The light of the oil lamp flickered in the crude meeting room, stretching the shadows of the men on the wall long and short.
An atmosphere thick with tension and killing intent filled the air.
Ryan, Old Tom, several knight captains, and the newly appointed town guard captain—a burly young man named Bart—all had their eyes fixed on Lin Xia.
"A hundred-strong force?"
Ryan's voice was low, his brow furrowed into a deep knot.
"My Lord, our current fighting strength, including your knight escorts, barely reaches fifty. And the town guard are peasants who just hung up their hoes yesterday; they've never seen battle."
Bart nodded in agreement, his face etched with worry. His soldiers had been cheering just yesterday over earning a silver coin a day. Now, they were expected to fight vicious beastkin to the death. The change was too abrupt.
"I know," Lin Xia replied, his expression calm. This calmness seemed to infect everyone present, settling their nerves slightly. "A head-on clash would be like eggs smashing against stone. We cannot do that."
He pointed to the crude charcoal map spread on the table. At its center, a narrow stretch of land was marked by deliberately thickened lines.
"This is the only route the beastkin can take to attack our Barrenstone Town."
"Northwind Canyon," Ryan identified immediately.
"Exactly. Northwind Canyon. Narrow entrance, steep cliffs on both sides. An ideal ambush point." Lin Xia's finger tapped the map. "My plan is to prepare a little... welcoming gift for them inside the canyon."
Old Tom's eyes lit up. The warlike genes of his Dwarf heritage seemed to stir. "My Lord, you mean... traps?"
"More than just traps," Lin Xia shook his head, a chilling curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "I want a multi-tiered deathtrap. One that ensures they come... but never leave."
He turned to Old Tom. "Master Tom, I need you to forge at least thirty heavy crossbows and over three hundred bolts within two days. And on the arrowheads... I need you to apply the most potent poison you know."
Old Tom blinked, then puffed out his chest, responding loudly, "Worry not, My Lord! Thirty? Fifty would be no problem! As for poison... in my younger travels, I picked up some potent local recipes. Guaranteed to drop those beastkin with a scratch!" Dwarves were not only master smiths but possessed a natural affinity for minerals and herbs; brewing simple poisons was well within their capabilities.
"Excellent," Lin Xia nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Ryan. "Ryan, your task is the heaviest. Select the five best marksmen from the knight escorts for the first wave of ranged attacks. They will take the highest points on both canyon sides, using the crossbows for precision kills. Their targets: the beastkin commanders and shamans."
"Yes, My Lord!" Ryan responded without hesitation.
"Bart." Lin Xia looked at the nervous town guard captain. "You and your guards are responsible for setting the traps. I will give you diagrams. Your job: lay a large number of tripwires and caltrops at the canyon entrance. In the canyon's midsection, dig a large pitfall and camouflage it effectively."
Bart opened his mouth, feeling the immense pressure. "My Lord, we... we've never done this before."
"Then learn," Lin Xia's tone brooked no argument. "This is an order. Your lives, the future of this town, rest in your own hands. Succeed, and you are heroes. Fail, and we die together."
Bart was jolted by the resolve in Lin Xia's eyes. He snapped to attention. "Yes, My Lord! The task will be completed!"
"But it's still not enough," Lin Xia continued, his voice lowering further. "The beastkin aren't fools. After the first wave of traps and bolts, they will become alert. They might even retreat. What I want... is their complete annihilation."
He pointed to the canyon exit on the map. "I need someone, once the battle begins, to block their retreat from here."
Silence fell over the room.
The task was too dangerous.
Blocking the retreat of a hundred desperate, savage beastkin was akin to suicide.
"I'll go," Ryan stepped forward, his voice steady. "I'll lead the remaining knight escorts and wait at the canyon exit. If they dare retreat, we'll show them true despair."
Lin Xia, however, shook his head. "No. You have a more crucial role. I will block the exit."
"What?"
The meeting room erupted in murmurs.
"My Lord, absolutely not!" Ryan was the first to object, dropping to one knee in agitation. "You are the heart of the territory! How can you risk yourself like this? Please, entrust this task to me!"
"Yes, My Lord! It's too dangerous!" Bart also protested urgently.
Lin Xia raised a hand, silencing them. "My decision is final." He looked at each of them, speaking deliberately. "First, I have Snow Gale. His speed ensures my safety. Second, only my direct presence can maximally shake the beastkin's morale and throw them into chaos. You must trust me."
More importantly, he needed to witness this victory firsthand, to personally cement his authority in this land.
Seeing the unwavering determination in Lin Xia's eyes, the men knew further pleas were useless. They could only accept the arrangement with heavy hearts.
"The plan, in detail, is this," Lin Xia began his deployment.
"Phase One: Bart's town guard creates chaos at the canyon entrance, using traps to slow their advance.
Phase Two: Ryan's crossbow team launches the first strike from the high ground, prioritizing leaders.
Phase Three: Once the beastkin formation breaks and they charge past the trap zone, they fall into the large pitfall midsection, causing secondary chaos.
Phase Four: Ryan, you then lead all knights in a charge down from the heights. Split and encircle the disorganized beastkin – free hunt.
Phase Five: The final phase. When they realize the trap and try to flee... I, riding Snow Gale, will appear at the canyon exit. Shatter their will completely."
A chain of interlocking tactics unfolded clearly before them. Each step was meticulously calculated, maximizing the potential of their small, weak force.
The anxiety that had filled the room gradually transformed. Sparks of hope ignited in their eyes. This plan... it seemed genuinely possible!
They looked at their young lord, a feeling entirely new stirring within them: awe.
He could find ore veins, tame divine beasts, unveil a master's identity... and now, in military command, he displayed a composure and skill far beyond his years.
Was this truly just an eighteen-year-old?
"Understood?" Lin Xia's voice pulled them from their daze.
"Understood!" They answered in unison, their voices now filled with strength.
"Good." Lin Xia stood. "From this moment, everyone, move out! In two days... I will make Northwind Canyon the beastkin's graveyard!"
"Yes, My Lord!"
...
The meeting ended, and all of Barrenstone Town sprang into motion.
Old Tom's forge transformed overnight into an armory. He brought out tools and materials hoarded for years. The furnace blazed crimson-hot, operating almost twenty-four hours a day. Townsfolk organized themselves spontaneously, helping pump the bellows and haul materials. The dwarf master's skill was on full display: gleaming heavy crossbows and bundles of sharp bolts were produced at an astonishing rate.
Bart led his town guard, joined by every willing townsfolk, marching in force into Northwind Canyon. Following Lin Xia's diagrams, they worked frantically. Digging pits, felling trees, setting traps. No one complained. No one shirked. They knew every pit they dug, every spike they buried, might save their own lives or their families' lives in two days.
Ryan, meanwhile, drilled the five selected sharpshooters mercilessly on the open ground outside town. He corrected their stances repeatedly, forcing them to master the crossbows' weight and trajectory.
The entire territory transformed into a precision war machine, humming with efficiency under Lin Xia's command.
Lin Xia himself was not idle. Mounted on Snow Gale, he personally scouted every inch of Northwind Canyon, refining every detail of the ambush plan. He even adjusted the crossbowmen's positions based on wind direction and sunlight angles, ensuring optimal sightlines and concealment.
Time flowed by, minute by minute, in this tense, ordered bustle.
Two days later.
The thin mist of dawn had yet to lift.
Northwind Canyon had become a silent hunting ground.
All traps were set, perfectly disguised beneath loose soil and weeds.
Fifty warriors slipped silently into their ambush positions, holding their breath, waiting for their prey.
Lin Xia stood alone, hidden in a dense thicket not far from the canyon exit, Snow Gale beneath him. He gently stroked the beast's smooth mane, his gaze sharp as a blade, fixed intently on the canyon entrance.
He knew it. The moment that would decide Barrenstone Town's fate... was imminent.
Every rustle seemed menacing, every shadow a threat.
Suddenly, Snow Gale pawed the ground restlessly, letting out a low whinny.
Lin Xia's heart leaped.
They're coming!