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

The night in the deep mountains is so quiet that the only sound can be the rustling of the wind through the coniferous forest.

Qin Hao led more than 300 elite soldiers, moving like ghosts deeper into the desolate mountains.

Just as they crossed a steep ridge, the scout leading the way suddenly slid down from the treetops like a nimble ape, quickly ran to Qin Hao's horse, and whispered a rapid report to the leader:

"Sir! There's movement ahead! But... it seems to be our own Crimson Flame Army's password!"

Qin Hao raised an eyebrow, immediately reined in the reins, and raised his right hand to make a tactical gesture of "stop advancing and take cover".

A short while later, the bushes in front of them began to rustle and shake.

Immediately afterwards, a dozen figures clad in the distinctive dark red leather armor of the Crimson Flame Army, carrying repeating crossbows, cautiously emerged from the shadows.

"Is that Commander Qin?"

By the dappled moonlight filtering through the leaves, the lead scout captain on the opposite side could clearly see Qin Hao's face. His tense body relaxed slightly, but a deep sense of doubt immediately appeared in his eyes:

"Lord Qin, what are you doing here? Why did you break away from the main force and act alone? And why are there so many brothers following behind you?"

Without wasting words, Qin Hao pulled out the transfer order personally signed by Zhao Wudi from his pocket and threw it at the scout captain.

The scout captain took the order, glanced at it in the dim light, and was immediately stunned.

The seal and troop deployment order on it are indeed those of the commander-in-chief; they cannot be faked.

But the doubt on his face did not disappear; instead, it turned into anxiety.

He strode forward, grabbed Qin Hao's reins, and urgently advised him:

"Lord Qin, I don't care how you persuaded the Commander to get this transfer order, but you must now take your men and come back with us!"

Why?

Qin Hao looked down at him.

"Because there's no way out ahead!"

The scout captain lowered his voice, his tone carrying a chilling despair:

"Our scout team has already scouted the entire area! The 120,000-strong city defense force is no mere decoration!"

They've completely surrounded this desolate mountain, layer upon layer, just to prevent even a single fly from our Crimson Flame Army from escaping!

"Lord Qin, the encirclement has at least three layers!"

Even if you and your brothers manage to get through the innermost layer by sheer luck, there are two more formidable lines of defense outside!

With just your three hundred or so people, if you were discovered, you'd be devoured in an instant, leaving not even a bone fragment!

At this point, the scout captain suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed intently on Qin Hao:

"We have no choice but to go back! Come back with us to find Commander Zhao! What can 120,000 troops do?"

"As long as Commander Zhao is willing to lead the 70,000-strong main force of the Crimson Flame Army, we can definitely fight our way out against those incompetent city garrison troops!"

"Are you done talking?"

Despite the scout captain's earnest advice, Qin Hao's expression remained as cold as ice.

He snatched the order from the other person's hand, his tone leaving no room for negotiation:

"I brought these brothers here to break through the encirclement. There's no turning back now, and there's absolutely no way we'll turn back."

"you--!"

Seeing that Qin Hao remained unmoved, the scout captain flew into a rage. His soldierly temper flared, and he pointed at Qin Hao's nose, shouting sharply:

"You don't value our brothers' lives! You're throwing your eggs against a rock! You're sending them to their deaths in vain!"

"Bang!"

Qin Hao abruptly dismounted, grabbed the scout captain by the collar, lifted him up, and his voice suddenly amplified:

"If I take them back, that would be treating their lives like they're nothing!"

"You want me to go back to the Commander-in-Chief? Fine! Put your hand on your heart and ask yourself, after fighting alongside Commander Zhao for so many years, don't you know what kind of temper he has?!"

Qin Hao's words came out like a machine gun, each one piercing to the heart:

Even if an army of 120,000 is pressing in, even if a knife is already at his throat, as long as he still holds that damned imperial edict in his hand, he will definitely believe that "all thunder and rain are the emperor's grace!"

He would only order his entire army to lay down their weapons and await their execution, in exchange for his hollow reputation and illusory innocence!

"You want me to take these three hundred brothers, who barely escaped death, back to him to become meat on the chopping block along with him?!"

Qin Hao flung his hand away and shoved the scout captain away forcefully.

The scout captain staggered a couple of steps, opened his mouth to retort, but found that he felt as if a piece of lead was stuck in his throat.

Because he knew better than anyone else that everything Qin Hao said was correct.

The commander's "blind loyalty" was no secret within the Chiyan Army.

Seeing the other party remain silent, Qin Hao slightly toned down his sharp aura.

Instead of pressing his advantage, he turned around, magnanimously waved his hand, and pointed to the more than three hundred soldiers behind him, saying:

"You say I'm treating human life like dirt? Fine! Then you can ask my subordinates yourself right now!"

"If even one of them is willing to go back with you, I, Qin Hao, will not stop them. I'll even give them a horse!"

Is this really true?

The scout captain suddenly raised his head, a glimmer of hope rekindling in his eyes.

A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!

The scout captain immediately strode up to the three hundred soldiers, took a deep breath, and shouted:

"Brothers! The outer perimeter is so thick that not even a bird can fly out! You can't break through!"

"Those who are willing to come back to the main camp with me, step forward! We'll go back together to find the Commander-in-Chief, and he will surely lead the Crimson Flame Army to fight their way out!"

A night breeze swept by.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

A full half-cup of tea's time passed, and the three hundred soldiers stood still, like silent statues.

Not a single person wavered, and not a single person stood up.

Even the soldiers who had initially hesitated and wavered when Qin Hao first suggested breaking through the encirclement now looked at the scout captain with the same eyes that looked at an idiot.

Are you kidding me? Go back and wait to die?

Just half an hour ago, they witnessed with their own eyes how this Centurion Qin, as if guided by a god, led them through twists and turns, penetrating the enemy's first line of defense without losing a single soldier!

In the eyes of these veterans, Qin Hao's current figure is synonymous with "miracle".

Both paths lead to certain death. One is to return and be slaughtered in humiliation, while the other is to take a gamble with an unfathomable superior.

Even a fool knows which option to choose!

What if this lord really can lead them out of here?

Looking at the deathly silence before him, the scout captain's face gradually turned purplish-red.

His hand, which had been raised in mid-air, fell limply to the ground.

He didn't waste any more words trying to dissuade Qin Hao, because he knew he had already lost completely.

The scout captain took a deep breath, straightened his armor, then took a half step back, solemnly cupped his hands in a fist salute to Qin Hao, and bowed deeply.

"Lord Qin... perhaps I really was wrong."

His voice was somewhat hoarse, yet it carried a unique blend of tragic grandeur and unwavering resolve characteristic of soldiers.

"But I hope neither of us is wrong. We are on military duty."

The General's kindness to me is immeasurable. Whether I live or die, I will go back to be with him on this final journey.

"If there's an opportunity in the future..."

The scout captain straightened up, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

"I'll find you again for a drink and have a proper discussion with you! Take care, sir! Until we meet again!"

Until we meet again!

Qin Hao also looked solemn and returned a standard military salute with his fists clasped.

Although the two had just had a disagreement, Qin Hao felt a deep respect for his fellow Crimson Flame Army soldiers who, despite knowing it was a dead end, were still ready to die for their cause.

"salute--!"

Led by Qin Hao, three hundred soldiers drew their half-swords in unison and, with the highest military honor, watched the dozen or so scouts turn and disappear into the darkness, heading resolutely towards the doomed military camp.

Only after their figures completely disappeared from sight did Qin Hao slowly withdraw his gaze, letting out a silent sigh in his heart.

"In this messed-up female-oriented world, the only normal ones are probably these respectable low-ranking soldiers."

Qin Hao mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and the softness in his eyes was instantly replaced by a resolute coldness.

"Brothers, let's go! Now's not the time to rest!"