Battle begins! A frenzy of slaughter!

Late at night.

Out on the grassland, Li Dao and his companions finally stopped after walking for who knew how long.

"We're here."

At those words, Li Dao and the other death-row prisoners followed Squad Leader Liu's gaze.

A bonfire burned on the distant grassland.

Around it stood many people dressed in strange clothing.

Many recognized at a glance that these were not people of the Great Qian Dynasty, but nomadic barbarians from the Northern Barbarians' grasslands.

Squad Leader Liu turned to the people of the Death Row Camp. "You'll creep over with us shortly. Your job is to charge into the camp and set fires, making enough noise to draw these barbarians' attention so we can circle behind them and attack."

The prisoners' expressions changed at his words.

For their ragtag group to charge a Northern Barbarians' camp, even one housing only a small force, was no different from marching to their deaths.

After all, one side was a regular army, while the other was a rabble of condemned prisoners.

Squad Leader Liu seemed to guess what they were thinking and reassured them. "Don't worry. We won't send you to die for nothing."

"You only need to set fires and cause chaos. Once we join up with you, you'll be safe. Then you can just hide. We don't expect you to kill anyone."

Seeing how earnestly he spoke, some of the prisoners felt reassured.

They glanced at the hundred-odd soldiers accompanying Squad Leader Liu, then at the small Northern Barbarians force nearby, and nodded their agreement.

At this, Squad Leader Liu beckoned, and a hundred regular Great Qian soldiers scattered into the surrounding darkness.

Before long, Li Dao followed the group to a spot only a few dozen meters from the Northern Barbarians force.

Squad Leader Liu accompanied them with two soldiers.

"Take out the sentries."

At Squad Leader Liu's order, the two soldiers swiftly dashed into the darkness.

A little later, a partridge's call rang out.

Squad Leader Liu nodded at the sound and turned to Li Dao's group. "We've dealt with those up ahead. The rest is up to you."

"Wait for my whistle. When you hear it, move."

The condemned prisoners exchanged glances, then began approaching the Northern Barbarians' camp with their battered weapons.

Li Dao silently carried his saber in the middle of the group, neither at the front nor the rear. His right hand clenched the Tetanus Blade tightly, as though that alone could give him a little sense of security.

Soon, just as they neared the Northern Barbarians' camp, a whistle pierced the night.

"Let's do it!"

"Northern Barbarian bastards! Even a condemned man like me looks down on you!"

"Everyone, charge! If you want to live, don't hesitate!"

"..."

With the whistle, the prisoners stopped hesitating. They had already reached the point of no return.

Amid shouts to bolster their courage, the prisoners scattered and charged toward the Northern Barbarians' camp.

Those inside the camp reacted swiftly, grabbing their weapons and assembling as soon as they heard the commotion.

"Enemy attack! Everyone, grab your weapons and fight!"

"They're from the Great Qian Dynasty! Kill them all!"

"For the Bear God! Kill!"

The Northern Barbarian soldiers' cries rang out, and the once-quiet camp erupted into an uproar.

Elsewhere in the Northern Barbarians' camp.

Li Dao moved cautiously with his rust-covered saber.

Whenever he encountered a tent, he used the blade to hook burning fuel from a nearby fire and set it alight, creating chaos.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

Suddenly, a cry rang out.

Li Dao looked back and saw that a prisoner like himself had run into a Northern Barbarian soldier a dozen or so meters away.

In a single exchange, the scrawny prisoner was knocked to the ground.

Terrified of death, the prisoner immediately began begging for mercy.

The Northern Barbarian soldier showed the weak prisoner no mercy. With a simple downward slash, the prisoner's head flew off and fell to the ground, leaving blood everywhere.

Since Li Dao stood directly in line with them, the Northern Barbarians soldier looked up and met his eyes.

Killing one prisoner seemed to have whetted the Northern Barbarians soldier's appetite. Faced with the "scrawny" Li Dao, he did not call for help, but charged straight at him alone, saber in hand.

"Great Qian scum, die!"

As soon as he reached Li Dao, the Northern Barbarians soldier raised his saber and swung it down hard.

Li Dao immediately raised his own saber to block.

Clang!

With a sharp ring, sparks flew between the two blades before they locked in midair.

Feeling the strength transmitted through the opposing blade, the Northern Barbarians soldier looked incredulous.

How could such a "scrawny" soldier hold off his saber?

The Northern Barbarians soldier had time to wonder, but Li Dao did not. He had not forgotten his predicament.

Once he realized his opponent was weaker than him, he swung with all his might and knocked the Northern Barbarians soldier's saber aside.

Whoosh!

Gripping his rusty saber, he hacked hard at the Northern Barbarians soldier's neck.

Slice!

As the blade bit into flesh, a spray of blood splashed onto Li Dao's cheek.

But then something unexpected happened.

His blow failed to kill the Northern Barbarians soldier. The rusty saber was too blunt and lodged in the soldier's neck instead, sending a shiver through him.

"Aah!"

In excruciating pain, the Northern Barbarians soldier collapsed, howling. Blood poured from his neck as he struggled.

Seeing this, Li Dao silently murmured, Sorry.

It was not that he had wanted to leave the Northern Barbarians soldier alive after one blow. His weapon had simply let him down horribly.

Fortunately, he was strong. An ordinary person might not even have been able to drive that blunt blade into flesh.

With his rusty saber carried away in the Northern Barbarians soldier's neck, Li Dao could only pick up the sharp saber the man had dropped.

Li Dao hefted the saber in his hand.

He had to admit that a good blade like this felt much better to use.

Faced with the Northern Barbarians soldier still writhing and howling on the ground, he did not hesitate. He raised the saber and put him out of his misery, then cut off his left ear.

He wanted the kills, and he wanted the military merit too.

The next moment, the system's notification sounded in his ears.

[Enemy killed: 1. Attribute points gained: 0.15]

Seeing the message, Li Dao felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

Attribute points could give him a sense of security.

Without hesitation, before more enemies arrived, he added all the points he had just gained to his physique.

A few breaths later, Li Dao's physique enhancement was complete.

He tightened his grip on the saber. Perhaps because his strength had increased, it felt even more comfortable in his hand.

Listening to the surrounding uproar, Li Dao carried his saber onward, moving cautiously.

Soon, he reached another Northern Barbarians tent.

Just as he was about to set it alight, he suddenly heard movement inside.

Li Dao's eyes lit up, and he carefully approached the tent flap to wait.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, someone emerged from the tent.

Swish!

Blood sprayed in an instant.

[Enemy killed: 1. Attribute points gained: 0.12]

This slash went without a hitch, and the system notification soon sounded.

"Ada, what's wrong?"

Apparently hearing the disturbance outside, someone inside the tent hurriedly called out.

Li Dao took a deep breath and ducked into the tent, saber in hand.

"You... a Great Qian man! Why are you..."

The next moment, blood splashed onto the white tent, and the voice inside abruptly cut off.

Inside the tent.

Looking at the mess filling the tent and smelling the strange odor in the air, Li Dao kicked the Northern Barbarians soldier on the ground in disgust.

He cursed inwardly, Damn homo.

As the fallen Northern Barbarians soldier breathed his last, the system notification arrived right on cue.

[Enemy killed: 1. Attribute points gained: 0.13]

"Panel."

[Owner: Li Dao]

[Physique: 2.15]

[Available attribute points: 0.25]

After only a brief glance, Li Dao willed all his available attribute points into his physique.

Until he figured out whether those points had any other uses, enhancing his physique was his only choice.

Warmth coursed through his body, and his physical strength rapidly increased.

A few breaths later.

[Owner: Li Dao]

[Physique: 2.4]

[Available attribute points: 0]

His physique was approaching two and a half times that of an ordinary person. He could just about defend himself now.

But this was still not enough. In Li Dao's view, to feel truly secure, he needed to raise his attribute to ten at the very least.

Hearing the growing commotion outside, Li Dao chose not to hide in the tent. Instead, he cut off the two Northern Barbarians soldiers' left ears, wrapped them in a piece of cloth, tucked them into his clothes, and strode out with his saber.

Elsewhere.

Once the prisoners had thrown the Northern Barbarians camp into an uproar, Squad Leader Liu stopped hesitating and blew his whistle, ordering his soldiers to attack the Northern Barbarians camp.

For a moment, the Northern Barbarians camp descended into even greater chaos.

At the sight of Great Qian's regular troops, the previously ferocious Northern Barbarians soldiers instantly lost their aggression. Rather than attacking, they began defending themselves.

Within the Northern Barbarians camp, Li Dao roamed with his saber in hand.

Whenever he encountered a lone Northern Barbarian soldier, he immediately stepped forward to engage him.

With his physique far beyond that of an ordinary person, he could quickly finish off ordinary Northern Barbarian soldiers even without using any combat techniques.

He kept moving and killing. The more people he killed, the easier it became.

His killing strokes were no longer as stiff as they had been at first, becoming sharper and fiercer.

Eventually, the Northern Barbarian soldiers noticed the fearsome Li Dao and began gathering in groups.

The Great Qian Dynasty's regular soldiers noticed him too. Once they realized how formidable he was, they rallied behind him and began clearing out the Northern Barbarian soldiers.

Li Dao raised his saber to block a Northern Barbarian soldier's blade for a Great Qian soldier, then killed the attacker with a backhand slash.

"Thank you."

The Great Qian soldier hurriedly thanked him for saving his life.

Li Dao did not hear him, because his attention was fixed on the system notification.

[Enemy killed: 1. Attribute points gained: 0.2]

This was an elite mob. One was worth almost two ordinary soldiers.

But just as Li Dao was rejoicing, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Drop your weapons! Surrender and you'll be spared!"

It was Squad Leader Liu's voice.

Surrender and be spared?

The sudden shout made Li Dao anxious.

Cutting off a man's wealth was like killing his parents.

If he stopped killing, wouldn't he be losing out?

Before the Northern Barbarian soldiers could make their decision, Li Dao simply picked up another saber in his left hand and charged at them alongside the Great Qian soldiers, wielding both blades.

Perhaps Li Dao's performance was too outstanding, too frenzied.

The Northern Barbarian soldiers' already wavering resolve shattered completely.

"I surrender! Don't kill me!"

"We surrender! We surrender!"

"..."

Faced with the ferocious Li Dao, the Northern Barbarian soldiers dropped their weapons and surrendered one after another.

Li Dao's saber froze against a Northern Barbarian soldier's neck.

Seeing that Li Dao did not move, the soldier let out a long breath of relief.

Apparently noticing the reluctance in Li Dao's eyes, the Northern Barbarian soldier even gave him a provocative look.

The next second...

Slice!

A severed head fell to the ground.

"What are you doing?!"

"Why did you kill him? He'd already surrendered!"

"You're killing prisoners! You're breaking the rules!"

"..."

At the sight, the Northern Barbarians soldiers all began denouncing Li Dao.

Li Dao merely shrugged and said evenly, "Sorry, my hand slipped."

Hearing this, they abruptly fell silent.

But soon, they couldn't help hurling curses again, each fouler than the last.

After all, whose hand could slip badly enough to chop someone's head off?

Slash!

Amid the curses, another severed head fell to the ground.

Once again, the voices abruptly ceased, and everyone stared at Li Dao in disbelief.

Even the soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty were stunned.

Once might have been an accident, but twice began to look a little deliberate.

Li Dao turned his gaze toward the Northern Barbarians soldiers and said calmly, "Sorry, my hand slipped again."

This time, not a single Northern Barbarians soldier dared curse aloud. They could only stare at Li Dao in terror and curse him silently in their hearts.