C11 Barbarian Soldier

After evading the initial barrage of arrows, several of the village defenders on the wall had been killed or wounded. Chu Hen, witnessing Xiang Ling's tragic demise, quietly gathered his strength.

Had he not carefully chosen his position on the wall earlier, he might have been the one lying there now.

"Damn it... Before the King of the Gods, humans are no better than dogs!" In such a mission decreed by the King of the Gods, there was no room for complacency.

"Kill..." The brief silence was shattered by the barbaric cries in a foreign accent, followed by the sound of galloping hooves drawing closer.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" The barbarian horsemen, masters of mounted archery, launched a sudden assault under the cover of arrow fire, pinning down the remaining village defenders who couldn't even lift their heads.

The lead barbarian, covered in black hair, had already reached the base of the wall. His agility was evident as he scaled the wall effortlessly, his sinister white teeth standing out against the war paint on his face, creating a terrifying visage.

Emboldened by the successful assault, several barbarians below the wall howled with excitement, dismounted, and prepared to follow suit.

"Hu! Hu!" The black-haired barbarian swung his massive hands with a resounding slap, and a villager who dared approach was swiftly grabbed by the neck. With a sickening "crack," his head was no longer attached to his body.

The sheer violence of the barbarians sent shivers down the spines of the other villagers, leaving them too terrified to advance.

Chu Hen realized that if the barbarians were to take the wall in one fell swoop, Isynlenor Village would be indefensible. Without hesitation, he nudged Han Meng, who was dazed at the side, and commanded, "Go!"

There was no time for further discussion. If Isynlenor Village couldn't be held, once the barbarian reinforcements arrived, they wouldn't last three hours, let alone three days.

"The barbarians aim to breach the wall; we cannot let it be compromised!" Chu Hen bellowed, hurling himself toward the barbarian on the wall.

The barbarian, unconcerned, extended his dark, massive hand in a seemingly simple but viciously powerful grip, a deadly technique known in the military.

Chu Hen inhaled deeply and with agile movements, flipped his palm outward, skillfully combining the techniques "Leading Sheep" and "Borrowing Force" to match the formidable strength of the black-haired Barbarian Soldier in a single exchange.

The Barbarian Soldier, failing to land his initial attack, swiftly drew the large sword from his back and targeted Chu Hen's position, unleashing three fierce slashes in rapid succession, each one potent enough to claim a life.

This adversary was formidable, possessing the third level of Core Enhancement within the Mortal Realm, and his military training made him even more deadly. A martial artist of equal rank but lesser experience would likely not withstand his thunderous trio of strikes.

Martial artists begin with Spirit Forging, followed by Flesh Forging. Once Qi flows and strengthens the body, it generates an internal breath that circulates continuously, refining the organs and transforming the practitioner into a master with robust internal strength.

The former profligate had reached the fourth level of Physique Augmentation in the Mortal Realm. With Chu Hen's enhancements, not only were his internal organs fortified, but his entire body, enveloping the organs, was also strengthened. Yet, in this moment, Chu Hen could not afford a moment of carelessness against the sharp blade.

He steadied his spirit and shifted his position fluidly, leveraging his body's coordination to narrowly evade two deadly slashes. Exhaling and gathering his Qi, he relied on the extreme circulation of his internal breath to evade the final strike at the critical moment when his chest tightened.

With a forceful exhale, Chu Hen released the pent-up breath from his chest, feeling the tension in his abdomen ease. Gathering his Qi once more, he unleashed a sudden punch.

The fist cut through the air, and as Chu Hen breathed out, the oppressive sensation lifted, replaced by a warm surge of energy from his dantian.

With a resounding "Peng!", his powerful punch, carrying the wind's howl, struck the black-haired soldier squarely in the chest just as the momentum of the third slash dissipated.

A series of cracks echoed as the soldier's breastbone shattered. He managed only a half-cry before being hurled from the high wall.

"For slaying a Barbarian Soldier expert, a reward of 50 Contribution Points has been granted!"

As the Barbarian Soldier's roar pierced the air, an ancient and majestic voice echoed simultaneously in Chu Hen's mind.

"Ah!" A terrified scream rang out. Chu Hen turned to see Lianxiang, trembling in a corner of the wall, her eyes wide with horror as she watched Xia Shouli decapitate a Barbarian Soldier.

Observing the villagers around Xia Shouli, Chu Hen noted their ashen faces and the way they huddled together at a distance. Their stance suggested they were ready to flee at the first sign of trouble, reminiscent of the bloody battle at the Chu family's doorstep where the household guards had displayed a similar timidity.

Chu Hen sighed inwardly and shifted his gaze to Han Meng, who was locked in fierce combat with a Barbarian Soldier, trading blows with ferocious intensity.

"Wah! Wah! Wah!" The Barbarian Soldier, seeing two of his comrades fall, let out a wild cry and charged toward the utterly defenseless Lianxiang.

Chu Hen quickly bent down, grabbed the large blade dropped by the Barbarian Soldier, and lunged forward, aiming a strike at the soldier's back. The soldier, anticipating rescue, sidestepped and swung his blade in a counterattack.

"Thud!" The blade missed Chu Hen, its momentum carrying it deep into the protective wall. As the soldier struggled to withdraw his weapon, Chu Hen swiftly brought down his own blade, severing the soldier's head and sending a jet of blood spraying forth.

"Thank you... Young Master for saving me!" Lianxiang, dazed and terrified by the carnage, stammered her thanks as Chu Hen helped her to her feet.

"It was nothing," Chu Hen reassured her, guiding her to a spot out of the enemy's line of sight. "Stay here and don't move." As he looked up again, he saw the village chief, Xia Ren, loudly directing the villagers.

At Xia Ren's command, two groups of villagers armed with bows hurried over, each appearing to be at the second or third level of the mortal realm. It was clear the village had invested heavily in their defense. Behind the archers, to Chu Hen's astonishment, a small catapult was revealed.

"Damn it!" Chu Hen couldn't help but curse. An ordinary village had risked the accusation of treason to secretly possess such an ancient siege weapon.

"Charge, take him down!" Amid Xia Ren's roar, the catapults, alongside a barrage of arrows, began hurling massive stones in anger.

The barbarian soldiers atop the high wall possessed sheer strength but were unable to close in on their foes. They expended tremendous energy dodging the relentless shower of arrows and the onslaught of boulders.

In desperation, the captain of the ten-man squad bellowed a command, and the remaining barbarians ceased their struggle. They swiftly abandoned the high wall and retreated towards the outskirts of the village.

"Unthinkable!" Xia Shouli, witnessing the barbarians' flight, snatched up a large sword and hurled it with force. The hilt spun backward as the blade's edge sliced through the air with a piercing whistle, striking the fleeing captain like a flash of lightning.

With a resounding "thud," the blade cleaved through half of the captain's arm, blood spurting wildly. The sight sent a chill down the spines of the battle-hardened barbarian warriors.

The barbarians, unable to scale the wall in time, shook with fear at their leader's agonized screams. Seizing the moment, Han Meng leaped forward ferociously, decapitating a barbarian. A brief pause later, a hint of a smile crept onto his face.

The village militia atop the wall, energized a hundredfold, jeered and unleashed a fierce volley of arrows at the retreating barbarians below, their taunts mingling with the enemy's curses as the barbarians gradually disappeared into the distance.

...

At dawn, the gentle sunlight bathed every nook of Isynlenor, yet it failed to erase the stench of blood and the pall of sorrow that hung over the villagers from the previous night.

In the mourning hall, in front of more than a dozen coffins, the villagers, both young and old, wept together in disarray. The first coffin on the left held the remains of Xiang Ling, who had perished the night before. Her once light pink gown, now stained dark with blood, was too harrowing for Chu Hen and the others to gaze upon. Lianxiang wept until her eyes turned red.

"The village of Isynlenor is eternally grateful for your solidarity!" The elder bowed deeply, his fists clasped in gratitude, his hollow eyes shining with respect.

The previous night's fierce battle had profoundly impacted Chu Hen and the others. Indeed, no one else in Isynlenor, save for his own son, had demonstrated the ability to slay a barbarian soldier in mere moments.

"United in spirit, we stand together to repel the invaders," I declared as we entered the village, and that sentiment has not changed!" The elder clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Chu Hen returned the gesture and said, "Although the barbarian soldiers have retreated, last night's encounter was merely with their vanguard. The forces that follow will surely not spare Isynlenor Village."

He was aware that the wizards from the mission had yet to reveal themselves, and the King of the Gods Hall would not allow the testers to pass the trial with ease. Thus, he felt compelled to warn Xia Ren to prepare for the next wave of defense. It would be prudent to arrange all the evidence of the so-called rebellion in advance.

Chu Hen also knew that even with Han Meng and himself, they could only engage the barbarian soldiers in close combat. The enemy outnumbered them, and in a protracted battle, their stamina would inevitably be depleted.

Therefore, the only hope for survival for Xia Ren and Isynlenor Village was to unite and stand against the external threat.

"How could I be unaware? But there's only one discarded catapult left by the army. It might handle a dozen barbarians, but if hundreds charge at us... I fear..."

Chu Hen understood the elder's concerns and offered a reassuring smile, "The Imperial Court's army can arrive in no more than five days. The commanding officer is a friend of mine. I'll write a letter immediately; if you dispatch someone with it, they could arrive two days earlier. With that, we need only hold out for five more days."

The elder's face lit up with joy at these words, but Chu Hen's heart was heavy with a silent, bitter laugh. There were no reinforcements coming. To shatter the elder's hope now would sap his will to fight, spelling disaster for all.

Left with no choice, Chu Hen handed the carefully crafted plea for help to a local militiaman. He pointed out a spot likely watched by barbarian scouts and sent the messenger on his way—a mission that felt more like sending a man to his doom.

Following this, Isynlenor Village fortified its defenses with renewed vigor, and Chu Hen stepped into the role of Xia Ren's temporary military strategist.

Meanwhile, a horrific scene unfolded at Zhang Manor, not far from Isynlenor Village.