The Human Emperor (200-400)

C367: The Tibetan Cavalrymen at the Top of the Mountain

From a tall mountain peak, an ocean of mist could be seen cascading down from the top, growing fainter and fainter until they dissipate entirely.

At this moment, two armored military officers with sabers slotted by their waists were gazing upon this majestic sight. Their arms were bare, and their faces were strikingly red, indicating their ethnicity.

They were Tibetan soldiers.

It was a chilly dawn paired with a light breeze, and the tree leaves seemed to pale slightly in the face of the cold. The duo was standing against the wind at such a high altitude, but they seemed to be unfazed by the cold.

"... This should be the twenty-seventh day, right?" a Tibetan military officer with thick eyebrows and sharp eyes reminiscent of an eagle stared at the ground beneath the mountain as he asked this question.

"Un. Great Tang has truly grown weak," the second military officer replied. His voice carried a slightly disdainful and aggressive edge.

Despite the shorter stature of the Tibetans, they were known to be particularly ferocious.

It was not without reason that Great Tang had been unable to conquer Ü-Tsang despite years of war. Their territory being located at a higher attitude did play a significant role in that, but so did the Tibetans' aggressiveness and valor.

"... On our way here, there was nothing that could really stand in our path or threaten us. The great general ordered us to infiltrate the depths of the Central Plains to test out Great Tang, but from the looks of it, other than Geshu Han's Big Dipper Army, there's nothing for us to fear,” the second military officer added contemptuously.

For so many years, the Tibetans had viewed Great Tang as their mortal enemy, and the greatest threat to them. Who knew that while Ü-Tsang had been experimenting with new things and progressing ahead, Great Tang had been celebrating their peace and slowly degenerating into decadence, losing the strength they had once possessed.

Despite being merely three hundred strong, they were able to infiltrate so far into the other party's nation. Given such, how could they feel the slightest respect for the enemy?

"Un. In order to test out Great Tang, the Great Minister has sent out two teams. One of them is us, while the other one consists of our First Prince and Lord Dusong Mangpoje. Our mission is to gauge the strength of Great Tang, while the First Prince is tasked with infiltrating the depths of the capital. We should be roughly done with our mission by now, so we should be able to return soon. I wonder how things are going on the First Prince's side," the first officer remarked.

"Heh, with Lord Dusong Mangpoje by his side, what could possibly go wrong?" the second officer replied.

"That's true," the first officer chuckled. Dusong Mangpoje was one of "eagles" of the highlands, a great general of the empire. While his standing was still beneath Great General We Tadra Khonglo, there was little doubt that he was a pillar of the capital.

With him there, there was no problem they couldn't surmount.

"Our scouts have just returned, and it seems like yet another army has gathered at Great Tang's resting point. After we slaughter this bunch, we'll depart for the highlands immediately!" the second military officer said, and the duo gazed at the bottom of the mountain with savagery and excitement reflected in their eyes.

Hu!

A wind blew, and the trees behind the duo shook. For a moment, amidst the lush forest, many pairs of callous eyes and towering highlands steeds could be vaguely seen.

But as the wind passed, everything disappeared into the shadows. Even the two Tibetan officers had disappeared from sight.

All traces of the Tibetans had disappeared. Except for a handful of soldiers, no one in the Central Plains could have ever imagined that there would be a Tibetan army camping on a mountain deep within its territories.