C10 Acting(2)

"Report..."

A village defender ran up, his face etched with panic, and exclaimed, "Report... Patriarch, the barbarians are less than a hundred yards from the inner wall."

Upon hearing this, Xia Ren cast a significant glance at the towering man beside him before his expression softened. "Our guests are alarmed, and it's not that we doubt you. It's just that the villagers are as skittish as birds. So, I must ask you to accompany me to the inner wall to assess the situation."

A tall wall split Isynlenor into two distinct areas. The inner village boasted compact and robust buildings, while the outer village was sparsely populated with mostly thatched huts.

At that moment, one could barely make out the village's flag, now just half a pole, standing forlornly at the entrance.

Suddenly, a flurry of hoofbeats echoed from the direction of the village entrance, shrouded by the night, making it impossible to discern the number of riders.

"With all this noise, I'd wager the barbarians at the village entrance are a squad of ten," Han Meng speculated, pressing his ear against the lookout hole in the wall.

"Ten men make a squad leader, and ten squads make a centurion. If there are more, there's bound to be a wizard among them."

Chu Hen looked around at the somber faces of his companions.

With wizards among them, the barbarian force numbered at least two hundred. Though Isynlenor had nearly three hundred village defenders, the barbarians were fierce warriors, each capable of taking on three men. In a direct confrontation, our defenders would be as inconsequential as chaff.

All at once, the barbarians at the village entrance stirred, and amidst a chorus of screams, a warhorse dragged a dark figure toward the inner wall.

"Loose arrows!" bellowed the giant of a man, prompting the archers atop the wall to lean out for their shot.

"Wait!" Chu Hen's cry came just a heartbeat too late as several arrows whistled through the air.

"Ah... Chief..."

Another blood-curdling scream pierced the air as the barbarian horse abandoned the shadowy figure and bolted away.

A blood-soaked village defender then struggled to the base of the wall, where he was hastily pulled to safety.

"Sixth brother?"

Xia Ren's face turned ashen at the sight of the wounded defender, half his limbs severed and an arrow lodged in his flesh.

"Barbarian soldiers... Barbarian soldiers... Indeed... Cough, cough..." Mid-sentence, the villager known as Sixth Brother was seized by a violent coughing fit, his hand pointing towards Chu Hen and the others fell limply.

Chu Hen moved to approach, but was swiftly blocked by a towering figure.

"What's going on?" Xia Reng asked, his fists clenched, eyes burning with fury as he stared at Chu Hen.

"...They're not here for them; they want our water, food, and women... If we comply, the barbarian soldiers will retreat in five days."

The villager mustered his strength to convey the barbarians' demands, leaving Xia Reng feeling utterly despondent.

Water and food were manageable, but the demand for women was a disgrace. Even if he agreed, how could he ever face the people of Isynlenor again?

"These barbarian soldiers are insufferably arrogant, like leeches, thinking they can bully the Great Song without consequence!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I must apologize for my earlier presumptuousness which caused you alarm; I am deeply sorry."

Suddenly, a gleam appeared in Xia Reng's eyes. He bowed deeply before Chu Hen and the others, pleading, "I hope you can put past grievances aside and help protect Isynlenor Village from ruin!"

"No, no, that won't be necessary," Chu Hen interjected, steadying the elder. "Looking at the current situation, the main force of the barbarian soldiers hasn't arrived yet. Those ten are likely scouts."

"Their urgent need for supplies and women suggests they are an isolated unit running low on provisions."

"As far as I know, the Imperial Army is also en route to this location."

Chu Hen spoke with a calm detachment, all the while carefully watching Xia Reng's reactions.

After a moment's thought, Xia Reng mused, "Hmm... If that's the case, if we can hold out for a few days and cut off their supplies, we might turn peril into safety even before the Imperial Army arrives." He then turned to the towering man and commanded loudly:

"Guard! Issue the orders: all villagers are to be split into two shifts, guarding the high walls day and night. Consolidate all the food supplies, and have the women and children assist with the provisioning for the villagers."

"Channel the water into the dry wells for storage, lace the water flowing out of the village with poison, open the armory, and distribute all remaining weapons and armor."

Xia Ren directed with a clarity that suggested he had just awoken from a dream, seemingly oblivious to the presence of Chu Hen and the others.

"Understood!"

The son of the Iron Tower responded, his face tinged with anger as he coordinated the efforts.

"You've given him a great deal of hope," Xiang Ling remarked with a gentle sigh.

"With hope comes full commitment. Look..." Chu Hen gestured towards the now bustling arrangements within Isynlenor, "...it's a complete transformation from before."

"How long do you think they'll last?" Chu Hen inquired softly.

Xia Ren kept issuing orders, while Xia Shouli, with his iron tower stature, paced back and forth, barking orders and paying no mind to Chu Hen and the rest.

"It's difficult to predict. The barbarians are formidable, and their elite warriors, especially the leaders, are exceptionally brutal, roughly on par with third or fourth-level masters of the mortal realm."

"That's not an issue... Together, we can handle them," Xiang Ling said, casting a glance at the robust man.

"My biggest concern is the wizards," Xiang Ling admitted, looking at Chu Hen with a sense of helplessness as she shrugged her shoulders. Her pale pink dress swayed in the breeze, stark against the night's ominous atmosphere.

"Are the wizards that powerful?" Chu Hen asked, his transformation not having erased the scant details of his past life.

"Indeed, they are," Xiang Ling affirmed, gazing into the night sky before adding softly, "Before I arrived, I had reached the Mage Stage. Wizards, like Mages, can wield spells."

"While it requires time to channel, once they cast their spells from the rear, they can effortlessly take down higher-level adversaries. Even those at the ninth level of the mortal realm would be caught off guard. Wizards' true strength lies in their ability to heal wounds and unleash mental forces that drive people into a frenzy, fearless in the face of death."

"However, their physical martial arts prowess is notably weak, making them vulnerable to close-quarters combat, where even an average person could be lethal."

"Regrettably, since arriving here, my magical powers have waned significantly, and the energy from the jade bracelet has vanished. Otherwise..." Xiang Ling drew her finger across her neck in a slashing motion.

"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!" Before Xiang Ling could complete her gesture, several crossbow bolts whistled through the air.

Atop the towering wall, chaos reigned as people tumbled and wailed in distress.

"The barbarians are launching an assault!" Chu Hen realized, but before he could react, a crossbow bolt whistled through the air and struck Xiang Ling, who was utterly unprepared. Blood gushed from her pristine neck as she reached out desperately, flailing in vain before collapsing to the ground with a thud, lifeless.

"Dead?" The enigmatic girl, on the verge of opening up, had perished so abruptly, so naturally.

Chu Hen's face remained impassive as he reflexively concealed himself.

"Damn it... before the King of the Gods, everyone is equal!"

Was this the true face of the King of the Gods' hall?