Great Wilderness Demon Lord

Shi Biao pondered, "The first thing, if we're lucky, we might stumble upon it and get a chance to peek from afar, maybe we can figure something out. The second thing... is even more uncertain, the scope is too broad. And the closer we get to the Wolf Rong's lair, the greater the risk."

"I know it will be difficult." Xiao Yunlan looked at Shi Biao. "Therefore, I need the person who is most familiar with the northern wilderness, most skilled in stealth tracking, and most patient. You decide on the candidate; you can choose from the guard team and veterans, volunteers are preferred."

Tell them this is a life-or-death mission; if ten people go and half of them come back, it will be considered a success.

Regardless of success or failure, the participating families will be cared for by the Chamber of Commerce. A substantial reward will be given for bringing back valuable intelligence.

Shi Biao licked his slightly chapped lips, and a gambler's gleam gradually ignited in his eyes.

He wasn't afraid of death, otherwise he wouldn't have followed Xiao Yunlan to this Shuofeng Plain.

This kind of work, which involved going deep behind enemy lines and risking one's life, actually stirred up the bravery and adventurous spirit in his bones.

"How long will it take to prepare?" he asked.

"You have two days to prepare. If you need any special equipment, rations, or medicine, go to Steward Wu and do your best to provide it. Set off the night after tomorrow when it's darkest," Xiao Yunlan said. "Remember, your safety is the top priority. It's better to gain nothing than to expose your tracks. If things become unworkable, retreat immediately."

"Understood!" Shi Biao clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice solemn.

Two days flew by in the midst of intense preparations.

Shi Biao carefully selected nine people from the guard team and veterans.

Three of them were guards who traded in the North year-round and were skilled in wilderness survival and tracking; four were veterans from hunter or border families who were cold-resistant and adept at snow stealth and camouflage; and two were convicts who had previously demonstrated exceptional bravery and composure, and were specially pardoned to participate in this operation.

They prepared white cloaks for snow camouflage, checked every dagger and crossbow, stocked up on plenty of high-calorie jerky and strong liquor, and brought tinder, medicine, and emergency ropes and grappling hooks.

Everyone was aware of the danger of the mission, but no one backed down.

Perhaps it was the generous reward promised by Xiao Yunlan, or perhaps it was the despair of being trapped in a lonely city that forced them to fight for a chance of survival, or perhaps it was simply a kind of inertia and pride inherent in soldiers when it came to carrying out dangerous missions.

On the eve of his departure, Xiao Yunlan met with Shi Biao alone.

"Remember your mission." Xiao Yunlan did not hand over any objects beyond the comprehension of this era, but simply instructed in a deep voice, "Prioritize reconnaissance and ensure your own safety."

If you encounter a transport convoy, observe it from a distance and do not approach it.

If a fixed transit point is found, mark its location and note the terrain and possible defenses.

If any comrades become lost or injured... the decision will be made based on the situation, with the primary priority being to ensure the main force can bring back news.

Shi Biao nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, young master, we know what's what. On this trip, our eyes will be like knives and our ears like whistles. We'll definitely find out as much as possible about those wolf cubs for you."

As midnight approached and the wind and snow began to rise, it was the perfect time to conceal one's movements.

The exit of the secret passage, partially obscured by debris, quietly opened, and ten figures clad in white camouflage, like ghosts blending into the snowy night, slid out one after another, quickly disappearing into the rocks and darkness.

Xiao Yunlan stood on the bastion, watching the direction they disappeared in, motionless for a long time.

The cold wind made his clothes flutter, but his figure remained as steady as a rock.

Sending these ten people away is like dipping your finger into a dark abyss; you never know what you might touch, or even be swallowed up by it.

But he had to do it. Passive waiting would only lead to certain death. Active exploration was the only way to find a glimmer of hope in this deadly situation.

The days that followed became increasingly agonizing as the wait grew.

The city of Bingcheng continued to operate as usual, with its walls heavily guarded and its interior under strict control, but an invisible sense of anxiety permeated among the generals.

Steward Wu's sighs grew heavier as he counted the grain supplies each day. Several more corpses were silently carried out of the prisoner-of-war camp.

The Wolf Rong camp on the north bank remained quiet, but the patrolling cavalry seemed more vigilant.

Wugu was probably wondering why Bingcheng had fallen into a deeper silence after achieving a minor victory. Could he be guessing that the other side was plotting something else?

Xiao Yunlan spent more time each day meditating and regulating his breathing to suppress the subtle ripples of demonic thoughts within his body caused by anxiety and anticipation.

He repeatedly considered various possibilities, the situations Shi Biao and his men might encounter, and how he should respond based on the different intelligence they might bring back.

On the fourth day, the fifth day... no news came back.

The soldiers guarding the exit of the secret passage kept their eyes wide open every night, but found nothing but the sounds of wind and snow. Xiao Yunlan appeared calm on the surface, but the tension in his heart grew ever tighter.

Shi Biao and his men carried only a limited amount of dry rations, enough to last them at most seven or eight days. If they did not return by then, their chances of survival would be slim.

On the sixth day at dusk, a sudden blizzard swept across the Northern Wind Plains, plunging the world into chaos.

Xiao Yunlan's heart sank completely. In this kind of weather, even surviving in the wilderness would be a problem, let alone completing the mission.

On the seventh night, the blizzard subsided slightly, but the cold wind was still biting. The two veterans on duty near the exit of the secret passage were almost frozen to death. Just as they were about to change shifts according to procedure, one of them suddenly twitched his ear.

"There's movement!" he whispered, gripping the knife hilt tightly.

The other person instantly regained consciousness, and the two of them crouched down, holding their breath. Apart from the sound of the wind, there seemed to be a very faint rustling sound, different from the howling wind and snow, coming from the pile of rocks in the direction of the exit of the secret passage.

The sound grew closer, carrying a heavy and strained dragging sensation.

The two exchanged a glance, slowly drew their swords, and prepared for a fight.

A figure, almost completely covered in ice and snow and huddled up, struggled to crawl out from between the rocks, then collapsed on the snow and lay motionless.

"It's...it's one of ours!" The sharp-eyed veteran, using the dim light from the snow, could vaguely see the coarse linen lining, the standard issue issued to everyone in the Ice City, peeking out from under the man's tattered clothes.

The two men rushed forward and carefully turned the man over. His face was covered in ice shards, and his lips were purplish-black. He was Hu San, an old soldier under Shi Biao.

His chest was still rising and falling slightly, but he was unconscious, clutching a flat object about the size of a palm, wrapped in layers of oilcloth and animal hide.

"Quickly! Carry him inside! Report to the captain!"

Hu San was quickly carried into the city, wrapped in a thick blanket, and given warm water to drink. He slowly regained consciousness after a long while. The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was struggle to sit up, hissing, "Stone...stone...map..."

Xiao Yunlan had already arrived upon hearing the news and took the oilcloth wrapping that Hu San had protected with his body heat.

Layer by layer, inside was a soft, tanned sheepskin, covered with crooked lines and symbols drawn with tiny, blackened charcoal sticks, and annotations the size of ants.

"Captain..." Hu San gasped for breath, recounting the story in fits and starts, "We... found the riverbed... split into two teams... Shi Tou and I... went north... followed them to a... hut in a ravine... guarded by... wolf barbarians... not many... five... like warehouse guards..."

He coughed violently a few times and continued, "We didn't dare get too close... We went around to the back of the hillside... and saw clearly... behind the shack... there were piles of sacks... and an empty car... there was a stream nearby... frozen over... Stone said... this looks like a... rest stop..."

"Where's Shi Biao? Where are the others?" Xiao Yunlan asked in a deep voice while quickly scanning the sheepskin map.

Hu San's eyes dimmed: "When we... retreated... we ran into a small group of Wolf Rong patrolling the mountains... not a grain transport team... like a routine patrol... we fought... and lost four brothers... Shi Tou, in order for us to take the map first... led the rest of the men... to distract the pursuers... and headed west... He told me... no matter what... I had to bring the map back..."

Silence fell over the tent. Shi Biao's chances of survival were slim.

Xiao Yunlan closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the surging emotions within him, and his gaze returned to the map. Although the charcoal lines were rough, the key points were clearly marked: the location of the mountain pass they had discovered as a possible transit point, the approximate guard situation they observed, the surrounding terrain, and several possible routes in and out. Another team marked the directions of the different forks in the riverbed and their assessments.

This picture was obtained at the cost of nine lives.

"You did a good job, Hu San. Get some rest." Xiao Yunlan's voice was a little hoarse. He had someone carry Hu San away and take good care of him, while he took the map, walked back to the main tent, and began to study it carefully by the light of an oil lamp.

The lights flickered, illuminating his focused and aloof profile.

His finger traced the location marked "Aokou Wopeng" on the map repeatedly. The core element of a plan seemed to be emerging.

He finally managed to touch a corner of the Wolf Rong's supply lines.