Amidst the chaos of battle, fires raged and shouts echoed everywhere. In such circumstances, a person's attention would naturally be scattered, and Li Man'er, dressed in barbarian clothing, attracted no attention, so no one was prepared for her.
Her arrow flew swiftly and stealthily, striking the back of the bald barbarian's neck.
The bald barbarian's body stiffened, and he fell to the ground, dead. Those around him immediately panicked. Someone crouched down, examined the spot where the bald man was hit, and then sent people to search for Li Man'er's hiding place.
Li Man'er was an expert at blending in. Instead of hiding, she merged into the searching party, using the opportunity to strike left and right, claiming many more barbarian lives.
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Li Man'er and Lu Fang, Zhang Jingfeng, leveraging his superior Qinggong (lightness skill), plunged into the enemy lines and quickly discovered the barbarian warhorses.
The barbarian horses were truly magnificent and divine. Zhang Jingfeng, though admiring them, showed no mercy. He poured all the medicine he had into their fodder, waiting for them to collectively succumb to its effects.
However, Zhang Jingfeng never expected that the medicine Li Man'er gave him would be so potent and act so quickly. The barbarian warhorses began to react soon after consuming it.
Zhang Jingfeng hadn't distributed the medicine evenly. Those who ate more collapsed immediately, while those who ate less became restless. The warhorses seemed to go mad, neighing incessantly and charging out of their enclosures, foaming at the mouth. The barbarians, not deaf, quickly noticed the commotion and raised the alarm.
With his superior Qinggong and sharp mind, Zhang Jingfeng soon managed to don a set of barbarian clothes. He and Li Man'er employed the same tactic: blending into the barbarian ranks, striking opportunistically, killing one or two at a time, and secretly administering poison whenever possible. The more chaos, the better.
The forty-person detachment was still lying in wait in the outer perimeter. Li Man'er and Zhang Jingfeng alone had thrown the barbarian camp into utter disarray.
Of course, such luck couldn't last forever.
To capitalize on the chaos, reinforcements were needed.
Li Man'er seized an opportune moment and appeared within A Si's line of sight, waving her hand.
A Si, not seeing clearly, thought, "Why is a barbarian waving at me!" Then she remembered the method Li Man'er had taught her for adjusting the 'thousand-mile eye' device. She immediately adjusted the focal length, and indeed, the face in the mirror enlarged, finally becoming clear.
"It's the young lady," A Si thought, marveling at how clear the 'thousand-mile eye' could make things.
A Si, who had been eagerly awaiting news, immediately put away the telescope and told those beside her, "The generals have already created a commotion in the camp. Now they're waiting for us to provide support. Brothers, let's act according to the plan."
Everyone nodded, and they split into two groups, stealthily approaching the barbarian encampment.
A Si led a dozen people, quietly infiltrating the barbarian camp from the left. The other twenty men circled around from the right.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the forty men, though inconspicuous, could make a difference with the aid of explosives.
Li Man'er had already prepared the explosive packs. Although these devices were immensely powerful in ancient times, capable of earth-shattering destruction, they were mere 'little brothers' in modern times, no match for the 'elders' above.
But here and now, they were incredibly potent. Throwing one into a crowded area could blow up a large number of people.
Li Man'er possessed means of self-preservation. Her explosive packs were powerful and could also draw the barbarians' attention, so she was happy to provide cover for A Si and the others. She deliberately ran towards crowded areas. Since she wore barbarian clothing, no one paid her too much attention. However, once she threw an explosive pack, she revealed herself. Fortunately, most of the people caught in the blast were destined to die anyway, so it didn't matter too much.
A Si and her group did not stand idly by. They focused on surprise attacks, especially targeting the wounded soldiers who had escaped the blast radius. Some were injured by the explosions, others were stunned and disoriented by the deafening sound, and some were so terrified that they were lost and didn't know what to do. It was then that A Si and her men would charge in and dispatch them with ease, like cutting through melons and vegetables.
The three groups, working in concert, achieved surprisingly good results.
At this moment, Zhang Jingfeng finally met up with Li Man'er.
"Not bad! You've stirred up quite a commotion," Zhang Jingfeng said, his face blackened with soot. "I set fire to many of their tents."
"How are you doing? Still got some fight left?" After all the exertion, both of them were tested physically. The weather was cold, the barbarians were tough, and a moment's inattention could lead to injury.
"No problem," Zhang Jingfeng grinned and suddenly asked, "Where's Lu Fang?"
Li Man'er replied calmly, "We got separated. I don't know where he is."
A look of solemnity appeared on Zhang Jingfeng's face. "It's not safe for us to stay here like this. General, haven't we stirred up enough trouble?"
Should they retreat now?
"This is just the beginning," Li Man'er smiled. "Before the main army attacks, we still need to create some diversions."
"Main army?" Zhang Jingfeng became anxious. "You've arranged for the city's main army to provide backup? What if someone takes advantage of the situation? Who's leading them? Is it Third Master Li? Did the Deputy Commander agree to this?"
Li Man'er replied, "It's not him."
Just as they were speaking, someone shouted, "They're over there!" Immediately, hurried footsteps and increasingly noisy voices indicated that dozens of people were converging on their position.
Shadowy figures appeared, forming a circle.
"General, I'm afraid we can't leave now."
Li Man'er remained calm, drawing her long saber. "Are you afraid?" Without Zhang Jingfeng, she could have easily retreated into her spatial dimension, but she couldn't abandon him.
"Afraid?" Zhang Jingfeng smiled faintly. "This young master has never known the meaning of fear." He also drew his sword, standing back-to-back with Li Man'er, forming a defensive posture.
The encirclement tightened, a dark mass of figures surrounding them in the center.
Someone on horseback entered the circle, looking down from a high position as if viewing two ants.
This person was tall and strong as an ox, with a head full of braids, exuding a fierce aura.
He waved his hand, and some of his men, carrying weapons, charged towards the pair. It seemed they intended to capture them alive.
Li Man'er swung her long saber and charged forward. Zhang Jingfeng also raised his sword and charged towards the barbarians on the other side.
Both of them were skilled fighters. Within three to five moves, they dispatched the charging barbarians, their bodies splattered with blood.
Outside the circle, shouts of combat could be heard, indicating that A Si and his group were also engaged in a pursuit by the barbarians.
Li Man'er said, "Let's finish this quickly."
"Holy crap, so many people, and you want me to finish it quickly?" Zhang Jingfeng, brandishing his sword, leaped up and slashed at the mounted barbarian leader.