"Reporting to Lord Wu Liang! The Roland... The Roland Empire's army is coming!"
The scout tumbled off his horse, ignoring the mud and wounds all over his body as he scrambled to report to Wu Liang.
"The Roland Empire?"
Wu Liang's gaze instantly became sharp.
He had heard this name countless times from the mouths of Wei Xian and Eliza.
The current state of the Great Desolate Mountain was all thanks to this empire.
It was no exaggeration to say that for the Tribes living in the Great Desolate Mountain, the words 'Roland Empire' were a lingering nightmare.
"Don't panic. Take your time and tell me, what exactly happened?"
Wu Liang frowned and added:
"How many of them came? Where are they located now?"
The scout took a breath and began to report at a very rapid pace.
"Reporting, My Lord!"
"About five days ago, a Roland Empire unit set out from Tiee Fortress and entered the Great Desolate Mountain through the western mountain pass."
"There are about a hundred of them, all cavalry! Just yesterday, they attacked the Green Vine Tribe, which is closest to the edge of the Great Desolate Mountain!"
"By the time our people heard the news and rushed there, the entire Green Vine Tribe had been burned down!"
"They stole all the grain and took the most beautiful women as slaves... A baby boy who had finally been born in the Green Vine Tribe was also killed by them!"
"Before I came back to report, they had already begun moving east toward the Ember Tribe!"
Wu Liang nodded:
"Are you sure they are roland people?"
The scout did not hesitate for a moment, his eyes firm:
"I'm sure! They all wear silver armor, and the flags they fly depict the Double-headed Eagle unique to the Roland army!"
"Understood. Come with me."
Wu Liang led the scout to the Council Hall, and soon Wei Xian, Eliza, Akomann, and other high-ranking Tribe members rushed over.
Inside the Council Hall, a fire burned in the hearth.
Everyone sat around a large oval table, their faces illuminated by the firelight.
After the scout recounted everything to the group, everyone's expressions became extremely grim.
"Beasts! Those god-damned Roland scumbags!"
"Those Roland pigs really did come again this year!"
From the moment she entered the door until she sat down, Akomann's face was full of murderous intent as she cursed the roland people.
Not just her, but Wei Xian and Eliza's expressions were also terrible to the extreme.
Wei Xian subconsciously protected her heavily swollen belly with her hand, her eyes filled with deep anxiety and hatred.
The other high-ranking Tribe members in the hall also had expressions of gritted teeth.
To them, the words 'Roland Empire' represented blood, tears, and humiliation—a blood feud that would only end in death.
"Wu Liang, give the order! Our newly trained Black Rock Army can use these scumbags to consecrate our flags!"
"I guarantee that every single one of them will be chopped up! We can definitely slaughter those beasts until not a single piece of armor remains!"
Akomann stood up, her eyes burning as she requested to go to war from Wu Liang.
"No rush."
Wu Liang waved his hand, signaling Akomann to sit down.
"Wei Xian, do the people of the Roland Empire come every year?"
Wu Liang turned his head to look at Wei Xian beside him.
"Every year before winter arrives, the Roland Empire's army enters the Great Desolate Mountain under the guise of collecting taxes."
"The roland people steal our grain, plunder our wealth, and seize the women of the Tribes to be slaves. Of course, the most important thing is that they kill all the males and baby boys of the Tribes."
"Counting the time, it is indeed about that day."
Wei Xian stroked her belly, appearing somewhat worried.
"These roland people are very malicious. Wu Liang, you should also know that the roland people have killed almost all the males in the Great Desolate Mountain Tribes."
"Yet they need our Tribes to continue reproducing to provide them with wealth and a large number of female slaves."
"The roland people try every means to stir up internal conflicts within the Great Desolate Mountain, occasionally letting a few males enter the mountain for our Tribes to fight over."
"We know the roland people do it on purpose, but the Tribes of the Great Desolate Mountain have no choice. We need to reproduce; only a living legacy has the possibility of a successful resistance."
"To them, this is just a game. I've heard that those roland people even place bets every year to see which Tribe captures a man."
"The roland people allow us to get pregnant and give birth, but they absolutely do not allow us to keep a single baby boy... We usually try to hide them, but they are almost always discovered, so it's very difficult for any baby boy in the Great Desolate Mountain to survive."
Eliza clenched her fists, her face full of anger.
"I understand."
After listening, Wu Liang nodded expressionlessly.
The roland people were using the name of tax collection to carry out actual looting and sweeping operations.
These roland people wanted to systematically and long-term oppress and control the Great Desolate Mountain.
By massacring males, they cut off the Tribes' legacy and resistance power, while simultaneously allowing a certain degree of reproduction so the bloodlines wouldn't be completely severed.
By sowing discord between various Tribes, they kept the Tribes of the Great Desolate Mountain in constant internal conflict, thereby turning the entire Great Desolate Mountain into their personal garden and slave farm to be exploited at will.
The methods were indeed poisonous enough, and effective enough.
No wonder the Tribes of the Great Desolate Mountain could only struggle in the mud for so many years, seeing no hope at all.
"Wu Liang, should we immediately withdraw everyone into the city and reinforce the defenses?"
Wei Xian, with her large belly, walked to Wu Liang's side and asked with concern.
She knew the strength of the roland people very well.
Every arrival of the roland people was a humiliating catastrophe.
And this time, not only did the Tribe have Wu Liang, an adult male, but what she was carrying was also very likely a boy.
Once discovered by the roland people, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"No!"
Hearing this, Wu Liang stood up and looked at everyone.
"Akomann is right, we have to fight! Chop these roland people to pieces!"
"Listen up, everyone. We are not what we used to be. Not only will we not defend, but we will also take the initiative to attack!"
"I didn't build this army just to use it for hiding like a turtle in its shell."
His gaze swept over every person present, every word carrying weight.
"If they dare to come, I'll make sure they never return!"
"Besides, others are about to fight at our doorstep; we can't hide from it."
"Fight! Hit these roland people until it hurts! Hit them with one punch to avoid a hundred punches later!"
"We must let them know that the Great Desolate Mountain is no longer a place where they can come and go as they please!"
How could he allow others to wantonly destroy the foundation and stable life he had worked so hard to build?
Wu Liang also realized that this was likely a rare and good opportunity.
The eight major Tribes of the Great Desolate Mountain had been oppressed by the Roland Empire for years. Although there were occasional frictions between them, facing a common enemy, they would surely share a common hatred.
It was only because their power was scattered and they fought individually that they were defeated one by one by the roland people.
If he could stand up at this time and defeat the Roland Empire's looting and sweeping operations with thunderous momentum...
Then, the prestige of the entire Great Desolate Mountain would converge on the Black Rock Tribe and himself, Wu Liang!
By then, if he wanted to subdue the other Tribes and unify the Great Desolate Mountain, it would be just around the corner!
"Yes! That's exactly how it should be done! Fight back!"
Wu Liang's words were like a fire that ignited Akomann's fighting spirit, and she stood up and shouted excitedly.
"Follow me!"