Chapter 0126: A Night at the Theater

That laughter—was the product of pure, unrestrained fury.

The red light in his eyes was nearly bursting out.

Their path of retreat had been severed. Ahead lay a mess of deep and shallow pits. Cavalry was now entirely useless—on terrain like this, they were rendered helpless. It was as if the power of the Xiongnu army had been forcibly suppressed to its lowest.

"The people in this village knew we were coming. They've clearly been preparing for this. Otherwise, how could they have dug so many pits outside the village, and so methodically blocked every route of retreat? It's obvious—they want to trap us all and wipe us out."

The shaman's eyes flashed with a cold light, fury rising within him.

He wasn't a fool. It was impossible not to see Yi Tianxing's intentions.

They had been predicted from the very beginning—their return, their movements, everything. The blocked escape routes, the hidden pits, every trap was part of a grander scheme.

The message was loud and clear: This village intended to annihilate the Xiongnu forces entirely. Not a single survivor.

"To deal with me, Liu Bao, this level of trickery… is far from enough."

Liu Bao sneered coldly.

"Does the Zuo Xian Wang have any strategy for dealing with these pit traps?" the shaman asked curiously.

"These horse traps do make it hard for us to proceed," Liu Bao admitted. "But they can't cross either. If they can't come to us, killing us won't be so easy. Since we've found this valley, I don't mind dragging things out with them. Just some lousy pits—then we'll fill them. Advance step by step, push forward inch by inch. I don't believe that a mere village can stop my advance."

A dangerous glint flashed in Liu Bao's eyes.

In his heart, he vowed: Once this village is breached, I'll see it razed to the ground—every man, woman, and child slaughtered. I'll reduce this place to rubble and ash. Only then will my fury be satisfied.

"Set up camp! Right here!"

Liu Bao gave the order decisively.

The command spread swiftly. Xiongnu soldiers dismounted, forming a makeshift camp on the spot. Many took up bows and arrows, keeping strict watch on the village of Xuanhuang, guarding against any surprise attacks.

At the same time, a large number of soldiers began transporting rocks and clay, dumping them into the pits to forcibly fill them in. It was clear—Liu Bao had no intention of giving up on his cavalry advantage. Engaging the Han with infantry alone, scaling walls with foot soldiers, would be sheer idiocy. The Xiongnu were never meant to fight that way.

Abandoning their best tactics for unfamiliar terrain? Liu Bao wasn't that stupid.

If there are pits, then they'll be filled.They had found the valley—they wouldn't be leaving easily.

Even without cavalry, Liu Bao believed that their current forces, armed with archery alone, could still suppress all enemies.

A single village couldn't possibly have the strength to stand against them.

"As expected, just as the Lord predicted, these Xiongnu haven't attacked blindly. They've chosen to set up camp and are now filling in the pits—slowly preparing for a decisive battle once the terrain is cleared. Liu Bao's will is certainly not weak."

Huang Chengyan looked out calmly and spoke with quiet insight.

If it were someone else, anger might've driven them to order a reckless assault. But Liu Bao hadn't lost his mind—he remained patient. That alone showed his tenacity.

"There's no rush," he continued. "They may have tens of thousands of elite troops, but they won't be easily destroyed. And we don't have many soldiers truly capable of fighting. Most villagers—even as cultivators—are only good for hurling rocks off the wall. A head-on clash with trained regulars would be too much. Like sand clashing with a stone—the outcome is obvious."

While most villagers had indeed become cultivators, their lack of formal training made them little more than rabble. They would still be pierced by Xiongnu arrows in an open fight.

However, Liu Bao's actions remained firmly within Yi Tianxing's expectations. He already had countermeasures in mind.

The horse traps were meant to halt the cavalry. The massive boulders were meant to block retreat. Forcing the Xiongnu to set up camp was part of his plan.

And once they stayed… he had ways to make sure they would never leave again.

Confidence radiated from Yi Tianxing.

This was not a battle of personal strength—it was a war of strategy. To defeat a stronger enemy, one had to use unorthodox methods.

"Then we wait and watch," Huang Chengyan said meaningfully.

Digging traps was easy. Filling them? Not so much. The Xiongnu lacked proper tools, most of them simply using curved blades to dig and haul dirt. It would take a long time to make real progress.

"Keep a portion of soldiers on watch at the walls. If anything happens, report immediately. The rest can go rest—we'll be launching a major operation tonight. If everything goes smoothly, by dawn, a large portion of the Xiongnu will be buried in this valley.

I intend to make this place their nightmare."

Yi Tianxing's gaze swept toward the busy Xiongnu, a cold smile playing at his lips.

"Lady Zhaoji, it's still early. Why not return and rest a bit? Tonight, a grand drama will unfold. I believe you wouldn't want to miss a single moment."

Yi Tianxing smiled at Cai Yan.

"Then I look forward to this drama you've prepared, Big Brother Yi," Cai Yan replied, her lips curling in a graceful smile, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

She understood that Yi Tianxing would be making his move that night. What exactly he planned, she couldn't guess. She had talent, yes—but she had never dabbled in military strategy.

The horrific memories of the Xiongnu's brutality were still vivid in her mind—the women's screams still echoed in her ears. Now, she dearly wished to see the Xiongnu fall with her own eyes.

"Zhaoji, you haven't chosen a cultivation method yet, have you? Why don't I take you to the Scripture Pavilion? Everyone in Xuanhuang Village gets to pick one technique for free. Naturally, that includes you."

Yi Tianxing offered with a smile.

"Then I'll trouble you, Big Brother Yi."

Cai Yan's eyes lit up. She bowed with a smile, her voice filled with gratitude.

"No trouble at all. To chat with a beauty like you—it's my honor, really," Yi Tianxing replied with a teasing smile.

Cai Yan's heart thudded. A flush of red touched her cheeks.

"Big Brother Yi, you're teasing me," she murmured shyly.

Yi Tianxing saw her reaction but didn't pursue the matter further.

Some things shouldn't be rushed. Let nature take its course. The journey is what makes it meaningful.

They made their way to the Scripture Pavilion.

Yi Tianxing didn't offer her the Pure Origin Technique, but instead guided her to choose the Sitting Oblivion Sutra—one of the top-tier foundation-establishing techniques, universally compatible with all physiques. A good foundational technique could determine future achievements.

Whether for strategic reasons or because of her ties to Huang Chengyan, he made sure she had the best.

After obtaining her technique, they returned home.

Yi Tianxing then headed straight for his quiet chamber—not to rest, but to begin cultivating his second Extraordinary Meridian.

Having completed the nurturing of the Yang Linking Vessel, it was time to open a new one.

This time: the Yin Linking Vessel.

"The Yin Linking Vessel begins at the inner calf, rising through the inner thigh to the abdomen, merging with the Spleen Meridian. It requires opening seven key acupoints: Zhu Bin, Fu She, Da Heng, Fu Ai, Qi Men, Tian Tu, and Lian Quan.This will connect more parts of the Twelve Primary Meridians. Compared to last time, fewer acupoints mean lower difficulty—perfect for now."

He had chosen this one to complement the Yang vessel—yin and yang in harmony.

Once complete, more of his body's meridians would be interconnected, allowing him to absorb Heaven and Earth Essence even faster. The benefits would be endless.

The earlier it was opened, the better.

With a thought, he began visualizing the Ancestral Dragon Diagram of the Four Seas.

In this diagram, the four seas represented the boundless east, west, south, and north—the infinite. Through the Dragon Sovereign Scripture, the True Dragon Qi he cultivated was especially domineering, far more powerful than regular internal energy. And he sensed it had unfathomable potential yet to be awakened.

Time passed quietly.

Daylight saw a tense calm across the valley. Neither Xuanhuang Village nor the Xiongnu made any aggressive moves. Tension was high, but restraint prevailed.

Some of the horse traps had been filled—but only a small fraction of the total.

The Xiongnu were not suited to manual labor.

On the battlefield, the dead warhorses became their rations.

Before anyone realized it, night had fallen.

Even in the dark, the Xiongnu remained on high alert.

Fires lit the camp, soldiers took turns on watch. Liu Bao had prepared for a night raid. Patrols moved constantly, eyes fixed on the direction of Xuanhuang Village—

Wary.Prepared.But unaware—

That a deadly performance was about to begin.