The Three-Eyed Horned-Toads are a Variant-Species of Horned-Toads, unlike their predecessors—which are commonly found and widely known how to deal with—these successors are regularly.... extremely difficult to find. Not to mention being even more problematic and tricky to handle, almost to the degree of reaching the extreme.... or even the impossible!

Horned-Toads are.... annoying little "croaks" indeed. Their little, prickly, tough, and sharp horns—which they use to pierce their enemies—are located on-top of their flattened-heads. It contains their most lethal-poison yet, these Horned-Toads rarely rely on this cruel weapon of theirs.

Simply because, it's difficult for Horned-Toads to regrow these horns. And.... it's commonly-known that it shortens their lifespan, almost in half!

Mostly, these Horned-Toads exhale poisonous-vapor around their territory.

Since they live in great-numbers—which is uncommon for Toads!—this croaking-army of Horned-Toads is usually covered in a thick and deadly poisonous-cloud, not to mention that it's hard not to notice their arrival.... since they're really, really, really noisy.

However, their Variant-Species are way worse because.... they're not only quite and stealthy but they're also capable of exhaling poison that's colorless as well as odorless! They're surrounded by a domain of poison that's no-different from thin-air.

To make the nightmare even more worse, Three-Eyed Horned-Toads have more horns on their head.... and they're naturally capable of growing their horns at a startling-speed.

The loss of their lifespan isn't that costly, about one-tenth or so. Not to mention that the limits on their reproductive ability are loose.... way too loose, if compared to other creatures? then.... they're like rodents or a swarm of locust. 

The higher the number of horns on their heads, the more dangerous the poison of that Toad would be.

Any Three-Eyed Horned-Toad with a golden-horn is already considered a Tier-One Demonic-Beast!

Yet after all these dangerous abilities of theirs.... Three-Eyed Horned-Toads are frustrating because they could use their horns in close-range, they could rely-on their invisible-domain both during fight-or-flight situations.

Their most annoying ability however is.... their Third-Eye. Simply because that Third-Eye of theirs could be used from long-range, it works in confusing or stunning their target.

Once they encounter an enemy that's too difficult for them to hunt, their Third-Eye confuses their target until the Toads are well-within safety.

Once they encounter a prey that's too fast for them to catch, their Third-Eye stuns their target and delays it until the Toads are—at least—close enough to poison it with their domain.

'Feng's men are elite soldiers, Battalion-Commander Niu was commanded to take his men on that scouting-mission only if they're wearing a full-set of ZhuQing-attire.

'I'm not worried about any of them being put under some illusion by the Toads, if it happens to any of them? then.... their brothers-in-arms are bound to discover the one being targeted almost immediately.

'I'm more worried about all of them being unlucky, them entering the invisible poison-domain together is the worst-case scenario.

'Their ZhuQing-attire and their armor should provide them with some form of protection for a while, but I doubt it'd last long against the corrosive-poison.

'Let's hope I make it in time, hopefully there isn't any Gold-Horned Three-Eyed Toad.

'My attainments in the Rainbow-Scripture are still lacking, dealing with that sort of enemy right now is risky.

'Not to mention having to confront it while being surrounded by a whole army of its kind, on home-ground no less.

'I'm still a stubborn-idiot.... I should've probably asked Zhu Feng for the Green-Robe before leaving the battlefield.

The seductress thought to herself while mostly avoiding the Lizardmen whenever she met any of them, Cang Yanmei could handle these humanoids however.... doing so would delay her and right now she's in a hurry. Still, she ignored the poisonous-bugs almost completely since she's immune to their venom. In-fact, if any of these bugs dared to sting her? then.... they're the ones who would die instead!

Not to mention that there's too little area on Yanmei's skin that's left exposed for them to target, since she's already covered in the ZhuQing-attire save for the long-sleeves.

Once in a while she'd discover other creatures and slow-down to judge if it's safe for her to keep going on the same path or to take a quick detour before heading further within the Dark-Swamps.

Judging by the tracks left by the scout-mission, they rarely had to fight the inhabitants.

When they did, they finished the fight quickly—which is the right decision.

*****

"Commander."

"Hmmm."

"It happened again."

"Who?"

"Squad-Captain Dai."

One of Niu's deputies said while looking everywhere around him, the worry in his tone of voice were clear and the Company-Captain tightened his grip on his weapon.

Despite doing his best to breathe slowly in-order to control his emotions and to minimize his nervousness, the Battalion-Commander squinted his eyes while answering.

The former-mercenary was attempting to peer-through the thick layer of mist which is making it difficult to see further than thirty or forty-meters.

Them discovering this rocky and elevated terrain within these complicated circumstances is all thanks to Thunder and his keen senses, Niu and his fifty-men somehow squeezed within the cracks and climbed.

Near the top they discovered a cave which they made temporary-camp within until they assess the situation.

However, some of them began to experience strange symptoms.

One of them suddenly lost his mind and attempted to jump from this cave, without being worried at all about snapping his neck at the bottom of this steep-cliff!

After being slapped silly by his brothers-in-law, that soldier said something about hearing a "calling" of some sort while wiping cold sweat from his forehead.

Afterwards, their Battalion-Commander ordered for them to stay in groups and to watch one another carefully.

They're to immediately react once any of them begins to act out of normal, true to the expectations of their Battalion-Commander.... every once in a while one or two of them would attempt to fight an imaginary-enemy or walk on thin-air!

*****

'There's a dangerous enemy.

'I always thought that little-sister is the only one who could sneak-up on me without me noticing, this one is very sneaky like her.

'I warned that two-legged idiot and his friends, it's good that they listened to my order and moved up and away from the small ones.

'There's too many of them, but their leader is trying to use some of them to surround me.... the rest are targeting the idiot and his followers.

'His mate is kind and generous, she always gives me lots of treats and gentle tummy-rubs.

'Woof! Why do I feel dizzy all of a sudden? I took a nice long nap earlier today.... t-that's the new mate of our leader.

'Whine.... my vision is.... too sleepy.... too weak.... can't feel my legs no more.... am I going to be eaten by that small and sneaky little-one?'

*****

"Huh. Thunder! What's wrong with you boy?" Cang Yanmei stumbled-on the grey-wolf after following the scout-mission's tracks for about an hour or so, "Poison.... sniff... nothing.... you poor thing, you fell for their domain of odorless-poison." The seductress kept massaging Thunder's long fur gently while saying that, from her bosom she took a pair of tiny glass-vials then poured two drops in his mouth.

Cang Yanmei : "Sorry. But we need to be on the move," Afterwards she helped the grey-wolf stand-up then positioned herself underneath its belly, "Bear with me please.... huff.... my oh my.... huff.... you're so heavy.... what is he feeding you guys?" Carrying the lethargic and weakened Demonic-Beast proved to be a bothersome-task for this Peak-Tier Grandmaster Martial-Artist.

"Whine...."

"No need to be sorry, it just means that you're healthy."

"Woof...."

"Of course you owe me! You owe me big time, make sure to remember that debt.... huff." The seductress smirked after saying that, yet she became anxious once she discovered traces of Three-Eyed Horned-Toads everywhere around her.

She chose the direction where the scout-mission took before her and struggled in carrying her "baggage" in that rocky-terrain.

Finally Yanmei sighed when she noticed them appear in her surroundings, moving forward towards them slowly and carefully.

Towards her left-flank there's a cliff with recent signs of people climbing it.

"Hey.... down here...." After reaching a location where she can't advance with Thunder on her shoulders, Cang Yamnei called for help.

"Who is it?" The answer soon arrived.

Cang Yanmei : "I'm Commander-Yanmei of the Special-Detachment, Quickly throw me a rope. Thunder has been poisoned and needs help, I can't carry him up on my own.

"That poison is odorless and tasteless, so be careful.

"Also these creatures could use Spiritual-Energy to attack the mind, those with weak willpower should hide themselves from sight just in-case.

"Hurry! they're gathering down here.... I can't them on my own for too long."

The woman shouted anxiously once the swarm of Toads began to attempt to target her with their long-range attacks, she guarded her mind and bit on the tip of her tongue until it bled.

Niu : "There's thick mist everywhere up in here.... I'm climbing-down as fast as I can, just hang-on.

Every second felt like a year for the Poison-Expert who endured while glaring at the cowardly toads, despite having the clear-advantage in this situation.... they choose to adapt an attitude of wait-and-see.

"Here.... tie it around Thunder," The Battalion-Commander stopped about one-hundred meters or so above Yanmei and dangled a bundle of thin rope, "Commander, can you climb on your own?" Then asked the woman who seems to have just experienced a long and exhausting battle.

Cang Yamnei : "More or less, you better leave before they target you too." After wrapping the unconscious wolf in a hurry, the seductress began to climb the cliff-wall on her own.

"Pull!" The former-mercenary shouted before doing like he was told.

"Ugh.... finally revealed yourself huh!" The Poison-Expert's brain was struck by a wave-like pressure all of a sudden and her vision swam, she almost missed her next foothold because of it!

After barely managing to stabilize herself, Yanmei looked downwards at the source of this much "expected" sneak-attack.

There behind the lines of brownish-green Three-Eyed Horned-Toads, a Golden-Horned Three-Eyed Toad is looking right at the seductress with a pair of large and intelligent eyes.

*Croak....*

After inflating its vocal-sac, the leader of this army announced itself to its prey.

It didn't seem pleased with its minions who let their prey escape them twice, it jumped away and disappeared after a few quick and agile hops.

*****

"Victory!"

"Yeah!"

"Death to Yan."

"Capture their leaders."

"Hahaha.... nowhere to run now.... awoo'oo."

"You suck at howling."

"Humph. As if you could do any better."

"I killed more of their captains, I'm doing way better."

"Bastards! Don't run you damned cowardly Yan-hyenas, I just need three more of your heads to even the score with old Wang."

Zhu Feng watched calmly while his men tightened the circle on the remaining soldiers of this vanquished Yan-Army, first wave was Light-Infantry and Light-Cavalry followed-by Heavy-Cavalry then Heavy-Infantry accompanied by a few dozen Platoons of Archers armed with Long-Bows!

His men fought until late that night, each and every one of them showed courage and discipline.

Now it's time for the Baron to let them do whatever they feel like, as long as they bring him the Supreme-Commander and his subordinates in chains that is.

*****

"Ptooey. Do your worst you Shi scum, you've won this battle but you'll never win this war." The man in chains said these words while raising his head to glare at the man in black-armor who's sitting on-top of an extremely tall, muscular, and very majestic black-horse.

His army was annihilated, he's been taken as a captive along-with some of his subordinates.

The worst of all is.... he failed to complete the mission given to him by the Seventh-Prince Yan Xitong after Strategist Xi Qilong urgently recommended that they intercept this supply-mission and prevent it from reaching General Lian.

Ying Shu is a man who's already in his late-fiftieth, a military-veteran, a General who's used to leading men to war.

The battlefields that he's experienced during all these long and rough years of his life, number no-less than a hundred!

Almost thirty of these battlefields were so heated, Ying Shu could still remember how some of them were close-calls where he brushed-shoulders with death itself after tasting the sour taste of despair on the back of his throat.

Ironically, most of these close-calls happened on the battlefront with Shi-Kingdom.

However, this battle in particular surpassed all of his earlier battles combined.

Despite hearing the rumors about that devilish and otherworldly-invention of ZhuQing-attire and seeing the result for himself whenever the remainders of the armies returned in defeat during the past few months after clashing with Lian Laoci and his men, Ying Shu never truly understood what it means to be on the receiving-end of these demon-like soldiers!

This general is second in rank within the Seventh-Prince's household, he thought that with six-thousand Light-Infantry, three-thousand Light-Cavalry, five-hundred Heavy-Cavalry, one-thousand Heavy-Infantry, and two-thousand and four-hundred Archers and would still lose to an army of greenhorns who barely number over a thousand!

The Light-Infantry are wearing sparse defensive-equipment indeed but, they're the best of his fighters and are armed with the finest and sharpest of weapons each.

The Light-Cavalry had the fastest of steeds and the best riders among his men.

The Heavy-Cavalry had the sturdiest of armors, the strongest arms and horses with the most superior stamina.

His Heavy-Infantry wore their armor and ran everyday to build both strength and endurance, yet they broke like eggs being thrown at a solid rock!

Each of these archers is equipped with a top-quality Long-Bow.... the "Moon-Chaser" Bow! These Bows are specially made for these expert and keen-eyed Elite-Archers from a Parasol-Tree of the age of five-hundred years or older, they carry two quivers-worth of special Arrows.... the "Star-Piercing" Arrows.

"I'm not here to win any war, I'm here to deliver some trinkets." The young-voice answered the daydreaming General and he was startled awake after sensing the immature-signs, this rider doesn't even care about how to properly hold the reins of his mount.

It even lacks a girdle, which means that his fearsome-looking ride is more than capable of twisting its neck to attack him whenever it feels like rebelling!

"Bag them."

*Whoosh...*

Once the order was given, General Ying Shu and his men were blinded by some semi-transparent wool-sacks.

Afterwards they were carried on the back of some horses then taken in a very long, uncomfortable, and rough ride.

Their blindfold hindered their sight and muffled the voices around them, which caused them to wish for the release of death.

*Whoosh...*

"Are these are the ones Young-Master Zhu sent?"

"It's them, captured after a battle where the Baron and his men stopped almost thirteen-thousand enemies from touching our supplies."

"Aye.... it happened the day before yesterday, about a day and a night's ride down east."

"Without his army suffering a single casualty, it makes me wonder how they did it?"

"Moron, you're already wearing the answer to your question"

"You're the moron, your whole family are a bunch of morons!"

"Hey. Are you looking for a fight? Huh!"

"Have you forgotten that not all of the young-master's men are wearing ZhuQing-attire?" The general's soldier who almost lost his cool got smacked on the back of his helmet by another soldier then received his answer.

"Heh. Not to mention how the Baron had to protect the supplies and the civilians while commanding his men in the battlefield."

Once the sack-like blindfold on General Ying Shu's head got removed, he struggled against the bright light that penetrated his pupils.

Yet he could hear some men discussing the battle that he lost, terribly at that.

The captured-general wished if someone would knock him out right now to save him from the embarrassment.

"Tell me everything that happened in your battle against the brat and I promise to make things easier for you and your men." Finally Ying Shu regained his sight after his eyes to adapted to the light, there in-front of him is two men sitting under the shade of a gazebo.

The one who just talked does have a pair of sharp hawk-like eyes, an old foe of the captured-general.

General Lian Laoci.... Shi-Kingdom's most-infamous Shameless-General.

In the flesh.