If I made you cannon fodder, how did you manage to achieve your goal of conquering the wolf's l

The next morning.

The wind and snow gradually subsided, but the sky remained somewhat gloomy.

A peculiar, burnt aroma wafted from the hearth in the dilapidated courtyard.

Xu Qingshan was directing Zhao Lihua and Shen Qinghe to bake palm-sized dry cakes on a heated stone slab using the newly acquired sorghum flour and brown rice flour, along with coarse salt and several cold-resistant herbs selected by Qin Yuenu.

These are the military rations provided by the system.

Tie Niu returned from outside carrying firewood. He smelled the aroma and couldn't help but swallow.

Xu Qingshan picked up a freshly baked military ration biscuit, broke it in half, and tossed it to Tie Niu: "Try it."

Tie Niu took it and took a bite.

The biscuit was hard, and it took some effort to chew it, but after swallowing it, a warm feeling quickly rose from my stomach, not only dispelling the chill but also restoring a lot of my strength.

"Sergeant, this pancake is really filling! Half a pancake feels better than two bowls of porridge." Tie Niu's eyes lit up, and he praised it highly.

Xu Qingshan nodded.

In this border region where food and clothing are scarce, this kind of military ration that can be stored for a long time and is also very filling is the trump card for survival.

"Qinghe, bake all the remaining dough today and distribute it according to the number of people. Everyone must have enough for two days," Xu Qingshan instructed.

Shen Qinghe agreed and immediately quickened her pace with Zhao Lihua.

At the other end of the courtyard, Aman was squatting under the eaves, processing the barbarian leather armor he had captured a few days earlier.

The leather armor was badly damaged and stained with dried blood.

Following Su Jinniang's suggestion, the intact tanned cowhide can be removed and sewn into windproof knee pads or wrist guards.

Ah Man held a small knife in her hand and carefully picked open the seams of the leather armor lining.

When she turned over the innermost layer of cowhide, her hands suddenly stopped moving.

It was an inconspicuous corner, where a peculiar totem was branded with dark red dye—a wolf's head with its gaping maw wide open, its eyes adorned with white bone powder, making it look particularly sinister.

Ah Man's face visibly paled.

Her hands and feet felt a little numb. She suddenly stood up, not even noticing the small knife she had dropped on the ground, and quickly walked to Xu Qingshan.

"Brother Xu!" Ah Man's voice trembled slightly as she tightly gripped the turned-up inner lining leather in her hand.

Xu Qingshan stopped talking to Shen Qinghe and turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"

Aman handed the piece of leather to Xu Qingshan, pointing to the wolf head totem: "This is not an ordinary cavalryman; it is the vanguard mark of the Northern Barbarian Black Wolf Tribe."

Upon hearing the words "Black Wolf Tribe," Xiao Hongluan, who was sitting not far away whittling a wooden stick, looked up, her gaze turning cold.

Xu Qingshan glanced at the totem and asked, "What are the customs and traditions of the Black Wolf Tribe?"

Aman took a deep breath and tried to calm his voice: "The Northern Barbarians are divided into many tribes. In winter, most of those who come out to forage are small, scattered tribes, trying to grab some food to get through the winter. But the Black Wolf tribe is different. They are one of the six most elite tribes of the Northern Barbarian Royal Court. They are ruthless by nature and would never come to a poor place like Black Stone Fortress just to grab a few bites of food."

She swallowed hard and continued, "More importantly, the Black Wolf tribe has strict marching discipline; their vanguard scouts never act alone. Sending out marked scouts to probe the walls means their main cavalry force is within thirty miles. And..."

"And what?" Xu Qingshan asked.

"Moreover, the smallest combat unit of the Black Wolf Tribe is a hundred-man squad." Xiao Hongluan stood up and finished Aman's sentence. She walked to the fire pit, her face solemn. "The two scouts who died in Black Stone Fortress a few days ago must have received the news. Those two probing attacks were just a smokescreen. A large force of Black Wolf Tribe cavalry is gathering, and their target is most likely the weakest point in the defenses, the north wall."

A team of 100.

As soon as those three words were uttered, everyone in the courtyard who had been busy stopped what they were doing.

Tie Niu and Hou San exchanged a glance and saw the fear in each other's eyes.

Blackstone Fortress had fewer than two hundred defenders, half of whom were old, weak, sick, or disabled like them, who were just waiting to die, and even their knives were rusty.

Faced with one hundred well-equipped and fearless elite cavalrymen from the Black Wolf tribe, the dilapidated walls of Blackstone Fortress were as flimsy as paper, unable to hold out for even an hour.

"Sergeant, we need to make plans soon!" Hou San said anxiously in a low voice, "If the Black Wolf tribe really attacks, Liu Sandao and Chen Baihu's gang will definitely run away first. Staying here is just waiting to die. Why don't we pack our things and retreat to Yunzhou City in the south while the snow has stopped?"

"Withdraw?" Xu Qingshan retorted. "The snow is so thick, the carriage can't move. How far can you run on foot, dragging all the belongings and women in this yard? You'll be caught by the barbarian light cavalry in less than twenty miles. Then, on this open wasteland, you'll be a real sitting duck."

Hou San was speechless.

Su Jinniang looked at Xu Qingshan and asked, "Then shall we stay here and defend to the death? This courtyard wall is so low that it can't even stop a horse."

Xu Qingshan did not answer immediately.

He stood up, walked to the center of the courtyard, and looked up at the gloomy sky where a few snowflakes were falling.

Liu Sandao had always regarded him as a thorn in his side. Although Chen Baihu promoted him, he only regarded him as a useful tool.

As long as these two people still control Blackrock Fortress, no matter how many merits he makes, he will inevitably be stabbed in the back.

To truly establish a foothold here, Blackrock Fortress must be made your own territory.

"A hundred barbarians..." Xu Qingshan muttered softly, a sharp glint in his eyes, "enough to trade for quite a lot of things."

Hearing his mutterings, Xiao Hongluan frowned: "You're really bold. A hundred cavalrymen charging into a camp? Do you think they're just some thugs from the black market?"

Xu Qingshan turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the courtyard.

"Staying here is passive defense, running out is suicide, so if neither works, then we should take the initiative."

Xu Qingshan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power, gradually calming the initially panicked crowd down.

"Hou San," Xu Qingshan called out.

"Here!" Hou San quickly stood up straight.

"You're quick and agile. Go out now and patrol the area around the north wall and the centurion's quarters," Xu Qingshan instructed. "Don't inquire about the barbarians, just keep an eye on Liu Sandao and Centurion Chen. See if they've moved any supplies or sent their families out of the fort. If you hear anything, come back and report to me immediately."

"Understood!" Hou San replied, turned around, and jogged out the door.

"Bai Zhi." Xu Qingshan looked at Bai Zhi, who was holding iron nails. "We don't need to lay trigger spikes and chevaux-de-frise on the back wall anymore. Replace them all with portable caltrops and short wooden spikes. Also, how long will it take to make a usable short crossbow?"

Bai Zhi thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Give me half a day, and I can use old arrowheads as a mechanism to assemble a simple hand crossbow. Although the range is not far, it can penetrate leather armor within ten paces."

"Alright. Tie Niu, go help chop the timber." Xu Qingshan turned to Qin Yuenu, "Miss Qin, brew up all the remaining wound medicine and prepare clean strips of cloth. Bloodshed is inevitable in this battle."

Qin Yuenu nodded and turned to count the medicinal herbs.

Finally, Xu Qingshan looked at Zhou Laoqi.

"Seventh Brother, you've been in Blackstone Fortress for seven years. If the north wall is breached, which route will Liu Sandao and his men take to retreat?"

After a moment's thought, Zhou Laoqi replied confidently, "The South Gate. Only the South Gate has a gentle slope and leads directly to the main road. Liu Sandao usually hides the rations and gold and silver he withholds in the warehouses near the South Gate. If he wants to escape, he will definitely go that way."

"Fine." Xu Qingshan's eyes flashed with coldness.

If Liu Sandao dares to desert in the face of battle, he will have a legitimate reason to use the barbarians to eliminate this scourge.

"Ah Man, based on the severity of the snow and the footprints, when will the barbarian's hundred-man team arrive at the earliest?" Xu Qingshan asked.

Ah Man buried his head in calculations and said, "Although the snow has stopped, the snow is deep, and the horses can't run fast. At the earliest, it will be midnight tonight, and at the latest, dawn tomorrow. They will definitely choose to launch a night attack when people are most tired."

Time is running out!

"Everyone, proceed according to plan." Xu Qingshan surveyed the room. "Eat your fill at this meal. Tonight, I'll go and deal with this pack of black wolves."