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

The room fell silent.

The firewood in the hearth crackled and popped as it burned.

Eight women sat by the wall, and none of them spoke.

Xu Qingshan held a wood-chopping knife, leaned against the door, and squinted.

He looks like he's taking a break.

But in reality, he was constantly listening to the sounds outside the courtyard.

Xiao Hongluan sat not far from him, her gaze occasionally falling on Xu Qingshan.

She has met many men.

Some people spout platitudes about benevolence and morality, yet turn around and sell their wives and daughters to survive.

They may look fierce, but they actually tend to back down when faced with trouble.

There are also those who appear gentle on the surface but are dirtier than jackals at heart.

But she couldn't quite understand Xu Qingshan's character.

A skinny soldier, barely able to survive, still dared to ask Liu Sandao for food.

Even though they were no match for those veterans, they dared to say that anyone who came in would die.

This isn't courage, it's more like madness.

But his madness wasn't reckless.

He knew how to use tripwires, how to conceal knives, and how to use military law to silence people.

That's a bit strange.

How could someone who looks like a cowardly pawn who has been bullied for so long be so brave and resourceful?

As Xiao Hongluan was thinking, a slight noise suddenly came from outside.

Click.

Xu Qingshan opened his eyes.

coming!

The women in the room also became nervous.

The more delicate-looking woman instinctively covered her mouth, afraid that she would make a sound.

Shen Qinghe's face was pale, but she remained relatively calm.

She slowly reached out and pressed down on a younger girl next to her.

He gestured for her to stay still.

Quiet laughter could be heard coming from outside the courtyard wall.

"Old Li, are we really going in?"

"Nonsense, they've practically delivered the person to our doorstep. Are we going to let that good-for-nothing Xu Qingshan enjoy them all by himself?"

"But he uses military law to pressure you during the day."

"military law?"

Li Kui chuckled coldly, "In this Black Stone Fortress, Commander Liu is the law of the army."

"Besides, we're just going in to take a look."

"Who can say we're stealing people?"

The other person chuckled twice.

"Old Li really knows how to talk."

Xu Qingshan heard it clearly.

A slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.

have a look?

He climbed over the wall into someone else's yard in the middle of the night, carrying a short knife.

Is this what you call "taking a look"?

So if he's going to chop someone up later, he can say he's just helping them trim their nails.

A head quickly peeked out from the courtyard wall.

It was Li Kui.

One eye, yellow teeth, and a face full of fat.

He glanced around the yard and saw that it was pitch black and there was no movement inside the house. A smug smile immediately appeared on his face.

"I told you, that kid was just being stubborn during the day."

"By night, I bet the blankets will be soaked with fear."

Someone outside the wall whispered, "You go down first."

Li Kui cursed, "Look at your pathetic self!"

With that, he braced himself against the wall and jumped into the yard.

My feet had just touched the ground.

A hemp rope suddenly taut.

Before Li Kui could react, he was thrown forward.

boom!

He fell heavily onto the snow, his face slamming into the frozen snow, and blood immediately started flowing from his nose.

"Hmm!"

He was about to cry out when a foot was already stepping on his back.

Immediately afterwards, a cold machete was pressed against his neck.

Li Kui froze.

Xu Qingshan's voice rang out above his head.

"Brother Li, what are you doing in my yard in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Li Kui was startled.

This kid isn't asleep?

The two people outside the wall were also startled.

"Old Li?"

"Something's happened!"

Xu Qingshan looked up at the wall and said coldly, "Don't rush."

"One at a time."

There was complete silence outside the wall.

Li Kui lay on the ground, both shocked and furious.

He tried to struggle, but Xu Qingshan was stepping on his back and there was a knife pressed against his neck, so he didn't dare to move at all.

"Xu Qingshan, what do you want to do? I'm a veteran from the same battalion, do you dare touch me?"

Xu Qingshan smiled.

"You've already scaled my wall, and you're asking me if I dare to touch you?"

Li Kui gritted his teeth and said, "I was just passing by!"

Xu Qingshan looked down at him.

"Just passing by?"

"Passing by by climbing over the wall?"

"Your road is pretty wild."

Inside the room, several women looked rather strange upon hearing this.

They should be afraid at times like this.

Xu Qingshan's words were rather unserious.

A strange light flashed in Xiao Hongluan's eyes.

This person is incredibly bold.

Li Kui's face flushed red. "Xu Qingshan, don't be so smug."

"Commander Liu won't let you get away with this."

"Let me go now, and I can pretend tonight never happened."

Xu Qingshan nodded.

"OK."

Li Kui was taken aback.

Really releasing it?

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Xu Qingshan suddenly raised his foot and stomped hard on his wrist.

Click!

The sound of bones dislocating was especially clear at night.

Li Kui let out a miserable scream.

"what!"

Xu Qingshan covered his mouth with his hand, pressed down with the woodcutter's knife, and cut a line of blood on his neck.

"Don't shout."

"If you shout again, my hand might shake and your head might become unsteady."

Li Kui's face contorted in pain, and tears streamed down his face.

But he really didn't dare to call out anymore.

The two people outside the wall turned pale with fright.

They didn't expect Xu Qingshan to be so ruthless.

Is this still the same spineless coward who was bullied by them at will?

One of them whispered, "Xu Qingshan, don't do anything rash."

"We're all from the same battalion, we see each other all the time."

Xu Qingshan said, "When you were climbing over the wall, why didn't you think about the fact that you'd run into each other all the time?"

The people outside fell silent.

Xu Qingshan lifted Li Kui up from the ground.

Or rather, it's dragging things out.

Li Kui was in so much pain that his legs went weak and half of his body was trembling.

Although Xu Qingshan was weak, the system had just recovered 10% of its energy and he had the upper hand, so he was able to barely drag the person to the courtyard gate.

He kicked open the courtyard gate, where two veterans were preparing to run away.

Xu Qingshan said coldly, "Stop."

The two men froze in their tracks.

Xu Qingshan threw Li Kui out the door.

"Take him and go find Liu Sandao."

One of the veterans was stunned.

"You want us to go find Commander Liu?"

Xu Qingshan said, "Yes."

"Tell Liu Sandao that someone broke into the military household compound at night with the intention of illegally abducting a woman who had been exiled by the imperial court."

"Bring him over here and deal with him according to military law."

The two veterans' expressions immediately changed.

The hat is too big; they just want to take advantage of the night.

But if they were really accused of illegally seizing military households' belongings, things would get complicated.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Blackstone Fortress is usually chaotic.

But these eight female criminals had just been registered, and the wooden plaques were still in Xu Qingshan's hands.

If this really escalates to the higher authorities, Liu Sandao might not have an easy time explaining himself.

Li Kui was trembling all over from the pain, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Xu Qingshan, stop trying to scare me."

"Do you think Commander Liu will help you?"

Xu Qingshan squatted down and looked at him.

"I'm not expecting him to help me; I just want him to know that if he can't handle this tonight, it won't be a small matter between us."

At this point, Xu Qingshan patted the wooden plaque in his arms.

"He gave me this himself. He handed the person over to me himself. You came to snatch it in the middle of the night—are you slapping me in the face, or him in the face?"

Li Kui's expression suddenly changed.

The two veterans outside the courtyard also realized what was happening.

They suddenly realized that Xu Qingshan's move was very vicious.

He wasn't fighting Li Kui; he was dragging Liu Sandao into it too.

Liu Sandao can bully Xu Qingshan.

But no one can ruin what he just finished doing during the day in front of him.

Otherwise, it would be Liu Sandao who loses face.

Xu Qingshan looked at the two veterans. "Aren't you going?"

The two exchanged a glance, dared not linger any longer, and carried Li Kui away.

Li Kui grimaced in pain, cursing under his breath.

"Xu Qingshan, you just wait! I'll kill you sooner or later!"

Xu Qingshan stood at the courtyard gate and said calmly, "If you don't kill me tonight, you'll never have the chance again."

Li Kui paused in his cursing.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a chill down his back.

Xu Qingshan closed the courtyard gate again.

Inside the room, all eight women were looking at him, their gazes noticeably different from before.

If during the day they were merely forced into this courtyard...

Now, at least they know one thing.

This man seems somewhat...reliable?

Moreover, he wasn't just saying it.

He's really willing to chop anyone who comes in.

Xu Qingshan ignored their gazes and simply sat back down by the door.

That last move, though it looked easy, actually took up most of his strength.

This body is still too weak.

If Li Kui hadn't been tripped by the rope and had charged straight in, he might not have won.

Xu Qingshan looked down at his hands.

My hands were still trembling slightly.

Xiao Hongluan looked at him and said, "You're just putting on a brave face."

Xu Qingshan did not deny it.

"If you can hold on, that's being tough. If you can't hold on, that's just stubbornly holding on."

Xiao Hongluan was silent for a moment, then said, "You could have killed him just now."

Xu Qingshan chuckled. "Kill him, and then what? Liu Sandao leads his men in and hacks me to pieces?"

Xiao Hongluan remained silent.

Xu Qingshan said calmly, "Now is not the time to kill."

"He's more useful alive than dead."

Only if Li Kui is alive can it be proven that he broke into the military household compound at night.

Li Kui's injury was the only way to let everyone know that this courtyard was not easy to enter.

But since Li Kui didn't die, the truth of the matter hadn't been completely revealed.

This is the best option Xu Qingshan can choose right now.

Xiao Hongluan's gaze deepened.

This lowly soldier is indeed no ordinary person.

Just then, the system voice sounded again.

[The intruders were successfully repelled.]

The safety of the family members is currently stable.

[Family Trust Level Increased: Very Low → Low.]

[Temporary Reward: Health and mana restored by 20%.]

[Bonus Reward: A basic swordsmanship insight.]