Chapter 49 The common people are being hunted down, and the king leads his troops down from the sky!

"These seem to be... people from our Xuan Kingdom?"

The scout asked in bewilderment, “Although this place is nominally the southwestern border of our Great Xuan, after the Sha Yue tribe invaded our territory and established the Sha Yue Kingdom, they also took actual control of this place. It is said that the Xuan Kingdom people who survived here were all moved away decades ago.”

Xiao Qidi also felt something was wrong.

Although it was his first time here, he had heard about it before.

Logically speaking, there should be no Xuan Kingdom people here anymore.

But judging from the appearance and clothing of the fleeing civilians, they were clearly from the Xuan Kingdom.

Since they were his own people, he certainly wouldn't sit idly by and immediately began selecting people to prepare for their rescue.

"Your Majesty, could they be people who fled from the Xitun Pass region due to the drought?" the scout inquired.

Xiao Qidi shook his head. "The entire western part of Da Xuan is suffering from severe drought. It hasn't rained for more than half a year. This has affected the southwestern border. Although it's not as severe as Xitun Pass, this area is controlled by the Sha Yue Kingdom. It's impossible for the people of Xitun Pass to come here."

The brutality of this savage tribe can be seen from the fact that Ba Yong tortured and killed Duan Wu's father.

Severe drought might kill you, but if you run into the Sha Yue people, you'll be torn to pieces.

Since he had not yet figured out what was chasing those people, Xiao Qidi did not rush to take action.

He first controlled the drone to fly behind the people and look down from above.

Under the pale moonlight, four slender and agile figures leaped and climbed among the pile of rocks at an extremely fast speed!

They are agile and nimble, and sometimes let out strange cries.

The scout exclaimed in surprise, "What's that? A mandrill?"

Xiao Qidi's eyes darkened slightly. "No, those are the barbarian soldiers of the Shayue tribe."

After confirming that there were only four people on the other side, he ordered ten Xuanjia soldiers to go and rescue the people.

The scout asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, aren't all the Shayue people as strong and fierce as Bayong? How come there are some who look like this?"

Xiao Qidi said, "Ba Yong is a noble of the Sha Yue Kingdom. Because their nobles occupy the most resources in the Sha Yue Kingdom and eat the best, they naturally grow tall and strong. Non-nobles look like this, much thinner than the people of the seven kingdoms in the Central Plains."

The scout looked at him with disdain. “Your Majesty, isn’t it too much of an honor to send ten Xuanjia soldiers to deal with four barbarian soldiers like these?”

“No,” Xiao Qidi said with a serious expression. “The Sha Yue nobles do not regard commoners as human beings. The more ferocious the Sha Yue people are, the more likely they are to be conscripted as their barbarian soldiers. Although these barbarian soldiers are thin, they are exceptionally agile and should not be underestimated.”

In the distance, a dozen or so Xuan Kingdom citizens who had fled for their lives were exhausted.

Among them were several elderly people who were too weak to move and were getting slower and slower. The others couldn't bear to abandon them, so they tried to help them up.

This led to four barbarian soldiers chasing after them.

With just four people, they surrounded more than a dozen weak, unarmed civilians.

"Trying to run away?" A barbarian soldier brandished a spiky iron knife and sneered, "Dare to disobey orders, and we'll take you back as our slaves!"

One of the villagers mustered his courage and said, "For decades...we...we have lived in Medicine King Valley and lived in peace with your Shayue tribe."

"And on many occasions, we even provide your people with medicinal herbs to treat their illnesses..."

How could you treat us like this!

Upon hearing this, the four barbarian soldiers burst into laughter.

The laughter was particularly eerie in the desolate night.

Another commoner shouted, "We are people of Xuan Kingdom! Aren't you afraid that the Great Xuan Kingdom will send troops to retaliate against us in the future for treating us like this?"

"Hahahaha!" The barbarian soldier laughed even harder.

The leading barbarian soldier sneered, "You insisted on staying here before, but now that you're facing death, you still expect to threaten us with Xuan? Xuan Kingdom abandoned you long ago!"

Some people, unable to contain their anger and knowing they were going to die anyway, simply started cursing, "You bunch of ungrateful wretches!"

"This place has always been the territory of my Great Xuan! A hundred years ago, our king kindly gave you half of it so that you would no longer live a life of eating raw meat and drinking blood, but you have become insatiable! You even want to occupy my Great Xuan territory and kill my Great Xuan people!"

"You...you are a bunch of beasts!"

The other people were no longer afraid and joined in the cursing with righteous indignation.

In an instant, the air was filled with deafening curses.

The four barbarian soldiers were enraged. The leader, his face contorted with rage, ordered, "Skin and dismember these ignorant Xuan people, chop them into pieces, and take them back to cook and eat!"

The barbarian soldier was about to attack, gripping his dagger.

Whoosh!

A sound like something cutting through the air!

A sharp arrow flew from afar, piercing the leader of the barbarian soldiers right through the heart!

The other three were shocked and turned to look, only to find a troop of soldiers rushing toward them.

Before they could even see who it was, they were shot dead one after another.

A dozen or so civilians stood frozen in place until the soldiers arrived before them, at which point they finally came to their senses.

Upon seeing the Xuanjia soldiers, who were clad in strange armor from head to toe, even their horses, everyone knelt down.

"Is this... a divine soldier descending from the heavens?"

"Did the heavenly soldiers come to our rescue?"

"Heaven has eyes!"

"..."

To avoid being pursued by barbarian soldiers, the Xuanjia soldiers had no time to explain and hurriedly led the people to the place where the three thousand Xuanjia soldiers were secretly stationed.

When the soldiers in black armor removed their helmets, the dozen or so civilians realized that they were all from the Xuan Kingdom.

They were utterly shocked.

When they learned that the one leading this mighty Xuanjia army, which looked like heavenly soldiers and generals, to this place was none other than the current king of Xuan Kingdom, they were immediately moved to tears.

"Your Majesty!" The crowd knelt down in unison. "So... the Great Xuan has not forgotten us!"

Xiao Qidi's face tightened, and he clenched his back teeth.

He felt very uncomfortable.

He came here purely for other reasons and was unaware that there were people from the Great Xuan Kingdom here.

"Everyone... please get up." Xiao Qidi's eyes were red at the corners, and his deep voice was gentle. "Please rest for a while."

He then ordered the Xuanjia Army to distribute some of their marching rations to the civilians.

Only after everyone had finished eating did he begin to inquire about the situation.

Soon, they learned from the local people that there was a place called Medicine King Valley.

Legend has it that in ancient times, Shennong traveled here and planted medicinal herbs in this valley.

After Shennong left, he entrusted this place to the medicine boy to continue managing, and the medicine boy's descendants have continued to this day.

These dozen or so people were all related to the descendants of the medicine boy in some way, and they were collectively referred to as the Lian clan.

Therefore, even though this place has been occupied by the Sha Yue Kingdom, they have not left, and thus they have become the only Xuan Kingdom people who are still here.

For decades or even centuries, the Lian clan has mainly lived in Medicine King Valley, relying on their skills in growing medicinal herbs and preparing medicines to survive in the territory inhabited by the Sha Yue people.

Although they are often bullied by the Shaywa people, they can barely live in peace.

But for some reason, a massive army of 100,000 barbarian soldiers suddenly arrived yesterday.

The barbarian general ordered Medicine King Valley to hand over all its food and medicinal herbs, and all members of the Lian clan to be conscripted into the barbarian army as slaves.

Those who disobeyed in the slightest were tortured and killed and displayed to the public.

At this point, the dozen or so survivors burst into tears.

"Your Majesty... out of our Lian clan's more than six hundred members, two hundred were killed yesterday alone!"

"The remaining four hundred or so men have been captured and imprisoned in their camp..."

"The Medicine King Valley left by our ancestors... has been almost completely ruined by them!"

"Your Majesty, please save our clan leader, save our people! And save Medicine King Valley!"

The crowd prostrated themselves on the ground, weeping and kowtowing to Xiao Qidi.

A red glint appeared in Xiao Qidi's eyes as he clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Gentlemen! I hereby swear that if I do not annihilate the Yue Kingdom in the future, I, Xiao Qidi, will not be a man!"

He originally intended to launch a surprise attack while the 100,000 barbarian soldiers of the Shayue were still on their way to Xitun Pass.

He concluded that after annihilating the 30,000 vanguard troops, the Crown Prince of Yu Kingdom would absolutely not dare to launch an attack on Xitun Pass lightly.

That's the precious son of the King of Yu Kingdom; he absolutely cannot be allowed to die.

Therefore, we will definitely wait until the 100,000 barbarian soldiers gather.

The fastest route for the Sha Yue Kingdom to send troops to Xitun Pass is through the area bordering the southwestern border of Da Xuan.

So he personally led three thousand Xuanjia soldiers over, planning to catch the barbarian soldiers off guard.

Unexpectedly, there are still people left behind in Da Xuan, and they are being bullied by barbarian soldiers!

This infuriated him!

“I will go and rescue your people right now! Tell me, where are the barbarian soldiers of the Sha Yue Kingdom currently stationed?” Xiao Qidi asked.

"Your Majesty, it's in Medicine King Valley!" the crowd quickly replied, vying to lead the way for Xiao Qidi.

Considering that he and the Xuanjia Army were all unfamiliar with the area, Xiao Qidi selected two young men from among the civilians. With someone to lead the way and drones assisting in reconnaissance, they could save a lot of time.

It was already past midnight.

Xiao Qidi left behind a dozen or so Xuanjia soldiers to protect the civilians.

He led the remaining three thousand soldiers to Medicine King Valley at breakneck speed.

——

At this moment, Medicine King Valley has been occupied by 100,000 barbarian soldiers from the Sha Yue Kingdom.

What was once a tranquil paradise, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, is now a scene of devastation.

The houses built and the fields cultivated by the people in the valley were all destroyed.

All the livestock they raised, regardless of size, were captured and eaten by the barbarian soldiers.

As for the herb gardens that the Lian clan had carefully cultivated for generations, they were now in a terrible state.

The barbarian soldiers did not cherish the herbs and plundered them like wild vegetables. Their clumsy actions not only wasted most of them but also severely damaged the special soil in the garden used to cultivate the herbs.

In short, in just one day, Medicine King Valley was utterly destroyed by the barbarian soldiers.

The captured members of the Lian clan are currently being held in a cave in the valley.

The entrances to the caves were all blocked by fences made of wooden sticks.

Someone was hugging the fence and crying uncontrollably.

Even the wooden sticks used to make fences to imprison them were originally extremely precious medicinal wood, but they hadn't fully grown yet.

It looks like it will be ready to harvest in a few more years.

As a result... it was cut down by the barbarian soldiers just like an ordinary tree.

This is even more painful for them than cutting themselves in half...

"Who is your chieftain?" A barbarian general, carrying a sword, came to the cave entrance.

The man closest to the cave entrance shouted angrily, "That's me! If you have a problem, come at me!"

The barbarian general reached out and grabbed him by the neck. "I'll ask you one more time, who is the chieftain?"

“I said it, I am!” the man roared.

Pfft!

The barbarian general stabbed the man through the stomach with a single blow.

The man didn't die immediately; blood was everywhere, and he convulsed in agony on the ground, a gruesome sight that sent chills down one's spine.

The cave erupted in uproar, with everyone shouting and cursing.

The barbarian general sneered, then grabbed an elderly woman by the hair and pressed a sharp knife against her neck. "Isn't the chieftain coming out yet?"

The torches outside the cave could only illuminate the area near the cave entrance.

Deeper inside, one could only vaguely see a throng of people.

An elderly man with white hair and beard was held down by several people who tearfully pleaded with him not to step forward.

"It seems... Heaven is going to destroy my Medicine King Valley... Heaven is going to destroy my Lian clan..." The old man was filled with grief and indignation. "Now that things have come to this, what is there left for me to hide from? Am I just going to watch my clansmen die one by one trying to protect me?"

"Get out of my way, all of you!"

The old man, barely holding on, rebuked him.

Everyone around was crying uncontrollably.

The clan leader is the pillar of everyone's strength; without him, no one knows how they would survive.

Just as the elderly woman was about to have her throat slit, a hoarse, aged voice rang out: "Lian Qingbai, the patriarch of the Lian clan, is here!"

The barbarian general raised his head.

Upon seeing the dark cave, the group made way for them.

An elderly man dressed in coarse linen clothes came out. He looked very old and his body was somewhat hunched, but he still walked steadily.

The barbarian general looked the old woman up and down, then suddenly slashed her neck with his sword.

With a soft slur.

Blood splattered!

Lian Qingbai was filled with grief and indignation. "Weren't you looking for me? I'm out! Why did you still kill someone!"

The barbarian general signaled his men to open the gate and drag Lian Qingbai out.

Then, he wiped the blood-stained dagger clean on his clothes and said with a sneer, "Enough nonsense, come with me to see our Great General of the Sha Yue Kingdom."

He shoved Lian Qingbai hard.

The old man fell to the ground and was dragged away by two barbarian soldiers.

"Chief! Chief!!"

Hundreds of people cried out in grief from inside the cave.

The barbarian general turned his head and said in a sinister tone:

"Most of you know some medical skills, so it would be a bit of a waste to kill you all..."

"I'll ask one last time, is there really no one willing to enslave the Yue army for me?"

"I can guarantee that as long as you treat our illnesses and injuries honestly, we will be able to save our lives."

The words fell.

All that could be heard was a spitting sound.

A mouthful of spit landed on his face.

Before he could even wipe it off, a barrage of spittle flew over like rain.

His face turned ashen, and he roared in fury, "Kill all these damned Xuan people, cook them, and then we'll eat them!"

With his command.

Outside the cave, a group of barbarian soldiers drew their long swords, preparing to massacre the more than four hundred people.

Bang!

A loud bang suddenly came from afar!

The ground shook!

The barbarian soldiers looked up in surprise, following the sound, and saw what appeared to be flames shooting into the sky in the distance under the cover of night.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of horns signaling assembly echoed throughout Medicine King Valley.

The barbarian general was filled with doubt and uncertainty, but the military order had already been delivered. He had no time to think and immediately led the barbarian soldiers near the cave away in a hurry.

Inside the cave, the group that had been spared didn't react much.

About two hundred of their people have already been brutally murdered.

The clan chief was also taken away; it's unclear what will happen to him.

The remaining four hundred-plus people no longer held any hope of surviving.

They only hoped that the dozen or so tribesmen who were lucky enough not to be captured by the barbarian soldiers could escape successfully.

Just then, the torches outside the cave went out one after another, and several figures flashed by. Two of them arrived at the cave entrance.

"Squeeze in a bit, move back a little!" came the urging voice.

Inside the cave, those near the entrance stared wide-eyed, barely able to make out anything by the moonlight streaming down from the sky.

When they discovered that the visitors were actually two young clansmen who had previously escaped from Medicine King Valley, everyone was both anxious and angry.

"Everyone risked their lives to cover your escape, how did you two end up back?!"

"Don't worry about us! Otherwise, you'll all be dead when the barbarian soldiers return!"

"Go! Go quickly! Go as far away as possible! From now on... live well for our people!"