Lord of the Desert

Chapter 436 Xiao Chu
same day.

The sky was dim, transitioning from light purple to dark blue.

Twenty miles to the right of Feiyan Pass, the temporary camp was messy and quiet, with light and dark sentries on the periphery each in their positions.

Hong Fan initially thought that the afternoon battle was an irreparable defeat, but when he went to respond, he found that this remnant of 5,000 troops was not only intact, but also marched in an orderly manner and still had the courage to fight again.

They retreated voluntarily.

Youshi (6pm).

The military order has been issued. All personnel are required to rest for an hour and a half before setting off. They are not allowed to take off their armor during this period.

In the leeward place behind the huge rock, several guards built the only tent next to the newly lit campfire - it was called a tent, but in fact it was just a piece of bright yellow camp cloth with dragon pattern hung on a few wooden poles.

Although the arrival of Gu Yixin and Hong Fan during the retreat was unexpected, they were still immediately received in person by the princess due to their strength and reputation.

By the light of the fire, Hong Fan saw this famous royal noble for the first time.

The first thing that comes into view is a soldier.

The bulky heavy armor concealed all the curves.

A short six-leaf hammer hangs at the waist, within easy reach.

The red tasseled helmet of Suanni was placed flat on the side, and the earmuffs were covered with dust.

The second one was a woman.

Her facial features are soft but her facial curves are clear. She has her hair tied up in a man's bun. She is not wearing any makeup and does not look like a woman. Rather than being beautiful, it would be more appropriate to describe her as heroic.

"My surname is Xiao, my given name is Chu, I am the eldest daughter of my father, and I am also the commander of this army."

Xiao Chu clasped his hands together, sitting upright on the flattest stone pier, his voice calm and plain.

Hong Fan originally thought that she would call herself "Ben Gong".

"Your help is like timely help in times of trouble. We will never forget your kindness."

Xiao Chu tried hard to smile, and looked at the two of them gently with a pair of dark eyes dotted with gold. The exceptionally pale color of his lips was also particularly eye-catching.

Hong Fan was sitting down to return the greeting. When he lowered his head, he saw that her right hand was tightly wrapped with a fine white silk bandage, with a light red tint on the palm - the bandage had frayed edges on both sides, probably because it was cut from ready-made clothing.

He thought of the rumors that Chaos consumed blood.

The eldest princess is undoubtedly a beauty.

But perhaps it was the camp environment, or perhaps it was because she had just been defeated in a major battle, she did not give Hong Fan the same shock of peerless beauty that he felt when he first met Shen Tiexin, as if he had been hit by a blow to the head.

This royal should be someone easy to work with.

Hong Fan thought.

The personal guards brought food and water according to the number of people.

The food was hot pancakes and the water was just cold water.

Xiao Chu drank water from a tea bowl with a small crack on it, and swallowed a mouthful of water every time she took a bite of the rice cake - between her fingers, the kiln-fired glaze on the bowl reflected the firelight, turning into brilliant clouds.

In just half a day, she introduced Hong Fan, Gu Yixin and all the generals and masters present to each other. Among them, four people were particularly important.

The first one sat near the eldest princess. His name was Zhou Wenyang, with the honorific title "Chiqiong". He was ranked 97th on the Earth List and had the official rank of "Yinqing Guanglu Dafu", a third-grade official.

He had a goatee and his hair and beard were half white. He was still wearing the same bright red robe and was sitting upright on the highest stone.

Hong Fan made eye contact with him several times, and each time he felt that he was looking down at him with arrogance between his eyebrows.

The second person sat near the eldest princess' right. He had a white face and no beard, with long flowing hair. He was tall and lean like a yaksha, and wore a blue satin military uniform. He spoke very little. It was none other than the "Wandering God" Wei Yuanbai.

The other two were doubly marked by the Dragon Soul Tree and the Fate Star from the beginning, but they were Hong Fan's "relatives".

A man named Hu Zhuang, about thirty years old, with a face full of flesh, more than two meters tall, and too strong to look like a human. He is in charge of the destiny star "Shixiangke".

According to the documents that Hong Fan had read, this star and the "Giant Spirit" were both physical strengthening types. Firstly, it could give the star master the power to quickly recover from injuries and endurance by digesting any food. Secondly, it could also strengthen the star master's physical body in excess according to the accumulated blood and qi obtained from digestion.

He ate one of the pancakes that the personal soldiers had just served him, his two rows of steel teeth crushing the pancakes like a crusher.

The other man was named Dai Wangchen, he was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with thin lips and narrow eyebrows, a slender and short frame, his right arm was broken at the elbow, and he had a steel prosthesis attached. He was in charge of the life star "Nian Sheng Shen".

This life star is similar to the sand world. It can animate dead objects. It can not only burrow into the ground, pass through mountains and walls, but also drive puppets to fight.

These two people have followed Xiao Chu for many years. The former serves as the leader of his personal guards, while the latter is similar to a retainer.

After exchanging identities, the first topic brought up was naturally military affairs.

"The insect swarm began attacking Feiyan Pass on the eighth day of February, and today is exactly one month. In fact, the course and outcome of this battle were within expectations."

Xiao Chu stroked the broken surface of the porcelain bowl, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised with a smile on his face as he spoke.

"You two just experienced the war in the three counties of Huaiyang last year and are already familiar with the battlefield. I will omit the details."

"We have a newly renovated fortress, over 20,000 elite soldiers, sufficient water and medicine, and the help of Lord Wei... At the beginning of February, we knew we could hold out until at least March. However, just two days ago, the number of real insects in the insect tide had dropped to around 3,000, which was not enough to cover the entire front of Feiyan Pass."

"But it is also inevitable that we will not be able to defend it."

She clenched her injured right fist and pursed her lips. "In March, sooner or later, once the first wave of real insects hatched from the insect swarm's nest arrives, we will have no choice but to abandon the pass and leave. You must have seen it this afternoon. Even if I send more people from the rear, the pass wall itself will not be able to hold up."

Hong Fan nodded in approval.

He clearly remembered the worm-eaten front of Feiyan Pass that he had caught a glimpse of a few days ago, and the soldier cave at the bottom that was shattered like foam.

Toxins are the Zerg's signature weapon, and even the blood and body fluids of many insects are highly corrosive.

"In the past month, our army has suffered more than 11,000 casualties. I ordered most of the bodies to be cremated immediately, just in case of today."

Xiao Chu stared at the sparks on the campfire, frowning.

"After a month of delay, the evacuation of the Sanshan Basin has been completed. From here, five hundred miles to the east, Erbai City has made all preparations. We will fight the insect swarm for the last time there!"

She sat up straight, making a rustling sound as the armor blades rubbed against each other.

The flickering bonfire dispelled the chill of the spring night.

Zhou Wenyang suddenly spoke at this time.

Read more latest popular novels at 6.9*shuba!

"Gu Qiang Kui, I have something I want to ask you."

He looked at Gu Yixin, who nodded woodenly.

"The insect swarm attacked Shigehiko in January, and then headed straight north. Why did you come so late?"

Gu Yixin told the truth, telling him how Hong Fan went south to look for him in late January, and how the two of them later escorted their loved ones and more than a thousand civilians all the way north from Chaojiang.

Zhou Wenyang sat up straight with his knees supported and stopped talking.

Many of the people below him seemed to have something to say—among them were several people wearing purple silk robes with cloud patterns that were stained black with blood—but in the end no one spoke up.

Gu Yixin felt the change in atmosphere, but didn't understand why.

He was born in a poor family, had a poor appearance, and was poor in education. He had made friends through martial arts for many years, and had always chosen to endure all the criticisms that did not involve principles.

"Your family left a day earlier than us, and there is a difference of 200 miles between them, which is equivalent to four or five days of walking. With us covering their retreat, they will surely reach Erbai City safely."

Xiao Chu looked around at everyone, took a few seconds to summon a smile, and spoke in a gentle tone.

"I heard that the Zerg will build a mother nest for hatching. Do we know where it is?"

Hong Fan asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time.

"I saw it with my own eyes. The mother nest is located in Yingyang City."

Wei Yuanbai's reply was concise and to the point.

"Have you ever tried a sneak attack?"

Gu Yixin instinctively took over the conversation.

"The mother nest is built underground and has strict defenses. There are at least a thousand true insects and a hundred thousand sub-insects guarding it. Even if a group of innate masters go there, they won't be able to break through."

Zhou Wenyang stroked his beard with one hand, seeming to smile.

"What about Yuanci?"

Gu Yixin looked directly at him.

"Yuan Ci can't go there."

Zhou Wenyang returned immediately.

"The Zerg can communicate instantly through the air. Once one of me and Brother Wei shows up in Yingyang City, the main force of the Zerg will attack immediately. Feiyan Pass will only end in defeat."

Gu Yi's words paused, and his expression suddenly became much worse.

Only then did Hong Fan understand the regret that Xiao Chu had just concealed.

It was two against three at the primordial magnetic level, and even though the Chaos Realm tried its best to pull them back, it was still difficult to maintain the situation - if Gu Yixin had arrived earlier, Feiyan Pass would have had not only one more strong combat force, but also a huge strategic space.

But Hong Fan did not think that this was a new problem with ancient ideas.

"It only took me two days to travel from Liangzhou Xijing to Maoyan. There are many Yuanci people east of Leihuo Pass. Why didn't they come when Brother Gu was not here?"

He spoke proudly, looking Zhou Wenyang straight in the eye.

The latter glanced at him, raised his chin slightly, and did not respond. However, the senior officers of the Shengyu Army who were more talented and not known for their personal combat capabilities had flickering eyes.

Xiao Chu interrupted the conversation.

"The dead cannot be brought back. There is no point in saying this."

Her face was full of fatigue. She clenched her injured right palm and ended the meeting.

The crowd dispersed, most of them looking for places to rest.

Hong Fan and the other two still had plenty of energy, and they ran into the night to gather up the defeated soldiers.

(End of this chapter)