Tianri Wang narrowed his eyes, looking towards the east.
"Such a coincidence? This name has already saved that land for the second time. The Tianri clan's warhorses are still being bred; even if they mature, without the Kushan Dynasty as a stepping stone, it's almost impossible to march into that territory."
A minister, also chewing on human flesh, his eyes glinted coldly. "That Attila is indeed quite capable. With two to three tens of thousands of Xiongnu cavalry, he charged southwest, living off the spoils of war, and managed to expand his army to one hundred and fifty thousand. Incredible!"
"Let the Xiongnu stir up trouble. After all, only barren, war-torn lands remain in the southwest," the Tianri clan responded indifferently before recalling something and changing the subject. "However, Attila's methods of incorporating and enslaving strong individuals differ from ours. We need more scapegoats and slave soldiers, including the Xiongnu cavalry."
Just then, a young man was brought over, bound tightly.
He was tall, with fair skin, but covered in blood.
He had a broad back and a muscular build, his eyes and temples slightly sunken, his brow furrowed, his hair and eyes black. He remained silent.
Aside from his eyes and hair, the young man's lips, ears, nose, chin, and forehead bore a striking resemblance to Christhilde and Iris, a five-point similarity in appearance!
"Your Majesty! This man single-handedly killed three hundred of our cavalry who were surrounding him. Fortunately, we arrived in time and subdued him! It is confirmed, he is indeed that woman's relative!"
Hearing his subordinate's enraged report, Tianri Wang observed the youth, nodding slightly.
"Roman dog, now I give you a chance to join the Tianri clan. Live with honor, deify after death, and leave your name in epics, perhaps to be renowned like Achilles and Mars."
As Tianri Wang spoke, he handed the half-eaten roasted human hand he was holding to his subordinate.
The subordinate, expressionless, presented the hand to the youth.
"This is your sister's hand. Gnaw it clean, sever ties with your past, and you shall become a member of the Tianri clan."
Hearing Tianri Wang's irrefutable command, the youth's eyes widened in fury. He looked at the hand, overcome with grief, gritted his teeth, but ultimately responded with silence.
He only wished to maintain his dignity in the face of death, not to let the Tianri clan witness the impotent rage of a weakling.
"Your aunt, Princess Lise of Rome, bore children for me. My daughter Iris has embraced everything of the Tianri clan, and I hear Christhilde has wandered to that land," the Tianri clan mused to himself, ignoring the youth's feelings, then turned to him. "The weak have no right to survival. Forget the glory of the Roman Empire, and fight for the Tianri clan from now on, or die."
The youth merely gave Tianri Wang a disdainful look, as if at an idiot, then offered his neck for execution.
Tianri Wang finally lost patience, waving his hand. "Throw him into the sea to feed the fish. Continue marching and conquer the remnants of the Persian Empire."
Two quarters of an hour later, a hundred cavalry escorted the youth to the coast, about to push him into the sea when the neighing of warhorses echoed from afar.
The cavalry turned back to see dozens of men and women, with features similar to the people of Da Gan, approaching on horseback, their arrows flying with unerring accuracy.
A formidable woman leading them, her warhorse swift as the wind, arrived at the front in a flash. With a horizontal sweep of her saber, she beheaded two cavalrymen and, with her left hand, lifted the youth and tossed him onto her horse.
In the blink of an eye, the escorting cavalry was shot to death by this approaching force.
The youth, looking at the woman who was untying him, was astonished.
The woman's appearance was entirely different from his understanding of the continent's people, yet he remembered the descriptions of that land and its inhabitants.
"You… are you from the Eastern Kingdom?" the youth finally spoke.
The woman nodded solemnly, looking towards the east with a proud expression. "Yes, our ancestor was the Martial Sage of Da Zhou, Liang Xiao."
After speaking, the woman did not forget to take out an ancient painting from her satchel and display it. Her companions all looked on with excitement.
The painting appeared ancient, yet the depiction was clear.
It bore a six-point resemblance to Liang Xiao himself.
"I have heard of this distant name. It is said he was the only hero who ever defeated the Tianri clan…" the youth sighed in admiration.
The woman nodded and said, "My name is Liang Jing. You are the renowned Prince of Rome, Heraclius?"
"If I cannot protect my kin, what fame do I have…" Prince Heraclius clenched his fists, lost in memory. "These northern cannibals, taking advantage of the infighting among the various nations of this continent, have conquered and slaughtered, destroying countless civilizations. Rome, Greece, Persia… They have even assimilated the essence of these civilizations, but at their core, they remain barbarians. Yet, we are no match for these barbarians and have become their livestock, to be plundered and toyed with at will."
Liang Jing simply handed Heraclius a long saber and said, "Fight alongside us. We too have been hunted by the Tianri clan for centuries, constantly engaging in guerrilla warfare. If you truly seek revenge, you might consider venturing to our ancestor's land. I hear it is now ruled by the Da Gan Kingdom, and there is an An Guo Hou and a Heavenly General there. They will surely be able to defeat the Tianri clan."
"Truly?" Heraclius's eyes gleamed.
Liang Jing nodded. "You speak our Da Zhou language, which is actually because the Tianri clan invaded our Da Zhou back then. They studied Da Zhou culture, believing that the Da Zhou language of the ones who defeated them must be more practical, so they made this language the primary language of the Tianri clan, spreading it along with the Tianri teachings. These barbarians are very adept at learning and are fearless of the cold."
Heraclius pleaded, "I am willing to serve you, only asking that I can go to that land together in the future!"
Facing the unexpected emergence of the Tianri clan, the sparks of civilization on the continent suffered endless pain, and the flames of resistance were passed down.
A branch of the Da Zhou royal descendants, uniting all the innocent mountain folk, continued their arduous struggle.
Liang Xiao, along with Luo Qingxue, Jian Qinwan, and Christhilde, had arrived in Yanzhou and stayed for a month.
In addition to comforting and rewarding the families of fallen soldiers, Liang Xiao also focused on inspecting the steel mills.
Thanks to improvements in iron and steel smelting technology, the national iron output of Da Gan in the past year exceeded twenty million jin, and steel production reached an unprecedented five million jin.
Were it not for limited iron ore, Liang Xiao estimated that domestic steel production would not be less than the annual output of the Song Dynasty.
Even so, the weapons and armor of the Da Gan soldiers had been significantly improved.
The weapons confiscated from the barbarians were almost all made of iron, which now seemed somewhat shabby.
Mu Hong did not return to the capital immediately after Nie Yuan arrived in Yanzhou but assisted in managing military affairs for a while. Today, he also accompanied Liang Xiao to inspect the steel mills.
"At this rate, within two years, the weapons of all the main forces across the country can be improved!" Mu Hong exclaimed with excitement.
Liang Xiao was also deeply moved.
With sufficient surplus in the national treasury, it was time to significantly upgrade military equipment to counter threats from various countries, especially the Tianri clan!
As Liang Xiao and his entourage were conversing, a craftsman, with flesh jiggling on his face from excitement, ran over carrying a great sword.
"An Guo Hou! After countless trials, we have unexpectedly forged a new type of great sword. Its quality seems to be even better!"
Liang Xiao focused his gaze on the great sword. The blade surface displayed intricate, wave-like patterns.