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

Lin Feng's finely crafted arrows hadn't even warmed up before trouble struck.

It wasn't Liu Biao's direct retaliation—that guy wasn't stupid enough to openly take action in the camp. The trouble stemmed from a sudden military order.

"The entire 7th Platoon, prepare immediately and garrison the No. 3 beacon tower, thirty li to the north, for three days!" The messenger's cold, hard voice echoed in the barracks. "Depart immediately, without delay!"

Squad Leader Zhang Kui's expression changed: "Beacon Tower Number Three? Isn't that...?"

"This is Commander Han's order!" the messenger interrupted him. "The Di Rong cavalry have been active in that area recently, so we need to be more vigilant. The Seventh Battalion performed exceptionally well the other day, and the Commander has given them a special responsibility!"

The word "important task" was emphasized, and coupled with the businesslike tone, it carried an indescribable air.

Zhang Kui's expression shifted, but he finally clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This subordinate obeys!"

The messenger turned and left. A deathly silence fell over the barracks, followed by low curses and sighs.

"Beacon Tower No. 3... is that even a place for a human to stay?" The old soldier, "Old Nerv," looked bitter. "Standing all alone on the hilltop, with nothing around it, it's just a sitting duck! Last time, the brothers who guarded that place, a team of ten, only three came back!"

"I heard that place is haunted at night..." Li Gou'er's voice trembled.

"Shut up!" Zhang Kui hissed, his face dark as he swept his gaze over the crowd. "Military orders are absolute! All of you, get the hell together! Check your weapons and armor, and we'll set off in an hour!"

No one dared to complain anymore, and they all began to pack up their meager belongings.

Lin Feng silently organized his bow and arrows and the broken sword. A beacon tower, or signal tower, was a forward outpost on the border, usually built on a high point with a wide view, used for observing enemy movements and transmitting signal fires. Beacon Tower No. 3 was located at the northernmost point, deep within the buffer zone, isolated in terrain, difficult to supply, and most vulnerable to harassment or even a full-scale attack by small groups of Di Rong cavalry. Guarding that place would be an extremely difficult and dangerous task.

"Specially entrusted with an important mission?" Lin Feng sneered inwardly. It was more like "specially entrusted with a death trap." Although Zhang Kui hadn't said it explicitly, judging from his reaction, this order was likely not simple. Considering Liu Biao's sinister gaze and the ambiguous relationship between Liu Biao and a certain team leader, it wasn't hard to guess that there might be some kind of "small trick" targeting him.

"You want me to 'accidentally' perish outside?" A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. "Then let's see whose 'accident' it really is."

After an incense stick had burned, the 70th men (one had been killed in battle and had not yet been replaced) had assembled in front of the camp gate. In addition to their personal weapons and three days' rations, each man was given an extra bag of arrows (twenty arrows) and a gong for warning. This was all they had to rely on for their three-day garrison.

Zhang Kui's expression remained grim, but he said nothing more, simply issuing the order: "Depart!"

The group silently left the military camp and headed towards the vast, desolate mountains to the north. Although the snowstorm had stopped, the accumulated snow hadn't melted, making the roads muddy and difficult to traverse. The biting wind stung their faces like knives.

The atmosphere on the way was tense. Everyone knew that this mission was likely to end badly.

"Lin Feng," Zhang Kui walked to Lin Feng's side, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of barely perceptible guilt, "This time... I might have dragged you into this. That bastard Liu Biao probably got involved with Captain Wang..."

Captain Wang was a relative of Liu Biao through some roundabout means, and he was in charge of the defense allocation of the Beacon Fire Battalion.

"Squad leader, there's no need for further explanation," Lin Feng said calmly. "Guarding the beacon towers is the duty of the border troops. As for anything else, we'll deal with whatever comes our way."

Zhang Kui glanced at him and, seeing his calm demeanor and lack of fear, felt somewhat relieved. He patted him forcefully on the shoulder: "Good lad! You're a real man! With us brothers working together, we might just get through this!"

The thirty-mile mountain road took nearly three hours to traverse through the snow. As dusk fell, a solitary, dark gray stone platform stood atop a barren hill ahead. That was the No. 3 beacon tower.

The beacon tower was about three zhang high, with a base built of huge stones. The upper level was a watchtower constructed of wood and stone, and a tattered swallow-shaped flag fluttered helplessly in the cold wind. A low, partially collapsed earthen wall surrounded the tower, serving as a rudimentary defensive fortification. The entire outpost exuded a desolate and lifeless atmosphere.

Upon closer inspection, one can see numerous dark brown marks inside and outside the earthen wall—dried bloodstains, as well as some arrowheads and broken weapons that have not been properly cleaned.

"This is it." Zhang Kui took a deep breath. "Work in pairs, first inspect the inside and outside of the beacon tower, eliminate any potential hazards, and then assign guards."

The interior of the beacon tower appeared even more dilapidated than the exterior. The first floor was a damp, cold, and musty area where firewood, wolf dung (fuel for beacon fires), and a small amount of grain were stored. The second floor served as a lookout and living space, cramped and narrow, containing only a broken wooden table and a few straw mats. In the corners, tattered bedding and earthenware pots left behind by the previous garrison soldiers were scattered.

The group did a quick cleanup and repaired the gap in the earthen wall with pebbles and wood, making it barely enough to block the wind. Zhang Kui arranged the duty shifts: two people per group, rotating every hour, day and night.

The first night passed peacefully. Only the howling wind and the occasional howls from afar, whether from wolves or something else, sent chills down one's spine.

The next day was peaceful. But Zhang Kui dared not be careless, and led his men to reinforce the fortifications, setting up simple tripwires and traps around the beacon tower. Lin Feng climbed the watchtower to carefully observe the surrounding terrain. The hilltop where the beacon tower was located offered an excellent view, overlooking vast meadows and distant rolling mountains. But precisely because of this, once surrounded, there would be almost no escape.

The next night, around midnight.

Lin Feng and Li Gou'er were on guard duty. Li Gou'er, clutching his spear, huddled behind the earthen wall, his eyelids drooping. Lin Feng, on the other hand, leaned against a wooden pillar of the watchtower, closing his eyes to rest, but his ears were listening for every slight movement in the wind.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

Mixed in the sound of the wind was a very faint sound, different from the friction of natural wind—the sound of leather rubbing against dry grass, and the sound of breathing that was being suppressed.

"Enemy attack!" Lin Feng shouted, kicking the dazed Li Gou'er awake, and at the same time grabbing the gong beside him and striking it hard!

"Bang bang bang—!"

The piercing sound of the gong instantly shattered the tranquility of the night.

Almost at the same time the gong sounded, several dark figures sprang up from the rocks and grass below the beacon tower, rushing towards the earthen wall like ghosts! They were Di Rong people! There were about seven or eight of them, wearing dark fur coats, their faces smeared with black ash, and carrying curved knives and short spears. Their movements were swift and silent, clearly those of elite night raiders!

"Get on the wall! Guard the breach!" Zhang Kui's roar came from the lower level, accompanied by a jumble of footsteps.

The moment Lin Feng struck the gong, he had already drawn his short bow and nocked an arrow. He didn't aim at the Di Rong man who was charging at the front and closest, but instead aimed the arrow at a slightly behind, dark figure who was exceptionally burly and seemed to be a minor leader.

The bow is drawn as full as a full moon, and the arrow flies like a shooting star!

"Whoosh—Pfft!"

The finely crafted arrow traced an almost invisible path in the darkness, precisely piercing the throat of the burly figure! The man's forward momentum abruptly halted; he clutched his neck, made a hoarse sound, and fell backward.

"Good arrow!" Zhang Kui, who had just rushed up the earthen wall, saw it clearly and shouted, "Don't panic! Hold the line!"

The first wave of attack was halted by Lin Feng's arrow, and the rest of the Seventh Squad finally took their positions, relying on the broken earthen wall, desperately using spears and swords to block the Di Rong people who were scaling the wall. The battle instantly intensified.

After firing an arrow, Lin Feng quickly moved and hid behind a pillar on the watchtower. There were clearly archers among the night raiders; almost the instant he moved, two arrows were embedded in the spot where he had just stood.

He calmly assessed the direction from which the arrow was coming, took a deep breath, and drew his bow again. This time, he aimed at a figure outside the earthen wall who was nocking an arrow.

"Whoosh!"

"Ah!" A short scream rang out, and the Di Rong archer fell to the ground.

But the ferocity of the Di Rong people exceeded expectations. Although they were slightly outnumbered, each one was fearless and coordinated perfectly. One Di Rong man took a spear blow head-on, and despite being wounded, he tackled a soldier from the Seventh Shi and brought his scimitar down fiercely!

"Zhu Zi!" Zhang Kui's eyes widened in horror, but it was too late to save him.

Just then, another arrow shot from the direction of the watchtower, not at the Di Rong man wielding the knife, but at the knee of another Di Rong man next to him who was about to pounce!

"Thud!" The arrow pierced through the leather trousers and embedded itself deep in the muscle and bone. The Di Rong man screamed and fell to his knees, his attack slowing down.

In that brief moment of respite, Zhang Kui had already thrust his spear through the ribs of the first Di Rong man!

Lin Feng's arrows, like deadly snakes in the darkness, always struck at crucial moments, each aimed directly at the point of contact in the enemy's offensive or the most threatening target. He didn't aim for a fatal blow, but rather to disrupt the opponent's rhythm and create localized chaos. This precise and efficient support greatly alleviated the pressure on the frontal defense.

The battle lasted less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, yet it was exceptionally fierce. The Di Rong people abandoned four corpses and two seriously wounded men, retreating in disarray into the darkness and disappearing from sight. On the Seventh Shi's side, one person was killed in battle (Zhu Zi), and three were wounded, one of whom was seriously injured.

Silence returned to the area around the beacon tower, broken only by the sound of the wind and the suppressed groans of the wounded.

Zhang Kui, panting heavily, leaned on his spear, his face splattered with the blood of his enemies. He looked at Lin Feng, who was walking down from the watchtower, his eyes filled with complex emotions—gratitude, lingering fear, and a hint of relief.

"Take a headcount for casualties and increase vigilance!" Zhang Kui ordered hoarsely, then walked up to Lin Feng and patted him heavily on the shoulder. "Lin Feng, tonight... it's all thanks to you! At least three arrows saved the brothers' lives!"

Lin Feng shook his head, looking at the body of his fallen comrade, and remained silent. Zhu Zi was the friend of Li Gou'er, the young soldier with pockmarks on his face who had once envied Zhao Dayong's ability to choose wives. They had huddled together for warmth just last night.

"Make sure the pillars are properly secured." Zhang Kui's voice was low, filled with exhaustion and anger. "These sons of bitches! This beacon tower is no longer safe! If they fail once, they'll definitely come back! And next time there might be even more of them!"

"Squad leader, should we light the signal fire to call for reinforcements?" someone asked.

Zhang Kui hesitated, staring at the pile of firewood and wolf dung. Lighting the beacon fire would be a warning, but it could also attract more enemy troops. Moreover, when reinforcements would arrive was unknown.

"Wait a minute," Zhang Kui gritted his teeth. "Cut off the heads of the Di Rong people! Dispose of the bodies! Lin Feng, you've done a great service tonight. According to the rules, most of these heads will be credited to you!"

This is to be expected. Without Lin Feng's arrows, the casualties tonight would probably be far greater.

Lin Feng did not refuse. He needed merit, and it was what he deserved. He walked to the bodies of the Di Rong and began to examine them. The minor leader whose throat he had shot had finer leather armor and wore a bone wolf-head necklace, which should be worth more merit.

Just then, his fingers touched a hard object in the leader's pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it was a small leather pouch. Inside were not gold or silver, but several dark brown lumps carefully wrapped in oiled paper, emitting a strange, pungent smell.

"What is this...?" Lin Feng frowned; he didn't recognize the object.

A knowledgeable veteran nearby came over to take a look and exclaimed in a low voice, "It's the root of the 'Ghost Face Vine'! Grind this stuff into powder and burn it; it can make someone fall into a deep sleep! These barbarians really were planning to sneak up here and poison someone!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, then filled with lingering fear. If Lin Feng hadn't discovered it beforehand, they would all have had their heads chopped off in their sleep by the time these Di Rong people sneaked in and drugged them!

Zhang Kui broke out in a cold sweat, and his gaze towards Lin Feng held not just respect, but also a hint of awe. This couldn't be explained by mere archery skill; it was an almost instinctive intuition for danger!

"Keep this safe! It's evidence!" Zhang Kui said in a deep voice. "When we get back, report it along with the head! Lin Feng, you've done another great service!"

Lin Feng put away the leather bag, but felt little joy. The siege of the beacon towers was not yet over, and even greater dangers might lie ahead.

He looked up at the deep, boundless darkness to the north.

The goal of taking eight and a half heads should be about half achieved by tonight.

But that is, if they can get back alive.

He gripped the bow tightly, feeling the cold touch of the finely crafted arrow fletching on his fingertips.

The night is still long.