Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 523 - 488: War is War, Friendship is Friendship!

Chapter 523: Chapter 488: War is War, Friendship is Friendship!

As the Prince and Zhang San exchanged shots with their archery, Zhang San quickly established a temporary suppression by relying on the advantage of his Thunder Method.

But soon, Zhang San’s slight advantage turned into a significant one as it began to pour rain from the sky.

Under the dual assault of Zhang San’s arrows and Thunder Method, the arrows of the Prince on the ground could hardly reach mid-air.

Zhang San was, however, able to suppress the opponent with ease.

At this time, Baili Niezhen and the others had also scattered the resistance forces of the Tujue.

After all, each of the thirteen of them belonged to the Spiritual Platform Realm, and although the Tujue tribe had a larger number of Spiritual Platform Realm fighters, the quality was significantly lacking.

As the Spiritual Platform Realm warriors were nearly wiped out, many Tujue Martial Artists of the True Core Realm also perished.

Many Martial Artists dared not continue the fight.

Baili Niezhen and her companions had come here to earn military merits, so how could they let go of such an excellent opportunity? The battle, although not fierce, was extremely bloody.

They immediately chopped off the heads of all the Martial Artists on the ground to prove their military accomplishments when they returned.

As the rain stopped, Zhang San, floating mid-air, gazed down at the Tujue Prince and, after whispering a few words to Hei, leaped off his horse.

"I didn’t expect to find such an archery master among the Tujue people."

At this moment, although seven or eight guards had followed the Prince, they had all been struck by Zhang San’s thunder.

While they weren’t dead, they all had sustained injuries.

And judging by their responses to the lightning, Zhang San could tell that if he so wished, he actually had the confidence to kill them all right there.

But there was simply no need to do that now.

The Prince looked at Zhang San and said, "I’ve only heard of Changsun Bubai from the Land of the Midday Sun being a divine archer! I didn’t expect there to be another like you!"

Zhang San smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Oh no, how can I be mentioned in the same breath as Changsun Bubai."

Indeed, Zhang San was unaware that Changsun Bubai was also skilled in archery.

It seemed this old fellow had quite a few tricks up his sleeve!

After returning, he definitely had to delve deeper into this.

"I am Zhang San, may I inquire how this esteemed Tujue brother is addressed?"

"Xing Luohou!"

Upon hearing these three words, Zhang San was immediately taken aback, then his heart soared with joy.

"So you are the renowned third son of Khan Muzhen, Xing Luohou?"

A guard standing by spoke up, "Yes! This is our Khan Muzhen’s illustrious third prince, Xing Luohou."

Zhang San glanced at the guard whose face had been blackened by lightning and couldn’t help but wonder, you’re already in such a state, why are you still trying to curry favor?

"Brother Xing Luohou, your Archery Technique is so remarkable, I, Zhang San, hold great admiration for you! If you’re willing, then from now on, we are friends!"

As he spoke, Zhang San cupped his fists and bowed to Xing Luohou.

Of course, these were mere formalities from Zhang San.

In practice, he had already told Hei to instruct Baili Niezhen and the others to take away all the Tujue horses, cattle, sheep, and not to leave behind any gold, silver, or treasures.

As for these Tujue people, leave them if they can’t be taken along.

However, Xing Luohou didn’t immediately show the same kind of reciprocal admiration for a fellow warrior as Dashi Bian had when he heard Zhang San’s words.

"You come to my steppe, kill my people, steal my cattle and sheep, and now, you wish to befriend me?"

Zhang San was taken aback.

How was this Tujue man not a fool?

That’s unscientific!

"War is war, friendship is a separate matter."

"You fight for Tujue, I fight for the Sui People, each of us serving our nations. Hostility is justified. Since it is justified, what is wrong with me coming to the steppe to take cattle and sheep?"

After saying this, Zhang San looked into Xing Luohou’s eyes.

Xing Luohou wanted to argue, but upon opening his mouth, he found that it somehow made sense.

We are foes by default.

If you are enemies, isn’t it normal for someone to come and take your possessions?

"But then again, though we are enemies, our identity on the battlefield is just one of many. We are children to our parents, and we are parents to our children. We are warriors for our nation, but at the same time, we are also citizens of our nation."

"In public, we have just fought each other, and the outcome is clear; I won. Hence, war is just that—a war, but with the war decided, everything should come to an end."

"In private, I admire your strength and archery skills, and I wish to befriend you, can I not?"

Upon hearing this, Xing Luohou pondered deeply.

It seemed to hold some truth.

After all, the Tujue people on the steppe were not accustomed to much scheming or backstabbing.

They were nothing like Zhang San, whose entire being, aside from the reproductive and excretory systems, seemed to be filled with cunning.

"In that case, I, Zhang San, am willing to make friends with you, Xing Luohou. Today’s prisoners from Tujue, I shall release!"

Zhang San declared, then called out to Baili Niezhen, "Release these Tujue people, let them leave!"

Earlier, Hei had told Baili Niezhen and the others that their master had ordered them to take only the cattle, sheep, and horses and to deliver the horses to the Helan Mountains’ Stone Mouth Mountain area for the Ying Zhao clan but to leave several hundred quality horses to return to the military.

As for these Tujue people, whether they were taken back or left behind didn’t matter.

He just didn’t understand why he had to remind everyone loudly now.

But he still nodded at Zhang San and then ordered all the Tujue people to be released.

These Tujue people naturally did not understand what had happened.

They were simply being exploited by their chieftain day after day.

Dreaming that one day, the God of Mysterious Strategy would descend, kill their leader, and bring them a wise ruler who could spare them from exploitation and allow them to live a little better.

But they never imagined that today, the God of Mysterious Strategy had sent a Black Dragon Evil God to kill their wicked leader.

Following that, the third prince, renowned for treating his people well, arrived here to help them chase away the Black Dragon Evil God.

Even just a conversation from a distance had forced the Black Dragon Evil God to let them go.

The third prince must be the wise ruler bestowed upon us by the God of Mysterious Strategy.

Thus, tens of thousands of Tujue people walked towards the direction where the third prince Xing Luohou was located, and then they knelt on the ground, bowing continuously.

Xing Luohou originally did not want to bother with Zhang San.

But seeing that Zhang San actually kept his word and released the Tujue people.

Moreover, these people were knocking their heads in gratitude to Zhang San.

Clearly, they also admired such an enemy in their hearts.

If that were the case, it seemed there was no problem in making friends with Zhang San.

Especially if Zhang San became his friend, could he, based on their friendship, ask Zhang San not to continue raiding the Tujue anymore?

Thinking this, Xing Luohou smiled at Zhang San and said, "Since you, Zhang San, are so open and aboveboard, I, Xing Luohou, am naturally not a petty person. I invite you to drink in my tent, would you like to join?"

Zhang San naturally knew that if he followed, he might have a smooth journey, but he might also be detained or even killed by the other party.

"Alright then! Let’s go together! By the way, about these more than ten thousand people, should they follow along too?"

At this moment, Xing Luohou noticed that Zhang San’s men had already driven tens of thousands of cattle and sheep away from here, heading south.

He knew it was not easy for Zhang San to agree to keep these Tujue people.

To also make him leave the cattle, sheep, and horses would be too much.

And these Tujue people, having lost their livestock, would not be able to survive despite having grasslands, so they could only take them along, heading towards the direction of their tribe.

Along the way, Zhang San and Xing Luohou exchanged Archery Techniques.

Xing Luohou discovered that Zhang San was someone who did not hide any tricks at all.

Truly open and aboveboard!

And Zhang San also found that although Xing Luohou was smarter than Dashi Bian, he was only better at distinguishing right from wrong compared with Dashi Bian, not truly very smart.

Therefore, Zhang San continued the conversation, following topics of interest to the other party.

To the tens of thousands of Tujue people following behind, Zhang San seemed to have a good relationship with the third prince.

Little did they know, everything was within Zhang San’s calculations.

Soon, Zhang San arrived at Xing Luohou’s tribe.

There were indeed forty to fifty thousand Tujue people in Xing Luohou’s tribe.

This could be said to be the largest Tujue tribe Zhang San had ever seen.

Zhang San curiously asked, "Xing Luohou, how come there are so many people in your tribe? Do they all depend on you for livelihood?"

"Tujue people have always relied on their own hardworking hands!" Xing Luohou said proudly.

He even wanted to add that he had recently taken in some refugees, and then take the opportunity to mention Zhang San’s frequent raids on the Tujue, hoping to make Zhang San feel a twinge of guilt.

But he never expected that as soon as he finished speaking, he saw a disheveled Tujue woman walking towards them, stretching out her hands pleadingly and saying, "Please, can you give me something to eat?"

Zhang San looked and indeed saw the hardworking hands.

Xing Luohou felt a bit embarrassed and made a gesture to his subordinate.

The subordinate immediately took out some beef jerky and other food from his bosom and handed it over to the woman.

The Tujue woman thanked him profusely and then pointed to a tent that seemed to be somewhat drafty not far away.

"Thank you, I live over there. When the children fall asleep at night, you can come over."

The guard waved his hands repeatedly and said, "That’s not allowed! Our prince certainly does not permit us to do such things."

Zhang San didn’t expect that this Xing Luohou was not only better at distinguishing right from wrong than Dashi Bian but also had such strict demands on his subordinates.

It seemed that if one day the Khan of the Tujue, Muzhen, was no more, he would have to find a way to support Dashi Bian in coming to power.

He couldn’t let Xing Luohou become Khan.

If such a person became Khan, the entire Tujue would have strict military discipline, making them even tougher to deal with.

While Zhang San was lost in thought, Xing Luohou pulled on Zhang San’s arm and said, "Oh, I just had a son recently, would you like to come and see him?"

Zhang San was not very interested in seeing him, after all, it was just a son, what was there to see, not a daughter.

Even if it were a daughter, born a few days ago, could she grow to resemble a seven or eight-year-old girl in three days?

"Sure! I’m also curious what your son looks like."

"You might not believe it if I told you, but my son grew to about eight years old just three days after he was born!"

Zhang San: ???