Iron Dynasty Chapter 992

A gentle evening wind stirred the grasses across the pasture, bringing with it a pungent scent of blood that overwhelmed their senses.

As the surviving barbarian cavalry dropped to their knees in submission, the sounds of gunfire across the field began to fade away.

In that instant, an eerie silence blanketed the battlefield. The troops held their breaths in disbelief, struggling to accept that the nightmarish devastation around them was their own doing.

Within the surrounded area, the earth lay blanketed in the fallen bodies of barbarian riders. Unclaimed horses roamed in panic beneath the dying sun. Crimson soaked the meadow, with rivulets of blood trickling down from elevated spots to the valleys below.

From the 160,000 barbarian horsemen, 140,000 had perished to the hail of bullets, leaving just 20,000 to yield. Victory in this conflict was theirs, and it came decisively and completely.

Confronted by such sights, the warriors felt no guilt. None of the barbarians slain here were blameless; the countless spirits of the millions butchered by their raids stood as testament.

A savage people would meet a savage end in time. Such was the toll they owed.

“Clear the field of battle. Shoot down any barbarian rider who resists on the spot.” Niu Ben’s tone carried a chill.

Luo Quan chuckled right then. “I figured you’d wipe them out entirely!”

“They can at least labor on the rail lines in Guandong. These yielding barbarians aren’t warriors anymore; they’re mere captives.”

Luo Quan agreed with a nod. “True enough, those old barbarian fighters never gave in. Looks like fear has broken these ones completely.”

After a brief silence, his gaze shifted to the barbarian encampment. Hundreds of thousands of their herdsmen remained within, having witnessed the massacre of their mounted forces.

Niu Ben’s eyes narrowed sharply. “These belong to the three great tribes. With all their riders gone, hatred will burn in them toward us. We can’t let them live.”

Luo Quan paused in shock. In that moment, he recalled Niu Ben’s earlier words. Just as promised, the man showed no mercy now.

Before Niu Ben could finish, Qi Guangyi’s voice cut in unexpectedly. “General, isn’t slaughtering them a waste? Turn them into slaves instead?”

Glancing at the darkening sky, Niu Ben gave a peculiar smile. “Come dawn, we’ll head into the camp as one, and you can decide your stance then.”

Qi Guangyi turned to Luo Quan with a puzzled look, but Luo Quan only shook his head in resignation.

Still, after the day’s grueling combat, exhaustion weighed on him too, so he held back further questions and returned to his tent for rest.

Dawn broke the next day, and as the sun climbed, he emerged from his shelter. Niu Ben and Luo Quan stood ready, awaiting him.

“Time to move. Let’s take a look at these herdsmen,” Niu Ben declared.

With those words, the trio advanced toward the barbarian tents. The herders had clustered together by now. Upon arrival, hostile glares met them from every direction.

Qi Guangyi halted before the group. He spotted raw animosity in their stares, which unsettled him deeply.

Despite that, he believed the herdsmen deserved mercy. Noticing a young barbarian lad of about six at the forefront, Qi Guangyi inquired, “What do you dream of becoming as an adult?”

The boy replied instantly, “I’ll tend sheep and take plenty of wives when I’m grown.”

“And why so many wives?” Qi Guangyi probed, intrigued.

“To father lots of sons who’ll ride as cavalry and slaughter every soul in the Great Yu Empire.” The child’s pure tone hid a sinister edge.

Qi Guangyi’s expression hardened at once. He rose slowly, his icy stare sweeping over the barbarians, devoid of any warmth.

Niu Ben spoke next. “Do you see it now, Qi Guangyi? We harbor no malice toward the tiger, yet it hungers for us. For ages, Central Plains rulers have foolishly assumed barbarians would mirror our kindness. But reality? They see our compassion as frailty to exploit. Given any opening, they’ll strike and tear at us—that’s the harsh truth.”

Qi Guangyi shut his eyes briefly, then nodded in agreement. When it came to such matters, Niu Ben’s insight outmatched his own.

Luo Quan clapped Qi Guangyi on the back. “You’ve done remarkably well, but a commander must steel his heart and focus solely on winning the fight. The Emperor holds you in high regard and knows your flaws all too well.”

“Understood, General.”

Qi Guangyi let out a sigh. Moments later, shots erupted suddenly, mingled with cries from the camp. He turned to see over a dozen barbarian elders gripping bows, aiming for a stealthy assault on them.

The sight drove Niu Ben’s point home fully for Qi Guangyi. The kneeling captives had forsaken their pride and would serve as docile laborers. Yet these herdsmen would breed resentment, and in years to come, that grudge would fuel fresh blades against them.

The elders fell to bullets, and chaos seized the barbarians. In an instant, they surged toward the Great Yu troops who had fired.

“Open fire!”

Niu Ben commanded.

At his order, the waiting machine gun unit unleashed a barrage, their interlocking fire sweeping the onrushing foes.

This round, Qi Guangyi stood firm, observing the carnage with a steely resolve. The boy’s words replayed relentlessly in his mind.

“Those outside my kin harbor different intents!” he whispered, his determination solidifying.

Niu Ben eyed Qi Guangyi approvingly. He guided Luo Quan and Qi Guangyi away from the camp. They had secured a stunning triumph by crushing the three key tribes and their rider backups.

Yet the Golden Tent Khanate endured far from ruin. Its Great Khan lounged in luxury within the golden halls. While he breathed, the steppe’s menace lingered.

“The rifle-mounted troops shone brightly this round, confirming the value in forming such a unit. Their limited size remains a flaw, though. With the three tribes erased, pushing further west would strain the army’s logistics, troubling the foot soldiers. So, I propose handing the rest to the rifle cavalry. I’ll request the Emperor to grow them to 30,000 strong. Your thoughts?” Niu Ben asked Qi Guangyi.

Qi Guangyi assented. The path from Raozhou to the Golden Tent spanned thousands of li, traversable only by mounted forces in that expanse. With the barbarians reeling, no leftover riders could challenge 30,000 rifle cavalry.

Luo Quan added, “We’ve got duties aplenty too. Lead the forces to sweep the grasslands near Raozhou, and set up the Raozhou Protectorate to rule the vast stretch westward, breeding herds of cattle and sheep for the realm. From here on, we’ll be tending flocks across the plains.”

Qi Guangyi burst into laughter at that. “Generals, spare me the jest. You’d be like the Production and Construction Corps then.”

Niu Ben and Luo Quan exchanged glances, and he replied, “Precisely the plan. Armed reclamation is warfare too.”