Great Wilderness Demon Lord

After exchanging greetings, Tal, in a loud voice, directly stated his purpose and conditions, which were basically consistent with what Shi Biao had said.

Suchi added some details, emphasizing the importance of food for their tribe to get through the winter and their hopes for long-term trade.

After listening, Xiao Yunlan pondered for a moment before speaking, "I am deeply grateful for the assistance of the centaur warriors. Ten thousand shi of grain is indeed a considerable amount. With the war still raging in the northern border, the transportation of provisions is difficult and procuring them is not easy. I wonder if it would be possible to reduce the amount slightly?"

I guarantee with the reputation of the Xiao Family Northern Border Merchant Guild that as long as the siege of Shuofeng Plain is lifted, the guild will do its utmost to restore trade with your tribe, and will give priority to the supply of salt, iron, cloth, and medicinal herbs.

Suchi and Tar exchanged a glance.

Su Chi stepped forward, patted his chest, and said, "Commander Xiao, ten thousand shi is the minimum our tribe needs to get through this winter. We also know your difficulties."

Therefore, if you can provide 9,000 shi of grain and sign a contract guaranteeing that the first batch of goods traded after the spring will include 300 jin of high-quality salt, 50 bolts of thick, cold-resistant cloth, and a batch of medicinal herbs for treating frostbite and colds, we can accept it.

However, the grain must arrive at our designated border trading point within two months. It can be delivered in batches, but it must be delivered within two months.

Nine thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), plus a batch of scarce supplies.

This is still a heavy burden, but it is a concession compared to 10,000 shi, and some of the pressure has been shifted to trade after the start of spring.

Xiao Yunlan's mind raced with calculations: Liu Heyang should still be able to squeeze out some stored grain, and the Xiao family could perhaps provide some support. If all else fails, they could mortgage some of the Chamber of Commerce's assets or future profits from trade routes to borrow from other friendly Chambers of Commerce...

The key lies in time, and whether the situation can be quickly turned around after breaking the current siege.

"Alright." Xiao Yunlan agreed decisively without much hesitation. "Nine thousand shi of grain will be delivered in two batches within two months. The goods listed in the contract will definitely be included in the first transaction after the spring."

In exchange, I require your forces to launch effective harassment operations against the Langrong supply lines over the next month, to tie down the Wugu tribe's forces, and to provide necessary flank cover or intelligence support when needed.

Tal grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "That's easy! We know that wolf cubs' route inside and out. As long as the food arrives, we'll make sure their rear is in chaos!"

Su Chi nodded: "Commander Xiao is straightforward. We can sign a blood pact."

The contract was quickly concluded with a simple yet solemn ceremony.

Both sides got what they needed: the centaurs received much-needed food to survive the winter and a promise of future trade; Xiao Yunlan, on the other hand, gained a powerful ally capable of altering the balance of power in Shuofeng Plain, as well as an excellent opportunity to break the deadlock.

After seeing off the horseman envoy, only Xiao Yunlan and Shi Biao remained in the tent.

"Shi Biao, you've had a tough time this time." Xiao Yunlan looked at Shi Biao, who was covered in wounds but in high spirits, and said solemnly.

"What are you saying, young master?" Shi Biao shook his head, his eyes reddening slightly. "The brothers didn't die in vain...it was worth it."

Xiao Yunlan patted his shoulder: "The fallen brothers will receive generous compensation. The wounded will receive the best possible medical treatment. Take good care of yourself; there are still tough battles to fight ahead."

Shi Biao nodded vigorously.

Xiao Yunlan walked to the tent entrance and lifted the heavy felt curtain. A cold wind rushed in, but it couldn't dispel the growing heat in his heart.

The sound of centaurs' hooves could already be faintly heard. The frozen stalemate was finally broken by the iron hooves of these alien races from the wasteland, creating a clear crack.

The next step is to take advantage of the fact that Wugu is preoccupied with the supply line attacks and has not yet figured out the strength of the horsemen, and coordinate internal and external efforts to deliver a truly fatal "gift" to this arrogant wolf-barbarian centurion.

He looked toward the direction of the Wolf Rong camp on the north bank, his eyes cold and sharp.

On the chessboard, a new piece has been placed.

It's time to close the net.

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Xiao Yunlan did not publicize the news of the blood pact with the centaurs in Ice City; only core generals such as Zhao Meng and Tieshan knew about it.

This unexpected external aid is like a sharp blade yet to be drawn, meant to be used at the most crucial moment.

Xiao Yunlan's first instruction to the centurion Tal was clear and simple: continue to harass the wolf-warrior's supply lines, without necessarily inflicting casualties, just keep them from having peace and prevent them from transporting supplies smoothly.

Specifically, this involved taking advantage of the gaps in the transport convoy's journeys, or when the guards at the transfer points were changing shifts or were lax, to send small cavalry squads to speed past and launch rockets from a distance to harass the convoy.

Or they might create the illusion of a large army attacking, startling their pack animals and damaging their chariots, before immediately fleeing far away, never lingering in battle.

"Your advantage is your swiftness. The Wolf Rong can't catch you, nor can they predict where you'll appear next. What I want is to keep Wugu constantly worried about his supply route, forcing him to repeatedly send troops to put out fires, yet he can never catch a spark," Xiao Yunlan said to Tal, who had come to hear the specific arrangements.

Tal grinned, revealing a wild smile characteristic of centaurs: "Don't worry, Commander Xiao, this is something we do. On the grasslands, when wolves try to steal lone sheep, this is how we drive them away—we don't get too close, nor do we go too far, just until they're exhausted and scared, and eventually they have no choice but to give up."

The centaur raids began on the third day after the agreement was reached.

The first group to be "visited" was a convoy of twenty supply wagons that had come from the rear to make a routine resupply to Wugu's camp.

The fifty wolf-riding cavalrymen escorting the train were struggling against the cold wind on the snow-covered path when suddenly sharp whistles rang out from the hillsides on both sides. Dozens of rockets shot out from the forest without warning. Although they did not cause many casualties, they accurately ignited the hay coverings on three large carts.

Enraged, the Wolf Rong cavalry formed ranks to meet the enemy, only to see dozens of agile, half-human, half-horse figures flash by on the distant snow slope. The sound of their hooves, like a dense drumbeat, quickly receded into the distance and disappeared into the vast snowfield, leaving behind only the bewildered Wolf Rong and the burning grain carts.

When the news reached Wugu's camp, the Langrong centurion was both shocked and furious.

He immediately dispatched fifty elite cavalrymen, led by a capable captain, to the location of the attack and expand the search, determined to find this audacious "bandit".

However, the search team searched the surrounding wilderness all day but found nothing except a few scattered hoofprints.

The centaurs, like ghosts blending into the snow, had long since vanished without a trace.

The day after the search team returned to camp exhausted, another urgent report came from the direction closer to the "Aokou Transfer Point": a group of Wolf Rong auxiliary soldiers who were unloading supplies at the transfer point were attacked. Five guards were killed, and some supplies that could not be moved into the warehouse in time were burned. The attackers were still those centaur cavalry who came and went like the wind!