Chapter 52 The barbarian army surrenders, and they are sent to attack the Crown Prince of Yu Kingdom!

The Xuanjia Army was momentarily stunned.

Is that His Majesty's voice?

Why did it sound in the air?

Everyone looked up in astonishment.

Only then did I realize that the drone had been hovering at a low altitude without me noticing.

Moreover, there seemed to be something hanging below the drone.

The light was too dim to see clearly.

They then realized that their lord was using a drone to transmit his voice.

After Xiao Qidi's voice rang out, the barbarian soldiers who were surging in from all directions looked at the strange thing floating above the heads of the Xuanjia Army with suspicion and uncertainty.

This thing is neither like a bird nor has wings, yet it can hover in mid-air and even emit a majestic human voice.

It was so bizarre that the barbarian soldiers dared not charge forward for a moment.

The situation reached a stalemate at that moment.

Although the barbarian soldiers were temporarily startled and stopped in their tracks, the Xuanjia Army remained extremely tense.

They thought that the king probably wanted to use drones to scare away the barbarian soldiers.

Although the barbarian soldiers are mindless, they will probably still rush over because of their numbers when they realize that this thing will not cause them any harm.

Based on the drone's flight range, the ruler must still be within the range that the barbarian army can pursue and kill.

"Your Majesty! Don't worry about us!"

"You should leave immediately!"

"We will fight these beasts to the death! Being able to follow you and kill so many enemies makes our lives worthwhile!"

The Xuanjia soldiers shouted at the drone.

But the drone didn't fly away; instead, it turned on its lights.

As the white light flashed, everyone was shocked to see that hanging below the drone was a bloody human head!

The man had long hair and a bushy beard, and his dark, ferocious face had bulging eyes, still bearing the expression of shock and fear before his death.

"This is your Great Commander Ba Meng of the Sha Yue Kingdom. I have already cut off his head!" Xiao Qidi's voice rang out again.

The drone then descended to a height of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), carrying the head of the man, and hovered above the densely packed barbarian soldiers so that they could see him clearly.

This scene caused countless barbarian soldiers to suffer a mental breakdown on the spot.

The bravest warrior of the Yue Kingdom, the commander most revered by all the barbarian soldiers, actually... died just like that.

And there was something strange hanging there, its head gleaming brightly in front of them.

The barbarian soldiers collapsed one after another, and the charging flags of the barbarian army fell one by one, leaving only the main flag in the rear standing high.

"Quickly remove your armor and weapons, kneel down and surrender!" Xiao Qidi's command came from the drone.

The Xuanjia Army was overjoyed and their morale soared. They shouted, "Slay the barbarian soldiers! Surrender at once!"

The deafening shouts further shattered the barbarian soldiers' psychological defenses.

Even the president is dead, how can they fight?

Clang...

Some barbarian soldiers hurriedly dropped their knives, hastily tore off their armor, and knelt down with their hands raised.

The surrounding barbarian soldiers were swayed and immediately followed suit.

As more and more barbarian soldiers knelt down, the barbarian army presented a spectacular sight, like a receding tide.

Just as the Xuanjia Army was about to breathe a sigh of relief, suddenly, a group of messengers rode up from behind the barbarian army, brandishing their swords and shouting:

"The Deputy Commander has ordered! Surrender is not permitted!"

"Raise the charge flag! Take up your swords! Anyone who slacks off will be killed without mercy!"

The barbarian soldiers, while issuing stern warnings, casually slashed and killed any kneeling barbarian soldiers they encountered along the way.

This had a tremendous deterrent effect in a short period of time, stabilizing the barbarian army that was on the verge of collapse.

Flags were then raised one after another in the army.

Upon seeing this, the barbarian soldiers continued to shout to bolster their morale.

"Although the commander-in-chief is dead, the deputy commander-in-chief is still alive! We still have enough troops!"

"They're trapped, they have nowhere to escape! Cheer up! Kill them! Avenge the Commander!"

A barbarian's morale was rekindled through a combination of intimidation and encouragement.

The situation changed drastically again, and the Xuanjia Army was on edge once more.

It seems a fight to the death is inevitable!

Just as the Xuanjia Army, swords in hand, was about to charge into the barbarian army and fight to the death, flames suddenly shot into the sky from the rear of the barbarian army!

The barbarian soldiers' main banner was set on fire.

It was vaguely visible that even a row of wooden chariots next to it were on fire.

This situation indicates that there is a major problem on the deputy commander's side, and the barbarian soldiers are at a loss for what to do.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Xuanjia Army formed a triangular formation and rapidly advanced towards the fire!

They guessed that this was the king's doing, which meant that the king was over there!

However, even with the barbarian soldiers' morale greatly diminished, they were almost unable to move an inch once they were surrounded by the barbarian army.

Although he managed to kill some more barbarian soldiers with his last bit of strength, it looked like he was about to be hacked to pieces by a swarm of more barbarian soldiers.

Just then, the signal to retreat rang out from the barbarian camp.

The rapid sounds of gongs and drums grew louder and louder.

Without a second thought, the barbarian soldiers immediately retreated.

Although the Xuanjia Army did not know what was going on, they still gritted their teeth and chased after them.

They chased the enemy all the way to their rear and found that amidst the raging fire, the ground was in ruins and the enemy's deputy commander's camp had collapsed.

They finally saw Xiao Qidi.

At this moment, Xiao Qidi, holding a long sword, was holding the deputy commander who had led the troops to besiege the Xuanjia Army hostage.

In addition, two barbarian deputy commanders were directing other generals to stabilize the situation.

The Xuanjia Army swarmed forward, ready to capture the two deputy commanders.

"Stop!" Xiao Qidi stopped them.

After his explanation, the Xuanjia Army learned that he had not only beheaded Ba Meng, but also captured and subdued the other two deputy commanders.

These two were the ones who just gave the order to sound the retreat.

“You’ve done well,” Xiao Qidi said, looking at the two deputy commanders. “How to deal with this man is up to you. The rest of the barbarian army doesn’t need so many commanders.”

As he spoke, he pushed the deputy commander who had just been taken hostage over to him.

The two deputy commanders understood each other perfectly and drew their swords, ready to kill the deputy commander in charge of the troops.

One of them acted first and, without saying a word, chopped off the man's head.

Then, holding the bloodied head, he walked up to Xiao Qidi, bowing and scraping with a fawning expression, and said, "I have killed him for you. Please spare my life. From now on, I will lead all the barbarian soldiers to obey your orders."

Xiao Qidi's eyes were dark, and his gaze held a profound and unfathomable light.

*Pfft*

The deputy commander in front of Xiao Qidi suddenly froze, his hands falling limply to his sides, and the head he was holding rolled to the side.

He slowly looked down and saw a blade piercing his chest, blood dripping from the tip onto the back of his foot.

His eyes widened, and he staggered around, only to see another deputy commander's sinister grin.

"You...you actually...ambushed me..." He looked furious and fell down unwillingly.

Another deputy commander cut off his head before he died.

Then they picked up the head of the first deputy commander and presented it to Xiao Qidi.

"Your Majesty, please accept my bow. Now, the Grand Commander and two Deputy Commanders of the Sha Yue Barbarian Army are dead, leaving only me as the commander. I am willing to lead all the barbarian soldiers to surrender! What do you think..."

"Then you will take command of the remaining barbarian soldiers."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The deputy commander was overjoyed, completely unaware that Xiao Qidi's lips curled into a cunning, cold smile.

A long night has passed.

At dawn, the entire barbarian army had been counted.

The newly appointed commander arrived at the barbarian camp and took the initiative to report to Xiao Qidi.

It is said that of the original 100,000 barbarian soldiers, only 76,000 remained.

Of the remaining men, about four thousand were wounded and more than two thousand refused to obey his orders; he ordered them all killed.

Therefore, the current number of barbarian soldiers is around 70,000.

“Good,” Xiao Qidi said with an approving look, “It seems you are a person who can do great things.”

The commander knelt and said, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!"

A cold smile flashed in Xiao Qidi's eyes. "A talent like you is wasted on being a barbarian commander. Would you be interested in replacing the King of Shayue?"

The commander immediately said, "The two most powerful sons of the King of Shayue are dead, and all his troops are under my command. Of course, I want to replace him! I assure you that once I become the King of Shayue, I will submit to the Great Xuan!"

Xiao Qidi said quietly, "But didn't your Shayue submit to the Yu Kingdom?"

The commander raised his head, trying his best to put on a flattering expression. "That was the order of the former king. After I took over, of course I have to be on good terms with Da Xuan. The armor and weapons provided by Yu Kingdom are far inferior to those provided to your Xuanjia Army... As long as you provide them to us in the future, I believe the ministers in the Sha Yue Kingdom court will not object."

“You’re a smart man,” Xiao Qidi said with a smile. “Alright, but I have a condition.”

The commander clasped his hands in a fist salute, "Your Majesty, please speak!"

Xiao Qidi's lips curled slightly. "I wonder if your 70,000 barbarian soldiers can defeat the 170,000 elite troops of the Yu Kingdom led by the Crown Prince?"

"Seventeen thousand? Isn't it two hundred thousand?" the commander asked in surprise.

Xiao Qidi chuckled, "I've already taken away 30,000."

The commander quickly flattered him, "Great Xuan Lord, you are truly amazing!"

Xiao Qidi said, "The 170,000 elite troops of the Yu Kingdom are currently waiting outside Xitun Pass for the assistance of your Shayue Kingdom's barbarian soldiers. Are you willing to go and fight them?"

The commander's eyes darted around.

After weighing the options, he nodded and said, "I'm willing, of course I'm willing! That Crown Prince of Yu has no experience in leading troops into battle, and he doesn't know that I'm going to attack him. I'm absolutely confident that I can wipe out those 170,000 elite troops of Yu!"

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" Xiao Qidi praised generously. "Then I'll be waiting for your good news, the future king of the Sha Yue Kingdom."

The commander was thrilled to the core by being called the future king of the Sha Yue Kingdom. After kowtowing in gratitude, he immediately set about taking action.

After he left, several generals of the three thousand Xuanjia soldiers led by Xiao Qidi could no longer hold back and knelt down in front of him.

"Your Majesty! The people of the Yue Kingdom cannot be trusted! You are letting a tiger return to the mountains!"

"Why not kill them all? And why even offer to help this person become the ruler of the Sha Yue Kingdom?"

"We implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"

The generals were so anxious that their faces turned pale.

They simply couldn't understand why their ruler, knowing full well the nature of the Sha Yue people, would still make such an unusual decision.

Xiao Qidi said calmly, "You're worried that this commander won't attack the Crown Prince of Yu Kingdom, right?"

The generals nodded quickly.

Xiao Qidi smiled slightly, “The Sha Yue people are greedy, fierce, and barbaric. They fear power but not morality, and most of them are short-sighted. Especially this commander just now, in order to protect himself, he didn’t hesitate to kill his own people. He is both afraid of death and covets the throne. In addition, having witnessed our fighting power, he will definitely choose to betray Yu Kingdom and fight for the throne for himself.”

After hearing his analysis, the generals breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the group was still not completely at ease.

They exchanged a glance, and one of the generals spoke up: "Then... Your Majesty, do you really intend to support him to become the king of the Sha Yue Kingdom? This man's character is so despicable, I'm afraid he will betray the Great Xuan again in the future."

Xiao Qidi asked, "What do you think the outcome would be if 70,000 barbarian soldiers fought against 170,000 elite troops from the Yu Kingdom?"

As they thought about it, they shared their opinions.

"The Yu Kingdom's elite troops are slightly better equipped, but the barbarian soldiers also use Yu Kingdom's weapons. The Yu Kingdom's elite troops are well-trained, but the barbarian soldiers are more ferocious. Overall, if the numbers are equal and it is a fight to the death, the barbarian soldiers are probably slightly inferior to the Yu Kingdom's elite troops."

"However, the 170,000 elite troops of the Yu Kingdom are led by its crown prince, who has no strategic thinking and is probably no better than this barbarian commander in terms of tactics."

"More importantly, the Yu Kingdom's army is unaware that the barbarian soldiers have rebelled. Instead of going to help them, they are going to kill them. As a result, they will definitely be caught off guard."

"Therefore... 70,000 barbarian soldiers versus 170,000 elite troops of the Yu Kingdom, the two sides are probably evenly matched, and it is hard to say who will win."

As they spoke, their eyes suddenly lit up.

yes!

If the two sides are evenly matched, wouldn't a fight result in mutual destruction?

That's a brilliant plan!

Only then did the generals realize how far-sighted their ruler was!

Without sacrificing a single Xuanjia soldier, they instigated a dogfight between the barbarian army and the Yu Kingdom's elite troops!

It can not only destroy the military strength of the Sha Yue Kingdom in one fell swoop, but also severely damage the Yu Kingdom, and also solve the crisis of Xitun Pass being besieged by more enemy troops!

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!

No wonder His Majesty disregarded the advice of General Duan and others and insisted on personally leading three thousand Xuanjia soldiers to launch a surprise attack on the barbarian troops!

Such planning and such boldness—which king in the world can compare?

Those powerful ministers and nobles who control the Great Xuan court are truly blind, failing to take such a talented and promising young monarch seriously!

For a moment, several generals felt their eyes sting with tears, their hearts filled with both excitement and deep resentment.

He wanted to say something, but his words caught in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single sentence.

"Alright..." Xiao Qidi rubbed his temples and said, "Go and rest. You and the Xuanjia soldiers have been rushing here from Xitun Pass and fighting one battle after another. You should rest."

"Yes... Your Majesty." The generals clasped their hands in tears and respectfully departed.

After they left, Xiao Qidi looked tired, his bloodshot eyes scanning his surroundings.

This is the very tent where he fought a desperate battle with Ba Meng last night.

The bronze cauldron lay overturned in the corner, the broth's remaining oil and blood mixed together, already congealed, with some cooked human remains scattered everywhere.

Last night... he was almost crushed to death by a bronze cauldron filled with boiling soup.

Even now, thinking back to that harrowing scene, he still feels a lingering fear.

He slowly stood up, supporting himself on the chair with both hands. A sharp pain swept through his body from his back, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead.

He gritted his teeth and slowly took off his bulletproof vest, the cold sweat on his forehead gradually becoming as big as soybeans.

"Your Majesty!" Lian Qingbai quietly entered the tent. "Your soldiers have all gone to rest. I've had my tribesmen treat their wounds. Please let me take a look!"

Xiao Qidi, enduring the pain, nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Lian Qingbai quickly walked behind Xiao Qidi, and instantly, a look of shock and heartache appeared on his old face. He couldn't help but gasp.

"What, is it serious?" Xiao Qidi asked softly.