Counterattack

After becoming a Hundred-Man Commander, Li Xuancang's treatment was worlds apart from before.

Not only did he command a hundred men, but all kinds of benefits had soared, and he even had a personal guard at his beck and call.

"Nangong Zhan pays his respects, my lord."

Nangong Zhan respectfully saluted Li Xuancang, his eyes full of admiration.

"No need for such ceremony. From now on, you'll remain by my side."

Nangong Zhan was the personal guard Li Xuancang had chosen. He had originally wanted Wang Xiaoniu to become his personal guard, but Wang Xiaoniu was too weak to fill the position.

"Understood."

Nangong Zhan was also thrilled to become Li Xuancang's personal guard.

After becoming a Hundred-Man Commander, his compensation had improved greatly, while he had considerably fewer matters to deal with.

Whatever he needed done each day, he only had to give the word, and Nangong Zhan would convey it for him.

From time to time, Zhou Xiong summoned him and assigned him certain tasks.

More than half a month passed. Li Xuancang had already grown accustomed to his current life, and his strength was steadily improving.

"Why haven't the Barbarians launched an attack yet?"

The army had retreated to Jade Sun City for over a month, yet the Barbarians had still not launched an attack. Li Xuancang found it rather puzzling.

Logically, the Barbarians should've pressed their victory and pursued them, wiping out the Human Race's battered remnants in one stroke. Yet they had never attacked, giving the Human Race a chance to catch its breath.

Though puzzled, the current situation was instead advantageous to Li Xuancang. As long as he was given time, he could undergo a complete transformation.

During this period, the local government had forcibly conscripted a large number of commoners and formed a five-thousand-man Conscripts' Camp.

Although these conscripts were very weak, they would have no problem merely assisting in defending the city.

"My lord, Lord Zhou has summoned you."

Nangong Zhan came to Li Xuancang's side and reported respectfully.

"Mm."

Li Xuancang murmured in acknowledgment, somewhat puzzled as to why Zhou Xiong had summoned him.

Suppressing his doubts, he quickly headed for Zhou Xiong's tent.

When Li Xuancang arrived, the two Battalion Commanders and five Hundred-Man Commanders were already there.

Zhou Xiong sat in the seat of honor, broad and imposing, an air of steel and warhorses rushing toward them.

"Greetings, my lord."

Li Xuancang cupped his fists and saluted Zhou Xiong.

Zhou Xiong gave Li Xuancang a slight nod, signaling for him to take a seat.

Before long, another Battalion Commander and four Hundred-Man Commanders arrived.

Once everyone had gathered, Zhou Xiong's expression turned solemn as he spoke in a deep voice.

"I summoned you here because there is a major operation."

The moment those words fell, everyone's expressions tightened, and they all looked toward Zhou Xiong.

"The Commandant has ordered us to rush to Blackwind Ridge overnight, lie in ambush, and cut off the Barbarians' retreat."

As soon as Zhou Xiong finished speaking, everyone's faces changed drastically.

Sending them to Blackwind Ridge to lie in ambush—wasn't that a brush with death?

The Barbarians were brutal by nature. Once driven into a corner, they would surely fight for their lives. Facing frenzied Barbarians, none of them was confident they could retreat unscathed.

Battalion Commander Hu Hua wore a grave expression as he asked the question everyone most wanted answered.

"Lord Zhou, is the army going to launch a counterattack?"

Since the Commandant had sent them to ambush the enemy and cut off the Barbarians' retreat, they were surely planning to counterattack the Barbarians. They might even be certain of victory. Everyone wanted to know the details.

"Carry out your orders. Go prepare. We leave tonight, and no one is to leak a single word."

Zhou Xiong didn't answer, instead issuing his order coldly.

"Yes!"

No one dared ask further. They all bowed to accept the order and withdrew.

After returning to his camp, Li Xuancang immediately assembled his hundred-man squad and waited quietly for nightfall.

The moon was dark and the wind high, with sparse stars scattered across the sky. Under cover of night, a force of more than a thousand men silently left Jade Sun City.

The army did not take the official road. They hid by day and traveled by night, carrying only several days' worth of dry rations. Avoiding all eyes, they rushed to the designated location.

At the same time, Zhou Xingzhan led every soldier in Jade Sun City out in full force, marching grandly toward Azure Cloud Ridge.

Among the army were several hundred people dressed like wandering martial artists. They came from the sects and factions of Profound Sun Commandery City and were the main force in this counterattack against the Barbarians.

"The Barbarians are arrogant. Let them come and never return!"

"Leave them all here and bury them in this land!"

"My broadsword is already thirsting for blood!"

"..."

These faction members held not the slightest fear of the Barbarians, only intense battle intent and anticipation.

"The imperial court has rarely been this generous. The bounty they're offering isn't bad."

To persuade these sects and factions to act, the imperial court had offered generous terms.

For every Barbarian slain, they could receive a considerable reward.

Everyone's eyes gleamed with excitement, and they wished they could immediately go to war with the Barbarians.

The Human Race army made no effort to conceal its movements and soon alarmed the Barbarians.

On Azure Cloud Ridge, the Barbarian commander Gu Shuo gathered the Barbarian generals to discuss the approaching Human Race army.

"My lord, the Human Race is courting death. Let them come and never return!"

"We've already beaten the Human Race into ruin. They're no longer a force to be reckoned with."

"If the Human Race has come to deliver themselves to death, then we'll grant them their wish."

"..."

The Barbarians didn't take the Human Race seriously at all. The Human Race army had come to attack them of its own accord, exactly what they wanted.

If they could wipe out the Human Race army in a single battle, the entirety of Profound Sun Commandery would become their hunting ground, left for them to butcher as they pleased.

"We must not be careless. Since the Human Race dares to strike first, they must have made preparations."

Someone was cautious and believed the Human Race could not be underestimated.

Most importantly, they had fallen out with the Demon Race and had nearly come to blows. Without the Demon Race's assistance, they would suffer far more casualties in dealing with the Human Race.

"The mere Human Race—what is there to fear? If you're afraid, let me lead the vanguard."

"Don't act rashly. Caution is still best."

"..."

The two sides argued without end, and Gu Shuo found it difficult to make a decision.

After taking Azure Cloud Ridge, they should've ridden the momentum and wiped out the Human Race's remaining forces in one go.

But the Demon Race had actually dared to devour Barbarians, treating them as food. The two sides immediately erupted into conflict and nearly fought to the death before ultimately parting ways.

It was precisely because of this that the Barbarians missed their best chance to destroy the Human Race army.

Gu Shuo hesitated for a moment, then his gaze sharpened as he issued an order in a deep voice.

"Form up the army. Follow me into battle."

Gu Shuo decided to face the Human Race head-on. Even without the Demon Race's aid, he was confident he could defeat the Human Race.

"As ordered!"

The crowd stopped arguing and quickly went to organize the army.

"Kill!"

The Barbarian army rapidly assembled. They did not wait, instead taking the initiative to charge toward the Human Race army under Gu Shuo's command.

The Barbarian army's morale soared like a rainbow, and every one of them held absolute confidence in this battle.

Lead-gray clouds hung low over a wilderness as the two armies gradually drew closer.

"The Barbarians are coming! Can we really stand against them?"

"The Barbarians are cruel. I've heard they eat human flesh raw—they're practically vicious ghosts."

"We can't possibly defeat the Barbarians."

"..."

Morale on the Human Race side was low. Before battle had even begun, they were already afraid.

Back then, three thousand Battle Soldiers and five thousand men from the Conscripts' Camp had been no match for the Barbarians.

Although the Conscripts' Camp still had five thousand men now, there were fewer than a thousand Battle Soldiers. How could they possibly be a match for the Barbarians?

Everyone was terrified, including those Battle Soldiers.