This burly and brave man, though stout and strong, had a face full of honesty, unlike his brother Caine, who was full of dominance. Even if he were placed in power, it would be difficult to pacify the Western Barbarians according to his wishes. He said with a relaxed smile, "Your brother is obstinate. This is the fourth time I've captured him today, and he still shows no remorse. Moreover, he has repeatedly fought and lost, and repeatedly fought again, putting his kin and brothers in the midst of senseless warfare. What face does he have to see the spirits of their ancestors in heaven?"
Sbotan bowed his head and pleaded, "I beg Lord Svein for mercy! Sbotan will persuade the Great King to submit and never offend the Saint Roman Empire again for the rest of his life!"
Xiao Xun nodded. He had not expected this seemingly impetuous man to react so quickly. He laughed heartily, "Capturing your brother is child's play for me. Killing you all is not for today!"
Saying this, he leaned down and locked eyes with Sbotan, stating, "But you must go back and persuade him diligently!"
Sbotan met Xiao Xun's sharp gaze, feeling flustered and panicked, cold sweat dripping down his body, his back chilled. He felt that this young man, who appeared delicate, possessed immense strength. Once he exerted his power, it would surely be like a fierce storm. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva and uttered a single sentence.
"Lord Svein, rest assured… rest assured…"
Xiao Xun then stood up straight and said, "Release them. Let us go meet the Barbarian King."
With that, he ignored Sbotan and the others and strode towards the trap where Caine was confined.
The swamp had already submerged Caine up to his chest, but Caine did not seem anxious. He seemed certain that Xiao Xun would not kill him.
However, being trapped here, being anxious was futile.
The moment Xiao Xun's face appeared at the entrance of the legion, Caine looked up at Xiao Xun with defiance filling his expression, staring at Xiao Xun proudly.
Xiao Xun was calm and composed, barely suppressing a laugh in his heart, "Great King, after being captured again this time, what excuse do you have?"
"I fell into Lord Svein's treacherous plot and cannot rest in peace!" Caine said through gritted teeth.
Xiao Xun finally burst into laughter, "My army's main force lured the Barbarian King away from the great fortress, then crossed the river from downstream to outflank and break the Barbarian King's army, and capture his stronghold. This is orthodox military strategy, how can it be called a treacherous plot?"
Caine snorted, "I have always been upright and honorable, and I thought Lord Svein was the same! If you dare to release me again, I will surely redeem myself!"
Xiao Xun nodded, "You make a valid point."
Before long, the Saint Roman army also departed.
The swamp was now nearing Caine's neck. Caine's heart began to panic, and his composure vanished. He shouted, "Lord Svein! What do you mean?"
Before long, Xiao Xun's faint, clear voice echoed, "If the Barbarian King wishes to redeem himself, he must also demonstrate some skill. If you can escape alive, I will await your revenge!"
The voice seemed to come from the distant heavens, yet it was reasoned and logical, leaving Caine speechless. He could only pant heavily: escaping this swamp was truly not easy.
As Caine grew anxious, he suddenly felt his body no longer sinking. His mood lightened. It seemed this trap was not a magical illusion, but truly constructed by the Saint Roman army.
After being trapped for an unknown duration, Caine heard someone above softly calling out in the barbarian tongue, "Great King! Great King! Are you still alive?"
Upon hearing his own people's voices, Caine's anger surged from his chest. He bellowed, "You scoundrels! Why are you only coming out now? Hurry and rescue me!"
Sbotan's voice rang out, "Great King, Svein is cunning. He only let his men withdraw now, which is why I dared to come rescue you!"
Caine inwardly sighed at Svein's meticulous planning. Seeing himself sinking further, he gasped and shouted, "Stop the nonsense! Save me!"
Before long, the barbarian soldiers threw down a vine rope. With all their might, they pulled Caine up.
After Sbotan rescued Caine, both were in a sorry state. The group sat on the ground, panting. Overcome with sorrow, the two brothers embraced and wept.
The repeated setbacks were truly a profound humiliation. Moreover, many of his kin and brothers had died in the battle. With only a few dozen men left, how could he seek revenge? He could not help but feel despondent.
By the time the brothers returned to the Boluo Legion, the defeated soldiers had gradually returned. When they mentioned the Saint Roman army, they spoke with gratitude, though such words dared not be uttered in front of Caine.
Caine and his brother gathered the defeated soldiers, numbering tens of thousands.
The barbarian generals busied themselves with reorganizing the defeated troops, though the so-called reorganization was merely a reassignment of their affiliations.
After this battle, Caine's kin and generals suffered heavy losses, leaving only some foot soldiers whose affiliations needed to be determined.
The barbarian army was accustomed to disorder, relying on scattered skirmishers rather than fighting in an organized manner like the continental armies of Atlantis.
This was precisely why the barbarian army found it difficult to achieve victory against the Saint Roman forces.
Caine and his brother convened their kin and generals to discuss future plans on how to resist the Saint Roman army. After such a setback, with the loss of soldiers and officers, it would be difficult to defend the Boluo Legion with such a small force.
The men deliberated for a long time but could not come up with a solution. Sbotan thought of Zu'an, and his resentment grew, "Zu'an was the one who said we should attack Atlantis. Now that we have lost, he is nowhere to be seen!"
Caine said faintly, "Zu'an has gone to the Witch Realm to fetch reinforcements. Once he returns with them, we will surely be able to crush the Saint Roman army!"
Upon hearing that Zu'an had gone to the Witch Realm for reinforcements, Sbotan fell silent. However, thinking of his many kinsmen who died in the war, his heart was uneasy. He said indignantly, "Great King! Who knows how long we will have to wait for him to arrive? What should we do now?"
Caine's eyes darted around, "What are you afraid of? The summer heat is approaching. As long as we retreat and do not engage, the Saint Roman army will not be able to withstand the heat and will naturally withdraw!"
Sbotan's brow furrowed slightly, "Our Boluo Legion is currently weak in numbers. If the Saint Roman army breaks through the legion's headquarters, our clan may be on the verge of extinction."
What Sbotan said was indeed the truth. The barbarian armies had been in continuous warfare. Although most tribes now submitted to Caine, in the barbarian territories, where strength dictated everything, if he lost his power, he might face attacks from countless tribes, and the power dynamics in the barbarian lands would be reshuffled.
Hearing this, Caine broke out in a cold sweat. He glared and nodded, "Not only that, but if we lose our influence in the barbarian lands, the Saint Roman army will likely not spare us either."
All the leaders exchanged glances, and the tent fell into silence as they pondered how to resolve the current predicament.
"Perhaps…"
Sbotan looked at Caine, hesitating to speak. The other leaders seemed to know what Sbotan intended to say and looked at Caine with anticipation.
Caine frowned and shook his head, clearly unsatisfied with his clansmen's suggestion.
"Are there any other solutions?"
Sbotan's eyes dimmed, "If the Great King has no ideas, how can this subordinate think of any?"
Caine remained silent, merely nodding with a heavy heart, as if he were already contemplating the suggestion made by the leaders.
All the high-ranking generals of Caine's clan in the tent fell into silence. Caine's face was solemn, his brow deeply furrowed. Just then, Sbotan suddenly had an idea, "I have it!"
Caine quickly asked, "What is it?"
"Great King, why don't we go to the Poison Rust Dragon Legion to seek out Lord Chocai?"
Upon hearing this, all the leaders showed joy. Caine even slapped his thigh, "That's right! I've long heard that Lord Chocai's Poison Rust Dragon Legion has treacherous terrain, far more so than our Boluo Legion. It is indeed a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack."
Saying this, he suddenly showed a troubled expression, his gaze falling on Sbotan with difficulty, "However, now that we brothers are outnumbered, if we go to him for refuge, I wonder…"
Sbotan patted his chest reassuringly, "Great King, rest assured! I have a deep friendship with Lord Chocai, and he will surely not refuse."
"Good! Then you go first to the Poison Rust Dragon Legion and negotiate with him. I will follow shortly. Do not force the issue."
"Elder Brother, rest assured!"