Volume 1, Chapter 54: Grab! Grab! Grab!

What does it feel like to watch a movie?
No idea!
Wu Kexiong, Chen Xiucheng, and the others had no concept of what a movie even was.
Yet...
Holding their breath, they hid in the shadows, watching the Rong tribesmen and the Northern Yan cavalry butcher each other in a chaotic, bloody clash, feeling an indescribable thrill and excitement.
Sitting on a rock, Zhang Muyang wondered to himself how wonderful it would be to have a bottle of cola or some popcorn.
Su Ying stood quietly beside him, her gaze shifting between the battlefield and Zhang Muyang, a complex and inexpressible emotion welling up within her.
She thought back to the first time she had laid eyes on Zhang Muyang.
Back then, he had been skin and bones, with a sallow complexion, coughing incessantly in the wind as if he might collapse at any second. As for why she had chosen to stay by his side—she had figured he might not even survive the night, allowing her to seize the opportunity to escape.
Who could have imagined that this man, who had seemed on the brink of death, would undergo a complete rebirth after consummating his marriage with Yang Juan? Not only had he beaten off the local bully Zhang Heizi with a few swift punches and kicks, but he had also step by step revealed astonishing potential.
Slaughtering Northern Yan raiders!
Slicing down a squad leader!
His martial cultivation had skyrocketed all the way, and even Zhou Tong, a battalion commander at the Pulse Refining Realm, had become a ghost beneath his blade!
That was a Pulse Refining martial artist!
The longer Su Ying looked at him, the more unfathomable he seemed.
This man possessed an ineffable aura of mystery—calm, resolute, bold yet meticulous, and even... somewhat cunning, yet radiating a fatal attraction.
How on earth did he come up with those wild, whimsical yet precise and ruthless schemes?
Suddenly, she felt warmth in the palm of her hand as Zhang Muyang quietly reached out and held it.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Don't tell me... you want me again?" Zhang Muyang lowered his voice, a hint of teasing in his tone.
"Yes, I do want you!"
Su Ying's pretty face flushed slightly. Giving him a resentful glare, she asked, "My Lord Centurion, what brilliant and astonishing scheme do you have up your sleeve now?"
Hehe!
Zhang Muyang grinned and said with a serious expression, "Lord Deputy Commander, lead the main force back to the Huqiu encampment first and maintain strict vigilance. I will take a small squad to scout ahead and assess the situation..."
"Muyang, do you think we should find a way to burn the Rong tribe's provisions as well? Cut off their hopes entirely!"
"That... is probably impossible."
Zhang Muyang shook his head, analyzing calmly: "With tens of thousands of Rong cavalry, their provisions are their lifeblood; they are bound to be heavily guarded right now. For our meager force to go charging over there would be no different from moths flying into a flame. We must not throw ourselves away."
Wu Kexiong felt it was a pity, but still nodded. "Alright! You must be extremely careful! If things become impossible, fall back immediately!"
"Understood!"
For a deep-penetration reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines like this, Su Ying, who was fluent in both the Rong and Northern Yan languages, was indispensable.
Without further ado, Zhang Muyang and Su Ying led a fifty-man platoon under their command, mounting sleds. With a shove of their feet, the sleds glided silently down the slope like ghosts, approaching Black Wind Cliff once more.
They found a wind-sheltered rock hollow halfway up the mountain and cleverly concealed themselves.
Overlooking from this vantage point, the tragic and fierce scene of the battlefield below was laid out entirely before their eyes.
By now, the slaughter had reached a fever pitch.
The Northern Yan vanguard camp was impeccably equipped, and every soldier possessed formidable combat power—they were true elites. However, the Rong warriors held a numerical advantage and were naturally bloodthirsty and cruel. Both sides had turned red with rage, locked in a battle to the bitter death.
Helian Chunshui and the Rong warriors fought on the front lines, their bodies already splattered with so much blood that it was impossible to tell whether it belonged to their enemies or themselves.
Corpses littered the snowy ground, and crimson blood stained the pristine white snow, a chilling and shocking sight.
Zhang Muyang frowned slightly. Such a situation was naturally beneficial to them, but... wanting to burn down the Rong provisions would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
"Woo—woo—"
At that moment, a low, urgent horn sounded from the Northern Yan camp, echoing across the battlefield.
This was the Northern Yan signal to sound the gongs and retreat!
The one blowing the horn was none other than the Northern Yan Princess!
"This woman... is truly formidable."
Zhang Muyang's gaze grew sharp as he fixed his eyes on that figure.
She was tall, and amid the chaotic battlefield, she exuded an added aura of noble and wild charm. If he could take her to the bridal chamber, it might bring unexpected bonuses to his system!
Military orders were as unyielding as mountains!
Though Helian Chunshui was reluctant, he still lashed out with several more slashes and roared hoarsely, "Retreat! The entire army, retreat!"
"Fall back! Quick, fall back!"
All the Northern Yan cavalry turned their horses around and retreated.
Leave?
Where could they go?
A Rong warrior brandished his saber and roared, "After them! Slaughter them all!"
One side routed and fled, while the other pursued relentlessly.
The two sides engaged in a frenzied chase across the grasslands.
A moment later, beneath Black Wind Cliff, nothing was left except a chaotic mess of corpses and the agonizing cries of the wounded.
A group of Rong tribesmen galloped over.
A burly, fierce-looking young man shouted, "Hurry! Clear the battlefield! See what good things are left in the Northern Yan camp and carry them all away!"
"Yes!"
These Rong soldiers showed no mercy. Upon encountering Northern Yan wounded soldiers, they dispatched them with a single stroke of their blades.
The vanguard camp remained in utter chaos.
The remaining Northern Yan cavalry were busy putting out fires, but upon seeing the Rong tribesmen charging in, they turned and fled in panic.
Zhang Muyang, Su Ying, and the others had already burned the majority of the provisions, but thanks to the salvage efforts of the Northern Yan iron cavalry, a portion remained. This immediately drove the Black Bear tribe into a frenzy of looting.
"Stop right there!"
Suddenly, a sharp, angry feminine shout rang out!
A woman draped in a crimson fox-fur cloak, leaving her arms and thighs exposed, galloped over on a spirited white horse. Her face was captivating, but her gaze was as sharp as a blade—she was none other than the young matriarch of the Red Fox tribe... Chi Mei'er!
"Wuman! What is the meaning of this?"
Pointing her riding crop, Chi Mei'er said coldly, "These provisions should rightfully include a share for our Red Fox tribe as well!"
Haha!
Wuman, the young chieftain of the Black Bear tribe, burst into wild laughter and retorted unceremoniously, "Chi Mei'er, the rule of the grassland is simple: whoever seizes it keeps it! If your Red Fox tribe has the ability, come and grab them yourselves!"
"You really think our Red Fox tribe is afraid of you?"
"What else?"
The Black Bear tribe was a major faction numbering eighty to ninety thousand people.
The Red Fox tribe only had twenty to thirty thousand, mostly consisting of the elderly, the weak, women, and children. They simply could not compare to the Black Bear tribe.
Wuman waved his hand, and a large group of Black Bear warriors immediately closed in, wearing fierce expressions and paying no heed to the people of the Red Fox tribe whatsoever.
Hehe!
Wuman looked up and down at Chi Mei'er's hot figure, his gaze brazen as he smiled, "Chi Mei'er, why don't you just marry me! Once our Black Bear and Red Fox tribes merge into one, I will give you all these provisions... as a bride price. How about that?"
"Oh? Are you serious?" Chi Mei'er raised an eyebrow.
"Absolute truth!"
"Fine!"
Chi Mei'er smiled brilliantly, vaulted down from her horse, and wearing fox-fur boots, walked step by step toward Wuman. Her arms bore tattooed crimson fox-fire totems that seemed to burn fiercely against the backdrop of the snow, and the fur collar of her cloak swept across the ground, leaving a string of enchanting footprints.
When she reached Wuman, her smile suddenly turned icy. With a swift motion, she drew a gleaming curved blade, pressed it against Wuman's throat, and said coldly, "Now, all these provisions belong to my Red Fox tribe. Whoever dares to touch a single piece, I will kill him."
"You wouldn't dare!"
An uproar broke out among the Black Bear warriors as curved blades were drawn from their scabbards, creating an explosive atmosphere where a single touch could spark a battle!
Wuman remained entirely unfazed. In fact... he had known all along that Chi Mei'er would make a move against him; the moniker "Vixen of the Steppe" was no exaggeration.
Yet, so what?
Wuman sneered, "Chi Mei'er, go ahead and try touching me. Do you believe that before the sun rises tomorrow, your Red Fox tribe will be flattened to the ground?"
"You..."
"Report!"
Suddenly, a Rong cavalryman galloped over at breakneck speed, his voice raspy and urgent as he shouted, "A hidden Northern Yan encampment has been discovered ten miles ahead, piled high with provisions! The chieftain has given the order: whoever seizes them gets to keep them!"
Provisions?
For the various Rong tribes struggling through the long, harsh winter with scarce resources, these were even more important than gold, silver, or women!
Awoo!
Wuman could no longer afford to lock horns with Chi Mei'er. He let out an excited howl, "Warriors of the Black Bear tribe! Follow me! Let's go grab the provisions!"
"Red Fox tribe! Follow closely!"
A flash of hesitation crossed Chi Mei'er's eyes, but she still leaped back onto her horse and led her subordinates in close pursuit.
None of them noticed that the Rong cavalryman who had brought the news wore a cunning, triumphant smirk at the corner of his mouth.
That person was none other than Su Ying in disguise!
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield grew desolate and empty, leaving behind only a handful of Black Bear warriors standing guard.
"It worked!"
Excitement glittered in Su Ying's eyes as she spoke in a low voice, "The big fish have been lured away!"
Zhang Muyang smiled. "Good! Now it's our turn."
However, this time, their target was no longer destruction.
Zhang Muyang gave a low command: "We are going to loot the Rong tribe's provisions. Carry away as much as you can, and whatever you cannot carry... find hidden spots locally to bury them and mark the locations!"
These food supplies were lifelines to Northern Yan and the Rong, but to Zhang Muyang, they were the foundation of his rise!
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of theoriole behind.
This wonderful drama amid the heavy snow had only just begun.