Chapter 7: The Great Tang's Anxi Iron Army

　　Xiao Fan: (⊙_⊙) !!

　　Xiao Fan was somewhat puzzled. He looked at the little people in the box, and their expressions were much more relaxed, devoid of the previous tension and fear.

　　Looking again at the cavalry to the west, there were about a dozen riders scattered, and the lead figure was wearing bright armor. This was Tang military armor, indicating that these little people were not Tibetan soldiers but members of the Anxi Army.

　　"The Lord of Heaven, it seems to be the Anxi Army," Yao Xi explained.

　　Xiao Fan: b(￣▽￣)d

　　Xiao Fan breathed a sigh of relief. If the Tibetan army had really arrived at this moment, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

　　As the sound of hoofbeats approached from afar, fifteen cavalrymen successively passed through the dilapidated city gates. The leading Tang military officer was named Lu Yang. They had just returned from patrol, but their morale was very low. With the fall of the North Court Protectorate, Tibetan was now threatening to engulf the Anxi Protectorate.

　　Shule Town was situated in a vital northwest pass, surrounded by continuous mountain ranges on both sides. To the north were the Tian Shan Mountains, while to the south were the Kunlun Mountains. With the Tarim River at its feet, it faced the vast Anxi Basin.

　　Adjacent to the west was the fallen North Court Protectorate. If Tibetan wanted to enter the Anxi Basin, Shule Town was their first obstacle.

　　This was why Lu Yang had intensified patrols.

　　However, the patrol's results were far from satisfactory. Tibetan was assembling a large army and would soon march towards Shule Town.

　　At this moment, the defensive soldiers in Shule numbered only fifteen, and Lu Yang had long sought reinforcements from Kucha. However, Shule had no defensible positions, with broken city walls incapable of resisting the Tibetan army.

　　Lu Yang had long made up his mind to defend Shule. He instructed the people of the Great Tang to retreat to Kucha, while he, as a soldier of the Great Tang, would absolutely not take a step back.

　　"The Captain is back!"

　　"The Anxi Army is back!"

　　The Great Tang's Anxi Army was the reliance of the Western Regions' Great Tang civilians. Seeing the return of the Anxi Army, the people of Shule Town were filled with joy.

　　Lu Yang entered the city as usual but felt something unusual. He had been stationed in Shule Town for 20 years. Before the Silk Road was cut off by Tibetan, this place was an important hub for mutual trade. The people were prosperous, and everyone's face was filled with happiness.

　　After the An Lushan Rebellion, the fortunes of the Great Tang gradually declined. Coupled with the loss of the Hexi region, Shule Town became increasingly dilapidated. Eight or nine out of ten residents were lost, and the happiness on the faces of the people became increasingly rare.

　　However, this return was different. The Shule refugees, who used to wear gloomy expressions, were now full of vitality, with rosy complexions and brimming with hope. Lu Yang couldn't help but feel strange. It had been a long time since he had seen such a peaceful atmosphere.

　　"Captain!" An elderly man approached Lu Yang, bowing slightly with his hands crossed in a gesture of respect.

　　Lu Yang dismounted, nodded in return, and then inquired about the doubts in his heart. "Gao Cunzheng, has something happened in Shule? Why... does it feel somewhat unusual?"

　　"Haha, Captain, this old man was just about to report to you. The heavenly god in Shule has manifested! Not only has it bestowed rain, but also... um... that braised lion head rice, allowing the villagers of Shule to enjoy a hearty meal..." Gao Cunzheng said, stepping aside and respectfully leading Lu Yang towards an open space where a young girl, namely Yao Xi, stood.

　　Lu Yang furrowed his brow, looking at Gao Cunzheng with suspicion.

　　Gao Cunzheng's face was filled with joy, and hope flickered in his sunken eye sockets. "...Yao Xi, no, it's the Saintess. She can communicate with the Lord of Heaven and is the envoy of the Lord of Heaven."

　　"Enough! Stop! Nonsense! Too absurd! How is this possible? What you're saying, especially that braised lion head rice, is unheard of! This is simply ridiculous!" Lu Yang finally couldn't contain himself and interrupted Gao Cunzheng. Three days' absence, and now Shule Town seemed to have fallen into the sway of a cult, bewildering the people's minds!

　　As for Yao Xi, Lu Yang knew this young girl. Her father had passed away early, and she and her mother relied on each other for survival. She was clearly an ordinary village girl—how could she possibly be a Saintess?

　　"Captain, this is true. The Lord of Heaven is watching right now..." Yao Xi heard the argument between Gao Cunzheng and Lu Yang and quickly stepped forward to explain.

　　At the same time, she looked up at the sky, fearing that Captain might disrespect the Lord of Heaven, angering the deity who was overlooking them.

　　Xiao Fan: (￣︿￣)

　　Xiao Fan was outside the ecological box, watching what was happening in the open space.

　　"Uh-oh, it seems like the Lord of Heaven is not pleased..." Yao Xi felt a bit panicked. She was worried that Captain's unintentional mistake might provoke the wrath of the Lord of Heaven, resulting in divine punishment.

　　Indeed, Xiao Fan was not very pleased, mainly because Lu Yang, without seeing the facts, was arrogantly denying others. Xiao Fan disliked such self-righteous people the most.

　　He turned his head and looked at the spray bottle by his side, thinking, "It's your turn again."

　　The nozzle of the water bottle was adjusted to gather, and Xiao Fan gently pressed the handle. The water bottle sprayed a mist.

　　Splash.

　　Under the clear sky, a sudden downpour occurred.

　　However, the heavy rain only fell on Lu Yang's head. Except for his area, there was almost no rain around.

　　"Huh?" Lu Yang, shocked as if a bucket of water had been poured on his head, looked around in bewilderment. He looked up at the sky. Clearly, there was not a single cloud. How could it suddenly rain heavily, and only on top of his head?

　　This strange sight attracted the attention of the surrounding little people. Except for the recently returned Anxi cavalry, who looked bewildered, other village residents and little people were cheering and bowing. The Lord of Heaven had once again performed a miracle.

　　"How is this possible?" But this did not include Captain Lu Yang.

　　The little person in the bright armor dodged left and right, and Xiao Fan moved the spray bottle outside to ensure that the mist sprayed precisely on the head of this little person.

　　The rain became heavier and heavier, flipping the little person in the bright armor to the ground. Continuing to pour down, it was enough to submerge Lu Yang.

　　Lu Yang had never seen such a heavy rain in Shule, and it was raining only on him!

　　"Oh, I believe! Glub glub! I believe. Lord of Heaven! Please accept my apology for your divine power!" The little person in the bright armor was already submerged in the water puddle, choking on several mouthfuls of water.

　　Now Lu Yang couldn't care less about his dignity. He crawled out of the water puddle and knelt down, the thud-thud sound of his head knocking on the ground audible even to Xiao Fan outside the ecological box. Only then did Xiao Fan stop spraying water.

　　Xiao Fan: (￣︶￣)

　　"The Lord of Heaven has accepted your apology," Yao Xi said to Lu Yang, noticing Xiao Fan's expression.

　　Hearing Yao Xi's words, Lu Yang dared to stop knocking his head. At this point, he was about to pass out from excessive bowing. If the Lord of Heaven didn't call a halt soon, he might get a concussion.

　　In no time, the strange downpour stopped, leaving only a ring of puddles around Lu Yang.

　　The Lord of Heaven once again displayed divine power, and the little people cheered and rejoiced, bowing repeatedly to Yao Xi.

　　More importantly, after witnessing this bizarre phenomenon, the cavalry of the Anxi army, who had been in a state of despair, now showed signs of joy. The protection of the Lord of Heaven was the most morale-boosting thing they could hope for.

　　Just as Xiao Fan was feeling satisfied, a dust storm rose again from the west.

　　This time, Xiao Fan could see clearly. A line of little people riding horses appeared at the edge of the ecological box. They were dressed in barbarian attire, shouting loudly. Some held flags with two characters written on them: Tibet.

　　Xiao Fan: Σ(°△°|||)

　　Xiao Fan overlooked the entire ecological box, and he could see much farther than the little people. When he saw the Tibetan flag, he immediately informed Yao Xi.

Upon hearing Xiao Fan's words, Yao Xi's face turned pale. "The Lord of Heaven says the Tibetan people are coming!"

　　The previously jubilant little people suddenly became nervous. Alarm bells rang, and little people clad in armor mounted their horses, preparing to face the enemy.

　　Other village residents also took action. Women and children sought refuge in thatched huts, while male little people grabbed farming tools as makeshift weapons, hiding behind mud walls that were not even half their height, with some areas showing gaps.

　　This time, the Tibetans had indeed arrived!

　　Xiao Fan: ((((;ﾟДﾟ)))))))