Chapter 164: Earth Escape Technique?!

Badao let out a furious roar and swung his blade at Tu Huai again.

Tu Huai refused to back down, brandishing his guan dao and fighting Badao into a melee.

Jiang Xiaomu ignored the two fighters, continuing to lead his squad weaving through the enemy camp, relentlessly harvesting the lives of the barbarian soldiers.

"Boss, let's retreat; the barbarians can't hold much longer!"

Xiong Kuohai ran up to Jiang Xiaomu and shouted loudly.

Jiang Xiaomu looked up and saw the barbarian camp already engulfed in flames.

The barbarian soldiers were either dead or fleeing, having completely lost their ability to resist.

"All right, retreat!"

Jiang Xiaomu let out a sharp whistle that pierced the night sky, sounding especially jarring amid the chaotic battlefield.

Badao understood without words, bringing down his executioner's great blade hard, forcing Tu Huai to raise his blade to block.

Their blades clashed, sparks flying; before he could recover, Badao leveraged the force to leap backward, running toward the firelight without looking back.

"You dog thief, where do you think you're going!"

Tu Huai let out an angry roar, ready to pursue with his guan dao, but felt a fierce gust of wind strike from behind.

"Whoosh!" Several crossbow bolts tore through the air, heading straight for Tu Huai's face.

Tu Huai hastily swung his blade to block, knocking down each bolt, but lost the chance to chase Badao.

"Boom!" A loud blast erupted as a dark object exploded beneath Tu Huai's feet.

Thick smoke instantly spread, choking him with tears and mucus, blurring his vision.

When the smoke cleared, Jiang Xiaomu and his companions had already vanished without a trace, leaving only corpses littering the ground and burning tents.

"Damn it! Damn it!" Tu Huai angrily waved his guan dao.

"A bunch of useless fools! They can't even catch a few petty thieves!"

At that moment, Wuchu arrived with a detachment of troops; the camp's fire had basically been put out.

He looked at the enraged Tu Huai and asked cautiously:

"General, where do these enemy troops come from? How dare they be so bold as to launch a night raid on our main camp?"

Tu Huai's anger had not subsided.

"Who else could it be! A pack of sneaky, cowardly rats!"

"Pass the order: the whole army must be on high alert; we must capture these petty thieves and cut them into ten thousand pieces!"

"Yes!" Wuchu promptly replied.

After Jiang Xiaomu and his men withdrew from the barbarian camp, they sprinted all the way back to the city.

"Boss, tonight's fight was truly exhilarating!"

"We burned their supplies, killed their soldiers—let's see how arrogant they can still be!"

Xiong Kuohai said excitedly while gulping down water.

"Yeah, tonight was a complete victory!"

The others chimed in agreement.

Jiang Xiaomu, however, furrowed his brows.

"Don't get too excited too soon; this was just a lesson for them."

"The barbarians won't let this go; we must quickly find a way to completely settle the matter."

Although this night's raid did not injure the barbarian army's core, it did indeed destroy a considerable amount of their provisions and baggage.

More importantly, it dealt a heavy blow to their morale.

What also surprised Jiang Xiaomu and his comrades was that Ye Ying somehow managed...

... to secretly transport, overnight, Lei Gong's "hidden stash"—cartloads of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal—into the city.

Lei Gong felt a twinge of regret, but since it was Ye Ying's wish, he didn't object.

With these materials, we can produce more powerful explosives, giving the barbarian army an even bigger "surprise."

The next morning, inside the Governor's Mansion, the atmosphere was solemn.

Prefect Zhao sat in the chief seat, his face grim, while Jiang Xiaomu and the other officers stood on either side.

This meeting was to discuss the next step in the battle plan.

"Gentlemen, although the barbarian army suffered a minor setback, its strength remains; we must not let our guard down."

Prefect Zhao spoke slowly, his words tinged with fatigue.

"Sir, I believe we should take advantage of the barbarians' unsteady footing and launch a preemptive strike to catch them off guard!"

A bearded general jumped to his feet and spoke passionately.

"Nonsense! The barbarians are strong in both troops and horses; our forces are insufficient—recklessly attacking would be like throwing eggs at stones!"

Another slender-built general immediately retorted.

"Then, according to your view, how should we respond?"

The bearded general glared and asked.

"Hold the city, wait for them to tire—this is the best strategy!"

The slender general refused to back down and countered.

"Bullshit!"

The bearded general slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

For a moment, the officers in the Governor's Mansion talked over each other, each voicing their opinions, the noise becoming unbearable.

Prefect Zhao rubbed his temples, feeling as if he had two heads.

These officers, though skilled with swords and spears in everyday drills,

But as soon as it came time to devise plans, they were like the women in the vegetable market, arguing endlessly.

All shut up!

Prefect Zhao let out an angry shout, and finally the scene quieted down.

What's the point of all this arguing? Even if you win the argument, will the barbarians retreat?

The generals looked at each other, not daring to speak again.

Prefect Zhao turned his gaze toward Jiang Xiaomu.

Mr. Jiang, you are resourceful and full of strategies; do you have any good plan?

Jiang Xiaomu pondered for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth to say:

Sir, I believe that merely holding the fort and not sallying forth is not a long-term plan.

Although the barbarians are strong in numbers, more than half of their supplies and baggage have been burned by our army.

Now is precisely when their morale is low; we should……

He paused, a gleam flashing in his eyes.

We should take the initiative and attack when they are unprepared!

As soon as he said that, the generals immediately burst into an uproar.

What? Take the initiative to attack? That's practically suicide!

Jiang Xiaomu, are you crazy?

Sir, you absolutely must not!

……

Jiang Xiaomu ignored the doubts of the crowd and continued speaking:

Sir, although our troops are not as numerous as the barbarians', we have explosives!

We can use the power of explosives to launch a surprise attack on the barbarian army, disrupt their formation, and then……

He deliberately paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, the corners of his mouth slightly rising.

Then, we'll give them a surprise!

A surprise? What surprise?

The generals looked at each other, full of doubt.

Jiang Xiaomu gave a mysterious smile, did not directly answer, but instead took out a drawing from his bosom and slowly unfolded it.

This is……

Prefect Zhao took the drawing and examined it carefully.

On the drawing was clearly depicted the layout of the barbarian camp, as well as a series of winding, twisting routes.

This is…… a tunnel?

Prefect Zhao widened his eyes, looking at Jiang Xiaomu in disbelief.

That's right, a tunnel.

Jiang Xiaomu nodded, his tone tinged with pride.

I have already sent people to secretly dig a tunnel leading to the barbarian camp; tonight we will give them an earth escape technique!

As soon as Jiang Xiaomu's words fell, the Governor's Mansion was in an uproar.

A tunnel? This is simply unheard of! The generals looked at each other, both shocked and excited.

Mr. Jiang, does this tunnel really lead to the barbarian camp?

Prefect Zhao still found it hard to believe.

"Absolutely certain!" Jiang Xiaomu nodded firmly.

I have already arranged the tunnel's exit at the place where the barbarians stockpile their supplies.

As long as we send people to sneak in, a single torch can burn all their supplies!

"Excellent!" the bearded general slapped his thigh and shouted excitedly.

"Burn their supplies, and see how they can still fight!"

"This plan is excellent!"

The other generals also echoed in agreement.