As Yuan Lao was leaving White Wolf Village, he was still a bit confused, "Elder Jin, what did that little girl mean? Was she saying that Elk Village has pledged allegiance to Yanhu Village?"
Elder Jin sighed, "I discovered it by accident, but I dared not speak of it. I could only guard against it in secret. If we let Old Deer go tonight, I fear we would become trapped like fish in a jar when we went to Yanhu Village, which is why I dared not answer."
"Why didn't you just say it directly?"
"Without proof, if Old Deer is allowed to escape, Golden Eagle Village will face utter destruction," Elder Jin said slowly. "Let's go back and muster the troops. If we lose this battle, there is only death. If we win, the three of us villages will form an alliance, and other villages will certainly not dare to underestimate us. This would be a way to survive. If we continue to remain silent, we will eventually be annexed by Yanhu Village. Between two evils, choose the lesser. I choose to believe Old Bai."
"Alright."
At midnight, the people of Yanhu Village were fast asleep, and the patrolling soldiers were dozing by the watchtower due to the alcohol they had consumed. Huo Lei's brow furrowed into a deep frown as he watched Xiao Man distributing medicinal pills to everyone.
"The white pill bottles contain hemostatic medicine, which will help you stop bleeding quickly. The red pill bottles contain only one pill, an antidote. Everyone, take the antidote immediately. Also, if you sustain serious injuries, you must withdraw from the battlefield. Do you understand?"
"We understand."
Huo Lei walked over to Xiao Man, "You don't have battle energy, so don't enter the battlefield. Stay here and observe." Sudan Novel Network
"My movement techniques are the best, making me the ideal scout. Have the others wait for the signal," Xiao Man said, flexing her fingers. "Take the antidote."
"Why take the antidote?"
"To minimize casualties, of course, we must resort to extreme measures," Xiao Man said slowly. "Even if you disagree, I will do this."
"You plan to poison the village? Everyone inside is asleep now, how can you poison them? Don't be so naive!"
"Who told you that poison must be ingested?" Xiao Man giggled playfully. "I'll go scout."
"I'll go with you. You don't have battle energy; it's too dangerous to go alone," Huo Lei grabbed Xiao Man's arm. "Everyone, wait for our signal. Once I give the signal, attack immediately."
Xiao Man and Huo Lei stealthily infiltrated Yanhu Village. Inside, apart from a few patrolling individuals, everyone else was asleep. It was as if they were so confident in their status that they never expected anyone to attack Yanhu Village.
After entering, Xiao Man lit an incense stick in various corners of Yanhu Village. The scent was light and pleasant. Huo Lei was puzzled, "Lighting incense, is it for prayer?"
Xiao Man glanced at Huo Lei, "This is Cloud Demon Incense. It's poisonous and will paralyze the body, rendering one immobile."
Huo Lei instinctively covered his nose, "Is this how you plan to poison them?"
"This is only one method," Xiao Man nodded and gestured for Huo Lei to follow. Huo Lei looked at the burning incense and quickly followed. This was war, and to minimize friendly casualties, poisoning was a last resort.
"Xiao Man, will this poison be fatal?"
"Considering the women and children of Yanhu Village, I used a paralyzing poison. It will not be fatal, only incapacitate the warriors of Yanhu Village," Xiao Man explained. "I'm not a murderer."
Huo Lei looked embarrassed, "I didn't mean it that way."
"After all, we've only known each other for a day, and such things are happening. It's natural to have such suspicions." Inside Yanhu Village, the Cloud Demon Incense wafted, its sweet scent pleasant.
"What's that smell? It's so fragrant," a patrolling Yanhu Village warrior asked curiously upon smelling the Cloud Demon Incense.
"Could someone be secretly eating something delicious behind our backs?" The two followed the scent but found nothing. The Cloud Demon Incense had already burned out, and its poison had spread throughout Yanhu Village.
"Do you feel dizzy?" one of them asked.
"Did you drink too much and get drunk? I told you your alcohol tolerance isn't good..." As he spoke, the man fell to the ground, unable to move, his words slurring. "Enemies... attack..."
Alas, no one heard his warning. The people of Yanhu Village had already been unknowingly poisoned.
*Whoosh*, a signal arrow exploded in the air. The allied forces waiting outside stormed in, instantly alarming the people of Yanhu Village. They instinctively reached for their weapons, only to find their bodies weak and unable to move. However, the fighting spirit within them wouldn't allow them to fall. No matter what, they had to make the enemy pay a price.
"Kill them! Do not kill the elderly, children, or women. All others who resist shall be executed without mercy."
In the dead of night, Yanhu Village, once glorious, became a lamb to the slaughter. Having grown accustomed to being superior, they had forgotten the feeling of having their feet on solid ground. They always thought no one dared to resist them. Even as prisoners, they had no habit of begging for mercy, instead constantly cursing and reviling.
"Has anyone seen the Grand Shaman of Yanhu Village?"
Huo Lei scanned his surroundings, unable to find the Grand Shaman of Yanhu Village. He immediately asked loudly, and the others searched the entire village but found no trace of him. Instead, they heard an enraged tiger roar.
Huo Lei inwardly cursed, knowing they should have subdued the Grand Shaman of Yanhu Village immediately to prevent him from summoning their guardian beast!
"It's the guardian beast of Yanhu Village, the Tiger God." The allied forces were intimidated by the Tiger God and retreated step by step. Old Bai and Old Yuan quickly stepped forward, summoning their own guardian spirit beasts. However, the Tiger God gave them no chance to summon, charging forward instantly.
Old Bai and Old Yuan rushed to block the Tiger God's attack, but its attacks were too powerful. Even with their combined efforts, they were thoroughly suppressed, unable to summon their spirit beasts.
"Shaman Master," Huo Lei exclaimed in alarm and charged forward to help. However, the war axe he swung was sent flying by the Tiger God's power.
"Foolish humans, you dare to harm my followers, you deserve to die!" the Tiger God roared, intending to slaughter these intruders.
"Old Bai, it seems we will all perish here today," Yuan Lao said, doing his best to resist the Tiger God's roar. Even as shamans, they were no match for a guardian spirit. If this continued, they were doomed!
"Old Jin, quickly summon the guardian beast!" Old Bai shouted at Elder Jin, who was hovering in the air.
Elder Jin was frantic, "I can't get down. I can't use runes to summon the guardian beast."
Old Bai and Old Yuan felt a pang of sorrow. They had almost forgotten that summoning a guardian beast required a runic formation. Since Elder Jin could not land, he naturally could not draw one.
"Let's go together." Huo Lei was anxious. If the Grand Shaman died, their village would be finished. The Grand Shaman was the spokesperson for the guardian beast, and if he died without an heir, the pact between the guardian beast and the village would dissolve.