182: You can go home now

"Colonel, in this battle, our side suffered fewer than fifty dead and over two hundred wounded," Li Mu reported.

"What about the Xiongnu people?" Lin Yue asked.

This battle was primarily a surprise attack. The Xiongnu people had not anticipated that the Qin Army would rashly attack, suddenly appearing right under their noses.

Thus, they were caught off guard. As soon as the two sides engaged, the Xiongnu people were so terrified that they scattered and fled. There was only localized resistance, so the White Horse Righteous Cavalry' casualties were not significant.

"We captured over eighty thousand Xiongnu people, countless cattle and sheep, but some still escaped. Commandant Xing has already led men to pursue them," Li Mu said.

"Good," Lin Yue nodded. With the first battle victorious, he rode Big Yellow, weaving through the Xiongnu people Encampment.

Around them, countless Xiongnu people bodies stained the land red. Some White Horse Righteous Cavalry Soldiers sat on the ground, frowning as they waited for military doctors to treat them.

There were also the sobs of women, the cries of children, and the shouts of Soldiers, all coming together to form a bleak picture of the aftermath of war.

"Colonel, what about these captives?" Li Mu asked. Without Lin Yue's order, he dared not deal with them on his own.

"How were they usually handled?" Lin Yue asked.

"Women and children became slaves, while Xiongnu Soldiers were used for flag-raising ceremonies or taken to the rear as slaves," Li Mu whispered.

Lin Yue stopped his warhorse, his brows tightly furrowed, and finally asked, "Where is Yang Chen?"

"Commandant Yang Chen is fifty li behind us," Li Mu replied.

"Tell Yang Chen to come here; there's an important matter to discuss," Lin Yue said.

"Understood!" Li Mu responded.

Lin Yue then dismounted and stepped into the central tent of the Xiongnu people Encampment. As he entered the tent, he was met with a strong smell of blood, and the interior was a mess.

At the entrance of the tent, several Soldiers in armor lay in pools of blood, with several broken weapons nearby.

Inside the tent, two women with several young children huddled in a corner, trembling.

One of the women, her face full of panic, held a knife towards them, but her body trembled continuously.

"Who are you? Who was in charge here before?" Lin Yue asked in Xiongnu people.

The woman stared intently at Lin Yue and his men, but did not answer.

"Colonel, we found several Qin People," Li Mu said.

"Why are Qin People here?" Lin Yue asked, puzzled.

Li Mu showed a hint of embarrassment and said, "They are border residents who were captured here and made slaves when the Xiongnu people moved south previously."

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow, looking at Li Mu. Li Mu sighed softly and said:

"In the past, the Xiongnu people often plundered southward. Although General General Meng Tian was stationed in Shang Commandery, because they came and went like the wind, plundering if they could win and fleeing if they couldn't, they sometimes also abducted some civilians during their escape, so this situation was unavoidable."

Lin Yue sighed and said, "Bring them in."

Li Mu nodded, and then several Qin People were led into the tent.

As soon as they entered, they knelt on the ground, sobbing, "General, we are Qin People! We are Qin People!"

"Elder, please rise quickly!" Lin Yue hurriedly helped up the elderly man who was at the front and asked, "Elder, how long have you been here? How many Qin People are still in this place?"

The old man's face was full of the vicissitudes of life, and he wept as he said:

"There are currently over three thousand Qin People remaining in the Encampment.

I was abducted here eleven years ago, along with my old man's whole family. Now, only I am left."

The Generals were speechless upon hearing this. The old man's few short sentences contained untold suffering and hardship.

While their hearts ached, they didn't know what to say at that moment; any words seemed incredibly pale.

"It's our fault. Now all of you can go home. The Army will soon send you home," Lin Yue said softly.

Yet, he felt a sense of powerlessness. Home, home, but where was the old man's home anymore?

"Home? We can finally go home!" The old man burst into tears upon hearing this, and the others with him also prostrated themselves on the ground, weeping.

Although he was the only one left of his family, and his former home had long since been broken, when Lin Yue said those words, he still couldn't stop crying.

Perhaps this word had been deeply etched into his heart, becoming the belief that sustained his life.

All the Qin Dynasty civilians in the tent wept incessantly, as if finally relieved!

The Generals, meanwhile, all turned their heads away. Even those who were accustomed to killing on the battlefield couldn't bear to witness this scene.

Lin Yue sighed, "Elder, do you know anything about this place?"

The old man looked up, stopped crying, and said with determined eyes:

"This place is a Xiongnu people tribe, with a population of about a hundred thousand. It is the closest tribe to the Shang Commandery border!

The leader is a Xiongnu Danghu, subordinate to King Baiyang of the Xiongnu people!"

"King Baiyang? Do you know how far his location is from here?" Lin Yue asked.

King Baiyang and King Loufan were the two largest kings in the Ordos Loop region, and their many tribes controlled the entire Ordos Loop!

If they could be annihilated in one fell swoop, it would decide the outcome of the war in one battle!

"This old man once went there when the Xiongnu people paid tribute. King Baiyang's Encampment is three thousand eight hundred li north of this place!" the old man said.

Three thousand eight hundred li, in a game with a length and width multiplied by 10, this distance was terribly far.

Even in the game, with warhorses whose stamina and speed had been enhanced, it would still take nearly ten days of forced march to reach it!

The old man seemed to have noticed Lin Yue's concerns and volunteered, "General, this old man can lead the way!"

Lin Yue looked at the old man in disbelief. Ten days of forced march was difficult for even the White Horse Righteous Cavalry Soldiers to endure. If the old man led the way, he might not even reach King Baiyang's Encampment!

The old man said, "I, Pang Shi, am old and know my days are numbered. It would be better to use my remaining time to lead the Army!

So that Great Qin can utterly defeat the Xiongnu people and avenge my deceased brothers and sisters!"

These words moved Lin Yue and the others, but he still said:

"Elder, now that you are rescued, you should return home to enjoy your twilight years. Since you are familiar with this place, why not stay here and assist the Army in receiving the captives?

As for leading the way, you can recommend someone else who knows the route."

Just as the old man was hesitating, Xing Daorong stepped into the tent.

"Lord, This humble general has captured a Xiongnu people leader." With that, he threw a Xiongnu people man, dressed like a noble, onto the ground.

The Xiongnu people woman holding a knife nearby covered her mouth in disbelief at this scene.

Lin Yue was about to ask her in Xiongnu people, when the old man suddenly cried out, "He is the Xiongnu Danghu!"

The old man used all his strength to crawl over and fiercely slapped him, then began to wildly beat him.

His fists hitting the Xiongnu Danghu's face didn't hurt much. The Local Official seemed to recognize the old man and now stared at him viciously!

"Elder, what's wrong?" Everyone quickly pulled him back and asked.

The old man sobbed uncontrollably, "He... he ate the hearts of my three grandchildren!"