in the army knew about his daughter's identity, but unexpectedly, he couldn't hide it from the general of the cavalry in front of him. His face turned red for an instant, but only for a moment, before the young knight's expression returned to its anxious state. Just as he was about to speak again, a strange noise suddenly came from the front of the troops. With great effort, he looked up and saw that the young knight's face had instantly turned pale as snow.

  In the wind and snow, countless white-clad black-armored cavalrymen suddenly emerged from the side and front, blocking the path of the red-clad black-armored cavalry. As soon as those white-clad black-armored knights appeared, they began to circle around, pressing towards the two wings of the more than 2,000 red-clad black-armored cavalrymen!

  Qin Cheng reined in his warhorse, and the fine steed under him let out a loud neigh, half of its body standing up. Then, he sped forward!

  After all, the wind and snow were too great, blocking the line of sight. Moreover, being unfamiliar with the place, it was impossible to identify the direction. Now, it is inevitable that I will be surrounded by fate.

  In front of me and behind me are all powerful enemies, and their numbers are dozens of times more than mine. What should I do?

  More than 2,000 red-robed and black-armored cavalrymen tacitly accelerated their horses without slowing down, rushing forward to tear open a gap in the enemy's army formation from the front, breaking through the encirclement. Any other effort or momentary hesitation would make it impossible for their own cavalry to survive.

  Qin Cheng has already ridden his horse to the front of the troops. When retreating, the general guards the rear; when charging forward, the general leads by example.

  "Hsss!" Qin Cheng forcefully pulled out the icy Ring-Headed Knife, pointing it straight at the sky.

  Behind him, more than a thousand light cavalrymen simultaneously put away their bows and drew their swords, their movements eerily uniform. At this moment, the two thousand plus light cavalrymen seemed to embody the power of nature itself, exuding an aura that was both majestic and terrifying, as if they possessed boundless strength waiting to be unleashed with just one command, ready to annihilate all enemies before them!

  Qin Cheng's hand grasped the hilt of his sword and thrust it forward, letting out a loud shout, "Kill!"

  "Kill!" Over a thousand light cavalry shouted in unison, their warhorses accelerating like a burst of floodwater, surging forward.

  Pyramidal formation of troops.

  The leader of the white-robed and black-armored knights facing Qin City was a tall and majestic figure, with a king's helmet on his head, his eyes gleaming like lightning, exuding an aura of boundless killing intent. His crimson pupils seemed to be devouring people whole, staring fixedly at Qin City.

  His eyes had only Qin Cheng.

  This forced him to migrate from Dahan to Beidahuang, and then from Beidahuang to Xiyu, still refusing to let go of his Han people.

  The Han military commander who was determined to put him to death.

  The main general of the Dragon Cavalry, the first general of the Great Han Dynasty, Liu Che's most sharp blade to destroy the Xiongnu!

  He is the hero of the Great Han Dynasty, and also the nightmare of the border countries of the Great Han Dynasty. He doubled the territory of the Great Han Dynasty, subjugated all the surrounding countries, stabilized the foundation of the Great Han Dynasty, turned all the kingdoms within the borders into counties, taught the people to become rich, greatly developed commerce and trade, and increased the imperial tax revenue several times in a few years. He created an invincible iron army - the Dragon Rider Army!

  He is a legend!

  But today, this myth will be buried by his own hands, and his head will be cut off by his own hands! With three thousand elite cavalry, he surrounded his more than two thousand light cavalry, how could he not win?

  Yi Zhi felt his own hot blood boiling up.

  The wind and snow slowly subsided.

  "The Kunlun gods protect the Great Xiongnu, and the Great Xiongnu are invincible in battle!" Yizhi Xiao drew his sword and shouted loudly, his eyes cold and menacing. He pointed his long knife at the Han army's light cavalry in front of him and said coldly: "Kill them all, leave none alive!"

  "Wooo!" The Xiongnu cavalry howled like wolves, fiercely charging towards the Han army in front of them!

  "Bandit of Qin City, come and take my life!" Yi Zhi rushed straight at Qin City.

  Qin Cheng's face was as calm as water, and he saw Yi Zhi rushing towards him with a slanted posture. With the ring-shaped knife in his hand, he drew a beautiful arc, aiming straight for his opponent's chest!

  Yi Zhi Xiao was no ordinary person, a cold smile in his heart, the long knife in his hand stood upright.

  Qin Cheng changed his slash to a thrust just as he was about to collide with Yi Zhi's slanting long knife, and the tip of his ring-shaped knife thrust towards Yi Zhi's throat at an angle!

  Yi Zhi's eyes widened in shock, his body leaned back, and his long knife stood upright, guarding his face.

  The circular first knife flashed past I Chong's crooked nose with a long knife!

  Two riders passed each other in opposite directions.

  Qin Cheng urged his horse forward, swinging his sword left and right, beheading three or five Xiongnu cavalrymen in a row. The hot blood spurting out of the enemy's body melted the snowflakes on Qin Cheng's dark armor.

  Yi Zhi Xiao, in a fit of rage, beheaded several Han military officers close to him and rushed towards Qin City on horseback, swinging his long sword at the back of Qin City's neck.

  Qin Cheng's ring-handled knife was already standing upright behind his back at some point, with the blade of the knife rejecting the blade edge, and his body leaning forward.

  The long sword scraped against Qin Cheng's helmet.

  Qin Cheng swung his sword with the momentum, the blade edge from back to front, from bottom to top, directly aiming at Yizhi's slanted face and cheek!

  Yi Zhi Xie rode his horse sideways and engaged in close combat with Qin Cheng!

  More than 2,000 Han cavalrymen charged into the Xiongnu cavalry formation, instantly triggering countless blood flowers to burst in the air, with people shouting and horses neighing, cold knives chopping and slashing, flesh and blood flying everywhere. In an instant, the snowy ground was stained bright red. In the midst of the fierce battle, severed limbs and broken bodies flew up and fell down, horses collapsed, and riders were thrown from their mounts, only to be trampled again. The scene was chaotic, the picture bloody. The cries, wails, neighs, clashing of weapons, and splattering of blood blended into a unique symphony.

  Thousands of Han troops charged in the direction, which had long been heavily guarded by Yizhi, and had been fighting with Qin City for several years. As a result, both sides were already very familiar with each other, so although the Han army charged bravely, they ultimately could not break through the encirclement.

  After all, there were too many enemies.

  The charge was repelled and both sides fell into a melee.

  Viewed from the air, it can be seen that the Xiongnu cavalry has formed a multi-layered encirclement around the periphery, and the Han army is trapped inside.

  Life becomes unusually fragile at this moment, and blood not only demonstrates glory but also death.

  "Qin Cheng, you were a hero for a lifetime, but in the end, you couldn't escape the fate of being abandoned by Liu Che because of your outstanding achievements!" Yi Zhi saw that it was difficult to gain the upper hand for the time being, so he launched a psychological attack. "Look at these Han soldiers around you, which one can compare to half of the combat power of your Xiongnu cavalry? If your Xiongnu cavalry were here, how could the single king have trapped you in layers of encirclement? Haha..."

  Qin Cheng's eyes were cold and distant, his gaze filled with disdain, as he wielded the Ring-Headed Knife with an unbroken momentum.

  "I see the Qin city, but I won't speak. The Shandong kingdom is in chaos, Liaodong Korea is in chaos, Emperor Wu used the Xiongnu cavalry but didn't use you, the commander of the Xiongnu cavalry. The Western Regions are in chaos, Emperor Wu would rather send that incompetent Gongsun to his death than let you go on campaign. Three rebellions arose at once, the Western Regions army was defeated, and Emperor Wu had no choice but to give you 10,000 light cavalry to appease me, the Great Xiongnu. Hmph! Do you think the brave warriors of the Great Xiongnu can be defeated by your 10,000 light cavalry?"

  Qin Cheng still had a face that didn't flush, a heart that didn't skip a beat, and eyes that only showed disdain and calmness.

  The wind and snow finally stopped, and a gray cloud layer seemed to have sunlight pouring out.

  "You've squandered the wealth and power of Qin, letting the Han dynasty dominate the world for a time. In the end, you can't even protect your own soldiers. How ridiculous!" Yi Zhi continued to mock.

  Qin Cheng glanced up at the sky, and the faint sunlight seemed to be slightly dazzling.

  The battle between the Han army and the Xiongnu had reached a white-hot stage.

  The time has come.

  Suddenly, Qin Cheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and the ring-shaped knife suddenly burst out with twice its power. One slash chopped down, and when Yi Zhi raised his knife to block it, his arm went numb, and the long knife almost fell from his hand. His body tilted, and he nearly fell off his horse.

  Hurriedly withdrawing his horse and retreating, Yi Zhi's heart was greatly shocked, with a look of astonishment flashing in his eyes.

  This Qin City, can actually suddenly burst out such a powerful fighting force?

  Qin Cheng drew his long sword horizontally and stood up on his horse. After a loud neigh of the horse, he shouted: "Where are the eighteen riders?"

  "Yes!" Eighteen loud voices responded almost simultaneously from different directions around Qin City.

  "Follow me to break through the encirclement!" Qin Cheng's long sword pointed forward, his horse took the lead and galloped out. Behind him, with eighteen loud neighs, eighteen cavalrymen suddenly charged out, like heavenly gods descending to earth, cutting down all the Xiongnu cavalry who blocked their way, and followed closely behind Qin Cheng.

  Behind the eighteen riders, other Han military officers and men tightly guarded the passageway near the eighteen riders!

  "Eighteen Riders?" Yi Zhi was forced to retreat by Qin Cheng's sword, and as he watched Qin Cheng rush past in front of him, his face turned pale with shock. He hastily shouted loudly to the Xiongnu cavalry: "Stop them, stop them quickly!"

  Qin City's war horses wear armor, people dance with long knives, galloping and shouting, wherever they go, no one can stop their military edge. It is indeed ten steps to kill one person, a thousand miles without leaving a trace. Eighteen riders by his side are as fast as ghosts and as cruel as Yan Luo. Wherever the army points, it attacks without fail!

  The horse is a precious steed of sweat and blood, the man is an elite cavalryman.

  Just like countless times before, forging miracles of glory, this time, the eighteen riders once again escorted their master to break through the siege in the midst of chaos!

  A single line of nineteen horsemen, wherever they go, blood stains the white snow!

  The Han army's light cavalry, who were struggling in the encirclement of the Xiongnu cavalry, looked at Qin Cheng breaking through the siege with a relieved expression. The next moment, these Han army cavalrymen became extremely excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood!

  Only because they knew that the last moment of life had arrived!

  This is their last battle as soldiers!

  But this is a glorious moment!

  They knew in their hearts that 18,000 cavalrymen were waiting for them 20 or 30 miles away. As soon as the Qin city arrived, they would come and kill them, and the three thousand Huns cavalrymen in front of them would be killed!

  Thirty thousand Huns cavalry are like ants in front of eighteen thousand elite cavalry!

  The Dragon Cavalry only recognizes General Dragon Cavalry.

  General of Cavalry - Qin Cheng!

  However, the distance of twenty or thirty li, back and forth, would take at least half a watch, and in that half watch, few Han military officers would be able to survive under the siege of 30,000 Xiongnu cavalry.

  These Han light cavalrymen, who had been fighting against the Xiongnu, knew that their mission was to drag these Xiongnu cavalrymen until the Dragon Cavalry arrived, and by then, their enemies would be avenged.

  As they watched Qin Cheng rush up a nearby small hill, these Han army officers knew that this was the last time they saw their highly respected general!

  The next moment, Qin Cheng will jump over the mountain and go to summon the Jun Qi army.

  If there was any resentment among these Han soldiers, it would be towards the heavens! If it weren't for the sudden snowstorm half a day ago, they could have safely lured the Xiongnu cavalry into the ambush site of the Dragon Cavalry, and then launched a counterattack, annihilating the Xiongnu before them together with the Dragon Cavalry.

  But now it's too late to say anything.

  Really, is it late?

  "Waaahhhh..."

  "Waaahhhh..."

  "Waaahhh..."

  A heavy horn sounded suddenly, near where the Han army and Xiongnu cavalry were engaged in a fierce battle.

  These Han army light cavalrymen galloped up to the mountain pass, and when they looked out, they saw that Qin's city had not jumped over the mountain, but was standing still. His eighteen close guards also stood on horseback at the top of the mountain, in a row, their movements neat and uniform, all raising their heads to blow the horn!

  What's going on?

  Suddenly, the Han army's light cavalry, who were fighting against the Xiongnu cavalry, burst out with astonishing morale again and started a new round of fierce slashing and killing!

  He gazed uncertainly at the eighteen riders standing on the mountain, blowing their horns, and his pursuing footsteps came to a halt. He wanted to retreat, but he was unwilling, suspecting it was a ruse. He thought about not retreating, yet feared it might be real.

  However, Qin Cheng did not give him much time to hesitate.

  On the mountain line, a row of black dots suddenly appeared. The black dots quickly grew larger and soon became cavalrymen wearing Han military helmets and armor!

  Flying Cavalry!

  Zhao Poju finally arrived with the cavalry.

  He came on his own initiative without any news from Qin City - perhaps this was the tacit understanding of fighting together for a long time!

  "Dragon Riders?" Yi Zhi stared blankly at the dense rows of Dragon Riders that suddenly appeared before him, his eyes filled with incredulity. "Impossible, impossible, impossible! Aren't the Dragon Riders supposed to be busy helping Liu Che quell the rebellions in Shandong and Liaodong? How can they be here? Impossible!"

  Recently, he received definite news that the Xiongnu cavalry did not appear in the Western Regions, so it dared to encircle Qin City boldly.

  But now, the Dragon Cavalry truly appeared before his eyes.

  "The Flying Cavalry has rushed here from 2,000 li away in just nine days. You didn't expect that, did you, Yizhi Xiao?" Qin Cheng finally looked at Yizhi Xiao with a cold gaze and sneered: "You have underestimated the Emperor, underestimated the Flying Cavalry, and most of all, underestimated me, Qin Cheng! You should die!"

  Qin Cheng's long sword thrust forward, and he spat out a cold word: "Kill!"