Li Man’er was in good spirits, but she disdained the possessions of that stinky man Feng Wuyun, so she merely sat behind the desk, flipping through official documents and the like.
Of course, anything Feng left behind was inconsequential. He wouldn’t have left important items in the main tent; he might have had them taken away long ago.
“Miss, what should we do now?”
“Wait!” Li Man’er propped her leg onto the desk. “Didn’t you see yesterday’s briefing? This time, among the barbarian army, there’s also a female general.”
A Si frowned slightly. “A female general?”
“Yes, named Ha Yue Zhu. They say she’s unparalleled in archery and horsemanship, and a veritable beauty among the barbarian tribes?” Li Man’er sneered. “Before, when I wasn’t in the camp, these people might have shown some mercy. Now that I am here, if the enemy calls for a duel, who do you think they’ll send?”
“It will surely be you, Miss.” Thinking about it was quite revolting.
Li Man’er said, “Today is the first day of the new year. By rights, it should be a day for welcoming the gods, yet here we are, dealing with these barbarians.”
As they were speaking, someone reported that the pressure at the city gate was too great and General Xi’s men were starting to falter. Deputy Marshal Luo ordered her to bring her people to reinforce them immediately.
Faltering so soon?
“Alright, have Zhang Jingfeng take a headcount and bring his men to the city wall with me.”
At a time like this, she was going to rely on the unreliable Zhang Jingfeng?
Although A Si had doubts, she didn’t say much and immediately went to find Zhang Jingfeng.
It turned out Li Man’er was a good judge of character. While Zhang Jingfeng appeared unreliable in daily life, he was never careless in battle. Especially since Li Man’er’s combat prowess had deeply impressed him before, he didn’t refuse. He immediately mustered his men, and together with Li Man’er, they charged towards the city wall.
Xi Kaiyuan’s forces were indeed struggling. A noticeable gap had appeared on the city wall, and barbarian soldiers were continuously climbing over, attempting to breach the defenses.
An old general, about fifty years old, with a weary face and a bandaged left arm, was directing his guards to fight. Guards were falling one after another, indicating the fierce onslaught of the barbarians.
Zhang Jingfeng knew Li Man’er didn't recognize Xi Kaiyuan, so he said loudly, “That old general is Old General Xi.”
Li Man’er hesitated no longer and immediately ordered, “Push forward quickly and secure every battlement.”
“Yes!” Zhang Jingfeng waved his hand, and the two thousand men who had followed them rushed onto the city wall with roars.
Xi Kaiyuan’s spirit was boosted. Without time for pleasantries, he shouted, “Brothers, hold on! Our reinforcements have arrived. We will defend the city gate to the death.”
The old general spoke with great passion, disregarding his injuries, and swung his saber.
Zhang Jingfeng and his men, with their fresh energy, replaced the exhausted old general and his subordinates, allowing them to rest. Those severely wounded were quickly carried away for treatment.
Li Man’er, wielding a long saber, leaped onto a battlement and began to slash. The barbarian soldier who had just appeared didn’t even have time to see what she looked like before his head was severed.
A large head flew into the air, blood spraying everywhere, terrifying the barbarian soldiers behind him so much that they felt as if the blood had splashed onto them.
Those below bravely climbed up, brandishing their sabers defensively, fearing they too would be decapitated. Li Man’er seized the opportunity and with another strike, split a man’s head in two. Blood mixed with brain matter splattered everywhere, nearly making the soldiers nearby vomit.
They had seen brutality on the battlefield, but few among them had witnessed someone like Li Man’er, who aimed for the head with every swing.
Xi Kaiyuan, witnessing Li Man’er’s skill, praised her, “A tiger father has no weak offspring. Young lady, you are truly a woman of exceptional talent.”
As he spoke, a whistling sound was heard from afar, and an arrow flew through the air, directly towards Li Man’er.
Xi Kaiyuan cried out, “Bad! Dodge!”
Li Man’er reacted swiftly, her saber flashing out to block the arrow. A barbarian soldier halfway up a ladder seized the opportunity to scramble upwards, thinking it a good chance for a sneak attack. However, he hadn’t expected Li Man’er to be unfazed. Her saber, as if guided by eyes, descended towards his neck.
Another large head flew into the air, another life taken by her hand.
Someone observing from a distance drew their bow again, intending to kill Li Man’er on the city wall. To their surprise, Li Man’er's reaction was far superior. Not only was she unharmed, but she also grabbed a bow and arrow and, retaliating in kind, shot towards his hiding place.
Fortunately, his reaction was swift enough to narrowly evade the projectile, but he became even more intrigued by this opponent.
With the addition of Li Man’er and Zhang Jingfeng, the soldiers of the Zun Kingdom’s guards were greatly inspired. The barbarians’ assault was repulsed, and they could only temporarily retreat.
The soldiers cheered on the city wall, and Xi Kaiyuan finally had time to exchange a few words with Li Man’er.
“Thank you, young lady, for your assistance.”
“Old General, you are too kind.” Seeing his injury, Li Man’er asked, “How is your injury, old general? Is it serious?”
Xi Kaiyuan waved his hand, “This minor injury is nothing. It’s just…” He wore a pained expression, his eyes on the verge of tears.
A Si leaned in and whispered, “Miss, Old General Xi’s eldest son, Xi Hu, was severely wounded and may not survive.”
“Oh?” Li Man’er immediately asked, “Old General, is this true? Where is your eldest son now? Would it be convenient for me to take a look?”
Xi Kaiyuan was still stunned, but A Si urged him, “Old General Xi, why are you still dazed? Our Miss has superb medical skills; she even cured the Marquis’s poison. Please take our Miss to him quickly, or it might be too late.”
Xi Kaiyuan finally came to his senses and made a gesture of invitation, leading Li Man’er to a small room on the city wall to visit Xi Hu.
Xi Hu had been shot in the chest with an arrow. His face was pale, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, and he was unconscious. He appeared to be in dire condition. The white cloth wrapped around his chest was soaked with blood. The arrow had been cut short to allow him to lie flat.
“Yin’er.” Old General Xi’s eyes welled up with tears. Seeing his son’s ashen face, on the verge of death, the old general couldn’t help but grieve.
Li Man’er examined Xi Hu’s wound and took his pulse. She immediately said, “He can still be saved. Zhang Jingfeng, your Qinggong is excellent, hurry and fetch my medicine box. It contains silver needles.”
Zhang Jingfeng, who had followed to watch the commotion, immediately turned and ran downstairs.
While everyone was momentarily stunned, Li Man’er quickly dripped a drop of Spirit Mist Spring Water into Xi Hu’s mouth. This would preserve his life. Once the medicine box arrived, she could administer acupuncture and save him openly.
“Young lady, can Yin’er truly be saved?”
“He can be saved,” Li Man’er stated confidently. “This arrow wound looks severe, but it’s actually a slight distance from the vital heart meridian. We can stop the bleeding first, protect his heart meridian, and then remove the arrow once his condition stabilizes. Don’t worry, old general, I won’t let a hero bleed and weep in vain.”