The black snake clan man's expression changed.

“Your father is skilled in strategy, but you haven’t received any of his personal instruction. Why are you in such a hurry? It seems that the matters under your command haven’t been settled yet.” Meng Yuxiu glanced at him coldly.

Although he was not in the northern frontier, he had been there for several days. How could his subordinates not have found out?

Hu Ji stood up abruptly, his nine-foot-tall frame radiating anger, the chair scraping against him with a hissing sound. Everyone present looked at him, while Meng Yuxiu coldly glared at him. Hu Ji, wary, angrily sulked under the table.

“Those who come may not be innocent, and those who don’t come may not be guilty. I have no objection to settling down and sticking together, but for those with malicious intentions, I can only nip the disaster in the bud. Winter is coming soon, and there isn’t enough food. What are your plans?” Meng Yuxiu’s stern eyes swept over everyone, and they all sensed his threat. After a while, someone finally dared to speak. Wu Man’er crossed her legs and shook them, raising an eyebrow.

"From what you're saying, the general is going to deal with those who didn't come?"

Among the tribes that didn't come was the Dongyi tribe, one of the most powerful on the grasslands. They were always with their horses, brave and skilled in battle, and had been devouring weaker tribes. They also had close ties with the Black Wind tribe—the one who just spoke.

The leader of the Black Wind tribe was a woman in her thirties. She was exceptionally fierce, and almost no one on the grassland could subdue her. However, she and the leader of the Dongyi tribe hit it off.

But judging from her current attitude, she probably has no feelings for him at all.

Meng Yuxiu said meaningfully, "The grasslands believe in the law of the jungle, and this principle is always paramount. I believe there are still some people who lack food. Now that there is plenty of grain and herds of cattle and sheep, why not take it?"

The atmosphere changed abruptly, and a commotion broke out below. Everyone looked at each other, seeing greed and apprehension in each other's eyes, as well as the deepest hidden anger.

Wu Man'er sneered, her fingers tracing her red lips: "The Dongyi tribe is not a weak tribe. They are not willing to give up for nothing, and there are others eyeing them covetously. If General An Meng's idea is implemented, how many days can you survive? You want us to kill each other and profit from it!"

"Whether he agrees or not is irrelevant to me."

Having said all that, Meng Yuxiu clearly didn't want to waste any more words.

Wu Man'er's eyes darted around, and a sly smile appeared on her face: "With the general's words, we can rest assured." That's what she said, but her suspicions were no less.

Some of those present had their own ideas. Basharin said, "No one dares to question the God of War's reputation. I didn't witness it with my own eyes back then, but now is the perfect opportunity. General Meng, the weather is getting colder and colder. How about we have a spar? It can warm us up."

Basharin spoke in a grand and righteous tone, but his eyes were full of calculation. His scrutinizing gaze fell on Meng Yuxiu, clearly indicating that he had other intentions.

If he is not as good as before, it might not be a bad idea to make a move according to plan.

Meng Yuxiu knew perfectly well: "It's just a friendly spar. You can have your men do it. My sword is for killing, not for playing tricks. If you insist on trying, I can grant your request."

Basharin froze, then forced a smile.

Hu Ji slammed his hand on the table and said, "Perfect! I've brought my men, let's have a good competition!"

Meng Yuxiu clapped his hands twice, and the deputy general who was guarding outside walked in. Meng Yuxiu raised his chin at Hu Ji's servant: "The leader wants to watch someone fight. Why don't you fight him?"

The lieutenant clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, drew his sword from his waist, and the group arrived at an open space. The lieutenant and a tall man dressed in leather and holding a curved knife suddenly rushed forward and attacked his lower body.

The lieutenant was no pushover either; he leaped over and mercilessly knocked everyone down until they couldn't get up.

Aquinas and Huggies were clearly not satisfied and clamored for another match. Meng Yuxiu agreed and sent his men back into the arena. However, the barbarians who came after them were far less docile than before. They used hidden weapons and insidious tactics during the fight.

The lieutenant was nearly hit, his face changed drastically, and he slammed his elbow heavily into the barbarian's vertebrae. The barbarian cried out "Ah!" and fell to the ground, his upper body paralyzed.

Aquinas said, "It's just a friendly spar, why would I risk my life?!"

The lieutenant walked to the pillar, removed the hidden weapon, and threw it on the ground. Meng Yuxiu said calmly, "Isn't he still alive?"

Aquinas was about to speak again when Basharin interrupted him directly: "Your men used hidden weapons to injure people, and the other party did not choose to use a sword, which is already giving you face."

Aquinas had no rebuttal and beckoned his men to carry the man away.

The atmosphere became very tense. Basharin, wary of Meng Yuxiu's ulterior motives, was trying to change the subject when the Black Serpent Clan leader suddenly spoke up.

"There's a reason why some people would resort to any means to infiltrate the Central Plains. General Meng, the disappearance of women from the tribe is not a one-off occurrence, even the chief's daughter has been missing. We've searched the entire grassland, but we can't find her anywhere. There are rumors that they were kidnapped, and that it's inextricably linked to the people from the Central Plains!"

Basharin thought for a moment and said, "I believe you also know that human trafficking is a serious problem in Duanzhou, which is why you have this guess."

Meng Yuxiu remained noncommittal, noted down what was said, but did not make any further comments.

On the other side, Chang Lili was told that it was a woman who was lying, and she quickly drank a mouthful of tea to suppress the shock in her heart.

"I hadn't thought of that..." she muttered. Unable to find anyone, she looked around aimlessly. In an inconspicuous corner, a group of people at a table caught her attention, or more precisely, the weapon that person had placed on the table.

At first glance, it looks like a curved knife from the Miao region, round in shape with notches on both sides to jam the opponent's weapon.

But if she wasn't mistaken, the scimitar could be separated! It could be held with both hands, and those people had half-arm-length, patterned round sticks that were connected to the bottom of the scimitar, allowing them to be used as spears.

Chang Lili had never seen such a peculiar weapon before. No matter how she used it, it didn't feel out of place at all; it only made people feel that it was ingenious.

She had never made such a thing before and couldn't help but wonder what kind of mechanism it contained.

Chang Lili scurried off the table. Faced with the puzzled looks from Xu Yuandao and Bai Cha, she waved her hand, telling them to keep quiet for the time being, and then went to the table alone.

"We're eating!" Chang Lili greeted politely. Once she got closer, she became even more curious, staring at the curved knife several times before asking expectantly, "Judging from your attire, are you from the grasslands? Is there anything I can help you with? I know Duanzhou well; I can show you the way!"

As the strangers approached, the men became wary, their right hands instinctively resting on their scimitars: "Get lost! Or die!"

"Don't be so fierce." Chang Lili touched the tip of her nose.

Without saying a word, the man grabbed his curved blade and held it to Chang Lili's neck.