Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Qi Rui'an smiled without saying a word, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He nodded slightly to his men beside him, and several "merchants" disguised as guards surrounded him at the opportune moment, as if to welcome these "distinguished guests" from afar.

They feigned curiosity, praising Tie Man's "power" in an attempt to lower his guard.

Next, Qi Rui'an led them through the streets and alleys, where the city was peaceful.

Fog blanketed the winter city of Hersha, thick as a damp, cold blanket, obscuring the light from the streets.

The air was chilly, and the cold mist that rushed towards us made us unconsciously pull our collars tighter and shiver.

The shops on both sides of the street had their doors and windows tightly closed, and a few pairs of eyes could be vaguely seen peeking out through the cracks behind the windows.

Several usually amiable old neighbors now showed expressions of fear, as if they had encountered an irresistible disaster, and hurriedly retreated.

A group of barbarians crossed the city gate, their heavy footsteps causing the ground to tremble slightly.

The burly man at the head of the group had thick eyebrows and large eyes. He looked around with a disdainful expression. He was wearing a heavy fur cloak and carrying a rusty axe on his shoulder.

The blade of the great axe gleamed faintly, as if carrying the chilling aura of winter.

This group of men were burly and their muscles trembled slightly in the cold wind. Their rugged appearance was a stark contrast to the usual tranquility of Hesha City.

"Look at them, none of them dare to even look you in the eye!" The burly man's lips curled up in a mocking smile, and he grinned smugly.

He secretly thought that the people of Hesha City were just a group of weak and frail commoners who would be too scared to even look up after a few words of intimidation.

His smugness slowly turned into contempt, filled with arrogance and disdain for the city.

But at that moment, in a secluded spot on the street corner, an elderly man quietly peeked out, then pretended to be startled and hid back inside.

It was Qi Rui'an who had arranged for several ordinary people to be acting out a scene of fear and obedience with remarkable realism.

The old man was wearing a patched old coat with a wrinkled face. He seemed unable to dodge, but he was actually "performing" according to Qi Rui'an's instructions.

"Grandma, don't look outside!" a little boy beside him whispered, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

The little boy held the old woman's hand and pretended to be scared, pulling her back, but deliberately leaving a gap so that the burly men could see their "fear".

"Hmph! The old, weak, women and children, they really are cowards at the slightest touch." The burly man snorted, his expression becoming even more smug.

He waved to his entourage, as if he had already brought the city under his control.

Meanwhile, behind a closed shop, several men were holding their breath and pressed quietly against the wall.

The young man in the lead pressed his ear close to the door, listening intently to the sounds outside. His palms were slightly sweaty, but he forced himself to remain calm, waiting for the predetermined signal.

The burly men swaggered over, and whispers could be heard from the street. Those seemingly timid hushed conversations were actually a way of subtly guiding them.

Whenever the Iron Barbarians approached, the people on the street corner would pretend to lower their heads and remain silent, as if they were terrified of them.

The young people arranged by Qi Rui'an acted out their fear step by step, occasionally whispering "They're coming" and "Hide."

These feigned alarmist words spread like wildfire through the streets and alleys, weaving a real deception for the unsuspecting Iron Barbarians.

For the burly man in the lead, all of this was undoubtedly the best proof of his intimidation power.

He laughed heartily, waved the large axe in his hand, and gestured for his men to advance freely.

His large, rough hands rubbed the axe handle with a hint of smugness.

The burly man would occasionally look up and gaze around, as if enjoying the pleasure of being "feared."

But he didn't realize that countless eyes were watching their movements from the shadows in the alleys of the city.

Just as they were striding proudly across the street, a boy darted out from around the corner, disappearing into the shadows of the alley in a flash, quickly relaying the message.

The young boy delivering the message looked excited; he knew their performance had worked.

Qi Rui'an noticed the subtle changes in the burly man's expression and smiled to himself, knowing that they had gradually lowered their guard.

Upon arriving at the city lord's mansion, Qi Rui'an respectfully extended his hand in invitation: "Please come in, gentlemen. The city lord has specially prepared fine wine and delicacies, and will certainly not neglect you."

He adopted a humble demeanor and welcomed these Iron Barbarians into the main hall of the city lord's mansion.

The hall was brightly lit, the tables were laden with food and wine, and servants bustled about, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

The men sent by Tie Man exchanged smug glances upon seeing this "warm hospitality," seemingly confirming that Hesha City indeed had no intention of resisting.

The burly man at the head patted Qi Rui'an on the shoulder and laughed, "You guys are smart enough. I'll tell my general when we get back that the people of Hesha City are quite sensible."

Qi Rui'an smiled and agreed, raising his glass in a toast, but his heart was filled with calm calculations.

That night, after getting completely drunk, Qi Rui'an made proper arrangements to send them out of the city.

The strong man returned to the camp and reported in detail to Tie Manxiong, the general of Tie Man, about the "cowardice" of Hesha City.

"General, Qi Rui'an seems to be nothing more than a weakling, and the city lord of Hesha City only knows how to flatter and fawn."

"If we want to take over, it shouldn't take any effort at all," the burly man said smugly.

Tie Manxiong pondered for a moment, then sneered: "Does such a dilapidated city really think it can stop this general?"

Since they are so compliant, we'll save ourselves the trouble of attacking them. He then ordered the army to prepare to "take over" Hesha City.

So the strong man led his men to Hesha City first, ready to meet Tie Man.

However, just as the Iron Barbarian army was secretly rejoicing, Gu Jinyan had already anticipated their actions.

She quietly deployed an elite force within the city of Hersha, dispersing them to various key locations throughout the city, preparing for battle.

At dawn, Gu Jinyan stood on the high platform of the city wall, gazing at the thick morning mist and the faintly visible Tieman camp.

She knew she had to seize this moment and launch a surprise counterattack.

She summoned Qi Rui'an and the others, and whispered, "Is everything ready?"

Qi Rui'an nodded: "General Gu, rest assured, all the secret passages have been prepared, and the soldiers are all waiting in their designated positions, just waiting for your order."

Gu Jinyan nodded slowly, her expression cold and stern. She didn't say much, but simply raised her hand slightly, and a signal flame shot straight into the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of war drums resounded throughout the streets of Hersha City, steady and powerful, like a beast awakening in the night.

On the city wall, Qi Rui'an watched all of this from the lookout point.

A cold smile flashed in his eyes as he muttered, "Iron Barbarians, today I will show you the audacity of Hesha City."

He waved his hand lightly, and the guards hidden in the dark corners of the city wall behind him immediately sprang into action, silently withdrawing the outer patrol forces.

A short while later, hurried footsteps came from the end of the street.

The Iron Barbarian looked in the direction of the sound and saw several men dressed in ordinary people's clothes running around in fear.

They ran while looking back, seemingly fleeing in extreme panic, shouting, "Get out of the way! The Iron Barbarians are coming!"

The burly men watched with great interest, assuming that these people had been scared away by their imposing presence.

They hadn't realized that the few "escaping" civilians were actually "bait" arranged by Qi Rui'an.

The burly man waved his hand triumphantly: "Haha! Hurry up and chase them! Let's see where these cowards from Hesha City can run to!"

However, as the strong men chased after the “escaping” civilians, they were led to a remote corner of Hesha City, a dead end.

By the time they arrived, the people had vanished without a trace. The alley was deserted, with only a few tattered hemp ropes hanging in the corners of the walls, swaying in the wind.

At that moment, several figures flashed across the wall above the alley; the guards of Hesha City had already been lying in ambush all around.

At Qi Rui'an's command, torches were lit on the wall, and the light instantly illuminated the alley entrance. The soldiers of Hesha City slowly appeared and sealed the exit tightly.

The burly men finally realized they had been ambushed, and for the first time, panic showed in their eyes.

"Although the people of Hesha City are not good at fighting, they will never allow themselves to be bullied."

Qi Rui'an slowly emerged from the shadows, wearing a thick winter coat, and coldly stared at the Iron Barbarians.

His voice was deep and authoritative, filled with an unquestionable firmness.

The burly man at the head gripped his axe tightly, a flicker of panic in his eyes, but he stubbornly insisted, "A few disguises and you think you can stop us Iron Barbarians? What a joke!"

With a roar, he raised his great axe and charged at Qi Rui'an.

However, the guards were prepared. At Qi Rui'an's command, several soldiers rushed forward and surrounded the burly man.

In the streets and alleys, people who had been hiding behind doors and windows peeked out again, their expressions no longer showing the previous "fear," but rather a hint of relieved satisfaction.

The old men whispered to the children beside them, "Look, this is the courage of Hesha City."

The children stared intently at the burly men who had been subdued.

The Iron Barbarian army camp quickly noticed the unusual activity in the city, and Iron Barbarian Xiong was taken aback.

He was furious: "How dare they resist? These people have some nerve!" He immediately ordered his troops to assemble and prepare to attack Hesha City.

However, when the Iron Barbarian soldiers swarmed forward and rushed to the city gate, the originally open gate suddenly closed slowly, and a heavy gate descended from the sky, keeping dozens of soldiers at the forefront out.

The city walls were already filled with archers, and countless arrows flew down from above, catching the Iron Barbarian army off guard and throwing them into chaos.

Gu Jinyan watched all of this with a cold eye, his heart as still as water.

She never intended to show weakness, nor did she ever waver in her determination to protect Hersha City.

At this moment, her plan had already begun. What she wanted was to catch the Iron Barbarians off guard and make them reap what they sowed.

On a cold winter night, the north wind howled like a knife across the city walls, bringing with it a bone-chilling cold.

Xu Zhen stood quietly at the entrance of the secret passage, his gaze deep, as if waiting for a signal from the secret agent.

The elite soldiers behind him were all hidden in the shadows, concealed like snow leopards in the mountains, poised to strike.

The night was deep and silent, with only the soldiers' breathing and the winter chill creating a barely perceptible white mist.

"General, the Iron Barbarian camp ahead is already asleep," the lieutenant reported in a low voice, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Our gunpowder has been buried and can be ignited at any time."

Xu Zhen nodded slightly, his gaze sharp as he swept over the soldiers beside him.

This elite force, trained under his rigorous discipline, had long been accustomed to entrusting their lives to each other.

,

Their eyes were filled with a chilling aura; no one showed fear, not even a hint of retreat. Xu Zhen gently raised his hand, signaling everyone to prepare, then whispered, "Attack!"

At a command, the soldiers moved silently through the dark passage like ghosts, their steps light and swift, making almost no sound.

The icy night wind howled past, stinging their faces like knives, but none of them were afraid of the cold; their eyes were fixed on the target ahead.