Chapter 52: Barbarian Army Surrenders, Send Them to Assault the Prince of Yu

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army suddenly became collectively dazed.

Is that His Majesty's voice?

How did it echo in the air?

Everyone looked up in astonishment.

Only then did they notice that a Drone had been hovering at low altitude for who knows how long.

And something seemed to be hanging beneath the Drone.

The light was too dim to see clearly.

They finally came to their senses, realizing that His Majesty was transmitting his voice via the Drone.

After Xiao Qidi's voice rang out, barbarian soldiers from all directions stared uncertainly at the strange object floating above the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army.

The thing was neither bird nor winged, yet it could hover in mid‑air and even emit an authoritative human voice.

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

The situation became a stalemate in that instant.

Although the barbarian troops were temporarily halted by shock, the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army remained on edge to the utmost.

They thought that His Majesty must be using the Drone to frighten the barbarians away.

But even the mindless barbarians, once they realized the object could not harm them, would probably rely on their numbers and swarm forward.

And judging by the Drone's range, His Majesty must still be within the reach of the pursuing barbarian army.

"His Majesty! No need to worry about us!"

"You, leave quickly!"

"We will fight these beasts to the death! To have slain so many enemies alongside you, this life is worth it!"

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army shouted toward the Drone.

But the Drone did not fly away; instead it turned on its illumination light.

When the white light flared, everyone suddenly saw that hanging beneath the Drone was a blood‑splattered human head!

The head had long hair and a bristling beard, a dark, snarling face with bulging eyes, still bearing the shocked, terrified expression of its final moments.

"This is President Ba Meng of your Shayue Nation; I have beheaded him!" Xiao Qidi's voice rang out again.

The Drone then descended to a height of two zhang, circling above the densely packed barbarians with the head, so they could see it clearly.

The scene caused countless barbarians to mentally collapse on the spot.

The most valiant warrior of Shayue Nation, the president most revered by all barbarians, had… just died like that.

His head was still hanging, dazzlingly displayed by that strange object before their eyes.

Barbarians collapsed one after another, and the assault banners of the barbarian army fell as well, leaving only the main banner at the rear still held high.

"Quickly remove your armor, lay down your weapons, and kneel in surrender!" Xiao Qidi's command echoed from the Drone.

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army, elated and morale soaring, shouted loudly, "Shayue barbarian soldiers! Surrender immediately!"

The earth‑shaking shout further battered the barbarians' mental defenses.

Even the president is dead; how can they still fight?

Clang…

A barbarian hurriedly dropped his sword, ripped off his armor, raised his hands and knelt.

The surrounding barbarians were prompted and complied immediately.

As more barbarians knelt, the army formed a spectacular, tide‑like retreat.

Just as the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a group of messenger soldiers rode in from the rear of the barbarian army, brandishing swords and shouting:

"The Vice President orders! No surrender!"

"Raise the assault banner! Grab your swords! Anyone who slacks will be killed without mercy!"

The shouting messengers warned loudly while slashing down any kneeling barbarians they encountered.

In a short time this produced a massive deterrent effect, stabilizing the barbarian army that had nearly broken.

The banners in the army were promptly raised again.

The messenger barbarians, seeing this, continued to roar, steadying morale.

"The president may be dead, but the Vice President lives! We still have enough troops!"

"They are trapped, nowhere to flee! Rally! Kill them! Avenge the president!"

This mix of intimidation and encouragement revived the barbarians' morale.

The situation shifted again, and the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army's nerves tightened to the limit.

It seems a deadly battle is unavoidable!

Just as the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army lifted their swords to charge into the barbarian ranks for a bloody clash, flames suddenly erupted at the rear of the barbarian army.

The main banner of the barbarians was seen ignited.

Even a row of wooden war chariots nearby was faintly seen catching fire.

This indicated a serious problem on the Vice President's side, leaving the barbarians momentarily at a loss.

Seizing the chance, the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army formed a triangular formation and surged rapidly toward the fire.

They guessed this was His Majesty's doing, meaning He was right there!

However, even with morale greatly waned, once they were embedded in the barbarian army they could barely move.

Even after exhausting their last strength and slaying some barbarians, they saw more barbarians rushing in, their swords ready to mash them into pulp.

At that moment, a metallic signal to cease fighting rang out from the barbarian camp.

Rapid clanging gongs and drums rose one after another.

Without a second thought, the barbarians immediately withdrew.

Although the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army did not know exactly what was happening, they still gritted their teeth and gave chase.

It was not until they chased all the way to the enemy's rear that they discovered, amid raging flames and a scene of devastation, that the camp where the enemy's deputy commander was stationed had actually collapsed.

They also finally saw Xiao Qidi's figure.

At this moment, Xiao Qidi, wielding a long sword, was holding hostage the deputy commander who was leading troops to encircle the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army.

There were also two other barbarian deputy commanders directing other generals to stabilize the situation.

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army surged forward as a mass, preparing to capture those two deputy commanders.

"Stop!" Xiao Qidi intervened.

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

It was those two who had just ordered the golden signal to withdraw the troops.

"You performed well," Xiao Qidi said, looking at the two deputy commanders, "how to deal with this person is up to you. The remaining barbarian army does not need so many commanders."

Saying that, he pushed the deputy commander he had just taken hostage forward.

The two deputy commanders understood tacitly, rushed to draw their swords, and were about to kill this deputy commander who led troops.

One of them seized the initiative and, without a word, chopped the man's head off.

Then, clutching the blood‑soaked head, he walked up to Xiao Qidi, bowing low with a flattering face, and said, "I have already taken him out for you; please spare my life, and from now on I will lead all the barbarians and obey your commands."

Xiao Qidi's eyes turned dark, his gaze flashing with a deep, unfathomable light.

Splat—

The deputy commander before Xiao Qidi suddenly went rigid, his arms drooping uselessly, and the head he was holding rolled away with a gurgle.

He lowered his head slowly and saw a blade of a sword piercing his chest, blood streaming down the tip and dripping onto the back of his foot.

His eyes widened, he staggered and turned, seeing the other deputy commander's cruel sneer.

"You… you actually… ambushed me…" he said, his face showing resentment, and he fell down unwillingly.

The other deputy commander, before he could catch his breath, also sliced off his head.

Then he picked up the first deputy commander's head and presented both heads at Xiao Qidi's feet.

"Xuan Guo king, on high, please accept my bow. Now, the Shayue barbarian Grand Commander and the two deputy commanders are dead; only I remain as commander. I am willing to lead all the barbarians to surrender! As you see…

"Then you shall take charge of the remaining barbarians."

"Thank you, His Majesty!"

The deputy commander was overjoyed, completely unaware of the cold, scheming smile curling at Xiao Qidi's mouth.

A long night passed.

At dawn, the barbarian army had been fully accounted for.

The newly promoted commander arrived at the barbarian camp and voluntarily reported to Xiao Qidi.

He said that of the original one hundred thousand barbarians, only about seventy‑six thousand remained.

Among the survivors, roughly four thousand wounded and over two thousand who refused his orders were ordered by him to be killed.

Thus, the current number of barbarians stood at around seventy thousand.

"Good," Xiao Qidi said with a tone of approval, "it seems you are a person capable of great deeds."

The commander knelt and said, "Thank you, His Majesty, for the praise!"

Xiao Qidi's eyes flashed a cold smile, "You such talent, being merely a barbarian commander is a waste of talent; are you interested in replacing the Shayue king?"

The commander immediately replied, "Both of the Shayue king's two most powerful sons have already died, all forces are now under my command, so of course I wish to replace him! I assure you, when I become the king of Shayue, I will make Daxuan bow and submit!"

Xiao Qidi said softly, "But hasn't Shayue already submitted to Yu Guo?"

The commander lifted his head, striving to show a flattering expression, "That was the previous dynasty's king's instruction; after I take over, of course I will befriend Daxuan. The armor and weapons Yu Guo provides are far inferior to what your Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army is equipped with… as long as you continue to supply us, I believe the ministers of Shayue will not oppose."

"You are indeed clever," Xiao Qidi said with a smile, "Very well, but I have a condition."

The commander clasped his fists and said, "His Majesty, please speak!"

Xiao Qidi's mouth twitched slightly, "I wonder whether your seventy thousand barbarians can defeat the 170,000 Yu Guo elite led by the Crown Prince?"

"170,000? Isn't it 200,000?" the commander asked in surprise.

Xiao Qidi chuckled lightly, "I've already knocked out thirty thousand of them."

The commander quickly flattered, "Daxuan, His Majesty, you are truly formidable!"

Xiao Qidi said, "Now those 170,000 Yu Guo elite are waiting outside Xi Tun Guan for your Shayue barbarian assistance; are you willing to go fight them?"

The commander's eyes rolled rapidly.

After weighing the options, he nodded, "Willing, of course! The Yu Guo Crown Prince has no experience leading troops in battle, and he doesn't know I'm going to attack him; I am fully confident I can wipe out those 170,000 Yu Guo elite!"

"Excellent, excellent!" Xiao Qidi praised without holding back, "Then I will await your good news, future king of Shayue."

The commander, thrilled from head to toe by being called the future king of Shayue, kowtowed in thanks and then immediately set off to act.

When he left, several of the three thousand Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army generals under Xiao Qidi could no longer contain themselves and knelt before him in unison.

"His Majesty! The people of Shayue are untrustworthy! This is like letting a tiger return to the mountain!"

"Why not kill them all? Yet you even say you will help this man become king of Shayue?"

"We beg you, His Majesty, to think twice!"

The several generals grew pale with anxiety.

They truly could not understand; His Majesty clearly knows the nature of Shayue people, so why make such an abnormal decision?

Xiao Qidi said calmly, "You are worried that this commander will not go fight the Yu Guo Crown Prince, right?"

The generals quickly nodded.

Xiao Qidi smiled slightly, "Shayue people are greedy, ferocious, and barbaric, they fear power but not virtue, and are mostly short‑sighted. Especially this commander, who, to protect himself, does not hesitate to kill his own men, both fearing death and coveting the throne. Having witnessed our combat strength, he will certainly choose to betray Yu Guo and seize the royal power for himself."

Hearing his analysis, the generals finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, several of them still were not completely at ease.

They exchanged a glance, and one of the generals spoke: "That... Your Majesty, are you really going to support him to become the king of Sha Yue Guo? His virtue is so lacking; I fear he will betray Daxuan again in the future."

Xiao Qidi asked: "What do you think will be the outcome if seventy thousand barbarian soldiers fight against one hundred seventy thousand elite troops of Yu Guo?"

Several people, while thinking, voiced their opinions.

"The equipment of Yu Guo's elite troops is slightly better, but the barbarians also use Yu Guo's weapons. Although Yu Guo's elite troops are well-trained, the barbarians' disposition is more ferocious. All things considered, if numbers were equal and they fought to the death, the barbarians would probably be slightly inferior to Yu Guo's elite troops."

"However, Yu Guo's 170,000 elite troops are led by the Crown Prince, who lacks any strategic acumen; in tactics, he is estimated not to be stronger than this barbarian commander."

"More importantly, the Yu Guo army is unaware that the barbarians have rebelled; they are not going to help but to kill them, so they will surely be caught off guard when the time comes."

"So... seventy thousand barbarian soldiers versus one hundred seventy thousand elite troops of Yu Guo will likely be evenly matched, and the outcome is hard to predict."

Several people, upon saying this, suddenly had their eyes light up.

Exactly!

"If they are evenly matched, once they start fighting, won't they both suffer losses?"

"This is a great plan!"

By this point, several generals finally realized that His Majesty possessed such profound foresight!

Without sacrificing a single Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor soldier, he provoked the barbarian army and the Yu Guo elite troops to fight each other like dogs!

This could not only destroy the forces of Sha Yue Guo in one fell swoop, but also inflict heavy damage on Yu Guo, and resolve the crisis of Xi Tun Guan facing encirclement by even more enemy forces!

Marvelous, truly marvelous!

No wonder His Majesty, disregarding the objections of General Duan and others, insisted on personally leading three thousand Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army here to launch a surprise attack on the barbarians!

With such strategy and such courage, which monarch among all the states under heaven could compare?

Those powerholders and nobles who control the court of Daxuan are truly blind-eyed, failing to place such a talented, visionary young monarch with a bright future in their sight!

For a moment, several generals felt their eye sockets sore, their hearts both excited and agitated, yet filled with indignation.

They wanted to say something, but their throats choked up, and they couldn't utter even half a sentence.

"All right..." Xiao Qidi rubbed his forehead and temples, "Go rest now; you marched nonstop from Xi Tun Guan here, then fought repeatedly, you and the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers haven't slept a wink—it's time to rest."

"Yes... Your Majesty." Several generals, tears in their eyes, clasped their fists respectfully and departed.

After they left, Xiao Qidi showed a hint of weariness, his bloodshot eyes scanning the surroundings.

This is precisely the tent where he fought to the death with Bameng last night.

A bronze cauldron lay overturned in the corner; the residual oil and blood from the meat broth had mixed together and solidified, and some boiled human remains were scattered about.

Last night... he almost got crushed to death by a bronze cauldron filled with boiling broth.

Even now, recalling that heart-stopping scene, even he still feels a lingering fear.

He braced his hands on the chair and slowly rose to his feet; a wave of intense pain surged from his back across his whole body, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead.

He clenched his teeth, slowly taking off his bulletproof vest; the cold sweat on his forehead gradually grew to the size of soybeans.

"Your Majesty!" Lian Qingbai quietly arrived at the tent at this moment, "Your soldiers have all gone to rest; I have had the tribesmen treat their wounds—please let me take a look quickly!"

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

Lian Qingbai hurried to Xiao Qidi's back; instantly, shock and heartache appeared on his old face, and he couldn't help but draw a sharp breath of cold air.

"How is it? Is it serious?" Xiao Qidi asked softly.