Way of Overlord
Chapter 149: A Dangerous Neighbor

Chapter 149: A Dangerous Neighbor

As Qiao Meng looked upon Xu Bai, his eyes narrowed with a sharp disdain, and a storm of anger brewed within his heart.

He spoke the name, "Xu Bailong."

Qiao Meng is well-acquainted with Xu Bai.

Amongst the people, there was another moniker associated with him—Xu Bailong, Xu the White Dragon.

Xu Bailong had been a prodigy from a young age, excelling both in the military and literary arts.

The relationship between the Qiao and Xu families was far from amicable; if anything, they could be considered bitter enemies.

The Xu family had once held a prominent position in the capital until their grandfather faced demotion and was exiled to Nurshira.

In contrast, the Qiao family had deep roots in Nurshira, residing there for decades before the Xu family ever set foot in the region.

The origins of their rivalry were veiled in the obscurity of time, yet the weight of grievances and hatred between the two families is palpable.

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All they know is that so many grievances and hatred piled together.

And Qiao Meng and Xu Bai also have their own grievances and enmity against each other. Xu Bai look at Qiao Meng looking at him with unfriendly gaze and he could not help but sigh.

He came here offering advice precisely because he knows the city is in danger. Xu Bai did not like Qiao Meng or the Qiao family. To him, the Qiao family oppresses the common people and make money with unsavory means.

But this is personal grievances and the invasion is the matter of the state and he knows how to differentiate it.

Xu Bai has always been lofty and he wanted to espouse the ideals of the Great Harmony. So, he forgets his personal grievance and come to the city walls to offer advice

But just looking at Qiao Meng, he already felt that it will be very hard to persuade Qiao Meng to listen to his advice.

Still, he could not give up now

So, he began telling the people about the Brolgadhr tribe.

"The Brolgadhr tribe is no longer a small tribe. It is now led by a young Chief that has quickly subjugate many tribes like the Akhan of the Empires of the Steppes in the distant past. Not only should we not underestimate these barbarians, we should ask the helps of the other nearby city lords to quickly gather soldier. Unless we have unified command, it would be hard to repel the barbarians"

Xu Bai possessed a wealth of knowledge about the Yan Empire, including the intricate web of politics and influence within the imperial court.

He had a keen sense of which families are worthy of holding positions of power and which are not.

While the Xu family had lost some of its former influence, it still held a significant place in Yan’s political landscape.

Even though the Xu family is no longer as influential as they were in the past, the body of a starved camel is still bigger than a living horse.

Beyond the machinations of court politics, Xu Bai had a grander ambition.

He is not content with the status quo; instead, he saw the world teetering on the brink of chaos.

His extensive travels had exposed him to a diverse array of people and ideas, and he had developed a unique ability to judge individuals.

He recognized that a day of reckoning was approaching, a time when his accumulated wisdom could be put to use to reshape the world

So that when the day comes, he could espouse his wisdom and opens up a new world and era

Xu Bai penetrating gaze reached beyond the surface of politics.

He perceived the deep-seated rot within the Yan dynasty, a decay that festered while many turned a blind eye.

The Yellow Turban rebellion, is a desperate outcry of the oppressed, is symptomatic of a much larger issue.

While the common people cried out for relief, the Emperor and his officials continued to exploit their suffering.

Yes, Xu Bai heard it, the cry and the screams and to him it is all the same. A cry and screams of suffering that should not have happened.

Xu Bai has a different vision than some of the old men in the government and the noble and aristocratic family

He also knows one of the problems of the current Yan dynasty is none other than the aristocratic family themselves.

He recognized that knowledge was the key to change, and he tirelessly accumulated wisdom from all corners of the world.

This is why he is also gathering knowledge about the world.

In that effort, he also send some people to look at the Great Steppe

It was just a simple move and he did not expect it to borne anything of value. Xu Bai himself does not feel like that there would be many changes to the tribes of the Great Steppe.

Even though the Yan Empire once claimed that they conquered the Great Steppe, those words could only deceive the common people

Those who knows the story knows that there is only a few tribes in the Southern Great Steppe that listen to them and the Great Steppe is too large and there is not even an official in the so-called conquered regions of the Great Steppe.

But, nobody ever pays attention to the barbarians and think nothing of them. After all, they have long lacked a unifying leader.

But then when he got news for the Great Steppe, it was a news that he never expected.

The news that reached Xu Bai about the Great Steppe was about a young chief

A young chief had risen to power, initially leading a small tribe, but he quickly expanded his influence through a series of victories.

This chief had defeated formidable neighbouring tribes like the Xewa and Ghar, secured a powerful alliance with the Utgard tribe in the northern regions of the Southern Great Steppe, and then embarked on a campaign to subjugate nearby tribes.

This rapid rise to prominence was unusual in the Great Steppe, where tribal dynamics and leadership could often remain unchanged for generations.

Such a development hinted at a charismatic and skilled leader, one capable of uniting disparate tribes under a common cause.

For Xu Bai, this was a significant departure from the usual state of affairs in the vast expanse of the Great Steppe.

Xu Bai initially wasn’t overly concerned about this emerging leader in the Great Steppe.

The history of the region had seen its share of charismatic chiefs, and territorial disputes were not uncommon among the various tribes.

Typically, these conflicts revolved around grazing rights, livestock, or other resources.

Expansion beyond these limited disputes was relatively rare, especially in the Southern Great Steppe.

Xu Bai believed that once the initial fervour of conquest waned, this young chief, Aeryon, would likely return to a more traditional way of life – one centred around grazing and horse-rearing.

It was a pattern that had repeated itself countless times in the Great Steppe’s long history.

And this is not the fault of Xu Bai thinking,

it wasn’t just Xu Bai who held this view; it is a widely accepted understanding among the tribes of the Southern Great Steppe.

These tribes typically lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle, migrating seasonally to find fresh pastures for their livestock.

Expansion beyond their immediate needs is seldom pursued, especially when the territory was shared among several tribes.

However, Aeryon is proving to be an exception to this established pattern.

Instead of settling into a peaceful coexistence after securing a relatively large territory, he continued to aggressively expand.

This behaviour was both unprecedented and alarming to those who knows the politics and behavior of the Great Steppe tribes.

Unlike most chiefs, who satisfied their immediate needs and maintained a balance within their territories, Aeryon displayed a different ambition.

He wasn’t content with securing his tribe’s sustenance; he seemed to harbour grander aspirations.

While other chiefs hesitated to cross certain lines or intrude into territories long held by other tribes, Aeryon acted without such restraint.

He had no qualms about challenging tribes that had coexisted for generations, even if it meant conquering them.

His strategic vision was unclouded by the boundaries that usually confined the tribal leaders of the Great Steppe.

His rapid and aggressive campaigns demonstrated a determination to unite the Southern Great Steppe under a single banner, an ambition that had not been seen in many years.

He did not stop expanding. He waited only a few weeks before, Brolgadhr tribe went on a westward campaign, subduing the Khulun tribe the Kanun tribe.

However, this is not what shock Xu Bai

It was the stratagem that shock Xu Bai.

it was Aeryon unconventional strategy that sent shockwaves throughout the Southern Great Steppe, catching not only Xu Bai but also the entire Southern Great Steppe by surprise.

The swiftness and precision of his attacks were a stark departure from the usual territorial disputes and clashes over resources that had defined tribal interactions for generations.

Traditionally, any tribe attempting to expand faced immediate resistance from its neighbouring tribes.

These neighbours often formed coalitions to suppress the would-be aggressor, effectively smothering their expansion efforts in the cradle.

This pattern of tribal conflict and restraint had created an equilibrium of sorts on the Great Steppe.

Aeryon, however, disrupted this balance.

His lightning-fast attacks left rival chieftains scrambling to respond.

By the time news of his conquests reached the ears of neighbouring tribes and their coalition discussions began, Aeryon already occupied a commanding position.

His audacious approach had granted him a significant advantage, one that couldn’t be easily countered.

This audacity, coupled with his powerful generals and disciplined army enhance his prowess, and reshaping the tribal dynamics of the Southern Great Steppe, and it left Xu Bai deeply concerned about the future of the region and the Yan dynasty’s borders.

Aeryon audacious strategy to simultaneously attack in three different directions was a high-stakes gamble that required an exceptional level of courage and tactical acumen.

any misstep could lead to the downfall of one’s tribe.

By splitting his forces into three, Aeryon was playing a dangerous game.

If the neighbouring tribes had caught wind of his plan or if his warriors had faltered even for a moment, disaster could have ensued.

However, the potential rewards were equally immense.

Success in such a daring gambit would solidify Aeryon position as a dominant chieftain in the Southern Great Steppe.

This bold move, born from a combination of strategic insight and unwavering courage, not only paid off but also set Aeryon on a trajectory toward unprecedented power and influence among the tribes of the Great Steppe.

It was a testament to his leadership and vision, qualities that would redefine the region politics.

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