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

The mournful sound of bone whistles echoed like a death knell in the night sky above Blackrock Fortress.

This was not only a signal of the main force's defeat in the open area, but also a death order to the barbarian cavalry scattered throughout the streets and alleys of the fortress to retreat.

Panic is contagious.

The barbarian soldiers who were kicking open the wooden doors of the barracks, trying to plunder the remaining winter rations of the Daqian garrison, all froze upon hearing the whistle that had been altered.

As they rushed out of the streets in surprise and doubt, looking toward the center of Blackrock Fortress, what came into view was their own heavily armored cavalry fleeing madly toward the north gate like a tidal wave, and the blood-soaked god of war standing on a high place, holding the head of his commander high with one hand.

"Our commander is dead! Run!"

The remaining barbarian soldiers completely lost the will to resist.

These once fierce and powerful grassland elites now only wished they had two more legs.

They abandoned the grain sacks they had just seized, and didn't even bother to pull their warhorses, which were stuck in the snow pits, as they tumbled and crawled into the fleeing crowd, rushing toward the breach in the north wall that had been smashed open.

"Come and go as you please? There's no such easy way!"

Iron Bull's eyes were bloodshot. He wiped the hot blood from his face, picked up his battle axe, and was about to lead the charge.

"Tie Niu, don't pursue a desperate enemy!" Xu Qingshan shouted sternly to stop them.

He knew all too well the true nature of this hastily assembled team.

The reason these hundred-plus men have been able to hold on until now is entirely due to their last breath and the fervent morale boosted by the recent beheading.

Once they escaped the fortress and reached the flat, boundless snowfield, the barbarian cavalry regained their mobility. With just one counter-charge, they could crush the exhausted Daqian infantry into a bloody pulp.

"Xiao Hongluan!" Xu Qingshan turned and ordered, "Take thirty brothers to the North Gate! Use wrecked carts, logs, and the barbarians' horse carcasses to block the breach! We absolutely cannot let them have a chance to return!"

"Leave it to me!"

With a flick of her spear, Xiao Hongluan led Zhou Laoqi and the others swiftly toward the north wall, where they began to methodically clear the mess and reinforce the defenses.

The wind finally stopped.

The blizzard that had raged all night finally subsided.

The thick clouds on the eastern horizon were torn apart, and a pale ray of morning light pierced through the haze, shining on the ravaged Black Stone Castle.

Its daybreak.

The faint light of dawn illuminated the ruins scattered across the ground, the corpses lying haphazardly in the snow, and the more than one hundred blood-soaked remnants of the Great Qian army.

They gasped for breath, staring at the empty streets and the barbarian corpses strewn across the ground; many could hardly believe they were still alive.

Xu Qingshan stood on an overturned siege engine, facing the biting morning wind, and slowly raised the head of the enemy general who died with his eyes wide open.

Crimson blood dripped from the severed neck onto the pristine white snow, a horrifying sight.

Xu Qingshan didn't speak, but quietly used this severed head to announce the outcome of this unequal battle to everyone.

After a brief silence, a suppressed roar erupted from the crowd.

"We won...we survived!"

An old soldier who had lost his left arm knelt in the snow and wailed.

"The barbarians have been driven away! Their commander is dead!"

Hou San held up the captured scimitar and shouted wildly at the top of his lungs.

"The centurion is mighty! The centurion is mighty!"

Tie Niu tossed his battle axe high into the air, and more than a hundred fierce soldiers who had fought bloody battles roared in unison.

The roar, initially hoarse and trembling, quickly coalesced into a deafening torrent, causing the snow on the eaves to fall in a flurry.

In this abandoned border town, this group of lowly soldiers, regarded as cannon fodder and used as shields for their superiors, fought their way out with their own swords and blood!

The person who brought them this way of life stood on high, like an unshakeable god of war.

Creak—rumble…

Amidst the deafening cheers, a sharp, screeching sound suddenly came from behind the crowd.

The inner fortress's iron gate, which had been tightly shut all night and had not loosened even an inch despite the pleas of the soldiers on the outer wall, was now slowly opening to both sides.

The heavy drawbridge crashed onto the edge of the moat with a loud bang.

The cheers gradually subsided.

More than a hundred remaining soldiers on the outer wall turned their heads in unison, their bloodshot eyes fixed on the wide-open gate.

A troop of elite guards, numbering fifty, marched out of the inner fortress in perfect unison.

They wore thick cotton armor, covered with brand-new battle robes, their weapons were polished to a shine, and not a single snowflake touched their bodies. Their pampered faces revealed an air of superior arrogance.

This group of people formed a stark and ironic contrast with the remaining soldiers on the outer wall who had rolled in the mud and blood all night, their leather armor torn to shreds.

The guards parted to the sides, escorting a middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of a seventh-rank military officer as he emerged.

The highest-ranking officer of Blackstone Fortress—Chen Baihu.

With his hands tucked into his wide sleeves and his face stern, Chen Baihu first surveyed the chaotic battlefield and the brutally murdered barbarian infantrymen, his eyes twitching violently a few times.

Last night, he hid in the inner fortress, listening to the deafening shouts of battle and the pounding of doors outside. He was so frightened that he almost wet his pants. He even ordered his men to pack his valuables in preparation for escaping through the secret passage.

But to his utter surprise, after daybreak, the outer wall not only did not fall, but the remnants of his army, whom he had abandoned as cannon fodder, actually managed to take down this tough nut!

When his gaze finally landed on the enemy general's severed head at Xu Qingshan's feet, the fear in Chen Baihu's eyes was instantly replaced by uncontrollable ecstasy and greed.

This is the head of a key general of the Northern Barbarians!

As long as this head is put in a wooden box and sent to Yunzhou City, this tremendous achievement will be enough for him to exchange for a higher and more prestigious official hat in the Ministry of War of Daqian!

Chen Baihu quickly concealed the greed in his eyes and put on a face that was both heartbroken and righteous.

He strode forward, escorted by his guards, stepping over the blood of the soldiers on the outer wall, and walked slowly and steadily to Xu Qingshan.

"Xu Qingshan, you are very good."

Commander Chen's voice was loud and clear, and he put on the airs of a superior.

"Last night, I was stationed in the inner fortress, strategizing and directing the entire army. You fought to the death on the outer wall, refusing to retreat, living up to my usual teachings and upholding the prestige of our Great Qian border army!"

Upon hearing this, the remaining soldiers on the outer wall around them were filled with rage, their fingers gripping the hilts of their swords turning pale from excessive force.

Strategic planning?

Last night, when the barbarians breached the city and the brothers went to knock on the door for help, the arrows shot down from the inner fortress walls had no eyes! Now that the barbarians have been driven back, he comes out and shamelessly tries to steal the credit!

Chen Baihu seemed completely oblivious to the murderous gazes around him. He pointed to the severed head at Xu Qingshan's feet, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"The head of this barbarian general shall be immediately handed over to the inner fortress guards and preserved with lime. I will personally write a memorial requesting commendation and submit it to the court to demand a generous reward for you surviving brothers!"

The two inner guards behind him immediately stepped forward with cold faces and reached out to grab the dripping head.

Xu Qingshan slowly lowered his head, and the steel scimitar in his right hand hung down naturally.

A soft "click" sounded.

The cold blade tip firmly embedded itself in the top of the head, pinning it to the spot.

The two guards paused, instinctively reaching for the hilts of their swords at their waists.

The atmosphere plummeted to freezing point in that instant.