Nine hundred and fifty-two!
Lanling’s head count merit was nine hundred and fifty-two!
Among them, over thirty were all berserkers. One counted for about three heads. There were also some high-ranking warriors, worth two heads each.
Chieftain Constantine looked again and again. He truly thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, before finally confirming this shocking number.
In this great battle, a total of just over five thousand from the Wild Horse Tribe had been eliminated. Lanling alone accounted for nearly one-sixth.
One must know, in the second cavalry charge duel, though destroying one hundred Wild Horse Tribe cavalry was mainly Lanling’s merit, the heads were evenly distributed among the one hundred foreign army cavalry. The share on Lanling’s head was merely about ten heads.
In other words, throughout the entire battle, Lanling had shot and killed six to seven hundred people. (Because some heads counted for two, even three.)
The report stated that towards the end of the battle, Lanling had even run out of arrows. So he had actually used the foreign army’s shared arrows.
Moreover, he was basically a hundred shots, a hundred hits. Whether direct shots, or the earlier lofted shots.
At the start of the battle, the Wild Horse Tribe had raised shields two to three metres high. Not only did they block direct arrow fire, they also blocked line of sight. At this time, the lofted shots were completely blind.
But even so, Lanling was still a hundred shots, a hundred hits.
Lofting shots while unable to see, yet still a hundred shots, a hundred hits.
Too heaven-defying. This simply made one suffocate!
Chieftain Constantine licked his lips. He was now truly curious about Lanling’s origins.
Without a doubt, he was indeed Suomo’s nephew. But such a heaven-defying figure, why had there not been the slightest news of him before?
Looking again at the head count merit list below.
Du Yan was at two hundred and thirty-five heads. This included the Wild Horse Tribe young chieftain. Killing one counted for fifty heads.
Yang Gu’s military merit was one hundred and thirty-five heads.
Qiu Ju was one hundred and thirty-nine heads.
Du Yan was indeed stronger than Yang Gu and Qiu Ju. But… the head count military merit values of these three people combined were not as high as Lanling alone. They were not even half of Lanling’s military merit.
Constantine closed his eyes.
He had to set aside his likes and dislikes, and seriously consider a question.
Was it more valuable for his daughter Ninian to marry the Little Barbarian King as a concubine, or to marry Lanling!
In today’s battle, actually Lanling had not been able to fully display his abilities. Because no one had protected his safety, letting the enemy close to his body.
Once someone constantly protected his safety, letting no enemy approach, then Lanling could display even more astonishing killing power.
Moreover, Constantine had also noticed that at the final critical moment, Lanling had relied on his own ability to repel the Wild Horse Tribe chieftain’s daughter.
He seemed to have used a spiritual power attack!
Lanling’s martial arts were not high. Not to mention compared to Du Yan, Yang Gu, and Qiu Ju, throughout the entire Chimera Tribe there were probably nearly a hundred people whose martial arts surpassed his.
But, used well, one Lanling’s effect exceeded several thousand cavalry!
In other words, every time battle commenced, he, Constantine, could bring several thousand fewer troops. As long as Lanling was given sufficient time, the enemies he could kill would exceed a thousand.
Calculating several times, Constantine worked out that the benefits of Ninian marrying Lanling very likely exceeded marrying the Little Barbarian King as a concubine.
Moreover, he might not even succeed in marrying Ninian to the Little Barbarian King.
Taking a deep breath, Constantine said, “Go call Ninian.”
…
“Nini, if… I mean if, I truly married you to Lanling, what do you think?” Constantine asked.
Ninian’s eyes abruptly widened. Her heart trembled. Then she shook her head, “I don’t want to!”
“Why?” Constantine said.
Ninian said, “The person I marry must either have an incomparably noble status, making me look up to him. Or he must be completely obedient to me, fanatically adoring me, willing to go through fire and water for me.”
Then, Ninian said, “Father, how could you have such a strange thought? Weren’t you the one who most loathed Lanling?”
Chieftain Constantine passed over the sheepskin scroll, “This is the military merit record of this great battle.”
After Ninian took it, her voice instantly rose several degrees. She hissed, “Impossible!”
She absolutely did not believe this number. Because no one could accomplish it. In her cognition, no one could produce such killing power.
Lanling did have extremely heaven-defying archery skills. But in the tribe, the strongest archer could at most shoot dead twenty to thirty people. Because after that, spiritual power would be completely exhausted. No matter how much physical strength remained, it was useless.
Over nine hundred head count military merit? How was that possible? Completely impossible.
“Father, there must definitely be a calculation error. Either the foreign army were all using Lanling’s arrows, cheating for him, inflating his head count military merit.” Ninian said.
Constantine shook his head. He had already checked who knew how many times. The foreign army placed extreme importance on honour. How could they possibly do such a thing? Moreover, Du Yan was watching every single moment. How could Lanling have the chance to cheat?
“In the earlier lofted shots, he could hit the target a hundred times out of a hundred without aiming with his eyes.” Constantine said, “In those few minutes, he shot and killed several hundred people. In short, this result is absolutely correct. Lanling’s head count military merit can only be more, not less.”
Ninian calmed down, no longer voicing doubts. But at this moment, her inner heart was like raging waves.
She completely understood why her father was truly considering marrying her to Lanling.
Because obtaining such a person was truly like a hellish reaper on the battlefield, completely unsolvable. Every time he went to battle, it was equivalent to bringing several thousand more troops.
Marrying her to Lanling might truly allow her father to maximise his benefits.
But could it maximise her, Ninian’s, benefits?
Ninian fell into thought!
The words she had previously spoken to Lanling were half true, half false!
If she could marry the Little Barbarian King, then she could virtually call the wind and summon the rain across these several million square kilometres of land. Even as a concubine, she could still stand above several hundred tribal chieftains.
So, she was willing!
But to ascend the chieftain’s throne as a woman!
Moreover, if her father Constantine’s ideals were successfully realised, then this three hundred thousand square kilometres of land beneath their feet would all belong to the Chimera Tribe. The surrounding several dozen tribes would all be conquered.
Becoming the mistress of three hundred thousand square kilometres of land, in terms of status, glory, and power, was in no way inferior to becoming the Little Barbarian King’s concubine.
In other words, if she married Lanling, and ultimately ascended to the chieftain’s throne, it also conformed to her, Ninian’s, maximum benefit.
“If he is willing to completely pledge loyalty to Father, I am willing to truly give him a chance.” Ninian said arrogantly.
Constantine nodded.
Ninian said, “But the key lies in whether he is truly willing to pledge loyalty to Father? The heart is hidden behind the belly. How can we know if his loyalty is genuine?”
Constantine said, “So this requires a resolute attitude, leaving him with no other choice!”
…
After the great battle ended, two people from the foreign army had collapsed.
One was Lanling. One was Suomo!
Lanling was due to spiritual power overdraft!
Today, the spiritual power he had consumed exceeded dozens of times, even a hundred times, what he had used before!
The frenzied killing at the start, each time using spiritual power to lock on and aim.
Especially later, when shooting the enemy berserkers, the only place he could aim was the eye socket opening of the helmet, merely one inch in diameter. The spiritual power consumed when aiming was more than tenfold.
Finally, the Wild Horse Tribe chieftain’s daughter had frenziedly pursued him to kill him. To preserve his life, Lanling’s spiritual power loss was again more than dozens of times.
Especially the final spiritual power critical strike against her!
So after the great battle ended, his entire person became incomparably weak, his head splitting with pain, directly collapsing!
And Suomo was due to the aftereffects of demonisation!
He did not have Lanling’s heaven-defying golden bloodline. At the time, he had been surrounded and entangled by the Wild Horse Tribe chieftain and three great experts. And Lanling had encountered a life-threatening danger. To save Lanling, Suomo chose to demonise.
After demonisation, Suomo’s entire body was impervious to blades and spears. And his combat power explosively increased.
But in this world, everything had a price. Demonisation was no exception.
For Suomo, demonisation was overdrawing future combat power. And it was an overdraft of who knew how many times!
The power brought by fifteen minutes of demonisation, the price was weakness for the next half month, or even longer!
Once entering a weakened state, Suomo’s martial arts remained at less than half.
Because he was concerned about Lanling and the foreign army’s casualties, Suomo had no time to rest at all. After his demonisation ended and he entered a weakened state, he lay down for less than a quarter of an hour before getting up. Supporting his painful, weak body, he went to visit Lanling, visit the injured brothers of the foreign army, and listen to the foreign army’s casualty report.
One hundred and fifty-three dead, sixty-two injured!
This number had far exceeded Suomo’s imagination. According to his previous estimate, the casualty number should have been double this.
“It was all thanks to Lanling!” Foreign army cavalry centurion Lei Tong said in shock, “Without him, at least seventy percent or more of our eight hundred foreign army would have died. And the defensive line would definitely have been breached.”
Suomo nodded. Because today’s main assault direction of the Wild Horse Tribe was the foreign army’s defensive line.
When he and Du Yan were entangled, it could be said that Lanling, relying on his strength alone, had turned the tide and held the entire defensive line.
Next, Lei Tong said, “Great Chieftain, do you plan to let Lanling succeed you, taking charge of our foreign army?”
Suomo did not hesitate in the slightest, directly nodding.
Now, he no longer had any doubts. Compared to Du Yan, Lanling was a more suitable leader.
Lei Tong said in a low voice, “You are truly far-sighted. I don’t know what others think, but in my heart, though Lanling’s martial arts are far inferior to Chieftain Du Yan’s, I feel he is more suited to become the foreign army’s great chieftain. I am more willing to follow behind him through fire and water!”
In merely a single great battle, Lei Tong’s thoughts had been completely changed.
Suomo could not help but sigh. Lanling simply possessed such intense personal charm. Like a flame in the darkness, frenzied, scorching, brilliantly bright, causing many people to involuntarily follow and pledge loyalty.
…
Two and a half hours later, Lanling was still in a deep sleep. Suomo guarded at his side!
At this moment, suddenly a tribal warrior walked into the tent. His face was filled with arrogance. This was Chieftain Constantine’s trusted warrior.
“The chieftain wishes to see Lanling. Go immediately!”
Suomo said, “He is still very weak. When he wakes, I will have him go pay respects to the chieftain.”
“No. Go immediately.” Constantine’s trusted warrior said resolutely.
Suomo’s face twitched. He was about to drive the man away.
And at this moment, Lanling opened his eyes. He said to Suomo, “Uncle, how are you feeling? Why are you not resting?”
“I am fine. You sleep a while longer, recover your spiritual power. I will go see the chieftain on your behalf.” Suomo said.
Lanling shook his head, “I had better go. The matter should be very important.”
Suomo was righteous and brave, but also very clever. He easily caught Lanling’s underlying meaning. He patted Lanling’s shoulder, “At any time, take your ideals as the highest criterion. So no matter what choice you make, I will understand, and support you. At any moment, I am your uncle. I will stand on your side.”
“I know!” Lanling said, “Thank you, Uncle!”
Then, Lanling got up, patting his head that felt about to explode. He followed that tribal warrior towards Constantine’s tent.
And this scene was witnessed by Du Yan. His eyes nearly split open. His gaze was filled with bone-deep hatred!
After the great battle ended, he felt he was absolutely the first meritorious figure of this battle. Not only was his head count merit first, but he had also slain the Wild Horse Tribe young chieftain.
So, Ninian was destined to be his.
So, these few hours he had been light as a feather, anxious yet excited, endlessly hoping time would accelerate, that the head count military merit statistics would be completed quickly.
This way, he could truly enjoy the glory that belonged to him.
The most crucial point was that Chieftain Constantine had promised that whoever’s military merit was first, he would marry Ninian to him.
Having sworn this before so many people, the chieftain absolutely could not go back on his word.
He was finally about to have his wish fulfilled. Finally about to marry the tribe’s number one beauty.
Glory belonged to him. Beauty belonged to him. Power belonged to him!
So after the great battle ended, Du Yan had perfunctorily visited his foster father Suomo, then impatiently waited for Chieftain Constantine’s summons. His gaze was fixed upon Chieftain Constantine’s tent every single moment.
However, the first person summoned into the chieftain’s tent was unexpectedly not him, Du Yan, but Lanling!
To Du Yan, this was completely like a bolt from the blue. His entire body went ice cold. He could barely believe his eyes.
…
The moment he stepped into the chieftain’s tent, Lanling sensed Constantine’s volcanic enthusiasm.
He quickly stepped forward, grasping Lanling’s hand, patting it heavily, “How is your body? Does your head hurt? Otherwise, sleep well in my tent. I will have Nini light the finest incense to help you sleep?”
Constantine’s attitude was completely different from before.
Before, he had been as cold and biting as midwinter towards Lanling.
But now, it was completely as warm as spring.
“No need. I have already rested almost enough. Many thanks for the chieftain’s concern.” Lanling said insincerely. This kind of false courtesy, he was still quite adept at.
Constantine said, “Before the battle, I had repeatedly promised that in this fate-deciding battle of the Chimera Tribe, if we ultimately won, whoever obtained the greatest military merit, I would marry my daughter Ninian to him. I, this person, keep my word!”
Lanling smiled inwardly. The main event had arrived!
Constantine stared at him with burning gaze, “Lanling, are you willing to marry my most beloved daughter Ninian?”