Nalanda Monastery.
Guan Chang and his men looked at the subordinates of Hou Junji kneeling before them.
"Speak! Where are the things you snatched from Fang Family Manor hidden!?"
These men were already terrified by the sight of Hou Junji being flayed alive. He was their master, and they feared they would suffer the same brutal end.
"Gone, all gone!"
"When we crossed the Yangtze River, the boat capsized, and everything sank to the bottom of the river."
"It... it's in Yue Prefecture."
"Yes, yes, yes! Hou Junji, fearing pursuit, brought us all the way here to escape. Those things are at the bottom of the river. If you don't believe us, sirs, we can take you there, and then you can have the river workers investigate."
Upon hearing Guan Chang's questions, they vied to answer, afraid that if they spoke too slowly, they would be flayed alive.
"Leave one alive and kill the rest!"
"Bring the Xuanmiao master and disciples back to Tang!" Guan Chang instructed the others.
"Brother, why take them?"
"These four, traveling alone from the Great Tang to reach this place, signifies their extraordinary abilities. Bringing them back might prove useful to the Duke."
"Yes, Brother!"
Xuanmiao and his disciples were summoned by Zhao Long. Upon hearing that the Yan Yun cavalry wanted to take them back to the Great Tang, the four of them were instantly overcome with emotion, tears streaming down their faces.
"This place is filled with the stench of cow dung. Even these Indian monks add cow dung when they cook. The thought of it is disgusting, let alone eating it every day."
If it weren't for the Great Tang's anti-Buddhism campaign, Xuanmiao would have wanted to return the moment he obtained the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures. Now that Guan Chang promised them protection from the repercussions of the anti-Buddhism decree upon their return, there was no reason for them to refuse.
The group, which had started with eighteen riders, became twenty-four upon leaving Nalanda Monastery. The additional four were Xuanmiao and his disciples, along with a personal guard of Hou Junji and Xiao Dou Ya.
The group exited Nalanda Monastery, oriented themselves, and set off eastward.
With their objective achieved, the return journey was less tense, and the troop's pace was not hurried. After only two days, they heard the thunderous sound of hooves behind them.
"Halt the horses!"
Guan Chang reined in his warhorse and turned to look behind them with his telescope. To his surprise, a cavalry unit of about two to three thousand men was galloping towards them.
He glanced back at the road ahead, then casually pointed. "Change direction!" Unsure of the pursuers' intentions, he decided to evade them.
The troop changed direction and moved at full speed, but the cavalry behind them followed.
"Brother, it looks like they're chasing us," Bai Song shouted to Guan Chang after a quick look back.
The men stopped their horses again and used their telescopes to observe the pursuing cavalry. They were getting closer, much closer. Guan Chang suddenly noticed seven masked women within the pursuing force.
"Damn it, it's those seven women! Brothers, put on your armor!"
Initially, they had decided to avoid trouble and let the seven princesses go. Now, they were being pursued, and the cavalry's momentum clearly indicated they weren't here for a friendly farewell.
Xuanmiao and his disciples were left behind, along with Hou Junji's personal guard to watch them. Xiao Dou Ya was also left behind. The plate armor was removed from the horses, and after being fully armed, Guan Chang raised his great saber and pointed it at the opposing cavalry, shouting.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
The Yan Yun Eighteen Cavalry charged headlong towards the enemy cavalry. In mounted combat, they had never feared anyone!
Seeing the Yan Yun Cavalry's reaction, the masked princesses' lips curved slightly beneath their veils. They waved to the cavalry beside them and issued an order. The cavalry formation accelerated again.
The Yan Yun Eighteen Cavalry and the Indian cavalry met, colliding within moments.
"Hee-hawww~!"
"Clang~!"
The mournful cries of colliding warhorses and the clash of weapons instantly erupted from the battleground. The Indian cavalry's warhorses were nearly a foot shorter than the Yan Yun Cavalry's Ferghana horses and were also smaller in build. When they collided, they were instantly sent flying.
The Yan Yun Cavalry were seasoned veterans who had campaigned with Luo Yi, the elite of the elite. In this era, the large-scale cold weapon warfare of the Central Plains dynasties, involving tens or hundreds of thousands of men, was beyond the comprehension of barbarians.
The seven masked princesses, who were at the front of their formation, were shielded by soldiers and fell behind the main cavalry force when the two sides engaged. Seemingly anticipating victory, the princesses were chatting and laughing about something. However, gradually, they began to notice that the battle was not unfolding as they had expected.
Not only had the three thousand elite cavalry brought by their sisters failed to eliminate the dozen or so Tang men, but they had instead been broken through by the enemy's cavalry formation. Seeing the Yan Yun Cavalry, like a sharp arrow, piercing through the three thousand cavalry and heading straight for them, the seven sisters were instantly panicked.
"Sister, what do we do?"
"Let's go back to the royal city and ask Father King for another five thousand troops! This princess refuses to believe these Tang people are actually six-armed Vajra protectors!" the leading princess declared hatefully, watching the approaching Yan Yun Cavalry. She then turned her horse and fled towards the royal city, her six sisters and a squad of personal guards following closely.
"You little bastards! Where do you think you're going?!" Ignoring the Indian cavalry that had been broken behind them, Huang Sheng drew his long bow and loosed an arrow. The three-edged armor-piercing arrow directly lodged into the hindquarters of the warhorse of one of the princesses.
"Hee-hawww~!" The warhorse cried out in pain, rearing up, and the princess on its back was thrown off, landing heavily on the ground.
"Seventh sister!"
"Little sister!" The princesses cried out in alarm, and the personal guards rushed to help the fallen princess. In that brief moment, Guan Chang and the Yan Yun Cavalry had surrounded them. The Indian cavalry, whose formation had been broken, also caught up. The situation was like this: the seven princesses and their guards were surrounded by the Yan Yun Cavalry, and the Yan Yun Cavalry were themselves surrounded by the Indian cavalry.
Guan Chang, ignoring the Indian cavalry, pointed at the seven princesses and said to his men, "Take them down!"
"Yes, Brother!"