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

The atmosphere in the main hall of the garrison was solemn.

Lin Feng had removed his blood-stained armor and was now dressed in a close-fitting outfit covered in dust and blood, sitting in the main seat.

Han Tao, Lei Bao, and Yan Qing stood on either side, all wounded and bruised, with grim expressions.

Below the hall, Xie Wanqing stood quietly.

"Thank you, Miss Xie," Lin Feng said, his voice slightly hoarse from the long battle, but each word was clear.

Where were you around midnight last night? What were you doing?

"I stayed in the room, without stepping out of the door," Xie Wanqing replied, her voice equally calm.

"Are there any witnesses?"

"The guards outside the gate can testify to this."

"They can only prove that you didn't go out," Lin Feng said sharply, "but they can't necessarily prove that you didn't do anything else while you were in the room."

He paused, then slowly said, "For example... sending some kind of signal out the window? Or, communicating with the outside world in some special way?"

Xie Wanqing frowned slightly: "Why do you say that, sir? I have no signal device, nor any special abilities. How could I possibly contact the outside world?"

"Is that so?" Lin Feng took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table. "Around midnight last night, did you hear or see any unusual whistling sounds or lights?"

It was a core component of a 'sentinel arrow' that a soldier had found and handed over. Hunters occasionally used it to transmit signals over extremely long distances, and it still smelled faintly of gunpowder.

Xie Wanqing's voice remained calm: "Last night, the sounds of battle outside the city were deafening. I was in my room, preoccupied, and didn't notice anything amiss."

"Then, Miss Xie, could you explain why you know so much about the Ghost Cry Forest mine, even knowing that there might be underground rivers and associated poisonous gases beneath it? Last night, the 'sinking' and the outbreak of poisonous gas at the rear of the Di Rong army's position happened at such a coincidental time, just in time to relieve the siege of the East Gate. How do you explain this?" Lin Feng leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on her.

Xie Wanqing's face drained of color, and she slowly said, "The general suspects that it was Wanqing who triggered the poisonous gas in the mine, creating a sinkhole to attack Di Rong?"

"I need a reasonable explanation," Lin Feng said coldly.

Xie Wanqing took a deep breath, her eyes filled with determination: "That's right, the toxic gas that caused the sinkhole last night was indeed related to the mine. But it wasn't Wanqing's doing."

Meeting Lin Feng's sharp gaze, she said, word by word, "The mine map left by my father does indeed mark that deep within the Ghost Cry Forest mine, 'Yin Fire' (natural gas) and 'Poisonous Miasma' (hydrogen sulfide, etc.) accumulate, connected to an underground river, making it extremely unstable. However, such a dangerous place is impossible to activate without thorough geographical knowledge and expertise in explosives. How could Wan Qing, a mere woman confined to a room, possibly accomplish this?"

"Was what happened last night just a coincidence?" Lei Bao couldn't help but shout.

"It's no coincidence." A complex look flashed in Xie Wanqing's eyes.

Before Wanqing went north, she received a secret advice from an old friend of her father's generation. He gave Wanqing an item, saying that if she encountered a desperate situation, she might be able to find a way out with this item.

"What is it?" Lin Feng pressed.

Xie Wanqing took out a black token that was neither gold nor wood from her bosom. On the back of the token were two ancient seal characters: "地听" (Di Ting).

"As for who made the move last night, Wanqing has absolutely no clue. Perhaps... it was someone arranged by that senior, who had been secretly following and protecting us, and only acted when the situation became critical? Or perhaps..."

She looked up at Lin Feng, a hint of inquiry in her eyes, "Is there another capable person under your command, General?"

Lin Feng remained silent. He had also caught a fleeting glimpse of that blue-green light last night.

If Xie Wanqing's words are true, then besides Di Rong and Feng Kun's remnants, there is actually a third mysterious force hidden inside and outside Iron Wall City.

Moreover, this force seems to know everything about Prince Jing's past and the secrets of the mine, and can even move freely in and out of the Di Rong army and accurately detonate poison gas.

The water in this pool was deeper and more murky than he had imagined.

After a long silence, Lin Feng slowly spoke: "I will investigate your words. The token will be kept by me for now. You may return."

"Wanqing obeys." Xie Wanqing bowed again, turned around, and calmly left under the "escort" of two personal guards.

After she disappeared from sight, Lei Bao said anxiously, "Chief Lin! Can we trust this woman's words?"

Han Tao frowned and said, "Even if she really has this token and there are outsiders helping her, how can we know that it wasn't a trap she and her accomplices had set up long ago? She deliberately intervened at a crucial moment to both extricate herself from the predicament and clear her own name, while also gaining their trust. This woman is very cunning; we must be wary of her."

Yan Qing was silent for a moment, then said, "The sinkhole and poison gas last night are indeed true. If what she said is true, the person who can control such a hidden power is no ordinary person. Their purpose may not be Iron Wall City, perhaps... they have other plans."

"Han Tao," Lin Feng said in a deep voice.

"exist."

"Send men to secretly investigate whether any unfamiliar faces have appeared in the city and surrounding areas recently, and pay special attention to those who are proficient in mining, metallurgy, machinery, gunpowder, or those who are acting suspiciously."

"yes!"

"Leopard, Yan Qing."

"exist!"

"You two will assist Han Tao in repairing the city's defenses, treating the wounded, assessing losses, and replenishing military equipment. Although the Di Rong have retreated, they have not gone far and could return at any time. We must not let our guard down."

"clear!"

"Messenger!"

"exist!"

"Send a fast horse to bypass the Di Rong scouts and reach Shuofeng City to request an audience with Commander Zhao Polu. Report the situation at Iron Wall City and inquire... Does the Commander know what 'Ground Listener' is? Is it connected to any of Prince Jing's former troops?"

"yes!"

The fast horse galloped out of the south gate of Iron Wall City and disappeared into the vast snowfield.

Meanwhile, in the Di Rong camp outside the city, Asuda was furious and ordered his men to thoroughly investigate the truth behind last night's "sinking."

Mr. Jia stroked his beard, gazing in the direction of Ironwall City, his eyes flashing with an uncertain light. He muttered to himself, "The Earth Listener... could it be them? They've actually gotten involved too? This... is even more interesting."

As night fell, a light rain mixed with snowflakes pattered against the mottled walls of Ironwall City.

The study in the garrison was dimly lit. Lin Feng sat alone at his desk, holding the cold "Earth Listening" token and a copy of the mineral vein map presented by Xie Wanqing.

His brows were furrowed, and his gaze shifted between the two.

"Earth Listener," a name never heard before, possesses the terrifying ability to draw out toxic gas from mineral veins and create "natural disasters," and is also subtly connected to the past of Prince Jing, Feng Kun's conspiracy, and even the current bloody border war.

What kind of force is behind this token? Is it friend or foe?

Just then, amidst the sound of rain outside the window, a very faint sound, like the cry of an owl, came suddenly, short and peculiar, quite unlike the usual bird calls.

Lin Feng had excellent hearing and instantly became alert. He placed his hand on the hilt of his knife, darted to the window, and listened intently.

"Cluck—cluck—" Two more sounds came from the direction of the west courtyard, with regular intervals.

It's a signal! Someone is communicating using birdsong!

Lin Feng's eyes sharpened, and he gently pushed open a crack in the window, gazing intently into the distance.

On the roof of the west wing room, a shadow darker than the night seemed to glide down silently like a large bird, landing in the courtyard and then disappearing.

Immediately afterwards, the window in the west wing room, which had been tightly closed, seemed to move very slightly.

Someone has infiltrated! And made contact with Xie Wanqing?!