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

They were leaving the city! And immediately, overnight! They were carrying the newly acquired rubbing of the jade pendant! Their destination was obvious—the Gray Fox Clan, the underground palace!

Yan Qing's location information was likely just a distraction or a gesture of goodwill; their real target was always the underground palace!

Before the morning light had even broken through, the candlelight in the study had already burned out.

Han Tao gently pushed the door open and entered, whispering, "Commander, the first batch of news from Old Ghost's side has arrived. They have followed the three from Linglong Pavilion thirty miles outside the city. The other party is extremely fast, heading straight for the northeast Gray Fox tribe. They haven't made contact with anyone or stopped along the way. Old Ghost left a mark and is continuing to follow."

"Understood." Lin Feng turned around. "Have Xu Tiande, Lei Bao, and Shen Qingyi come to the study immediately."

Before long, Xu Tiande, Lei Bao, and Shen Qingyi arrived at the study one after another.

"Gentlemen," Lin Feng's gaze swept over the group, "Bertie's army is pressing in, but its main force has not moved, intending to contain them. Within the Gray Fox tribe, an explosive crisis is imminent. Feng Kun, Bertie, Linglong Pavilion, and even more unknown forces are all coveting the underground palace and plotting against us. Urna and Yan Qing are caught in the middle, and they are powerless to help each other."

He paused, then looked at Xu Tiande: "Brother Xu, from this moment on, the defense of Ironwall City will be entirely under your responsibility. Han Tao and Lei Bao will assist you."

Xu Tiande said urgently, "You're leaving? Where to? The Gray Fox Tribe? No! It's too dangerous! You're the commander-in-chief, how can you leave your post so easily..."

"It is precisely because I am the commander-in-chief that I must go," Lin Feng interrupted him. "If the explosives detonate, the Gray Fox tribe's royal court will be reduced to ashes. Börte will surely use this as a pretext to frame us and rally other tribes to launch a full-scale attack on us. At that time, Iron Wall City will be unable to withstand the onslaught alone. If the underground palace falls into the hands of Feng Kun or Börte, they will obtain the secret treasures of the previous dynasty, their power will multiply, and the northern frontier will never have peace. Both of these matters are tied to the battle against the Gray Fox tribe. If I don't go, who will?"

"Qingyi," Lin Feng looked at his wife, his gaze softening slightly, "After I leave, the princess's health will be entirely entrusted to you. You will also need to take good care of the household affairs."

Qingyi's eyes were already brimming with tears. She nodded forcefully, her voice choked but clear: "Husband, rest assured, I understand. I will take good care of the princess and guard the house. You... you must come back safely." A thousand words were condensed into her last sentence.

"I will." Lin Feng gently squeezed her hand.

He released his grip and said in a deep voice, "Han Tao, go and select nine men and eleven horses. Choose the best night scouts, skilled in stealth, tracking, mountain trekking, and speaking the Di language. Assemble at the training ground in an hour. We'll travel light. Also, prepare a batch of captured Black Wolf Guard leather armor and flags; they might come in handy."

Lin Feng then took out a secret letter he had written the night before, addressed to Zhao Polu of Shuofeng: "Send this letter to Shuofeng and present it to Commander Zhao in person. In the letter, please be prepared to provide assistance at any time."

"Yes!" Han Tao and Xu Tiande solemnly accepted the order and hurriedly left.

After an incense stick has burned, at the drill ground.

Eleven sturdy warhorses were already saddled and bridled, exhaling white steam.

Lin Feng mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and shouted, "Let's go!"

Like arrows released from a bow, the eleven riders quietly sped out from the side gate of the garrison headquarters, then filed out from the east side gate, and raced off towards the northeast.

The snowfield stretched endlessly, the sky and earth merging into one color. Eleven riders, ten men, moved swiftly across the pale canvas like ink dots, leaving behind a trail of hoofprints that were quickly covered by the fresh snow.

They had been away from Ironwall for half a day, deliberately choosing to travel through sparsely populated wilderness, hills, and dry riverbeds, avoiding major trade routes and pastoral camps.

"Stop!" Lin Feng suddenly raised his right fist, and the sound of horses' hooves behind him abruptly stopped.

His gaze was fixed on a patch of earthen forest to his left, eroded into bizarre shapes by the wind. In the wind, there seemed to be a faint, metallic scraping sound, and… a faint smell of livestock?

"Dismount and take cover," Lin Feng commanded in a low voice. He was the first to dismount, wrap the reins around his wrist, and quickly pull the horse behind a sheltered snow slope. The nine night scouts followed suit swiftly and silently.

Lin Feng crawled to the edge of the snow slope, squinted, and carefully observed the earth forest.

Sure enough, a moment later, five riders slowly emerged from the shadows of the earthen forest.

Judging from their attire, they were typical Black Wolf Guard cavalry, wearing leather armor over white camouflage cloaks, carrying scimitars, and with horn bows slung over their horses, they were leisurely patrolling in their direction. They were about two hundred paces away.

It was an outer sentry dispatched by Brte!

Lin Feng gestured to the Night Watchers behind him, signaling them to prepare crossbows, but not to fire them rashly.

The five Black Wolf Guards drew closer, and the red marks on their faces from the frostbite and their wary, sweeping gazes became visible. The distance closed to 150 paces, then 100 paces… They seemed oblivious to the anomaly behind the snow slope, merely conducting their routine patrol.

However, just as they were about to pass by the edge of the snow slope, the leader of the Black Wolf Guards suddenly reined in his horse, twitched his nose a few times, and looked in the direction of the snow slope with a puzzled expression.

He seemed to sense something.

"Something's up! Dismount and search that snow slope!" the Black Wolf Guard leader shouted in a low voice in the Di Rong language, while simultaneously taking down his horn bow.

This is troublesome! Lin Feng's eyes turned cold. He couldn't let them get close to search; if they found horses or people, they would definitely raise an alarm.

Just as the four Black Wolf Guards dismounted and cautiously approached the snow slope with their knives drawn, Lin Feng made his move.

Like a snow leopard that had been lying in wait, he suddenly sprang up from behind the snow slope! His speed was so fast that he left only a faint afterimage on the snow! He didn't use a long weapon, but only a black short dagger that had been drawn from its sheath!

"Enemy attack!" The squad leader on horseback was startled and drew his bow to fire! But the arrow missed its mark, and Lin Feng's figure had already cut into the middle of the four Black Wolf Guards who had dismounted like a ghost!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Four muffled sounds, almost in one order, as if a sharp instrument were tearing through flesh and throat!

Lin Feng's short dagger transformed into four deadly streaks of light, precise, ruthless, and without any frills, instantly severing the throats of the four Black Wolf Guards!

Before the blood could even splatter, their bodies collapsed limply.

The minor leader on horseback was terrified. He turned his horse around and tried to run away, while his hand reached for the signal arrow in his pocket!

However, just as he turned his horse around, a crossbow bolt, silently fired from behind the snow slope, pierced through the wind and snow and accurately pierced the back of his neck! He made a strange "hoarse" sound in his throat, fell off his horse, and the whistling arrow slipped from his hand and fell into the snow.

The battle began and ended in less than three breaths. All five Black Wolf Guards were killed, without even having time to sound a proper alarm.

Lin Feng flicked the blood off his short dagger and sheathed it. His movements were clean and swift, as if he had only done something insignificant.

Nine scouts quickly emerged from their hiding place, working in pairs to drag the five corpses into the shadows deep within the earthen forest, where they buried them with snow. The other scout collected the scattered weapons, arrows, and food sacks.

"Change to their horses, get rid of the extras," Lin Feng ordered briefly. Switching to the enemy's horses and some of their clothing would provide better camouflage.

Soon, the ten men became "Ten Black Wolf Guard Riders," dressed in blood-stained leather armor and camouflage cloaks, mounted the enemy's warhorses, and hung the captured hornbows and scimitars beside their saddles.

"Keep moving forward. Speed ​​up; we must cross these hills and enter the heart of the Gray Fox tribe before sunset." Lin Feng glanced at the sky.