84: Chapter 84 A Dark and Windy Night for Murder

The grain output and handicraft products from Linhuang County were continuously transported back to Panshi Stockade via the newly opened water and land trade routes, greatly enriching the main city's material reserves.

Meanwhile, the steel, cement, armaments, and various Systems and talents from Panshi Stockade acted like fresh blood, nourishing this outpost city, forming a stable, efficient, and vibrant "Main Base - Outpost" economic and military cycle.

Looking at the thriving scene before him, Gao Feng felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction as a builder.

But he knew that beneath this facade of prosperity, a huge crisis lurked.

The Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians would never let this go. This momentary tranquility was merely the last breath before the storm.

"Stockade Master," Du Wei, dressed in military uniform, walked up to the city wall. He had been appointed as the "City Guardian" of Linhuang County, responsible for the daily defense and training of the 1,500 garrison troops here. The former bandit leader had now grown into a calm, capable, and decisive general.

He looked at Gao Feng's back and said in a deep voice, "You have been out for half a year. In the main city, the Madam and the two Young Lords must miss you. Leave the defense here to me; you should go back and take a look."

Gao Feng felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this. That's right, he had been out for half a year. His two precious sons must have grown quite a bit. Eldest Son should be able to recite the Three Character Classic in its entirety by now, and that little rascal Second Son could probably run around the courtyard. There were also Su Yue and Luo Qin, as well as the other women who silently supported him behind the scenes...

"Very well." Gao Feng nodded and handed the city defense map to Du Wei. "I will go back for a trip and return in at most ten days. During this period, I leave the city defense entirely to you. Remember, send out more scouts and expand the warning range fifty miles to the south. Report any movement immediately."

"Understood, General!" Du Wei clasped his fists heavily.

Three days later, Panshi Stockade main city.

When Gao Feng rode a tall steed, leading a team of personal guards, and appeared at the city gate, Liu Chengfeng and a group of senior officials, who had already received the news, had been waiting there for a long time.

"Welcome back, Stockade Master!"

The greeting, sounding like a mountain of calls and a sea of roars, echoed through the sky.

Gao Feng dismounted, exchanged pleasantries with everyone, handed over the defense, and rushed back to his mansion impatiently.

Before he even entered the door, two small figures rushed out of the courtyard like two little cannonballs.

"Daddy! Daddy is back!"

The voice was childish and full of surprise. It was the Eldest Son and the Second Son.

The two-year-old Eldest Son was already articulate, and his brow carried a bit of Gao Feng's heroic spirit. However, at this moment, that little face, which looked just like his father's, was covered in snot and tears; clearly, he had just been crying.

The Second Son, who had just turned one, couldn't speak well yet. He just wobbled behind his brother, running while excitedly shouting an indistinct "Da... Da...".

Gao Feng laughed loudly, bent down, opened his arms, and steadily scooped up both sons, one in each arm.

"Eldest Son, why are you crying again? Did you bully your brother again?" Gao Feng flicked the Eldest Son's little nose.

"No!" Eldest Son immediately retorted, pointing his little finger into the courtyard. "It's Second Mother, Second Mother is forcing me to practice calligraphy again! My hands are sore!"

Gao Feng couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. He knew that Luo Qin's education of their son had always been militarily strict. With Eldest Son's restless nature, he had received his fair share of her reprimands.

He walked into the courtyard holding his two sons. Su Yue and Luo Qin were standing there smiling. Behind them, Luo Qi, Luo Shu, and Luo Hua were also there, their eyes swirling with the joy of reunion after a long separation.

"Husband, you've worked hard on the journey." Su Yue stepped forward and naturally straightened his slightly messy collar, her movements gentle and skillful.

"It wasn't hard." Gao Feng looked at the familiar and missed faces of his wives and concubines, feeling an unparalleled sense of stability and peace in his heart. "Is everything well at home?"

"Everything is fine." Luo Qin took over the conversation. She had recovered very well after giving birth, her figure still heroic, though the maternal brilliance in her eyes made her less sharp and more gentle.

She glanced at Eldest Son, who was still complaining, and said, "It's just this Eldest Son of yours, he's getting more and more mischievous. If you don't beat him for three days, he'll be tearing off the roof tiles. I told him to practice fifty big characters every day, but he's only written less than ten, and he's already shouting about going to play with Ada."

"Haha, boys, it's good to be lively." Gao Feng smoothed things over, put Eldest Son on the ground, and then gave Second Son's chubby little face a fierce kiss.

Although Second Son was young, his personality followed Luo Qin's and was very steady. He didn't make a fuss when held by his father, just opened a pair of dark, round eyes, curiously examining his father's face, occasionally reaching out with his little hand to grab the stubble on Gao Feng's chin.

The family enjoyed this rare time of reunion together.

At night, in Gao Feng's bedroom, the red candles flickered.

He dismissed everyone, leaving only Su Yue and Luo Qin.

After a bout of passion, Su Yue wrapped herself around Gao Feng like an octopus, her face flushed with satisfaction.

Luo Qin lay on her side, wrapped in a quilt, her exquisite body covered, water rippling in her beautiful eyes as she quietly watched her man.

"Husband, is the pressure in Linhuang County great?"

Su Yue asked softly. She knew that although her man appeared calm on the surface, he was carrying the lives of tens of thousands of people on his shoulders.

Gao Feng gently stroked her smooth back and nodded. "The threat from the Southern Barbarians is greater than we imagined. The last time we easily defeated the Blood Vine Tribe, a large part of it was because of the surprise element. Now that we occupy Linhuang County, it's equivalent to planting a nail right at the doorstep of the Southern Wild. They will never let this go. The next invading enemy will only be stronger and more cunning."

Luo Qin sat up, the brocade quilt sliding down to reveal her jade-like shoulders. She looked at Gao Feng and said seriously, "Husband, Panshi Stockade is now strong with ample troops and provisions. Why not transfer another thousand elite soldiers from the main city to support Linhuang County?"

Gao Feng shook his head. "Manpower is not the key. The city defense of Linhuang County is enough to withstand an enemy several times its size. What I am worried about is something else."

"What is it?" the two women asked in unison.

Gao Feng's gaze deepened. "It is the 'Shaman Martial' System and their endless, strange methods. For example, poison."

He detailed the intelligence he had interrogated from prisoners after the battle of Linhuang County regarding the social structure, tribal conflicts, totem beliefs, and the unique 'Shaman Martial' Cultivation System of the Southern Barbarians.

After listening, Su Yue and Luo Qin both wore solemn expressions.

"Using bloody sacrifices and totems to stimulate the potential of Qi and blood... this is simply sorcery!" Su Yue frowned.

"But precisely because of this, their fighting style is unconventional, full of wildness and unpredictability."

As someone who used to command troops, Luo Qin immediately realized the crux of the problem. "Our soldiers are used to fighting in formations, emphasizing discipline and coordination. Once they encounter such an unconventional enemy, especially in complex environments, they are very likely to suffer a great loss."

"Exactly." Gao Feng looked at Luo Qin with approval. "So, this time I came back, besides visiting you and the children, there is an even more important matter."

He took out a drawing from a hidden compartment at the head of the bed and unfolded it in front of the two women.

"This is something I drew overnight in Linhuang County based on the captured barbarian poisons and Uncle Sun's medical knowledge."

On the drawing, an ingeniously structured mask was drawn, labeled with words like 'charcoal,' 'fine sand,' 'multi-layered cotton cloth,' and 'herbal soaking.'

"This is...?" Su Yue asked curiously.

"I call it a 'gas mask'." Gao Feng's mouth curled into a confident smile. "With the technology of the Hundred Crafts Institute and Uncle Sun's pharmacology, it should be able to be manufactured in the shortest possible time. With it, the barbarian poison will no longer be a threat!"

During the seven days of rest in Panshi Stockade, besides accompanying his family, Gao Feng spent almost all his time in the Hundred Crafts Institute and the Pill Refining Room.

With the concerted efforts of Uncle Sun and a group of craftsmen, the first batch of one hundred simple 'oil-soaked activated carbon gas masks' was quickly manufactured.

After live animal experiments, the effect was remarkable, enough to filter out most common toxic gases and poisonous powders.

At the same time, Gao Feng also began his exploration of higher-level Medicinal Pills.

Continuous battles and in-depth research on the barbarian 'Shaman Martial' System had brought his understanding of the Martial Dao to a new level.

He vaguely felt that the reason he was unable to break through to the fifth-stage 'Bone Refining Realm' was that his own Qi and blood, while vigorous, were not 'alive' enough.

It was like a huge ammunition depot; although the reserves were astonishing, there was no fuse to detonate it.

And the barbarian 'Shaman Martial' System was precisely a way to detonate Qi and blood, but that method was too brutal, at the cost of burning life.

"If I could refine a kind of Medicinal Pill that could gently 'detonate' Qi and blood while nourishing the bone marrow and strengthening the hematopoietic function, wouldn't I be able to break through the Bottleneck in one go?"

Once this bold idea was born, it could no longer be suppressed.

He used the extremely rare 'Dragon Blood Vine' captured from the Red Python Tribe as the main ingredient, supplemented by dozens of rare medicinal herbs cultivated in the spirit spring space, and tried again and again in front of the Pill Furnace.

Failure, failure, and failure again.

Either the medicinal power was too strong, directly blowing up the furnace, or the medicinal properties clashed, refining a batch of waste residue.

But Gao Feng was not discouraged. Every failure allowed him to summarize valuable experience. His Alchemy also improved rapidly during these repeated failures.

On the evening of the seventh day, just on the eve of his departure back to Linhuang County, a strange pill fragrance, mixed with a hint of blood and the fresh scent of grass and trees, finally wafted out of the Pill Refining Room!

The furnace lid opened. Three pills, the size of dragon eyes, bright red as blood, with faint golden patterns on the surface, were lying quietly at the bottom of the furnace.

Gao Feng named it — 'Blood Burning Marrow Changing Pill'!

Although it was still a semi-finished product and the efficacy was far from his expectations, this undoubtedly opened the door to the fifth-stage Realm for him!

Carrying this batch of new equipment and new hope, Gao Feng bid farewell to his reluctant family and set foot on the journey back to Linhuang County again.

He did not know that a more sinister and vicious conspiracy against him and the entire Panshi Stockade had already quietly unfolded during his absence.

Thirty miles south of Linhuang County lay the miasma-filled Black Swamp Forest.

Thousands of agile figures moved silently through the forest like ghosts.

Their bodies were smeared with eerie paint, allowing them to blend perfectly with the surrounding environment.

These people were the elite warriors of the "Red Python Tribe" from the Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians, known for their viciousness and jungle warfare.

At the very front of the formation, a tall, thin young barbarian with a hideous red python totem tattooed on his face gazed into the distance toward Linhuang County with his cold, triangular, snake-like eyes.

He was Poison Fang Kado, the Second Son of the Red Python Tribe's Clan Chief, hailed as the "Number One Poison Master of the Southern Wild."

"Hmph, a bunch of idiots."

Poison Fang looked at the city in the distance, which appeared particularly glaring in the sunlight, and a sneer of extreme contempt appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Those pigs from the Blood Vine Tribe who only know how to use brute force were actually blocked by a city like a turtle shell; it is a complete disgrace to the warriors of our Southern Wild."

A confidant beside him said flatteringly, "The Young Lord is right. Those da qian people only deserve to hide behind walls and tremble. As long as they dare to come out, in your jungle Domain, they are nothing more than a bunch of tin cans waiting to be slaughtered."

"Tin cans?" Poison Fang licked his cracked lips, a cruel light flashing in his eyes. "I don't even need them to come out. I have already sent people to find out that there are at least fifty thousand da qian people in this city. They are our best 'weapon'."

He took a blackened lump of mud wrapped in special animal hide from his bosom, held it under his nose, and took a deep breath, a look of morbid intoxication appearing on his face.

"Go, deliver our 'gift' to the water source of Linhuang County."

Poison Fang handed the mud lump to his confidant and ordered coldly, "I want that city to become a dead city where no one can even cry out within three days! I want that commander named Gao Feng to kneel before me and watch with his own eyes as his people's intestines rot and they are tortured to death by the plague one by one!"

"I want him to know what a foolish mistake it is to offend my Red Python Tribe!"

The intelligence network of the Panshi Stockade was, after all, one step faster.

Just one day before Poison Fang's conspiracy was about to be implemented, Gao Feng received an urgent warning from his scouts.

"Stockade Master! The Southern Barbarian army has reached the Black Swamp Forest! The number is about five thousand, and their banner is 'Red Python'! Their movements are secretive, and it seems... they are not in a hurry to attack the city!"

In the council hall, Du Wei and several other generals all looked grave.

"Not in a hurry to attack the city?" Du Wei frowned and said, "This does not fit the character of the barbarians. Do they want to play a siege game with us?"

Gao Feng looked at the position of the Black Swamp Forest and the water source of Linhuang County on the sand table, his eyes narrowing.

"They are not trying to lay siege." Gao Feng spoke slowly, his voice carrying a trace of cold killing intent. "They are going to... massacre the city!"

He pointed abruptly at the sand table to the upstream stream that flowed past the edge of the Black Swamp Forest and finally merged into the moat of Linhuang County.

"If I'm not mistaken, their target is here!"

"The water source!" Du Wei and the others realized instantly, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.

Poisoning! This was the most insidious and fatal attack!

Once the water source was contaminated, the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the city would collapse without a fight!

"What a vicious scheme!" Du Wei gritted his teeth and said.

"Pass on my orders!" Gao Feng did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately issued combat instructions.

"First, immediately seal all wells and water collection points in the city and station heavy troops to guard them! At the same time, post notices to inform all the common people that all drinking water in the near future must be boiled by the military and then rationed! Anyone who violates this order will be dealt with according to military law!"

"Second, gather all the 'fierce fire oil jars', sulfur, saltpeter, and other supplies in the city, and prepare for battle!"

"Third..." A trace of determination flashed in Gao Feng's eyes. "Instead of defending passively, it is better to take the initiative! Du Wei, you lead one thousand Tiger Guard Battalion troops to feign an attack from the front to attract the attention of the main enemy force! I will personally lead three hundred Wind Cavalry Battalion troops and two hundred Divine Mechanism Battalion troops, carrying the newly made 'gas masks', to detour from the west side and strike directly at the enemy's rear!"

"This time, I want them to taste what it means to be truly crushed by technology!"

The moon was dark and the wind was high, a night for killing.

In the Black Swamp Forest, the camp of the Red Python Tribe had sparse lights.

Most of the barbarian warriors had already fallen asleep. In their view, those cowardly da qian people would never dare to leave the city for a night raid.

Poison Fang Kado was sitting in his main tent, wiping his bone blade, which was coated with deadly poison, while fantasizing about the wonderful scene of corpses everywhere and the plague running rampant in Linhuang County three days later.

However, he did not know that the scythe of death was already quietly hanging over his head.

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

The sentries on the outskirts of the camp were pierced through the throat by crossbow arrows shot from the darkness almost at the same time, unable to even sound an alarm.

Hundreds of Panshi Army soldiers, wearing strange black masks and black tight-fitting clothes, sneaked into the camp like ghosts without making a sound.

They were the elite of the Divine Mechanism Battalion personally led by Gao Feng!

At the same time, shouting and killing sounds erupted in the south of the camp!

The one thousand heavy armored infantry of the Tiger Guard Battalion led by Du Wei, holding torches and beating war drums, put on a posture of forcibly launching a general attack, instantly attracting the attention of all the barbarians in the camp.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The entire Red Python camp exploded in chaos. Countless barbarian warriors rushed out of their tents, bleary-eyed, grabbed their weapons, and swarmed toward the shouting and killing in the south in a mess.

"A bunch of idiots who don't know whether they are living or dying! How dare they actually come out to seek death!" Poison Fang was also alarmed. He grabbed his bone blade and rushed out of the main tent, a cruel grin on his face. "Pass my order, everyone go to the south! Slaughter all those tin cans for me!"

He did not notice at all that behind him, flames were already shooting into the sky!

"Fire!"

Gao Feng's cold voice rang out in the heart of the camp!

The two hundred Divine Mechanism Battalion soldiers who had been ready long ago pulled the triggers at the same time!

Hundreds of pottery jars filled with fierce fire oil, pine resin, and a drop of spirit spring water, carrying a whistling wind, were accurately thrown by arm-drawn crossbows in a parabolic manner into the densest area of the barbarian camp, where grain, grass, and poisons were stored!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The pottery jars shattered, and the viscous fierce fire oil splashed everywhere!

Under the marvelous combustion-supporting effect of the spirit spring water, these oils exploded into flames as soon as they came into contact with the air!

The orange-red flames, carrying an aura of destruction, swallowed dozens of tents instantly like a breached flood!

The fire borrowed the wind's momentum, and the wind aided the fire's power!

The entire forest turned into a burning Hell in an instant!

Countless barbarian warriors who were sleeping or could not react in time were swallowed by the flames and turned into charred corpses before they could even let out a scream!

Thick, colorful poisonous smoke, mixed with the substances produced after the burning of highly toxic materials, shot into the sky!

"What's going on?! Behind! It's on fire behind!"

"Ah! My eyes! This smoke is poisonous!"

The barbarian army in the front was instantly in chaos.

The flames and poisonous smoke completely cut off their retreat, and also completely separated them from Du Wei's army, which was feigning an attack from the south!

"Now!" A cold light flashed in Gao Feng's eyes, and the three-pointed, double-edged blade in his hand was drawn fiercely!

"Wind Cavalry Battalion, follow me... charge!"

The three hundred Wind Cavalry Battalion soldiers who had been lying in ambush on the west side of the camp were like arrows off a bowstring, like tigers descending a mountain, fiercely inserting themselves into Poison Fang's chaotic central army through the gaps in the flames!

The intensity of this fierce battle in the jungle far exceeded everyone's imagination.

The Red Python warriors, driven to a dead end by the intense fire and poisonous smoke, erupted with beast-like madness. They abandoned their formations and their reason, relying only on instinct to launch suicidal attacks against all creatures not of their own kind.

Although the Panshi Army had gas masks and occupied an absolute advantage, they also began to suffer casualties in this near-maniacal chaotic slaughter.

Gao Feng knew that to capture the bandits, one must first capture the ringleader!

He handed over the command to his deputy, Li Four, and activated his "Phantom Steps Without a Trace," his figure turning into a blurry blue mist, moving at high speed on the chaotic battlefield, rushing straight toward the burning huge main tent where Poison Fang was located!

"Protect the Young Lord!"

Beside Poison Fang, hundreds of the most elite "Red Python Guards" formed an airtight formation, firmly protecting him in the center.

The weapons in their hands flickered with a ghostly blue light, obviously all quenched with highly toxic poison that would kill upon drawing blood.

However, in the face of absolute speed and power, all of this seemed so pale and powerless.

Gao Feng's figure, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the dark night, fiercely crashed into the formation of the Red Python Guards!

"Pfft!"

The three Red Python Guards blocking his path didn't even see his movements clearly before they were instantly cut into several pieces by the sharp blade light!

"Stop him!"

Poison Fang was terrified; he had never seen such terrifying movement techniques and such domineering blade techniques!

While retreating frantically, he untied several leather bags from his waist and threw them fiercely at Gao Feng!

The leather bags exploded in mid-air, spreading a large area of highly corrosive venom and paralyzing poison powder!

At the same time, he blew the bone whistle hanging around his neck!

"Hiss—!"

Two huge red pythons, as thick as buckets, suddenly rushed out from the ruins of the burning tent, opened their bloody maws, and bit toward Gao Feng from left and right with a foul-smelling gust of wind!

These two were the highly toxic "Python Guards" that he had fed with the blood of countless tribesmen, comparable to a Third Realm Martial Artist!