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

The crossbow strings vibrated simultaneously.

A dense barrage of arrows swept over the eight grain carts, and the first few rebel soldiers fell to the ground instantly.

One of his trusted men was struck by two arrows in the chest and slammed backward against a doorpost. Another man had just raised his long sword when a crossbow bolt pierced his shoulder, and he screamed as he fell into the ditch beside the wall.

The smile on Ma Rong's face vanished completely.

"Close the door now!"

Two of the goalkeeper's trusted men turned and lunged at the goal hinge.

However, the third grain truck happened to stop in the middle of the gate, its body blocking most of the passage, and several other trucks were also blocking it from behind.

The two side doors slammed into the wheels with a heavy thud.

The carriage swayed a few times, but didn't even close up half a foot.

Hou San lifted the straw curtain and rolled off the second vehicle.

The movement reopened the wound on his waist, causing his lips to twitch in pain, while the short knife in his hand was already plunged into the thigh of the gatekeeper's trusted confidant.

"Want to close down? Did you even ask me?"

The man collapsed, clutching his leg.

After Hou San kicked him through the door, he waved to the five cavalrymen behind him.

"Come with me to the gatehouse."

A cavalryman looked at the blood seeping from his waist.

"Brother Hou, your injury..."

"That's the blood of those bastards!"

After saying that, Hou San grabbed the wooden ladder and rushed upwards.

At this moment, the confrontation inside the doorway has already broken out.

After the first volley of crossbow bolts pinned down Ma Rong's confidants, the Zhenbei cavalrymen jumped off their vehicles.

Narrow passages make it impossible to deploy cavalry formations, but short swords, shields, and repeating crossbows are perfect for close combat.

The three rebels lined up, trying to force Xu Qingshan back to the riverbank.

Xu Qingshan drew his sword and charged forward.

Just as the spear at the front pierced his chest, the blade flicked upwards along the spear shaft.

The spearhead was deflected towards the doorway.

Xu Qingshan sidestepped and crashed into the other man's arms, pushing the first man aside with his shoulder, and then his long sword swept across the second man's wrist.

Blood was spilled on the grain carts.

The third confidant took two steps back and turned to run away.

Several crossbows were already aimed at his back.

"Throw away the weapons!"

The man hesitated for a moment, then his long sword fell to the ground.

Ma Rong retreated to the street inside the gate, shouting at the top of his lungs, "The bandits have broken in!"

The sound of gongs soon rang out from inside the fortress.

The doors opened one after another.

The soldiers of Duanhebao rushed into the street with their weapons in hand, their faces still showing the bewilderment of someone who had just woken up from a dream.

Ma Rong pointed to the grain cart.

"Black Wind Stronghold attacked the side gate! Follow me and kill them!"

Xu Qingshan cleaved down his charging confidant with a single stroke and casually took out the garrison seal from his robes.

"Xu Qingshan, the garrison commander of the four forts along the northern wall, is here!"

The bronze seal was raised to face the lamplight beside the door.

The seal, shaped like a city wall, and the text at the bottom are clearly visible.

"Ma Rong colluded with Black Wind Stronghold, secretly opened the gate of the fort, and prepared to hand over the military households of Duanhe Fort to the bandits."

"Ordinary soldiers, lay down your weapons and retreat to the sides of the street. I will only take Ma Rong and his cronies!"

The dozen or so soldiers who had just rushed to the vicinity stopped in their tracks.

They glanced at the garrison commander's seal, then at Ma Rong's trusted confidants, and neither stepped forward for a moment.

Ma Rong roared, "He's an imposter!"

"Xu Qingshan is at Iron Gate Fortress, how could he possibly be here in the middle of the night?"

Xu Qingshan took off the one-eyed wolf's fur coat, revealing the Zhenbei Camp armor underneath.

"Sun Kui also thought yesterday that I wouldn't be able to reach Iron Gate Fortress, but his head is still hanging outside the granary."

The soldiers of Duanhebao changed their expressions.

News of Ashina's slaying at Luoyan Valley, the rescue of fifty cavalrymen at Qingya Fort, and the elimination of Sun Kui at Tiemen Fort had already spread along the trade route.

In the past, they had only heard the name Xu Qingshan.

At this moment, the Zhenbei Banner was unfurled from the grain cart, its fluttering in the river wind, and the garrison seal was held in his hand.

An old soldier was the first to put down his spear.

"My name is Liang Shun, and I am a veteran from Duanhe Fort."

"Deputy Commander Ma, where exactly did the Commander go?"

Ma Rong gripped the knife.

"The fort commander contracted the plague and has died."

Liang Shun stared at him.

"I want to see him alive or dead."

"You said the fort commander has been dead for two months, and he won't even tell us where he's buried."

Several soldiers around also laid down their weapons and retreated to the sides of the street.

Ma Rong's confidants were in a panic.

"Do you all want to rebel?"

"Have you forgotten how Deputy Fort Commander Ma has treated you on a daily basis?"

Liang Shun spat.

"A daily bowl of thin porridge, with the brothers on night watch scattered across the four sides of the city walls—is that what you call treating us well?"

"If Black Wind Stronghold really gets in, will my two daughters still be alive?"

More soldiers left the streets.

In the blink of an eye, Ma Rong was left with only eleven trusted confidants.

Three short whistles came from the direction of the gate tower.

call out!call out!call out!

Suddenly, a volley of crossbow bolts shot out from the other side of the river.

The mist was torn apart by the arrows.

Three rebel soldiers who had just drawn their bows on the city wall were hit by arrows one after another, and the man responsible for banging the gong to relay the order was also shot through the thigh and rolled down the ladder.

Xiaoqi's voice came from across the river.

"Listen up, archers on the city walls!"

"Put the bow down, and remove your hand from the quiver!"

On the gate tower, Hou San had already led his men to the last few steps of the wooden stairs.

Two of Ma Rong's close associates blocked the exit with knives.

The first cut cleaved down the wooden ladder.

Hou San dodged by sticking close to the railing, and his short knife pierced the opponent's ribs.

The second confidant tried to finish him off, but the Zhenbei cavalry behind him raised their shields and rammed him into the gatehouse.

Screams soon came from outside the city walls.

Not long after, the Zhenbei Banner was raised on the city wall.

When the soldiers inside the city saw the flag, their last bit of doubt dissipated.

Liang Shun and his men blocked the other end of the street.

"Ma Rong, put down your weapons!"

Ma Rong glanced at the side gate, then looked up at the gatehouse controlled by the Zhenbei cavalry.

The crossbowmen on the opposite bank of the river blocked the city wall, and the ordinary soldiers had also sided with Xu Qingshan.

Staying here will only lead to being surrounded and killed.

"Let's go through the north gate!"

Ma Rong turned and rushed into the alley next door.

Eleven of his confidants followed him in the retreat, two of whom were slower and were shot down from behind by crossbow bolts.

Xu Qingshan flipped over and jumped onto the grain cart.

"Liang Shun guarded the side gate and sent men to confiscate the weapons of Ma Rong's confidants."

"The rest of the Zhenbei cavalry will follow me."

The warhorses behind the chariot were quickly untied.

Xu Qingshan led seven riders through the street.

Duanhebao is not large, but outside the north gate there is a shallow beach where the river slows down, allowing horses to ride directly to the other side.

Ma Rong had clearly already prepared an escape route for himself.

As soon as the north gate was opened a crack, a cold wind rushed into the fortress.

The gatekeeper's trusted confidant lifted the bolt.

Ma Rong mounted his horse.

"quick!"

"After crossing the river, we'll head to Black Wind Stronghold!"

Horses hooves clattered as they left the city gate.

More than ten torches were immediately lit on the riverbank.

Zhou Laoqi sat at the forefront with his sword across his body, while the Zhenbei cavalry behind him blocked the shallows.

Ah Man stood on the side of the horse, slowly turning the lasso in his hand.

"I've been waiting for you for ages."

Ma Rong tightened the reins.

The warhorses stopped in front of the riverbank, and the trusted men behind them crowded together.

Xu Qingshan led his men to pursue them from inside the fortress.

The two groups of Zhenbei cavalry completely blocked the north gate.

Ma Rong looked at Zhou Laoqi.

"I have no grudge against you, let me pass."

"I know the location of the grain and silver that Sun Kui hid in Iron Gate Fortress."

Zhou Laoqi said, "Sun Kui is dead, and the granary has been opened."

"You're too late with this news."

Ma Rong then turned to A Man.

"I know where Black Wind Stronghold is."

Ah Man said, "We just caught more than thirty of them from there."

"Anything else?"

Ma Rong's lips moved a few times, and suddenly the long knife in his hand slashed at his trusted confidant beside him.

Caught completely off guard, the confidant was slashed in the shoulder and fell from his horse with a scream.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ma Rong spurred his horse toward the river.

"Whoosh~"

A lasso suddenly flew through the air, its leather rope wrapping around Ma Rong's waist and pulling him off his horse.

"Bang—"

Ma Rong fell into the shallow water and struggled to get up.

But Xu Qingshan's warhorse had already stepped onto the riverbank, and a long sword was pressed against the back of his neck.

"After Black Wind Stronghold enters the city, the soldiers and women will belong to them. What are you planning to take?"

Ma Rong lay in the water, his teeth chattering.

"I just want to be the fortress chief. Broken River Fortress is short of food, and Yunzhou doesn't care about us. If I don't find a solution, everyone will starve to death!"

Xu Qingshan looked at the eight carts loaded with grain inside the fort.

"So you delivered the grain carts to Black Wind Stronghold?"

"That's what Sun Kui promised! I'm just responsible for opening the door!"

Ma Rong said urgently, "Commander Xu, I'm willing to confess."

"The fort commander is still alive."

The knife in Xu Qingshan's hand stopped at the side of his neck.

"Where is he?"

"The old water dungeon inside the fortress."

Ma Rong lifted his face, which was covered in mud.

"He discovered my association with Black Wind Stronghold, so I locked him up."

"It's been closed for more than two months."

Liang Shun led the soldiers of Duanhe Fort to the North Gate, just in time to hear these words.

The faces of the veterans changed instantly.

"Is the fort commander still alive?"

"lead the way!"

Ma Rong was bound with ropes and dragged back to the fort.

The old water dungeon was located behind the granary, its entrance blocked by a pile of scrap wood and stones.

After everyone finished clearing away the debris, a rusty iron door was revealed.

A damp, putrid odor wafted up from below the stone steps.

The torches shone into the depths of the dungeon.

An elderly man with disheveled hair leaned against the wall, his hands and feet chained, and his military uniform was so worn that its original color was no longer visible.

Liang Shunchong descended the stone steps.

"Commander Feng!"

The old man slowly opened his eyes.

Upon seeing Xu Qingshan and Zhenbeiqi behind the firelight, his chapped lips twitched a few times.

"Ma Rong... let Black Wind Stronghold in?"