Starting from the border troops, I've worked my way up to become a Martial Emperor.

Just as Zhang Zhe charged toward a fully equipped guerrilla force from the Northern Barbarians.

Zhou Hongling was already sitting in the living room of the General's Mansion in Yanzhou City.

Zhou Ming is here too.

Among them were General Helian Tielin of Youzhou, and his son, Helian Shang, the captain of Huangsha City.

They gathered together for a routine review of the defense plans for the three major fortified cities.

The person in charge was Hong Cheng, the Grand Commander of the North.

This person's cultivation level is above the Innate Realm, but no one below knows which step he has reached. He is the Marquis of the Nine Border Cities of the Great Yong Dynasty, responsible for commanding nine border cities.

Although he is not yet a famous general of his time, he is already well-known within the Dayong region.

At this moment, Hong Cheng sat in the head seat, wearing a black tiger-striped armor that made his already robust body appear even more muscular. He was around fifty years old, with a full beard, and looked quite fierce.

Even the renowned Yanzhou General Zhou Ren and Youzhou General Helian Tielin could only deal with them cautiously.

Hong Cheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "I say, why is it that something always happens around your three fortified cities? Last time, you were forced by an iron hawk to the point that you didn't even dare to leave the city gates."

"We finally managed to resolve that, and now another problem has arisen. The Crown Prince's caravan has been robbed again, and they're even too afraid to leave the city. It's utterly ridiculous."

As he finished speaking, he slammed his teacup down on the table, the sound sending a shiver down the spines of everyone in the hall.

In the military, the hierarchy is very strict, unless you are exceptionally brave and can gain special favor from your superiors.

Otherwise, even a general would have to bow his head and be subservient to his superiors.

"My lord..."

"Don't give me any useless advice. I'm only giving you one month to immediately quiet down the three fortified cities. You can figure out the methods yourself."

But remember, we must not allow the confrontation between the two dynasties to escalate; we must only suppress it on small-scale, localized battlefields.

"If you succeed, you'll be rewarded; if you fail, don't blame me for kicking you out."

Hong Cheng glared at Zhou Ren, interrupting him.

He is a general who fought his way up through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and has risen to his current position step by step through military merit.

His words may be unpleasant, but they are very effective in the military.

"Yes, sir!"

The group quickly stood up and agreed.

After giving his instructions, Hong Cheng stood up and walked outside: "I have important things to do all day. Why do I have to make a trip for your trivial matters? Give me an answer in a month."

After saying that, he left directly.

To him, neither the Iron Falcons nor the elite of the Manyan tribe were worth mentioning. The reason he personally came to exert pressure this time was mainly because Prince Lie had given him instructions.

And then Hongcheng left.

Zhou Ren and Helian Tielin exchanged a glance, both seeing ambition in each other's eyes. Clearly, they were determined to wipe out the elite of the Manyan tribe.

The two families didn't have a good relationship to begin with.

Listen to Hongcheng: as long as we destroy the elite cavalry of the Manyan tribe and restore peace to the three fortified cities, whoever's family can become the commander of the three cities.

This position is very important. For example, Huangsha Fortress City is actually within the territory of the Helian family. If someone under the Zhou family gets this position as commander of three cities...

It's like cutting a piece of flesh off the Helian family.

The other party was naturally unwilling.

Conversely, if the Helian family succeeds in this endeavor, the Zhou family will suffer even greater losses, as both the Icefield Pass and Tiger Hill Pass will fall under the Helian family's jurisdiction.

In fact, this was also the intention of the higher-ups. The imperial court was very cautious in its control over the border troops. What they wanted was for these military families to be at odds with each other and to check and balance each other, so that they could better control the people below them.

However, just as the hall fell silent.

"Da da da!"

A figure ran in.

He was a messenger, and after entering, he first looked at Zhou Ren.

"There's nothing to hide about military matters in front of you generals, so let's get straight to the point."

Zhou Ren waved his hand and said.

The messenger dared not be careless and quickly bowed, saying, "General, the scouts who were just scouting deep in the northern barbarians have sent back news that a full complement of Iron Falcons set off a few days ago, and their destination is likely near the three major fortified cities."

Upon hearing this news, the expressions of the people present changed.

The so-called elite troops they dispatched might have a chance of winning against the elite cavalry of the Manyan tribe, but they would definitely be no match for a full-strength Iron Falcon.

You should know that last time, the Iron Falcons, consisting of only forty or fifty men, routed Yunmo's hundred elite troops, with only he and a few others escaping.

A full complement of Iron Falcons consists of a hundred people.

Their combat strength is unmatched by ordinary elite troops from the city.

Zhou Ren couldn't help but look at his daughter, his meaning clear: "Do the men you sent out have any hope of defeating this Iron Falcon?"

Zhou Hongling felt a pang of anxiety. Lu Yuan was a talent she had finally discovered. Given time to develop, he was sure he could build a fully-fledged Iron Falcon, but it was hard to say for sure right now.

Therefore, he immediately stood up and said, "General, I will return to the fortress immediately to take command."

"Go."

Zhou Ren probably knew what his daughter was thinking, so he waved for her to leave.

Zhou Ming also left in a hurry.

His disciple also led his men out of the city. If there was any hope, as a warrior, he would have Yunmo fight to the death. But facing a full-strength Iron Falcon, in a battle of less than a hundred men, Yunmo was doomed.

There's no need to send them to their deaths, so we're preparing to bring them back.

Seeing the Zhou family's reaction, Helian Tielin looked at his son, his meaning clear: "Are you confident in the people you sent out?"

However, Helian Shang did not move, but said calmly: "No matter how powerful the Iron Falcons are, we must find a way to deal with them. What the Marquis is talking about is solving the troubles around the three major fortified cities and eliminating the barbarian elite cavalry."

Solve the problems first, then eliminate the elite cavalry.

"The iron hawk is the biggest problem."

After he finished speaking, both Helian Tielin and Zhou Ren frowned.

Because what the other side said is right, if there is no matching elite force to fight against this Iron Falcon, then the only option is to wear them down with manpower.

Moreover, in order to avoid escalating the war, the number of troops deployed each time could not be too large, which was tantamount to moths flying into a flame.

But there was nothing we could do.

The Zhou family's Night Scouts were exploring deep within the Northern Barbarian lands, but they had something more important to do. The Helian family's Silent Riders were also deep within the Northern Barbarian lands.

If these two teams don't return, I really can't think of any elite force among a hundred that could rival the Iron Falcons.

"Let's go!" Helian Tielin had no intention of discussing with the Zhou family.

He planned to return as soon as possible to draw up his elite troops.

Dealing with Iron Falcons is no longer just a contest between the two sides; more importantly, it's about fulfilling the Marquis's orders within a month.

Otherwise they will all be in trouble.

Zhou Ren then turned his gaze to the deputy general beside him: "Inform Hong Ling and Zhou Ming that if there is really no other way, they can draw on their squad leaders to form a hundred-man team to fight."

In fact, he wouldn't want to do this unless absolutely necessary, because if the losses were too great, it would be tantamount to cutting off the foundation. But now there is no better way.

This battle is of great importance to the Zhou family.

Helian Tielin's eagerness to return clearly stemmed from the same thought.

"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant replied and withdrew.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan, who had been searching in the wilderness, actually found the location of the Manyan tribe's elite cavalry under Lao Huang's guidance.

At this moment, Old Huang lay on the ground, his ear pressed against the ground, listening intently. After a moment, he raised his head, grinned, and said, "Sir, a cavalry force is approaching us. Judging from the sound of their hooves, they should be fine horses from the Northern Barbarians. That's why they're here at this time."

"They are undoubtedly the barbarian elite cavalry."

Lu Yuan nodded, tossed the Tiger Head Devouring Blade in his hand, and looked at the crowd behind him with a smile, saying, "Everyone, get ready. We're lucky; we found our target after only a few days out. Once this battle is over, we can go home."