Episode 152

The tides of war flowed with a cold indifference.

The mighty Jin Empire, once considered the world’s greatest power, had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the nascent Mongol Empire. Not only had their capital, Yanjing, fallen, but the Liao River region was laid to waste. To make matters worse, the Khitan and the Southern Song had allied with Genghis Khan, leaving Jin isolated on the international stage.

Yet, the empire was vast, and its collapse was not immediate. Despite losing most of the northern territories beyond the Yellow River to the Mongols, the Jin Empire still held on. The Southern Song, sensing an opportunity, began to provoke Jin, further complicating the situation.

To any observer, it was clear that the balance of power had shifted.

Perhaps that was why the Emperor of the Steppes, Genghis Khan, was already turning his attention elsewhere.

“Mukhali, do you think I still need to be here?” Genghis Khan asked.

“It seems you’ve already made up your mind, my Khan,” Mukhali replied.

“Still, if you have something to say, I might reconsider. I’m not foolish enough to ignore the advice of a trusted aide.”

Despite his words, Mukhali understood his lord’s intentions perfectly. If he insisted that the Khan was still needed on the front lines, Genghis Khan would stay. He never ignored the counsel of his loyal followers. However, it would lower Mukhali’s standing in the Khan’s eyes—not because he contradicted the Khan, but because he failed to read the situation accurately.

Fortunately, Mukhali’s assessment aligned perfectly with Genghis Khan’s own.

“Jin has only the lands south of the Yellow River and the Kaifeng area left. If we wait a few years, their strength will inevitably wane. There’s no need for you to be tied down here, my Khan.”

“Exactly. There’s no point in rushing to devour a foe that will weaken over time.”

The Jin Empire was already depleting its limited resources in its conflict with the Southern Song. In the long run, it would be beneficial to let the Jin and Song exhaust each other further. Genghis Khan himself did not need to be present for this.

Mukhali knew exactly where Genghis Khan’s interests were shifting.

“Leave this to me. The seeds have been sown, and within a few years, results will follow. I promise to deliver this land to you within a decade. By then, you’ll return here in triumph.”

“You speak as if you know where I’m headed.”

“I’ve seen you reading letters from Jebe and Jelme every day. If I couldn’t guess your intentions from that, I wouldn’t deserve to be called your aide.”

After their victories over Jin, Mukhali sensed Genghis Khan’s interest waning. It wasn’t that he was neglecting the war; he simply found the opponent uninteresting. Many generals pursued only guaranteed victories, but Genghis Khan was not one of them. He thrived on challenges that seemed impossible and had a knack for turning them into victories. This was the allure that drew countless talents to him.

The unexplored lands to the west were a new frontier that piqued his curiosity and ambition.

“But are you sure about this? We owe a great deal to Khwarezm for unifying the steppes…”

“If they had stopped there, I would have treated them as benefactors. But they conveniently provided us with a reason for war. I’ve already ordered Jebe to deal with Khwarezm. It’s about time we heard back from him.”

Considering the distance from the western front, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jebe had already secured several victories against Khwarezm.

And indeed, a few hours later, the long-awaited news from the west arrived. Genghis Khan, with a satisfied smile, handed the letter to Mukhali.

“Look at this. Not only has Western Xia fallen, but even the great army of Khwarezm has bowed before us.”

“The Sultan and his heir were slain? That’s an unexpected outcome. If the Sultan wasn’t leading the charge, he could have easily escaped. I didn’t expect Khwarezm to fall so quickly.”

From their battles with Western Xia and Jin, they had learned that wars between nations weren’t resolved in a few skirmishes. It was fundamentally different from tribal conflicts.

“Like you said, Mukhali, it was unexpected. They mentioned investigating the situation further, which explains the delay in their report.”

As Genghis Khan predicted, Jebe soon sent a detailed account of the grand war involving Khwarezm and Europe. It was information that could be gleaned from interrogating a few prisoners, as it was widely known in the region.

Genghis Khan read the report repeatedly. Perhaps it was the newfound joy of reading, a skill he had recently acquired. But it seemed there was more to it than that. His eyes gleamed with a peculiar intensity as he read.

“Look at this, Mukhali. It seems there are some intriguing figures in the West.”

“Excuse me?”

Having conquered Western Xia, Jin, and now Khwarezm, who could possibly capture the interest of this giant?

Mukhali quickly scanned the report and found the answer. They had known Khwarezm was at war with Europe, which was why they hadn’t sent promised reinforcements to Western Xia. But they hadn’t investigated the opponent in detail. They had heard of a place with the strange name of “Crusaders,” but that was all.

“So, Khwarezm suffered a major defeat against these Crusaders and engaged in reckless battles to recover. That explains how they fell so quickly. No matter how skilled, luck is unbeatable. And if one possesses both skill and luck, there’s nothing more to say.”

“Exactly. And that applies to these Crusaders who defeated Khwarezm as well.”

“We should definitely keep an eye on them. The Khwarezm army Jebe faced must have been composed of remnants after their losses to the Crusaders. The Crusaders’ ability to swiftly defeat Khwarezm suggests they are formidable.”

“Indeed, and more importantly…”

Genghis Khan pointed to a specific part of the report that Mukhali had already noted.

“This Crusader leader, Marshall, is said to hear the voice of God. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“Surely it’s a hoax. We’ve seen plenty of charlatans claiming divine guidance.”

Genghis Khan himself had used shamans’ prophecies for propaganda before battles. The Mongols weren’t particularly religious, nor did they oppose other religions, as long as they didn’t reject Mongol Tengri worship.

Thus, both Genghis Khan and Mukhali viewed Marshall’s actions from a strategic perspective rather than a religious one.

“Subutai, Jelme’s brother, also showed great interest in this Marshall during his investigations.”

“Indeed, the report is unusually detailed about him. If Subutai, a talented general, also took note, it’s worth paying attention.”

“Yes, I believe we need to gather more in-depth information about this individual.”

Genghis Khan couldn’t tear his eyes away from the densely written account of Edward Marshall’s exploits.

“Is it that significant? There seem to be other noteworthy figures among the Crusaders, like this Richard…”

“We have our own great generals like Jelme and Jebe. But this Marshall is a type I’ve never encountered before, which intrigues me.”

“Really? We’ve seen many who use religion as a tool of war.”

“Read to the end, and you’ll understand.”

As Mukhali finished reading about Marshall, he understood why the Khan was so captivated by the name.

“Remarkable. If what’s written here is true, this man can truly read the will of heaven.”

“That’s one interpretation.”

“But that can’t be true.”

They had seen countless self-proclaimed prophets, and without exception, they were all frauds. This time was unlikely to be different. If heaven had chosen anyone, it would be the Khan of the Mongol Empire, not this Marshall.

“This man is likely a fraud. But not just any fraud—a brilliant one, with a mind beyond ordinary comprehension.”

“Oh? What makes you say that?”

“According to Subutai’s investigation, this man named Marshall gained absolute trust from Europe’s religious leaders by predicting the future. His predictions were remarkably specific, setting him apart from the usual charlatans.”

“Indeed, prophecies are typically vague and abstract. But if this Marshall offered precise predictions, it’s no wonder he was so trusted.”

In other words, Marshall must have possessed extraordinary insight and foresight to make such detailed prophecies.

A person capable of predictions so accurate they could only be seen as foretelling the future.

With that in mind, it’s easier to understand Marshall’s actions.

It made sense why Genghis Khan was so intrigued by him, even more so than by Richard, the fierce warrior known for single-handedly slaughtering hundreds. Marshall was a different kind of threat altogether.

Simply put, he was an adversary unlike any they had faced before.

While this might not concern Mukali, who remained here to deal with the Jin, if the Great Khan moved westward, a confrontation with this man seemed inevitable.

“It’s challenging. We lack enough information to draw a definitive conclusion, but it’s clear he’s a formidable strategist. Does the Great Khan intend to oppose him?”

“Well, I haven’t even made contact with these Crusaders yet. There’s no reason to rush into conflict, nor is there any apparent benefit.”

Logically, that made perfect sense.

Yet, when Mukali saw the curiosity in the Great Khan’s eyes, he felt a sense of destiny.

Two suns cannot share the same sky.

If these two were to meet, it would not be a scene of friendly camaraderie.

It would be a battlefield, thick with the scent of blood.