Chapter 76: He’s a Barbarian Alright
While traveling side by side with Wei Yuan, Lee Zhi looked at the rolling clouds in the distance and remarked, “The Liao’s realm is over ten times greater than Great Tang’s. Not only that, they are empowered by the very world around them, while we are greatly limited within their territory. We are lucky that the camps are all located on the edge of Liao territory. Otherwise, I would have had second thoughts about this expedition.”
Wei Yuan had learned a lot about the Liao of Vast Sea thanks to his studies in A Comprehensive History of the Human Race, Foundational Studies of the Path to Immortality, and A History of Great Tang. He echoed in agreement, “The qi of the Liao’s realm is special. Even their horses can consume this qi and travel thousands of li without feeling fatigue. During a raid the night before, I saw them using the night itself to cover their tracks with my own eyes.”
“Once we enter Liao territory, we would have to cover ourselves in Dao energy to resist this worldly power. That is why we need to finish this as soon as possible. We will sweep through the enemy like thunder and make it home just as quickly,” Lee Zhi replied.
Wei Yuan nodded. This was military common sense. He might as well have said nothing.
Lee Zhi suddenly remarked in a wistful tone, “When I was studying in the academies, I sometimes thought that the Northern Liao possesses far more land than we do, and their people have a much easier time employing the power of the world than us. Sometimes, I must admit that the Liao barbarians are like the world’s favorite son.”
Wei Yuan agreed, “It’s not just the Liao barbarians. The Shamans, the Mountain Dwellers, the Chelis, and the Guirongs[3] all have greater realms than us humans. In their world, they are the world’s favorite sons. If you only look at the map, we are just a small country.”
Lee Zhi let out a long laugh. “Still, there are advantages to being a small country! For example, it rests on our shoulders to expand our realm!”
The cavalry galloped swiftly forward, soon reaching the invisible boundary line separating the human realm from the Liao domain. On the human side, the sky was clear, and the air was crisp. On the Liao side, a great yellow fog rolled thickly. Upon reaching the dividing line, the warhorses all hesitated in their footsteps, their reluctance to advance as clear as day. Wei Yuan had to squeeze his legs and urged it on before his steed finally crossed the boundary.
As soon as they entered Liao territory, Wei Yuan felt like he was covered in a layer of dust. He felt as if every pore in his body was stuffed in mud or oil; like he hadn’t taken a bath in weeks. His vision range declined sharply from eighty li to fifty li, and even Lee Zhi’s voice sounded a little softer than before.