The southern granary, shrouded in white mist, lay beneath a layer of frost. Dead grass was dusted with white, and the cold had blanketed the land. The ground creaked with every step, the sounds of footsteps soft and cautious.
Through the pale fog, figures began to appear on the eastern side of the granary, their numbers steadily growing.
It had been almost two days. The enemy, driven into the eastern forest, could no longer endure the hunger and cold. Now they began to emerge from the woods, desperate to retake control of the south.
“This is good. Saves us the trouble of hunting them down in the forest.”
Paul Zhao smiled. Around him stood soldiers who had already warmed up, their bodies radiating heat. They held bows and arrows, while cavalry units were ready on both flanks. The rescued troops, more than five thousand strong, were finally about to prove their worth.
While the enemy had been fleeing these past two days, Zhao’s forces had rested, eaten their fill, and were now waiting to annihilate the starving foes as they stumbled out of the woods.
Joseph Qiao yawned. Even after more than a day of rest, he still felt weary. His horse snorted beneath him, restless, while Leonard Lei stood nearby, alert and staring into the white mist that obscured everything beyond ten meters.
“Yuna, Lucille Xing, you two should get some rest. Leave this to us.”
Leonard Lei glanced at Phoenix Yu, who was still resting with her eyes closed, clearly annoyed.
“Hey, you barely did anything last night. Come on, get it together.”
Phoenix Yu opened her eyes, gave Leonard Lei a helpless look, then smiled.
“I was just resting my eyes, that’s all.”
Phoenix Yu quickly raised her bow. As she did, the line of cavalry also lifted their bows, forming a straight battle line—the infantry in the center, cavalry on both sides—waiting for the enemy to crash into them.
The enemy’s figures were now visible. Joseph Qiao stood among the infantry, quietly watching, bow in hand, waiting for the enemy to get closer. Only within ten meters would the arrows be at their deadliest.
“Fire!”
With a sharp twang, Joseph Qiao released his bowstring. Cries of agony erupted nearby, and in an instant, arrows whistled through the fog, cutting down one enemy after another.
“Hold the line! Don’t fall back!”
From within the white fog came the enemy general’s shout. Lona Long nocked an arrow, and, upon spotting a shadowy figure on horseback, released it without hesitation. The enemy immediately began to panic and scatter.
“Charge with me!”
Leonard Lei roared, snapping his whip. The thunder of hooves echoed, and the enemy fled in terror. Lona Long followed, while Yuna Ji smiled, watching the cavalry surge past her as cries and wails rose in the distance.
“This is bad—the enemy is attacking again!”
A messenger on horseback raced to the wooden huts at the forest’s edge. Mark Zou’s eyes widened in disbelief as the sounds of battle reached them from afar.
“How is this possible? We started moving so early.”
“Chief, let’s pull back. Reinforcements from Sage Domain and Wynn Domain may be arriving soon.”
Warm sunlight filtered through the eastern woods as Leonard Lei, panting, leaned against a wooden hut. His twin axes were already stained with blood. The enemy who had emerged from the woods retreated once more, while soldiers cleared the battlefield.
The plan had been to leave by this afternoon. Now, over a hundred thousand enemies had been wiped out. Prisoners had begun moving grain from the south since yesterday. Leonard Lei raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun—it would be a clear day, and once they left, the south would become a sea of fire.
Some of the unharvestable grain had ripened and rotted in the fields. The cavalry began to return, and smoke from cooking fires rose above the central fields—a hot meal awaited the soldiers coming back from war.
Herds of cattle, sheep, and horses formed a long line, heading toward the central grasslands. They would take the small road back to the second outpost, the one closest to Grant City.
The wagons were loaded with grain. The support staff had eaten their fill these past few days. Many southern tribes gazed wistfully at the vast, fertile granary—once their homeland, now soon to be scorched earth. To leave nothing for the enemy, any grain they couldn’t carry would be burned.
Yuna Ji lay contentedly atop a grass hut, watching the distant procession. She smiled as the cavalry who had gone out at dawn returned.
The war in the south was a complete victory. Cavalry losses were minimal; the enemy was no match. Their objective was achieved: the enemy hiding in the woods, tormented by hunger and cold, suffered even more after this morning’s battle. Even though there were still over a hundred thousand of them, by the time they left, perhaps only a tenth would survive.
What reassured Yuna Ji most was that the armies of Wynn Domain and Sage Domain had yet to appear. Scouts had just reported back—there wasn’t a trace of the enemy on the grasslands. The only explanation was that the enemy was attacking the outposts.
“Yuna, come down and eat. The soldiers are all back.”
Lucille Xing called out, and Yuna Ji got up, walking slowly to the top of the hut, gripping her spear as she stood on the roof.
Many soldiers noticed Yuna Ji and looked her way with respect. The returning cavalry also turned to look. Gradually, more than ten thousand people gathered, as if waiting to hear Yuna Ji speak.
"First of all, on behalf of the Grant Family, I thank you all."
Yuna Ji took a deep breath and shouted. All eyes turned to her, and the soldiers bowed as they listened.
"This victory was won by your courage. The Grant Domain is fortunate to have soldiers like you. Now, eat your fill—eat enough for today, tomorrow, and the day after, because greater battles await us. At dusk, we set out and return to the grasslands. Finally, remember this: when you meet the enemy, leave none alive."
Cheers erupted in waves. The soldiers rejoiced, smiles lighting up their faces. In a war that seemed lost, a miracle had occurred—one created by a girl not yet sixteen, Yuna Ji.
After the meal, the soldiers lounged and chatted, resting. Yuna Ji gathered nine others and the generals in a large house. Joseph Qiao laid out the map and studied it silently, his expression grave.
Though the situation at the central grassland outpost was still unclear, one thing was certain: the situation was dire. The enemy hadn’t sent reinforcements to the south, and it had now been four days. If they moved quickly, their cavalry would have arrived by noon yesterday, and their infantry by dusk today—yet the enemy was nowhere to be seen.
“If the enemy has already breached the outpost, our only option is here.”
Phoenix Yu pursed her lips for a moment, while the surrounding generals looked at him in surprise.
“Don’t joke, Joseph. The outpost should be able to hold out for four or five days, right?”
Leonard Lei exclaimed, but seeing the lack of joy on Yuna Ji and Joseph Qiao’s faces, he sighed.
“Everyone, I’ve thought of countless strategies, but no matter how I try, I can’t find a way to hold out for seven days.”
As Joseph Qiao spoke, many generals nodded thoughtfully.
“Is that why you left only sixty thousand soldiers and thirty thousand reserves in the outpost when you left, Joseph?”
Terry Mao muttered in confusion. Joseph Qiao nodded, pointing to the outpost on the map.
“If I were the enemy commander, I’d focus on attacking a single point—break through one spot, then a second, then a third, with cavalry prepared on both flanks. Once a breach is made, we’d be unable to retreat, and the enemy would devour us entirely.”