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

The snow that fell on Canglang Plains covered up all traces of the killing over the next two days.

Xu Qingshan did not become complacent because of the first victory in Xuegu.

He knew that a search party of two hundred men was nothing but a drop in the ocean compared to the barbarian army of three thousand.

Like a patient wolf king, he led fifty Zhenbei cavalrymen through the complex terrain of Canglang Plain.

With Ah Man's radar-like reconnaissance abilities, they avoided the enemy's main force and focused on finding small teams of a hundred men that had fallen behind due to the snowstorm or had gone too far in.

When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy is exhausted, we attack.

In three days, the Zhenbei Cavalry, like ghosts appearing and disappearing without a trace, used the high-efficiency firepower of their rapid-fire crossbows and the tactic of high-ground dives to wipe out two hundred-man search teams from the Black Wolf tribe.

Meanwhile, Ashina, the leader of the Black Wolf tribe who had occupied Blackstone Fortress, found himself in an unprecedented predicament.

The wells within the city, filled with croton seeds and filth, became a death knell hanging over the heads of the three thousand barbarian soldiers.

Although Ashina immediately ordered the well to be sealed off after discovering the poisoning and to fetch snow water from outside the city to melt and drink, the hundreds of barbarian soldiers who drank the well water on the first day were already vomiting and having diarrhea, and had completely lost their fighting ability.

Without food supplies or clean water, and with the search teams they sent out disappearing one after another, the morale of this elite army of three thousand men plummeted under the torment of the cold wind and disease, and some even deserted.

Ashina stood in the filthy hall of Black Stone Castle, his eyes bloodshot, yet utterly helpless.

He finally realized that this empty city was not a safe haven at all, but a meticulously designed and vicious trap.

"Retreat! All troops, retreat!"

On the morning of the fourth day of starvation, Ashina gritted his teeth, filled with endless humiliation and resentment, and gave the order to retreat deep into the grasslands.

The three thousand iron cavalry arrived like dark clouds obscuring the sun, but left like stray dogs, their ranks filled with the groans of the sick and the mournful cries of the horses.

……

Behind a secluded snow-covered hill, five miles outside Blackstone Fortress.

Aman put down her binoculars, turned to look at Xu Qingshan behind her, her little face, red from the cold, was filled with undisguised ecstasy.

"Centurion, the barbarians have retreated! All of them! They didn't even leave a rearguard; they ran faster than rabbits!"

Upon hearing this news, the more than one hundred Daqian soldiers, who had been on edge, finally loosened their grip on their weapons, and many collapsed onto the snow, panting heavily.

With the strength of a hundred men, they repelled a barbarian army of three thousand. Such an incredible feat was actually accomplished by them!

Xu Qingshan stood on high ground, watching the barbarian army retreating northward like a long black snake in the distance. A faint smile finally appeared on his cold and stern face.

"Come, brothers, let's go home."

Xu Qingshan turned his horse around and swung his long sword.

Half an hour later, the heavy south gate of Blackstone Castle was pushed open again.

The city was filled with a foul stench, and everywhere was a mess left by barbarian soldiers, but to the soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty, these broken bricks and tiles were more familiar than any palace.

"Qinghe, take some men to the backyard and dig out the grain. Lihua, take some men to boil water and clean the well." Xu Qingshan issued the instructions methodically, and the entire Black Stone Fortress was like a machine that had been refueled, running quickly and efficiently.

On the drill ground inside the fort, Tie Niu and Zhou Laoqi were taking stock of the battle losses from the guerrilla warfare over the past few days.

When the inventory results were presented to Xu Qingshan, even the usually composed Xiao Hongluan couldn't help but gasp.

"Centurion, in the past few days we've wiped out three barbarian search parties, beheading over four hundred people in total." Tie Niu grinned, his scarred face trembling with laughter. "Our brothers, apart from a dozen or so who injured their arms and legs in falls from their horses, have all survived!"

Zero casualties!

This figure, if placed in any battle report of the Great Qian Border Army, would be enough to cause a stir in the court and among the people.

Bai Zhi's exquisitely crafted crossbow, A Man's unpredictable reconnaissance skills, and Xu Qingshan's formidable martial prowess in repeatedly leading the charge and breaking through enemy lines—all these factors combined to create this miracle of defeating a superior enemy with a smaller force.

In addition, they brought back nearly three hundred captured, ownerless warhorses, as well as mountains of intact leather armor and scimitars.

"Okay." Xu Qingshan nodded slightly and slapped the battle report on the table.

As night fell, the inner fortress hall was brightly lit, with several large iron pots simmering rich meat broth and white flour porridge.

The soldiers sat around the brazier, enjoying this hard-won peace.

Xu Qingshan sat upright in the main seat, while Shen Qinghe walked over with light steps, holding a thick account book.

"Centurion, all the grain in the backyard has been dug up and is not damp. Combined with our previous spoils, our supplies are extremely plentiful." Shen Qinghe's voice was gentle, yet it revealed a shrewdness. "However, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

"explain."

Shen Qinghe spread out the ledger and pointed to the list of supplies: "The fortress is now well-supplied, but if we continue to eat from the same pot for a long time, everyone will get the same amount of meat and grain, no matter how much effort they put in or how many enemies they kill. This will lead to laziness. Human greed is a bottomless pit. If people eat and drink for free for too long, they will take it for granted."

A hint of admiration flashed in Xu Qingshan's eyes.

Shen Qinghe, as expected of an educated woman, was perceptive and saw through the core hidden danger in military management at a glance.

"What ideas do you have?" Xu Qingshan asked.

"Rewards should be given based on merit, with more work resulting in more pay," Shen Qinghe replied clearly. "I suggest implementing a 'military merit point system' within the camp. All daily rations, meat, and even the elite weapons newly forged by Bai Zhi should be converted into points. If our brothers want to eat well and use the best equipment, they'll have to risk their lives, even risking the heads of barbarians!"

Xu Qingshan stood up, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers in the hall who were gulping down meat soup, and shouted in a deep voice, "All troops, listen to my command!"

The noisy lobby fell silent instantly, and everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks and straightened their backs.

"You all heard what Steward Shen said." Xu Qingshan walked to the edge of the steps. "Black Stone Fortress doesn't tolerate idlers, much less cowards!"

"Starting tomorrow, the uniform rations of lean meat and white flour in the camp will be cancelled. Each person will only be given brown rice and coarse grains to keep them alive each day."

These words caused a slight commotion below, but due to Xu Qingshan's authority, no one dared to utter a word in rebuttal.

"Want some meat? Want some steamed buns? Want to wear the warmest fox fur coat?" Xu Qingshan drew his long sword and slashed at a captured barbarian head beside him, his voice booming like thunder. "Trade it for a barbarian's head!"

"The head of an ordinary barbarian soldier is worth ten points! The head of a corps commander is worth fifty points!"

"One point can be exchanged for a pound of flour or half a pound of lean meat at Steward Shen's place! Once you've saved up a hundred points, not only can you exchange them for the Hundred-Forged Treasure Sword personally crafted by Miss Baizhi, but I'll also personally promote you to squad leader and then platoon leader!"

Xu Qingshan's gaze, like a burning torch, swept across every face: "In my camp, there are no distinctions of birth or rank, no distinctions between new recruits and veterans. Whoever has the sharpest blade, whoever kills the most barbarians, will live a life of luxury here, even rising to the rank of officer or general! Do you understand?!"

Dead silence.

After a brief silence, a frenzied roar, like a volcanic eruption, erupted in the hall.

"clear!"

"Kill the barbarians! Exchange for face powder! Exchange for a precious sword!"

Tie Niu, his face flushed with excitement, slapped Zhou Laoqi on the shoulder: "Laoqi, did you hear that? From now on, I'm going to eat meat every meal, and I'm going to wipe out those barbarians!"

The soldiers' eyes changed. The slight fatigue left from continuous battles vanished, replaced by an extreme greed and fanaticism, like wolves eyeing flesh.

The introduction of the "military merit points system" has completely activated the army's desire for battle. Under the dual stimulation of benefits and glory, these former cannon fodder on the frontier have transformed into a group of howling, bloodthirsty demons.

Looking at his men, whose morale was soaring, Xu Qingshan sheathed his sword with satisfaction.

In the following days, Blackrock Castle enjoyed a long-awaited period of peace.

After Ashina's army retreated, the Northern Barbarians seemed to have been badly hurt, and they did not send even a single scout south again.

Meanwhile, in Yunzhou City, Zhao Wu remained silent after retreating, seemingly brewing something in secret.

A faint medicinal fragrance permeated the wounded soldiers' camp in the west wing.

Qin Yuenu came out carrying a wooden basin, wiping the fine sweat from her forehead.

Thanks to the precious medicinal herbs that Su Jinniang brought back from Bailangji, as well as her superb medical skills, the last few seriously wounded soldiers in the wounded soldiers' camp were able to get out of bed and walk again.

An old soldier who had been slashed in the chest excitedly waved his fists twice in the courtyard, feeling full of energy. He then turned and bowed deeply to Qin Yuenu.

"Miss Qin, thank you so much for saving my life! My injuries are completely healed, and I can rejoin the team tomorrow to start accumulating points!"

Qin Yuenu smiled slightly: "Go ahead, be quick on the battlefield, don't let anyone rip your stomach open again."

All personnel have recovered and been reinstated to the combat force. Thus, Blackrock Fortress's 108-strong fighting force is once again at full strength.

The chill of winter snow quietly faded away amidst the fierce battles.

As the first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the dilapidated yet sturdily repaired walls of Blackrock Fortress, the icicles on the eaves began to drip.

The ice and snow are melting.

Xu Qingshan stood at the highest point of the inner fortress, gazing at the wilderness to the south where black soil was gradually emerging.

After enduring the baptism of blood and fire throughout the harsh winter, this isolated border city not only survived the combined attack of the barbarians and the prefecture, but also rose from the ashes like a phoenix, growing sharp wings.