Great Wilderness Demon Lord

The second arrest operation was launched the following night.

Having learned from their previous experience, Zhao Meng and Tieshan adjusted their strategy.

Instead of directly attacking patrols, they set their sights on the scattered small camps on the outskirts of the tribe—the jackal tribes were not entirely concentrated; some families or small groups would camp a little further away to obtain more hunting resources.

This operation was conducted with greater caution.

Shi Biao's guards cleared the area along the way where they might leave traces in advance, while Zhao Meng and Tie Shan attacked three small camps separately, using overwhelming force to quickly control the situation and try to make as little noise as possible.

Overnight, they brought back another twenty-nine jackal prisoners.

At this point, the total number of survivors reached sixty-six, just fifteen short of the eighty-one mark.

However, the attacks over two consecutive nights have put the jackal tribe on high alert.

Watchtowers and traps were added around the tribe, the number of patrol teams was increased, and almost all the jackals and their offspring were released to patrol day and night.

The difficulty of making a stealthy arrest has increased significantly.

On the third night, Zhao Meng's team was ambushed.

They intended to attack a small camp with only four or five tents, but little did they know that it was a trap set by the jackals.

More than 30 jackal warriors lay in ambush around the area, and suddenly attacked after Zhao Meng's team entered the encirclement.

A chaotic battle broke out in the darkness. Zhao Meng led his team in a desperate breakout. Although they eventually escaped, they lost five recruits, seriously wounded three others, and only brought back seven prisoners.

The Tieshan team also returned empty-handed that night, only managing to capture two lone jackals.

The total number of survivors is seventy-five, and six are still short.

The atmosphere in the camp grew increasingly tense.

Casualties began to appear, and the soldiers' faces betrayed their exhaustion.

The jackal captives were imprisoned in a corner of the ruins, howling and barking day and night, adding to the eeriness of the place.

Inside the main tent, Xiao Yunlan listened calmly to Zhao Meng's report.

"Captain, the jackals are alert. Trying to capture them now would likely come at a greater cost." Zhao Meng's shoulder was bandaged; it was from a bone spear wound sustained during last night's breakout. "Furthermore, our troops have been on continuous operations, and the soldiers are exhausted. Perhaps…?"

"Six more people are needed." Xiao Yunlan interrupted him. "The ritual requires a multiple of nine, and eighty-one is the extreme of three nines. Not one person can be missing."

Zhao Meng hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Xiao Yunlan stood up, walked to the edge of the tent, and looked towards the northeast.

The night was deep, and the cold wind howled.

The eerie green aura of the Demon of Deceit within his body flickered slightly, conveying a dark excitement—the closer the ritual drew, the hungrier it became.

"The last night," Xiao Yunlan said slowly, "I'll go myself."

Everyone inside the tent was astonished.

"Captain, you mustn't!" Tieshan exclaimed urgently. "You are the commander of an army; how can you personally risk your life?"

"Precisely because I am the commander of the army, I must perform this personally." Xiao Yunlan turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "The sacrificial ceremony concerns the survival of the entire army and cannot be neglected. Moreover—"

He paused, then said, "I have my own methods to retrieve the last six people silently."

He stopped explaining and began assigning tasks: "Zhao Meng, Tieshan, you two will stay at the camp tonight to prepare for battle and prevent retaliatory attacks by the jackals. Shi Biao, select five of your best guards to accompany me. We will depart at midnight."

The order is not to be questioned.

After everyone left, Xiao Yunlan sat alone in the tent and took out the half of the bronze tiger tally.

As fingertips brushed across the cold copper patterns, a faint resonance resonated deep within the dantian between the mighty demons.

He held the Soul-Stabilizing Jade in his palm, and a warm current flowed into his spiritual platform, suppressing the increasingly intense agitation of the Demon of Deceit and the Demon of Wisdom as the ritual approached.

He was walking a tightrope.

On one hand, one must use the power of demonic thoughts to carry out dangerous plans, and on the other hand, one must prevent being completely devoured by demonic thoughts.

The Soul-Stabilizing Jade was his only reliance.

It's almost midnight.

Xiao Yunlan changed into black clothes for night travel, covered with a black dragon soft armor, and carried a sword and a bow.

Shi Biao and five guards were already waiting outside the tent, all dressed in tight-fitting clothes and with fierce expressions.

"Set off."

The seven people disappeared into the night like ghosts, hurrying northeast.

The night wind in Shuofeng Plain was like a knife, stinging my face.

Xiao Yunlan channeled the meager spiritual energy within his body into his legs, making his steps light and swift, no less than those guards who had traveled the northern lands for years.

A hint of surprise flashed in Shi Biao's eyes, but he didn't say anything more.

An hour later, the outline of the jackal tribe appeared in the darkness.

Compared to the previous two nights, security around the tribe has been significantly strengthened.

Many bone bells hung on the wooden fence, jingling in the wind; the number of watchtowers increased to eight, with torches illuminating them; patrols came and went frequently, almost without interruption.

Xiao Yunlan lay hidden behind a mound, observing quietly.

The cunning demon within his body flickered with a faint green aura, coldly analyzing patrol patterns and guard loopholes; the strategist, on the other hand, deduced several infiltration routes and escape plans.

A moment later, he made a gesture, pointing to the northwest corner of the tribe.

That area was where the tribe stored miscellaneous items and slaughtered livestock. The smells were mixed together, the guards were relatively lax, and it was near a broken wooden fence—perhaps damaged by the attacks of the previous two nights and not yet fully repaired.

Using the shadows and terrain as cover, the seven men stealthily made their way to the damaged wooden fence.

The gap in the fence was only wide enough for one person to pass through sideways, and inside were piles of animal bones and discarded hides, emitting a strong, pungent stench.

Xiao Yunlan was the first to sneak in, followed closely by Shi Biao and the others.

The storage area was unattended, but the torchlight of the patrol team could be seen in the distance.

Xiao Yunlan signaled everyone to disperse and find lone targets.

He made his way alone to a larger tent, where a fire was burning and the faint sound of snoring could be heard.

A jackal was tied up outside the tent, lying on the ground and dozing off.

Xiao Yunlan took out a small packet of Bone-Corroding Vine Powder from his pocket—this was a poison he had purchased earlier.

He pinched up a little powder, flicked it with his fingertip, and the powder scattered, landing on the jackal's nose. The jackal twitched twice, then went limp silently.

He lifted the curtain.

Four jackals, all young and strong, were sleeping inside the tent, their weapons lying beside them.

Xiao Yunlan moved with lightning speed, quickly knocking out three of them. The last one woke up and tried to shout, but Xiao Yunlan covered his mouth and nose and chopped him on the side of the neck with a chop to the neck. He also collapsed.

He dragged the four jackals out of the tent and tied them up with ropes.

Shi Biao and his men also succeeded, bringing back a total of seven prisoners—one more than expected.

"Withdraw," Xiao Yunlan said in a low voice.

The seven men, carrying the prisoners, quickly retreated along the same route.

But just as they were about to pass through the broken wooden fence, a rapid sound of bone bells came from the side—it was the patrol!

The flames drew rapidly closer, and the howls of jackals rang out.

"Go!" Xiao Yunlan shouted sharply, pushing the prisoner to Shi Biao. "Take the men and leave first; I'll cover the rear!"

Shi Biao hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and led his men out of the wooden fence, rushing into the darkness.

Xiao Yunlan turned around, took out his hard bow, and fired a rapid series of arrows.

Three arrows whistled out, shooting down the three jackals charging at the front.

The remaining jackals were shocked and enraged, and they all drew their bows to fight back, sending bone arrows flying.

Xiao Yunlan moved like a ghost, dodging the rain of arrows while continuously firing back.

Every arrow hit its mark precisely, and five or six more men fell in an instant. But he was also grazed on the left arm by a bone arrow, leaving a bloody gash.

With his pursuers temporarily suppressed, he seized the opportunity to retreat, burst out of the wooden fence, and disappear into the darkness.

The howls and hoofbeats of the jackals behind us gradually faded into the distance.

Xiao Yunlan ran swiftly across the wasteland, blood seeping from the wound on his left arm, the cold wind blowing in, biting him to the bone.

But his heart was cold and calm—the number eighty-one was complete.

The ritual may begin.