Human Clan Defender

"Fang Xue greets General Chu!"

In the command tent, Fang Xue bowed respectfully.

He had been inexplicably dragged here and, up to this point, still hadn't figured out what was going on.

Besides Chu Ding, there were also some unfamiliar faces in the tent now. A grim atmosphere pervaded the tent, making him feel somewhat uneasy.

Straightening up, Fang Xue voiced the confusion in his heart.

"I don't know why General Chu has suddenly summoned me. May I ask what the matter is?"

"I have heard that the Golden Toad Sect has a renowned reputation in the art of poisoning, so I have a matter I wish to entrust to Elder Fang."

"Please speak plainly, General!"

"When the Barbarian Clan besieges the city, they will inevitably camp near Jincheng and will certainly need a water source. Therefore, I want to poison the Qingshui River to diminish the Barbarian Clan's strength. Does Elder Fang have a way to do this?" Chu Ding stated, getting straight to the point.

Poisoning! Fang Xue started, clearly not having expected this to be the reason he was summoned. However, he neither outright rejected the proposal nor immediately agreed. Instead, he looked at the sand table before him, falling into a brief contemplation.

A few breaths later, Fang Xue collected himself, his expression thoughtful.

"I have seen the Qingshui River. Though called a river, its current is as swift as that of a major river. Ordinary poisons thrown into it would be diluted completely before they could take effect. Even if consumed, they would at most cause some discomfort; it would be difficult to achieve a lethal effect. If a large amount of poison were introduced, it would be far too conspicuous—"

He stopped midway, closing his mouth. The difficulty of poisoning the river was already quite apparent.

Chu Ding said, "If it weren't difficult, I wouldn't have needed to ask for your help, Elder Fang. Does the Golden Toad Sect have a method to achieve this?"

"This—" Fang Xue looked troubled.

After a moment, he replied in a deep voice, "The Golden Toad Sect indeed possesses such colorless and tasteless poisons. However, I currently do not have any on hand. If I am to prepare them, it will also take some time. Furthermore, suitable materials must be found."

"Elder Fang, feel free to mention whatever materials you require. As long as my Black Tiger Army can procure them, there will be no problem."

"I ask for your understanding, General Chu. This formula is a secret of my Golden Toad Sect, not to be passed on. The materials must be collected by me alone. There are numerous pharmacies and medical halls in Jincheng, though I don't know if the people took everything when they evacuated. If possible, General, please grant me a Token for passage. Once I find the appropriate materials, I will certainly prepare a useful poison for you," Fang Xue said, clasping his fists.

Upon hearing this, Chu Ding immediately nodded.

"Granted. I will give you a Token that allows free passage anywhere in the city. I hope you can prepare what I need as soon as possible."

Saying this, he took out a small Token from his robes and handed it to Fang Xue.

"Thank you, General!"

Taking the Token, Fang Xue turned and left.

Watching his receding figure vanish, a Chiliarch frowned.

"General, by handing over the Token to him, won't there be problems? These people from Jianghu aren't necessarily trustworthy."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Chu Ding replied calmly, showing little concern. "Employ no one you suspect, and suspect no one you employ. Besides, one Fang Xue can't stir up any significant trouble. The 12,000 soldiers of the Black Tiger Army have Jincheng completely under control. Fang Xue's every move will be under their surveillance. Having an extra Token merely makes things more convenient for him."

「Time passed.」

All four city gates were now completely closed. Large numbers of Black Tiger Army soldiers manned their posts on the city walls, and all necessary siege equipment had been transported up: fire oil, carroballistae, and large stones, all prepared for the siege.

The Black Tiger Army soldiers, swords at their waists and longbows on their backs, clad in black armor and holding long spears, watched the darkness ahead with calm expressions, as if silently awaiting something.

The atmosphere was eerily quiet. The only sounds were those of materials being moved.

"They're coming, aren't they?" Zhong Chi sighed softly, gazing into the darkness beyond the city.

He still hadn't revealed his true identity, instead maintaining his previous disguise. As a member of the Heavenly Inspection Guard, his primary concern while gathering intelligence was to avoid exposing his identity.

"Yes, they are. Has the Heavenly Inspection Guard sent any other news?" Nie Xu asked with a faint smile. Having reached this point, he actually felt somewhat relieved. Let them come. Success or failure, at worst, I'll sacrifice my life for the city.

Zhong Chi shook his head. "At this point, no piece of intelligence could make a significant difference. The Demon Evils of the Eternal Alliance have become increasingly rampant, constantly attacking the Great Wilderness Prefecture. A Defender Envoy from one of the three major Demon-Subduing Divisions has been injured, and the remaining Demon Hunters have suffered countless casualties. However, the Demon Evils also suffered heavy losses; it was a situation where both sides were grievously wounded. Currently, all three major Demon-Subduing Divisions are seeking aid from other such divisions and simply can't spare any personnel."

Indeed! Hearing this, Nie Xu silently affirmed his thoughts. He had long guessed that the three major Demon-Subduing Divisions wouldn't have it easy. Now, hearing this, the situation seemed even worse than he had imagined.

Suddenly, Nie Xu sighed, his expression turning melancholic.

"Where on earth do these Demon Evils come from? Centuries ago, there was never any trace of Demon Evils. Now, they seem to appear out of thin air, and no matter how many we kill, we can never seem to eradicate them completely. Over the years, Great Qin has slain countless Demon Evils, yet their numbers never seem to diminish. With our current strength, can we truly hope to one day eradicate the Demon Evils?"

This question was directed at Zhong Chi, but he was also asking himself. For over three hundred years, Great Qin had been fighting Demon Evils. Yet, their numbers never decreased; instead, Great Qin's own strength was noticeably depleted. Despite the constant influx of new recruits, Nie Xu could feel Great Qin's power steadily declining. If not for this, how could the Barbarian Clan have dared to invade the Great Wilderness Prefecture?

In Great Qin's heyday, the Barbarian Clan wouldn't dare set foot in the Great Wilderness Prefecture, even when many of their people starved to death each winter, let alone invade it. In the past, the Great Qin Iron Cavalry swept deep into the lands beyond the Great Wilderness Prefecture's borders. Wherever they passed, the Barbarian Clan were annihilated. That was the true glory of Great Qin. But now things were different. Great Qin could no longer project its power so far beyond the Great Wilderness Prefecture, let alone fully defend its own lands. Ultimately, it was because Great Qin's strength was waning. And a large part of that decline was due to the Demon Evils. The turmoil caused by the Demon Evils had led to a continuous decline in Great Qin's national strength. The addition of new recruits was simply not enough to compensate for the losses.

Zhong Chi's expression was complicated. After Nie Xu finished speaking, he too shook his head and sighed. "Honestly, I don't know about the Demon Evils either. All we can do now is our utmost to maintain stability within Great Qin's territory. As for other matters, it's not for people like us to meddle in."

"That's true." Nie Xu smiled. "When the sky falls, taller ones will hold it up. When did it become our turn to worry about such things? For now, let's focus on how to resist the Barbarian Clan and survive this calamity. Given the Heavenly Inspection Guard's speed in relaying intelligence, how many days do you estimate it will take for the news to spread completely?"

"In another two days, the news should have spread throughout the Great Wilderness Prefecture. However, for it to reach the Capital City of the Central Plains Country, it will still take another ten to fifteen days," Zhong Chi replied without hesitation. Great Qin's vast territory also meant significant delays in communication. Delivering certain messages often took an extremely long time.

Nie Xu nodded silently. "So, we must hold out for at least two days."

Two days. That would be enough time for the Great Wilderness Prefecture to react and prevent the Barbarian Clan from attacking so recklessly. The time seemed short, but he wasn't very confident. After all, the city's defensive forces were too weak. Twelve thousand men, even if they were the elite Black Tiger Army, might not withstand one hundred twenty thousand Barbarians for long. The difficulty was immense.

"Why hasn't Lord Shen come?" Nie Xu suddenly remembered he hadn't seen Shen Changqing all day. He found it hard to believe Shen Changqing would have left Jincheng.

Zhong Chi said, "When Lord Shen returned today, he said he was going into seclusion. He might be on the verge of a breakthrough in his Martial Arts, so we shouldn't disturb him without good reason. Besides, in a battle between armies, individual prowess ultimately has limited impact. Unless one reaches the Grandmaster Realm. That would be a different matter entirely."

Grandmasters have already cultivated Martial Dao True Intent. Whether in terms of physique or True Qi, no other Martial Artist can compare. They truly stand at the peak. Only experts of this caliber can fight their way through thousands of soldiers. Although Grandmasters still cannot single-handedly turn the tide of a major war, the impact they can have is far beyond that of any Martial Artist below the Grandmaster Realm.

"Lord Shen is already a martial artist of the Innate Outer Gang Realm. If he makes another breakthrough, wouldn't that make him a Grandmaster!?" Nie Xu exclaimed in astonishment. He hadn't expected Shen Changqing to be in seclusion.

Hearing this, Zhong Chi nodded, his expression also grave. "If I'm not mistaken, should Lord Shen succeed in his breakthrough, he will likely become a Grandmaster. If Jincheng had an additional Grandmaster to assist, resisting the Barbarian Clan Army would be much easier. Mairba is powerful. Not having an expert of a comparable level on our side to hold the line is a significant problem. We can only hope Lord Shen breaks through soon. Otherwise, if we wait until the situation is irreversible, it will be too late for everything!"

He hoped Shen Changqing would break through quickly. But the leap from the Innate Realm to the Grandmaster Realm isn't made so easily. Some might achieve Enlightenment overnight, while others might meditate for months before grasping its profundities. It all depends on individual opportunity and fortune.

Just then, from the darkness beyond the city walls, came the roars of tigers and snarls of leopards, like the thunderous charge of a myriad beasts.