Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

The red candles are half-burnt, and the candle wax silently accumulates.

"It's late, let's rest." Lin Feng's voice was low and hoarse.

Yun Li's cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded gently.

She rose, her back to him, and began to untie the sash of her outer robe. Her fingers trembled slightly, and it took her several attempts to finally undo it. The light red outer robe slipped down, revealing a moon-white inner garment. She dared not turn around.

Lin Feng looked away, blew out the extra candles, leaving only a pair of red candles by the bed.

He took off his outer robe and walked to the other side of the bed. The two lay down, about an arm's length apart.

An unfamiliar scent, a body temperature so close, and breaths that can be clearly heard.

Yun Li lay stiffly, staring at the top of the tent, her heart pounding like a drum.

Suddenly, an arm reached out, tentatively encircling her waist and pulling her to her side.

Yun Li's body tensed instantly.

"Don't be afraid." Lin Feng's deep voice sounded in my ear, and his warm breath brushed against my earlobe.

"I just want to hold you while I sleep." Her arms were loose, not strong.

Yun Li froze for a moment, feeling the warmth coming from her waist. The warmth seeped into her skin little by little through her thin inner garment, dispelling the chill of the night and also dispelling some of her unease.

She slowly relaxed her body, leaning back slightly and pressing her back against his firm chest.

Feeling her acceptance, Lin Feng tightened his arms slightly, pulling her into a more comfortable embrace.

Her body was slender and supple, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance. A sense of fulfillment, unlike anything he had ever felt before, filled his chest. He gently rested his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the clean scent of her hair, and whispered, "Sleep now, Li'er."

That "Li'er" was called out naturally and affectionately.

Yun Li's heart skipped a beat, and she closed her eyes. The initial tension gradually dissipated, and enveloped in his warm and firm embrace, an unprecedented sense of security quietly grew within her.

……

The red candle has burned out, and the long night will soon be over.

As dawn broke, Lin Feng awoke, his first sensation being the soft warmth in his arms.

Yun Li slept peacefully in his arms, her cheek pressed against his chest, one hand unconsciously resting on his waist.

He watched her silently, without moving. The morning light shone through the window paper, dimly illuminating her features.

He only moved slightly when the bugle call for morning exercises from the military camp sounded in the distance.

The person in his arms let out a soft moan and frowned.

Lin Feng stopped immediately, and only after her breathing had stabilized did he very slowly withdraw his arm, carefully move her head onto the pillow, and cover her with the quilt. After doing this, he quietly got up and put on his outer robe.

As he reached the door, he glanced back at the sleeping figure on the bed, a faint smile playing on his lips, and gently closed the door behind him.

……

Two days later, in the evening.

Lin Feng returned to the manor, carrying an air of exhaustion and a hint of grimness. Yun Li greeted him as usual, keenly noticing the seriousness between his brows.

"General," she said, removing his cloak, which was damp with the chill of the night dew, "is something troubling you?"

Lin Feng rubbed his temples and sat down at the table.

He took her hand and made her sit down beside him.

"I've received the military order," he said in a deep voice.

"The 'Sand Fox' bandits in the Northwest are becoming increasingly rampant, and the military governor of Hexi urgently requests assistance. Commander Zhao has ordered me to lead my troops westward out of Yangguan Pass in three days to Hexi to await orders and assist in suppressing the Sand Fox bandits."

Yun Li's heart sank. Her fingers, gripping the teacup, instantly turned bloodless.

Three days later... westward beyond Yangguan Pass...

She opened her mouth as if to ask something, but her throat felt blocked.

In the end, she simply and very gently took his warm, rough hand in her own, her fingertips icy cold.

"General...when will you depart?"

"Three days from now, at noon, we will muster the troops and set off." Lin Feng felt the coldness and barely perceptible trembling of her fingertips. His heart tightened, and he completely enveloped her cold hand in his palm, squeezing it tightly.

"Don't be afraid. It's just a matter of wiping out some bandits. I'll be right back. You stay here and take good care of yourself. If there's any emergency, you can go to the Marshal's Mansion to find Marshal Zhao."

Yun Li lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the turbulent emotions within them.

She nodded gently, her voice almost inaudible: "Yes. General... please be careful in everything."

She paused, then looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears, and said, "I... I'll wait for you to come back."

The four words, "Wait for me to come back," fell softly, yet carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

Lin Feng felt a surge of warmth in his heart, as if he had been scalded by this simple promise.

He reached out, without hesitation this time, and gently touched her slightly cool cheek, his fingertips brushing against the corners of her slightly reddened eyes.

"Okay," he solemnly promised, "I will definitely come back."

Outside the west gate of Shuofeng City, banners fluttered in the wind, and iron armor reflected the pale autumn sunlight, gleaming with a cold, hard light.

A thousand iron cavalrymen of the North Wind Army had formed ranks, their men and horses standing at attention, with only their battle flags fluttering in the wind.

Han Tao, fully armored, stood at the front of the formation, his hand on his sword, his gaze sweeping over the young yet resolute faces. Lei Bao, carrying his pair of terrifying iron sledgehammers, stood to Han Tao's left, grinning to reveal his gleaming white teeth. Yan Qing stood to Han Tao's right, a hawk-feather arrow twirling in his hand, his eyes narrowed as if sizing up prey.

On the command platform, Lin Feng stood in black armor, his scarlet cloak billowing behind him.

He suddenly drew his sword from his waist, the blade pointing diagonally west, and his voice boomed like thunder:

"My lads!"

"Here!" A thousand people roared, shaking the earth.

"In the western desert, lurks the sand foxes that devour people without spitting out the bones! They rob our caravans and slaughter our people!" Lin Feng's gaze swept across the audience like lightning. "General Zhao has ordered—crush the sand foxes and wipe out the trade routes! Are you afraid of death?!"

"Don't be afraid!"

"Alright!" Lin Feng's blade flashed. "Follow me—to the battlefield!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The group traveled by day and rested by night, and by the fifth day, the scenery before them had changed dramatically.

The barren grasslands surrounding Shuofeng City have vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of Gobi Desert.

The wind is the master here, howling day and night, whipping up sand and gravel that pelts people's faces and armor with a crackling sound.

"Damn it, what a godforsaken place!" Lei Bao wiped his face, spitting out a mouthful of sandy saliva. "Not even a rabbit in sight!"

Yan Qing lay prone on horseback, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings: "We've only just begun. Further west, into the real desert, that's where it's truly deadly. Quicksand pits, scorching sun, and at night your ears can freeze off."

Han Tao spurred his horse to catch up with Lin Feng: "General, according to the guide, there is a small oasis about thirty miles ahead called 'Bitter Water Well,' which can barely replenish our water supply. After passing Bitter Water Well, we will enter the territory where sand foxes frequently appear."

Lin Feng nodded, squinting at the blurry horizon where the sky meets the earth in the distance: "Tell the brothers to conserve water. Send a scout to check out the Bitter Water Well, be careful of ambushes."

"yes!"

After traveling for another half an hour, a scout on horseback galloped back, his face grim: "General! The Bitter Water Well... is gone!"

"What?" Han Tao exclaimed in surprise.

"The well has been filled in! There are hoofprints all around, a jumbled mess, at least a hundred horsemen, and the tracks look like they were made no more than two days ago! Several poplar trees in the oasis have been cut down, as if deliberately clearing a shooting line!"

Lin Feng's eyes turned cold: "They've come as expected. Issue the order: all troops to prepare for battle, advance slowly, and nock their crossbows!"

The orders were passed down through the ranks, and the atmosphere in the ranks instantly became tense. The soldiers silently checked their bowstrings, gripped their swords and spears, and warily scanned every sand dune and clump of withered grass around them.

Two or three miles away from the bitter well is a relatively open gravel beach.

The wind seemed to have died down, and the world was deathly silent except for the monotonous sound of horses' hooves pounding on the gravel.

"Something's not right." Yan Qing suddenly reined in his horse, pricked up his ears, and said, "It's too quiet."

The words had barely left his mouth—

"Waaaaah—waaaah—"

The mournful sound of bull horns rose into the sky from behind the sand dunes in all directions without warning!

Immediately afterwards, countless dark figures emerged from behind the sand dunes like ghosts!