If I made you cannon fodder, how did you manage to achieve your goal of conquering the wolf's l

The night was deep, and a cold wind howled through the streets of Bailangji.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hou San and A Man disappeared into the snowstorm, one after the other, following the hoofprints left by the carriage shop assistant. The seal on the Yunzhou military supply depot was of utmost importance; this letter absolutely could not be allowed to leave Bailangji.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingshan and Liu Ruyan followed the clues left in the cellar and arrived at the old dye house on West Street of Bailangji.

This dyehouse had been abandoned for seven or eight years. Half of the courtyard wall had collapsed, and the courtyard was filled with broken dye vats. The air was still filled with a lingering stench of decay and sourness.

Liu Ruyan walked ahead and found the hidden cellar entrance in a corner covered by a pile of withered grass. She reached out and lifted the dusty wooden planks, and a cold, damp air rushed out.

There was not a single ray of light in the cellar.

Liu Ruyan lit a tinderbox and began descending the steep stone steps. She had only gone halfway down when a dry, trembling voice came from a corner.

"Are they from the Zhenbei Army?"

Xu Qingshan walked down the steps, and the firelight illuminated the figures in the corner.

He was a middle-aged scholar dressed in a gray cloth robe, with disheveled hair and a face as pale as paper. He was clutching a short dagger for self-defense, and his wrist was trembling uncontrollably.

It was the accountant from Black Wind Stronghold.

He looked at Xu Qingshan and Liu Ruyan in front of him, swallowed hard, and forced himself to stand up.

"You are Commander Xu?"

Xu Qingshan remained calm, his gaze sweeping over him: "You deliberately left clues to guide us here, surely not just to ask who I am?"

"I want to live." The accountant was quite decisive, dropping the dagger in his hand to the ground with a crisp sound. "The boss wants to use the lives of those in the know to fill the stomachs of those people in Yunzhou. I don't want to die with him."

Liu Ruyan sneered: "You're just an accountant for bandits, with the blood and sweat of countless border people on your hands. Now you want to live? What makes you think you can?"

"I have something that can make those big shots in Yunzhou lose their heads!" The accountant met Liu Ruyan's gaze and said confidently, "The wooden box that the boss carries with him is empty. Only I know where the real second set of silver accounts is."

Xu Qingshan pulled over a worn-out bench and sat down, his tone calm and collected: "Name your terms."

The accountant took a deep breath, as if he had made a very difficult decision.

"First, I demand that your Zhenbei Army spare the lives of my wife and children, who are hiding in a house on the south street of Bailangji. Second, I will hand over the account books, and you can interrogate me according to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty. I only keep accounts; I have never personally killed anyone, and according to the law, my crime does not warrant the death penalty."

He stared intently at Xu Qingshan: "If Commander Xu agrees to these two conditions, I'll reveal everything about Black Wind Stronghold and Yunzhou to you!"

Xu Qingshan did not hesitate and nodded in agreement: "I, Xu Qingshan, have always been clear about right and wrong. If you can really produce irrefutable evidence, I guarantee that your wife and children will be safe and sound, and your crime will be investigated and dealt with according to the facts, without any implication."

Upon hearing Xu Qingshan's promise, the accountant's tense shoulders finally relaxed. He leaned against the stone wall, exhausted, and revealed the chief's conspiracy in detail.

"The chief is going to make a deal with **'Second Master Chen's' men in White Wolf Town at midnight tonight."

Xu Qingshan's eyes flickered slightly: "What kind of transaction?"

"Fate," the accountant said through gritted teeth. "The people from Yunzhou will bring an empty carriage with a clean new identity and a travel permit to the inner city of Yunzhou. The boss will have to hand over the account books, the list of Yunzhou officials he's accumulated over the years, and us, the few living witnesses, to them."

Liu Ruyan frowned slightly: "Will the people from Yunzhou really let him go after they get the goods?"

"The boss thinks he has leverage, and Yunzhou won't dare to push too hard." The accountant sneered, his laughter tinged with sorrow. "But he underestimates the ruthlessness of those people in Yunzhou. The boss thinks he can get a way out, but once the deal is done, Wanhe Car Dealership will be burned to the ground."

Xu Qingshan's gaze darkened: "To silence them?"

"Yes! Not only us insiders, but also the employees of Wanhe Auto Shop, the Black Wind Village brothers recuperating in the backyard, and those merchants living nearby who are unaware of the truth—they will all be burned alive inside!"

The accountant's voice carried a hint of fear.

"Once the fire starts, the people of Yunzhou will spread rumors that the Zhenbei Army killed and burned people in Bailangji in order to plunder goods. At that time, all the blame will be placed on Commander Xu, and the Yunzhou military supply depot will be able to send troops to the north wall with a legitimate reason!"

What a vicious scheme!

This not only destroyed the evidence and eliminated future troubles, but also conveniently pinned a death sentence on the Zhenbei Army for murdering merchants and looting markets.

Xu Qingshan stood up, his eyes flashing with cold light.

"You've got a good plan." Xu Qingshan looked at the accounting room. "Where's the real silver account?"

The accountant straightened up and answered, word by word, "It's not on me, nor is it in the old dyehouse. I sealed it tightly with layers of oil paper and hid it in a dry well in the backyard of Wanhe Carriage Shop. No one but me can find it."

The most dangerous place is the safest place.

The leader never dreamed that the life-saving charm he had been desperately seeking had actually been right under his nose all along.

"very good."

Xu Qingshan turned to look at Liu Ruyan.

"Immediately issue the order to mobilize all the Zhenbei cavalry in Bailangji and prepare to ambush Wanhe Carriage Shop. Tonight, no matter who comes to pick us up, we will not allow anyone, including the carriage, to escape."

However, just as Liu Ruyan was about to turn around and leave to set up the perimeter net.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from above the cellar.

The scouts from the Zhenbei cavalry, who were responsible for keeping watch on the perimeter, ran down the stone steps quickly, looking extremely anxious.

"Lord Garrison Commander! The situation has changed!"

Xu Qingshan turned around: "What happened?"

"The north gate of White Wolf Market closed ahead of schedule without warning. The gatekeepers have all been replaced by unfamiliar, tough-looking men." The scout spoke quickly, slightly out of breath. "Moreover, a carriage without any merchant signage has already entered through the north gate and is heading straight for Wanhe Carriage Company!"

Upon hearing this, the accountant's expression changed drastically, and he blurted out, "Impossible! We clearly agreed to trade at midnight!"

Xu Qingshan gripped the hilt of his knife and strode up the stone steps, his voice as cold as ice.

"Nothing is impossible."

"Master Chen's men had no intention of waiting until midnight. They arrived a full hour earlier than the agreed time."