I'm letting you win over the female lead, not conquering cities and territories!

Inside the hall, Qin Hao tapped the table lightly with his fingers, looking down at Lin Wan'er who had a righteous expression, his mind already racing with calculations.

"Following the classic tropes of the novels I read in my past life..."

Qin Hao secretly deduced in his mind:

"A powerful female protagonist in the capital city, forced into marriage, abandons her promising future and insists on traveling all the way to the frontier to seek refuge in a 'bandit's den'."

That must mean that the bandit hideout is no ordinary place!

"That regular army of over ten thousand people, plus the ironclad rule in female-oriented novels that 'the male protagonist must be of noble birth'."

I bet the mastermind behind the Black Wind Mountain bandit stronghold, even if he's not a paranoid prince hiding his identity, is definitely a domineering prince plotting a rebellion!

Having figured this out, Qin Hao's thoughts instantly became clear.

He looked at Lin Wan'er, the playfulness in his eyes vanishing, replaced by the serious, businesslike demeanor of a commander:

"Since Miss Lin has the intention to abandon darkness and embrace the light, I will naturally welcome her."

However, since you previously planned to seek refuge with them, you must have some understanding of the situation in Black Wind Mountain.

How were they able to quietly raise an army of ten thousand men in this border region?

Upon hearing Qin Hao inquire about serious matters, Lin Wan'er immediately straightened her back and decisively revealed all the details she knew:

"Reporting to the General! The reason why the Black Wind Mountain bandit stronghold was able to grow to a size of ten thousand is not because of robbery, but because of smuggling!"

Lin Wan'er lowered her voice and said solemnly:

"They secretly controlled an extremely secret trade route, and for many years they secretly traded ironware and military horses with the Great Yan Kingdom in the north, thereby making huge profits!"

The Great Qian Dynasty strictly forbids the export of ironware; it's a capital offense. But the forces behind this are incredibly powerful; they've even bribed some border generals.

"So that's how it is. They made their fortune by smuggling military supplies. No wonder they could support a private army of ten thousand men."

Qin Hao nodded in sudden realization.

But then, his handsome brows furrowed deeply.

"But that makes even less sense."

Qin Hao tapped his fingers on the table more frequently.

"Since they can make a fortune smuggling ironware from the Great Yan Kingdom, why would they bother to rob and kill merchant caravans trading at my Qingmu Pass for a mere few cartloads of grain and cloth?"

"This is not only a case of picking up a sesame seed and losing a watermelon, but also a foolish move to deliberately expose one's whereabouts."

There must be a deeper, more targeted reason hidden behind this!

Seeing Qin Hao deep in thought, Lin Wan'er's beautiful eyes flickered slightly.

She bit her red lips, as if making a momentous decision, then suddenly stepped forward, clasped her hands in a gesture of respect, and said:

"General! If you want to know the truth behind this, Wan'er is willing to be your spy and go to Black Wind Mountain to find out!"

"Oh?" Qin Hao looked up at her, somewhat surprised.

"To be honest, General, I had previously corresponded with a mid-level leader in the Black Wind Mountain bandit stronghold."

Lin Wan'er explained.

"The other party knew about my plan to elope and agreed to help me into the village."

The fact that I have gone to Qingmuguan is known only to those of you here today; not a word of it has leaked out to the outside world.

As long as I go to Black Wind Mountain with my guards, they will never suspect my identity! Wan'er is willing to be the general's pawn to find out their secrets!

Looking at the beautiful girl in front of him, who possessed a fearless spirit, Qin Hao's eyes flashed with admiration.

This kind of daring and fighting spirit makes him a truly rare talent!

Qin Hao pondered for a moment, looking at Lin Wan'er's expectant eyes, but ultimately shook his head decisively.

"no."

"General! Although Wan'er is a woman, she has some martial arts skills and will definitely not hold the army back..."

Lin Wan'er grew anxious and was about to continue trying to persuade her.

You've misunderstood.

Qin Hao interrupted her directly, stood up, and his tall and upright figure instantly gave people a strong sense of pressure and security.

"I'm not doubting your abilities. It's just that Black Wind Mountain is a den of dragons and tigers, hiding ten thousand regular troops."

Sending a newly recruited female general into danger alone is not how Qin Hao leads troops.

Qin Hao paused, then said in an unquestionable tone, "I'll go with you."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wan'er was completely stunned. The Crimson Flame Army adjutants in the hall were even more startled and rushed forward to plead with her to stop them.

"My lord, you mustn't! You are now the backbone of Qingmu Pass. How can the commander-in-chief risk his life and venture deep into enemy territory?!"

"Yes, sir! If our identities are exposed, we'll be surrounded by an army of ten thousand!"

Seeing his subordinates jumping up and down in a panic, Qin Hao simply waved his hand dismissively, a haughty sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

"What's the panic? You all fought your way out of the encirclement of 120,000 troops with me, don't you know my strength?"

Qin Hao clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked.

Upon hearing these words, the soldiers in the hall fell silent instantly.

The terrifying images of Qin Hao tearing apart hundreds of kilograms of heavy barricades with his bare hands and punching the former garrison commander Zhao De through the chest uncontrollably flashed through their minds.

The adjutants exchanged glances, swallowed hard, and immediately swallowed back the words of advice that were about to come out.

Yes... the commander-in-chief is simply the reincarnation of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, a humanoid beast descended to earth!

Whether it was he who was in danger or the enemy who was in danger when he went to the enemy camp is really hard to say!

Everyone instantly understood:

Alright, the commander-in-chief is itching to show off his superhuman strength at the enemy's headquarters!

However, Lin Wan'er, who was standing to the side, was unaware of Qin Hao's true combat strength.

She looked at the valiant and extraordinary commander before her, who did not treat her as a pawn to be sacrificed at will.

Instead, he was willing to personally accompany her into dangerous situations to protect this newcomer who had just joined his cause...

Lin Wan'er's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and an indescribable warm current surged through her body. The respect and admiration in her eyes as she looked at Qin Hao instantly deepened.

Just then.

From a god-like perspective, readers can see that in the void behind Qin Hao, a series of pink notifications suddenly popped up on the "Sea King Romance System" panel, which had been quietly floating behind him:

[Ding! Lin Wan'er's favorability towards you has increased! Current favorability: 65 (Secretly in love)]

What appeared in Qin Hao's fragmented and garbled system's view was this:

[Ding! Lin Wan'er's level of affection for you has increased... Level of affection: 65]

Looking at the number representing the "heart icon" in his field of vision, which jumped from 60 when he entered the door to 65, Qin Hao couldn't help but smile slightly.

"The formula for female-oriented content is absolutely true! Just a little bit of showing the commander's protectiveness and loyalty will cause loyalty to skyrocket, won't it?"

Qin Hao secretly felt smug.

If this trend continues, as long as we gain some battle merits during this trip to Black Wind Mountain...

He will soon be able to maximize this woman's "loyalty" and completely win her over!

"The system has indicated that this is an 'important highlight' talent. Recruiting someone like this will definitely bring immense benefits to my base!"

Qin Hao grabbed the sword on the table, his eyes gleaming with excitement and ambition.

"There's no time to lose! Miss Wan'er, go and make preparations immediately."

Qin Hao strode out.

"We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

"I want to see for myself what kind of shady tricks are hidden behind Black Wind Mountain, which conceals an army of ten thousand!"