"King Zuo Xian, this is a good omen, a sign of fortune."An old man walked over as he spoke. He was dressed in garments made from animal hides, adorned with all sorts of strange ornaments—beast fangs, hardened bones from wild creatures—each exuding a primitive, savage aura. In his hand was a bone staff, clearly ancient, carved with mysterious totems.
He looked exactly like an ancient shaman, invoking a natural sense of fear and reverence.
"Shaman, what brings you out here?" Liu Bao asked with respect upon seeing the old man.
This was the shaman of the tribe, a figure of immense importance. He was the tribe's spiritual symbol, overseeing rituals, wielding mystic arts, medicine, and—according to legend—could even foretell the future and guide the tribe's destiny.
Among the nomadic peoples, the shaman held a supreme position.
The shaman's name was Uma.
"A phoenix soaring across the sky—how could I remain still in the face of such an event?"Shaman Uma raised his eyes toward the direction where the colorful lights had disappeared. "King Zuo Xian, the phoenix does not descend where there is no treasure. Conversely, wherever it lands, there is surely a great treasure. The place where it landed just now must hold something immensely valuable. If obtained, it could be of great help in establishing the Great Xiongnu Empire."
"This world is truly wondrous. Even divine birds like the phoenix appear. Perhaps one day we too can ascend to immortality and become ancestors. As long as we persist in cultivation, eternal life may not be out of reach."A glint flashed through Liu Bao's eyes as he looked in the direction the phoenix had landed, his face revealing a strong desire to possess. He stretched out his hand, clutching at the air."No matter what treasure it is—it will be mine."
A fierce light gleamed across his face, like a wild beast stalking its prey.
"King Zuo Xian, you are favored by fortune. As long as you live, you are destined for greatness. But this world is far too dangerous—you must grow stronger, faster. This is a world where cultivation is possible," Uma said, a strange gleam in his eyes. In times of chaos, someone as ruthless and cunning as Liu Bao was exactly the kind of person who could survive and rise.
"Don't worry, Shaman. My cultivation technique allows me to use Han women as cauldrons. These days, my power has surged—my progress is like a thousand miles in a single day. I've already reached the Second Level of the Divine Sea Realm. As long as I have a constant supply of women as furnaces, I can grow stronger at lightning speed. I need more women."A savage look spread across Liu Bao's face.
"Bring two more women to my tent," he commanded with a wave of his hand, striding off toward his tent.
Moments later, several soldiers entered the area where the women and children were held and dragged away two young women.
"No! I don't want to die!"
"Let me go! Someone help me! Help!" The two women screamed in panic, their faces pale, their eyes filled with fear and despair.
They had seen what happened to women taken into Liu Bao's tent—every one of them came out as a dried corpse, devoid of flesh or blood, resembling nothing more than withered husks of skin wrapped around bones. The horrifying sight had repeated itself again and again.Everyone knew: entering that tent meant certain death.
And always the same kind of death.
It was just like the legends—monsters sucking out the essence of human life.
It was not just death—but a cruel, miserable end.What woman wouldn't be terrified? Some despaired enough to consider suicide, though hope still lingered—perhaps someone would rescue them, or maybe they wouldn't be chosen.The instinct to survive burned deeply.
But now, even that faint hope was shattered.
Dragged away, they had no chance even to die on their own terms.
Moments later, the two women were thrown into the tent. Soon after, screams and heavy panting came from within.
The faces of the women outside turned more desperate. Their bodies trembled.
"If I must die, I will go with my purity intact."A young noblewoman among them suddenly stood up and shouted. She charged headfirst into a sharp rock. Blood splattered as her skull cracked open. Her body grew cold as she collapsed.
Her blood shone with a tragic brilliance.
She had chosen to die on her own terms, with defiant spirit.
Her action shocked the other women deeply.
"Suicide? Hmph. Wash her clean and boil her—she'll make good military rations."A soldier sneered and dragged away her corpse.
Terror gripped the hearts of the captives. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.Nearby, young men were being whipped as slaves, forced to do heavy labor.
Among them, one young man stood out. His simple clothing had been torn to shreds by the whips, but his strong physique gave him an air of resilience. It was a quality found in many of the Han—diligence, endurance, and a fierce will to survive.
A spark of resistance and defiance shone in his eyes.
While carrying stones, he quietly moved closer to another man who looked lean and capable.
The Xiongnu soldiers didn't pay much attention to the Han captives. Though they whipped them for amusement, they didn't expect any rebellion.To them, these people were sheep. When they ceased being useful, they would be slaughtered and eaten as rations.
There weren't even many guards watching.
In this army camp, no one believed these slaves could stir up any trouble.
Besides, most of the Xiongnu couldn't understand the Han language. They didn't communicate with the captives—and didn't care to.
"Guang, we're in the hands of these barbarians. Every day we're treated like beasts, eating worse than dogs. If this goes on, we'll all die—only to become military food afterward. No matter how we look at it, it's death either way.Instead of dying as cattle, why not go out in a blaze of glory?"The young man whispered to the lean one beside him.
Their voices were low, and they kept a natural distance. The Xiongnu couldn't understand and didn't notice anything.
"Sheng, do you have a plan? There are too many of them, and they have horses. If we run, they'll catch us easily."Guang whispered back.
"I've thought this through. There are many Han people here—some are former soldiers, some are heroes from the mountains. If we organize together and launch a surprise revolt, we might break out of the camp. There's a dense forest nearby. Once we enter, they'll never find us.Then, if we band together, we could build something of our own," Sheng said grimly.
"Let's contact others. I know someone who still has some knockout powder hidden. If we can get it into the food or water, even if it doesn't knock them all out, it might make them drowsy. That will be our chance."
"You find the others. I'll study the terrain."
"Don't worry. Many people here are fed up with the situation."
The two exchanged a few more words, then parted naturally—like nothing had happened. Even the nearby guards didn't notice. It looked like a casual exchange of laborers.
But one pair of bright eyes among the women saw everything.
The girl was dressed in rags, filthy and unkempt, blending in easily—but her eyes were sharp and alert, silently observing.The exchange between the two men did not escape her notice. Her expression shifted—shock, excitement, hope. Then her gaze dimmed again, and she vanished back into the crowd, inconspicuous as before.
"Alright, this is Xuanhuang Village, established by yours truly. I believe the hot soup is ready—enough to welcome everyone and wash away the dust of travel," Yi Tianxing said with a smile to Yang Ye and the gathered people, pulling his gaze away from where the phoenix had vanished.
"A phoenix in the sky, just as we arrive... a true auspicious sign," said Yang Yanping with a quick smile.
"Indeed."
Even Yang Ye nodded in agreement.In ancient belief, auspicious signs held great meaning. Even false omens were often taken as truth—let alone one so visible and direct.
He looked at Yi Tianxing and silently thought:Could it be that this man truly possesses great fortune? That he is destined to accomplish something magnificent? A phoenix descending upon the valley... could this be fate at work?
He studied Yi Tianxing with newfound respect.
The timing of it all—was far too perfect.
Not just him—the surrounding people all looked at Yi Tianxing differently.Why had the phoenix appeared exactly when they arrived at the village?
How could they not wonder?
Creak!At that moment, the village gates opened.
Wang Dahu arrived swiftly with a squad of soldiers. Though on foot, their speed stunned Yang Ye and Yang Yanping.