Most of the Lingnan region had been conquered by Great Qin.
Except for a few areas, the entire Lingnan region was now under Great Qin's control.
The remaining few were like startled birds, living in constant fear.
"Will those Qin soldiers attack our tribe?"
"Probably not. Our tribe is small, only a few hundred people. The Qin army shouldn't bother coming for us!"
"I agree. We're just a small tribe, and we have no intention of attacking Great Qin. They shouldn't attack us!"
These small tribes harbored a glimmer of hope.
They believed that the twenty thousand strong Qin army wouldn't bother with them.
Furthermore, they felt that their past actions hadn't constituted a provocation against Great Qin.
They were sure that a small tribe like theirs would be overlooked.
However, their wishes were pleasant, but reality was cruel.
Just when they thought they would be ignored by Great Qin, someone soon arrived.
The visitors were not from Great Qin, but they carried Great Qin's message.
"We are from the Scorpion Tribe. We are here to negotiate on behalf of Great Qin. Are you willing to surrender?"
"What? You're from the Scorpion Tribe? Aren't you the strongest tribe in Lingnan? How can you be working for Great Qin?"
"That's none of your concern. It's our business. Now, we only have one question for you: are you willing to surrender?"
"This… what will happen if we don't surrender?"
"The Great Qin army will arrive as scheduled!"
Hearing this, the faces of the tribesmen turned deathly pale.
Their tribe only had a few hundred people. If the Great Qin army came, none of them would survive.
Even if they resisted and managed to kill some Qin soldiers, they wouldn't be able to protect their families or their tribe.
At this thought, they all fell silent.
Earlier, they had hoped the Great Qin army wouldn't find them.
Little did they know that the Qin army was so swift, leaving them no time to react.
Now, they faced a difficult choice.
If they surrendered now, they might live, but none of them knew what their future would hold.
Moreover, surrendering would be a great humiliation.
But if they didn't surrender, the outcome was clear: they would surely die.
At best, they could take a few Qin soldiers down with them.
Thus, their minds raced, agonizing over whether or not to surrender.
The warriors from Lingnan who had come to deliver Great Qin's decree understood their dilemma.
They had experienced the same agonizing deliberation before.
However, they couldn't make the decision for these people.
Whatever choice they made, they had to report back to the Qin soldiers.
Of course, they remained vigilant.
They knew that undertaking such a task was dangerous, and a single mistake could cost them their lives.
Under these circumstances, they had to be exceptionally careful.
After pondering for a while, the chief of the tribe did lean towards surrendering.
His youngest son had just been born, and he didn't want his son to die in battle.
However, before he could voice his decision to surrender, someone in the tribe shouted loudly.
"Chief, we cannot surrender! If we surrender, we will be sinners to our tribe!"
"Yes, Chief! If we surrender, our tribe will cease to exist! Besides, our tribe's terrain is treacherous. The Qin army cannot possibly defeat us. We still have a chance to survive!"
"Chief, our warriors are willing to fight. We do not wish to surrender so easily. Chief, we are willing to fight to the death!"
"Yes! Fight to the death!"
Someone in the tribe shouted for a fight to the death.
Then, someone suddenly attacked the Lingnan warrior who had come to deliver the message.
Without any warning, he plunged his saber into the man.
Although the Lingnan warrior had been somewhat prepared, he still couldn't evade the fatal blow.
He collapsed before everyone's eyes.
This sudden turn of events caused widespread commotion.
Those who had been contemplating surrender were even more terrified.
"How could you act so rashly? How could you kill him?"
"How could we spare someone who acts as a dog for Great Qin? Killing him is the right choice, honoring his ancestors!"
"But if we kill him, we will have no room for negotiation. The Qin army will definitely attack us!"
With this man dead, they truly had no room to maneuver.
Even the tribal chief was filled with remorse.
He had been inclined to surrender, but with this turn of events, his desire to surrender was now useless.
Looking at the warriors fighting for the tribe, he couldn't utter any words of blame.
He could only sigh.
"Alas! Since this man has been killed, we have no other choice!"
"Have our warriors prepare themselves. We must be ready to face the attack of the Qin army at any moment!"
"Come on! Our weapons are not for show. If the Qin soldiers want to kill us, we will surely make them pay dearly!"
Although the tribesmen had heard of the Great Qin army's reputation, they were confident that their tribe's terrain was advantageous enough to resist the Qin forces.
When the Great Qin soldiers indeed attacked, they believed they would make them pay a bloody price.
However, upon receiving the news of the death of the men he had sent out, Lin Tian had lost all patience for these games.
"How many are there?"
"No more than five hundred!"
"Since there are so few, have them bloom in the center and blow them up!"
"Order our glider troops to carry explosives and directly bomb their tribe!"
The so-called glider troops were a unit created to mimic gliding.
Their function was akin to aerial bombardment.
Originally, such aerial attacks involved soldiers parachuting into enemy lines to break through defenses and gain an advantage.
But now, with the advent of bombs, the situation was entirely different.
They could use the glider troops to drop bombs, and their terrifying destructive power was beyond anyone's imagination.
...