The season was one of falling peach blossoms. A gust of wind swept through, scattering the blossoms like a rain of petals, a truly beautiful sight.
However, the weather was grim, overcast, and occasional wisps of miasma drifted past, creating a stark, even eerie, contrast with the beauty of the fallen flowers on the water's surface.
Augulas reverently scooped up a mouthful of water and drank it, appearing to gain vigor. He smiled at Sien, saying, "This Peach Blossom Water is the source of life for my Bantural. Won't the Barbarian King try some?"
Having traveled a considerable distance, Sien and his companions were indeed thirsty. Upon hearing this, they eagerly scooped up the Peach Blossom Water and drank deeply.
"How is it?"
Augulas gazed at Sien with deep meaning. Sien, while drinking, replied, "Your Majesty, this water has an excellent taste!"
Augulas chuckled dryly, looking at Sien with amusement.
Suddenly, Sien felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He pointed at Augulas, his face filled with terror, and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, you… you…"
Seeing Sien and his companions in distress, Augulas burst into laughter with his generals. He then waved his hand, and someone immediately brought forth antidotes.
After taking the antidotes, Sien and his men felt greatly relieved and asked, "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?"
Augulas smiled apologetically and said, "Barbarian King, please do not take offense. My Peach Blossom Water has been nourished by thousands of years of miasma. Outsiders who drink this water naturally cannot withstand it. However, my countrymen drink this water without ill effect; instead, it invigorates them and possesses miraculous properties. Hence, it is known as the source of life for my Bantural."
Sien reacted quickly, exclaiming with joy, "Could it be that Your Majesty intends to intercept the Saint Roman army here?"
Augulas inwardly praised Sien's quick wit and nodded. "Precisely!"
Sien was also secretly delighted. Augulas was not only powerful but also deeply skilled in the art of warfare. This battle truly held great promise.
Thus, the allied forces of the Wu and Barbarians set up camp along the banks of the Peach Blossom Water, preparing to ambush the Saint Roman army.
Meanwhile, as Sien returned to his command tent, Sibotan followed him in. "Brother, what do you think of this Augulas?"
Sien looked at Sibotan directly and asked, "What do you mean, brother?"
"Don't you think Augulas is a bit too overbearing? He doesn't even show respect to his own subordinates, let alone us. Why should we be allied with him?"
Sien remained silent for a moment, then sighed, "If we don't cooperate with him, what else can we do?"
Sibotan spoke deliberately, word by word, "Why doesn't brother surrender to the Saint Romans?"
Sien looked at Sibotan in surprise and sneered, "Surrender to the Saint Romans? Swein has toyed with us at his whim. Do you think he will still reuse us brothers? Following him, you and I will never have good days."
"Brother, I don't think so. Swein captured you several times but didn't kill you. Why?"
Sien coldly scoffed, "He wants to completely conquer our Barbarian people, ensuring they never dare to rebel against the Saint Romans for eternity!"
Sibotan was stunned into silence, unsure how to respond.
Sien patted Sibotan's shoulder and said earnestly, "Although Augulas is a bit rough, he is better than the cunning city dwellers. You may go out now. This king has his own plans."
Sibotan nodded hesitantly and turned to leave the tent. Suddenly, he heard Sien ask, "Have you seen Lord Majis?"
Sibotan turned back, and he and Sien exchanged a look, both seeming to notice surprise in each other's eyes.
Sien took a deep breath. "When did he go missing?"
Sibotan tried to recall the last time he saw Lord Majis. After a long pause, he suddenly realized, "It seems I haven't seen him for a few days."
Thinking of Lord Majis's inexplicable disappearance, he became anxious. "Could something have happened to him?"
Sien's brow furrowed. "For Lord Majis to leave this king without a word must be his sister's doing."
He then let out a cold snort. "It's one thing for that woman not to help me, but to also call her brother away, it's truly hateful!"
Sibotan frowned. "Brother, isn't Sister-in-law the type of person to do such a thing?"
"Hmph! You don't need to say anything more!"
Sien seemed stubbornly convinced that Mile Di looked down on him.
Within two days, the Saint Roman army, following Sien's tracks, arrived at the Peach Blossom Water.
They saw a fierce killing aura and immense malevolence emanating from the opposite side of the Peach Blossom Water, causing all their generals to feel awe and inwardly think, "The Wu people are indeed inherently ferocious!"
Considering that this force might possess some unknown skills, they decided it was unwise to advance rashly before clarifying the situation. Therefore, Xiao Xun retreated five miles and set up camp.
That day, Xiao Xun summoned Falui to inquire about the local tribes and their strengths. Falui shook his head, stating he knew nothing.
He had always lived in the borderlands between the two factions. Although he had ventured into Barbarian territory several times and had a good understanding of their affairs, he knew very little about the Wu tribe, unable to provide any answers for Xiao Xun.
Deep within the peach blossoms, there was a crisp snapping sound. It was the sound of a tawny hand, resting on a peach branch, breaking it. The owner of this hand lowered it; it belonged to a woman with intense hatred etched on her face. Her eyes seemed to contain a raging fire, a fury that could incinerate everything.
"Sister!"
"Mother!"
…
Behind her followed a girl and a tall, burly man – Jessica and Lord Majis. This woman was none other than Madam Mile Di.
Evidently, these closest individuals to Madam Mile Di had never seen her with such an expression. They looked at her with a hint of fear.
Madam Mile Di took a deep breath, calming her emotions. "Majis."
Majis respectfully replied, "Sister…"
"Do you remember these people?"
Lord Majis hesitated for a moment. Though Lord Majis was still young at the time, he had never forgotten these people for a single moment. How many times had he been jolted awake from nightmares by their images?
It was they who had stormed into his homeland, wreaking havoc, burning, killing, and annihilating his tribe.
Recalling them, his face was etched with resilience and hatred. He nodded fiercely.
"Little brother has not forgotten for half a moment!"
Madam Mile Di said fiercely, "Now is our time for revenge."
Lord Majis's face was filled with tragic resolve. "Sister, I will do whatever you say!"
A dense killing intent spread through the air, making Jessica's heart palpitate. "Mother, should we consult Father?"
Madam Mile Di looked at Jessica, her voice as calm as if she were discussing something unrelated to herself.
"Your father can barely protect himself, how can he help us? Let him be."
Jessica knew Madam Mile Di was speaking the truth. She still remembered the dejection on her father's face when he emerged from the command tent. Her gaze immediately dimmed.
Madam Mile Di looked at Jessica's expression, sighed, and embraced both Jessica and Lord Majis.
"You are the people closest to me in this world. No matter what, I will never lead you to your deaths!"
Jessica raised her head and looked at Madam Mile Di. "Mother, then how shall we get our revenge?"
Madam Mile Di withdrew her gaze, looking towards the distant, continuous expanse of canvas tents – the tents of the Saint Roman army.
Lord Majis and Jessica naturally understood, exchanged glances, and nodded.
What Augulas and the generals of Bantural did not expect was that the Saint Roman army was not poisoned by the Peach Blossom Water.
These city dwellers had suffered greatly in Barbarian territory, to the point that they dared not drink Barbarian water lightly again.
They dug wells within their camp for water and made fires to cook, thus remaining unharmed.
Augulas's brow furrowed slightly, as if suddenly realizing that the Saint Roman army was quite troublesome.
The next morning, the tranquility of the main camp of the Saint Roman army was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps. A sentry rushed into the camp with an urgent report: The Barbarian army had crossed the Peach Blossom Water and was challenging them outside the camp.
The Saint Roman generals were greatly alarmed. The vanguard had been crossed by the enemy so quickly and without their knowledge, clearly having met with misfortune. They could not fathom how these Barbarian troops had managed it.
The ability to quickly cross the water and break through the outpost without alerting the sentries was a terrifying thought.
Xiao Xun knew the situation was urgent and immediately convened his generals to meet the Barbarian army.
After deliberation, Xiao Xun dispatched Duosen, who was known for his steady demeanor, to lead his troops out of the camp to engage the enemy. Duosen led his army out and arrayed them. From a distance, he saw the Barbarian soldiers at the front of their formation had ferocious appearances, exuding a natural aura of ferocity.
Their appearance was vastly different from that of ordinary Barbarians, and indeed, from most people. They were adorned with strange markings and wore peculiar attire – armor woven from iron and stone, wielding sharp knives and steel forks, radiating a powerful killing intent.