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

Judging from their attire, they were scouts from Ironwall City. Upon seeing Lin Feng, they immediately dismounted and knelt on one knee: "General! These are sent scouts from Ironwall City! We're here to meet you!"

Lin Feng reined in his horse, his eyes sharp as knives: "Xu Tiande sent you?"

"Yes! A support camp has been set up thirty miles outside the city!" the scout replied urgently.

Lin Feng glanced back at the approaching pursuers' torches and made a decisive decision: "Bater, you take Miss Su and these two brothers to the rendezvous camp! Bai Xiaohe, you stay with me and cover our retreat!"

Batel grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Don't worry! As long as I, Batel, have a breath left, this little brat won't die!"

Two fast horses and a mule cart parted ways in the night.

Lin Feng and Bai Xiaohe stood in the middle of the road, waiting for the Shadowless Pavilion to catch up.

"Here it comes." Bai Xiaohe drew her short sword, her voice as cold as ice.

In the darkness, a dozen or so men in black silently surrounded them. They didn't shout or waste words; they immediately drew their crossbows.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Arrows rained down like locusts! Lin Feng and Bai Xiaohe parried with their swords, sparks flying everywhere.

Then Bai Xiaohe moved like a ghost into the enemy ranks, her short sword specializing in unorthodox attacks, focusing on the lower body. Lin Feng, on the other hand, met her head-on, wielding his twin blades in a dense, impenetrable manner, relentlessly cutting his way forward.

The assassins of the Shadowless Pavilion were fearless; as one group fell, another surged in.

Finally, only two assassins remained. They glanced at each other, then turned and fled.

Lin Feng and Bai Xiaohe exchanged a glance, then threw their swords together. The two fleeing assassins, seeing the blades protruding from their chests, collapsed to the ground.

The two sheathed their swords, and before they could even catch their breath, they immediately mounted their horses and chased after Batel in the direction he had gone.

The support camp was set up in a mountain valley. When they arrived, Batel was guarding the campfire, and Su Xuanji was lying beside the fire, her face still pale, but her breathing had become more steady.

"How is she?" Lin Feng dismounted and strode over.

Batel grinned and said, "The fever has gone down a bit. But..." He paused, "we need to get back to the city quickly and find a proper doctor to take a look. Just relying on this powder won't work."

Lin Feng crouched down and felt Su Xuanji's forehead; it was indeed not as hot anymore. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the east.

The sky was already turning a pale white.

"Pack your things and head back to the city immediately." Lin Feng stood up.

The caravan set off again. In the faint light of dawn, the majestic outline of Ironwall City finally appeared on the horizon.

The gates of Ironwall City slammed shut behind us, temporarily shutting out the cold winds of the wasteland and the ever-present killing intent.

Inside the garrison's residence, the lights were on full display.

Xu Tiande had already received the news and, along with Han Tao, Lei Bao, and other generals, waited in the courtyard.

Seeing Lin Feng and his group return covered in blood, Xu Tiande rushed forward.

"Brother Lin! You're finally back!" His voice was hoarse. His gaze swept over the bloodstains on Lin Feng's body, then fell on Su Xuanji, who was being carefully helped off her horse by Bai Xiaohe. He gasped, "This is..."

"Ling Aoyun has been executed. Miss Su was injured while saving me. But those bastards from the Shadowless Pavilion are still relentlessly pursuing us."

Lin Feng scooped Su Xuanji up in his arms and strode towards the backyard.

After treating the wound, stitching and bandaging it, and feeding her blood-nourishing medicine, it was nearly noon by the time Su Xuanji was taken care of.

In the study of the garrison commander's residence,

Lin Feng looked at the map of northern Xinjiang on the wall. On the map, he had circled the three characters "Broken Soul Reef" in the northwest with a red pen.

Xu Tiande said, "Brother, we've found out. That old dog Ling Aoyun has set up a spy on Broken Soul Reef. He's ostensibly a salt smuggler, but he's probably actually guarding that third fragment."

"Soul-Severing Reef..." Lin Feng tapped his fingertips on the table. "The waterways are treacherous, riddled with hidden reefs, and there are also remnants of the Ling family and people from the Shadowless Pavilion. We can't force our way through."

"Then we won't force our way in!" Xu Tiande glared. "I'll lead a squad of assassins, disguised as salt smugglers, to infiltrate and find out what's going on!"

"No, that's too risky." Lin Feng shook his head. "We need more detailed maps and hydrological data. Ling Aoyun has been operating there for many years; it must be full of deadly traps and mechanisms."

Just then, Bai Xiaohe walked in carrying a bowl of medicine. "Su Xuanji is awake. She seems to have something to say."

Lin Feng and Xu Tiande exchanged a glance and immediately followed Bai Xiaohe to Su Xuanji's room where she was recuperating.

Su Xuanji sat leaning against the headboard, her face still pale, but her eyes had regained their clarity. Seeing Lin Feng enter, she slightly propped herself up.

Her voice was still weak, but her words were clear. "I've been to Soul-Severing Reef once, three years ago, when I went with my father to explore a mineral vein. There are undercurrents in that area, and the reefs are like jagged teeth. Ordinary ships that get close will sink. Ling Aoyun chose to hide the fragments there because there is a natural underwater cave with a hidden entrance. Only the local old fishermen know the tidal patterns."

"Tidal patterns?" Lin Feng's eyes narrowed.

"Yes." Su Xuanji nodded, her brows furrowing slightly as the wound aggravated her pain. "The cave entrance only surfaces for about two hours before and after the high tide recedes on the third and eighteenth of each month. At other times, the entrance is three zhang underwater. Moreover... there are traps set up by the Ling family inside the cave, powered by water; touching them is certain death."

She paused, then looked at Lin Feng: "Commander, you need to find a man called 'Old Fishbladder.' He was the boatman who steered our boat back then, and he knows the area of ​​Broken Soul Reef best. He should be hiding in the slums west of the city."

A glint of light flashed in Lin Feng's eyes: "Alright! I understand."

He bent down and tucked the blanket around Su Xuanji, lowering his voice: "You should focus on recovering. Don't get involved in this matter anymore."

Su Xuanji looked at him, opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't say anything, only nodded slightly.

Leaving the room, Lin Feng said to Xu Tiande, "Brother Xu, send someone to fetch that 'old fish bladder' for me. Remember, you must 'fetch' him, don't frighten the old man."

"Don't worry! I'll go myself!" Xu Tiande accepted the order and left.

Lin Feng stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the gloomy sky. Soul-Severing Reef, the underwater cave, the tides, the traps…

Ironwall City's brief respite is about to end. The next storm is already brewing in the black tide of Soul Reef.