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

Meanwhile, far to the west of the prefectural capital, at the Ruishi Camp.

Inside a separate tent belonging to the Central Army's personal guards, Lin Feng sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly adjusting his breathing, but in reality, his mind was racing, like a taut bowstring.

The information he received was similar to what Zhou Kui had told Chen Xi, but more detailed and more worrying.

A thief broke into the Zhou residence, disturbing the women of the household. The thief escaped, enraging Zhou Wenyuan, who then launched a secret city-wide manhunt.

Zhou Wenyuan seemed convinced that an "insider" had colluded with outsiders, and carried out a severe purge of the servants in his household. Several elderly people mysteriously "died of sudden illness" or "accidentally fell into a well." The women in the household were "frightened" and were placed under close surveillance, but their specific circumstances remain unclear.

The women's families... Shi Xiu, Liu Yun, Cao'er! And Chen Xi and A Yue! The "thief" escaped, but who escaped? Was it Chen Xi and A Yue? Did they successfully escape? Where are they now? Are they safe? And Shi Xiu and the others are under "close surveillance"—is it protection, or house arrest? Or even...?

Lin Feng dared not think too deeply about it. He had already experienced Zhou Wenyuan's ruthlessness firsthand.

Meanwhile, the so-called "new recruit brawl" and "weapon shortage" in the military camp were even more suspicious. They happened shortly after he was transferred to the Central Army's personal guard, and they involved Zhao Tieying. This seemed more like a signal, or rather, a warning.

Someone was putting pressure on Zhao Tieying and warning him about Lin Feng, the newcomer who Zhao Tieying had "exceptionally" transferred in.

Is it the influence of the King of Qi in the army?

When Zhao Tieying saw him today, his face was gloomy. He only said a few words hastily, "Behave yourself these days and don't cause any trouble," before turning and leaving. Lin Feng clearly saw the solemnity in his eyes and the trace of worry that was hard to detect.

We can't wait any longer. Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning.

Staying in this military camp would be relatively safe and would allow us to gather some information, but it would also put us in a very passive position.

He was like a tiger trapped in a cage, possessing claws and teeth but unable to protect those he wanted to protect, nor able to break the deadlock.

With Zhou Wenyuan's threat looming, and Shi Xiu and the others in grave danger, their whereabouts unknown, their fate uncertain... he had to do something.

Can we rely on Zhao Tieying? Zhao Tieying is in a precarious position, and as a government officer, he faces many constraints and cannot do many things openly.

Relying on Ye Qingli? That mysterious woman made two moves, seemingly targeting Chen tide, but her purpose was unclear. Whether she was friend or foe was still unknown, and we couldn't place all our hopes on an unfathomable outsider.

The only way is to rely on yourself.

He needs to leave the military camp, at least temporarily.

But he couldn't openly leave the military camp; that would be tantamount to defection, making him a wanted criminal and unable to move an inch. He needed a plausible reason to "leave," one that could at least temporarily conceal his past.

His gaze fell on the worn-out border guard uniform beside his pillow, stained with indelible dark red bloodstains. It was a uniform he had worn since leaving the northern border, representing a past filled with blood and fire, and also representing... some scattered "relationships" that might still be useful.

A bold idea gradually took shape in his mind.

He exhaled a soft breath, stood up, walked to the corner of the tent, moved a loose floor tile, and took out a small package tightly wrapped in oilcloth. Inside were several pieces of good quality silver, some copper coins, an antique-looking bronze waist tag with chipped edges (with a blurred "烽" character engraved on it), and... a small piece of dark, strangely bitter dried meat wrapped in oiled paper. He had found this on the "shadow guard" he had killed in Green Willow Lane, and had never known its purpose, but his intuition told him it might be useful.

He repackaged all these things, along with his old uniform, and stuffed them into an inconspicuous bundle.

Then, he walked to the table, spread out a rough sheet of paper by the dim light of the oil lamp, picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, pondered for a moment, and wrote characters as sharp as iron hooks.

The letter was addressed to Zhao Tieying.

The letter was simple and earnest, stating that he had received an urgent message from his former comrades in the Northern Frontier: his elderly mother was critically ill, and he needed to return home immediately to visit her. He was bound by military duties and dared not leave without permission, but filial piety was paramount, and he had no choice but to risk his life to plead with the Captain to grant him a few days' leave to handle his family affairs before returning to camp to accept his punishment. The letter made no mention of the Zhou family or Chen tide; it was entirely in the tone of an ordinary soldier torn between loyalty to the country and filial piety.

This was, of course, just an excuse. Whether there were truly any comrades in the North with "critically ill mothers" was something Zhao Tieying could easily find out with a little investigation.

Lin Feng was betting that Zhao Tieying, given his current precarious situation and knowledge of some inside information (at least his "relationship" with Zhou Wenyuan and the potential trouble he might face), wouldn't, or rather, wouldn't dare, delve deeper. Giving him this pretext of "absenteeism" might be exactly what Zhao Tieying wanted—for him to temporarily disappear and avoid the limelight. After all, a soldier "longing for his mother and leaving camp without permission" was much easier to handle than a "troublesome figure" embroiled in upper-level power struggles who could potentially cause Zhao Tieying even greater trouble.

After finishing writing the letter, he folded the letter and placed it in a prominent place on the table, weighing it down with a paperweight.

Then, he changed into his worn-out dark gray civilian clothes (not military uniform), slung his bag over his shoulder, and hid his short knife in the most convenient spot.

He didn't leave through the main gate. Instead, he silently lifted a corner of the rear tent flap, slipping into the darkness behind the tent like a melting shadow. He already knew the patrol patterns and sentry post locations of the elite troops by heart.

The moon was obscured by dark clouds in the night sky, and the starlight was dim. It was the perfect time for a nighttime journey.

Like a cheetah poised to pounce, Lin Feng lay hidden behind a pile of hay not far from the wall, intently sensing the movements around him.

The night patrol had just passed; the next patrol wouldn't arrive for a while. The sentry on the wall seemed to be yawning.

It's now!

He suddenly sprang up, as fast as an arrow released from a bow, and in a few leaps he reached the base of the wall. His toes touched the protrusion of the wall base, and his hands were already on the top of the wall. With the power of his waist and abdomen, he flipped up like a light ape. In the instant the sentry on the wall turned his head at the sound, he fell like a leaf and disappeared into the thick darkness outside the wall.

The whole process took only two or three breaths and was completely silent.

Inside the walls, the elite troops were still immersed in the night, with only the regular sounds of watchtowers and patrolling footsteps, as if nothing had happened.

Lin Feng, the "new recruit" who had just begun to distinguish himself in the army and was transferred to Zhao Tieying's personal guard, had vanished completely into the deep darkness of the prefecture, like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

He embarked on a solitary journey fraught with uncertainty and danger.

His goal was clear: in this chaotic world, he would use his own hands and mind to carve out a bloody path, gather his own strength, and protect those he wanted to protect. In this intricate and dangerous game of chess, he would gradually transform from a pawn with no control over his own destiny into a player who could make moves and even influence the course of the game.

First, infiltrate the Zhou residence to investigate and find out their safety and whereabouts...

Then, depending on the situation, either contact potential external assistance, or...

The first step has been taken. But what kind of turbulence will his departure and subsequent actions create in this enormous vortex of the state capital? No one knows.

The night is deep. The road ahead is long.