Chapter 60: Zhu Yinggui! Brothers, I am bringing you home.

Not only was the chiliarch filled with doubt, but the soldiers under his command were the same.

The territory bordering to the west of Jincheng was not Daning Prefecture, but rather the exotic lands of the northern frontier—the domain of the Tatars.

According to military dispatches, the Tatars were currently overwhelmed with their own troubles and could not possibly send troops to reinforce Naghachu.

"All troops, be on high alert. The moment the enemy approaches, loose your arrows immediately!" the chiliarch shouted loudly.

"Understood!"

The numerous Great Ming soldiers shouted in unison.

Though facing the charge of countless warhorses brought a sense of dread, as soldiers of Great Ming, they knew no fear.

Should there be an enemy, they would only fight to the death.

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

As the sound of hooves grew closer and closer.

In front of this thousand-strong force of Ming soldiers, the spectacle of ten thousand charging horses became visible—a genuine tide of sweeping cavalry.

At this moment.

The charging horde truly unfolded before the eyes of the Ming soldiers.

"Wait, no."

"Why are so many warhorses riderless?"

Staring intently, the chiliarch noticed that many of the charging horses ahead carried no riders and seemed merely to be following along with the stampede.

And right then!

At the very center of the charging host, a blood-red battle standard fluttered against the sky.

Upon that banner, a massive character for "Ming" rippled in the wind.

This was a military banner of Great Ming, and a battle standard to boot.

"Hold your fire!"

"That is our Great Ming's battle standard!"

"They are not enemies; they are soldiers of Great Ming!"

Seeing this, the chiliarch immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.

He ordered all soldiers to lower their bows.

"Chiliarch."

"How could an army of ours appear in these exotic northern frontier lands?"

"That shouldn't be possible, right?"

A vice-chiliarch asked in bewilderment.

"Have you forgotten that an army of ours has been fiercely fighting the Tatars in these northern frontier lands for over two months?" the chiliarch asked, turning his head.

"C—Could it be the Daning Frontier Garrison Camp? The one commanded by the hundred-slayer Garrison Commander Zhu Ying?"

A vice-chiliarch gasped in shock, a look of awe welling up in his eyes.

The name of Zhu Ying.

Nowadays in Daning, and among the armies campaigning against Naghachu, it was as resounding as thunder.

It could be said that every soldier knew it.

Leading a mere few thousand cavalry deep into the northern frontier to take on a nearly suicidal mission—to hold down the Tatars.

Upon learning of this assignment, many soldiers in the army understood that once Zhu Ying accepted this task, he and ninety-nine percent of the men under his command would likely remain forever in the northern frontier, laying down their lives for Great Ming.

Though many soldiers mourned in silence, even more felt deep admiration.

Because Zhu Ying leading his troops to stay behind in the north and pin down the Tatars was for the greater strategic picture, sparing the advancing Ming forces from a pincer attack.

This was worthy of a soldier's respect.

Yet as time passed...

It shook the entire Daning Prefecture and hundreds of thousands of Great Ming soldiers in Liaoning. Not only had Zhu Ying not perished in the northern frontier, but leading a force of barely a few thousand men, he had dealt the Tatars devastating blows. First, he annihilated a Tatar force of ten thousand cavalry, and later, he breached the Tatar tribal court, unleashing the full might and prestige of Great Ming.

Facing such a hero, the entire Daning frontier garrison, as well as the expeditionary forces, were filled with admiration.

With such battle achievements, who could fail to revere him?

The military revered the strong, and Zhu Ying was that strongman.

"It has to be them."

"A stampede of ten thousand horses—this must be the result of Garrison Commander Zhu Ying capturing the Tatar ten-thousand-man cavalry."

"They have returned."

The chiliarch said with unconcealed excitement.

"This matter must be reported to the general immediately."

"No, report it to General Fu!"

"Garrison Commander Zhu Ying is a hero of our Great Ming."

The vice-chiliarch said excitedly.

"Right, report it at once."

The chiliarch immediately issued the order.

The vice-chiliarch at his side hurried away.

At this moment!

The sound of thundering hooves grew closer still.

Finally.

Scarcely fifty paces away from the arrayed camp of the chiliarch's forces—

"Halt!"

A roar echoed through the midst of the thundering horses.

Following closely behind.

Were the shouts of riders reigning in their mounts.

The charging warhorses screeched to a halt one after another, and the riderless horses were successfully reined in alongside them.

"We've returned."

"Great Ming."

Looking at the arrayed thousands of Great Ming troops ahead, Zhu Ying felt an indescribable surge of emotion in his heart.

Campaigning in the northern frontier for over two months.

It didn't sound like a long time.

Yet in that perilous land, every day felt like a year.

Because they faced constant mortal danger from the enemy, and a single misstep could plunge them into an encirclement, leading to annihilation by the foe.

In the northern frontier.

Zhu Ying was undoubtedly on edge every single day, more so than any soldier under his command.

Because Zhu Ying was their commanding officer, and he had promised to bring them back home; Zhu Ying was the backbone of all his men.

Now.

Zhu Ying had succeeded.

At this thought.

Zhu Ying could no longer contain his turbulent emotions.

He immediately spurred his horse forward.

Charging toward the Ming military array ahead.

Seeing Zhu Ying approach alone on horseback.

The chiliarch on duty felt all the more reassured.

If they were enemies, they would never approach single-handedly, nor would they halt.

The momentum of ten thousand charging horses was simply not something they could withstand.

"Break the array."

"Stand by."

The chiliarch immediately gave the order.

The previously deployed defensive formation instantly dispersed.

The chiliarch also stepped out from within the military array with a solemn expression.

When he truly laid eyes on Zhu Ying up close.

The chiliarch could not help but freeze in astonishment.

The Zhu Ying before him—from his hair to his battle armor and clothing—was entirely caked in blood and grime.

Even his face was stained with blood.

Even the warhorse he rode was dyed crimson and filthy with gore.

He looked precisely like someone who had just walked out of a sea of blood.

Even just standing there, an aura of bone-chilling murderous intent radiated from his entire being.

"Chiliarch Wu Xiong pays his respects to Garrison Commander Zhu Ying."

Recovering his composure, the chiliarch delivered a military salute to Zhu Ying.

"You know me?"

Zhu Ying paused, asking with a hint of surprise.

He had only just returned.

Could his achievements in the northern frontier have already spread far and wide?

"Garrison Commander Zhu Ying led troops to raid the Tatars, shattered their tribes, beheaded ten thousand of their cavalry, breached their tribal court, and slew their chieftain. The name of Garrison Commander Zhu Ying is now known to every single person in the army."

"This subordinate holds the utmost reverence for you."

The chiliarch replied with a solemn expression.

"What place is this? Is this Daning?" Zhu Ying asked.

"Reporting to the Garrison Commander."

"This is the territory of Jincheng in Liaoning."

"General Fu is currently leading troops here to attack Jincheng, and this subordinate was ordered to patrol this area to guard against surprise attacks by the Yuan forces," the chiliarch replied immediately.

"I didn't expect to have reached Liaoning."

Zhu Ying nodded with a sudden realization, a smile finally surfacing on his face.

He waved a hand behind him and shouted with stirred emotion: "Brothers, I have brought you home."

In response.

From amidst the sea of horses.

One rider after another spurred their mounts forward.

In the blink of an eye.

Nearly three thousand cavalrymen had gathered around Zhu Ying.

Like Zhu Ying, not a single spot on their bodies was clean; they were all covered in blood and grime, horse and rider and weapon alike.

Three thousand cavalrymen stood behind Zhu Ying.

Even though they unleashed no overt murderous intent at that moment, nor charged forward.

They still appeared as a single entity, an endless aura of slaughter washing over the Great Ming soldiers before them like a physical wave.