Chapter 696: Human Inferno, the Desperate

"Ku Di Gan, do you want to die?"

Inside the central army's main tent, the air seemed to be sucked out in an instant, leaving only a suffocating killing intent.

In Yunhe Ti's blood‑shot eyes, there was not a hint of jest.

The curved blade in his hand did not tremble at all despite the surrounding Qi State axe‑men, but steadied, its chilling tip pointing straight at Ku Di Gan's brow.

It was a murderous aura belonging to a Grassland overlord, a wildness forged in a sea of corpses and blood.

A mocking sneer curled at his mouth, as if he were looking at a house‑dog trying to bite a ferocious tiger.

"You think a few rotten garlic cloves can stop my Rouran Iron Cavalry?" Yunhe Ti's voice was low, yet carried an ice‑cold, bone‑piercing force; each word hammered into Ku Di Gan's heart. "Believe it or not, the moment I give the order, my boys outside will trample your central army's main tent, chop you into mush, then piss on Gancao City!"

Ku Di Gan's body jolted, his Adam's apple struggling up and down.

He knew Yunhe Ti was speaking the truth.

This was indeed the rear of the great camp, but in recent days, to guard against a sneak attack on Gancao City, the Qi State's main forces were scattered beneath the four city walls, leaving few troops near the central army's main tent.

In such close‑quarters combat, his own well‑equipped yet demoralized personal guards were no match for these frenzied, home‑bound Grassland savages.

Worse, if the two sides truly ignited a fight here, the uproar would swell, and Wei Shaokuan, already red‑eyed from Gancao City, would surely laugh his teeth off.

That old fox would, like a shark smelling blood, open the city gates without hesitation, seize the chaos, and pour fuel on the fire!

But he cannot be allowed to!

If that happens, the Great Qi's layout collapses, and Ku Di Gan's life and fortune are ruined!

"Great Khan…" Ku Di Gan inhaled deeply, forcing down the humiliation and fear choking his heart.

He slowly lowered his raised right hand, signaling the tense axe‑men around him to step back.

"It's not that I want to block you, it's truly… truly a case of the lips gone, the teeth cold!" Ku Di Gan stepped forward half a pace, but was forced to stop by Yunhe Ti's blade. "If you leave, both our families are doomed! Without your cavalry to hold them, that madman Wei Shaokuan will cling to me and never let go, and you… you returning north alone, if you're ambushed on the way, won't that…"

"That's you who'll be doomed, not me!" Yunhe Ti ignored the nonsense, let out a cold snort, flicked his wrist, and "Click!" the blade snapped back into its sheath.

The crisp sound was like a signal of rupture.

Yunhe Ti turned and strode outward: "Step aside! This is the last warning! Anyone who dares block the way will meet this fate!"

"Bang!"

He kicked a low table that blocked the path, scattering the Order Arrow and map across the ground, which his heavy leather boots trampled mercilessly.

Behind him, Rouran commanders followed, each gripping their hilts, eyes ferocious as they stared at the bewildered Qi State foot soldiers on both sides, as if any movement would instantly bring a spray of blood within five steps.

Ku Di Gan closed his eyes in despair, fists clenched tight inside his sleeves, nails almost digging into his flesh.

It was over. Everything was over.

Your Majesty's grand ambitions, under this damned Turkic People's single back‑stab, turned completely to bubbles.

Without Rouran cavalry, his fifty‑plus thousand troops on this endless pass plain were nothing but lambs awaiting slaughter.

The atmosphere inside the main tent dropped to freezing, only the heavy footfalls of the Rouran and the coarse breathing of the Qi troops interweaving.

At the hair‑breadth moment when the alliance completely shattered and the Rouran were about to step out of the main tent.

"Report—!!!"

A scream even more mournful and terrified than Ba Dou's, like a night owl bleeding, rang from far beyond the tent, instantly piercing the suffocating dead silence.

Immediately, a clattering of stumbling footsteps, like a chaotic drumbeat, rushed madly toward the central army's main tent.

Yunhe Ti, about to step over the threshold, instinctively halted his foot.

Everyone's eyes swiped toward the curtain.

"Whoosh!"

The heavy curtain was ripped open, and several copper hooks were torn apart, clanging as they fell.

This time the one who burst in was Ku Di Gan's trusted deputy commander, Pi He.

Yet, at this moment Pi He bore no trace of the composed, seasoned demeanor he usually showed.

His helmet was missing, his hair bun tangled like weeds, his fine armor covered in dust and unknown black ash.

Most terrifying was his complexion: a ghastly pallor tinged with a strange bluish‑purple, as if he had just circled the Gate of Ghosts and returned, seeing a ghost himself.

He seemed to have his bones pulled out; entering the doorway he tripped on the threshold, rolled and crawled, limp on the ground, hands clutching the carpet, knuckles white.

"Great… Great General! Great Khan!"

Pi He lifted his head, his upper and lower teeth chattering, emitting a grating "gurgle" that made one's teeth ache, as if desperately suppressing some huge terror.

His trembling fingers pointed eastward outside the tent, eyes vacant: "They're coming… so many people! All over the mountains… all people! All people!"

"People?"

Yunhe Ti, about to leave, furrowed his brow, halted, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Ku Di Gan froze, and his ash‑colored eyes suddenly burst with a reflected euphoria.

"East?"

"So many people? All over the mountains?"

"Isn't that the direction of Gancao City?!"

"It's the Crown Prince! It must be His Highness the Crown Prince!"

He clutched at the last lifeline, the madness of a drowning man suddenly finding a floating log.

He leapt up, ignoring the prior confrontation and humiliation, rushed a few steps forward, seized Yunhe Ti's massive arm, babbling wildly, spittle flying.

"Great Khan! Did you hear? The Crown Prince's reinforcements have arrived! His Highness is coming with a great army!"

Ku Di Gan stared at Yunhe Ti, his eyes flashing with near‑madness: "I told you! I told you the Crown Prince is wise and mighty, how could a mere Gancao City stop him? He must have already taken the city, bringing tens of thousands of elite to join us!"

"As soon as the Crown Prince arrives, we'll have over a hundred thousand troops! Even if we don't return to the Royal Court, even if we carve out a foothold in this pass, we can stand! Then we'll have food, we'll have men! Great Khan, don't leave! We'll go welcome him now! The Turkic People stole your old home, we'll seize a new home here!"

Yunhe Ti looked skeptically at the ecstatic Ku Di Gan, then glanced at Pi He still trembling on the ground.

Could the Qi State people be lying?

Did that Crown Prince really capture Gancao City and come with an army to aid us?

If that's the case…

The situation might truly still have a turning point.

After all, with troops in hand, one is a king everywhere.

Even if the Turkic People burn the tents, as long as their main force remains, the owner of this Grassland hasn't changed.

If we can cooperate with the Qi State Reinforcements here to capture Licheng, seize enough supplies and provisions, then march north, the odds of victory would undoubtedly be much greater.

"Let's go! Go see!"

Yunhe Ti felt anxious, yet a sliver of hopeful luck lingered in the heart.

After all, returning now to put out the fire might not be timely; if we can snag a big win here before leaving, perhaps the loss can be compensated.

"Yes, yes, yes! Go see! See with our own eyes!"

Ku Di Gan dragged the half‑doubtful Yunhe Ti, almost rolling and crawling out of the central army's main tent; the two barely had time to mount horses, sprinting straight toward the Gaotai used for scouting at the main camp's gate.

At this moment, dusk had fallen.

The setting sun on the horizon was blood‑red, staining the entire western sky crimson, as if the heavens had poured out a bowl of dog blood. A raging wind hurled yellow sand, stinging the face.

Both, panting heavily, climbed the Gaotai, slumping over the rail without regard for appearance, hands on the shade canopy, gazing eastward.

At the far edge of the view, on the winding official road leading east, a massive swath of dark, oppressive shadows indeed appeared.

They spread like a blanket over the sky, like swarms of black ants, or a breached flood, occupying the entire far horizon.

They rolled over the mounds, crossed the dried riverbed, moving slowly along the road toward us.

Dust billowed, obscuring sky and sun.

That scale was certainly at least several thousand, perhaps more! Looking at this endless column, saying it numbered tens of thousands would not be an exaggeration!

"Look! Great Khan, look!"

Ku Di Gan pointed at the black mass, his voice trembling with excitement, tears about to spill, "It's truly a great army! The Crown Prince His Highness has kept his word! He has come! Our Great Qi Reinforcements have arrived! Hahaha!"

Yunhe Ti squinted, watching the massive crowd, and felt a stir in the heart.

With so many men and horses, if they truly are Qi State Reinforcements, Licheng is indeed within easy reach. With this fresh force, whether besieging or fighting in the field, even confronting Wei Shaokuan inside the city, we now have confidence.

"Send the order! Prepare…" Ku Di Gan turned to command the whole army to form ranks for reception, even planning to slaughter Herd of Cattle and Sheep to reward this "Heaven‑sent troops".

However, at that moment, an evening breeze blew in from the east.

As that "great army" drew nearer, the wind direction shifted.

Gradually, everyone on the Gaotai sensed something amiss.

Too quiet.

This so‑called "great army" had no clanging of metal weapons and iron horses, no uniform horn blasts, nor the imposing banners that block the sun.

If it were a victorious returning army, the war drums would be beating now, battle cries shaking the heavens, morale soaring.

But this column before us, aside from footfalls, was eerily quiet.

No, not quiet.

From the wind came a series of bone‑chilling sounds.

"Wooo…"

It was a wail.

It was the wailing of tens of thousands, a heart‑rending scream, the low moan of soulless walking corpses.