Battle for Northern Frontier: The game begins with the grassland woman buying him.

Golden Horde ghee was a special supply for the Golden Horde Guard, which was directly under the royal court, and ordinary tribes could not obtain it at all.

Black coal is used by a few minority tribes that live near the mines and have close ties with the Bloodhoof tribe.

"The royal court has colluded with their remnants?" Su Zhan's voice was icy. He recalled how the Shunyi King had sent envoys to feign comfort and support him, only to turn around and allow his elite remnants to collude with this place and do such things in Black Wind Gorge.

This isn't out of fear of their stubbornness; it's clearly a more insidious method to slowly bleed them dry and break them apart.

A fierce fire ignited in Su Zhan's eyes. He said coldly, "Continue the investigation. Dig deeper along these two lines. Utilize all available surveillance personnel and keep an eye on every possible direction."

They've completely muddied up the water; the fish below are about to surface.

If they want to play dirty tricks, then let's see whose blood runs dry first.

The pheasant nodded heavily, then disappeared through the doorway again.

Lin Yu'er asked with some worry, "Husband, will something have happened?"

Su Zhan smiled faintly, "What could be wrong? Don't worry, I'm a little thirsty, go get me a bowl of water."

Lin Yuer left, and Su Zhan slowly closed his eyes.

All of this gradually became clear in his mind.

Wang Ting was definitely involved. Those old subordinates and remnants are not worth worrying about. What they really care about is Wang Ting.

However, he doesn't have time to argue with Wang Ting right now. He needs to focus on recovering from his injuries so that he can fight them once he's fully healed.

As for what these guys actually want to do, that's none of his business.

If they dare to make a move, Su Zhan will definitely be able to thwart their conspiracy next time.

Now we'll see how accurate the information about the pheasant's neck is.

Soon, a bloody storm swept through Stone City, unbeknownst to many. Many knew that their own comrades were actually spies from outside, while others were aware that those around them were indeed spies.

Only those within the group know the exact number of people involved.

But Wild Chicken Neck didn't care about their messy affairs; he arrested all the problematic people, interrogated them one by one, and getting them to talk was the real business.

As for who participated and who didn't, that wasn't his concern.

Zhu Yeqing also got involved, getting all the information out of them. Once they had gathered enough information, it was time to take action against these bastards.

As time passed, Su Zhan had recovered from his injuries.

The injury I sustained in the canyon last time healed very quickly.

Perhaps it's because the blood vessels ruptured and then rebuilt, making it easier to rebuild.

Or perhaps the doctor's skills were particularly advanced this time.

Now Su Zhan is able to wield a big sword and is fine.

Su Zhan was practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Bamboo Leaf Green and Wild Chicken Neck walked in, their faces very somber.

Su Zhan sheathed his knife, and the pheasant-neck and the others stopped beside him.

"Third Master!" said Zhu Yeqing softly.

"Everything has been investigated and clarified."

Su Zhan slowly sheathed his long sword, his eyes sharp as knives, staring intently at Zhu Yeqing's face as he spoke.

Pheasant Neck stepped forward, lowered his voice, and spoke quickly and clearly.

"Following the trail of the Golden Tent and Black Coal, our people have practically turned up every inch of the land. The White Deer Antlers gang of stray dogs did not run far. They are now entrenched deep in the Blackwater Swamp, attached to a small tribe called the Blackwater Gang."

The Blackwater Gang is nominally independent, but in reality, it's a henchman planted nearby by the Wang Ting, specifically responsible for doing shady things.

Moreover, because their base was deep in the swamp, it was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and almost no one knew what it was like inside.

Zhu Yeqing picked up the conversation, "The more crucial thing is the Golden Tent Pastry. This stuff is only enjoyed by the core members of the Golden Tent. Our people put in a lot of effort in the caravans near the royal court and finally managed to get an old groom who delivers spices to the Golden Tent Guard's kitchen to talk."

He recognized it; it was the insignia of the Left Wise King's personal guard.

"The Left Wise King?" A cold light flashed in Su Zhan's eyes; he was no stranger to this name.

The King of Shunyi was nominally the overlord of the grasslands, but his power had long been usurped by several powerful princes who held considerable military power. Among them, the Left Wise King Huyan Zhuo was the most powerful and ambitious, and he coveted the throne of the King of Shunyi.

"Exactly." Wild Chicken Neck nodded emphatically. "The old groom also revealed that less than ten days before the incident in Black Wind Canyon, one of the Left Wise King's trusted stewards secretly escorted a batch of supplies, including this Golden Tent Pastry. The destination was in the direction of the Blackwater Gang. The time, place, and items all match up, so it was Left Wise King Huyan Zhuo who did it."

Su Zhan's voice was filled with murderous intent, "The envoy of the Shunyi King came to appease us in a hypocritical manner, but behind our backs he condoned it. Instead of directing his strongest right-hand men to gather the remnants of the Bailu tribe, he colluded with the Blackwater Gang to use the flesh and blood of our Fierce Dragon Gang to train soldiers and test them. What a clever scheme to kill with a borrowed knife, what a clever way to kill two birds with one stone."

Su Zhan snorted coldly, his chest heaving, his anger like a suppressed volcano.

He thought of his brothers who had fallen in the canyon, of the cold arrow that had almost killed him, and of the mountains of corpses piled up on the battlefields of the Black Bear and White Deer tribes in Stone City—all of which were caused by those high-ranking royal nobles.

"Does Bai Zhanqiu know?" Su Zhan's voice was terrifyingly low.

"We sent a secret report to the second-in-command immediately," said Zhu Yeqing. "What the second-in-command is more worried about is that this is probably just the beginning. Now that the Left Wise King has made his move, he won't just take a bite."

He will definitely gather the remaining forces, and his goal is far more than simply robbing caravans and harassing us. He wants to cut off our lifeline, even provoke greater conflicts between us and the surrounding tribes, and ultimately crush us completely, using us as a stepping stone to his future ascension to the throne, while simultaneously demonstrating his strength to the King of Shunyi.

"He's dreaming!" Su Zhan's eyes burned with fire. "He's using us as stepping stones. I'll make him know what it's like to kick a hornet's nest."

He took a deep breath. "Wild Chicken Neck, keep a close eye on the Blackwater Swamp and the Blackwater Tribe. I need to know their every move. Keep the spies in the city digging deeper, especially those who are colluding with the Left Wise King's Golden Tent Guard. Don't let any of them get away. If the royal court wants to play dirty tricks, then we'll play along with them."

"Yes!" the two replied in unison.

This covert war, more dangerous and intriguing than the previous three installments of the Siege series, has begun.

The opponent now is no longer a tribal enemy with open warfare, but the lofty royal court, a ruthless and vicious wolf of the grasslands wielding a heavy fist.

Su Zhan looked up at the gray sky.

The pheasant neck and bamboo viper have already left.

The sky was overcast, with thick clouds pressing down on Stone City, like the unfathomable shadow of the royal court, gripping the entire city in its grasp.

Su Zhan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. This time, no matter who his opponent was, he would never back down.

A storm is coming; only blood for blood, tooth for tooth.