How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

Everyone accepted the order and hid to rest.

As time passed and dusk settled, night once again enveloped the entire Qilian Mountains.

The atmosphere inside the Allied forces' camp was gloomy.

The soldiers of the three armies had been eating less and less food for two days. Their stomachs were empty, their bellies were rumbling, and their bodies were exhausted and sore.

During the day, I was tense and focused on building the fortifications. At night, I just wanted to rest peacefully, catch my breath, and get a good night's sleep.

Just as everyone was about to rest, a sudden burst of shouts and the sound of crossbow strings piercing the air rang out outside the camp!

"Enemy attack! Lin Xuan's troops have attacked the camp!"

The piercing warning sirens echoed throughout the entire joint camp!

All the hungry and exhausted soldiers were instantly awakened. They dared not slacken their guard for a moment, hurriedly put on their armor, grabbed their weapons, and rushed up the stockade wall to form a defensive formation.

But when the soldiers of the three armies were in full battle array, staring intently at the dark forest.

The shouts of battle outside the camp suddenly disappeared, and there was no one in sight; silence returned.

Lin Xuan's men had already quietly retreated into the dense forest under the cover of night, leaving no trace.

Inside the main tent, Wei Yan emerged, donning his armor, his face terrifyingly grim upon hearing the commotion.

He strode to the top of the stockade wall, looked at the deserted outer mountain path, and coldly questioned:

"What's going on? Where are the enemy troops?"

Batu Lie bowed and stepped forward, his face full of unease and nervousness, to report:

"Second Prince, we were on guard duty all night when we discovered that Lin Xuan's troops were quietly approaching the camp, seemingly preparing for a night attack. We immediately sounded the alarm, but as soon as our troops were in formation, the enemy retreated and disappeared without a trace."

"idiot!"

Wei Yan's pent-up anger from the past two days finally erupted, and he shouted angrily on the spot!

"Are you blind?!"

"This isn't a full-scale attack; it's a harassment to wear down the enemy!"

"Lin Xuan never intended to break through the camp; he deliberately caused a disturbance in the middle of the night, keeping our army awake and on edge!"

Batu Lie was publicly berated, his face turning pale and then red. He was both ashamed and angry, but dared not utter a word in his defense, and could only feel resentful.

Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two, Nangong Cang quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, gently advising them:

"Second Prince, please calm down."

"General Ba is also acting cautiously. It is difficult to discern the enemy's situation at night. If it were a large-scale enemy attack, the consequences of being negligent in defense would be unimaginable. He is also thinking about the safety of the camp."

Wei Yan was filled with rage, but he also knew that the three-way alliance could not be broken in public.

He gave Batu Lie a cold glance, said no more, flicked his long sleeves, and turned back to his tent with a face full of anger.

The atmosphere in the camp was awkward and heavy.

After Wei Yan had walked away, Nangong Cang turned to look at Batu Lie, whose face was pale, and gently comforted him:

"General Ba, please don't take it to heart. The Second Prince has been schemed against by Lin Xuan for days, and he is feeling frustrated and anxious. He is not deliberately targeting you."

He knew that the alliance between Wei, Shu, and the Southern Barbarians was only temporary, and they absolutely could not afford to have any rifts or become disloyal.

After a moment of contemplation, Nangong Cang spoke again:

"Tonight, all of you Southern Barbarian soldiers are exhausted from hunger and thirst. Go down and rest for now. The night watch and guard duty at the main camp will be taken over by my Western Shu troops."

Batu Lie felt a warmth in his heart, suppressed his resentment, and bowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your understanding, General Nangong."

"We are allies; we share both prosperity and adversity. This is only natural."

Nangong Cang waved his hand, his expression calm, and immediately ordered the soldiers of Xishu to change shifts for the night, with everyone on high alert and keeping a close watch on any movement in the mountains and forests.

As night deepened, the wind howled.

Outside the dense forest, Lin Xuan indeed used the same trick again, with his small team quietly approaching the outer perimeter of the joint camp, deliberately making noise and bluffing.

This time, however, the Western Shu garrison on the stockade wall remained calm and experienced, showing no panic, sounding the alarm, or assembling in full force.

Standing atop the wall, Nangong Cang coldly observed the situation. Realizing it was merely a small-scale raid, he immediately ordered: "Fire arrows only as a deterrent; the entire army must remain calm and refrain from any disturbance."

The arrow flew through the air, heading towards Lin Mo's team.

From the distant dense forest, Lin Xuan caught sight of the movements of the allied forces. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes, and he spoke softly:

"Alright, order everyone to retreat."

He sees things very clearly.

Tonight, the enemy has replaced their commander with the veteran general Nangong Cang from Western Shu. This man is calm and experienced, and has already seen through our strategy of exhausting the enemy and harassing our camp.

Continuing with repeated feints would no longer yield any results.

Lin Xuan gazed at the dark allied camp, a cold smile curving his lips.

That's all for tonight.

At the entrance to the hunting grounds in the Qilian Mountains, a huge scoreboard stands in place, clearly showing the number of survivors from each of the six countries.

Two full days have passed, and the numbers on the board remain unchanged.

The mountains and forests were deathly silent and at a standstill, with no major battles or casualties.

More and more people gathered outside the entrance to watch the battle, and as they looked at the unchanging scoreboard, discussions arose one after another, and rumors gradually spread.

"Look! It's been two days, and the number of people hasn't changed at all!"

"The Wei Kingdom's numbers remain firmly at the top, while the Crown Prince's side is stuck in a rut, clearly indicating a complete avoidance of war!"

Someone in the crowd sneered, their tone dripping with sarcasm:

"In my opinion, Crown Prince Lin Xuan has simply led his troops into hiding, cowering in fear and daring not to show his face. He has absolutely no courage to confront the Wei army head-on!"

Another person chimed in, their face a mixture of regret and sarcasm:

"To be honest, it would have been better to let the Third Prince Lin Fu directly command the four hundred elite troops. The Third Prince is daring and fearless in battle. If he had led the troops, with those extra hundred combatants, we might not have suffered such a crushing defeat!"

"That's right!" The surrounding people nodded in agreement.

"The Crown Prince is too cowardly, a complete incompetent coward!"

"They hold troops but only dare to hide and avoid battle; they don't even have the courage to fight!"

"So what if we lose? At least we dared to draw our swords, letting the other nations know the fighting spirit of our Great Qian! Now, hiding like this only brings shame to the royal family and to the entire Great Qian!"

Various derogatory, sarcastic, and questioning remarks arose one after another, spreading more and more fiercely.

Everyone believed that Lin Xuan was afraid of Wei Yan and had completely given up on competing for the top spot, only hoping to survive and hastily end the hunt.

On the outside of the crowd, Meng Yuanbao listened to these slanderous rumors about Lin Xuan the whole time, his face turning red with anger and his whole body trembling.

But he only recognizes one thing.

Brother Lin is definitely not a coward!

Meng Yuanbao could no longer contain himself. He pushed forward, his plump body swaying as he charged into the crowd, shouting angrily at the top of his lungs:

"You're all talking nonsense! You're all spouting rubbish!"

His loud and domineering voice instantly silenced the noise in the room!

Everyone turned around abruptly to look at the furious Meng Yuanbao.

Meng Yuanbao's eyes widened, his face filled with hostility, and he pointed at the crowd, shouting angrily:

"I, Brother Lin, am not one to fear death! What do you bunch of frogs in a well know!"

"Not moving for two days means you're hiding? You mean you're scared? Who taught you this twisted logic!"

"The situation in the mountains might be complicated, and it's my brother Lin who's waiting for an opportunity to break things! You know nothing, yet you dare to spout nonsense and slander!"

Many people in the crowd were unconvinced and immediately retorted:

"The situation is complicated? If it is, why are you afraid to go into battle?"

"It's obvious they're outnumbered and afraid to fight! The facts are right in front of you, and you're still being stubborn!"

"Even if you favor the Crown Prince, you can't distort the truth!"

A barrage of rebuttals enraged Meng Yuanbao.