by <unknown>
All the barbarian Cultivators were bashing their chests, declaring that they were willing to fight. Their pets, namely the scorpions, snakes, and other eccentric beasts, were also shrieking so loudly that even Huo Wujiu's camp ten kilometers away probably heard the sound.
Many barbarian Cultivators were asking to join the two hundred warriors right now.
Ling Shoujing, however, laughed and gestured for everyone to calm down. "I'm new to the place, and I'm not familiar with the expertise of the southwest heroes yet. It will be unfair if I choose anyone right now!
"Over the next three days starting from tomorrow, we will have a test in the camp. Everybody will show their techniques in public. So, it will be obvious who is qualified to go and who is not. What do you think, everybody?
"Come on. Today is all about partying, not fighting. Serve the Empyrean Drunk Wine that we've brought from the capital. This is a gift from His Majesty. Let's not return until we are drunk!"
While he was talking, the Black Tiger Iron Guards carried buckets of fragrant, delicious wine.
When it was poured into the unique cups in the Southland of Sorcerers, which were made of horns, the fluid was as thick as honey.
When a bucket of wine was almost emptied, the last bit of the wine would hang on the wall of the bucket and flow all the time, as if the wine would never be finished. All the barbarians' eyes were almost jumping out of their sockets, and they were about to jump into the buckets for a shower.
A moment later, everybody roared and drank crazily like whales absorbing water.
Soon, all of them were wasted and snoring.
Li Yao devoured plenty of Empyrean Drink Wine, too.
However, a slight ominous feeling inside his head made him analyze the elements of the wine.
As I expected, there are intense narcotic drugs inside the wine. Otherwise, the barbarian Cultivators wouldn't have been drunk so quickly.
However, although the narcotic drugs are quite effective, they are in fact very mild and will cause no harm to the body. They will wake up normally tomorrow morning.
Ling Shoujing, the Appeasing Ambassador of the Fifth Prefecture of the Southland of Sorcerers, is not a simple guy!
Li Yao did not sense any maliciousness from Ling Shoujing.
Moreover, all the barbarian Cultivators were on the court's side. Unless Ling Shoujing was planning to defect and join the Ghost Qin's side, it was highly unlikely that he would harm those barbarian Cultivators.
Therefore, Li Yao simply pretended that he was blackout drunk, collapsed on the ground like a heap of mud, while he observed what Ling Shoujing was going to do next.
The feast lasted more than five hours, and there was still no sign of it stopping.
Li Yao could not help but notice that, after the barbarian Cultivators were drunk, many ordinary barbarian soldiers under Huo Wuji's command joined the feast and continued drinking, partying and clamoring in place of the barbarian Cultivators.
Many barbarian Cultivators, including himself, were carried into a seemingly plain tent deep inside the military camps by the Black Tiger Iron Guards.
Somebody opened his mouth and fed some sour, smelly, and almost undrinkable liquids into it.
Li Yao absorbed part of the liquids with his tongue and analyzed, only to discover that they were drugs to stimulate the nerves and wake up people from anesthesia.
Therefore, he coughed and 'woke up' before he looked around in confusion.
The joyful ambience of a feast was entirely gone. He found himself in a cold tent filled with the stink of blood.
The burning torches around the tent were emitting cold, bluish brilliance.
Under the bluish light, everyone's face was as pale as that of a corpse.
Ling Shoujing, who had been friendly if not riotous a moment ago, was now wearing golden armor with two enormous hammers crossed on his back. He sat at the center of the tent magnificently and gazed at them without any expression as if he were a statue made of steel.
He was surrounded by almost thirty Black Tiger Iron Guards. They were all the vanguards or captains in the army. Their sabers had all been unsheathed, and the auras of their weapons were glittering.
They did not cover their spiritual energy at all, which was spreading out and blowing the tent made of thick bull hide like a balloon.
Li Yao turned around and noticed another seventy or so barbarian Cultivators who had also just woken up in confusion. They were blinking rapidly, not having the slightest clue what was going on.
Some of the quick-minded barbarian Cultivators thought that the emperor's army was going to attack them and exclaimed in shock. Yet, they did not know how to react and simply shuddered in fear.
Although they had the advantage in number, they were drafted from different villages and had not familiarized themselves with each other. Some of them even had minor conflicts before. They were just an unruly mob that was not nearly as solitary as the emperor's army.
"Please don't be anxious, everybody. I mean you no harm. I have had to invite you for a conversation in such a way because there are too many spies outside!"
Ling Shoujing's tone was entirely different from his tone during the feast. It was filled with the graveness and toughness of an iron saber. He seemed even more determined than during the day.
He coughed slightly. Several Black Tiger Iron Guards brought the hill of treasures outside back into the tent again.
The crystals, blades, and magical equipment were all mixed up, making them even more dazzling than before.
"Right now, there are sixty-eight heroes from the Southland of Sorcerers in my tent, and you will split the treasures!"
Ling Shoujing's words were such a shock that all the barbarian Cultivators who were still in confusion jumped to their feet.
Everybody found it hard to believe their eyes. They were so greedy that their tongues were often dangling.
Did he not just say that a three-day test would be held and only those who proved themselves to be the strongest were entitled to an equal share of the treasures?
Although the barbarian Cultivators were not good at arithmetic, they did know that the personal gains would be much higher if it was only sixty-eight people who split the treasures instead of two hundred!
Li Yao was the only one who vaguely guessed Ling Shoujing's plan. He could not help but cheer for the Appeasing Ambassador's wisdom and resolution.
The sixty-eight barbarian Cultivators next to Li Yao were not the most experienced or the strongest ones but the most dogged and loyal ones from the most remote villages.
Also, the Cultivators who volunteered to join the battle during the day, no matter what their performance was, had been summoned here, too, even if they failed.
On the other hand, as long as they were wavering and not meaning to make an actual contribution, none of the famous barbarian Cultivators, whose capabilities were well acknowledged, such as Meng Duo and Gu Siduo, were present!
In such a case, was what Ling Shoujing was up to not obvious?
The Black Tiger Iron Guards were quite fast to divide the crystals, blades and magical equipment into two hundred fractions.
Then, they carried out almost twenty bronze boxes and smashed them.
Inside the first box were coldly-shining sabers and flying swords, which were brimming with spiritual energy and already roaring while they were still inside the box.
Those weapons were even more advanced than those presented to the public just now!
The second box contained iron balls the size of fists, which were covered in straw, cotton, and silk. Their surface was written with complicated spiritual stripes that congregated into the words 'Taiyi Heart Stabbing Grenades'.
The next few boxes included sets of finely-made armor embedded with rune arrays and night cloaks that could hide one's traces.
The last box, however, was packed with golden, glittering scrolls.
Several Black Tiger Iron Guards opened the scrolls and invited the ba
rbarian Cultivators to read them.
Many barbarian Cultivators were illiterate. They learned only after other people's interpretation that the scrolls were the Great Qian Dynasty's royal degrees of appointment.
What was listed on the scrolls were the most important and promising posts in the Southland of Sorcerers. The seal of the Appeasing Ambassador of the Fifth Prefecture of the Southland of Sorcerers had been stamped on them, too, but the column for the names was still empty.
"The sabers and flying swords are of different models. You can choose whatever blades you find suitable for you. Everybody will be given four Taiyi Heart Stabbing Grenades, one Green Cloud Spiritual Armor, and one Night Stalker Cloak. As for the names on the royal degrees…"
Ling Shoujing smiled, with intense killing intent beaming out of his face. "They will depend on your performance later!"
The barbarian Cultivators looked at each other in bewilderment.
With such a weird vibe and such bountiful rewards, even the most inert barbarians should have sensed something wrong.
One of the barbarian Cultivators, who was rather fat and had a pair of huge ears, emboldened himself to ask, "If I may ask your lordship… what is going to be our performance later?"
Ling Shoujing sneered and declared, one word after another, "In two hours, before dawn, we are going to assault the enemy's camps and kill Huo Wujiu as well as his Ghost Qin accomplices! In the battle during the day, you all distinguished yourselves and proved your loyalty to the court. I am very satisfied!
"You are the real heroes in the Southland of Sorcerers. Is there any need to hold another test?
"Before our night assault, we have also prepared such fine gear for all of you. It will certainly be a great help. I hope that you will try your best and not disappoint me, the court, and His Majesty!"
Chapter 1361: Night Assault! |
His words swept across all the barbarian Cultivators' heart like a hurricane.
Their greed for the treasures and excitement about the official posts entirely vanished. All the barbarian Cultivators were dumbfounded, as if they had been struck by lightning.
Attack Huo Wujiu at night!
Kill all of the Ghost Qin people!
That—that must be a joke!
Li Yao, however, was applauding in his heart.
So, that was the real plan!
Ling Shoujing had intentionally declared in public during the day that he would decree Huo Wuji the 'Chieftain of the South Land' on behalf of the emperor tomorrow.
Then, he threw a party at night, where everybody enjoyed themselves, and announced, as if it were real, that a test would be held in the next three days to select qualified warriors.
Everything that he did was a trick to fool the enemy into thinking that he truly meant to fight the Ghost Qin people in the Hundred Victories Great Arena.
But in fact, he had never intended to play a game in any arena since the very beginning.
The Appeasing Ambassador of the Fifth Prefecture of the South Land of Sorcerers had one and only one idea, which was to execute the barbarians and the hostile soldiers who defied the emperor's will and settle everything cleanly once and for all!
Li Yao could feel the determination and domination of the central dynasty from Ling Shoujing's decision.
That was the right thing to do. How could an affair of national importance be decided in the arena? And not just one game in the arena but more than a hundred in a row? Only psychos would do such a thing!
Li Yao's estimation on the intelligence of the leadership of the Ancient Sages Sector was more or less improved.
The real barbarian Cultivators, however, were thinking otherwise. Many of them grew anxious after a brief silence.
"Well—"
"For hundreds of years, it has been a tradition in the South Land of Sorcerers to settle scores through the Hundred Victories Great Arena. It might pass if neither party agreed to resolve their conflict through the Hundred Victories Great Arena, but now that the agreement has been made, it does not seem appropriate to assault before the game starts, does it?"
"We are going to be punished by the ghosts who were killed on the Hundred Victories Great Arena!"
"Master Black Moon is the host of the Hundred Victories Great Arena this time. The two brothers of the Huo family only reached a truce for his sake. How do we explain it to Master Black Moon if we launch a reckless assault?"
Everybody's opinion differed, but the general idea was that they were not afraid of the tough soldiers from Ghost Qin but the wrath of Master Black Moon.
The peace negotiation was conducted because of Master Black Moon's facilitation. If the Great Qian Dynasty was going to break the truce and assault the other side, how would Master Black Moon feel?
The wrath of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator was never to be underestimated. Maybe, Ling Shoujing would be able to resist it with his identity as the emperor's envoy of the Great Qian Dynasty. However, the barbarian Cultivators locally born and raised could never bear the consequences of slapping Master Black Moon's face blatantly like that.
Ling Shoujing smiled confidently and clapped his hands. Two people walked into the tent from the back.
The first guy was Huo Wuji, the leader of barbarians who was close to the Great Qian Dynasty.
The second guy, however, turned out to be Master Black Moon—the greatest expert in the South Land of Sorcerers, the most respected sorcerer in the hundred tribes, the middleman of the negotiation, and the host of the Hundred Victories Great Arena!
For a moment, there was nothing but devastating gasps inside the tent.
Thankfully, the tent was made of nine layers of bull hide, and rune arrays to block waves were sewn in between every two layers. Therefore, however noisy it was inside the tent, nobody would hear anything outside.
"I was terribly deceived by Huo Wujiu!"
Master Black Moon's pale, big face that looked like a full moon was packed with hatred that did not exist during the day. He put it straightforwardly. "Huo Wujiu told me that Huo Wuji and assassins from the Great Qian Dynasty murdered the leader of the Fire Rude Clan, that he was merely avenging his father. In my carelessness, I believed his bullsh*t and promised him that the issue would be settled in the Hundred Victories Great Arena under my name!
"However, I have discovered a lot of evidence that suggests it was the ruthless, despicable dog who killed his own father!
"Not only did he kill his own father, he had also betrayed the court, which has always given special privileges to the South Land of Sorcerers. He was planning to involve the entire South Land of Sorcerers in the flames of war! Such a man must've been possessed by the evil god. His qualification to participate in the Hundred Victories Great Arena should be deprived!
"My identity is very special. Many tribes and villages that follow Huo Wuji are protected by me, too. Although they have joined Ghost Qin's side, I still can't bear to attack them in person.
"All in all, from this moment on to the morning, everything that will happen will be left aside. I will not question anyone for anything they do!"
Master Black Moon glanced at everyone coldly after saying that, as if he were still angry. He then exited from the back of the tent. Very soon, his aura had entirely disappeared.
It was another old and cunning fox, who was hoping to watch the two tigers fight while doing nothing.
They could decide who the final winner was either through the arena or through assaults before the games. Everything was fine as long as his interests were not harmed.
But his promise overjoyed all the barbarian Cultivators.
What Ling Shoujing said next made their blood boil even harder. They were all roaring in excitement.
"In the battle to come, one hostile barbarian Cultivator's head will be rewarded with fifty kilograms of gold and five kilograms of crystals, and one Ghost Qin Cultivator's head will be rewarded with a hundred and fifty kilograms of gold and fifteen kilograms of crystals! Whoever kills Huo Wujiu
or the leader of the Ghost Qin soldiers will be rewarded with fifty kilograms of crystals!"
Li Yao was aware that the refinement and purification procedures in the Ancient Sages Sector were not advanced yet. Most of the crystals they used were the raw minerals that contained tremendous impurities.
Even so, it was still quite shocking for crystals, which were often measured in 'grams', to now be presented in loads of dozens of kilograms.
When the reward was good enough, there would certainly be someone brave enough. Also, Ling Shoujing had thoroughly planned beforehand. Even Master Black Moon was vaguely on their side.
Therefore, the barbarian Cultivators all felt that the assault would be a sure success.
At that moment, the morale was higher than ever.
The sixty-eight barbarian Cultivators that Ling Shoujing selected were the most simpleminded ones of all in the first place. After all the promises and temptations, they had almost turned into crazy, ravenous tigers.
But Ling Shoujing felt that it was not good enough yet. He had buckets of Empyrean Drunk Wine delivered again.
This time, Li Yao tasted a certain exhilarant in the wine.
It was similar to 'Incendiary', which Fengyu Zhong's pirate gang liked to inject to the space pirates before a battle. Such drugs could stimulate the nerve endings, accelerate the secretion of adrenaline, and trigger the potentials of one's soul.
After drinking the delicious wine that was mixed with excitants, the barbarian Cultivators all had bloodshot eyes and forgot all their concerns. They looked like hungry ghosts that had come back to life.
An hour later, it was the darkest moment before dawn and also the time when people were sleeping most tightly.
Huo Wuji's camp was already filled with snores, but some of the 'energetic' barbarian Cultivators were still drinking, singing, and laughing as if they were still enjoying the party.
A team of Cultivators, who had covered their spiritual energy and their body with the Night Stalker Cloaks, however, left the camp quietly and lunged at the opponent's camp after bypassing the Fire Rude Clan's town.