Chapter 175

On the vast grasslands, the first light of dawn began to break, tinting the horizon with a pale blue. The warriors of the various Xiongnu tribes, clad in leather armor, swords at their waists, and mounted on swift horses, were gathering from all directions. The number of those assembled reached an astonishing thirty thousand. The sound of hoofbeats thundered like rolling drums, kicking up clouds of dust, while the tips of the grass trembled in the wind. The banners of different tribes snapped in the breeze, embroidered with ferocious wolf heads, soaring eagles, and other such totems. Their leader, however, was a beautiful woman. She stood on a hillside holding a long spear, her gaze sharp as a torch, sweeping across the troops preparing to set out.