I become stronger by sacrificing my lifespan, becoming invincible in the world.

After three rounds of banquet, the atmosphere seemed lively.

The Third Prince raised his cup and uttered platitudes about the soldiers' hard work, their meritorious service in defending the border, and the Emperor's boundless grace. Liu Zhenshan, with a blank face, led his generals in drinking a cup.

Then came the ritualistic "rewarding the troops" ceremony—the deputy envoy read out the commendation document and bestowed some silk and silver. The generals who received the reward stepped forward to express their gratitude, their posture respectful, but their eyes were mostly numb.

Chen Hong also received a reward of twenty taels of silver. As he returned to his seat with the silver ingot in his hand, he felt the silver ingot burning his palm.

Finally, the Third Prince seemed to be getting tired and left the banquet early, citing "the long journey." Liu Zhenshan rose to see him off, and all the generals bowed as well.

The hall was instantly half empty.

The remaining officials and generals relaxed a bit and began toasting each other and chatting quietly.

Chen Hong breathed a sigh of relief and was about to quietly wipe his sweat.

An old eunuch with a pale face, no beard, and sinister eyes appeared beside him at some point, his voice high-pitched and thin, like a knife scraping against porcelain: "Captain Chen, Fairy Su invites you. Come with me."

Chen Hong felt a chill run down his spine and quickly stood up, instantly sobering up.

Following the old eunuch, we passed through several corridors and arrived at a secluded courtyard on the west side of the general's mansion. Only a single lamp was lit in the courtyard, casting a dim yellow light on the window paper.

The old eunuch stopped at the door, stood with his hands at his sides, eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.

Chen Hong took a deep breath and pushed open the door to enter.

The room was simply furnished with a table, a chair, and a couch. Su Qingxue stood by the window with her back to the door, gazing at the deep night outside. She didn't turn around when she heard the noise.

"Close the door." The voice was cold and indifferent, revealing no emotion.

Chen Hong quickly turned around and closed the door tightly. Then he walked quickly to the center of the room, knelt on one knee, and said, "This humble general Chen Hong pays his respects to Fairy Su."

no respond.

The room was eerily quiet, save for the occasional crackling of the candlelight. Chen Hong could hear his heart pounding, and sweat finally trickled down his forehead, dripping onto the cold floor tiles.

After a long while, Su Qingxue finally turned around slowly.

The candlelight illuminated her profile, making her look unrealistically perfect. But when she looked up, her eyes held no warmth, only a frozen lake, bottomless and unfathomable.

"Captain Chen," she began, her voice still calm, "how long has Lin Chen been at Ghost Cry Pass?"

"Reporting to the fairy, it has been...almost a month." Chen Hong's voice was strained.

"For nearly a month," Su Qingxue repeated, walked to the chair and sat down, her gaze falling on him. "What has he done in this past month? How has he been doing? Captain Chen, tell me everything, one by one."

Chen Hong dared not hide it, nor could he hide it.

He began his story with the attack on the prison cart in Black Wind Gorge, recounting how Lin Chen miraculously killed three skilled fighters; how he survived being used as bait in Demon Wolf Valley and brought back materials about demon wolves; and how Lin Chen was assigned to the scout camp, quickly established his authority, and joined forces with Zhao Tiegu and others.

The more he spoke, the lower his voice became, and the more sweat poured down his face.

Because he saw that frost was gradually forming in Su Qingxue's eyes, which were like an icy lake.

"...Later, he repeatedly distinguished himself in battle and was appreciated by Zhang Heng, who promoted him to squad leader, giving him his own small team. A few days ago, he even encountered a demon patrol in the Black Wind Forest and single-handedly killed a demon warrior..."

Chen Hong forced himself to finish speaking, his head almost touching the ground, "This humble general...this humble general is incompetent. Several attempts to kill him failed, and instead...it allowed him to grow in power."

The room fell silent again.

The candlelight flickered, casting Su Qingxue's long shadow on the wall, swaying slightly.

Suddenly, she chuckled softly.

The laughter was extremely soft, yet it pierced Chen Hong's ears like an ice pick.

"Captain Chen," she said slowly, "I remember the instructions I gave you were very clear. Before he reached Ghost Cry Pass, make him die 'accidentally' on the way. If that wasn't possible, make him disappear silently within the pass."

She paused, her tone still calm, yet every word she spoke was like a knife.

"But now you're telling me that he's not only alive, but has transformed from a cripple with his martial arts crippled and his dantian shattered into a squad leader capable of killing demon wolves, slaying demons, and establishing himself in the scout camp? Captain Chen, you're being far too lenient with the word 'incompetent.'"

Chen Hong trembled violently and suddenly slammed his head against the ground.

"Forgive me, Fairy! This humble general... this humble general has indeed tried his best to arrange things! But that Lin Chen... is extremely strange! His skills are bizarre, and it seems... it seems he possesses some kind of evil magic that can drain a person's life force, causing them to age instantly! Several groups of my skilled men have all perished in this way! This humble general truly... truly has no way to deal with him!"

"An evil technique?" Su Qingxue's eyes narrowed slightly. "Absorbing people's life essence, causing instant aging?"

"Absolutely true!" Chen Hong quickly replied.

"More than one person has seen it! Scarface Wang tried to take him down before, but when he was touched at close range, he almost collapsed and aged several years afterward! This is definitely not something that normal martial arts could do!"

Su Qingxue remained silent for a moment.

My fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest of the chair.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Each sound struck Chen Hong's taut nerves.

"It seems," she finally spoke again, her voice devoid of emotion, "that my brother Chen has truly encountered some extraordinary opportunities. It's that jade..."

The last sentence was so soft it was almost inaudible, like a soliloquy.

She looked up at Chen Hong again: "You're saying he's a corporal now? And has people under his command?"

"Yes, a mere ten people, all of whom he personally selected and recruited, are quite loyal," Chen Hong quickly replied.

"What are Liu Zhenshan's and Zhang Heng's attitudes towards him?"

"General Liu keeps a low profile and his attitude is unclear. Zhang Heng... seems to have the intention of winning him over and using him."

Su Qingxue nodded slightly.

She stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the deep night once more. The wind from the North howled through the eaves.

"Since the covert approach isn't working," she said clearly, her back to Chen Hong, "then let's try the open approach."

Chen Hong was taken aback: "What does the fairy mean...?"

"One of the purposes of His Highness's border inspection this time is to 'reward the troops,'" Su Qingxue said calmly.

"Tomorrow, I will propose to Your Highness that we hold a 'military exercise' within the pass, firstly to boost morale, and secondly... to let Your Highness see the bravery of the border soldiers."

She turned around, the candlelight flickering in her eyes, yet unable to penetrate that cold expanse.

"Since it's a martial arts demonstration, we naturally need to choose some 'typical' examples. For instance, a newly meritorious and exceptionally brave young corporal could face off against... a ferocious demon prisoner of war captured from beyond the Great Wall, or some martial arts masters who have come 'by reputation' and want to 'make friends through martial arts.' Once the life-or-death agreement is signed, on the arena, swords have no eyes; if one dies... it's a sacrifice for the country, a worthy death, isn't it?"

Chen Hong's eyes lit up, but then he looked troubled: "Fairy, your plan is brilliant! But... that Lin Chen is strange, what if..."

"There are no 'what ifs'," Su Qingxue interrupted him, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I will give you one person. He will appear on the stage 'at just the right time.' Captain Chen, you only need to make the arrangements to ensure this 'martial arts demonstration' proceeds smoothly, forcing Lin Chen to step onto the stage. The rest..."

A faint, cold smile curved her lips.