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

Su Xuanji stood up and gave Ling Xiaotian a standard scholar's bow, her posture composed and without any hint of demureness.

Ling Xiaotian's surprise deepened. A crafts consultant? And a woman at that? But he was a man of deep composure, and his smile remained unchanged.

"So it's Ms. Su. My apologies for my rudeness. I didn't expect that General Lin's residence would have such a learned female scholar. My Ling family has dealt with iron and stone for generations. Perhaps I can learn a thing or two from Ms. Su later."

"Young Master Ling, you are too kind. I am not knowledgeable enough to accept the title of 'asking for advice,' but rather we can learn from each other." Su Xuanji's voice was calm and neither humble nor arrogant.

"In that case, please have some tea. Dinner is ready. Please move to the main hall shortly, General. I must go and greet you all. I'll take my leave now." Ling Xiaotian bowed and departed.

Only Lin Feng and his group remained in the side hall. The servants retreated to the porch outside the door.

"The Ling family is quite grand," Wang the blacksmith said in a low voice, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Amur whispered, "The garrison has many sentries, both visible and hidden, and their defenses are well-organized, like a military formation. The arrow tower in the southeast corner has the best view, watching the way we came in. There are people hiding in that grove of trees in the northwest corner."

Lin Feng picked up his teacup and stirred the floating leaves. "Since we're here, let's make the best of it. We're guests, they won't do anything for now. Miss Bai, you and Amur just need to keep an eye on things. Miss Su, did you notice anything along the way?"

Su Xuanji put down her teacup: "This manor is built against the mountain, and its layout subtly conforms to the military strategy of 'leaning on the corner.' The main house is located at the 'tiger's waist,' making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. The main building material is granite, which is sturdy and wind-resistant, but many of the columns, steps, and even the weapon rack bases are made of 'black-veined stone.'"

"Black-veined stone?" the blacksmith asked, puzzled.

"This is a type of stone that is exceptionally hard and heavy, difficult to mine, and usually only found in small quantities in the core of high-quality veins. The fact that it is used in considerable quantities here indicates that the vein controlled by the Ling family is of extremely high quality and has been mined for a long time. This stone also has another characteristic..."

Su Xuanji paused for a moment, "It can isolate and confuse metal detectors to a certain extent. If you use an ordinary magnet or iron probe near this kind of stone, it will be affected."

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed: "Miss Su, are you saying that if they hid the items in a secret room or hidden compartment built with this kind of stone, ordinary detection methods would be insufficient to find them?"

"That's right." Su Xuanji nodded.

"Furthermore, when I passed through the courtyard just now, I noticed that the color of the soil near the foundation of the main house was slightly different from the surrounding area, which should be due to long-term exposure to underground heat. The Ling family may have a sizable smelting workshop or underground furnace, and it is located near the main house. If that 'extraterrestrial iron' is really here, it is most likely hidden underground under the main house, concealed and guarded by the power of the underground fire."

Her observations were meticulous, and her reasoning was logical.

"During the dinner, pay attention to the layout of the main house, especially the entrance leading to the underground," Lin Feng said.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, and a man who looked like a butler bowed and said, "General Lin, the banquet is about to begin. The head of the family would like to invite you and your distinguished guests to move to the main hall."

Everyone stood up.

The main hall was extremely spacious, enough to accommodate hundreds of people. It was now brightly lit and filled with guests.

In the main seat of the main hall sat an elderly man of about fifty years old, tall and robust, with white hair and beard, and eyes that shone brightly when he opened and closed.

He wore a dark red brocade robe embroidered with gold bat patterns, but his posture was upright, and his demeanor was confident and self-assured, naturally exuding an aura of someone who had long held a high position and was decisive and ruthless. He was none other than the birthday celebrant of the day, the head of the Ling family, Ling Aoyun.

Below Ling Aoyun, to his left and right, stood Ling Xiaotian and other members of the Ling family, as well as several distinguished figures who were clearly honored guests. Among them, a middle-aged general dressed in the uniform of a fourth-rank military officer, with an arrogant expression, was particularly eye-catching.

Led by the butler, Lin Feng and his entourage made their way through the crowd to the VIP seating area near the head seats.

Many eyes instantly focused on it, filled with curiosity, inquiry, scrutiny, and even ill intent.

Ling Aoyun's gaze also fell on Lin Feng, sharp as a hawk, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Lin Feng met his gaze calmly, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Lin Feng, General of the Great Yan's Northern Expedition and Commander of the Iron Wall of the Northern Wind, congratulates Elder Ling on his fiftieth birthday and wishes him good health and longevity!"

The voice was clear and resonant, cutting through the noise in the hall and reaching everyone's ears. Many of the murmurs fell silent.

"General Who Pacifies the North? Commander-in-Chief of the Iron Wall of the North Wind? Is that the newly appointed one?"

"I heard the fighting in the north was fierce recently, but he managed to quell the Gray Fox tribe's rebellion?"

"So young? But he has quite the air about him."

"Those two young ladies over there are quite pretty, especially the one in yellow, tsk tsk..."

"Stop talking nonsense! Those are their guards! Didn't you see their eyes? They exude a menacing aura!"

Ling Aoyun smiled, his voice booming like a bell, carrying the unique boldness of a Northwesterner:

"Haha! It's General Lin! I've long admired your name. At such a young age, you guarded the border and pacified the barbarian tribes. You are truly a rising star and pillar of our Great Yan! Your presence today is a great honor for my birthday banquet! Please take a seat!"

He pointed to an empty seat to his lower left, a very prominent position, clearly showing him great respect.

"You flatter me, sir. I am unworthy of such praise. This is but a small token of my respect. I hope you will accept it." Lin Feng gestured to his attendant to present the gift list.

Ling Aoyun didn't even glance at it, waving his hand for the steward to accept it, and laughed loudly, "The General's presence is the best birthday gift! Please sit! Everyone, let's drink this cup to the brim to welcome General Lin!"

He raised the golden cup in front of him, and the guests in the hall followed suit. In an instant, the atmosphere became lively again, with glasses clinking and toasts being exchanged.

Ling Aoyun exchanged a few pleasantries with Lin Feng, inquiring about the scenery of the Northern Frontier and the recent situation of the Gray Fox Tribe. Lin Feng's responses were appropriate and watertight.

The admiration in Ling Aoyun's eyes deepened, but the scrutiny never faded.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the atmosphere in the hall became increasingly lively.

The fourth-rank military officer sitting to Ling Aoyun's right suddenly stood up, holding a wine cup, and addressed Lin Feng in a loud voice: "General Lin! I have long heard of your victory at Iron Wall City, where you defeated the Di Rong with a smaller force, and even won the favor of the Gray Fox Princess, leading to a marriage alliance. You have truly achieved great success at a young age! I, Ma Rulong, the deputy general of Zhenbei Pass, raise a toast to you, General!"

His tone seemed bold, but he emphasized the words "winning with fewer troops," "favored by the princess," and "young man's triumph," subtly conveying a sense of defiance and provocation.

Many people in the hall stopped talking and looked over, their expressions amused.

The position of Deputy General of Zhenbei Pass is more than one rank lower than Lin Feng's current post as "Commander-in-Chief of All Military Affairs". However, Zhenbei Pass is an important town in the Northwest and the territory of the Ling family. This Deputy General Ma is obviously closely related to the Ling family. His appearance at this moment is quite like "testing the waters" for his master.

Lin Feng raised his wine cup: "General Ma, you flatter me. Defending the land and protecting the people is my duty. The marriage alliance was also approved by His Majesty for the purpose of securing the border. I am unworthy of the word 'proud.' This cup of wine is to thank General Ma for his hard work in guarding the border." After saying this, he raised his cup to indicate that he had done his best, and drank it all in one gulp.

Instead of responding to provocations, they invoked the imperial court and the "hard work of guarding the frontier," effectively putting the other party on a pedestal.

Ma Rulong choked for a moment, his face darkened slightly, and he could only tilt his head back and drink the wine. When he sat down, he slammed the wine glass heavily on the table.

Ling Aoyun chuckled, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents that had just occurred, and pointed at Ma Rulong, saying to Lin Feng, "General Ma is my nephew, straightforward in nature, and a capable fighter. He has guarded the pass for many years, earning great merit. In the future, the Northwest and the Northern Frontier will require the two generals to maintain close ties and provide mutual support!"

"What the old patriarch said is very true." Lin Feng nodded.

After drinking a few more cups, Ling Aoyun seemed to be in even higher spirits and said to Lin Feng:

"I've heard that Mr. Su of General Lin's residence is an expert in mining and metallurgy? What a coincidence! I have two favorite things in my life: weapons and rare stones. I have some ores in my estate that I acquired in my early years, which I believe to be quite extraordinary, but I'm unable to determine their quality. Would you be so kind as to invite Mr. Su to come and take a look? And also to broaden the horizons of our guests?"