Great Wilderness Demon Lord

The frontier cavalry charge completely crushed the combined forces of the Wolf Rong and Jackal tribes who were attempting to outflank the enemy.

The force of about two hundred cavalry charged back and forth twice in the open area south of the Ice City, driving the scattered enemy troops toward the north bank. They then reined in their horses and withdrew, without pursuing the enemy too far.

A general clad in iron scale armor rode his horse to the foot of the ice wall and looked up at the top of the wall.

He was about forty years old, with a rugged face, a scar on his left cheek, and eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

"Where is Xiao Yunlan, the newly appointed commander of Shuofeng Plain?" the general asked in a loud voice.

Xiao Yunlan had already returned to the top of the wall. Hearing the sound, he walked to the edge of the crenellation, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Xiao Yunlan. Thank you for your help, General."

The general glanced at him, his gaze lingering for a moment on the blood-stained Xuanjiao soft armor and the scimitar in his hand that clearly belonged to the Wolf Rong style. He then returned the salute with clasped hands: "Lin Zhong, Captain of the Third Light Cavalry Battalion of the Northern Expeditionary Army."

"By order of Vice Commander Han, I was patrolling the northern trade routes when I happened to encounter this meeting."

He paused, looking at the scattered corpses on the wall and the bloodstains everywhere, his voice deepening: "Captain Xiao has done a hard job defending the city. What are the casualties?"

Xiao Yunlan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The original garrison numbered three hundred and seventy. Now, less than one hundred are still able to stand."

Lin Chong's eyes narrowed slightly. He turned to his personal guards and said a few words. The guards obeyed and left.

Before long, dozens of cavalrymen dismounted and began to assist in clearing the battlefield and treating the wounded.

Xiao Yunlan had Zhao Meng open the small gate and welcome Lin Chong into the city.

Inside the main tent, the charcoal brazier burned brightly, dispelling the chill that seeped in through the cracks in the door.

The two sat facing each other, and their personal guards served them hot tea.

"Is Lieutenant Lin's visit truly just to patrol the trade routes?" Xiao Yunlan asked bluntly.

Lin Chong picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down before speaking frankly: "Vice Commander Han did indeed give instructions that if the battle at Shuofeng Plain becomes critical, support can be provided as needed."

He looked at Xiao Yunlan and said, "But our army's strength is limited. These two hundred cavalrymen are the limit of what we can mobilize today. Moreover, the patrol range should not have exceeded a hundred miles beyond Shuofeng Plain. This can be considered an unauthorized move."

Xiao Yunlan understood.

Han Zhong's support was limited and covert.

"In any case, if Lieutenant Lin hadn't arrived in time today, the rear of Ice City would likely have been breached. I will remember this."

Lin Chong waved his hand, his expression turning solemn: "Captain Xiao, there's no need for such formalities. Although we repelled the enemy today, in my opinion, this is just the beginning."

He leaned forward and lowered his voice: "Our scouts in the north have reported that the Black Claw tribe has amassed far more troops this winter than we have seen today."

The wolf-riding cavalry number at least two thousand, and the jackal servants number no less than five thousand. Today's attack on Shuofeng Plain is merely their vanguard probing.

Xiao Yunlan paused slightly in his teacup, his expression remaining impassive: "Two thousand Langrong, five thousand Jackal people?"

"Only more, not less." Lin Chong said in a deep voice, "The Black Claw tribe chief 'Blood Fang' is personally overseeing the operation, and two of his three centurions have already gathered. Their goal this year is probably not just to plunder trade routes, but to take advantage of the winter snow blocking the roads and seize all the strongholds outside Zhenhuang Pass in one fell swoop, completely severing the connection between the northern border and the interior of the pass."

The tent fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Yunlan put down his teacup, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table. After a long while, he finally spoke: "So, Shuofeng Plain is just an appetizer."

"Not bad." Lin nodded. "They suffered a setback today because they underestimated the defenses of Ice City and didn't expect our cavalry to suddenly appear."

But the next time they come, it will be with overwhelming force. With the current strength of the Shuofeng Plains, they cannot hold it.

Xiao Yunlan raised her eyes: "What does Vice Commander Han mean?"

"Vice Commander Han only instructed me to convey the message: Shuofengyuan should defend if possible, and if things become untenable, it can retreat to the fortified villages within a hundred li of Zhenhuang Pass. But—" Lin Chong paused, "if you can hold off a portion of the Langrong forces here, even for ten or fifteen days, it will greatly benefit the overall defense of the pass."

The words were made very clear. Shuofeng was originally a discarded pawn, but also a chess piece.

If you can hold the line, you've done a good job; if you can't, as long as you've worn down the enemy's forces, you've fulfilled your responsibility.

Xiao Yunlan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Captain Lin, in your opinion, when will the Wolf Rong army arrive?"

Lin Chong pondered for a moment: "The vanguard suffered a setback today, and they need time to regroup and mobilize their main force. Shuofeng Plain is about four hundred miles away from the Black Claw Tribe's winter camp. Even if the entire army is composed of cavalry, it will not be easy to move through the snow. At the earliest... it will take ten days."

"Ten days," Xiao Yunlan murmured repeatedly.

He stood up, walked to the simple map hanging in the tent, and pointed to the northeast of Shuofeng Plain: "Before the main force of the Wolf Rong arrives, there is one more threat that must be eliminated."

Lin Chong followed his finger and looked: "A jackal tribe?"

"Exactly." Xiao Yunlan turned around. "Most of the jackals who attacked today came from that tribe twenty miles to the northeast. Their able-bodied men were conscripted to fight, and they suffered heavy losses. Their tribe must be empty right now."

If they are not eradicated soon, once the Wolf Rong army arrives, this tribe will once again become their servants and spies.

Lin Chong frowned: "You want to take the initiative?"

"Strike while the iron is hot." Xiao Yunlan said calmly, "The remaining members of the Jackal tribe are mostly the elderly, women, and children, which greatly reduces their fighting strength."

If we can wipe them out in one fell swoop, we can not only eliminate future troubles, but also seize supplies to replenish the losses suffered in defending the city.

Lin Chong pondered for a moment.

Xiao Yunlan continued, "The defenses of Ice City are now largely secured. We only need to leave a few men to guard it. Commander Lin's cavalry can provide support from the outside, while I will lead the remaining soldiers inside the city to launch a surprise attack on the tribe. We'll finish this quickly and return within half a day."

The sound of a cold wind howling came from outside the tent, while the charcoal fire crackled inside.

After a long silence, Lin Chong slowly nodded: "That's feasible. But I'll make it clear beforehand that the cavalry will only be responsible for perimeter security and intercepting fleeing soldiers; they will not participate in the frontal assault on the camp."

Our mission is patrol and defense, not offensive operations. This battle will be led by your unit.

"That's enough." Xiao Yunlan nodded. "As long as the cavalry seals off the outer perimeter and prevents the jackals from escaping and sending messages, that's sufficient."

The two then discussed the details.

Lin Zhong's cavalry still had nearly two hundred riders available. Fifty riders were sent out to assist in the defense of the city, while the remaining one hundred and fifty riders went out to attack.

Xiao Yunlan then selected more than 30 veteran soldiers and more than 70 recruits from the garrison to form a raiding party.

With the agreement reached, Lin Chong stood up: "Shall we depart in an hour?"

"Okay." Xiao Yunlan nodded. "I'll go and get the team ready right away."

Lin Chong walked out of the main tent. Xiao Yunlan sat alone for a while, then suddenly pressed his hand to his chest.

Deep within his dantian, the dark red aura was surging violently.

The Slaughter Demon Bai Xiao has awakened.

It conveys a naked hunger, a thirst for blood, for slaughter, for destruction.

This desire had already begun to grow when we were talking about attacking the jackal tribe, and now it was spreading like wildfire.

Xiao Yunlan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He couldn't let the killing demon run rampant. Slaughtering the entire tribe would be easy, but those jackal captives... might have other uses.

With a slight thought, he activated another aura—the Demon of Wisdom.

A deep blue halo slowly swirled, and the cold yet highly efficient computing power began to operate.