"I got the answer!" Xi Junmai walked excitedly into the hall.
"Good lad, you've got some skills! How did you find out?" Cheng Huailiang asked curiously. He hadn't expected that Xi Junmai could get all the information in one night. Top experts are known for their pride, and even if they were to back down, they wouldn't do it so quickly.
"What's the big deal? Whether it's the Bad Guys or the Six Doors, they have plenty of interrogation methods. But I'm not that kind-hearted and will use gentle methods. I'll smash his little brother bit by bit with a hammer, and just as I'm about to crack his testicles, he'll tell me everything," Xi Junmai grinned.
"Tell me!" Qin Mu asked, tapping the table lightly. He disliked the fact that the Sun family still used tables for kneeling, but given the current situation, he didn't have time to deal with other matters.
"Yes! The Pierced-Chest Clan calls themselves the Undying Clan. They say they live in the Southern Continent of the Great Wilderness. As for why they are called that, it is a name passed down from their ancestors. The Pierced-Chest Clan has four large tribes, one holy city, and a population of 180,000; the Feathered People live on the high mountains to the west, with a population of about 120,000 to 150,000."
The two races were mortal enemies, with the Piercing-Chest Clan being stronger. However, the Feathered People occupied the high mountains and could fly briefly, so they couldn't be defeated. This great change in the world has created a much wider world, and we have seized the place closest to the mainland. Based on the terrain, Yazhou should have been the lowest point in the land.
"The Pierced-Chest Clan discovered many unfamiliar tribes around them and wanted to conquer us first. After suffering a loss last time, they realized our strength and persuaded the Feathered People to join forces against us," Xi Junmai explained.
Qin Mu could roughly understand, since the distant mountains could be vaguely seen from Yazhou.
"So, the Pierced Chest Clan is a warlike and restless race. Do you know how big this place is? It's barely enough for them to survive, yet they can't wait to leave?" Han Chen asked.
Regarding Yazhou today, Qin Mu had considered sending ships to survey its terrain and size, but he was concerned about the changes in ocean currents and sea routes; sending a fleet rashly would certainly result in losses. His primary objective in the Tang Dynasty was to secure a stable and uneventful period.
Sending out a fleet might lead to trouble, and if it attracts more attention, it wouldn't be worth it. The key issue is that the fleet isn't empty; it's been busy transporting troops and supplies back and forth between Yazhou and Lingnan for the past two months.
“It’s huge! According to the confession of the Piercing Chest Clan, this is an oval-shaped terrain with the Tianwang Mountain Range in the middle and steep cliffs on the outside. In the past, they saw the void, but now they see the sea,” Xi Junmai replied.
"Do they live by hunting and gathering? No wonder they're so skilled with javelins; they must have trained to deal with the Feathered People," Cheng Huailiang said.
"Yes, they live by hunting and gathering. There are many large wild animals on the island, and it is said that there are even giants taller than the city walls."
"So big! Looks like we should avoid messing with it." Cheng Huailiang said in surprise, then licked his lips and added, "I'll slaughter one when I have time. It should taste pretty good."
"So, it seems the Pierced Chest Clan doesn't have many elites left?" Han Chen said, then looked at Qin Mu.
"Raise the troops and prepare for battle. Before they gather together, kill them!" Qin Mu said solemnly.
"Don't they have four tribes? Tomorrow we'll split up and head out to their city. This time I have only one request: exterminate them all!" Qin Mu said firmly, looking around as everyone looked at him.
"Don't you want prisoners?" Han Chen asked in surprise.
"No! Neither men nor women, no. These strange things shouldn't live in this world. Do you want one of your descendants to have a hole in their chest?" Qin Mu shook his head and said.
"I don't want to." Cheng Huailiang shivered and shook his head repeatedly.
"Kill them all." Fang Yi'ai echoed menacingly. He was a die-hard fan of Qin Mu, and Qin Mu was absolutely right.
Since the decision to send troops has been made, the next step is to discuss personnel allocation. The key issue is that this time it is a mountain march. Fortunately, although the mountains are high and the forests are dense, there is no situation like the overgrown weeds and difficult marching conditions in tropical rainforests.
The dramatic changes in the world are not without their benefits. Not to mention the increase in spiritual energy, the newly appeared places are filled with tall trees, with hundreds of meters tall trees everywhere. Moreover, an unfamiliar place always inspires a desire to explore.
Aside from that time in the secret realm, this was the first time Qin Mu had stepped into a place where towering trees could be seen everywhere. Fortunately, perhaps because of the trees, the roads here were easy to walk on, and there was no situation like in Southeast Asia where the ground was covered with fallen leaves and one would sink into them.
As the army marched into the mountains, flocks of birds took flight and wild beasts fled. It truly was a place brimming with spiritual energy; even the rabbits were as big as dogs. No wonder hunting could sustain so many people. Deer, their bridles like tree branches, ran like the wind, while venomous snakes, as thick as an arm, flicked their tongues and burrowed into the ground.
The Pierced Chest Tribe seemed not to have expected the retaliation to come so quickly. Although the tribe was on high alert, their faces were filled with fear.
"Fire!" Qin Mu waved his hand and gave the order. When he saw these guys with holes in their chests, he thought of the more than 30,000 casualties. These were the casualties that only occurred in a battle against a million monkeys.
In the siege of Wucheng, Qin Mu and his well-prepared men still had plenty of arrows. They immediately unleashed a barrage of crossbow bolts and arrows at the Piercing Chest Tribe. What puzzled the Piercing Chest Tribe most was how those massive catapults and ballistae had been brought in.
In areas with predominantly wooden houses, rockets are undoubtedly the best method. Although they won't ignite immediately, by the time they do, it will be too late. The relentless rain of arrows also left the Pierced Chest Tribe with no time to put out the fires, forcing them to cower with their shields raised.
The thick, refined iron crossbow bolts were a nightmare for the Piercing Chest Clan. Even a top-tier expert who had never seen them before could only slightly change the direction of a slash before being shot into the abdomen and then through the body. This was the reason why many Piercing Chest Clan experts died—underestimating the enemy's strength and overestimating their own.
What angered them most was that the enemy was in no hurry to attack, but just kept shooting, as if arrows were free. Those who fought back with their chests pierced were all silenced under special attention.
"Kill!" Some of the tribesmen who couldn't withstand the chest-piercing attack charged out, brandishing their weapons.
"What a bunch of hot-tempered guys," Han Chen shook his head and sighed.
"This is a good thing for us." Qin Mu said with a smile, his mood pleasant. The more agitated the enemy was, the more he liked it. He felt that the hatred in their eyes was the best revenge.
After emptying the quiver of twenty quivers, the archer put away his longbow, drew his sword, and stretched his arms.
"Kill!" Bu Mang shouted, raising his axe. Behind him followed two hundred heavily armored soldiers wielding longswords.
"Clang, clang, clang!" The armor clanged in unison as the soldiers advanced in step.
"Kill!" Another loud shout rang out, and the gleaming, cold-blooded broadswords swung down in unison.
"Kill!" The front row of swordsmen had just swung down when the back row stepped forward and followed suit with their swords.
As the Mo Dao soldiers swung their swords, the soldiers behind them charged out from both sides of the Mo Dao squad, thrusting their spears forward.
Swordsmen followed, charging at the enemy with their shields raised and hacking away with their swords. The various unit types coordinated seamlessly, giving the enemy very little chance to retaliate.
Bu Mang had long ago targeted the guy in the bronze armor, and they clashed with him, swinging their axes.
While enhancing his own strength, Qin Mu commanded his squads of soldiers to charge towards areas with large numbers of enemies. He wanted to use sheer numbers to compensate for the difference in individual strength.
"Bang!" A wooden door shattered, and a figure charged towards Qin Mu. The Piercing Chest tribe wasn't stupid; they could tell Qin Mu was the leader of this group. When the tribe was breached, this top expert had led a few others to hide inside this burning house.
"Hmph!" Bu Fang tilted his head slightly, a curved blade appeared in his hand, and he went to meet the attack.
Han Chen, who was on the way, flicked his finger and sent out silver needles. He didn't know how to command, so he followed Qin Mu, a master, to attack the largest tribe of the Piercing Chest Clan.
Unlike nomadic tribes, who can live and herd livestock individually, the Pierced-Chest tribe requires a large group to hunt together to deal with large and fast wild animals. The men hunt while the women gather fruits, firewood, and medicinal herbs – this is their way of life.
Qin Mu was not surprised by the several sudden assassination attempts. Attacks against him on the battlefield were not uncommon, and he was not without defensive forces. Besides, he was not made of clay. He swung his bronze sword and charged forward in response.
It must be said that the leader was very strong. Bu Fang was forced to retreat repeatedly, even with Qin Mu's support and Han Chen's assistance.
Fortunately, the other members of the pierced-chest clan were of average strength and were quickly killed, allowing everyone to surround and attack the top expert.
Qin Mu narrowed his eyes, looking at the chest-piercing clan who were launching a fierce attack, and sent a burst of spiritual energy piercing through them.
The Piercing Chest Clan members were martial arts practitioners. Although their physical bodies and spirits were perfectly integrated, they were still jolted by the sudden attack.
Although it was only for a moment, I was still hit; Han Chen's silver needles pierced my body.
His reputation for being able to decide life and death with a single needle is well-deserved. The most dangerous thing about his silver needles is that they can travel with the blood and enter the heart.
Sensing the abnormality in his body, the man with the pierced chest had to use a great deal of his attention to suppress the silver needles.
"Bang!" Qin Mu struck out with his palm, parrying the palm of the chest-piercing clansman. He retreated repeatedly, crashing into a house before finally stopping.
"Pfft!" A head fell off, blood spurted into the sky, and Bu Fang took the opportunity to kill the chest-piercing clansman, but the price he paid was a wound in his lower abdomen.
"It's alright!" Seeing Qin Mu's worried look, Han Chen, who had already begun treatment, nodded in agreement.
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. He did not continue to participate in the pursuit and stayed by Bu Fang's side.
The soldiers carried out the order to exterminate them without hesitation. They showed no mercy to those who had harmed their comrades; even infants were kicked into burning houses.
The Pierced-Chest Clan was not wealthy; their equipment consisted mainly of bronze and leather. In Qin Mu's opinion, the best items were not bronze, but rather the leather armor. They simply wrapped themselves in many hides adorned with animal patterns, a complete waste of resources.
After looting, they set fire to the entire tribe and marched towards the city of the Pierced-Chest tribe.
Ten days later, the army surrounded the city. Facing the city of the Pierced-Chest tribe, Qin Mu realized he had underestimated them. Unlike the cities of the Central Plains, the Pierced-Chest tribe's city resembled a Western castle from his memories. Constructed of massive stones, even the lowest point was over ten meters high, demonstrating the immense effort the Pierced-Chest tribe had invested in its construction. Moreover, the city was built on a mountain, making the attack even more difficult.
Seeing this situation, Qin Mu was also at a loss. He didn't want to risk human lives to test the waters, but the effect of catapults on a castle built of huge stones wouldn't be much, unless they modified larger catapults to directly bombard their city.
"Do these guys really need to build such a tall city?" Cheng Huailiang complained.
"It must be to deal with the Feathered People, since they can fly!" Qin Mu guessed.
"What should we do? Are we just going to go back like this?" Yu Chi Baoqing paced back and forth, somewhat agitated.
"Go back! What a joke! I think we should stay here and besiege the city. I don't believe they can feed so many people." Cheng Huailiang said viciously.
"Surround the city first! Then find its weaknesses! Baoqing, you take your men and thoroughly investigate this mountain!" All eyes turned to Qin Mu, who had also made his decision. Cheng Huailiang was right; the nomadic tribes couldn't possibly have much food. Even if it took a year or two to besiege it, he would break through and leave no hidden dangers for Yazhou Island.
"Here you go!"
To besiege this city, there's no need to surround it from the outside; simply blocking off all the roads down the mountain would be relatively simpler, since there are only so many routes down the mountain. Fifty thousand men would be more than enough to completely surround the mountain.
The Pierced-Chest Clan could clearly see that their usual path was blocked by something strange: enormous trees had been carried over and were now firmly blocking the way. The encirclement was completed at a visible speed, busy yet orderly, with a lively atmosphere. The cheerful sounds carried faintly up the mountain on the mountain breeze.
In contrast to the bustling activity at the foot of the mountain, the Pierced-Chest tribe in the city nestled on the hillside was filled with fear and sorrow. The enemy had surrounded the holy city; presumably, all the tribes outside were already wiped out, since some who had escaped had spread the news.
A sense of uncertainty about the future and fear of the impending tragic fate filled the city with a pervasive atmosphere of despair. Everyone spoke in hushed tones, the atmosphere unusually oppressive.
"What to do?" This was the thought on the minds of everyone in the Guanxiong tribe. Fight? How? The city only had 20,000 soldiers, or rather, only 20,000 men, with the most elite numbering only 1,000.
"Should we abandon the city and flee?" the chieftain of the Pierced Chest tribe wondered, but he immediately shook his head and abandoned the idea. He knew this island very well; escape was impossible, and without the protection of the city, defeat would be even faster.
But what should they do if they don't flee? The enemy's formation clearly indicates their intention to encircle and force them to break out or surrender, or even wait for their supplies to run out. These are all very obvious objectives; it's an open conspiracy. The Pierced Chest Clan can only try to find the most suitable way to break through this trap.
The dilemma lay here: defense was a slow death, while offense... Looking at the dense crowds outside the city and the rapidly deployed defensive structures, the chieftain of the Guanxiong tribe fell silent. He had assumed the Tang Dynasty would attack and had prepared for battle, but little did he know that the enemy had begun besieging the city without even a probing attack.
70
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