Chapter 370 Hailanhak’s Response, Last Chance

“He overestimates his own abilities…” Hailanhak gritted his teeth secretly.

In fact, he still feels resentful about Hailan Jiabo’s betrayal.

Obviously, the Hailan tribe already had this precedent as a warning, but Hailan Jiabo still failed to see the current situation clearly and insisted on having his own way.

Fortunately, this time he was facing Chagan Uli, who at least showed some kindness to these veterans. Otherwise, his Hailan tribe would have had only one fate.

Although he was ambitious and longed to sit on the position of the Great Khan, there was always a bottom line in his heart, and that was the Northern Barbarians.

In any case, it is impossible for him to collude with outsiders and interfere for his own selfish reasons.

He took a deep breath, retracted his gaze, and stared directly at the fire in front of him. The flames in his eyes danced, seeming to reflect the turmoil and struggle deep in his heart.

He knew that there was only one way before him.

At this point, I have no way back.” He whispered to himself, his tone revealing helplessness and determination.

Hailanhak knew that he was standing at a crossroads. He could either continue to advance the power struggle and completely control the future of the Hailan tribe, or stop and accept the fate of failure.

However, once he chooses the former, it means that he will either achieve success or be cursed for eternity.

At this moment, Hailanhak stood up, holding the wooden table tightly with both hands, and looked through the tent at the endless grassland in the distance.

The night wind blew gently through the tent, bringing gusts of coolness, but he was not moved at all, and his eyes were as cold as iron.

Even though he had gone through decades of hardships and experienced countless battles and intrigues, at this moment he felt unprecedentedly isolated and confused.

Over the years, he once thought that he could control everything and regarded this vast grassland as the world of himself and his tribe.

However, when he gazed at the vast grassland again, he realized that this land belonged not only to him and the Hailan tribe, but also to all the tribes of the entire Northern Barbarians, and even to all life on this prairie.

But there is absolutely no room for rebel forces among these tribes. The grassland is his world of northern barbarians and he will not allow anyone to interfere.

The northern barbarian grasslands will never tolerate any foreign forces, let alone the so-called “righteous army” interfering in it.

At this moment, a burst of hurried horse hoofbeats broke the silence of the grassland, and then the curtain of the big tent was lifted, and a messenger walked in breathlessly.

He looked pale, obviously having come in a hurry.

The messenger immediately knelt down and reported to Hailanhak: “General, Hailan Jiabo’s tribe has completely collapsed, and the remaining remnants are asking other tribes for help.”

Hearing this, Hailanhak’s eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, and he immediately restrained all his emotions.

Sure enough, at this point, Hailan Jiabo had no choice but to ask him for help.

However, all of this, even Hailan Jiabo’s move, had been planned in advance.

The messenger saw that Hailanhak’s face was getting colder, and he couldn’t help but lower his head and asked cautiously: “General, should we support the remaining tribes of Hailan Jiabo?

After all, he was once a great general of our Hailan tribe. His failure might…”

However, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Hailanhak’s cold sneer.

Hailanhak turned around suddenly, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and his face was as cold as ice. He stared at the messenger and said in a low and cold voice: “After all, he was our former general? That’s enough! Do you still want to speak for that traitor at this time?”

The messenger was so frightened by his angry shout that his eyes went dark and he almost fell down.

He almost subconsciously took a few steps back, recalling Hailanhak’s usually steady face and cold methods in his mind. He couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart and his body trembled involuntarily.

“Since you have such thoughts, then get out and don’t let me hear such words again!” Hailanhak’s voice became colder and colder, like a cold blade, piercing people’s hearts.

The messenger hurriedly lowered his head, knelt on the ground, and said repeatedly: “Yes, I made a mistake, I made a mistake!”

Hailanhak’s eyes were as sharp as a blade, staring at the messenger until the man lowered his head and trembled, then he finally turned around and returned to the table.

All this did not make him relax at all. Instead, it made him realize that the moment to decide the fate of the Northern Barbarians was about to come.

He took a deep breath, raised his head, and his eyes were once again fixed on the grassland in the distance.

The wind carried the smell of earth, as if reminding him that this land belonged to the strong and the weak would be eliminated.

“Hailan Jiabo…” Hailanhak whispered the name, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

After a long time, Hailanhak finally spoke, his voice low, as if he was suppressing the anger and helplessness in his heart.

He sighed deeply, his eyes still gazing at the vast grassland, with a hint of unwillingness in his eyes.

Finally, he turned to the messenger standing beside him and said calmly and steadily: “That being said, we cannot take it lightly. We must be prepared to respond accordingly.”

Hearing these words, the messenger breathed a sigh of relief, as if the heavy stone in his heart had finally fallen to the ground.

Although Hailan Jiabo’s tribe collapsed, if it could get help from Hailanhak, it might still have a chance of survival.

The messenger felt somewhat comforted, almost relieved, and prepared to relay the matter to Hailan Jiabo.

However, just as he was about to speak, Hailanhak’s voice sounded again, with a cold and coercive tone: “But it’s not over yet. Chagan Uli is coming with great force this time, and we must deal with it with all our strength.”

The envoy was slightly stunned. He did not expect Hailanhak to suddenly mention Chagan Uli, and immediately realized the complexity of the situation.

Now they not only face the threat of Chagan Uli, but also an army of rebels eyeing them covetously.

If it is not handled properly, the rebels may take advantage of the situation and rob us.

Once it really gets to that point, they will be really powerless to turn the situation around.

A hint of coldness flashed across Hailanhak’s eyes, and he continued, “The pressure brought by Chagan Uli is far beyond our imagination.

We have to prepare for this storm before it hits.”

He paused, took a deep breath, and then ordered: “Pass my order, withdraw some troops from the front line and rush to Hailan Jiabo immediately.”

The messenger was shocked and looked at Hailanhak in surprise.

He originally thought that Hailanhak would pay more attention to the movements of other tribes. After all, Chagan Uli’s troops were approaching, but he did not expect that Hailanhak still decided to assist Hailan Jiabo.

Although Hailan Jiabo’s tribe has collapsed, if it can be reorganized with the help of Hailan Hak, it can still gain a glimmer of hope for the Hailan tribe. “Yes.” The messenger responded without hesitation, knowing the significance of this order.

Hailanhak has made preparations for this battle and will not allow anyone to slack off.

However, just as the messenger turned to leave, Hailanhak’s voice sounded again: “Not only that, we must ensure that every line of defense on the front line is stable and there must not be any loopholes.

Although Chagan Uli is powerful, we cannot let him take advantage of us because of our momentary laxity.”

The messenger turned around and bowed deeply to Hailanhak again. This time he finally completed the task that the general had assigned to him before sending him here.

In any case, at least the fact that Hailan Jiabo is willing to send troops is a good start.

Hailanhak quietly looked at the messenger’s hurriedly departing back, and the look in his eyes gradually became deep and cold, as if he was staring at the invisible horizon in the distance.

At that moment, there was no real peace in his heart, but instead a hint of hidden calculation emerged.

Although he had already ordered assistance to Hailan Jiabo, deep in his heart, he had already planted a more far-reaching plan – a chess game that manipulated the situation invisibly.

He slowly sat back at the desk, crossed his hands together, and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, making a crisp echo.

At this moment, his mood was not as calm as he looked on the outside, and the waves in his heart were rolling like the deep sea.

He once thought about making Hailan Jiabo’s tribe collapse, but he also hesitated. After all, Hailan Jiabo’s failure would mean turmoil and division within his own tribe.

Even if one is dissatisfied with Hailan Jiabo’s behavior, the final choice is still the most reasonable decision after weighing all the pros and cons.

But now, he is ready for all possible changes.

Hailanhak took a deep breath, and the coldness in his eyes became deeper.

Although he had agreed to send troops to aid Hailan Jiabo, he did not give a clear time for the expedition – this was the subtlety in his mind.

Keeping Hailan Jiabo hanging, giving him hope, but not giving him a definite answer.

This uncertainty was intentional on his part.

Since Hailan Jiabo’s tribe has collapsed, the mobilization of reinforcements can only be delayed and cannot arrive immediately.

On the one hand, this method gave Hailan Jiabo a glimmer of hope, making him mistakenly believe that he had the support of the Northern Barbarians.

On the other hand, it can also create the illusion of internal strife among the Northern Barbarians, especially against external rebel forces.

“If we can convince Lin Zhongyun that the Northern Barbarian civil war has already broken out and the situation is in chaos, then he will surely be unable to restrain his ambitions and will be eager to intervene.” Hailanhak’s lips curled up in a sneer, his tone low and firm.

He knew in his heart that Lin Zhongyun’s cunning eyes were the key to their plan.

Although this rebel leader was smart, he was overconfident and greedy, which prevented him from calmly examining the situation.

If the internal conflicts of the Northern Barbarians could be portrayed realistically enough, then Lin Zhongyun would definitely underestimate Hailanhak’s true intentions, misjudge the situation, and thus actively jump into the trap he carefully laid.

“Since he is willing to take the risk of intervening in the civil strife of the Northern Barbarians, I will let him get lost forever on this grassland.”

Hailanhak’s eyes became colder and colder. He knew Lin Zhongyun’s ambition and was well aware that the rebel leader would never be content with the status quo. This was the best time to lure him to attack.

Hailanhak put down the documents in his hand and stared ahead with a serious look, as if he could penetrate the vast grassland and see the coming war and bloody rain.

He knew that all these changes were under his control. As long as Lin Zhongyun stepped into the trap he set, the situation in the entire Northern Barbarians would develop in the direction he expected.

The wind blew in from outside the tent, and the breath of the grassland carried a hint of coldness, as if foreshadowing the coming changes.

Hailanhak’s mood gradually calmed down. What flickered in his eyes was not hope, but a firm belief in victory – this game with undercurrents was destined to be his final victory.

“Let Lin Zhongyun come. Give him some time and some hope.” Hailanhak whispered to himself, his voice without any fluctuation. “There is no turning back in this game.”

Then, he turned around and whispered to the deputy general outside the tent, “Continue to speed up the deployment of troops, and at the same time strengthen the control of intelligence from the outside world.

We must let the rebels know that internal struggle among the Northern Barbarians is inevitable, and everything seems to be under their control.”

The deputy general left in response, and silence returned to the camp again.

Hailanhak stood in the tent, watching the night fall. The silence of the grassland made his mind more determined.

……

The sky gradually darkened, and the faint moonlight sprinkled on the endless grassland. The grass waves gently undulated, and the mountains in the distance were vaguely visible. The grassland looked unusually empty and desolate under the moonlight.

The sound of the wind in the grass blew the cold air, bringing a bit of a chill.

The moonlight is like water, sprinkling on the earth, as if enveloping the whole world in tranquility and silence.

However, on this quiet grassland, there is a team filled with tense atmosphere.

Yuan Jingxin led his men to lurk cautiously at the edge of Hu Yanhuan’s camp, fearing that they would accidentally alert the enemy.

At this moment, his eyes were fixed on the area full of defense lines in front of him, and he was secretly calculating every second in his mind, as if even the moonlight was witnessing this silent contest with him.

In order to avoid being exposed as much as possible, they dispersed carefully and hid behind low grass and rocks. Only a very few people quietly lurked at the edge of the Northern Barbarians’ defense line, ready to explore the loopholes in the defense.

Yuan Jingxin did not hold out much hope for this investigation. He knew clearly that in the face of such a powerful Northern Barbarian defense, it would be like a pebble hitting a rock for dozens of them to break through, and it would not be worth mentioning.

The Northern Barbarians’ defenses are extremely tight. Every camp is filled with numerous sentries and dense patrols. Any slight movement will immediately trigger alert.

Even for the most experienced stealth fighter, successfully infiltrating such an environment would be tantamount to risking one’s life.

However, despite this, Yuan Jingxin still made this decision.

His heart was full of contradictions and struggles, but he knew very well that there was no turning back for this plan.

“If we can’t even break through Hu Yanhuan’s camp this time, then we can only do nothing.” Yuan Jingxin thought silently in his heart. His eyes dimmed slightly, but still full of tenacity.

He knew that he and the people who followed him had no other way to go. All their hopes depended on the success of this reconnaissance.

(End of this chapter)