We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1092 The First Surrender

News from the front lines continued to reach the villages deep in the mountains, and the voices of the Qiang and Man scouts grew increasingly desperate:

“The Qing people built a stone wall and set up sentry posts at Eagle Beak Rock, so our way to the old forest to the north is now under surveillance.”

“A lot of Qing soldiers came from the Blackwater Creek. They burned down the two shacks we set up by the creek and arrested five people.”

"They don't have many people, but their equipment is too good. Their crossbows can shoot so far that our men can't get close at all!"

After the Qing army was mobilized, the Qiang and Man tribes became increasingly panicked.

The Qing emperor neither negotiated with them nor paid them any attention; he simply directed his army to advance steadily, shrinking their living space.

This relentless pressure is more suffocating than a large army directly bordering another country.

Like a large net slowly being pulled in, and those caught in the net don't know what the person pulling in wants, the fear brought about by this uncertainty is enough to crush a person's will to resist.

The quarrels by the hearth at Panyang Ridge had turned into mournful cries.

"He won't talk... he simply won't talk to us..."

"What about the people we sent out? Any news?"

"They've been detained; they might even be skinned alive by the Qing people."

"They're building outposts and occupying our mountains; they're trying to squeeze us out bit by bit!"

"Let's fight! Before they can fully deploy their forces, let's concentrate all our strength and fight them to the death!"

"Where are we going to fight? Do you know where the main force of the Qing people is? Their detachments are like leeches, darting everywhere. If we gather our forces and rush over there, we might just run into their ambush!"

For a time, the mountains were filled with the sounds of wind and the cries of cranes.

The Qiang and Man people, who were most skilled at fighting in the mountains, never imagined that their enemy came from later generations and had a completely different understanding of guerrilla warfare.

The first to succumb was a small tribe called the 'Muye Qiang' that lived in the upper reaches of the Blackwater River.

They were already small in number, and the village was located at the corner of a Qing army outpost and another main road into the mountains, almost half-surrounded.

As the Qing army's patrols drew ever closer, the village's grain reserves dwindled daily, and the salt jars were nearly empty. Even going out to fetch water became a nerve-wracking experience.

Panic gripped the hearts of every Qiang person like damp, cold vines.

The old clan chief squatted in his low wooden house, watching the flickering firelight in the hearth, then looked at his grandson crying softly from hunger in the corner. The wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen even more.

The villagers were already in a state of panic, and some of the able-bodied men were clamoring to launch a night raid on the outpost and perish together with the Qing people.

Many others, however, kept their eyes darting around and silently watched the clan leader.

To perish together is an obvious dead end, but with their families in tow, where can they possibly escape to?

Deeper into the mountains, there were only poisonous miasma and snakes and insects, not to mention that they had even run out of salt.

"That's it..." The old patriarch sighed heavily, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.

He stood up shakily and said to his sons and confidants who had gathered around him, "Prepare a clean set of clothes and take the jar of old wine that has been stored in the village for ten years. I am going to see the emperor of Qing."

"Dad!"

"Clan leader!"

There were exclamations.

Everyone knew that this journey was fraught with peril, and that they were likely walking into a trap, becoming the chicken that the Qing people used as a warning to others.

“If I don’t go, the whole village will die.” The old clan chief’s cloudy eyes were full of determination. “If the Qing emperor wanted to kill us, he could have launched a full-scale attack long ago. The reason he’s putting on this show is probably because he’s waiting for someone to give in first.”

"I have nothing to regret about my old bones. If I can bring peace to the village, it will be worth dying for."

Everyone was filled with sorrow, but no one dared to offer any further advice; they had truly reached a dead end.

According to the custom of the Qiang people, if the chief of a clan cannot step forward at this time, he will lose his qualification as the chief, let alone protect his offspring.

The next morning, the old chieftain of Muye Qiang, wearing a faded old robe and carrying a jar of wine, walked alone and unsteadily out of the village gate, heading towards the Qing army outpost at the foot of the mountain.

After that, there was no further news of him.

. . . . . .

When the news reached Panyangling.

"Traitor! Spineless coward!" The one-eyed leader roared, kicking over a wooden stump in front of him. "That old devil from Konoha dares to grovel before the Kei people? Has he forgotten the grudges of his ancestors?"

"You're courting death!" another chieftain sneered gleefully. "The Qing emperor won't even see our envoy, why would he want to meet with some old geezer like him?"

"I'm afraid they'll be shot to death by arrows as soon as they show their faces, or they'll be captured, beheaded, and their heads displayed on the flagpole. This will serve as a warning to others not to harbor any illusions!"

"The Qiang people of Muye are finished," someone sighed. "They've really gone senile; aren't they just walking into a trap?"

Almost everyone believed that the Konoha clan chief's journey was fraught with danger and might even anger the Kei people, leading to an even more severe attack.

After all, in their impression of that Qing emperor, there was no such thing as tolerance.

They believed from the bottom of their hearts that the emperor would execute the old man.

However, if Li Che could be easily understood, he wouldn't be Li Che.

The old chieftain of the Muye Qiang tribe was not killed, but was instead treated with great respect by the emperor!

It is said that he was escorted through the Qing army's camp and actually met the emperor.

Although no one knows the specifics of what was discussed, a squad of fully armed Qing soldiers soon entered the upper reaches of the Blackwater Creek.

Instead of attacking the Muye Qiang village, they set up camp in a strategic location on the outskirts of the village and raised the Qing army's banner.

Immediately afterwards, Qing army clerks and a small number of soldiers entered the village and began to count the population and register them.

Subsequently, the grain convoy followed the newly opened path, delivering grain and some salt into the village gate of the Muye Qiang people.

The entire village of Muye Qiang was granted a pardon!

Instead of being slaughtered, they received protection and basic necessities for survival.

Although I lost my freedom, at least I survived.

After the news reached them, the fire pit at Panyang Ridge fell silent.

The mocking voices disappeared, and the crowd's anger turned into shock.

"He...he actually accepted it?"

One of the chieftains muttered, "Since they've accepted our surrender, why are they ignoring our messengers?"

“Because it was the clan chief who went in person,” the elder with indigo-colored tattoos said. “The emperor only accepts true loyalty.”

The one-eyed man's face was ashen, and his chest heaved violently.

After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "That's right, don't you all understand the Emperor's methods?!"

After being reminded by the two, everyone understood.

The Qing emperor sent troops to invade in order to force them to make a choice, and the reason he pardoned the Muye Qiang was to tell them the conditions for their choice.

Sending ordinary envoys is not enough, and vague pleas for peace are unnecessary!

What he wanted was for the tribal leaders to personally bow their heads, handing over their lives and the fate of their tribes to him, in order to show their complete submission.

Just like a wild animal shows its belly to express submission, if you don't reveal your fatal flaws, why should I believe you?

What a Qing emperor! He truly won't act until he sees the benefits...

Or rather, the door to pardon will not be opened until the chieftain kneels down.

“He is forcing us to go out one by one, walk up to him, and put our necks in the noose he has set.”

The one-eyed leader's voice trembled: "If we don't go, his army will slowly tighten the reins until we are trapped, starved, or driven mad and crash into them."

"If we go, at least our people will survive."

At this point, the only way out was clearly laid out before them.

Each tribal leader must personally leave the mountain stronghold and enter the Qing army camp to pledge their loyalty to the young emperor.

At that moment, the leaders felt as if the pressure had increased tenfold.

Every chieftain who was still hesitating felt as if a pair of cold eyes were piercing through the mountains and forests, silently watching them.

In the suffocating silence, the one-eyed man with the grim face suddenly stood up.

His movements were large, knocking over a ceramic jar filled with water behind him. It shattered with a crash, spilling murky water all over the ground and startling everyone around.

"Enough!" the one-eyed leader growled, his remaining eye sweeping over the crowd. "What else is there to say to a bunch of cowards like you? The Qing people's knives are practically at our throats!"

He spat and his voice suddenly rose: "I, Shalu, am the chieftain of the Baima Qiang. I was born without ever learning how to bend my spine!"

"Rather than begging for mercy like that old devil of Konoha, living a life of humiliation and shame, we should go back and gather our men, and prepare our swords and arrows!"

"The Qing people want to exterminate my race, so I'll smash their teeth!"

"Even in death, we shall die like a Qiang warrior!"

After saying that, he ignored the complicated looks from the crowd, turned around and strode towards the gate of the village, his back view appearing exceptionally resolute in the firelight.

The area around the hearth was deathly silent, save for the crackling sound of the flames licking the firewood.

Everyone looked at each other, stunned by Cell's sudden outburst.

A moment later, the old man from the Qingpian Qiang tribe couldn't help but shout:

"Sharu-headed man!"

Cell didn't stop walking, only letting out a heavy snort through his nose.

He then raised his hand and waved, indicating that there was no need to say anything more, and his figure quickly disappeared into the darkness outside the door.

“Sigh…” After a long while, someone finally let out a long sigh, “Chief Shalu is a tough guy, but this was a bit too impulsive.”

“Let him go.” Another chieftain shook his head. “He’s holding back his anger. Going out for a walk and getting some fresh air might help him see things clearly.”

"Why are you being so aggressive with us? Who feels good about this?"

No one believed Cell would risk his life fighting Keito, since that would be tantamount to suicide.

He was probably just momentarily agitated; he should go outside and calm down.

The White Horse Qiang are considered strong among the tribes, and Shalu himself is known for his bravery. If he is truly determined to fight, he is a force that cannot be ignored.

However... the Qiang and Man are not a people who only show off their courage for a moment.

They've lived on this land for so long that they know when to be arrogant and when to kneel down and beg for mercy.

. . . . . .

Outside the village gate, the mountain road turns a corner.

As soon as he was out of sight of everyone, Cell's tragic expression vanished without a trace.

Instead of slowing down, he practically ran, heading north towards the location of the Baima Qiang village.

Several trusted confidants who were following behind him quickened their pace to catch up when they saw his condition.

"Chief! Chief!" a trusted aide gasped, his voice low and urgent, "Are you really going back to gather the men?"

Without turning his head, Sharu quickened his pace, muttering under his breath, "What kind of fight is this? Are we going to use the lives of the entire village to fill the Qing people's muskets? Fools!"

The confidants were even more bewildered: "Then what did you just do...?"

Cell chuckled, a sly glint in his single eye. "If we didn't say it that way, would we have gotten away so easily? What could we possibly come up with by staying with those blockheads except to wait to die?"

"There is only one way out now, and that is to surrender, and to do it quickly! Before everyone else!"

As he hurried along, he explained urgently, "The old devil from Konoha has made the first move. Since His Majesty has accepted his surrender, it means this path is viable!"

Without realizing it, he had even started using honorifics when addressing Li Che.