The Demon Lords

Chapter 560 64 Scar_1

There were nomads on the snow plains, and for a long time, they had been one of the most important sources of warhorses for the Three Jin Knights.

Before the two Lords from Yan entered Jin State, the Jin people had always believed their cavalry could contend with the Iron Cavalry of Yan. A significant reason for this was that Jin State was never short of horses.

In earlier years, they acquired horses through warfare. Later, as Yan subdued the barbarians and the "Silk Road" between east and west opened, more people became willing to trade peacefully.

Many Mature Barbarian settlements in the Skybreak Mountain range, besides selling demonic beasts—referred to as "pets"—from within the mountains, also engaged in the secondary trade of warhorses.

The wild people's king faced by the Situ Family initially rose to power through trade conducted via the Skybreak Mountain range. His weapons and armor were all acquired through trade with Jin land. Craftsmen, physicians, and scholars were all targets of his recruitment.

Furthermore, this king had once lived in Beifeng Prefecture of Yan State. According to investigations by the Spy Bureau, he might have worked as a servant in a Lord's mansion and as an auxiliary soldier in the Earl of North Border's army for six years.

Auxiliary soldiers were a type of soldier positioned between laborers and regular troops. When not at war, they performed some of the tasks typically done by laborers. But during wartime, they had to be ready to fight on the front lines at any moment.

Zheng Fan, who had stayed in Beifeng Prefecture for half a year, understood the local customs well. It was no exaggeration to call it a melting pot of different races, with various ethnic groups living in complex proximity. It was quite normal for a barbarian to work under the Earl of North Border.

"Was he here to steal our techniques?" Zheng Fan asked in surprise.

"We're not sure if it's true, but it's a strong possibility. Moreover, there are indications he also went to the Qian State. However, he didn't stay there long before returning to Jin State with a merchant caravan."

"It would have been better if he'd stayed in the Qian State longer," Zheng Fan bantered.

No matter how heroic one might be, staying in the Qian State for too long would turn anyone as pliable as a willow branch.

However, what surprised Zheng Fan was that Yan State's Spy Bureau was willing to expend such substantial effort to track this wild people's king's past.

As Yao Zizhan once said, the six adult princes of Yan State were always under the watchful eyes of the Silver Armored Guard. The people of Qian State had been studying the Yan princes' personalities, tempers, and even... their capabilities.

This signified their importance. And now, the Yan State royal court was clearly assigning great importance to this wild people's king.

"The Situ Family's current situation is not good."

"Were they defeated?" Zheng Fan asked in surprise.

The wild people in the Skybreak Mountain range were so easy to defeat it was like slicing melons and chopping vegetables. Even Liang Cheng had probably summarized a strategy guide for attacking their settlements.

The wild people on the snow plains should be somewhat stronger than those in the mountains, but not to an absurd degree.

Zheng Fan carved a large piece of meat from the roasted leg of lamb before him and handed it to Lord Jingnan.

They were currently in a nomad's tent, having bought a "barbecue" meal from the herders with silver.

These herders likely belonged to a nearby wild people's tribe, migrating with their livestock to the outer regions for spring grazing.

"When our army annihilated the Wenren Family and Helian Family, Situ Lei, the Emperor of Cheng State, didn't deliberately lead his main forces to the northeast because he dared not fight. Rather, the border defenses in that direction were in dire straits.

The Situ Family's defense force there had suffered from raids by the wild people. The main general led his troops to counterattack but fell into an ambush, and the entire army was wiped out. The wild people seized the opportunity to advance south, successively capturing three of the Situ Family's cities on the snow plains.

Even when Situ Lei personally led his army there, he quickly launched a war to retake those three cities. Perhaps, having just ascended the throne, he was particularly desperate for a major victory."

"They lost?" Zheng Fan asked curiously.

Lord Jingnan nodded and said,

"They lost. Situ Lei himself was injured, the Situ Family's forces suffered heavy losses, and their remaining troops retreated to defend the Snow Sea Pass."

Zheng Fan knew of the Snow Sea Pass. Blind Man had mentioned it before. The Snow Sea Pass was built long ago by early Jin State pioneers after they drove out the wild people. In the far northeast of Jin State, where the Skybreak Mountain range no longer extended, there was a vast open area. Unlike other parts of Jin State, they couldn't rely on the Skybreak Mountain range to separate the Jin people from the snow plains, so this pass was constructed.

However, over hundreds of years of outward expansion by the Jin people, the Snow Sea Pass had long ceased to be the effective limit of their control. The Jin people's sphere of influence had already extended far beyond the Snow Sea Pass, encompassing a large swathe of the snow plains.

Therefore, the Situ Family's successive major defeats were tantamount to relinquishing the territories their Jin State ancestors had developed over centuries.

And if the Snow Sea Pass were to be breached, the wild people's army could spread out like locusts finding an opening, directly flooding into the lands beyond.

Seemingly noticing Zheng Fan's expression turn serious, Tian Wujing took a bite of mutton, chewed, and said,

"The wild people aren't that strong; the Situ Family was simply careless."

Zheng Fan nodded. He trusted Tian Wujing's judgment, just as he trusted Liang Cheng's.

"No matter what, the wild people can never compare to the barbarians," Tian Wujing said.

Even if the barbarians were now like a plucked phoenix, inferior to a chicken, it was only because their Royal Court had declined and they couldn't unite. Their inherent combat strength was still formidable. Zheng Fan had many barbarian soldiers in his own troops, and they were very effective.

In contrast, Zheng Fan had not yet incorporated wild people into his military ranks. He only used them as laborers, or at best, as auxiliary soldiers if he conscripted the wild people who had submitted to him for battle.

"However, the most difficult thing for the Situ Family now isn't the heavy losses from the previous two defeats. While substantial, those losses haven't truly shaken the Situ Family's foundations. Rather, it's the loss of cities that has allowed the wild people to acquire more armor, weaponry, and a supply of craftsmen and population, boosting their strength and morale to a peak.

The Situ Family's main army is currently pinned down at the Snow Sea Pass line. Their several tentative attempts to push outward have all been repelled."

"So, what we need to do is dispatch a surprise contingent north from Shengle City, cross the Skybreak Mountain range, enter the snow plains, then race eastward to attack the wild people's rear, thereby alleviating the pressure on the Situ Family's front line?"

Lord Jingnan shook his head.

"Please enlighten me, Your Lordship. This subordinate is slow-witted."

Tian Wujing tilted his head back slightly and said slowly,

"Not a surprise contingent, nor to alleviate the Situ Family's frontal pressure."

"Then what is it?"

"To crush them."

Zheng Fan was speechless.

Zheng Fan suddenly felt like an extra in a comic book, drawn casually for plot convenience. His sole purpose was to converse with Tian Wujing, leading up to Tian Wujing's grand, showboating statement.

Alright then, you're not just a good fighter yourself, you're even better at leading troops. You say you'll obliterate them, so obliterate them you will. You're the boss. *Clap, clap.*

Just then, a series of footsteps echoed from outside the tent.

This herding family consisted of only an elderly couple and their adult son, who was not yet married. Judging by the heavy tread of the approaching footsteps, it was clearly several adult men.

Tian Wujing tossed the sheep bone he was holding onto the ground, pulled out a woolen blanket, and wiped his hands as he said,

"It seems your earlier remark about their hospitality doesn't hold true."

"My Lord, I was merely reminding you. I was using a rhetorical question, implying the opposite."

At the time, Zheng Fan's suggestion had been to simply kill the entire herder family; it would be the most straightforward solution.

After all, their attire was far too conspicuous. Coupled with the fact that the trade routes hadn't yet recovered from the Yan and Jin war earlier in the year, their appearance here was indeed overly suspicious.

The tent flap was lifted, and three adult men walked in. The herder couple's adult son remained outside, peering in.

One of the men who entered wore leather armor, while the other two were clad only in robes.

The man in armor had a scar across his left cheek, which looked like a new wound.

"DGWELIYA!!!" the armored man bellowed, pointing his blade at Zheng Fan and Tian Wujing.

Zheng Fan responded to the armored man, "WAKASIVAKUDUEMIMAS!"

The armored man was taken aback.

Tian Wujing looked at Zheng Fan with interest and asked, "You speak the wild people's language?"

Zheng Fan said modestly, "He was asking if we're spies."

"Oh," Tian Wujing nodded. "Chief Zheng is truly knowledgeable."

Just as Zheng Fan was about to offer a few more modest remarks, Tian Wujing turned his gaze to the armored man and spoke a string of words that Zheng Fan didn't understand.

Upon hearing him, the expressions of the armored man and the other wild people instantly changed. Clearly, they understood!

So damn awkward! Zheng Fan was left speechless.

Tian Wujing continued, "The wild people in the Skybreak Mountain range are diverse, with various dialects. However, the wild people of the snow plains use a very ancient language. It has been prevalent in the Three Jin lands since the time the Xia Emperor dispatched the Yu clan to develop the region. It's a form of archaic speech."

"My Lord, you are the truly knowledgeable one. This subordinate... this subordinate is deeply impressed, truly impressed."

"Your interpretation was good. The meaning was correct."

"Pure luck, pure luck..."

At that moment, the armored man and the other two wild people raised their weapons and charged.

In the next instant, Zheng Fan drew his saber, his vital energy flaring, and slashed directly at the armored man.

However, at the same time, a powerful shockwave erupted. Before Zheng Fan's saber could even land, the three wild people, along with the tent they were all in, were sent flying backward.

Chief Zheng's saber met only empty air.

The wild people, along with the herder family, were all thrown heavily to the ground, clutching their chests in apparent agony.

"Finish them," Tian Wujing said.

"Yes, My Lord."

Zheng Fan walked over and, one by one, as if chopping firewood, dispatched all the severely injured wild people. He left no one alive.

Tian Wujing slowly approached and, pointing at the armored man's corpse, said,

"He was one of the wild people's king's men, or perhaps, a follower. That wild people's king's influence has actually spread to this region."

"Is it because of the scar on his face?"

"Yes. Because the wild people's king also has a scar in this exact spot on his face. His followers consider it a symbol of valor and have all followed suit, imitating it."

"I see."

"You've met the Earl of North Border's daughter, the Commandery Princess, haven't you?"

"This subordinate has met her."

"And what did you think of her?"

"Dignified and elegant, a lady of noble birth, truly beyond reproach."

After all, the Commandery Princess would eventually be his nephew's wife; it was only proper to speak well of her.

"Over a decade ago, when the Commandery Princess was still a young girl, she had a stable hand flogged because of a lapse in the care of her beloved pony. When word of this reached the Old Madam, the Commandery Princess was reprimanded and confined for a month to reflect on her actions."

"Could it be?"

Tian Wujing bent down, gently touched the scar on the corpse's face, and nodded.

"The scar they believe symbolizes martial valor was merely left by the whip of a headstrong and willful little girl back then."