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

"No, it's not time yet." Lin Feng waved his hand. "'Night Owl's' mission is to infiltrate, observe, and transmit intelligence. They are our eyes, not our daggers. Exposing them too early would be a loss. Besides, if one supply depot is burned, another one will still be there, which is not enough to shake their foundation. Poisoning... a small dose is useless, and a large dose will be easily discovered and alert the enemy."

He pointed to the water source near the river bend: "However, this is a place we can work on. The people of the northern deserts live a nomadic life, heavily reliant on water sources. What if they perceive this water as... 'unclean'?"

Lei Bao and Yan Qing exchanged a glance, somewhat puzzled.

"Commander, we don't have any poison that we can release into the river on a large scale. Even if we did, the river water would quickly dilute it, making it ineffective," Yan Qing said.

"We won't use poison." Lin Feng sneered. "We'll use 'disease.' Send the order to 'Night Owl' to find a way to capture one or two lone soldiers from different tribes when the next Mobei transport team arrives and the camp is busy. Clean them up, but leave something near the corpses."

"What is it?"

"Find some old clothes worn by soldiers or laborers suffering from 'epidemic' (common flu or cold) from inside the pass, or strips of cloth stained with phlegm from coughing and wheezing patients. Have 'Night Owl' carefully discard these items on the outskirts of the northern desert camp, near the water source. Make it look like our scouts accidentally left them behind in their hasty escape."

Lei Bao's eyes lit up: "Does the garrison mean... to create the illusion of a plague? To make the people of the Northern Desert suspicious?"

"Indeed." Lin Feng nodded. "The people of the northern desert fear 'epidemics' like tigers, especially this kind of 'plague' from the south. If anyone among them shows similar symptoms, or if an object bearing traces of the 'epidemic' is simply found near the camp, it will cause panic. The three tribes are already at odds, and with mutual suspicion, conflicts are bound to arise. Even if Batel can suppress it, their morale will definitely suffer. At that time, how much will they have left to focus on building rafts and preparing to cross the river?"

"Brilliant plan!" Yan Qing exclaimed, slapping the table in admiration. "Without losing a single soldier, we can disrupt their morale!"

"This is just the first step," Lin Feng continued. "Lei Bao, you will personally select one hundred of the best archers from the 'Falcon Battalion,' those with excellent archery skills, great patience, and a talent for stealth. Have them carry powerful bows and enough arrows, and secretly move in batches to the south bank of the Grey River, lying in ambush along the sparse woods and hills along the riverbank. The mission is not to kill the enemy, but to 'take roll'."

"Roll call?"

"Yes, roll call," Lin Feng said coldly. "Target those lone Mobei cavalry, water-fetching soldiers, or patrol teams near the riverbank. Use poisoned arrows, aiming for vital points like the throat and face, aiming for a fatal blow. Then move immediately, never staying in the same place. I want the Mobei people to feel that every shadow on the south bank hides a deadly demon, making them afraid to approach the riverbank easily, even fearful of fetching water. I want this silent fear of death to spread like a plague throughout the Mobei camp."

"Yes! I understand! This is called cutting flesh with a dull knife, making them restless day and night!" Lei Bao licked his lips excitedly. This insidious yet effective tactic was exactly to his liking.

"Yan Qing, coordinate with those inside the pass. After nightfall, raise more flags on the city walls, send more soldiers in full uniform to patrol back and forth, and light more torches at night, but keep the true strength of our troops well hidden. Every one or two hours, send a small cavalry squad out of the pass and circle around two or three miles in front of the pass to create the illusion that our army is frequently moving around. We need to make the scouts in the northern desert think that our army inside the pass is strong and well-equipped, and that we may launch a major attack at any time."

"yes!"

"Furthermore," Lin Feng said, looking at Bai Xiaohe, "Xiaohe, in my name, draft a military report and send it to the capital via express channels. Say that our scouts have engaged the vanguard of the Northern Desert several times, achieving some minor victories and dampening their morale. However, the Northern Desert army is powerful, and the pressure on our fortresses 'Wild Fox' and 'Lone Stone' in front of the pass has increased dramatically. I request the court to quickly allocate a batch of crossbows, oil, and medical supplies. The tone should be urgent, but the figures must be accurate."

"Understood." Bai Xiaohe nodded. This was to both show the court that the northern border was in danger and request actual support, and to demonstrate that their side was actively fighting and not shrinking back. At the same time, it could also confuse any potential court spies and conceal their true strategic intentions.

True battles never end on the battlefield with flashing swords. Winning hearts and minds, subduing the enemy without fighting, is the best strategy. Of course, if the opponent is uncooperative, Lin Feng's blood-drinking Broken Mountain Blade wouldn't mind staining this gray river a true, crimson color.

On the north bank of the Grey River, the Northern Desert Camp.

For three consecutive days, an inexplicable atmosphere of unease, like mold quietly growing, spread throughout the once-fierce camp.

Initially, only a few soldiers on night watch felt dizzy, weak, and had dry throats when changing shifts at dawn. They assumed it was just a cold and didn't pay much attention. Then, two auxiliary soldiers from the Vulture Tribe who were herding livestock on the outskirts were found collapsed on the riverbank, burning hot, delirious, and muttering incoherently. The army doctor examined them and said it was "evil wind entering the body," prescribing some herbs to dispel the cold, but with little effect.

Later, soldiers found several tattered pieces of linen stained with dark brown dirt in the bushes near the water source on the outskirts of the camp. Judging from their style and texture, they resembled the bandages commonly used by scouts of the Yan people in the south. The stains on the cloth emitted a faint, indescribable, putrid odor. Somehow, word spread that they were "infected with the Yan people's plague."

Panic, like a drop of water thrown into a pan of hot oil, explodes instantly.

In the hearts of the people of the northern desert, the word "plague" is like the white blizzards and wolf packs on the grasslands—a natural disaster that inspires fear and dread. They firmly believe in the Eternal Heaven and also dread the incomprehensible plague emanating from the south. Moreover, in recent days, people have been falling ill one after another, with symptoms similar to the rumored "epidemic."

Rumors began to spread at an alarming rate. Some said the Yan people had poisoned the water source; others said the plague was brought by the ghosts of the Yan scouts who had been shot dead in the battle a few days earlier; still others said it was the Eternal Heaven's displeasure with this southern invasion, and that it had sent down punishment.

The conflicts between the various departments were amplified instantly by the sudden panic caused by the "epidemic".

"It must be those Blood Falcon tribe guys! They're closest to the water source, they must have gotten sick first and kept it from us!"

A minor leader of the Vulture Tribe shouted loudly in the camp, immediately drawing a chorus of agreement. The Vulture Tribe was already resentful that Batel, with the Blood Falcon Tribe as the main force, was assigning them more patrol and provocative tasks.