Human Clan Defender

「In the 383rd year of Great Qin, on the 23rd day of the sixth month.」

A million-strong Barbarian Clan launched a surprise night attack on the gateway of Great Wilderness Prefecture, breaking through several cities overnight. Their army surged forward, resulting in massive military casualties and countless civilians displaced. The Barbarian Clan then divided their forces into five columns, forming an arc to encircle the entire Great Wilderness Prefecture, aiming to conquer it in one fell swoop.

Due to the Barbarian Clan's lightning-fast speed, Great Qin was unable to react in time. Only several days later did other areas of Great Wilderness Prefecture receive news of the invasion and subsequently make corresponding deployments.

In the center of Great Wilderness Prefecture, a majestic city stood. Its tall, ancient walls, though weathered by time, remained indomitable, as daunting as a natural chasm.

Xuan City!

This was the most majestic city in Great Wilderness Prefecture, and also the capital of the vast prefecture. The majority of Great Wilderness Prefecture's military forces were stationed in Xuan City, guarding this pivotal city that anchored the entire prefecture.

Due to Xuan City's unique geographical position, it housed not only the Prefecture Yamen but also the City Lord Mansion. The City Lord Mansion managed external affairs, while the Prefecture Yamen handled internal matters; together, they governed Xuan City, maintaining order and stability within its walls.

Inside the City Lord Mansion, the atmosphere was solemn and tense. A middle-aged man with a dignified appearance, wearing a black robe embroidered with clouds and qilin and a white jade belt around his waist, was seated at the head. This was Nangong Yu, the City Lord of Xuan City. Seated below him were Guang Heng, the Magistrate of Xuan City, and Dongyang, the commander of Xuan City's Black Tiger Army.

Currently, Magistrate Guang Heng's expression was as dark as water. "These mere Barbarians dare to openly invade our Great Wilderness Prefecture, showing no regard for Great Qin! Please give the order, Lord Nangong, and I will surely lead the Black Tiger Army to annihilate those Barbarian Clan invaders in one fell swoop!"

Dongyang then boomed, fury evident in his eyes.

The Barbarian Clan! They were just Barbarians whom Great Qin had beaten so badly they couldn't even raise their heads. Great Qin had never taken the Barbarian Clan seriously. If it weren't for the limitations of the Barbarian Desolation Domain, the Barbarian Clan would have been wiped out long ago. Dongyang felt utter contempt for such Barbarians deep in his heart. The Barbarian Clan's invasion of Great Wilderness Prefecture was a blatant insult to Great Qin. If the Black Tiger Army, as the main force garrisoning Great Wilderness Prefecture, allowed the Barbarian Clan to run rampant, they would completely lose face.

As Dongyang finished speaking, Guang Heng also spoke up, "The Barbarian Clan indeed deserves to be annihilated! For years, they have plundered the borders of our Great Wilderness Prefecture, causing us significant losses. Now they dare to lead an army a million strong to attack our Great Wilderness Prefecture—they've truly got the audacity of a cornered beast! If we do not exterminate that million-strong Barbarian Clan force this time, what will become of Great Qin's dignity!"

The implication in both men's words was a clear desire to lead the army and wipe out the Barbarian Clan directly.

From his seat at the head, Nangong Yu remained calm. Only after both men had finished speaking did he slowly begin, his deep, resonant voice filling the City Lord Mansion.

"We are all well aware of the Barbarian Clan's actual strength. Although the Barbarian Desolation Domain is vast, offering the Barbarian Clan a place to survive, the conditions there are harsh. Over the years, countless members of the Barbarian Clan have perished for various reasons. Consequently, the population of the Barbarian Clan has never significantly increased. Furthermore, every year as winter approaches, the Barbarian Clan sends a portion of its people to raid our borders, their purpose being to plunder resources to help them survive the harsh winter.

"Every year, the Barbarian Clan plunders the borders of Great Wilderness Prefecture. While this causes us significant losses, the Barbarian Clan, relatively speaking, suffers even greater ones. As a result, the strength of the Barbarian Clan is actually declining each year. In the past, the fact that Great Qin hasn't launched an offensive against them is already a stroke of immense fortune for them. Now that the Barbarian Clan dares to openly invade our Great Wilderness Prefecture, I fear their motives are not so simple.

"Although members of the Barbarian Clan are uncivilized Barbarians, it doesn't mean all of them are fools. On the contrary, the Barbarian Clan has many wise individuals among them, and their Priest Hall even possesses the ability of foresight. These are the strengths the Barbarian Clan has relied upon to survive to this day."

Nangong Yu would never believe that the Barbarian Clan would dare launch a large-scale attack on Great Wilderness Prefecture without some assurance of success.

The question, however, is where the Barbarian Clan's confidence stems from. To be honest, he had no idea at all.

Guang Heng frowned. "According to the reports we've received, the Barbarian Clan is cooperating with the Demonfolk of the Eternal Alliance. Their confidence in attacking Great Wilderness Prefecture most likely stems from this alliance."

The Eternal Alliance had always possessed considerable power, enough to contend with Great Qin, which spoke volumes of their strength. More importantly, behind the Eternal Alliance stood Demon Evil. And the power of Demon Evil was truly terrifying; even Great Qin, at its peak, could only barely contend with the forces of Demon Evil. Now that the Barbarian Clan was cooperating with the Eternal Alliance, it meant they had gained an incredibly powerful backer.

"Cooperating with Demon Evil is akin to asking a tiger for its hide. The Barbarian Clan wouldn't be so foolish," Nangong Yu said, shaking his head.

From the current situation, it indeed appears the Barbarian Clan is cooperating with Demon Evil, but they would absolutely not be *fully* in league with them. After all, the Barbarian Clan's strength is far too weak compared to Demon Evil's. To rashly cooperate with Demon Evil would be like placing a knife to their own throats—a knife that could fall at any moment. Unless absolutely forced, the Barbarian Clan would never do such a thing. Therefore, in Nangong Yu's view, the Barbarian Clan must have other undisclosed plans; it's just that Great Qin currently lacks the means to discover them.

"Lord Nangong, there's no need to overthink this now," Dongyang interjected, interrupting Nangong Yu's contemplation. "The Barbarian Clan has invaded Great Wilderness Prefecture. Our priority is to drive them back. Every day we delay means a greater loss for Great Wilderness Prefecture."

In Dongyang's opinion, there was no need for so much deliberation. The immediate task was to dispatch troops to suppress the Barbarian Clan; everything else was just empty talk.

Hearing this, Nangong Yu nodded slightly. "You're right. Our main task now is indeed to drive back that million-strong Barbarian Clan horde. However, the Barbarian Clan is attacking fiercely. For the remaining forces in Great Wilderness Prefecture to contend with a million members of the Barbarian Clan is no easy feat. I have already reported this matter to the Imperial Court, and it won't be long before the Imperial Court dispatches a large army to reinforce us. How many troops does the Black Tiger Army currently have available?"

After saying this, he looked towards Dongyang.

"In Xuan City, there are still 200,000 Black Tiger Army troops on guard. Combined with the forces from other cities in Great Wilderness Prefecture, assembling an army of 500,000 is not a major issue. Including other military personnel, even if Great Wilderness Prefecture cannot muster a million-strong army, we can still gather seven to eight hundred thousand troops," Dongyang replied without hesitation.

He was not only the commander of the Black Tiger Army in Xuan City but also its supreme commander throughout Great Wilderness Prefecture. In terms of rank, he was only one tier below Nangong Yu and certainly no less influential than the Magistrate of Xuan City. Therefore, Dongyang had a clear understanding of Great Wilderness Prefecture's military strength.

"An eight-hundred-thousand-strong army is indeed a considerable number," Nangong Yu acknowledged, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "The Barbarian Desolation Domain is a harsh land, and the members of the Barbarian Clan who hail from there are fierce warriors; ordinary Qin People cannot contend with the Barbarian Clan. The 500,000 Black Tiger Army troops are the main force for dealing with the million-strong Barbarian Clan horde. The remaining two to three hundred thousand troops can play only a limited role. This time, the Barbarian Clan has the Eternal Alliance's cooperation. The Demon-Subduing Divisions throughout Great Wilderness Prefecture have all taken action, but it's not guaranteed they can suppress all threats. If the Barbarian Clan truly mobilizes its full strength, the Black Tiger Army alone will not be able to withstand them."

The Black Tiger Army was strong, true, but it was only one of Great Qin's many formidable armies. To think that the Black Tiger Army alone could counter the entire Barbarian Clan would indeed be a joke.

Dongyang's expression showed some resentment, but he didn't offer a rebuttal.

He understood that what Nangong Yu said was the truth. Although Dongyang had spoken of annihilating the Barbarian Clan, with the Black Tiger Army's current strength, it was simply not possible to achieve such a feat.

Nangong Yu continued, "What the Black Tiger Army must do now is establish defensive lines to halt the Barbarian Clan's offensive momentum. Then, we wait for reinforcements from the Imperial Court. Once both forces coordinate, we can annihilate that million-strong Barbarian Clan horde in one stroke. Attacking rashly will only lead to unnecessary losses."

"This subordinate understands!" Dongyang cupped his fist and accepted the order.

Then, Nangong Yu turned to Guang Heng. "The Barbarian Clan has already broken through many cities. I expect the refugee crisis within Great Wilderness Prefecture is quite severe. I hope the Prefecture Yamen can also take action, coordinating with various localities to accommodate the refugees and prevent widespread panic among the populace. Can this be done, Magistrate Guang?"

"This humble official will do his utmost," Guang Heng replied with a solemn nod.

The refugee situation was indeed dire. Every city had a large population of civilians. According to current intelligence, no fewer than ten cities had been breached by the Barbarian Clan. Even if only half the population of those cities became refugees, that would still amount to over a million people. If these refugees were not properly managed and were allowed to roam freely throughout Great Wilderness Prefecture, the consequences would be unimaginable. After all, refugees were people too, and human sentiment was the hardest thing to predict. If they weren't pacified, it wouldn't be long before Great Wilderness Prefecture became plagued by bandits. They might even be exploited by those with ulterior motives and incited into a rebellion. At that point, with rebels causing trouble from within and the Barbarian Clan threatening from without, Great Wilderness Prefecture's situation would become truly perilous. Guang Heng was certain that if things reached that stage, his tenure as the Magistrate of Xuan City would effectively be over.

Just as the men were discussing matters, a commander hurried in from outside. Upon seeing Nangong Yu, he immediately knelt on one knee. "This subordinate greets Lord Nangong!"

"Speak. What has happened?" Nangong Yu said calmly, yet his gaze on the commander exerted immense pressure.

At the same time, Guang Heng and Dongyang also fixed their gazes on the commander. At this critical juncture, the sudden arrival of a messenger made a sense of foreboding rise in their hearts.

Could it be—has the situation within Great Wilderness Prefecture changed?

Just as this thought surfaced in their minds, the commander began his report: "Two days ago, a Barbarian Clan force of 120,000, led by Mairba, attacked Jincheng. Jincheng held out for less than a day before it was completely overrun. The remnants of the city's garrison managed to break out and escape—"