Chapter 7, Return.

Shalin roared: "Then you charge forward."

Leizhengning laughed menacingly, shouting loudly, "Kalin, you bastard, I am going to cut you down"

Karlin muttered a few words, shook his head, and said: "Well, forget it, the objective has been achieved, let's withdraw the troops. The four corps combined have over 100,000 men, and with our strength, even if we forcibly take them down, the losses would be extremely heavy. It's really a pity; I was hoping to have a roasted wolf leg. However, it doesn't matter, I believe Baloo should have heard our words by now"

The people in the large tent were taken aback, and they all asked, "My lord, do you mean to say?"

Kalin floated in the air, smiling as he said, "Aha, the location chosen by 'Iron Blood Fortress' is quite good, the scenery is lovely. In the future, when I have money, I will build a villa here and bring thousands of beautiful women to enjoy themselves. It truly is wonderful... except for these corpses, which are rather disgusting; everything else is indeed quite nice."

A dark iron knight charged forward with a grim expression, swinging his sword. Lei, laughing maniacally, met him with his own blade. As their weapons clashed, the long sword was abruptly cleaved in two. The black iron second-tier knight looked at Lei in disbelief, and in a moment of distraction, a flash of the blade sent his head flying into the sky

Karlin muttered a few words, his voice carried by the wind, nearly driving Meike to the brink of fury. What Karlin murmured was: "This old man looks quite handsome; I wonder how his daughter looks? If she is very beautiful, she could be taken as a mistress."

The three legion commanders stood up, silently drawing their swords towards the sky and nodding slightly. After a while, one of the commanders gritted his teeth and said: "I can send someone to request our Duke to dispatch reinforcements. I have brought twenty-three thousand men, and within the Duke's territory, there are five divisions totaling over thirty thousand troops, along with more than seventy thousand miscellaneous troops and seven imperial army teams. This should be sufficient to reinforce us."

Lei shouted: "Damn it, what is there to be afraid of? It's just people, right? I’m not afraid of wolves or tigers, so why would I be afraid of you?"

Shalin also rolled his eyes, feeling utterly helpless against the capricious and unpredictable Karlin

With a single shout, the heavy cavalry of the Smart Empire unexpectedly retreated, while the soldiers of the private army legion charged forward with cheers. Who wouldn't want to take advantage of a fallen foe? The head of a heavy cavalryman is worth a bounty of ten gold coins

Shalin extended his right hand: "Well, it is quite simple. Lord Karlin, please allocate one-tenth of the annual budget that the Empire grants to the Mage Association to the Army, and that will be sufficient"

The camp of the Silver Wolf Legion suddenly lit up, while the camps of the three private military corps were plunged into darkness. Immediately, a hazy yellow light curtain appeared above the entire camp, facing the dense barrage of magical projectiles. Amidst the roar of explosions, the light curtain was shattered, yet all the magical projectiles were intercepted. The thundering Smart heavy cavalry, upon nearing the camp, found themselves greeted by countless crossbow bolts and arrows. Their warhorses fell one after another, and they, clad in heavy armor, tumbled to the ground in disarray, soon to be trampled into a pulp by the warhorses of their comrades behind them.

The rear guard of the Smart Empire's army was thrown into chaos; they had never witnessed such a frenzied style of combat. A man without armor was actually swinging a blade and had killed two heavy infantrymen and a black iron knight... The soldiers panicked, and with a howl, they fled. After all, General Shalin had already ordered a retreat; why should they risk their lives?

The Smart Empire's army slowly retreated. In this evening's raid, they inflicted casualties of only 3,000 on the Vant Empire's forces, yet they themselves suffered over 15,000 casualties. The formidable strength of the Vant Empire's army once again taught the Smart Empire a harsh lesson. During the retreat, Carlin began to complain: "If only those armies that betrayed you were here. Alas... at least they were also part of the Vant Empire's forces."

At this moment, the two individuals are no longer in the confrontational stance of just a moment ago, roaring at each other; they clearly resemble two wolves huddled together, conspiring.

Lei finally regained consciousness, shook his head, and suddenly recalled the scene of splitting a living person in two. With a mournful cry, Lei began to vomit uncontrollably, his body convulsing as he continued to retch.

Baru said in a low voice: "Have the messengers we dispatched to deliver the military intelligence set out?"

The three private military leaders were at a loss for words. If the Province of Xili were to be occupied, then the territories of their lords would also be in danger. Even if they ultimately managed to drive the soldiers of the Smart Empire away, the war would have been fought on their own land, leaving behind a wasteland for them, and they would have no time to weep. The southern provinces are the most prosperous areas of the entire Vante Empire. If they were reduced to ruins, not to mention that the empire's economy would fall into difficulties in the coming years, at the very least, the furious His Majesty Shagru would vent his anger on them.

Lei was wildly swinging his knife, and now not only did the soldiers of the Smart Empire dare not approach him, but even the members of the Silver Wolf Legion avoided him. Who would want to be randomly slashed by him for no reason? As a result, it evolved into a bizarre situation where Lei led 5,000 members of the Silver Wolf Legion in pursuit of over 20,000 frantically fleeing infantry of the Smart Empire.

Kalin leisurely peeled an apple and took big bites out of it. He mumbled, "What is that guy shouting about? It seems I heard my name. Strange, do I have acquaintances in the Vante Empire? Did I once have a romantic connection with some beauty from the Vante Empire, and now her lover is seeking revenge on me?" He had already forgotten about Lei, whom he had let go, and had no idea that it was Lei who was cursing wildly. However, Lei had no fighting spirit and could not cast sound-spreading magic, so Kalin simply could not hear him clearly.

With a pale face, Meiko trembled as he asked, "Lord Baruch, what should we do about the - map - book? If the Smart Empire truly has an additional 200,000 troops coming to their aid, we will be in serious trouble. I exhausted all my magical power last night, and it will be impossible for me to use any magic for at least three days. If their mages launch a large-scale attack, we will be unable to provide protection."

One of his subordinate golden knights nodded silently. Another golden knight asked in confusion, "But there has been no response from the imperial capital; what exactly has happened? The Minister of Military Affairs stated that as long as we ascertain the enemy's situation, he would request authorization from His Majesty to mobilize the reinforcements we need. However, now..." The Minister of Military Affairs stated that as long as we ascertain the enemy's situation, he would request authorization from His Majesty to mobilize the reinforcements we need. However, now...

Balu, somewhat anxious, stepped outside with several soldiers, while Lei gradually quieted down on the ground, slowly easing his body.

Karin rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, there are only two military academies in the imperial capital, but there are over a hundred magic academies... Actually, I really wanted to attend a military academy when I was young, but it was too difficult to get in. As a result, I ended up in a more popular and easier-to-enter magic academy. Who would have thought those old geezers would call me a genius? Boohoo, I actually always wanted to be a knight." Karin began to wallow in self-pity again

The agile skills cultivated on the rugged paths of the mountains, the keen senses and hearing brought about by hunting wild beasts, and the strong physique honed through countless battles with various animals, allowed Lei to easily evade the sparse rain of arrows and charge into the retreating forces of the Smart Empire with a howl

Karlin paused for a moment and exclaimed: "Not a chance! You want to give me one-tenth? I might as well keep it for myself. The capital has just released over ten exquisite pieces of jewelry, and I'm worried about not having enough money... My late father, as the Prime Minister, wouldn't embezzle a bit more; he only made a few million gold coins a year. How is that enough for my expenses? I have over two hundred lovers in the capital; do you think they don't cost money?"

The sarin gas dissipated, and the infantry of both nations clashed together. The heavy infantry of the Shimat Empire, somewhat disorganized, raised their long spears. However, the Silver Wolf Legion moved in perfect unison, letting out a unified shout of "Ha!" Five hundred long spears thrust forward almost simultaneously, at the same angle, without any deviation. The one-inch thick heavy iron armor was utterly incapable of withstanding their thrusts. The five hundred heavy infantry of Shimat let out a terrible scream as they were lifted high and then flung away by the force of the attack. Five hundred long spears thrust forward almost simultaneously, at the same angle, without any deviation. The one-inch thick heavy iron armor was utterly incapable of withstanding their thrusts. The five hundred heavy infantry of Shimat let out a terrible scream as they were lifted high and then flung away by the force of the attack.

Baru furrowed his brow and pondered for a long time before finally nodding and saying: "Very well, however, the Duke of Rook's division is clearly overstaffed. Although the private armies of the lords are all overstaffed, it is quite rare to see one reach such a scale as his... We currently have nearly 100,000 troops. If each of the three lords could support us... 20,000 men?"

At the very beginning, within the entire camp of the Silver Wolf Legion, the tents illuminated by lanterns served as a temporary shelter for Lei. Having slept for an entire day, Lei had fully recovered his spirits. When the mages swooped in for a surprise attack, he was busy gnawing on roasted meat and sipping thin porridge. A few of Baru's personal guards watched him from the side, sighing inwardly: "What a big, strapping young man; what a pity that on his first battlefield experience, he encounters such a situation. Hehe, it seems he is done for... With so many friends dying before his eyes, he might be afraid of blood in the future. How can he fight then?" Sighing inwardly: "What a big, strapping young man; what a pity that on his first battlefield experience, he encounters such a situation. Hehe, it seems he is done for... With so many friends dying before his eyes, he might be afraid of blood in the future. How can he fight then?"

The commanding voice resonated, and the heavy cavalry, having already suffered losses of over 2,000 men, swiftly turned their horses around to retreat. Meanwhile, the heavy infantry and light infantry, under the cover of archers and mages, formed a proper assault formation and charged towards the main camp of the Silver Wolf Legion. On the flanks of the Silver Wolf Legion, three private military corps stealthily emerged under the cover of night, preparing to encircle their retreat. However, the retreating heavy cavalry had already set their sights on them from a distance.

On the Qingfeng Plain, there is no mention of air pollution; the night sky is also sparsely clouded, allowing the stars to twinkle brilliantly, making the entire sky extraordinarily beautiful. The starlight shines brightly, clearly illuminating a small group of shadowy figures flying towards the Silver Wolf Legion's black-robed individuals. The camp of the Silver Wolf Legion is shrouded in darkness, except for a faint light flickering inside one of the tents, while the rest of the area resembles a ghostly realm.

Amidst the neighing of horses and the cries of men, countless heavy cavalry were lifted high, or their steeds were struck by arrows, throwing them to the ground. Numerous pikemen also found their long spears shattered by the tremendous impact, as those dying heavy cavalry collided with them, sending them sprawling and spitting blood. However, the fierce spirit of the elite legions of the Vante Empire finally manifested; those rolling pikemen, as long as they could still rise, screamed and got back on their feet, bloodied and battered, drawing their short swords from their waists, and lunging at the heavy cavalry lying on the ground. They lifted their helmets and thrust their swords viciously into their necks.

Immediately following, perhaps due to the unique fierceness of the mountain dwellers, their bloodline of courageous spirit, and their way of survival against fierce beasts and nature, Lei began to deeply disdain his own fear. Indeed, what is there to be afraid of? At the age of fifteen, hadn't he independently killed a giant wolf? What is there to fear?

Shalin's frantic voice shouted: "What are you all paying attention to those fewer than two thousand people for? Break through their wooden barricade, charge in, and kill."

The three legion commanders assured loudly: "Rest assured, we will request the Duke to reinforce our troops as much as possible, there will be absolutely no problem. We will not retreat a single step before the arrival of the Imperial Capital's direct legion."

Thunder charged forward with a wild cry, and immediately behind him came the sound of dense yet orderly footsteps. Long spears thrust out, lifting one soldier of the Shimate Empire after another. Waves of long arrows rained down, splattering blood from each light infantryman.

Baru exclaimed: "Come here, send one hundred messengers, disguised as commoners, to travel day and night to the imperial capital. Instruct them that whoever arrives first in the imperial capital should take my personal letter to meet the Minister of Military Affairs, report the relevant matters, and demand a thorough investigation into these issues... Damn it, even if one travels alone day and night to reach the imperial capital, it will take five days. Even if the imperial capital immediately dispatches troops, it will take more than fifteen days for the large army to arrive, which totals twenty days.

Karlin's dissatisfied voice rang out: "If you are not a magician, do not recklessly give orders here. Two thousand magicians simultaneously unleashing their most powerful spells? The magical interference alone would be enough to kill eighteen thousand people. Truly a fool when it comes to magic... Is one hundred and fifty magicians considered few? Their concentrated magical power is also formidable. We cannot dare to approach, so how can we launch a full-scale attack?"

A pale yellow light curtain appeared around the bodies of those mages who had exploded, isolating the tremendous noise they emitted and confining the power of their explosions to within a distance of less than two meters

Kalin did not notice that, far away in the Silver Wolf Legion's camp, Lei was gripping his bow and arrow tightly, glaring fiercely at him. Although from a distance, Kalin appeared to be nothing more than a small black dot floating in the air, Lei, relying on a beast-like instinct, knew that it was indeed Kalin.

Shalin roared, his voice mixed with a powerful fighting spirit: "Charge, what are you still looking at? Heavy cavalry, charge, scatter the infantry on both flanks, and directly assault the enemy's main camp. Mage squad, unleash your most powerful magic with all your might. The Silver Wolf Legion has a maximum of 150 mages, yet you, with your 20,000 mages, still cannot break through their defenses?"

Kalin raised an eyebrow: "Is that so? Is there any? Oh, right, I did say that. Shalin, since we don't have any suitable soldiers at hand, you must work hard to train these soldiers. Sigh, otherwise, no matter how good our plan is, it won't matter if the soldiers can't fight at all."

Karlin proudly unveiled his cloak, revealing his mage emblem, and said with a smile: "Oh, it's Meiko. I've seen your portrait; in the Vante Empire, you can be considered a top-tier mage. However, compared to us, you are merely scraping by. Hmph, no wonder our magic projectiles were ineffective; your strength is probably on par with the fourth tier of our Empire's Diamond Dragons. With you in charge, it would indeed be quite difficult to breach your barrier purely through defense."

Outside, the Silver Wolf Legion had surprisingly opened the wooden gate of their camp, with two thousand soldiers forming an assault formation, directly facing approximately twenty thousand troops from the Shimate Empire. A voice, dry and hard like that of a withered tree, emerged from Barou: "Heh, Shalin, is that you? Do you still remember how I defeated you in the imperial capital? You are inferior to me, and your soldiers are also inferior to mine. What are you worth... You fight fiercely, but battles must rely on strength to speak. What are you worth?" You are inferior to me, and your soldiers are also inferior to mine. What are you worth... You fight fiercely, but battles must rely on strength to speak. What are you worth?

From a very distant place outside the camp came a surprised exclamation, followed by a powerful voice: "What a Silver Wolf Legion, Baloo, you truly deserve to be one of the Five Beast Generals of the Imperial Capital... Charge!" With the final command, the thunderous sound of hooves echoed from all directions, followed by a barrage of fireballs, water balls, and light spheres raining down upon the Silver Wolf Legion's camp.

Balu laughed and kicked Lei in the stomach, shouting: "Kill, kill, kill, kill you piece of crap. Wake up, Lober, and tally Lei's achievements in battle."

Lei curled up into a ball, trembling all over. Gradually, he let out a sharp cry, but the noise outside had become so loud that no one noticed the sound he made.

Once again, a barrage of magical projectiles surged forward, met by a yellow barrier. After three such exchanges, over thirty high-ranking mages from the Smart Empire, led by Karlin, soared into the sky, floating far beyond the reach of crossbow bolts. Karlin shouted loudly: "Which old, immortal mage from the Vant Empire is hiding in the camp? Come out and let me see, is it Gibbs or Daljio? No, your Silver Wolf Legion shouldn't have the capability to deploy such high-ranking mages, right? Come out and let me take a look."

Baru was furious: "Who dares to defy my orders?" As he fixed his gaze, the person was none other than Lei.

The three legion commanders nodded. Barrow smiled and said: "Very well, based on the strength demonstrated by the Smart Empire in the past, their entire army will not exceed 400,000. If they concentrate around 300,000 in front of us, they will be unable to launch an attack on us from other directions. With the reinforcement of the three lords, we can make it and have a good fight with them"

Shalin gratefully thanked Karlin and shouted loudly: "Damn it, a bunch of bastards, retreat, retreat... all of you retreat... maintain formation, you useless waste, the front team becomes the rear team, cover the archers in the middle, use arrows to block the retreat, heavy infantry at the back, retreat carefully, don't panic, bastards... maintain formation, you useless waste, the front team becomes the rear team, cover the archers in the middle, use arrows to block the retreat, heavy infantry at the back, retreat carefully, don't panic, bastards..."

The mocking voice of Karlin echoed across the battlefield: "Oh my God, oh my God, God, forgive this fool-like Shalin. The soldiers are blocking the main gate, maintaining formation and fighting fiercely. Unfortunately, our Lord Shalin did not even notice that it was impossible to deploy the formation and simply ordered the soldiers to charge forward... oh my God."

Meike, in a fit of rage, muttered a few words and threw a water dragon that stretched over a hundred meters. Karlin laughed heartily, and a much larger fire dragon shot out from his hand. The two giant dragons collided in mid-air, sending a large group of cavalry from the Smart Empire tumbling below. With a sly grin, Karlin retreated with the mages. He laughed loudly and said, "Baru, Baru, you are truly insidious, using those ragtag mercenary archers against me? Unfortunately, I won't fall for it; I am wearing chainmail, you know."

Ba and Tushulu Chen said: "Since we have spies in the Smart Empire, then they must have even more agents within our empire, and those individuals have surely already taken action. The first messenger I sent to report the destruction of the 'Iron Blood Fortress' may... may have already been... Otherwise, we should have received at least a little bit of feedback by now"

After much consideration, Baloo finally nodded slowly: "Well, since that is the case, I believe the private armies in each lord's territory are roughly similar in scale. Um, let them each reinforce with 30,000 combat-capable soldiers, and they must also bring a large supply of food and arrows. Our primary focus is defense, so we will need a substantial amount of timber for fences and obstacles... The mages of the Smart Empire are quite despicable; if there are any specially designed crossbows to deal with them, bring all of them to me."

Baru contemplated: "First, let’s deal with the immediate crisis. Even if the Smart Empire has mobilized the private armies of their great nobles to participate in the battle, their regular troops are in such disarray, what strength can their private armies possibly have? Moreover, their two commanders, Shalin and Karlin, are at odds with each other. Perhaps, just perhaps, I can take this opportunity to teach them a small lesson. Hmm, I hope the reinforcements from the imperial capital arrive soon"

As soon as Shalin gave the command, a gaunt arm reached out like a specter towards Lei. With a single punch, it sent the machete in Lei's hand flying, followed by a series of slaps that left him dizzy. Immediately after, the person grabbed Lei and retreated with five thousand Silver Wolf soldiers. The person laughed heartily: "Shalin, you have found a good master. Just look at your subordinate's soldiers; calling them trash would be an overstatement. They were actually frightened into losing their formation by a mere soldier of mine, which has conveniently earned me the military merit of two thousand men. I, Baru, am immensely grateful." The person laughed heartily again: "Shalin, you have found a good master. Just look at your subordinate's soldiers; calling them trash would be an overstatement. They were actually frightened into losing their formation by a mere soldier of mine, which has conveniently earned me the military merit of two thousand men. I, Baru, am immensely grateful."

Meike stroked his beard: "Indeed, although the reply from the capital cannot arrive so quickly, there are relay stations along the way where messengers are received. According to the rules, they should send us back information to report that our people have arrived... Could it be..."

Shalin complained: "The mid-level and junior officers of the Empire need proper training, Lord Karlin. My goodness, they have no idea how to command troops... The Empire places too much emphasis on the training of magicians. I heard that there are only two military academies in the imperial capital that train mid-level and junior officers, is that right?"

Shalin also wore a bitter smile: "Lord Carlin, how was I to know that the soldiers of the Empire would be like this? In my plan, as long as they possessed the same bravery as the Vant soldiers, I could lead them to raid this camp. It seems..."

Shalin roared furiously: "Halt, regroup for battle, the cavalry will encircle from both flanks, and the mages will take action."

Meike's complexion changed; how can a mage clad in heavy chainmail still float in the air? Karlin's magical power is truly astonishing; whose apprentice is he? In the realm of mages, I have never paid attention to this young man named Karlin.

Shalin nodded: "That's right, I really want to see what Baloo will do when he knows we have two hundred thousand reinforcements behind us. Will he flee? No, he won't. Hehe, I know this guy Baloo; he will definitely not run away. He will desperately demand reinforcements from the imperial capital, but..."

Such a strike has thoroughly instilled fear in the army of the Smart Empire. Look at this momentum, look at this spirit; it is indeed worthy of being called the first army of the continent. However, Salin's orders have been given, and those infantry must continue to charge. Five hundred heavy infantry of the Vant regiment retreated in unison by three steps, while behind them, one thousand five hundred light infantry charged forward with howls. In groups of three, they swung their heavy sabers, severing the heads of countless soldiers of the Smart Empire who had been encircled by them. Five hundred heavy infantry of the Vant regiment retreated in unison by three steps, while behind them, one thousand five hundred light infantry charged forward with howls. In groups of three, they swung their heavy sabers, severing the heads of countless soldiers of the Smart Empire who had been encircled by them.

Karlin did not loudly use his magic to shout this time, but instead whispered to Shalin: "Damn it, not going to the battlefield, I never expected our empire's cavalry to be so cowardly. God, General Shalin, you must train them well in the future"

A personal guard nodded and reported: "Killing seven heavy infantry earns a bounty of thirty-five gold coins. Killing seventeen light infantry earns a bounty of fifty-one gold coins. Killing a black iron second-tier knight beyond rank earns a bounty of thirty gold coins, and according to military law, a promotion in rank should also be granted."

Night, late at night

Karlin sighed, "Honestly, I thought we could make Baru suffer a loss, but who would have thought that we would be the ones at a disadvantage... The elite legions of the Vant Empire are indeed not something our large troop can contend with, so we have no choice but to slowly toy with them... Fortunately, we have already achieved our objective for tonight. Alright, let's set up camp at the ruins of the 'Iron Blood Fortress'; such a large flat area would be a waste not to use for camping."

Early the next morning, the scouts of the Silver Wolf Legion returned to report military intelligence. Karlin's army had already set up camp at the ruins of the "Iron Blood Fortress," which was fifteen miles away from the Silver Wolf Legion. Baloo was furious: "That damned magician, he is deliberately provoking us. Damn it, they are camping there, those damned guys."

Barugan Baba laughed: "Shalin, hehe, with your abilities, you managed to earn the title of a renowned general in this era, guarding the 'Iron Blood Fortress.' However, if we truly discuss strength, you would at least rank outside the top twenty in the Vante Empire. What are you even worth? No wonder you betrayed the Empire; upon arriving at the Smart Empire, you became the Empire's top general, right?" Barugan's final 'right?' was deliberately pronounced with a sharp tone, mocking Shalin.

Under the cover of night, two teams of over five hundred mercenary archers stealthily approached Karlin. However, Karlin and his companions had already taken flight. Immediately afterward, over a thousand lightly armored Smart infantry surrounded them, turning them into a bloody pulp. Nevertheless, these archers fought back fiercely in their final moments, taking down more than two hundred soldiers of the Smart Empire. Their formidable combat prowess left the Smart soldiers speechless

The iron cavalry thundered as over a hundred messengers charged out of the Silver Wolf Legion's main camp

The three private military leaders exchanged glances, silently nodding, and sighed inwardly. They could not retreat, after all, their families were located in the nearby province of Xili. For their own interests, they had to desperately resist the invasion of the Shimate Empire. Reflecting on this, they couldn't help but feel regret; had they known it would come to this, they should not have merely watched the spectacle of Duke Green. They should have led their troops to provide reinforcements much earlier. At that time, if they had united their forces to attack the Shimate army, based on their performance last night, they could have decisively defeated the enemy. Who could have known?

The figures in black robes hovered above the Silver Wolf Legion's camp, their hands emanating various hues of light. This time, they did not hold back their magical power, unleashing their most formidable spells. However, just as their magic was about to reach completion, an ancient command rang out, and several powerful crossbow bolts whistled through the air. Measuring a full two meters in length and as thick as a thumb, these pure steel bolts pierced through the bodies of more than a dozen high-level mages as if they were mere eggshells. Accompanied by piercing screams, the mages plummeted from the sky. The backlash of their magic caused their bodies to swell instantaneously, exploding like cannonballs.

Within the camps of the private legions of the other three lords, the scene was brightly lit, filled with loud shouts, sounds of fighting, and occasionally the sharp laughter of women. It was a complete mess, chaotic and disorderly, with even the sentinels drooling as they gazed at the camp, having no mind to keep watch.

Baru smiled: "Alright, not bad. You young man are worth the time I spent. Hmm, if all my Silver Wolf soldiers had your kind of crazy spirit, I would dare to lead over twenty thousand people to chase after them. Hehe... This young man is quite strong, no wonder he comes from the mountains. Damn, he can actually cut through such thick armor with one strike. You were an ordinary soldier before, right? It's better to remain an ordinary soldier now, but be my personal guard."

Baru reiterated: "No, we absolutely cannot retreat. Yes, we will never retreat"

Shalin nearly fell off his horse, and he shouted gloomily: "I seem to have heard that the Empire allocates only one million gold coins a year for the development of new military equipment, is that right?"

Baru fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded and said in a low voice: "No, we cannot retreat, even if they have reinforcements. We have a total of 100,000 soldiers; as long as we defend properly, they cannot quickly overwhelm us. If we retreat, the entire Xili Province will be exposed to them, and at this moment, there are no defensive forces in Xili Province. If the province is occupied by them, it will be a serious problem"

Amidst the rumbling sound of hooves, the heavy cavalry charged towards the soldiers of the three private military regiments. However, those soldiers unexpectedly let out a shout and began to flee backwards. Just as the heavy cavalry was feeling pleased, they discovered that behind those private soldiers were the densely packed silver wolf regiment's pikemen and archers. The long pikes were already braced against the ground, and the archers had released the first volley of arrows.

Karlin scoffed and shouted, "Not a chance! Don't forget, I am the commander, and you are my subordinate. How dare you give me orders? I can have my father revoke your title at any moment, do you believe that? Just because that brat Karoka has brought reinforcements, don't think you have a stronghold... So what if Karoka has brought 200,000 men? I am still the commander. If you provoke me, I will cut you down right now... Hmph, you want my mage squad to charge? You really think that’s possible? With your soldiers, can they even provide cover? They can only cast magic from a distance, that’s all. If only I had a Silver Wolf Legion, I would charge in myself right now"

At the "Iron Blood Fortress," countless mages began their arson work. Under the supervision of Karlin, those mages, regardless of their magical affinity, employed high-level fire magic if they were advanced, while those whose attributes were incompatible resorted to the most basic fireball spell, desperately incinerating the corpses on the ground

Karlin hummed a few times: "That is a matter for the Empire; what does it have to do with me? That is my father's private property. If I were to donate it to the Empire, I might as well become His Majesty of the Empire myself... Although I do have that hope... Sigh, I wonder when our Majesty will pass away? He has no son. If I marry all the princesses, wouldn't I be the next Majesty? What a wonderful future... Hehehehehe." He has no son. If I marry all the princesses, wouldn't I be the next Majesty? What a wonderful future... Hehehehehe.

A tall bodyguard struck the ground heavily and laughed heartily: "This kid is quite big and strong, very good, very good. I, Tuga, like people like you. From now on, just stick with me, and I will take good care of you. Well, isn't it just killing? You've hunted wild beasts in the mountains, right? Just treat them as wild beasts and kill them accordingly"

Another line of pikemen charged forward, shouting as they thrust their weapons; this time their target was the warhorses beneath them. Yet another group of cavalry fell to the ground, and before they could rise, their heads were severed by those frenzied pikemen

Shalin was momentarily at a loss for words to refute, and the morale of the charging troops of the Smart Empire instantly diminished by seventy percent

With a thunderous shout, a flash of the blade, the head of a heavy infantryman was severed. Then, with another strike, the specially crafted machete of the Vant Empire, designed specifically for the elite troops directly under the capital, weighing approximately 30 pounds, along with its uniquely designed lines for effective chopping, became an essential weapon for slaughtering and conquering cities. In the strong hands of Lei, such a deadly weapon fully unleashed its power. The blade flashed again, and another heavy infantryman was cleaved in two from left shoulder to right waist, blood splattering and dyeing Lei's entire body red. In the strong hands of Lei, such a deadly weapon fully unleashed its power. The blade flashed again, and another heavy infantryman was cleaved in two from left shoulder to right waist, blood splattering and dyeing Lei's entire body red

Another seasoned bodyguard patted Lei on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Lei, is this your first time killing? Remember that feeling, remember the sensation of flesh and blood flying everywhere. In the future, you will gradually get used to it and eventually come to love that feeling, whether it is your own flesh or someone else's; it is quite exhilarating."

A strange emotion overwhelmed his soul, a fear from his childhood when he witnessed his father being torn apart by a wild beast, the pressure from years of worrying about his mother's health, and the terror and sorrow brought by the sight of their bloodied corpses. These peculiar emotions blended together, plunging Lei into a bizarre and eccentric madness. He casually picked up a knife and rushed out.

The soldiers of the Smart Empire retreated in panic, while Baloo stood at the entrance of the main camp, his expression grim as he watched them flee, restraining his subordinate soldiers from pursuing. However, at that moment, a beast-like howl erupted from within the Silver Wolf Legion's camp, and a figure, like the wind, crashed through two soldiers, wielding a machete as he charged towards the retreating Smart army

Baru furrowed his brow: "It seems that something has happened within the Empire. Do you remember the circumstances of our departure? Due to issues with supplies, military pay, and armaments, our departure was delayed by a full three days. Three days... Although we traveled day and night, we still arrived nearly a day late. The forward sentinels made contact with General Kelo, but were powerless to save them... Damn it, three days. According to normal procedures, we should not have been delayed for so long."

It has been said that when a usually gentle person, who never shows anger, finally becomes truly enraged, they will undoubtedly turn into a frenzied beast. At this moment, Lei is just like that. Initially, he is filled with immense fear; upon hearing the dense explosions above, all he feels is fear—deep, profound fear, enough to drive him to madness. He recalls the fire and blood from that night, remembers the shattered skull of Bit.

Sarin gas was mentioned, murmuring: "After all, they are the Vantarians as you said, unreliable. Do we really have to send them to the other two attack groups?"

A close guard affectionately pulled up Lei, heavily striking his chest with two punches, shouting: "Good lad, you're really impressive. We are indeed a match for a hero, but we wouldn't dare rush out alone like this. Hey, you truly are a good brother. However, you still need to learn how to kill. Think about your brothers who were killed by the Smart Empire's army... The Smart people show absolutely no mercy when they kill them."

Kalin chuckled coldly: "We have spent decades cultivating so many of our own people in the Vante Empire; it is time for them to take action. My goodness, the southern provinces of the Vante Empire, what a bountiful land! Shalin, do a good job, and I will wholeheartedly support your appointment as the lord of the Silly Province and the Qingfeng Plain."

Seeing Barou quickly retreating back to the main camp, Shalinqi stomped his foot in anger, his murderous gaze fixed firmly on the commander of the infantry. It seemed that the man was in for some misfortune

The legion commander who had just spoken was trembling all over, regretting why he had revealed the truth. The imperial military structure consists of one division comprising three regiments, totaling three thousand men. Five divisions amount to a scale of only fifteen thousand personnel. Yet, why did he explicitly state that Duke Rook's five divisions had thirty thousand men?

The knights around them once again automatically filtered out Karlin's rebellious words. Including Shalin, they all knew that this was a highly probable situation, and none of them dared to say another word. After all, among the five princesses of the empire, four had ambiguous relationships with Karlin, and the youngest princess was also being pursued by him like a mad dog.

Inside the camp of the Silver Wolf Legion, at this moment, Baloo had just thrown the struggling Lei, who was clawing and thrashing, onto the ground. Lei was howling frantically: "Kill, kill, kill, kill..."

Everyone's expression was serious, and Baruch suddenly stood up: "Ladies and gentlemen, let us assume that we need a month. We must hold our ground here for a month. No matter what, we cannot take a step back within these thirty days, even if the reinforcements from the Smart Empire are numerous, we absolutely cannot retreat... Baruch, I ask everyone to do their utmost."

Shalin shook his head and said nothing

At the command of the officers from the three private military corps, they stood in formation. Facing the charge of heavy cavalry on the plain? That was a joke. There was no need for them to waste their forces here; after all, they had managed to hold back over ten thousand heavy cavalry from the enemy. It was unlikely that Barou would blame them for this.

Meike floated up into the sky, drenched in sweat, his face pale as he looked at Karlin. After staring intently at Karlin for a moment, he finally nodded and said: "You are Karlin?"

Baru shook his head: "After all, you are a novice, heh heh, it seems that it is appropriate not to make you the squad leader; otherwise, how could you command my subordinates? They would have no way to respect you... You all take care of Lei, I will go meet those three esteemed legion commanders. They must be bringing a pile of heads to claim their rewards, damn it, I don't have that many gold coins to give them... I should intimidate them a bit... Two hundred thousand reinforcements? Good heavens, that’s enough to devour us."

Lei gently nodded, and his stomach churned again. He thought in confusion: "Heavens, how could I have rushed out like that? That person, how could it possibly be me... I... I have killed someone, I have killed so many people, over twenty of them... Their mothers must be heartbroken... But, but... what if I am killed by them... Mother..." Their mothers must be heartbroken... But, but... what if I am killed by them... Mother...

When the sound of crossbow bolts was heard, the personal guards had already rushed out of the tent like the wind, while Lei stood there dazed, listening to the distinctive "thud thud" of the bolts being fired, unsure of what was happening. However, when the dense explosions erupted in the sky, Lei's eyes widened. The same sound of explosions was what had knocked him unconscious that night; when he woke up, everyone had perished just like that, including Bi Te and the others who had all died.