The Demon Lords

Chapter 526 37 Traps Within Traps_2

Zheng Fan shook his head and said, "There's no more time."

"So..."

Tufa Chengji didn't know what else to say. He had thought his suggestion would be taken seriously and appreciated. However, the attitudes of the City Commander and the Chief Strategist seemed very ambiguous, as if they didn't consider the matter important at all.

Could it be that they truly believed the Yan Army to be invincible?

At that moment, a clamor suddenly erupted outside, resembling the cries of beasts or birds.

Zheng Fan and the blind man glanced at each other and both smiled. They stood up and walked out of the military tent, with Tufa Chengji trailing behind them.

The military camp was set up on a flat area in a mountain hollow. From there, one could see the countless torches dotting the surrounding slopes. Combined with the continuous shouts, Heaven knew just how many wild people were lying in ambush.

The wild people were planning to attack the camp directly while the Yan Army was away and the defenses were presumably weaker. At this time, only the tribal soldiers of the Tufa Division and some barbarian soldiers were inside the camp, totaling just over a thousand men.

Tufa Chengji swallowed hard. He hadn't anticipated that the wild people would directly attack the military camp!

"My lord, judging by this display, adult wild people from at least three settlements must have come. Their numbers could exceed five thousand!"

This was a conservative estimate. The wild people were ferocious. Although their combat prowess and military training couldn't compare to the barbarians, in such harsh natural and living conditions, women were often just as capable as men. The youths and women of the tribes could wield blades and draw bows. If they truly mobilized everyone, their numbers could easily reach seven thousand.

Zheng Fan, however, remained very calm. He waved his hand, and Zuo Jiqian and Ding Hao, both clad in armor, approached.

"Greetings, My lord!"

"Greetings, Master!"

"Chieftain Tufa, your tribal soldiers will be under the command of these two. This camp is reasonably well-fortified; the wild people won't be able to break in so easily."

"Yes, Your Lordship! This subordinate obeys!"

Tufa Chengji hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and agreeing. He followed Zuo Jiqian and Ding Hao to organize the troops. Although he was still somewhat bewildered, he understood the principle that once you board a ship, you shouldn't readily jump back into the sea.

Zheng Fan then turned to the blind man and asked, "Tell me, should I have a chair brought over so I can lounge?"

The blind man added, "You'll also need a goose-feather fan."

Zheng Fan continued, "Right, and a pot of good tea. You can play the erhu beside me, and I'll hum a tune."

The blind man chimed in, "And when it's over, we must add the line: 'The young ones have defeated the enemy!'"

Zheng Fan's eyes lit up. "How refined."

"However, My lord, arrows have no eyes."

"Hmm, you're right."

"My lord is wise."

It was pitch black, and they were on the front line; this was no time for ostentatious displays.

AWOOOOOOOO!

A long howl pierced the air.

Immediately, echoing calls responded from all the surrounding slopes.

This had to be a military command. Instantly, the torches on the hillsides began to move rapidly downwards, bobbing and weaving.

"It's rather interesting," Zheng Fan mused. "There are quite a few wild people, and they seem to possess considerable strength even in this extreme environment. So why, for the past hundred years, have they consistently been treated by Jin State soldiers as mere fodder for racking up kills?"

Hearing this, the blind man chuckled and explained, "My lord, originally, the wild people were the true masters of the Three Jin lands. The Yu Clan, under the Xia emperor's decree to develop the Three Jin, forcibly expelled the wild people. They were driven into the Skybreak Mountain Range and even further north to the snowfields beyond.

"Though they are called 'wild people' now, they had, in fact, established a civilization in the distant past, but it was forcibly crushed by the Jin people.

"To ordinary folk, it might seem that successful people who stumble find it easier to stage a comeback. However, that's often not the case; it's usually much harder. Their mindset changes, and they can no longer be as grounded and down-to-earth as they were when they had nothing. The wild people are in a similar predicament. Each settlement has its own chieftain, each claiming some noble lineage, yet none are willing to submit to another. Thus, they have always remained a disunited rabble.

"Furthermore, although they are collectively referred to as 'wild people,' they are internally divided into dozens of distinct 'nations.' For the Jin people, subduing them is truly simple."

"So, there's all that to it. I had assumed it was merely due to their lack of armor and equipment."

"They're not too badly off in that regard. They do possess some armor and weaponry. After all, they are Mature Barbarians; they don't literally live like primitives, eating raw meat and drinking blood.

"However, in the current situation, for three settlements to mobilize all their able-bodied adults and create such a grand spectacle is already quite remarkable. These three Mature Barbarian settlements, through years of trade, have gradually shed their primitive tribal ways. They are now more akin to three city-lords who understand the importance of mutual support."

"Xiong Lie's persuasions must have played a significant role in this, wouldn't you say?"

"Naturally. That Xiong Lie is quite a character, and he has some brains.

"However, My lord, in my humble opinion, the wild people wouldn't dare to truly strike a killing blow against the Yan people. They are well aware that the Yan people are not to be trifled with. As for the three demands you previously made of them—Tufa Chengji could accept them because he had no other recourse, but the wild people's leaders are unwilling to do so.

"They probably intend to use this opportunity to hit us hard. Even if you were to be captured, My lord, they would likely treat you with courtesy, send gifts to repair relations, and seek to continue doing business with us."

"That's too rational an analysis. I still prefer things with a bit more passion."

"My lord speaks wisely. How can one allow others to sleep soundly by one's bedside? Dacheng State and Yan State are sleeping too soundly to be roused, but the wild people here shouldn't expect to sleep peacefully any longer."