No title, no marriage? Do you think I'm some kind of lapdog?

The two women pretended not to hear what they were saying.

Xu Mengran was still sitting at the table, slowly and meticulously wiping her sword, wiping it again and again, as if she could polish the sword into something beautiful.

Lin Ruxue went even further, walking directly to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and sitting down. Her small hands were neatly folded on her knees, her head was lowered, her neck was slightly bent, revealing a small section of her fair skin.

Neither of them said they wanted to leave.

Su Chuang blinked.

He glanced to his left. Xu Mengran, dressed in red, was dazzling in the candlelight. Her profile was sharp, and her eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes.

Looking to the right, Lin Ruxue is dressed in simple palace attire, with her long hair flowing down and her ears tinged with a faint red.

This scene...

Su Chuang's throat felt a little dry.

He quickly calculated in his mind:

If I were to suggest someone go first now, wouldn't that seem cowardly? But if no one goes...?

"Well, that's it."

Su Chuang rubbed his hands together, a nonchalant smile spreading across his face.

"Sister Xu, Ru Xue, it's getting late, aren't you... going back inside to rest?"

Xu Mengran glanced at him, her hand still wiping her sword: "It's windy outside, but it's warm in my room."

She spoke with absolute certainty.

Lin Ruxue said softly, "Brother Chuang... I'm afraid of the dark."

Su Chuang's lips twitched.

Afraid of the dark?

Back in the palace, when this girl sneaked into the imperial kitchen at night to steal pastries, why was she never afraid of the dark?

"Then, how about..."

In a moment of impulsiveness, Su Chuang almost blurted out, "How about we sleep together?" but he swallowed the words back down.

No.

Xu Mengran was still wiping her sword.

Although Lin Ruxue is gentle and refined, she is still a princess after all, and if she is really provoked...

Su Chuang coughed, his smile becoming even more roguish: "Fine, then you guys sleep on the kang (heated brick bed), I'll sleep on the floor."

He said he was about to grab the blanket.

"no."

Xu Mengran stood up, and her sword clattered back into its sheath.

"You have a leg injury, you can't sleep on the floor."

"Then..." Su Chuang blinked.

"They all sleep on the floor."

Xu Mengran walked to the wall, brought over three bedding sets, and quickly spread them out on the ground.

"Give the kang (heated brick bed) to the wounded."

Lin Ruxue added softly, "Three people...it'll be warm."

Su Chuang looked at the three bedding sets on the ground, neatly laid out with a foot of space between each set, just enough for one person to lie down.

The distance was well-judged...

He looked up at Xu Mengran.

The other person had a stern face, but their ears were red.

Su Chuang suddenly laughed.

"Alright." He plopped down on the cot, pulled open his outer robe, and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you two beauties to sleep on the floor with this wounded man."

The candle was blown out with a "poof".

The mud house was plunged into darkness.

Only a sliver of moonlight shone through the window paper, barely enough to make out the outline of a person.

Su Chuang lay in the middle of the floor mat, with Xu Mengran on his left and Lin Ruxue on his right.

Their breathing was very soft, yet exceptionally clear in the silence.

Su Chuang closed his eyes, his mind churning with those erotic thoughts.

Sleeping together under the same quilt...

If this were in my past life, I would have laughed in my dreams.

But now...

He secretly opened one eye and turned his head to look to the left.

Xu Mengran had her back to him, her red dress appearing as a dark blob in the darkness, her shoulders rising and falling slightly with her breath.

Look to the right now.

Lin Ruxue lay face up, her hands neatly folded in front of her chest, like a well-behaved elementary school student.

Su Chuang sighed.

Forget it.

Life is of the essence.

He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

sleep!

The next morning, before it was fully light.

Su Chuang was woken up by the thing in his head.

[The host has been detected to have completed the "initial establishment in northern Xinjiang" stage]

[Triggering the second stage of the chain quest: Clearing out the surrounding areas]

[Mission Description: Within fifteen days, eliminate or incorporate all bandit forces within a hundred li radius of Wangbeitai]

[Mission Requirements: The bandit leader must be executed; bandits may be recruited; indiscriminate killing of innocent people is prohibited]

[Mission Reward: 300 SS-Rank Special Cavalry "White Horse Cavalry"]

[Failure Penalty: Randomly remove two summoned talents]

Su Chuang opened his eyes with a "whoosh".

The White Horse Cavalry?!

What was the famous cavalry of Gongsun Zan during the Three Kingdoms period?

His heart skipped a beat.

If we could get our hands on this thing, wouldn't we be able to do whatever we wanted in the northern border region?

The penalty for failure is quite severe—two talented individuals are randomly stripped of their qualifications.

What if you draw Yue Fei and Zhao Yun...

Su Chuang dared not think about it.

"Call it!" he gritted his teeth inwardly.

[Task accepted]

[Countdown: 14 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes...]

A virtual map appeared before my eyes, marked with seven or eight red dots, distributed near valleys, hills, and rivers.

Next to each red dot is a line of smaller text:

"The remnants of Black Wind Stronghold (approximately 150 people)"

"Remnants of Vulture Ridge (approximately 200 people)"

"The defeated soldiers of Langyagou (approximately 100 men)"

"Liushahe Caravan (approximately 300 people)"

……

Su Chuang squinted and looked around.

There are about a thousand people in total. They are the remnants of the three major strongholds that were attacked and merged a few days ago. Now they are fighting separately and are not a force to be reckoned with.

But it needs to be all packed up within fifteen days...

We need to hurry.

He quietly got up without disturbing the two people next to him.

Xu Mengran and Lin Ruxue were still asleep, their breathing even.

Su Chuang put on his outer robe and limped out of the earthen house.

As dawn broke, people were already active inside the beacon tower.

Yue Fei was training his troops in an open space, and the shouts of the Mo Dao Guards were deafening.

Zhao Yun stood guard on the watchtower, his gleaming silver spear held upside down, his eyes scanning the surrounding area.

Jia Xu appeared out of nowhere, his gray robe damp with morning dew: "My lord, up so early?"

Su Chuang grinned: "Couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

He rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice: "Wenhe, how much money and grain do we have right now?"

Jia Xu didn't even lift his eyelids: "120,000 taels of gold, 300,000 taels of silver, 8,000 shi of fine rice, 1,200 head of cattle and sheep, and 600 warhorses."

"A quantity of medicinal herbs, cloth, and iron."

Su Chuang's eyes lit up.

Ye Qingyue and Wanyan Honglie, these two "money-giving boys," are quite generous.

"Here's what I'll say," he leaned closer, "you go and do a few things quietly."

"First, find reliable people to go to Yumen Pass and nearby counties to purchase pig iron, sulfur, and saltpeter, the more the better."

Jia Xu's eyes flickered: "My lord wants to manufacture firearms?"

"For self-defense." Su Chuang chuckled. "In this northern border region, shouldn't we have a few extra precautions?"

"Second, find as many craftsmen as possible, carpenters, blacksmiths, and bricklayers."

"The wages will be paid in full, and room and board will be provided, but don't tell anyone."

Jia Xu nodded: "Third?"

"Third..." Su Chuang thought for a moment, "In the depression behind Wangbeitai, secretly build a warehouse. It needs to be large and well-hidden."

"Understood." Jia Xu bowed. "I will take care of it immediately."

He turned to leave, then turned back: "My lord, purchasing these supplies will require a large sum of money, which will inevitably attract attention."

"Then we'll do it in batches, and find more businesses."

Su Chuang waved his hand, "Anyway, we have money now, so we're not afraid to spend it."

"Here you are."

Jia Xu disappeared silently into the morning mist.

Su Chuang stretched, his thigh wound still hurting, and he walked toward the mound of earth, grimacing.

As they passed the training ground, Yue Fei was just finishing up his troops.

"My lord."

Yue Fei clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Those newly recruited hundred-odd bandits have trained for seven days and can barely stand in formation."

"But their combat strength... is still far from sufficient."

Su Chuang squatted on the mound, grabbed a handful of sand and rubbed it around: "Pengju, what do you think our chances of winning would be if we fought the bandits right now?"

Yue Fei pondered for a moment: "If we were to face them head-on, the Mo Dao Guards plus the Flying Tiger Army could hold off five hundred bandits."

"If it's a sneak attack or ambush, we can defeat eight hundred enemies."

"Any more, it depends on the terrain and timing."

Su Chuang nodded.

It was about what he estimated.

"What if..."

He squinted. "We need to wipe out all the bandits within a hundred miles in fifteen days?"

Yue Fei's pupils contracted: "My lord, are you going to make a move?"

"Hmm." Su Chuang grinned, "Keeping them around is just asking for trouble. We might as well take them in; it'll give us more manpower."

"But we don't have enough troops," Yue Fei frowned. "Within a hundred li radius, there are at least a thousand bandits, divided into seven or eight groups. If we wipe them out at the same time..."

"Who said we had to do it all at once?" Su Chuang laughed. "Let's do it one at a time."

He jumped off the mound, patted the dirt off his backside, and said, "Let's go, let's have a meeting."

Inside the earthen house, several people sat around a table.

Xu Mengran and Lin Ruxue also got up, one sitting to Su Chuang's left and the other to his right.

Su Chuang simplified the system task and said, "I've been thinking, we've been here for about ten days, it's time to move around."

"The bandits within a hundred miles are only a menace to the people. It's better to eliminate them, which will allow us to train troops and recruit more people."

Jia Xu was the first to agree: "My lord is wise."

"If we don't get rid of the bandits, the trade routes will be blocked, and we won't be able to do business."

Yue Fei nodded: "This humble general is willing to lead the troops into battle."

Zhao Yun clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I am willing to be the vanguard."

Li Cunxiao scratched his head: "I'm going too, it's been a long time since I've been in a fight."

Su Chuang grinned: "Don't rush, one at a time."

He dipped his finger in the tea and drew a circle on the table:

"Let's start with the nearest one—thirty miles east of Wild Wolf Valley, there's a 'Quicksand River Horse Caravan,' about three hundred people."

"These guys specialize in robbing caravans; they're ruthless and vicious, but they have one flaw..."

He paused for a moment: "Greed."

"Their leader's nickname is 'Shalijiao,' and he loves two things the most: money and women."

Xu Mengran frowned: "You're planning to use a scheme?"

"right."

Su Chuang rubbed his fingers together.

"Wenhe, make arrangements to spread the word that a caravan of wealthy merchants from Jiangnan will be passing through Liusha River in three days, escorting silk and jewelry worth 100,000 taels."

"If it were 'accidentally' revealed, the wealthy merchant would be sending two beautiful maids to the residence of a powerful figure in the northern frontier."

Jia Xu's eyes lit up: "Does our lord intend to lure the snake out of its hole?"

"Not only that," Su Chuang chuckled, "we also need to give him a 'big gift'."

He looked at Li Cunxiao: "Thirteen, three days from now, you will disguise yourself as a wealthy merchant's bodyguard and travel with the 'caravan'."

Li Cunxiao grinned: "My lord, do I look... like a guard?"

"It's only because it doesn't look like it that it does."

Su Chuang patted him on the shoulder, "The less it seems like a trap, the more Sha Lijiao will suspect it and the more likely he is to come out in full force."

"Once everyone else has come out..."

Su Chuang looked at Yue Fei: "Pengju, you take the Mo Dao Guards and ambush them upstream of the Liusha River. Once the caravan is halfway across, cut off their retreat."

"Zilong led the Flying Tiger Army to block the way forward."

"I personally led the new recruits to the hillside to observe the battle—no, I meant to supervise it."

Xu Mengran couldn't help but ask, "What about me?"

Su Chuang turned to look at her and blinked: "Of course Sister Xu will stay at Wangbeitai to protect Ruxue."

"You look down on me?" Xu Mengran glared.

"No, no, I wouldn't dare." Su Chuang quickly waved his hand, "It's just... I was afraid you'd get tired."

Lin Ruxue whispered, "Sister Xu is highly skilled in martial arts; she should go."

Su Chuang looked at Xu Mengran, then at Lin Ruxue, and suddenly laughed: "Okay, then Sister Xu will watch the game with me."

With the plan set, everyone went their separate ways to prepare.

Over the next two days, Wangbeitai appeared calm on the surface, but was secretly extremely busy.

Jia Xu's men successively purchased large quantities of supplies—pig iron, sulfur, saltpeter, timber, hemp rope, etc.

Truckloads were being transported to the valley behind the mountain.

Yue Fei led the Mo Dao Guards in intensified their training, especially the newly recruited bandits, who were trained to the point of exhaustion.

Zhao Yun led the Flying Tiger Army out to scout and thoroughly explored the terrain around the Liusha River.

Li Cunxiao was even more ruthless. He somehow acquired a brocade robe that he wore so tightly that his muscles seemed to tear the fabric apart.

He paced back and forth in the open space, carrying the wide knife, muttering to himself:

"I'm a wealthy businessman...I have money...I have maids..."

"Having someone warm the bed makes sleeping warm and cozy..."