Human Clan Defender

"Are you threatening me with the Barbarian Clan?" Hongyi's voice gradually turned icy.

"Not at all!" The black-robed man bowed his head, his tone also softening somewhat. "The Eternal Alliance was created by the Demon Evil Clan; how could my Barbarian Clan dare to slight it?"

"You are arrogant!" A few words lightly fell from Hongyi's mouth, and immediately the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

The black-robed man fell silent, seemingly conceding to Hongyi's words. In an instant, the atmosphere tensed further. Green light flickered in the eyes of the other man and the old man, as if they were ready to strike at any moment.

Suddenly, Hongyi sat down, her eyes signaling. "Guests are to be treated with respect. Since the Barbarian Clan is cooperating with our Eternal Alliance, we are naturally allies."

With those words, the heavy atmosphere dissipated considerably.

The black-robed man smiled. "Thank you, Hall Master Hongyi." He took a seat in an empty spot.

Seeing this, the green light in the eyes of the other man and the old man faded, and they too sat back down.

Hongyi spoke indifferently, "What is your purpose in coming here this time?"

"Hall Master Hongyi is likely unaware that just yesterday, my Barbarian Clan marched north, launching an attack on Great Wilderness Prefecture. If I'm not mistaken, the gates of Great Wilderness Prefecture must have already been breached. Numerous cities, Ningshan City chief among them, have all fallen into our clan's hands. Now, the Barbarian Clan Army is about to penetrate deeper into Great Wilderness Prefecture. The clan has conveyed a decree, hoping that Hall Master Hongyi will cooperate with us to capture Jincheng together!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

"The Barbarian Clan has already breached Ningshan City!" Hongyi was shocked. Although the Eternal Alliance was cooperating with the Barbarian Clan, and she knew they intended to attack Great Wilderness Prefecture, she hadn't expected them to act so swiftly.

As the gateway to Great Wilderness Prefecture, cities like Ningshan City were heavily guarded, specifically to resist Barbarian Clan invasions. In the past, when the Barbarian Clan invaded Great Wilderness Prefecture, they often bypassed heavily guarded cities, plundering the interior directly before retreating. Only very large-scale raids would result in the occupation of places like Ningshan City. However, it usually took the Barbarian Clan a significant amount of time to attack the gates of Great Wilderness Prefecture. That they had managed to breach Ningshan City in just one night was clearly beyond her expectations.

In an instant, Hongyi understood why the black-robed man had come at this time. Although Jincheng was not a large city, nor was its geographical location particularly important, strictly speaking, Jincheng was rich in resources. If the Barbarian Clan had truly breached the gates of Great Wilderness Prefecture, with the pace of their army's advance, it wouldn't be long before they reached here. If the Eternal Alliance cooperated with the Barbarian Clan's infiltrators to stir up chaos within Jincheng at this juncture, it would undoubtedly provide great convenience for the Barbarian Clan to capture the city.

The black-robed man said, "Our clan has sworn to march northward and take the lands of the Qin State. Now that our army has emerged in full force, how can the mere gates of Great Wilderness Prefecture withstand our grand army's assault? I only hope that Hall Master Hongyi will cooperate with us in creating some chaos within the city. To demonstrate our sincerity, once our clan captures Jincheng, half of the city's population can be contributed to the Eternal Alliance, for the Alliance to use as they wish."

Half the population! Upon hearing this, a flicker of interest crossed Hongyi's eyes. Jincheng is home to no fewer than 300,000 people. If I could claim half the population of such a large city, my strength would certainly grow massively. After all, I am a Hall Master of the Eternal Alliance, and Jincheng falls within my jurisdiction. With a little maneuvering, the half of the population offered by the Barbarian Clan could easily become mine.

Understanding the implications, a seductive smile appeared on Hongyi's face. "The Eternal Alliance and the Barbarian Clan are indeed allies. If the clan is in need, I will naturally offer my full assistance. What do you propose?"

"It's simple: just create chaos within the city," the black-robed man said, his voice grave. "Right now, the biggest trouble in Jincheng is the Black Tiger Army stationed outside the city. They are positioned just outside, ready to respond immediately to any disturbance. Therefore, the best strategy is to disperse their strength. If we create chaos within the city, the Black Tiger Army will be compelled to act. Once their forces are divided, we will have the opportunity to defeat them one by one. Even if we can't handle the Black Tiger Army directly, we can wear them down. Then, when chaos erupts throughout the city, my Barbarian Clan will surely launch an attack."

From the black-robed man's perspective, the Black Tiger Army was the biggest threat. Once that issue was resolved, the rest would be of little concern.

"No problem," Hongyi nodded.

A satisfied smile appeared on the black-robed man's face. Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "Speaking of which, I've heard that Hall Master Hongyi clashed with a certain powerful individual, resulting in the destruction of Wanhua Building. Is this true?"

"It's a trivial matter." Hongyi smiled faintly, not elaborating further.

Seeing this, the black-robed man did not inquire further. "Then I shall await good news from Hall Master Hongyi."

"The Eternal Alliance's promise is as good as gold, but I hope your Barbarian Clan will make an equal effort," Hongyi replied. "Otherwise, our Eternal Alliance, isolated and weak as it is, would struggle to make significant progress."

"Of course. Farewell!" With a cupped fist salute, the black-robed man turned and left. As he departed, he glanced once more at the other man and the old man but said nothing.

In his eyes, two Demonfolk of the Pulse Condensation Realm were hardly anything at all. If it weren't for Hongyi's presence, he could have annihilated them with a wave of his hand.

Only after the black-robed man had completely departed did the charming smile on Hongyi's face vanish.

"Hall Master, why didn't you tell him about Shen Changqing's existence?" the old man asked, looking puzzled. From their recent conversation, it was clear Hongyi had intentionally concealed Shen Changqing's presence. Although the old man had been perplexed at the time, with the black-robed man present, he hadn't dared to ask, fearing he might disrupt her plans. It was only now that he dared to voice the doubt in his heart.

Upon hearing this, the other man also turned his gaze toward Hongyi.

"Why should I tell him? Although our Eternal Alliance is currently cooperating with the Barbarian Clan, we are not truly of one mind. His actions in destroying the Zhou Family, which led to Wanhua Building's exposure, make that clear. It's quite possible the Barbarian Clan intends to use Great Qin to weaken our Eternal Alliance," Hongyi sneered, a murderous intent evident in her words. "The Barbarian Clan wants our Eternal Alliance to weaken, but I, too, hope to see them stumble. After all, once we joined the Eternal Alliance, we ceased to belong to the Human Clan, let alone the Barbarian Clan. Cooperation is merely cooperation; it doesn't mean we have to share every piece of information. If he manages to survive an encounter with Shen Changqing, then he's lucky. Otherwise, if misfortune befalls him, he'll have no one to blame but himself."

Hongyi had been quite dissatisfied ever since the black-robed man's actions had led to Wanhua Building being exposed. However, his status as a member of the Barbarian Clan prevented her from acting against him directly. Now, his brazen arrival, with an air of arrogance despite his courteous words, only fueled her discontent. The Demonfolk of the Eternal Alliance were inherently perverse and brutal. Even if they were allies and couldn't attack each other openly, there were still ways to make the other party pay.

Seeing Hongyi's icy expression, the old man and the other man dared not press the issue.

After a while, the old man spoke, his expression complex, "Are we to make our move now?"

Hongyi glanced at the sky and shook her head. "Let's wait a bit longer, perhaps a few more hours. The man from the Demon-Subduing Division is still in Jincheng. With your strength, if you encounter him, it would be certain death. So, when you act, if anything feels wrong, retreat immediately. If you die at his hands, don't blame me for not warning you."

"Thank you for the reminder, Hall Master!" both replied, their heads lowered.

The lamplight flickered, and the atmosphere in the main hall suddenly quieted.

The night deepened. On the streets of Jincheng, apart from the patrolling Black Tiger Army, only the Watchmen sounding the night's watches could be heard. The entire city seemed to have plunged into darkness, with only a few scattered spots where faint lights glowed.

In contrast to the city, the Black Tiger Army encampment outside the walls was brightly lit by numerous torches, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

In the central command tent, Chu Ding's face was extremely somber. To his left sat County Magistrate Nie Xu. Below them, a soldier, his body bloodied and his armor tattered, knelt on one knee.

"Say that again! What exactly happened?" Chu Ding's voice was detached, sending a chill down the spine.

The trembling soldier spoke with a choked voice, "R-reporting to General! Last night, the Barbarian Clan launched a surprise attack on Ningshan City. After a fierce battle lasting several hours, Ningshan City fell. General Cui Yue died in combat. Of Ningshan City's one hundred thousand defenders, the majority also perished in battle. Only a small remnant of defeated troops managed to escape towards Great Wilderness Prefecture. The Barbarian Clan Army is now advancing directly into Great Wilderness Prefecture. General, please make preparations quickly, lest the Barbarian Clan catch us unawares!"

BANG!!

A heavy palm slammed down, and the wooden armrest shattered instantly. Chu Ding's face was contorted with rage as he roared in a low voice, "Ningshan City had a garrison of one hundred thousand, including twenty thousand Black Tiger Army soldiers! How could the Barbarian Clan possibly breach the entire city in less than a single night?!"

Terrified by the roar, the soldier flinched and lowered his head even further. "The Barbarian Clan Army attacked with overwhelming numbers, hundreds of thousands of them storming the city heedless of casualties. Despite the city's considerable defensive forces, they were ultimately unable to withstand the onslaught."

When he finished, the tent fell silent.

Chu Ding waved his hand weakly. "You are dismissed. Go and rest."

"This subordinate takes his leave!" The soldier struggled to his feet and staggered out of the tent.

In the tent, the candlelight flickered, illuminating Chu Ding's grim countenance and Nie Xu's pale face.

"General Chu, has Ningshan City truly fallen?" Nie Xu looked up at Chu Ding, his pale face filled with disbelief.

The fall of Ningshan City! For him, it was a devastating blow. If Ningshan City had fallen, it meant the Barbarian Clan could advance unimpeded, putting Jincheng on the very brink of danger.

Chu Ding remained silent, as if he hadn't heard Nie Xu's question. After a long pause, he let out a deep sigh and met Nie Xu's gaze.

"Actually, even before he arrived, a swift messenger from Ningshan City had already reached us, so… Lord Nie, prepare for war!"