Chapter 50 Barbarian soldiers want the Shennong medical manual? Dream on!
"There's no time to explain!"
"You all step back!"
The two young men growled.
The forceful tone left the people near the cave entrance with no choice but to comply.
Xiao Qidi appeared like a ghost from behind the two young men, drawing the sword from his waist.
The people near the cave entrance were completely bewildered and discussed among themselves:
Who is this person wearing strange armor?
"Does he want to cut the chains on the fence?"
"How is that possible! The chains used by the barbarian soldiers were provided by the Yu Kingdom and are made of pig iron. Even ordinary pig iron broadswords can hardly cut through them..."
Bang!
With a crisp crack, sparks flew.
The sturdy locks and chains forged from pig iron were cleaved into pieces by a single stroke before them!
Xiao Qidi pulled open the heavy wooden fence, which required two or three people to pull with one hand, and quickly said to the people inside the cave, "Follow these two and leave Medicine King Valley as soon as possible."
"Hurry up, hurry up!" the two young tribesmen urged.
Before they could even express their gratitude, the crowd hastily pulled the elderly and carried the young, and the four hundred or so people surged out of the cave that had imprisoned them like a tidal wave.
Xiao Qidi opened a tinderbox and went inside to check it.
Looking around, this cave does resemble the Fairy Cave in Linxian Village in some ways, with no other entrances or exits and a fairly large space.
After confirming that no one had been left behind, he left the cave, found a secluded high spot nearby, turned on the drone he was carrying on his shoulder, and launched it into the sky.
He had previously ordered three thousand Xuanjia soldiers to draw the attention of the barbarian troops.
That explosion was deliberately caused by the Xuanjia soldiers using explosives.
I believe that several hundred members of the Lian clan will be able to escape safely.
As for him, he needed a way to deal with these 100,000 barbarian soldiers from the root.
Although the Xuanjia Army was far superior to the barbarian soldiers in terms of equipment, they were still too few in number, and they would have little chance of winning if they fought head-on.
At this moment, near the entrance to Medicine King Valley.
Hundreds of barbarian soldiers have already fallen in pools of blood.
They were killed by a dozen or so armored cavalrymen.
The armored cavalryman, wielding a lance, shouted, "How come there's not a single one who can fight?"
"Aren't you supposed to be very fierce?"
"Is that all you've got?"
"Where did that drive to slaughter civilians go?"
"Get out here and face your death! You bunch of useless beasts!"
The reason these dozen or so people acted so arrogantly was entirely due to orders from Emperor Xiao Qidi.
They were cursing so enthusiastically that the remaining Xuanjia soldiers lying in ambush behind them were secretly sweating bullets.
Although it sounds exciting, if it's provoked too much and causes 100,000 barbarian soldiers to come out in full force, the 3,000 Xuanjia soldiers might all perish here.
Soon after, a cacophony of footsteps could be heard.
Thousands of barbarian soldiers emerged from Medicine King Valley.
They wore clothes hastily pieced together from animal skins and linen, and because of the hot weather, they were all bare-chested and exposed-bellied, with only some vital areas covered by iron armor provided by the Kingdom of Yu.
Although most of the barbarian soldiers were small in stature, they were all lean and muscular.
With their dark skin, sunken eyes, and savage, fierce appearance, they looked like a group of demons under the torchlight.
"Kill them!" roared a barbarian general.
He couldn't be bothered to ask who the other person was.
The other side has already broken into their camp, killing and shouting. How can they tolerate this?
With a command given.
The first wave of barbarian soldiers rushed forward.
Thousands of barbarian soldiers let out strange cries and charged at a dozen or so Xuanjia soldiers with their iron swords raised in a frenzy.
"Kill!" The Xuanjia soldiers didn't waste any words, roared, and rode their horses to meet the enemy, wielding their lances.
The first soldier in black armor to charge out thrust his lance diagonally downwards.
The lance, which was over ten feet long, had a blade that was longer than that of ordinary swords and knives.
He merely charged forward on his warhorse, and the blade of his spear pierced through the chests of three barbarian soldiers!
The immense impact sent the other barbarian soldiers flying and instantly created a large opening in the surging crowd of barbarian soldiers!
The barbarian soldier was only slightly stunned when the sharp edge of the lance came slashing down and instantly split his head in two!
The other dozen or so Xuanjia soldiers were not to be outdone, and one after another they charged into the barbarian soldiers' ranks, slaughtering everyone in their path!
The barbarian soldiers of the Yue Kingdom have never had any tactics to speak of; when they fight, they rely entirely on a bloodthirsty and ruthless spirit.
Because of the iron armor and weapons provided by the Yu Kingdom, they could rampage recklessly, killing without caring about their own safety.
Therefore, before this, the barbarian soldiers of the Sha Yue Kingdom had always been a shadow in the hearts of the soldiers and people of the Xuan Kingdom.
But now.
Their iron armor was practically worthless against the Xuanjia soldiers' spears.
The iron swords in their hands could not cut through the protective gear of the Xuanjia soldiers; even when they tried to parry, their swords would be cleaved in two by the horse spears!
Before long, several thousand barbarian soldiers were mostly wiped out by a dozen or so Xuanjia soldiers, who cut them down like vegetables.
The remaining few were still breathing, but not many could stand up.
The land was stained with blood, and the air was thick with an overwhelming stench of blood.
The arms of the dozen or so Xuanjia soldiers were so sore that they could barely lift them, and their warhorses were also panting heavily.
Although he was not injured after killing so many barbarian soldiers, his physical strength was greatly depleted.
The barbarian general who had just given the order finally realized something was wrong after witnessing his thousands of soldiers suffer such a crushing defeat.
"Who...who are you people?!" he exclaimed in surprise and doubt.
A soldier in black armor shouted back, "You're the ones who want your lives! I haven't had enough of killing so few beasts yet! Send out as many as you can!"
Upon hearing this, the barbarian general was furious and immediately summoned nearly 10,000 more barbarian soldiers.
"Kill them all!" the barbarian general roared.
Nearly ten thousand barbarian soldiers charged out like wild beasts.
A dozen or so Xuanjia soldiers pulled on the reins and turned to run.
They're here to attract attention, not to die.
Even ten thousand pigs are not something that a mere dozen or so people can handle.
Moreover, after two consecutive battles, one large and one small, they were exhausted.
Seeing that they were trying to run away, the ten thousand barbarian soldiers were not about to let them go. They drew their swords and took off chasing after them.
After chasing for about half a mile, the barbarian soldiers gradually fell behind.
After all, even if the barbarian soldiers were agile and good at running, they still couldn't catch up with the four-legged warhorses in a short time.
Once they had created some distance between themselves and the barbarian soldiers.
A group of Xuanjia soldiers lying in ambush nearby hurriedly lit the fuses.
Sizzle—
Several thin streaks of fire spread rapidly across the ground.
boom!
A loud bang!
Flames soared into the sky amidst the barbarian soldiers, and severed limbs flew everywhere!
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Then came several more violent explosions.
The 10,000 barbarian soldiers who had pursued them were routed and fled in terror within a few breaths.
Not many were killed directly by the explosion.
Instead, a serious stampede occurred when so many people were in shock.
Or perhaps it was an accidental injury caused by a weapon in the chaos.
After all that commotion, the number of people killed or injured far exceeded those killed on the spot.
Before long, less than two thousand people were left, fleeing back in a panic.
The barbarian general in charge of resolving this emergency was disheartened. He had thought it was just a dozen or so cavalrymen who had appeared out of nowhere and were looking for death, but he never expected that they would cause him to lose tens of thousands of men in a short period of time!
This situation was beyond the control of a low-ranking general like him.
He quickly ran back to the valley and found a general of a higher rank to report the situation.
Upon hearing this, the other side flew into a rage, calling him a piece of trash. He drew his sword and killed him on the spot, then sent someone to report the situation to the commander of the 100,000 barbarian soldiers.
Inside a tent in a camping area within Medicine King Valley.
Lian Qingbai was being forced to kneel on the ground by two barbarian soldiers.
In front of him sat a burly, bearded man with broad shoulders and a thick waist. Beside him was a huge bronze cauldron, with firewood burning underneath, cooking meat.
The camp was filled with the aroma of meat, which had a slightly fishy smell.
The blazing firewood cast flickering light and shadow on the face of the burly, bearded man.
The burly man with a bushy beard fished a piece of half-cooked meat out of the boiling water with his bare hands, took a bite, and chewed until his mouth was full of blood and foam.
He ate with great relish, causing the barbarian soldiers and generals present to secretly swallow their saliva.
Lian Qingbai frowned, feeling nauseous, and couldn't help but say, "You have been in the Sha Yue Kingdom for nearly a hundred years, yet you are still crude and vulgar... unable to change your savage nature."
The burly man with the bushy beard didn't take his words seriously and asked while eating meat, "Do you know who I am?"
Lian Qingbai glared coldly, "I heard that the one leading the troops through this area is Ba Meng, the second son of the King of Sha Yue and the commander of the barbarian army. Could it be you?"
"Since you know it's me, why don't you kowtow?" Ba Meng's eyes were fierce, and his voice was like thunder.
That imposing aura alone is enough to terrify an ordinary person.
Lian Qingbai, however, arrogantly raised his head and spat forcefully, "Bah! What right does this brat Sha Yue have to make the people of Da Xuan kowtow?"
Snap!
The barbarian general next to him slapped him across the face.
Lian Qingbai was quite old, and although he was still very healthy, he couldn't withstand such force. He immediately coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
"You old fool!" The barbarian general stomped on his head and said viciously, "Commander Ba Meng is the bravest warrior in our Sha Yue Kingdom, commanding an army of 100,000! How dare you be so insolent in front of him?"
Lian Qingbai spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and sneered:
"The insignificant Sha Yue tribe... If it weren't for the mercy shown by my Great Xuan King a hundred years ago, you would still be eating raw meat and drinking blood in the desolate mountains! A bunch of ungrateful and treacherous creatures who have benefited from others! What kind of brave warriors are you!"
"And you claim to be the bravest warrior in the entire Yue Kingdom! How many of you are there in total?"
"An army of 100,000? Ha! You're nothing but a bunch of Sha Yue people who don't even consider yourselves human! This should be all the military strength your Sha Yue Kingdom has, right? You dare to show off in front of me? How utterly laughable!"
A barrage of cold laughter and insults made the barbarian generals present furious.
"Want to die? Fine! I'll crush your head!" The barbarian general who was stepping on his head was about to exert his strength.
Ba Meng's eyes darkened. "Get out of the way!"
"Yes... Commander-in-Chief..." The barbarian general's eyes showed fear, and he hurriedly moved his feet away.
Ba Meng threw the meat he had eaten most of back into the bronze cauldron, strode up to Lian Qingbai, and said condescendingly, "Old man, don't think that just because I think you and your people are somewhat useful, I won't really kill you all."
Lian Qingbai sneered, "The Lian clan members are never afraid of death, so go ahead and kill them!"
A murderous aura surged in Ba Meng's beast-like eyes.
He could kill this elderly man at his feet with just one finger.
But he held back, squatted down, stared straight into the old man's eyes, and asked, "Do you know why I personally led a large army through this place?"
Lian Qingbai scoffed, "What does this have to do with me?"
"Aren't you from Xuan Kingdom? Of course I have to tell you." Ba Meng gritted his teeth, "My elder brother, Ba Yong, actually died at Xitun Pass in Xuan Kingdom!"
Lian Qingbai's eyes instantly lit up with joy, "Hahaha! Good riddance!"
Ba Meng reached out and grabbed Lian Qingbai by the neck. "When I marched here, I learned that there were still several hundred Xuan people living in Medicine King Valley. I should have killed you all, along with the Xuan people of Xitun Pass whom I was about to slaughter, to pay tribute to my brother!"
"But I have also learned that you people know how to grow herbs and are skilled in medicine. I need you when I go to war."
"It is said that... you still preserve the medical secrets left by the ancient Shennong."
"Yes and no?"
Lian Qingbai's face turned purple from being pinched.
He still said with unwavering pride, "That's right! My Lian clan's ancestor was a medicine boy by Shennong's side. This is the glory of my clan! We have indeed preserved Shennong's medical secrets in accordance with our ancestral teachings!"
"Where's the secret manual? Hand it over!" Ba Meng released his thick, rough hand.
Lian Qingbai gasped for breath, his eyes filled with both resentment and sarcasm. "You've already ruined Medicine King Valley like this, looted countless precious herbs, and you still want us to be your accomplices? You even want to obtain the medical secrets of my Chinese ancestor Shennong? You're utterly shameless, worse than beasts! Keep dreaming!"
Ba Meng exhaled a foul-smelling hot breath from his nostrils, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. "Old man, it seems I have to teach you a lesson."
After saying that, he grabbed Lian Qingbai by the back of the neck and carried him to the side of the bronze cauldron.
The bronze cauldron was scorching hot; even just getting a little close caused Qingbai's beard to curl up.
The scorching heat and the bubbling steam from the broth made the old man extremely uncomfortable.
"Come here, take a good look." Ba Meng grabbed the old man with one hand, and with the other hand, he fished out a mangled and mangled human head from the meat soup. "This is a member of the Lian clan who was slaughtered yesterday. I wonder if you still recognize him?"
Lian Qingbai burst into tears instantly.
Of course he recognized him...
In this region, only the Lian clan are people of the Xuan Kingdom.
The people of Xuan Kingdom are part of the Central Plains Han Chinese ethnic group, and they all share similar bone structure characteristics.
They were distinctly different from the barbarian tribes surrounding the Central Plains.
This human head... has a full forehead and a square jaw, completely unlike the skull of the Sha Yue tribe, which resembles a mountain demon.
"Beast... Beast!" Lian Qingbai cried out in grief and indignation, staring at the empty eye sockets of the skull before him. "If the Kingdom of Shayue does not perish, where is justice! Where is justice! Where is justice!!!"
After shouting "Where is justice?" three times, the old man spat out a mouthful of blood!
The sound was like a soul being torn apart; anyone who heard it would be moved to tears.
But to Ba Meng and the other barbarian generals beside him, it revealed a ferocious smile.
Their inherently savage and cruel nature made them enjoy the feeling of torturing prisoners.
“Old man, I won’t let you die too easily.” Ba Meng’s smile grew even more sinister. “I’m going to boil one of your arms first, so you can watch me eat it.”
After saying that, he drew the sword from his waist and aimed it at Lian Qingbai's shoulder joint, ready to strike hard...
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