Chapter 384: Survival from Desperate Situation, Hailanhak’s Test
Although he was furious, Hailan Jiabo knew that at this moment, he must not let his emotions get the better of him.

He had to remain calm and decisive, because he knew that these subordinates were the last strength in his hands.

“If even they lose confidence, then I will really have nothing.” He muttered to himself, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

“In the current situation, even the loss of one person is an unbearable price for me.”

He took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, straightened his body, and glanced at his subordinates in the tent.

He knew that what they needed now was a strong backbone, not a reckless man blinded by anger.

“Enough, everyone listen!” Hailan Jiabo coughed lightly, his voice low and majestic, carrying an unquestionable power.

Upon hearing this, the subordinates in the tent raised their heads. Although their faces were still full of fatigue, there was more awe in their eyes.

They knew that although Hailan Jiabo had a bad temper, he was the only person they could count on at critical moments.

“I know the current environment is very bad and everyone is having a hard time.”

Hailan Jiabo said slowly, with a calm and soothing tone, “But no matter what, we must persevere.”

He paused here, his eyes showing determination: “The general’s reinforcements will arrive soon. As long as we can hold on for this period of time, there will definitely be a turning point!”

Hearing this, the subordinates in the tent raised their heads one after another. Although there was still a hint of fatigue and confusion in their eyes, there was a faint hope.

The reason why they still followed Hailan Jiabo was, on the one hand, because they were his personal soldiers and had followed him in his battles from the very beginning.

Even though Hailan Jiabo’s situation is deteriorating, they dare not leave easily, because they know that if they leave Hailan Jiabo, only death awaits them.

“People like us… have long been the target of public criticism.”

A soldier muttered in his heart, with a bitter look in his eyes, “Neither the Khan of the Northern Barbarians nor the rebels will accept us.”

It’s not that they haven’t thought about defecting, but once they think about it, they will find that this approach is simply not feasible.

The Khan of the Northern Barbarians had long been disgusted with them. If they defected back, only execution would await them.

As for the rebel army… that is even more impossible. After all, they were once the minions of the Northern Barbarians, and the rebel army will never accept them.

“The only chance of survival now is to continue following the general.”

Another soldier thought to himself, with a complex emotion in his eyes, “Perhaps, as long as the general can survive, we can survive too.”

Hailan Jiabo’s gaze slowly swept across his subordinates in the tent, and he saw them raise their heads one by one. Although there was still a hint of fatigue in their eyes, there was a hint of hope.

He felt a little relieved, as if the huge rock pressing on his chest had become lighter.

“Very good, as long as they can still listen to me, there is still hope.”

He said to himself, his eyes showing a hint of calmness, “Although the current situation is difficult, as long as I can stabilize them, there is still a chance to turn the tables.”

He spoke slowly, with a soothing tone in his voice: “I know everyone is having a hard time, but please believe me, our persistence is meaningful.

Reinforcements will arrive soon, and then we can strike back at those who want us dead!”

Just as he continued to comfort his subordinates and stabilize the morale of the army, a burst of hurried footsteps was heard outside the tent.

“General, the scouts are back!” A personal soldier opened the tent curtain, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.

Then, a scout walked into the tent quickly, followed by a middle-aged man with a low head and a frightened look. He was slightly hunched, and his steps were a little staggering, as if he was hesitant with every step.

“Hailan Wuha?” Hailan Jiabo’s eyes fixed and he recognized the man. He was his former subordinate, but later he was transferred to work for Hailan Haq.

From then on, Hailan Wuha became a spy he had always planted next to Hailan Hak.

There were several times when he was able to conceal the truth from Hailanhak because of Hailanwuha’s reports. Hailanhak was a person he trusted extremely much.

But what puzzled him was why Hailan Wuha appeared here with such a frightened look at this time.

At this time, Hailan Wuha walked into the big tent trembling with fear. Seeing Hailan Jiabo’s angry face, he became even more frightened and cold sweat oozed out of his forehead.

He lowered his head, not daring to look directly into Hailan Jiabo’s eyes, as if he was afraid that a single carelessness would bring him death.

“It’s you! Where is the general? Where are the reinforcements?” However, he could no longer care about much now.

Hailan Wuha’s figure is his life-saving straw.

He couldn’t help but walk quickly to Hailan Wuha, staring at him with eyes like knives, and his tone was full of unquestionable majesty: “Speak! When will the reinforcements arrive?”

Hailan Wuha, who was already very nervous, was even more frightened by this sudden shout. His throat seemed to be blocked by something and he couldn’t speak for a while.

He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and said with a stiff upper lip: “General, the leader is already mobilizing troops.

But you also know that the situation on the border is urgent, and if we want to transfer troops from the front line… it will take some time.”

In fact, Hailanhak had already “trained” Hailanwuha before he was sent here. Hailanhak repeatedly told him what to say and what not to say, especially about the true situation of the reinforcements.

“Remember, tell Hailan Jiabo that reinforcements are on the way, but it will take time. This is to stabilize his military morale.” Hailan Hake’s voice echoed in Hailan Uha’s mind.

However, when Hailan Wuha actually stood in front of Hailan Jiabo and faced his sharp and scrutinizing gaze, his mind suddenly went blank.

All the “training contents” that had been repeatedly emphasized seemed to disappear at this moment. He even began to speak incoherently, and even his own words began to contradict themselves.

“Mobilizing troops from the front line…it will indeed take some time…” His voice became weaker and weaker, and there was an obvious tremor in his tone, as if he might lose control at any time and collapse completely.

“It will take some time? Do we need to transfer troops from the front line?” Upon hearing the news, Hailan Jiabo’s brows immediately furrowed, looking a little unhappy.

His eyes swept across Hailan Wuha’s face coldly, and there was a hint of subtle suspicion in his eyes.

“Is the situation on the border really that urgent?”

Hailan Jiabo sneered contemptuously, with obvious sarcasm in his tone, “Doesn’t that old guy see the current situation clearly? If he can’t resist Chagan Wuli, he still wants to resist the rebels? It’s just a foolish dream!

You said so much when you sent me here, how come you can’t even send some reinforcements now?”

His eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring at Hailan Wuha closely, as if he wanted to see through his inner world completely.

Under such gazes, Hailan Wuha felt his scalp tingling, his legs began to tremble involuntarily, and his heart was filled with panic and anxiety. Under such a severe threat, Hailan Wuha felt unprecedented panic in his heart.

His hands involuntarily grasped the hem of his clothes tightly, and nervous sweat continued to flow from his forehead and slowly slid down his cheeks.

His voice became stammering due to extreme nervousness: “General…it does…it does take some time…”

“Need some time?”

Hailan Jiabo’s eyes became even colder, and his tone revealed a chilling and dangerous aura, “Hailan Wuha, is there anything else you haven’t made clear?”

These words were like a sharp blade, piercing directly into Hailan Wuha’s heart.

His mind was in complete chaos, and he even lost the most basic ability to think. He stood there, as stiff as a cold stone.

Hailan Jiabo is a veteran, and his years of marching have allowed him to see a lot of things.

Therefore, at this moment, he had sensitively noticed the unusualness in Hailan Wuha’s behavior.

His face suddenly lost its usual calmness, and his eyes revealed a chilling coldness, as if the temperature in the tent had suddenly dropped and the air had become bone-chillingly cold.

“Hailanhak…what kind of tricks are you playing?” He questioned silently in his heart, with a barely perceptible murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

He slowly walked in front of Hailan Wuha, his eyes were as sharp as a knife, and his voice was low and chilling: “I will give you one more chance, tell me, when will the reinforcements arrive?

Or… there is no so-called reinforcement at all?”

When Hailan Wuha heard these words, he felt as if struck by lightning. His legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees, unable to support his body.

His lips trembled, and although his heart was filled with fear and panic, he could not utter a word.

The atmosphere in the tent suddenly became extremely tense, and all the soldiers held their breath.

Everyone’s heart was filled with fear, fearing that they would be killed if they were not careful. The tense atmosphere was almost split open.

Hailan Jiabo’s gaze swept across Hailan Wuha coldly. His eyes seemed to emit a frosty coldness that made people shudder.

His fists slowly clenched, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, as if he was suppressing the anger within.

“It seems that my guess is correct.” Hailan Jiabo sneered, with a hint of cold sarcasm in his tone.

“Hailanhak…you really want me to die here.” His voice echoed in the tent, full of threats and warnings.

Upon hearing this, the personal soldiers in the tent lowered their heads, not daring to look at Hailan Jiabo.

They knew that Hailan Jiabo was on the verge of a rage at this moment, and any careless move could lead to death.

Now they only felt their heartbeats quickening, and a tense atmosphere instantly spread throughout the tent.

Everyone’s expressions immediately turned bitter, and there was a deep despair in their eyes.

“No reinforcements…” A personal soldier muttered to himself, the color on his face gradually fading, as if these four words had taken away his last bit of hope.

When Hailan Jiabo saw everyone’s reactions, his heart sank.

He immediately realized that his gaffe was tantamount to adding another blow to the already shaky situation.

“How can I say such a thing at this time?” He cursed himself in his heart, with a trace of regret in his eyes, “For them, the lack of reinforcements is definitely the biggest blow.

Even…some people may become completely desperate and choose to flee.”

Thinking of this, his heart suddenly tightened.

Now he has no extra troops to lose, and the departure of any one person will make his situation more difficult.

Moreover, once someone escapes, it is likely to trigger a chain reaction, causing the entire team to fall apart.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

Now is not the time to blame himself, he must take action immediately to stabilize the morale of his subordinates.

And now the only way lies in Hailan Wuha.

At this moment, Hailan Wuha felt as if there was a thorn in his back. Hailan Jiabo’s sharp gaze was like a knife, as if it wanted to cut him open.

He felt uneasy under the gaze, and the cold sweat on his forehead slid down his cheeks.

However, he was able to hide beside Hailanhak as Hailan Jiabo’s spy for so long, so he was definitely not an ordinary person.

He knew very well that once Hailan Jiabo’s suspicion was completely ignited, a catastrophe would be waiting for him.

“These words… have shaken the morale of the army.” He thought to himself, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes, “But I haven’t answered yet, everything can still turn around!”

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He knew that this was his only chance, and if he couldn’t seize it, only death would await him.

“That’s not the case, General!” Hailan Wuha raised his head suddenly, his tone was anxious and cautious at the same time, “It’s just… it’s just that the leader sent very few reinforcements this time, so he sent me here to stabilize you.”

After saying this, he hurriedly shook his head, trying to use this explanation to dispel Hailan Jiabo’s doubts.

There was a hint of pleading and anxiety in his eyes, as if he was conveying his sincerity to Hailan Jiabo.

When Hailan Jiabo heard this, his eyes moved slightly, but his expression remained cold. He slowly walked in front of Hailan Wuha, looking down at him, and said in a low and cold tone: “There are few reinforcements? How many are there? Why didn’t Hailan Hak send someone in person, but let you, a spy, come to stabilize me?”

This series of questions was like a sharp blade, piercing Hailan Wuha’s heart.

His breathing became rapid and the cold sweat on his forehead became more dense, but he knew that he must not show any panic now.

“General…” Hailan Wuha lowered his head, with a hint of respect and helplessness in his tone, “The leader has indeed tried his best, but you also know that the situation on the border is tense, and the troops that can be mobilized are really limited.”

He paused, raised his head, and looked earnestly: “As for why I came… the leader said that I was your former subordinate and you trusted me the most, so you sent me to convey the message.”

(End of this chapter)