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

Chen Baihu's face turned from green to white, and then from white to purple.

"Rebellion! This is mutiny!" He pointed at Xu Qingshan, his finger trembling, then abruptly turned and ordered the guards in the inner fortress behind him, "Draw your swords! Seize this unruly madman!"

Fifty inner fortress guards drew their swords in unison and advanced.

But their steps faltered somewhat.

Ahead, the more than thirty veterans behind Xu Qingshan did not back down.

Tie Niu stood in front, holding the blood-stained barbarian battle axe in one hand; Zhou Laoqi gripped the steel scimitar, his eyes gleaming with the ferocity of a hungry wolf.

These people had spent the entire night rolling around in the snow and among piles of corpses, and the intense aura of bloodlust emanating from them was incomparable to that of the comfortable guards in the inner fortress.

The two armies faced off, their tensions palpable.

Xu Qingshan ignored the blades pointed at him.

He turned around and kicked the overturned carriage.

With a crash, the already damaged wooden box lid tumbled to the ground, revealing strings of copper coins, scattered silver coins, and several unopened packets of fine white flour to all the remaining soldiers on the outer wall.

Amid the surrounding ruins, more and more surviving soldiers from the outer wall emerged, supporting each other.

They had heard the commotion, but when they saw the wealth scattered across the ground, they were all stunned.

Xu Qingshan bent down, grabbed two silver ingots, and walked straight to an old soldier who had lost an arm and was leaning against a mud wall, panting.

"How many did you kill last night?" Xu Qingshan asked.

The veteran paused, his lips cracked and dry: "One...one."

"Take it." Xu Qingshan stuffed the silver ingot into his only remaining left hand, his voice steady. "This is the money you risked your life for."

The veteran looked at the silver in his hand, his eyes red-rimmed, his fingers clenched so tightly they turned white.

Xu Qingshan turned around, drew his curved knife, and cut open a bag of fine white flour. The white flour flowed onto the snow, emitting an enticing aroma.

He surveyed the growing number of remaining soldiers around him and shouted, "Look closely! All this food and silver is the blood and sweat that Liu Sandao has squeezed from your teeth over the past few years!"

"Last night, the barbarians knocked on the gate, turning the outer walls into a meat grinder. We risked our lives to fill the gaps here, eating ice and snow, shedding our blood! But what was our commander doing? He was harnessing a wagon, preparing to escape with our hard-earned money!"

Xu Qingshan turned around abruptly, the tip of his knife pointing directly at Commander Chen.

"And what is our centurion doing? The gates are tightly shut, and arrows are waiting in the wings! When the brothers went to knock on the door for help, they were met not with reinforcements, but with arrows aimed at their chests!"

These words acted as a fuse, igniting the fury in the hearts of all the remaining soldiers on the outer wall.

"Damn it! I almost got chopped in two by those barbarians last night, while they're living the high life inside!"

"Good riddance to Liu Sandao! Those corrupt officials who prey on soldiers' blood didn't treat us like human beings at all!"

Angri curses rose and fell. More than thirty remaining soldiers, along with dozens of fleeing soldiers from the outer wall who had gathered around, all gripped their weapons tightly, their bloodshot eyes fixed on Commander Chen.

Xu Qingshan grabbed several bags of brown rice and a handful of copper coins and threw them forcefully into the crowd.

"I, Xu Qingshan, don't understand any grand principles; I only recognize one rule!"

"Those who kill the enemy eat the meat! Those who shed blood take the money! Those who hide in the back and watch the show won't even get a sip of soup!"

"Brothers who slashed at the barbarians last night, come forward and claim your share of the money and grain! Anyone who dares to stop you is cutting off your livelihood; they are our mortal enemies!"

Wealth can be tempting, especially in this border region where human life is as cheap as grass.

"Thank you, Corporal!"

"The sergeant is righteous; this life is yours from now on!"

The remaining soldiers roared deafeningly. No longer afraid of the guards in the inner fortress, they strode forward and distributed all the silver and grain on the ground.

Subsequently, nearly a hundred remaining soldiers spontaneously stood behind Xu Qingshan, their knives and guns forming an impenetrable human wall.

Nearly a hundred fierce soldiers who fought their way out of the bloody battle, plus the head of the centurion in Xu Qingshan's hand.

This force was enough to crush the fifty guards behind Chen Baihu into mincemeat.

Chen Baihu stood there, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

His personal guards were even worse off, forced to retreat step by step by this murderous aura, their hands trembling as they gripped their swords.

Chen Baihu was a smart man, but also an extremely cowardly person who was afraid of death.

He quickly realized the situation: Xu Qingshan had bought off the morale of the troops outside the city using Liu Sandao's money and supplies.

Now, if Xu Qingshan gives the order and triggers a mutiny, he, as a centurion, will have to die here today.

Moreover, with the barbarians having just retreated, the fortress was in complete chaos, and he needed someone with prestige and the ability to keep things in order to clean up the mess.

The centurion's head was his only hope for future promotions and titles.

If he confronts the enemy head-on, he will surely die; only by compromising can he maximize his interests.

Commander Chen's expression changed swiftly; he suddenly slapped one of his guards across the face.

"You bastards! Who gave you permission to draw your swords? Put them away right now!"

The guards, as if granted a pardon, immediately sheathed their swords.

Commander Chen put on a pained expression, strode forward, and sighed deeply to Xu Qingshan and the remaining soldiers.

"It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"

"I closed the gates last night to preserve the last foundation of Black Stone Fortress. If the inner fortress falls, the entire fortress will be finished!" Commander Chen said righteously. "As for cowards like Liu Sandao who embezzle military pay, I have long wanted to bring them to justice. Xu Qingshan, you fought bravely last night and eliminated this parasite in my army. You are a hero of the Great Qian Dynasty!"

Xu Qingshan watched his performance without saying a word, simply standing there calmly.

Seeing that Xu Qingshan didn't respond, Chen Baihu cursed Xu Qingshan inwardly as a little fox, and could only grit his teeth and offer a substantial bargaining chip.

"The outer wall cannot be without a master for even a day. Liu Sandao is dead. From today onwards, you, Xu Qingshan, will take his place. I hereby officially promote you to centurion of Black Stone Fortress, in charge of all troops and defenses of the outer wall. The barracks and remaining supplies left behind by Liu Sandao are also entirely your responsibility!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

From a lowly cannon fodder soldier, he was directly promoted to a centurion commanding a hundred men! This is unprecedented in the history of Blackrock Fortress.

"However," Chen Baihu changed the subject, his gaze falling on the severed head on the ground, and lowered his voice, "this bandit general's head must be personally reported to my superiors. What do you think, Centurion Xu?"

Xu Qingshan sneered inwardly. This old fox, using other people's money to buy his own official position.

But he knew that now was not the time to completely break ties with Commander Chen.

He needed a legitimate identity to legitimately expand his power, and the position of centurion was exactly the springboard he needed.

"Your subordinate thanks you for your promotion, Commander." Xu Qingshan sheathed his scimitar, took half a step back, and presented the severed head on the ground. "Your strategic planning will be forever remembered."

Commander Chen breathed a sigh of relief, and a satisfied smile finally appeared on his face.

He waved his hand, signaling his guards to pick up the severed head. No longer looking at the mess on the ground, he led his men back hastily to the inner fortress, eager to return and write a memorial requesting commendation.

As the inner fortress gates closed again, Xu Qingshan turned around and faced the nearly one hundred soldiers behind him.

The faint light of dawn shone on his patched old military uniform, which, though stained with blood, exuded an indescribable air of authority.

"Starting today, the rules for exterior walls have changed!"