The whistling yellow sand lashed against the bodies of the bound Han men. The night was growing sultry and restless. Whether it was the sand stirring the people, or the people stirring the sand, the Han men who had huddled together slowly began to disperse. All around, the faint rustling of bodies shifting on the ground could be heard, and the air was thick with a restless tension. The soft sounds of grass ropes being untied grew more and more frequent.

Matthew Cooper nudged Samuel Harris with his shoulder and whispered, “A lot of people are going to die tonight.” Clearly, he had noticed the disturbance around them. Whether from excitement or worry, his voice trembled slightly.

Samuel Harris had been resting with his eyes closed. Hearing Matthew Cooper call him, he opened his eyes, sighed, and said nothing.

Matthew Cooper asked in confusion, “Why are you like this? If someone runs first, others will follow. The more people, the more chaos, and in chaos there’s a chance to survive. Isn’t this the best opportunity heaven has given us to escape?”

Samuel Harris still said nothing. He looked at the tense faces around him, then flexed his arms and snapped the grass rope binding him. He immediately helped Matthew Cooper out of his restraints, then nudged the young scholar David Clark lying beside them, signaling him to wake the others.

Samuel Harris had counted the number of Xiongnu night guards and observed that every twenty minutes or so, a Xiongnu patrol would pass by. He knew what Matthew Cooper said was true.

“Listen to me in a moment. Unless I say so, don’t move. Stay flat on the ground!”

Matthew Cooper was indeed very excited. He clenched his fists and nodded vigorously. When he saw Samuel Harris pull up his trouser leg and draw a dagger from his calf, he was momentarily stunned.

David Clark and the other five men showed various expressions. Of the five, two were expressionless, but the other four, including David Clark, were filled with fear.

The stifling calm lasted less than an hour before, at the far end of the Han prisoners’ camp, a sudden shout in Xiongnu language rang out. As soon as the voice faded, shrill screams of agony echoed repeatedly through the night sky.

As the screams died away, the entire camp fell silent for a moment. Then, as if the air itself had been stirred by the cries, the bound Han men erupted into chaos. They leapt to their feet, shouting and screaming like a flock of lost sheep, running in all directions. Some were knocked down and trampled in the confusion.

The Xiongnu horns began to sound from all around, and the Xiongnu barracks on the right side of the camp responded in kind. Yet, for the moment, no Xiongnu cavalry appeared. Instead, chaos broke out in the barracks, with women’s screams rising everywhere.

“Run! The Xiongnu won’t spare us, everyone run!” This was not someone else shouting, but Matthew Cooper, who suddenly lifted his head from the ground to fan the flames. He and the other six were lying flat beside the sheep pen. Samuel Harris stood beside them, and whenever someone tried to squeeze over, he blocked and tossed them away.

As more and more people tried to escape, the chaos turned into utter pandemonium. Samuel Harris could no longer hold back the surging crowd alone. “Matthew Cooper, George Baker, get up and help me!” He glanced outside and saw that in the northeast, where there should have been five Xiongnu soldiers, only two remained. One stood with a drawn sword and a fierce glare, while the other had nocked an arrow to his bow.

“I’m coming, brothers, don’t panic!” With a loud shout, Matthew Cooper sprang up from the ground and punched a man who had been pushed close. The man took the blow to his chest, let out a strangled cry, spat blood, and collapsed, showing just how strong Matthew Cooper was. Before Matthew Cooper could finish laughing, an arrow shot through the air and struck his left arm with a sickening thud, piercing the flesh. Matthew Cooper cried out in pain, toppled over, and was immediately swallowed by the crowd.

Samuel Harris turned just in time to see the Xiongnu soldier loosing the arrow. He had planned to wait for the chaos to grow before acting, but seeing the Xiongnu already attacking, he knew there was no point in waiting any longer. When he saw Matthew Cooper fall, unable to see clearly in the darkness where the arrow had struck, he thought Matthew Cooper was dead. In shock and fury, he let out a roar, turned, and kicked at the wooden fence, hoping to draw the attention of both the Xiongnu and the panicked crowd.

The stakes were not deeply set in the ground, and with Samuel Harris’s full strength, the entire row was uprooted and crashed outward. The chaotic crowd, seeing the fence collapse, rushed toward the opening, heedless of the Xiongnu soldiers glaring ahead.

Samuel Harris dodged the arrows shot by the Xiongnu. “George Baker, protect them and stay close to me…” The man called George Baker by Samuel Harris was not a Hu, but a true Han. He rarely spoke, but had a naturally sharp and capable air. In the chaos, Samuel Harris could only entrust him with protecting David Clark and the others.

Samuel Harris hurried over to the fallen Matthew Cooper. Only then did he see the arrow had struck his left arm, though his body was covered in footprints and he was groaning in pain. Relieved, Samuel Harris called, “Brother Dou…”

Matthew Cooper grimaced and cried out in pain as Samuel Harris helped him up. “Damn it… damn those Xiongnu! Damn the bastards who stepped on me!” He pointed at the arrow piercing his left arm. “Brother Lin, I’ve been hit by a Xiongnu arrow. I’m afraid I can’t escape. You take Little David and the others and get out of here, quick!”