Great Wilderness Demon Lord

Upon hearing this, Zhao Meng hesitated, then clasped his hands and asked, "General, the city's defenses have been continuously reinforced these past few days. Wouldn't it be too cumbersome to strengthen them again now?"

Xiao Yunlan shook his head slightly, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Absolutely. Last year, we relied on the ice walls of winter and a bit of luck to win the city; but if we go to war again this year, the barbarians will definitely go all out, and we can no longer rely on luck."

"Each layer of this bastion must be able to operate independently. Even if one layer is breached, the others must be able to hold their ground and continue to defend against the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Meng said no more, and once again clasped his hands in obeisance, saying, "This subordinate obeys the order and will go to arrange the city's defenses."

Tieshan was in charge of allocating the city wall's supplies. After receiving the order, he immediately led several craftsmen to check the reserves in each section of the arrow tower. He meticulously recorded which section was missing logs, which section was short of stones, and which section was lacking arrows, leaving no detail overlooked.

Subsequently, he organized the laborers in the fort to go up the mountain to cut timber and down the river to quarry stone. Truckloads of supplies were continuously transported up the city wall, neatly stacked according to type, and marked so that the soldiers on duty could easily take them.

Shi Biao was not idle either. Xiao Yunlan specially ordered him to double the size of the scout team and select alert, calm, good-memory and agile new recruits from various battalions to supplement the scout force.

At the same time, he also redefined the responsibilities of the scout team—no longer just to patrol and look out, and pass on messages, but also to go deep into the area within a hundred miles around Wangbeibao, to find out the direction of every road, the location of every water source, and every pass and dense forest that might hide bandits or barbarian spies.

"From now on, you will not only be messengers, but also guides for the army." Xiao Yunlan summoned Shi Biao alone and solemnly instructed him, "If a real battle breaks out, we must be able to take the initiative and not just defend without attacking. You must be more familiar with the surrounding terrain than anyone else so that you can guide the army and avoid risks."

Shi Biao patted his chest, his tone resolute: "General, rest assured, I will train the scout team well and will not let you down."

After the city's defenses and scouts were properly arranged, Xiao Yunlan focused on contacting the surrounding tribes. He knew that Wangbeibao alone could not hold the trade routes and stabilize the defenses for long. Only by uniting with the surrounding tribes could they form a cohesive force.

The first person he summoned was Helian Jinzhang of the centaur tribe.

During the celebration, Helian Jinzhang witnessed firsthand the majesty and combat power of the human army. After returning, his attitude towards Xiao Yunlan and Wangbeibao became noticeably more respectful.

Xiao Yunlan sent a message to discuss the joint suppression of bandits. Without hesitation, Helian Jinzhang immediately led several capable centurions and rode at full speed to Wangbeibao.

"General Xiao, please speak frankly." After taking his seat in the golden tent, Helian picked up his teacup and took a sip. His nature remained straightforward. "Last time you said that as long as we centaurs follow the rules, we can trade with peace of mind. We've kept that in mind. Which bandit group have you summoned us to fight this time?"

Xiao Yunlan smiled slightly and said slowly, "It's not simply about fighting off any particular bandit group, but about joint defense."

As he spoke, he spread out the map hanging on the wall and pointed to several marked shaded areas: "These places have recently been frequented by bandits. Some are defeated deserters, and some are stray barbarian soldiers. They specifically target passing caravans, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities."

"Once the trade route is cut off, the market can't do business. Our Wangbei Fort will suffer losses, and you horsemen can't do without this trade route either—you exchange grain and ironware, and you all rely on this trade route, right?"

Helian Jinzhang nodded repeatedly, his tone grave: "Yes, that's true. Those bandits have also harassed our caravans, and we've been trying to wipe them out, but we're outnumbered and outgunned, making it difficult to eradicate them completely."

Xiao Yunlan said, "Then let's work together and form a joint defense. Your horsemen cavalry are swift as the wind and skilled in pursuit and interception, so they can be responsible for blocking the bandits on the outside; our infantry from Wangbei Fort are skilled in attacking and encircling, so they can be responsible for charging into the bandit's lair and wiping out the remaining enemies."

"With both sides working together and supporting each other, we will surely be able to eradicate these malignant tumors that are jeopardizing trade routes."

After a moment's thought, Helian Jinzhang asked bluntly, "Alright, we centaurs agree to cooperate. But there's one thing: how will the spoils be divided? We can't just give our labor for nothing."

Xiao Yunlan had already devised a plan and calmly said, "Each side should fight its own battle and support each other. If we encounter a small group of bandits, whoever takes them down first will get the spoils; if we encounter a large band of bandits, both sides should join forces to encircle and suppress them, and the spoils will be divided equally. It will be fair and just, and there will be no favoritism."

Helian Jinzhang grinned and immediately approved: "That's good, fair enough! We, the centaurs, agree and can send troops at any time."

After dealing with the centaur tribe, Xiao Yunlan met with the leaders of the gray-horned deer, the digging tribe, and several surrounding small tribes in the following days. His message remained consistent: to unite in the fight against bandits, open up trade routes, benefit all tribes, and protect each other's lands.

The old chieftain of the Gray Horned Deer was quite old and his body trembled. Hearing this, he looked troubled and said, "General Xiao, we deer people are gentle by nature and not good at fighting. We really can't be of much help. We can only help you scout the way and deliver messages, doing our bit."

Xiao Yunlan said gently, "That's enough. You've lived on this land for generations, you know every inch of the terrain, and you can detect the bandits' tracks in advance, giving us warnings. That's your greatest use, more important than fighting on the battlefield."

The leader of the Digging Tribe, Stone Root, was even more direct, slapping his thigh and saying, "General, we miners have never studied warfare or know any tactics, but we know how to dig! We can dig traps and trenches for you, lure those bandits here, and let them fall in and die. That would be a contribution to eradicating the bandits."

Xiao Yunlan chuckled and nodded in agreement: "Alright, I'm sure I'll need your help then. Thank you all for your hard work."

As for those small tribes, they were already weak and vulnerable, and had suffered from bandits for many years. Now that Xiao Yunlan was leading the crackdown, they could not only avenge their grievances, but also open up trade routes and improve their livelihoods. Naturally, they all eagerly agreed.

With all matters settled, half a month later, the first joint extermination operation between Wangbeibao and the surrounding tribes officially began.

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The joint operation was even more successful than Xiao Yunlan had anticipated.

As agreed beforehand, the horsemen cavalry led the way, sweeping back and forth along several main trade routes. Taking advantage of their speed, they would immediately chase after and entangle any bandits they spotted, preventing their escape. The infantry of Wangbei Fort followed closely behind. Once the horsemen had surrounded the bandits, they would immediately advance to launch an attack and mop up the remaining bandits, ensuring that no survivors were left behind.

In less than twenty days, the allied forces raided five bandit strongholds, beheaded more than sixty people, captured nearly a hundred, and seized a large amount of grain, weapons and stolen goods, which greatly dealt a blow to the arrogance of the bandits.