Iron Powder and Spellcaster

fire.

A fire that burns to the edge of the sky.

With the help of the monsoon, the fire burned into a line and swept towards the east, spreading out of sight in the blink of an eye.

The beasts trapped in the fire fled like crazy, and the marmots and rats were driven by instinct to dig deeper.

Thick smoke billowed into the sky. The haze was carried by the westerly wind and flew to Tiefeng County, dozens of kilometers away.

Lieutenant Andrea Cellini spat at the black ash in his mouth, expressionlessly driving his horse on the scorched earth burned by the fire.

The air was hot and the smoke was choking. The horses snorted restlessly, and Andre's men were also coughing.

It didn't take too many people to set the fire. Andre divided his men into five teams and went to various parts of the no-man's land.

"The fire over there is small." Andre pointed to a hillside in the northeast: "Go and make up for it."

The two cavalrymen saluted and galloped away.

Fires are not uncommon on the grasslands. A lightning strike or negligence may cause the god of fire to fall.

However, for the Hittites, deliberately setting fires to draw the wrath of the gods was unprecedented and unheard of.

Unlike forest fires that burn into the sky, prairie fires burn so low that they look like a low wall from a distance.

The tall vegetation of the forest blocks the flow of wind, while the grassland is vast and vast, and strong winds can sweep across the land with raging fire.

Especially in windy weather, the fire spreads horribly fast.

The animals that fled in panic were either overtaken by the exploding fire, or fell down while running.

Andre's horse stepped on a stone, and the charred surface of the stone was rubbed away by the horse's hooves, revealing the dark red tender meat inside.

Andre stared at the "stone" and carefully identified it - it should be a small antelope. The poor little thing was born in spring and grew up in midsummer, and died in the sea of ​​​​fire before it could experience the first winter.

Gently pulling the reins around the body of the little antelope, Andre looked around. The once-bustling grassland had now been burned into a purgatory of death.

The earth was completely scorched, with only a few unburned dark red embers flickering on and off, like the breathing of a dying person.

The sound of horse hooves came from a distance, and a group of cavalry was galloping towards Andre.

"It's Sir A." The guard hurriedly reported to Andre.

Don Juan led the cavalry all the way to Andre.

"Let's go!" Lieutenant Juan said to his junior in a carefree manner: "The barbarians are already coming this way."

Andre held the reins, with no emotion on his face. After a long silence, he slowly said: "Not enough."

"Not enough?" Don Juan didn't know why: "What's not enough?"

"Not burned enough."

Don Juan was surprised at first, then laughed wildly, and finally looked up to the sky and laughed: "At least hundreds of thousands of hectares of grassland have been burned, isn't it enough? The grassland is so big, how can it be possible to burn it all? That's enough."

After finishing speaking, Don Juan called to the cavalry of Tiefeng County: "In front is the fire scene, and behind is the enemy. Let's go north, bypass the fire scene, and return to Tiefeng County via Wargne County."

"Yes!" the cavalry replied in unison.

Tiefeng County is in the upper reaches, and Warne County is in the lower reaches. The further downstream you go, the greater the volume of water in the [Bighorn River-Glory River] and the more difficult it is to cross.

So Winters arranged for the cavalry to focus on burning the pastures upstream - that is, on the border of Lower Tiefeng County and Middle Tiefeng County.

The cavalry squadron in Tiefeng County has limited manpower, and there is no time to take care of Tiefeng County and places further north.

"Let's go." Don Juan pulled Andre's sleeve: "You are still addicted to the fever."

"It's not burning enough." Andre's eyes were cold: "The fire is very good, but the wind is in the wrong direction."

"What do you mean?" Don Juan let go of his hand.

Andre pointed at the thick smoke on the fire ground with his horsewhip: "The summer wind faces west and the winter wind faces east. We are in the east and the Hud people are in the west. Burning like this will only burn the pasture and reach Tiefeng County. Can’t burn the Hurds.”

"Then what should we do?" Don Juan chuckled: "You can't ask the Lord to bless you and change the direction of the wind, right?"

"Senior."

"What's up?"

"If you want to burn the Huds, you have to go further west of the Huds." Andre's expression was very calm: "Give me all the horses of your cavalry."

"What do you want to do?" Don Juan said solemnly, "Are you fucking crazy?"

Andre didn't answer.

"To the west?" Don Juan pointed his hand and asked: "The barbarians are sweeping over like a net. There are Hurd Qingqi everywhere. How do you get there?"

Andre didn't answer.

"Even if we can break through that net, going west is still the territory of the barbarians." Don Juan grabbed Andre by the collar and asked aggressively: "There is no guide, the language is blocked, and there are enemies on all sides, how can you survive?

Andre still didn't answer.

"There is no rear, no support, not even a plan!" Don Juan shouted sternly: "What kind of bullshit war is this! One wrong move and the entire army will be annihilated! Reckless, stupid, and ignorant!"

Andre asked casually: "Then will you come with me?"

"Go," Don Juan replied with a bared smile.

…

Thick smoke from burning pastures spread dozens of kilometers away, and Shovel Harbor was shrouded in haze.

Potal, the mayor of Shovel Harbor, walked into the church coughing and complained loudly: "Damn it! What the hell is the weather like? Where did the fire start?"

Mr. Alpha was sitting on the seat in front of the altar, reading a notice with interest.

Upon hearing Portal's vulgar words, Mr. Alpha pointed to the holy symbol without raising his head: "Watch your words, Mr. Portal."

Mayor Potal hurriedly saluted.

"What are you looking at?" Mayor Portal asked with a flattering smile.

"This?" Mr. Alpha raised the notice on his hand: "Guide to Preparing the Lu, Gévaudin sent it this morning."

The heads of the Terdun people were sent to various villages and towns for publicity, along with the "Communication Announcement" and "Guide to Preparing Lu".

Because there are many heads in Shovel Port, there is no "head-passing", only announcements and guides.

In the temporary supplementary "Communication Announcement", the rebels enthusiastically promoted the victory of Shouzi Port to the villages and towns in Tiefeng County and even Linjun.

However, in the announcement, the author deliberately blurred the boundaries between "Shovel Harbor Government" and "Tiefeng County Government"... This is probably the benefit of having the right to speak.

"We fought desperately, but the rebels took credit for it." Portal cursed in a rough voice: "It's so damn hard to hold your breath!"

"It can't be considered as asking for credit. Didn't you also praise the people of Shoveling Hong Kong?" Mr. Alpha tapped the paper lightly: "This guide to preparing prisoners is somewhat interesting."

"Interesting?" Mayor Potal was a little confused.

Mr. Alpha took out several previous announcements and said with a smile: "Although I'm not sure who wrote it, the other person's ability to make up jingles is getting better and better."

Mayor Portal was even more confused.

"[Hide food and prepare guns; when barbarians come, don't panic]; [Hide with him, hide with him, that is, don't carry it with him]; [If there are few barbarians, surround him and kill him, but if there are many barbarians, avoid him]... ..." Mr. Alpha could hardly hide his smile: "Actually, it was the tactics of the 'Forest Beggar' during the Sovereignty War, made into a jingle."

"Oh." Portal replied half-understanding.

Portal knew about "forest beggar" and "tactics", but he didn't know these two words put together.

However, Portal understood the content of the guide as soon as he heard it. It was nothing more than warning farmers to hide their food and property, and the Hurd barbarians fled into the forest when they came.

"Distribute it." Mr. Alpha handed the guide to Portal: "Post it in every village."

"Send it? No interception?" Potal was shocked.

The announcement previously sent by Gévaudin stated that unless the cavalry was ordered to be sent to the villages and towns by themselves, Shovel Port would not be intercepted.

"There is no need to cut this guide." Alpha smiled faintly: "I can't write this thing."

…

The raging fire caused panic among the Turdun department.

When the fire just started, the people of Teltown, who were fifty kilometers away, discovered the clues - the terrain of the great wilderness was flat, and the thick smoke rising into the sky could not be hidden.

The people who warmed the fire hurriedly summoned the Kota to discuss matters in the big tent.

The Teldu tribe's marching method is like migration. Depending on the size of the herd under their command, each Kota occupies a width of several kilometers or even dozens of kilometers.

At this moment, the entire Terdun tribe is like a long snake lying on the grassland more than 200 kilometers long.

Therefore, there were only a few leaders who could rush to the big tent at the same time, most of them were blood relatives and direct descendants of the people who burned the fire.

"Vicious! What a vicious heart!" The fire-warmer's uncle yelled as soon as he entered the tent: "Aren't the two-legged people afraid of getting burned themselves?"

For the Hud people, arson is equivalent to cutting off the livelihood of all living beings, and it is a serious crime to be quartered on four horses.

The soil layer of the grassland is already thin. When fire burns and wind blows, the soil layer will become even thinner. The grass is burned out and cannot hold the soil, and what follows is the Yellow Disaster - a sandstorm.

The man warming the fire sat on the ground with a sullen face and said nothing.

"Tai Chi, what's the use of talking about this now?" The old interpreter reprimanded the fire-warmer's uncle: "Sit down first and let's talk it over."

Taichi, the fire-warmer's uncle, had a lot of respect for the old interpreter. Hearing this, he didn't say anything more, just found a seat and sat down angrily.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, the fire-warmer said with a livid face: "The people in the tent are either my blood relatives or my companions. You are all my whips, shadows and arrows. If you have anything to say, just say it. Don't hide it."

"What else is there to say?" Taichi yelled angrily: "The grassland has been burned to the ground, so what's the point of you and I walking slowly? Either retreat, go around, or rush over directly!"

The other leaders in the tent also murmured their approval.

The Hud people did not bring flour or gunpowder, and the physical strength of their horses was their most valuable war resource.

Compared with cattle and sheep, horses are particularly valuable. Without good food and drink, a horse can lose nearly 100 kilograms of fat in seven days, which is terrifyingly fast.

In order to save the fat of the war horses, the roasters carefully controlled the marching speed to ensure that the horses could walk and eat all the way.

The fire-warmers even ordered that the horses were not allowed to be milked - because milking would also cause the horses to lose fat.

Without mare's milk as a food source, the Tertun people had to drive thousands of ewes from their wintering pastures to follow the marauding bands. Marching with herds of sheep also slowed down Terdun's troops.

Ewes are also precious livestock, and they will inevitably lose their way and die along the way when traveling long distances. The fire-warmer took the sheep out and had no intention of taking them back.

Without thousands of ewes, the Terdun department will be short of tens of thousands of lambs in the next few years.

In other words, looting in late November is far more expensive than looting in mid-September.

The fire-warmers and even the Turdun tribe were taking a big gamble.

"Withdraw, bypass, and charge." The old interpreter said loudly: "Tai Chi is right, there are only three ways to go!"

The old interpreter changed the subject: "Let's talk about the detour first. Where will you and I go?"

"Go upstream or go downstream." Tai Chi replied without thinking: "Where else can we go?"

"I went to investigate in front." The old interpreter said in a deep voice: "The fire is burning very hard. If you go upstream, you will have to enter the mountain!"

"Then go downstream."

"Downstream is the route designated for other chiefs."

Tai Chi snorted: "Just say it directly, if you can't go around it, then it's okay?"

The "marching route" agreed upon by the roasters in advance is not only the route, but also the "plundering range".

It was axiomatic that it was easier to cross the river upstream than downstream, so the fire-warmers were somewhat selfish in allocating their marching routes.

Those who warmed the fire set the marching route of [Baowu'er] - that is, blood relatives and direct descendants - upstream;

The marching route of [Aheita] - those small leaders who were originally independent and were forced or voluntarily attached to the Teldu tribe - was set downstream.

The Platuan people set fire to the pastures upstream, just in the path of the fire-warmer and his cronies.

"There is no way to take a detour." The old interpreter objected bluntly: "I don't know how long this fire will burn. Once we take a detour, we will have to go hundreds of kilometers away. Not to mention delaying time, what will the Aheitas think?"

"Hey!" Taichi punched his thigh hard, spitting all the way to the other side of the tent, and he yelled: "How did the two-legged people know about your and my movements? What kind of crow can't eat it?" Leak? Find this rotten traitor! Shoot him to death with thousands of arrows!"

The fire-warmer clenched his fists, and everyone in the tent shuddered.

"We'll talk about these things later." Upon seeing this, the old interpreter immediately said something to calm the atmosphere: "In short, the rebels in the new land have learned that you and I are going to rob. No matter how they learned about it, they just knew it.

You and I are like wolves lying in ambush in the grass, and we are discovered before we get close to the antelope. The antelope is about to run away, and the wolf has only two choices: either save his energy and watch the antelope escape; or he can catch up and give it a try. Let's discuss how to choose. "

The fire-warmer's face was livid, and the others--whether they were his cousins ​​or close associates--didn't dare to speak at all.

In the end, it was Taichi, the uncle of the fire-warmer who helped the fire-warmer sit on the "sweat position" with one hand, who spoke first.

Tai Chi looked at his nephew and said mercilessly: "That's enough, fire-warmer. You and I, the Two-Leggs in the east, know that you and I are going, and the Two-Legs in other places must also know. We were spotted by the antelope from a distance. If there is a wolf, you should no longer waste your efforts chasing it.

The losses for you and me are not too great, just a few horses and a few sheep were killed. It is not too late to return to the winter pasture. If the Aheitas want to go, let them go, and you and I can just go back! "

The other Kota in the tent made noises of agreement.

The Firewarmers may need a raid to reestablish their prestige, but the other Kota do not.

Compared with the illusory trophies, the Kotas care more about their horses that have been exhausted and their sheep that have been eaten - even if they are the blood relatives of those who roast the fire.

The fire-warmer lowered his eyes and stared at his fist without saying a word.

"Fire-warmer, what do you mean by not speaking?" Tai Chi couldn't hold back his violent temper and shouted: "If you don't speak, then the decision will be settled by tossing beans!"

The atmosphere in the big tent suddenly cooled down.

The fire-warmer raised his head and said coldly: "Whoever wants to settle the matter by tossing beans, stand up."

Of course, no one dared to stand up, even Taichi continued to sit.

"The bean-throwing agreement has already been made once, there is no need for a second time. I have made up my mind and walked through the scorched earth and went straight to the territory of the two-legged people." The fire-warming man drew an arrow, raised it above his head, and fired hard Broken: "Who dares to destroy the morale of the army again with such an arrow!"

Taichi snorted angrily and turned his head to stop looking at the fire-warmer, but he didn't say much.

Others in the tent lowered their heads in submission.

"Zhu Keta, don't worry." The old interpreter said with a smile: "The rebels only burned a few dozen kilometers of grassland. You and I can walk across it in a few steps. Once we cross the river and reach the rebel territory, there will naturally be plenty of food and drink." . Can the rebels burn uninhabited grassland, or their own land?"

These words made other people in the big tent feel a little relieved. All the Baowuer cheered up and all pressed their left chests in approval.

At the same time, the No. 1 Army Village in Forge Township, Tiefeng County.

Peter Bunier, nicknamed "El Chapo", was held down by four or five soldiers. He cried hysterically: "That's my house, don't burn it! Ah! Don't burn it! Please! Have mercy! Ah... "

First Company Commander Tamas looked at the hayloft in front of him, gritted his teeth and ordered: "Burn! There will be an order from the resolution to burn them all!"

Peter the Short's cries were so shrill that no one had the heart to do anything.

Tamas grabbed a torch and lit Peter the Short's dilapidated wooden house with his own hands.

The flames spiraled up from the walls to the roof, and eventually engulfed the entire wooden house. Shorty Peter's wailing no longer sounded like a human voice.

"Let's go." Tamas held up the torch: "Go and burn my house!"

[Caught up...]

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