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

Bailangji West Street, an old dye house that has been abandoned for many years.

The night wind, like a cold, blunt knife, carried fine snowflakes as it weaved through the ruins, making sounds like the howls of wild beasts.

This dyehouse has been abandoned for at least seven or eight years. Half of the courtyard wall has collapsed, and more than a dozen huge, broken dye vats lie haphazardly upside down in the spacious courtyard. To this day, the air is still filled with a strange smell that is a mixture of decay and sourness that lingers for years.

Xu Qingshan, Liu Ruyan, and Hou San were hiding behind a low wall outside the main gate of the old dyehouse.

Behind them, the subdued Black Wind Stronghold accountant huddled in a corner, his hands bound behind his back, a rag stuffed in his mouth, his body trembling uncontrollably. His eyes were fixed on the street outside, filled with fear of death and a yearning for life.

"This godforsaken place, not even a stray cat would want to come here." Hou San lowered his voice, shrinking his body against the wall to try and block the cold wind blowing down his neck. He touched the newly bandaged wound on his waist and gasped. "The boss really knows how to pick a place to make the deal. Even if there's a bloodbath here, no one around will hear it."

Liu Ruyan ignored Hou San's complaints. Her eyes, still bright in the darkness, were like those of a keen hawk, fixed on the end of the street.

"Quiet," Liu Ruyan whispered. "They're here."

Hou San immediately shut his mouth and silently placed his hand on the repeating crossbow at his waist.

Xu Qingshan peeked out slightly, using the pale light of the snow to look towards the end of the long street.

A very faint sound, almost completely masked by the wind, of wheels crunching through snow, drifted slowly down the street.

There were no lanterns displaying any shop signs, nor the clear sound of horse bells.

A green-canopied carriage, like a ghost emerging from the wind and snow, silently drove into the street outside the old dyehouse and finally stopped under a withered old locust tree less than fifty steps away from where Xu Qingshan and the others were hiding.

The driver was a man wearing a tattered sheepskin coat. He reined in the horses, said nothing, and merely scanned the surrounding ruins with extreme vigilance.

Immediately afterwards, six men emerged silently from the shadows on both sides of the carriage.

All six men were dressed in the most common merchant fur coats found in Bailangji, and wore low-brimmed windproof hats, with half their faces hidden in the shadows.

But in the eyes of border soldiers like Xu Qingshan and Hou San, who spent years surviving amidst piles of corpses, the flaws in these six men were far too numerous and too obvious.

"Centurion, you're a tough one."

Hou San glanced at them, and his expression changed. He leaned close to Xu Qingshan's ear and whispered, "These six people are not some traveling merchant guards at all."

Xu Qingshan's gaze was cold and stern as he nodded slightly: "I can see that."

The positioning of those six people was extremely deliberate.

Unlike ordinary guards who casually surrounded the carriage, they stood in a formation of two in front, two in the middle, and two at the rear. Their positions were perfectly positioned, blocking two escape routes and a high vantage point in the street, forming a classic border army "small three-person" defensive formation.

Moreover, they walked with steady steps, their feet neither too far apart nor too far apart, leaving almost the same depth in the snow. Although their right hands appeared to be casually tucked into their sleeves for warmth, their elbows were slightly outstretched, and the base of their thumbs was always pressed tightly against the bulging, hard object at their waists.

That was the standard position for the border troops' standard short swords to be hung. At the slightest disturbance, their swords could be drawn within half a breath.

"They are all elite soldiers from the military," Liu Ruyan added softly from the other side. "Judging from their appearance, they should be elite personal guards carefully selected from a large camp in Yunzhou."

Hou San ripped the rag out of the mouth of the accountant in the corner. He peeked at the carriage, and his already pale face instantly turned even more ashen.

"It's not Master Chen."

The accountant lowered his voice, his tone resolute yet tinged with an undisguised despair.

"I recognize the man who jumped off the cart. He's a steward from the Chen family in Yunzhou. When the head of the household used to go to Yunzhou to deliver 'tribute,' Second Master Chen never showed himself; this steward was always there to meet him at the back gate. He's just a vicious errand boy!"

Upon hearing this, Hou San's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "Centurion, Master Chen didn't come in person, only a steward and six assassins. Moreover, the carriage is empty; there's no one hiding inside. It's obvious he's here to get something for nothing. Our men have already sealed off all the alleys in this street. Just give the word, and I'll lead my men in and riddle them with arrows!"

"No rush."

Xu Qingshan pressed down on Hou San's hand holding the crossbow, his gaze fixed coldly on the empty carriage.

"Since Master Chen didn't come in person, these men are just pawns sent to scout ahead. The chief holds their lives in his hands, so they won't dare to act rashly. Rushing out now would only kill a few vicious dogs, which would be pointless. I'm going to follow this carriage and uproot their rendezvous point and hideout in White Wolf Village."

He turned to look at the accounting office: "Where are the boss's men? Why haven't they shown up yet?"

The accountant nervously swallowed hard: "The chief is extremely suspicious. He must have arrived long ago and is hiding in the shadows observing. He won't act until he sees the rabbit; he'll definitely wait for the other side to reveal their hand first."

Sure enough, not long after the accountant finished speaking...

On the other side of the old dyehouse, in a dark alley filled with discarded dye vats, came a few heavy and suppressed coughs.

creak, creak...

The sound of footsteps on snow filled the air. Supported by four trusted henchmen, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold staggered out of the shadows.

The leader is in extremely poor condition.

He wore a large black cloak, but it couldn't hide the strong stench of blood. His right arm hung limply at his side, a wound left by Xiao Qi's hidden arrow; the hem of his right trousers was frozen into a hard, bloody shell, leaving a gruesome trail in the snow with every step he took.

Even in his current state of despair, his deep-set eyes still revealed a fierce and brutal ruthlessness born of desperation.

"Manager Chen."

The chief stopped twenty paces away from the carriage, pushed aside his henchmen who were helping him, and forced himself to stand up straight. He stared intently at the middle-aged man who got off the carriage, his voice hoarse as if two rough stones were rubbing against each other.

"We agreed to meet at midnight, but you arrived a full hour early. And..."

The leader's gaze swept coldly over the empty carriage, a twisted, cold smile creeping onto his lips.

"Where is Second Master? At this critical juncture, he didn't even come to pick me up personally? He just sent you, a mere steward, with an empty carriage that didn't even offer me a cup of hot tea?"

Manager Chen, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, stood in the wind and snow, and took two steps forward with a forced smile.

"Boss, you're being rather ungrateful."

Manager Chen's voice carried an air of superior arrogance.

"What a noble status you are, Second Master! How many eyes in Yunzhou City are watching you? Don't you know what a mess Bailangji and Beiqiang Sibao are in now? That madman Xu Qingshan is like a rabid dog, biting people everywhere. The fact that Second Master would take such a huge risk to send me with men to bring you out of the city is already an immense favor. Did you really expect Second Master to come to this dilapidated dye shop in the cold wind?"

Upon hearing this, the leader's scarred face twitched violently a few times, and the anger in his eyes almost burst forth.

He, the mighty leader of Black Wind Stronghold, had held sway over this area outside the north wall for nearly a decade. In all those years, how much dirty and arduous work had he done for those powerful figures in Yunzhou? How many innocent merchants had he intercepted and killed? How much real gold and silver had he sent into Yunzhou?

Now that he's fallen on hard times, in the eyes of those big shots, he's become nothing more than a tattered rag that can be discarded at any time!

"Grace? What a grace!"

The leader gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger. He knew he had no right to lose his temper.

"Enough with the nonsense!" The leader coldly extended his left hand. "You know the rules. Where's my travel permit? And where's that clean new identity that will allow me to enter the inner city of Yunzhou safely?"

Manager Chen didn't reach for anything. Instead, he sharply scanned the four trusted men behind the head of the household, and then looked around the empty old dyehouse.

"Boss, in business, it's all about exchanging money for goods."

Manager Chen's tone gradually turned cold, carrying a hint of interrogation.

"You confidently sent someone to deliver the 'real thing' containing all the secret accounts, and the living accountant, to me personally. But now, where are the things? Where is the accountant?"

"You won't see the accountant and ledgers until you produce your travel permit!"

The leader refused to budge an inch. He knew all too well how the people of Yunzhou operated: they wouldn't act until they saw the benefits. Once he revealed his trump card, they would immediately turn on him without hesitation.

"Manager Chen, don't think I don't know what you're up to. The accounting office and the goods are less than half an incense stick's walk from here. As long as you show me your credentials and verify my identity, I'll have someone bring them over immediately!"

The two sides were locked in a stalemate amidst the wind and snow.

The wind and snow grew heavier, and the atmosphere outside the old dyehouse became extremely oppressive, as if the air itself was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

The head of the gang was afraid that if he handed over the account books, the other party would abandon him after using them; Manager Chen, on the other hand, was afraid that the head of the gang had not brought the account books at all, and was just trying to get a travel permit to escape with nothing.

Hiding behind the ruined wall, Hou San watched with growing anxiety: "Centurion, these dogs are fighting amongst themselves. What if the negotiations break down and the chief refuses to reveal the whereabouts of the account books even if it means death?"

"They can't break up." Xu Qingshan's eyes were deep. "Since Steward Chen is here, he must have brought something to reassure the boss. In Yunzhou, people are even more afraid of that ledger seeing the light of day again than the boss."

Sure enough, as soon as Xu Qingshan finished speaking, Manager Chen lost his patience.

"Boss, you're in a situation like a stray dog. The area outside White Wolf Village is full of spies from the Northern Army. You don't seem to have the right to bargain with me here."

Manager Chen snorted coldly and slowly took out a sandalwood box tightly sealed with waterproof oil paper from his pocket.

He didn't hand the wooden box over; he simply held it in one hand and swayed it in mid-air towards the leader.

"The travel permit to the inner city of Yunzhou, as well as the new household registration you requested, are all here. The official seals are already affixed. Just give the word, hand over the accountant and ledgers, and this carriage will immediately take you out of Bailangji. The Zhenbei Army will absolutely not be able to stop you!"

The leader's eyes instantly locked onto the sandalwood box, like a drowning man grasping at a last straw.

"Why should I believe that what you've got in this box is the real thing?" the leader roared hoarsely.

"Based on this!"

A hint of arrogance flashed in Steward Chen's eyes. He tilted the wooden box slightly and used his thumb to lift a piece of red silk covering the lock of the wooden box.

In the dim light of the snow, a patch of dark red sealing wax was visible at the lock of the wooden box.

Liu Ruyan, hiding in the shadows, possesses eyesight far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Her gaze pierced through the wind and snow like a sharp sword, locking onto the patterns on the sealing wax.

Liu Ruyan's breath caught in her throat after just one glance.

"Sealing with clay..."

Liu Ruyan lowered her voice, her tone filled with uncontrollable shock, and even her shoulders trembled slightly.

"Commander Xu, the sealing wax on that wooden box isn't an ordinary prefectural seal, nor is it the Chen family's private seal. It's... the absolute sealing wax from the Yunzhou North Granary's outbound transport office!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingshan and Hou San's eyes simultaneously turned extremely cold and fierce.

Yunzhou Beicang outbound housing!

That was the core confidential office in the northern border of the Great Qian Dynasty, specifically responsible for allocating and transporting strategic materials to the border troops! Any wooden box sealed with mud seal for outbound transport represented absolute military authority. Upon seeing this seal, checkpoints and city gates along the way not only dared not obstruct or inspect the shipment, but would even send troops to escort it.

An ordinary steward of the Chen family, a white glove sent to meet with the bandit leader to make shady deals, actually carried with him an absolutely sealed mud road permit from the transport office!

This is enough to prove that the "Second Master Chen" hiding behind the scenes has such great power in the Yunzhou military supply system that he can control everything with one hand, and has even reached the point of being unscrupulous and abusing public power for private gain!

"The evidence is irrefutable."

Xu Qingshan slowly stood up, his right hand gripping the fine steel sword he had seized from the centurion at his waist.

The blade was slowly drawn out into the night, emitting a low, chilling metallic scraping sound.

"The steward of the Chen family, the chief of Black Wind Village, and the sealing mud and road permits of the transport company are all here."

Xu Qingshan's gaze was sharp as lightning, locking onto the few people on the long street.

"Prepare to close the net. Notify the brothers lying in ambush at both ends of the alley: do not let anyone escape, not even the people or the vehicles. If there is any resistance, kill them without mercy!"

"yes!"

Hou San and A Man's eyes flashed with intense killing intent at the same time, and they pulled the triggers of their repeating crossbows without hesitation.

However, just as Xu Qingshan was about to issue the final order for the assault, at the critical moment...

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Suddenly, a series of extremely shrill and sharp gong sounds came from the northeast direction of Bailangji.

The sound of the gong, like a death knell, shattered the stillness of the snowy night.

"Fire! Fire! Help!"

Accompanying the sound of the gong were several screams of extreme terror.

Immediately afterwards, a blinding red light suddenly shot up from the northeastern horizon.

At first, it was just a blush, but in just a few breaths, the red light burst open like a flood, spreading like wildfire.

Thick smoke, mixed with towering flames, spread wildly in all directions under the raging wind, turning almost half of the night sky of Bailangji into a ghastly blood red.

Everyone outside the old dyehouse was stunned by this sudden and earth-shattering change.

"What happened? Where is the fire?" Manager Chen turned around abruptly, his usually arrogant face now showing panic for the first time.

Ah Man suddenly turned his head, and after seeing the exact location of the fire, his expression changed drastically.

"Sir! It's North Street! In the direction of Wanhe Car Dealership! A huge fire has broken out in the backyard of Wanhe Car Dealership!"

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding loudly in Xu Qingshan's ears.

The leader, standing in the middle of the long street, was stunned when he saw the towering flames. Then, as if struck by lightning, his whole body began to tremble violently.

He never dreamed that his carefully planned trump card, the dry well where he hid his second set of silver accounts, would be burned down by a fire at this most critical juncture!

The leader's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, like a mad wolf driven to the brink of despair, staring intently at Manager Chen in front of him.

"You treacherous dogs of the Chen family! How vicious your intentions are!"