Chapter 122: Blood for Blood

Wild Wolf Valley, the terrain is strategic.

Here the official road narrows, with a steep cliff on one side and a rushing river on the other.

If a landslide or a dam breach were caused here, the consequences would be unimaginable.

When Chen Wen led his troops to arrive.

The sky was nearing dawn, and under the dim light the valley mouth was eerily quiet.

The air was filled with a faint smell of earth and a trace of familiar, icy killing intent.

"They've been here, or perhaps they still are."

Chen Wen lowered his voice, raised his hand to signal the troops to halt and spread out on alert.

The spot on his shoulder where a sword blade had grazed him still lingered with a faint chill and sting, reminding him of his formidable opponent.

Qian Gui took a few of his best scouts and, like a civet cat, silently slipped into the valley mouth ahead to scout.

Moments later, he returned with a grim expression.

"Military Envoy, near the cliff side of the road, several shallow pits have been dug and something buried—looks like gunpowder!"

"The amount is small, but enough to trigger a minor rockslide that would block the road!"

"Traces of artificial damage to the dam were also found upstream; fortunately we caught it early—only a few boulders have been loosened, no actual damage yet."

"As expected!"

"The Iron Crow Army's goal is to destroy transportation and isolate Black Water Crossing!"

"Can they be removed?" Chen Wen asked.

"The way they're buried is cunning; forcibly removing them might trigger an explosion. Moreover…"

Qian Gui's voice carried a hint of tension.

"I feel that eyes are watching us nearby."

"They may be lying in wait nearby, ready to attack when we deal with the traps."

Chen Wen's eyes turned cold.

"Besiege a point to strike at reinforcements," or more accurately,

"it is to use the traps as bait to hunt down the Jing'an Army that comes to eliminate the threat!"

"Shi Dun."

"Your humble subordinate is here!"

"Take your men and occupy the high ground on both sides, ready your crossbows, and fire on my command—without my order, do not reveal yourselves, and certainly do not loose arrows!"

Chen Wen issued the order quickly.

"Yes!"

Shi Dun replied!

Chen Wen then turned to Qian Gui.

"Take your men and pretend to advance to clear the traps—move slowly, appear cautious and fearful."

"The rest of you, form a defensive circle, shields outward, spearmen in the rear—without my order, do not move rashly!"

The orders given, the Jing'an Army sprang into action.

Shi Dun carried it out strictly, quickly taking control of the slopes with good visibility.

Qian Gui, meanwhile, led a few nimble scouts, acting with utmost caution as if facing a great enemy.

They slowly approached the spots where the gunpowder was buried.

The entire valley mouth.

Only the wind's wail through the valley and the deliberately heavy footsteps of Qian Gui and his men remained.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

Chen Wen stood at the center of the circle, eyes closed, focusing his mind.

He expanded his sixteenfold senses like a spiderweb to the fullest extent in all directions.

The scent of soil, the moisture of the river, the faint fishy smell of plants…

and that icy killing intent lurking in the shadows, desperately suppressed yet still unable to be fully concealed!

"They're here!"

Just as Qian Gui and his men came within less than ten steps of the trap,

a faint mechanical sound came from the dense thicket on the right slope!

"Right slope! Elevation forty-five degrees! Covering fire!"

Chen Wen snapped his eyes open and shouted sternly!

Almost as he spoke, Shi Dun, though shocked in his heart at how the Military Envoy could foresee this,

but the absolute trust built over time made him obey the order without hesitation!

"Fire arrows!"

The archers, bows already drawn, almost instinctively followed Chen Wen's indicated angle and unleashed a dense rain of arrows!

They had not seen the target, acting purely on blind obedience to Chen Wen's command!

"Thud-thud-thud-thud—!"

The arrows sank into the thicket, producing none of the expected metallic clangs.

Instead came a sickening sound of flesh pierced, along with a few muffled groans!

"Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!"

Almost as the arrow rain fell,

several black figures, like startled snakes, shot out from the thicket and from behind the rocks on the left cliff!

Their motion to fire crossbow bolts was interrupted, making them look somewhat flustered.

Three or four of them had arrows visibly stuck in their bodies, their movement clearly impeded!

"Kill!"

Seeing that his shot truly hit the hidden enemy, Shi Dun's spirits soared; he roared and led the charge down the slope!

"Circular formation, advance and press! Spearmen, thrust!"

Chen Wen gave the order again.

The tightly held circular formation resembled a huge hedgehog, advancing with orderly steps.

Spearheads like a forest, they pressed toward the Iron Crow Army forced to reveal themselves.

This time, the offense and defense have reversed!

The Iron Crow Army obviously did not expect the ambush to be so precisely seen through and countered.

From the outset they lost the initiative, several wounded.

But they reacted extremely quickly, instantly contracting.

They formed a small triangular assault formation, ignoring Shi Dun's troops flanking from both sides.

They boldly charged straight toward the Jing'an Army's main camp!

Their target, as before, was the heavily protected Chen Wen!

"Stop them!"

Shi Dun's eyes nearly burst as he ferociously lunged from the side rear.

A brutal melee battle erupted instantly!

Iron Crow Army soldiers possess formidable individual strength, even when wounded.

Their moves remained vicious and cunning, their coordination reaching perfect harmony.

They acted as a single entity, the sharp point of the triangular formation.

They easily tore through the defense of the Jing'an Army's front-rank shield bearers, instantly felling several soldiers.

"First squad, second squad, triple Ability Granting of strength and speed! Charge forward!"

Chen Wen's voice was calm, his mind highly focused.

He precisely granted the strengthening effect to the two squads bearing the brunt of the impact.

The strengthened soldiers felt a surge of heat coursing through their bodies.

Attacks that were originally hard to block could now barely be kept up with; they roared, slamming their sword and shield fiercely into the enemy!

"Clang! Clang!"

The clashing of weapons rang out like bursting beans, sparks flying everywhere.

With the support of Ability Granting, the front line, though still wavering, miraculously was not instantly broken.

"Left flank, spearmen, precision, double Ability Granting! Stab their lower limbs!"

The spearmen on the left flank felt inspired, their spears like venomous snakes emerging from their holes.

They precisely stabbed at the Iron Crow Army soldiers' weak points such as ankles and knees as they moved.

Although most were blocked, they still succeeded in disrupting the enemy's formation and rhythm.

Chen Wen was like a commander standing in the eye of the storm.

With his powerful perception and precise Ability Granting, he forcibly compensated for the huge gap in individual strength between the Jing'an Army and the Iron Crow Army.

Veins bulged on his forehead, sweat droplets continually fell; maintaining such fine, high-intensity control placed an enormous mental burden on him.

That Iron Crow Army small leader once again sought out Chen Wen.

His figure flickered, the slender blade in his hand like a venomous snake's tongue.

Always striking from the most unexpected angles, his moves were vicious and deadly, carrying that unsettling yin-cold killing aura.

Chen Wen waved his blade to block; sixteen times his base ability let him barely keep up with the opponent's speed.

But the yin-cold killing aura in the opponent's moves was like a bone-deep infection, continually trying to erode his arm's meridians.

This made his movements slightly sluggish.

"Protect the army envoy!"

Two personal guards flung themselves forward, attempting to block with their bodies.

A flicker of cruelty flashed in the small leader's eyes, a blade light flashed.

The two personal guards clutched their bleeding throats and collapsed.

"Damn it!"

Shi Dun finally broke free of the entanglement, charging like a mad tiger from the side at that small leader.

The great axe, with a sound like tearing air, swept horizontally!

The small leader had no choice but to turn and block; the slender sword and great axe collided, emitting a piercing screech.

Shi Dun struck with angry fury, his astonishing force actually shoved him back half a step.

Now!

A flash of light appeared in Chen Wen's eyes as he seized this fleeting opportunity.

He did not grant himself a multiplier, but instead granted a strong 4-fold "speed and precision".

He sent it across space onto Shi Dun, who was engaged in combat with the small leader!

Shi Dun felt his whole body lighten, as if the world before his eyes had slowed.

The opponent's swift, strange sword path seemed to become clearly discernible!

He felt inspired, and his originally powerful but somewhat clumsy axe technique suddenly changed.

The great axe arced upward at an unimaginable angle, no longer a crude chop.

But he precisely found the weak point in the opponent's sword force!

「Clang！」

A burst of explosive sound!

The little leader's sword was actually shaken by this axe, flying out of his hand!

Disbelief and shock flashed in his eyes for the first time, and he hastily retreated!

"Where are you going!"

Shi Dun, pressing his advantage, showed no mercy; his giant axe followed like a shadow.

However, this little leader's movement technique is indeed strange.

Although disarmed, he still managed to avoid vital spots by a hair's breadth.

The giant axe left only a deep wound at his shoulder blade, deep enough to see bone, and blackish-red blood instantly gushed out.

He let out a muffled grunt, unwilling to linger in battle, and once again emitted that short whistle.

Upon hearing the signal, the remaining seven or eight Iron Crow Army soldiers immediately abandoned their opponents.

Just as they had come, they turned without hesitation and plunged into the forest.

They moved with extreme speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

That little leader, too, took advantage of his comrades' cover and disappeared after a few leaps.

On the battlefield, only the weary, panting, blood-soaked Jing'an Army soldiers remained.

This time, they left behind five corpses of the Iron Crow Army.

Including the sword left by the little leader severely wounded by Shi Dun, and a pool of blood.

But the price paid by the Jing'an Army was even more severe.

Nearly twenty killed, over a dozen seriously wounded, countless lightly wounded—a pyrrhic victory.

The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and a faint, icy killing intent.

Shi Dun leaned on his giant axe, gasping heavily, looking at the chaotic ground and the bodies of his fallen comrades, his tiger eyes brimming with tears.

Qian Gui led people to begin cleaning the battlefield, examining those Iron Crow Army corpses in hopes of finding more clues.

Chen Wen walked over to a fallen young soldier, slowly squatted down, and reached out to close his eyes that could not rest in peace.

His fingers trembled slightly from mental exhaustion and the previous battle.

The wound on his shoulder ached faintly under the invasion of the cold, killing energy.

This battle let him more deeply realize the terror of the Iron Crow Army.

They not only possess formidable strength, but also have clear objectives, ruthless discipline, and strange methods.

This is no longer a simple military confrontation; it is more like a life-and-death hunt.

He raised his head, gazing in the direction where the Iron Crow Army had vanished, his eyes icy and resolute.

"Collect the brothers' bodies and bury them properly. Treat the seriously wounded immediately. Clear the traps and repair the official road and the dam."

His voice carried a hint of fatigue, yet was extraordinarily resilient.

"We have noted this blood debt."

The threat of Wild Wolf Valley has been temporarily lifted, but everyone understands that the showdown with the Iron Crow Army has only just begun.