Chapter 327

"Lang Lin and the others are back!"

Just past noon, the sentry warrior happily shouted towards the rear of the procession.

One large and one small gray wolf quickly entered the campsite. Qi Bai anxiously looked at the bamboo basket on Lang Kan's saddle. After a moment, a large tail with a red tip pushed open the lid of the basket, and a little squirrel poked its pointy head out from inside.

The three transformed into human form. Lang Lin's eyes shone: "City Lord, Great Priest, the Leli leader has agreed to our request for a decisive battle."

"Good." Lang Ze immediately ordered, "Notify everyone, the troops will continue forward."

"Yes!"

Qi Bai walked to Lang Lin and Shu You and asked: "How was your situation inside the Leli camp?"

The several people hurriedly recounted what happened in the Leli camp.

Hu Xiao said: "This Cang Xie is too arrogant."

Diao Lan, however, shook her head: "To be able to become the leader of Leli, this Cang Xie is indeed not simple."

Lang Kan looked at Diao Lan puzzled. His feeling was the same as Hu Xiao's; he hadn't noticed anything special about this Cang Quan Pale person at all.

Diao Lan smiled: "The fact that you returned safely says it all."

The Leli tribe's camp was located in a depression on the bank of the Chen Shui River, with open field of view all around. It was originally a terrain that could enter a defensive state at any time.

However, after the Hei Yao troops grandly stationed their army, this visual advantage ceased to exist.

"Leader, they set up camp upstream from us. This is clearly provoking us!"

"Leader, I took a sneak peek. Over there, they use new animal hides to pitch their tents, and they light bonfires to cook food before the sun even sets."

Cang Dun secretly rolled his eyes at this salivating leader. The leader sent them to scout Hei Yao's strength, but this guy only saw food.

"Leader, they have far fewer people than us," a small-eyed leader rolled his eyes and suggested, "Why don't we go and wipe them out tonight?"

Cang Xie glanced at this small-eyed leader and said: "Leli is a trustworthy tribe. Since I have already agreed to a decisive battle with Hei Yao ten days from now, I will not sneak attack them now."

"You go back, summon all horned beastman warriors over fifteen years old, distribute pre-battle food to them, and prepare for battle."

The small-eyed leader's cheek twitched. He gave a look to the other two leaders: "The leader is right. We will go handle it now."

The other leaders knew Cang Xie's temperament. Since Cang Xie had already decided, they naturally didn't dare to object. They all saluted Cang Xie and left one after another.

When only three people remained in the clearing, the female beastman who hadn't spoken finally said: "Brother, do you really plan to have a decisive battle with them?"

The female beastman had the same deep brown skin as Cang Xie and Cang Dun, but her eye color was brighter. Her dark golden pupils and the dark golden long hair falling over her shoulders made her seem less rugged than other Cang Quan people, instead possessing a hint of fiery divinity.

She was Cang Xie's sister and also the Shaman of Leli and the Cang Quan, Cang Xi.

"I have fought Hei Yao people before. Their warriors are different from those tribes outside. These pieced-together warriors we have are no match for them at all. Their willingness to have a decisive battle with us is actually a good thing." Cang Xie looked in the direction the leaders had left. "Perhaps someone is willing to test Hei Yao's true strength for us."

As for the agreement of the decisive battle, even on Blue Earth it was a gentleman's agreement, let alone on the Beastman Continent which had no such custom. Both Hei Yao and Leli remaining inactive was merely because each had their own plans.

"Mm, those Wo'er people are not trustworthy. Keeping them will cause trouble sooner or later." Cang Xi only mentioned this briefly before turning her head and asking indifferently, "Dun, how many teams haven't returned yet?"

"Only one of our teams, Shi's, is left. But Shi has already sent someone back with a message; they should be back in about three or four days." Cang Dun paused before saying, "Also, there are three other teams..."

Without Cang Dun needing to say it explicitly, the other two understood.

Teams leaving like this and never returning was not news in Leli anymore.

These people might have been completely defeated, or they might have simply left with the plundered food or even gotten lost in the wild and never found their way back to the main camp. Such accidents happened every day. The tribe was all sorts of people; even if some were missing, few noticed.

Sure enough, after hearing Cang Dun's report, Cang Xie didn't react much. He took out the arrow from his bosom and handed it to Cang Xi and Cang Dun: "This is Hei Yao's weapon. It can attack from a very far distance."

Cang Xi touched the cool arrowhead and frowned: "This isn't bird bone."

Cang Dun looked left and right curiously. So this was the treasure Cang Xie looked at every day. He couldn't see how this thing was so powerful.

"Correct. I still haven't figured out what this is. But as long as we know of its existence, it won't be able to hinder us." Cang Xie said, "Dun, have the tribespeople prepare all the beast herds. I want to see if their weapons can withstand the Divine Sound of the Ancestral God."

On the other side, the leaders hadn't gone far when the small-eyed leader found an excuse to pull the other two into a corner.

Small Eyes said: "That Cang Quan kid's courage is truly small. Such a big fat sheep is lying right next to us, but he's too scared to bare his fangs."

One beastman leader chuckled and said: "Wo'er Clan Leader, you're wrong about that. They are dogs, after all. Their teeth aren't sharp to begin with."

"Right, right," the small-eyed Wo'er leader laughed, then lowered his voice, "We should strike early. Our three clans join forces, directly rob Hei Yao's camp."

The last leader said somewhat hesitantly: "If we don't listen to the leader's order, what will we do when the leader blames us later?"

"What are you afraid of? After we rob Hei Yao, we'll turn around and go back to Hun Rong. I've long been fed up with those Cang Quan people. They have such a big city but won't live in it, insist on bringing us to this place with no shelter at all. If they won't live there, we will! I'm just asking you, dare to do it or not!"

That leader gritted his teeth: "Let's do it!"

The moon rose to the treetops. The Hei Yao camp gradually quieted down. In the middle of the tent area, hundreds of carts were covered with animal hides. Patrol warriors would pass by from time to time.

In the main tent in the center, a bonfire burned flickeringly. Qi Bai, Lang Ze, and Diao Lan sat on animal hides, watching Hu Xiao, who sat with his eyes closed, motionless.

After a long time, so long that Qi Bai began to wonder if Hu Xiao had fallen asleep, Hu Xiao finally opened his eyes and turned his head away evasively.

Qi Bai waved his hand carefreely: "It's fine if you didn't see anything."

Hu Xiao had just been trying to use his precognitive ability, but the result was obvious.

As someone who grew up under the red flag on Blue Earth, Qi Bai already felt that prophecy and precognition and other mystical things were unreliable. To be precise, it wasn't that the ability of precognition was unreliable, but that the human heart was unreliable. Hei Yao's current prosperity relied on their own hands, not on invisible, intangible divine power.

As for Lang Ze, the only things he believed in were Qi Bai and fists.

However, people are always curious. Hu Xiao's last prophecy had indeed come true. Now that they had met the Leli people, everyone couldn't help but ask Hu Xiao to try his ability again.

Qi Bai's words clearly didn't comfort Hu Xiao. He泄气地 (dejectedly) muttered: "It must be because I'm too tired from traveling these days. After resting for a few days, I will definitely be able to do it."

Qi Bai smiled and asked Diao Lan: "Can you sense anything?"

Diao Lan shook her head: "I haven't sensed anything different."

For this trip, Qi Bai only brought Hu Xiao and Diao Lan with him.

A tribe that could control wild beasts was hard not to associate with "Divine Blood." The Jufeng tribe wasn't suitable for leaving the city, so Qi Bai brought Diao Lan, who possessed longevity, and Hu Xiao, who possessed precognition.

But like asking Hu Xiao for a prophecy, Qi Bai bringing them was just an extra insurance measure. He wasn't particularly disappointed by Diao Lan's answer.

As they were talking, a disorderly sound of footsteps suddenly passed outside the tent.

"Lang Ze, Bao Bai!" Hu Qiao, who should have been on patrol outside, suddenly lifted the animal hide curtain.

Lang Ze stood up: "What happened?"

The main army took eight days to reach Chen Shui, but the scouting team led by Hu Qiao, guided by E Lian and Niu Yan, had arrived here several days early.

They were dispersed around the Leli tribe, investigating the Leli people's situation and monitoring their movements. The location where the main army was now stationed was also determined in advance by the scouting team.

Hu Qiao carried a chill on him: "The Leli people are gathering their troops."

"Are they packing supplies?"

Hu Qiao shook his head: "No."

Not packing supplies meant they weren't preparing to flee. Qi Bai and Lang Ze both had the answer simultaneously. It seemed Leli was planning to sneak attack them tonight.

Lang Ze asked: "How many people?"

Hu Huo said: "They didn't light bonfires. The exact number isn't clear, but I can confirm only the camp area farthest east from the water source has movement."

The Leli camp was large and relatively dispersed. Just the farthest eastern camp should have less than three thousand people, but for a sneak attack, that was indeed enough.

Lang Ze pondered for a moment, then said to Hu Qiao: "You go back and continue watching Leli closely. If the camps in other directions make any move, report back immediately."

Hu Qiao immediately accepted the order and left. Xiong Han and others who received the news also came to the main tent. They all looked at Lang Ze: "City Lord!"

The night grew deeper. A team of people quickly approached the Hei Yao camp.

One beastman said excitedly: "Clan Leader, the bonfires in their camp are so small. It seems Hei Yao has far fewer people than they claimed."

The Wo'er Clan Leader greedily gazed at the tightly closed tents and the night watch beastmen dozing by the bonfires.

City beastmen really only know how to enjoy themselves. Such a large camp, yet only so few people on watch. They didn't even notice we've arrived right in front of them.

"Warriors of Leli, do you smell the aroma of roasted meat? Charge into their camp for me! Half of all the supplies you grab will be given to you!"

"Charge!"

At the Wo'er Clan Leader's order, all the beastmen desperately charged into the Hei Yao camp. These three clans were only a temporary alliance. No one could count on anyone else; only what you grabbed yourself could be considered your own.

The Hei Yao camp was like a piece of gold thrown on the ground. No one could resist the temptation of its glow.

However, just as they barged into this empty camp, wanting to taste the spoils of war, the tightly closed tents suddenly opened.

What awaited them was not treasure, but icy cold blades.

Cang Xie and Cang Xi watched the direction of the Hei Yao camp.

Cang Xi murmured: "Too quiet."

The next day, a team appeared early outside the Leli camp. Merely one hundred people escorted as prisoners over a thousand beastmen.

Following Lang Ze's orders, last night the Hei Yao camp extinguished most of its bonfires. All warriors entered the tents in full alert, and even the night watch beastmen by the bonfires pretended to be asleep, all to lure the enemy into the camp.

The Leli people, deceived by Hei Yao's seemingly empty defense, were no match for Hei Yao's elites. Hei Yao could be said to have resolved the sneak attackers with virtually no combat losses. The biggest trouble these attackers left for the Hei Yao warriors was actually cleaning up the battlefield.

Xiong Han threw the two people in her hands onto the ground like trash: "Leli Leader, is this Leli's promise?"

The Wo'er Clan Leader didn't expect to be alive to see Cang Xie again. He struggled desperately lunged at Cang Xie: "Leader, I was wrong, I was wrong! Leader, save me! They aren't people... they are demons! Hei Yao people are all demons!"

Cang Xi's eyes lifted slightly: "Hei Yao City Lord, I wonder what they did to make you treat my tribespeople like this."

"Don't misunderstand. I am merely a small general of Hei Yao, not the great City Lord."

"As for your tribespeople," Xiong Han gave Cang Xi an indifferent smile, "they sneak attacked our camp last night. You wouldn't deny it, would you?"

"Oh, right, they said a total of three clans came," Xiong Han tilted her head back slightly. The warrior behind her threw out another corpse. "This one accidentally died. Now there are only two left."

Cang Xie drew the bone knife from his waist. The Wo'er Clan Leader's small eyes widened suddenly, but the next moment they became a rolling head.

"It was my fault for not keeping a close eye on my subordinates. These two are my apology."

Cang Xie's bone knife dripped blood: "Leli is the most trustworthy tribe. The agreement between Leli and Hei Yao still stands."

Xiong Han had come today precisely to sound out the Leli people's intentions. Hearing Cang Xie's promise, she couldn't be bothered to say much more.

Xiong Han waved her hand, signaling the warriors to release the prisoners behind her. She looked at the two people of different tribes in front of her: "Nine days from now, we'll see you on the battlefield."