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

Just as dawn broke, ten trucks were pushed out from the east gate of Tiemenbao.

The wheels rolled over the frozen dirt road, leaving tracks of varying depths.

The first two carts were loaded with sacks of salt and bolts of cloth, tied together with conspicuous hemp ropes. The eight carts behind had only a few bags of goods placed along the edges of the carriages, with stones and hay stuffed under the straw mats.

The convoy moved with great difficulty.

From a distance, it looked as if every vehicle was loaded with goods.

Su Jinniang, wearing a thick fur coat, sat in the first carriage.

Behind her followed twelve Iron Gate Fortress soldiers dressed as caravan members, their weapons concealed beneath their cotton-padded coats and straw mats.

After checking the bottom of the last car, Bai Zhi reached out and patted the wooden board.

"The repeating crossbow is now in place."

"The first two vehicles veered to the left after encountering the enemy, and the eight vehicles behind them came across to block the road."

Su Jinniang asked, "What if the bandits only send out scouts but refuse to approach?"

"Then let's keep going."

Xu Qingshan stood beside the car.

"Black Wind Stronghold just lost eight cartloads of grain, and now we know that Sun Kui's private granary has fallen into our hands."

"Ten truckloads of goods passed by in front of him, and Qi Biao couldn't help but cry."

Su Jinniang looked at the straw curtain behind her.

"He also had an arrow stuck in his leg."

Hou San sat in the last car, his waist wound wrapped in thick burlap.

"What's a leg injury?"

"I heard there are ten truckloads of stuff to steal, he'll crawl down if he has to."

Qin Yuenu stood outside the car.

"What are you doing with the caravan?"

Hou San leaned against a bag of hay.

"I'm responsible for protecting Manager Su."

"She had twelve soldiers with her."

"Then I'll take charge of protecting the truck."

"The car was full of rocks."

Hou San thought for a while.

"Then I will protect the stone."

Qin Yuenu reached out and pressed her hand against his waist.

The pain shot through the wound, and Hou San's smile froze on the spot.

"Lie down properly."

"Remember to protect your wounds if you crash."

"Can't you say something auspicious?"

"It's a good thing to come back alive."

Qin Yuenu withdrew her hand and threw a packet of hemostatic medicine into the carriage.

Xu Qingshan looked at Su Jinniang.

"Follow the trade route of Bailangji."

"Stop at the roadside wine shops, rest stops, and water collection points."

"The more obvious the message is, the easier it is for Black Wind Village to take the bait."

Su Jinniang tightened the reins.

"Commander Xu, rest assured."

"I'm good at doing business, and I'm even better at home delivery."

"As for who will ultimately receive the goods, that depends on whether Qi Biao has the luck to do so."

Ten trucks slowly drove out of Tiemenbao.

Guo Shan stood by the city gate and waited until the convoy had traveled a mile before ordering his soldiers to close the gate.

Two of the Zhenbei flags on the wall are missing.

The patrol cavalry outside the city were also all withdrawn.

The scout from Black Wind Village, hidden on a distant hillside, watched for a long time before turning and disappearing into the woods.

…………

Seven miles from Tiemenbao, there is an old wine shop that serves as a resting place for merchants and travelers.

When Sun Kui controlled the trade route, there were always people here watching over the passing caravans for him.

Iron Gate Fortress has changed hands, but the wine shop owner hasn't had a chance to escape yet.

Su Jinniang and her convoy stopped outside the gate, and she immediately asked for ten pots of hot water.

The shopkeeper peeked through the crack in the door and saw ten trucks. His eyes lingered on the salt bags for a moment.

"Is Manager Su heading to White Wolf Market?"

"Your eyes aren't blind after all."

Su Jinniang jumped off the carriage and dusted off her fur coat.

"Sun Kui is dead, and there are still a lot of unclaimed goods left in the Iron Gate Fort warehouse."

"Commander Xu was in a hurry to maintain the four forts, so he sent me to Bailangji to exchange for grain."

The shopkeeper probed, "With so much cargo, the Zhenbei Army only sent a dozen or so men to escort it?"

"The Zhenbei Cavalry have all gone to Duanhebao."

Su Jinniang deliberately showed a hint of impatience.

"Black Wind Stronghold sent an invitation to exchange prisoners, but Xu Qingshan is busy rescuing people and has no time to spare for my caravan."

"Besides, Sun Kui is dead, and Black Wind Stronghold lost many men last night. Who would dare to make a move on the trade route?"

The shopkeeper quickly smiled apologetically.

"Manager Su is right."

Hot water was delivered to the car.

The convoy stopped for less than 15 minutes before continuing along the trade route.

The shopkeeper stood at the door watching the tire tracks disappear, then called out to the backyard.

A waiter led out a skinny horse and left through the wooden gate.

Hou San lifted a corner of the straw curtain.

"The fish ran off to deliver the message."

Su Jinniang sat on the carriage shaft.

"Can this liquor store still be kept in business?"

"Keep it."

Hou San said, "Let's catch them when we get back, so we don't alert them now."

…………

Meanwhile, the shallows west of Duanhebao were shrouded in morning mist.

More than twenty Zhenbei cavalrymen led their warhorses into the river.

The sound of horses' hooves pounding on the gravel was completely drowned out by the river.

Xu Qingshan walked at the very front.

Aman had already figured out the first half of the beast path last night, and was now waiting on the other side of the river with two veterans from Broken River Fortress.

Gao Bai pointed to the area behind the reeds.

"If you cross that depression and walk five miles west, you can reach the north side of Black Wind Pass."

"The entrance to the beast path is hidden between two standing stones, making it difficult for outsiders to find."

Xu Qingshan asked, "Where are the Black Wind Stronghold's sentries?"

Aman replied, "There are two on the riverbank."

I avoided them last night.

"As soon as the caravan left Iron Gate Fortress this morning, those two headed west, probably to deliver a message to Qi Biao."

After all the Zhenbei cavalry had crossed the river, Xu Qingshan ordered his soldiers to sweep away the hoofprints on the shallows with tree branches.

The warhorse was led into the reeds.

The group followed the river mist westward around it.

On another mountain road, Xiao Hongluan also led thirty infantrymen away from Iron Gate Fortress.

Instead of approaching Black Wind Pass, they slowly advanced along the southern mountain ridge, blocking the widest road between Black Wind Pass and the main village.

If the people of Black Wind Stronghold want to reinforce from the front, they can only pass through this mountain path.

…………

Around noon, Su Jinniang's convoy entered a narrow valley.

The hillsides on both sides are covered with low shrubs.

The road surface can only accommodate two trucks side by side.

Several weathered boulders were piled up at the foot of the mountain ahead, making the trade route even narrower.

Su Jinniang reined in her horse and glanced into the distance.

A freshly cut pine log lay across the middle of the road.

Sap was still oozing from the broken surface.

Ten trucks stopped in sequence.

The soldiers of Iron Gate Fortress, dressed as coachmen, all stood up.

The sound of horses' hooves came from the hillside on the left.

More than thirty Black Wind Stronghold cavalrymen emerged from behind the forest and advanced along the slope toward the trade route.

At the very front of the group, Qi Biao's right leg was secured to the side of the horse's belly with a wooden board and burlap, and his shoulder was also wrapped in thick cloth.

He held the reins in one hand and a short-handled hammer in the other.

The long-handled iron hammer that was left at Broken River Fort last night is obviously gone forever.

Su Jinniang looked up and saw him.

"Even with his injuries, Second Master Qi still came out to receive the goods personally?"

Qi Biao's face was gloomy.

"Su Jinniang".

"Sun Kui just died, and you're already rushing to make a fortune off his goods?"

"He confiscated my goods while he was alive."

Su Jinniang said, "Now that the person is dead, their belongings should naturally be put up for sale."

Qi Biao's gaze swept over the ten trucks.

Salt bags, cloth, and several wooden crates sealed with Iron Gate Fortress seals were displayed outside.

The ruts were so deep that the wheels behind were even scraping and making noise.

There's definitely a lot of cargo in these vehicles.

Qi Biao asked, "Where is Xu Qingshan?"

"They took men to Blackwind Pass to exchange prisoners."

"Both One-Eyed Wolf and Ma Rong are in his hands."

Su Jinniang pointed to the pine trees ahead.

"Second Master Qi wants toll money; we can talk about it."

"Blocking the road will prevent the goods from being delivered to Bailangji, and you won't get the silver either."

A leader next to Qi Biao laughed and said, "The goods can still be sold once they enter Black Wind Stronghold."

"Can you swallow ten cartloads?"

Su Jinniang picked up the order slip.

"There is salt, cloth, medicine, ironware, and two boxes of silver left by Sun Kui."

"If we take over Black Wind Stronghold entirely, we'll get at least three thousand taels."

Upon hearing about the two boxes of silver, the nearby bandits all turned to look at the third wagon.

Qi Biao also narrowed his eyes.

"Inspect the goods first."

Su Jinniang put the order slip back into her sleeve.

"Can."

"According to the rules of business, let's first set the toll price."

"You take 20% of the goods, I'll continue on my way."

Qi Biao sneered, "This road belongs to Black Wind Stronghold."

"The people stay, and the car stays too."

"If you lead us to the remaining goods that Sun Kui hid in Iron Gate Fortress, I can spare your life."

Su Jinniang looked around.

There are only about thirty people here.

"Second-in-command Qi wants to eat ten cars' worth of food? Isn't he afraid of stuffing himself to death?"

Qi Biao raised the iron hammer.

More than a dozen bandits stood up on both sides of the hillside.

All the bows and arrows and short spears were aimed at the convoy.

Is this enough?

Su Jinniang nodded.

"We have enough people."

Qi Biao frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"It means we can talk now."

Su Jinniang pointed to the back of the truck.

"The mountain road ahead is too narrow, but there is a wide valley behind it."

"The convoy will stop there, and you will inspect the goods vehicle by vehicle."

"How much do you need? We'll calculate the price."

Qi Biao stared at her for a while.

The wounds on my shoulder and thigh are still aching from last night.

Dozens of men were lost in the battle of Duanhebao. After returning to the stronghold, he was almost stripped of his power to sell stolen goods and lead the cavalry by the chief.

If these ten truckloads of goods can be brought back, at least some of the losses can be recovered.

More importantly, Su Jinniang was right in front of him.

If we capture her, we will have a chance to reopen the Iron Gate Fort trade route.

"lead the way."

Qi Biao raised his hand, signaling the bandits on both sides to come closer.

The ten trucks started turning again.

The Black Wind Stronghold cavalry split into two columns, flanking the convoy on both sides.

The valley entrance ahead gradually widens.

A rocky area appeared at the end of the trade route. The hillsides on both sides seemed low, but they were just enough to hide a row of crossbowmen.

Su Jinniang drove into the valley.

The first car turns left.

The second vehicle followed closely behind, veering to the right.

Eight trucks behind then crossed the road in sequence, completely blocking both the road ahead and the road behind.

Qi Biao noticed the change in the convoy and finally realized something was wrong.

"spread!"

The straw curtain was lifted at the same time.

Dozens of short crossbows were raised from inside the carriage, their bolts already aimed at the bandits on both sides.

A row of crossbowmen from Iron Gate Fortress also stood up behind the rocky slope.

Hou San leaned over the last car and waved to Qi Biao.

"Second-in-command."

"I ran so fast last night that I forgot to take my waist tag."

Qi Biao's expression changed completely as he looked at the crossbow formations around him.

Su Jinniang pulled out a short crossbow from beside the carriage shaft.

"You can inspect the goods now."

…………

More than ten miles from the valley, Xu Qingshan led the Zhenbei cavalry through the last patch of reeds.

The wooden walls and arrow towers of Black Wind Village can already be seen on the ridge ahead.

Ah Man lay on the edge of the rocky slope, observed for a moment, and then raised his hand.

"More than thirty riders just left through the main gate, heading in the direction of the trade route."

"The village is still sending people to Heifengkou."

Xu Qingshan looked behind the wooden wall.

A wisp of smoke rose from the inner village, and the faint neighing of horses could be heard from the direction of Zangma Valley.

The Black Wind Stronghold's attention has been divided between the caravan and the prisoner exchange team.

The animal trails are currently unattended.

Xu Qingshan handed the reins of his warhorse to the soldiers behind him.

"dismount."

"Start walking from here."

As soon as the group entered the forest, three points of light suddenly appeared on the distant stockade wall.

The firelight flickered on and off three times in a row.

Ah Man stopped in her tracks.

"The village has received a warning."

Xu Qingshan looked up at the mountaintop.

"Then we'll get one step ahead of them."