Finally, Lin Tian led the Qin cavalry back victorious.
When they returned with the heads of the Xiongnu, piling them high to form a Jingguan, the people of Yanmen Prefecture were shocked.
They climbed atop the Yanmen Pass one after another, gazing in astonishment at the scene outside.
"Hiss! Am I seeing things, are those Xiongnu corpses?"
"They must be! Besides the Xiongnu army, are there any other forces outside Yanmen Pass?"
"Just look at the style of their clothing, these are Xiongnu soldiers, and their bodies are all here!"
"This... this is too many. Weren't the Xiongnu cavalry said to be incredibly formidable? Why are there so many Xiongnu corpses!"
The Jingguan built by Lin Tian was truly colossal, its height even surpassing that of Yanmen Pass.
The corpses of two hundred thousand Xiongnu were no small feat.
That massive mountain of bodies delivered a profound shock.
If any Xiongnu cavalry were to approach Yanmen Pass again, they would surely be awestruck by this colossal Jingguan.
At this moment, the people of Yanmen Pass were indeed struck with awe by the immense Jingguan.
They had witnessed death before, but never on such a scale.
Especially since many had previously heard tales of the Xiongnu cavalry's might and worried about how they would cope if the Xiongnu broke through.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, not only had the Xiongnu failed to advance, but all of them had been annihilated by Lin Tian's army.
This left everyone utterly astounded.
While Lin Tian's army had repelled the Xiongnu, forcing them to retreat, that alone was enough to cause a stir.
However, the annihilation of two hundred thousand Xiongnu soldiers was a level of terror incomparable to merely driving them back.
Therefore, even upon seeing the corpses of the Xiongnu cavalry, many still struggled to believe it was real.
This disbelief persisted until they saw Li Mu.
"General Li Mu, are these... are these Xiongnu corpses?"
"Yes, these are the corpses of two hundred thousand Xiongnu troops! This battle has been a complete victory!!"
At these words, all the people of Yanmen Prefecture erupted in excitement.
While they might not fully trust the words of others, they placed absolute faith in Li Mu's pronouncements.
Seeing the two hundred thousand Xiongnu corpses before them, they finally understood that they had achieved a decisive victory.
All their previous worries vanished at that moment.
Not only had Yanmen Pass held, but the Xiongnu army had been utterly decimated.
No news could have made them feel more jubilant.
"Hahaha! I knew General Lin Tian and his men were formidable, otherwise General Li Mu wouldn't have followed him!!"
"Indeed! General Lin Tian is truly a maker of legends. With a single stroke, he eliminated the entire Xiongnu army. For us in Yanmen Prefecture, this is nothing short of salvation!"
"I declare, from this day forward, General Lin Tian is my ultimate hero. I will ensure my children learn from General Lin Tian and become great heroes like him, who slay the Xiongnu army!"
Lin Tian's decisive victory over the Xiongnu, and the annihilation of their cavalry, instantly earned him the profound admiration of the people of Yanmen Prefecture.
Many even resolved to have their children join the army when they grew up, to become powerful generals like Lin Tian.
Joy radiated from countless faces, impossible to conceal.
The great defeat of the Xiongnu army was a cause for celebration for every single one of them.
Yet, some, gazing at the two hundred thousand Xiongnu corpses outside Yanmen Pass, began to worry.
"We've killed so many Xiongnu; will they retaliate? What if they send another army?"
"What then? If they send another army, we'll simply drive them back again, ensuring they never return!"
"But, what if General Lin Tian and his army are not stationed in Yanmen Prefecture? Don't forget, General Lin Tian's army is here to conquer Yan, not to stay!"
At this statement, many fell silent.
Lin Tian's army was destined to campaign in Yan, meaning they could not remain in Yanmen Prefecture indefinitely.
This implied that if the Xiongnu army were to attack again, they might face a surprise assault.
If the Xiongnu army were to breach Yanmen Prefecture, it would spell utter devastation for the entire region.
Although many believed such a scenario unlikely, no one could guarantee that an enraged Xiongnu army wouldn't launch a surprise attack on Yanmen Prefecture once more.
Thus, the people of Yanmen Prefecture found themselves caught between joy and apprehension.
Their initial elation was now tinged with mixed feelings.
However, the very next day, astonishing news spread like wildfire, reaching their ears.
General Lin Tian was preparing provisions for an expedition to the Xiongnu territory.
This announcement stunned the people of Yanmen Prefecture.
"Is this true? Is General Lin Tian really planning an expedition against the Xiongnu?"
"Why would General Lin Tian do this? Do they know of our worries and intend to eliminate the Xiongnu threat entirely?"
"That can't be right. The Xiongnu are known for their ferocity. No matter how powerful General Lin Tian is, can he really deal with all of them?"
Speculation about Lin Tian's intentions ran rampant.
However, being ordinary civilians, many dared not even contemplate the potential outcomes.
While they hoped Lin Tian would lead his army to completely vanquish the Xiongnu, perhaps even to their extinction, they recognized the immense difficulty of such a task.
The might of the Xiongnu was well-known.
Embarking on a long-distance campaign to utterly defeat them seemed beyond anyone's capability.
Thus, they hesitated to voice such extreme speculations.
However, as Lin Tian prepared to depart, he did not conceal his objectives.
Instead, he declared loudly to the assembled populace:
"This expedition to the Xiongnu land is to completely eliminate their threat to us, to bring about their demise and the extinction of their race!"
"Only then will the Xiongnu cease to harm our people!"
"From the moment you became citizens of Qin, your lives have been under the protection of our Qin soldiers!"
"Therefore, I implore you to hold fast to Yanmen Prefecture while our army marches to the Xiongnu lands to annihilate their entire clan!!"
His words ignited fervor among all the people of Yanmen Prefecture.
Indeed, many among them expressed their willingness to join Lin Tian's army and see the Xiongnu annihilated.
Their resentment and desire for revenge against the Xiongnu had been building for a long time, and now, they hoped to participate in dispensing justice themselves.
However, Lin Tian declined their offer.
After selecting a few individuals familiar with the Xiongnu territories to accompany them, Lin Tian led his army directly towards the Xiongnu lands.
...