"I'm coming," Li Man'er called out.
She took two steps forward. Right by her feet was a stone, about the size of a baby's fist. To her left, she saw a dirt wall nearly as tall as a person. Feeling playful, Li Man'er channeled her internal energy to her feet and fiercely kicked the stone, sending it flying towards the wall.
The stone shot out like a gust of wind, embedding itself in the dirt wall. As everyone watched in shock, Li Man'er strode forward.
"Did your general summon me?"
"Yes, General."
"Let's go, lead the way."
Wu Daqiao bowed and gestured for her to proceed.
Just then, exclamations of surprise erupted again, followed by a resounding boom. The dirt wall collapsed with a thunderous roar, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Wu Daqiao's gaze towards Li Man'er changed. The surroundings fell silent, everyone stunned by Li Man'er's display.
"Shall we go?"
"Oh." Wu Daqiao quickly followed, unable to resist glancing back at the ruins.
Once the two had moved away, the onlookers cautiously approached the debris. They found the ground littered with chunks of earth, some adobe bricks even shattered into dust, not a single complete one left.
They exchanged bewildered glances. While adobe bricks weren't as hard as stone or tile, those made with chopped straw and rice water were quite sturdy. The thought of a single stone causing such destruction to a dirt wall was beyond their comprehension.
"Old Li, could you do that?"
"Heh, you overestimate me. Even if it were just me and Tie Niu, plus you, the three of us could at best push this wall down. One stone... that's internal energy cultivation. I can't do that."
"That's just too powerful."
"Indeed, I never would have imagined."
The few individuals who had challenged Li Man'er earlier were now utterly ashamed. They had even considered challenging a general; it was sheer recklessness.
Zhang Jingfeng and Yang Yitian, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, were also greatly shocked by the ruins. They knew they lacked such skill and such formidable internal energy.
Yang Yitian was arguably the most skilled fighter in the Iron Blood Camp. He had practiced martial arts for over thirty years, yet compared to Li Man'er, he felt like a mere child who had just touched the threshold of internal energy.
This act of 'striking the mountain to shake the tiger' had completely subdued the Iron Blood Camp. Those who had harbored minor criticisms towards Li Man'er were now utterly convinced.
Li Man'er had precisely wanted this effect. Without even looking, she knew the outcome would be impressive.
Wu Daqiao led Li Man'er to the council hall. Qi Yihan was already waiting for her, along with Ding Yan and several other generals of the Xiao family.
"General Han, you sent for me?" As Li Man'er entered the hall, everyone's gaze fell upon her. Acting as if she didn't notice, Li Man'er walked directly to Qi Yihan.
Qi Yihan said, "General Li, please be seated. We've asked you here today to discuss the plan for the encirclement and annihilation of the barbarians."
Before Li Man'er could speak, a sarcastic voice cut in, "A mere girl, worthy of the title General? What a joke. Hmph."
Li Man'er turned to look. The speaker was a stout man in his forties, his hair and beard streaked with gray. He had a round belly and striking, bell-like eyes. He was powerfully built, with a bandit-like aura, clearly not someone to be trifled with.
Li Man'er laughed heartily. "General, may I know your esteemed name?"
"Hmph, this old man is Yan Fang, known as the 'Living Yama'."
"Oh, General Yan. It seems General Yan is quite displeased with me, strongly disapproving?"
Yan Fang slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. "Hmph! Is our esteemed country so devoid of talent that they'd let a mere girl lead soldiers into battle? And we must call her to consult on military matters? What kind of arrangement is this?"
While the others didn't echo his words, it was evident they shared Yan Fang's sentiment.
Li Man'er glanced at Qi Yihan. Seeing that he had no intention of intervening, she understood immediately. This damned prince wanted her to fight fire with fire!
"In a way, General Yan's words hold some truth."
Yan Fang was taken aback. He had expected Li Man'er to argue and defend herself, not to immediately agree with him.
"The position of General I hold is indeed not glorious. I have neither an imperial appointment nor a superior's recommendation. I merely won it in a bet after defeating Feng Wuyun. It's truly... a bit of an abuse of power."
"You..." Yan Fang's beard seemed to bristle. "A mere girl, yet your words are bold."
"I always persuade with reason. If General Yan disagrees, he is welcome to debate me." Li Man'er looked at him with a half-smile. "Whether one has ability or not isn't determined by the volume of their voice."
"You..."
Yan Fang, a mere warrior, was no match for Li Man'er in verbal sparring.
"You, you, you. Besides 'you,' does General Yan know any other words?"
The others wanted to laugh but dared not. They were still observing, waiting to see General Han's true intentions. With Yan Fang acting as the sacrificial lamb, they could simply bide their time.
However, this young General Li certainly spoke interestingly.
"I led forty men to sneak attack the barbarian encampment, and with the cost of three dead and two injured, we reaped the lives of ten thousand barbarians!" Li Man'er's voice rang out, impossible to ignore her imposing presence. "Of course, we later relied on General Han's intervention to achieve total victory. But even without General Han's reinforcement, we would have sacrificed all forty lives there, and at the very least, taken the lives of five thousand barbarians. Forty against five thousand, does such an achievement mean nothing in General Yan's eyes? Not worth mentioning?"
"I..."
Yan Fang wanted to say it wasn't worth mentioning, but he simply couldn't bring himself to say it.
What difference would that make from blatant falsehoods?
Li Man'er chuckled softly. "I, alone, dared to venture dozens of miles under the cover of heavy fog, infiltrate the barbarian camp to gather intelligence. Not only did I return with barbarian intelligence, but I also casually killed several hundred barbarian soldiers and returned unharmed. General Yan, if you can emulate this 'mere girl' and venture into the barbarian camp alone, then I will respect you as a man. Otherwise, don't preach about being Yama in front of me, or act like a senior. I don't buy that act."
By the end, Li Man'er slammed her fist on the table, the loud noise making the cups and plates on it jump.
Yan Fang's aged face turned from pale to red, then from red to white. For a long time, he couldn't utter a single word.
Li Man'er's solo night raid on the barbarian camp was common knowledge. There were guards on the city walls as witnesses, and even the pursuing barbarian soldiers. It was impossible to fabricate.
The others stifled their laughter, their faces contorted, clearly struggling to contain themselves.
Seeing that Yan Fang had quieted down, Li Man'er asked, "Now, am I qualified to attend this council with you all?"