After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

The northern army camp celebrated wildly for two days.

Sirius was driven back, and all six outposts remained intact.

The No. 3 outpost alone captured over a thousand wolf riders, and with the spoils from other routes, the Sky Wolf army suffered a severe blow this time.

In the short term, the tension that had been building up along the border for two years has finally eased a bit.

The bonfire on the drill ground burned from dusk until late at night.

Roasted meat and strong liquor were readily available, and the demon soldiers gathered around the bonfire to play drinking games, while cheers rose higher and higher from the outside of the wrestling ring.

Jiang Yan sat in the corner, leaning against a supply wagon, holding a bowl of wine in her hand.

He didn't drink much, but just looked at the noisy scene with a slight smile on his lips.

Lufa was already quite drunk. Standing by the campfire, he gesticulated wildly as he recounted the events at Outpost No. 3. When he got to the part about Mordo being beheaded, the soldiers around him started to jeer and actually lifted Lufa up and tossed him into the air three times.

Tu Shanye sat next to Jiang Yan.

He still didn't say much, but he didn't seem to be leaving.

Holding a wine bowl in his hand, he would occasionally take a sip and glance at the person next to him.

"Aren't you going to cause trouble with them?" Jiang Yan asked.

"I'm not going." Tu Shanye paused. "There are too many people."

"You're from the fox clan, and aren't foxes generally fond of lively gatherings?"

Tu Shanye remained silent for a moment.

"I am from a collateral branch of the Tushan clan," he said. "I can neither integrate into the ordinary demon race nor have contact with the direct line of Tushan. I used to always want to prove that I am stronger than others, but I don't want to anymore."

Jiang Yan did not respond.

Tu Shanye suddenly turned his head and looked at him.

"Fighting alongside you, I don't need to think about these things."

Jiang Yan raised her wine bowl and clinked it against his.

At this moment, Pei Xiao walked up to Jiang Yan with a bowl of wine in his hand, his tiger tail swishing loudly behind him.

He didn't give a toast, but instead punched Jiang Yan hard in the chest: "I've fought half my life, and I've never seen a battle like this."

"General Pei, you flatter me."

Pei Xiao waved his hand, tilted his head back, and downed the wine.

Most wars between demon races are straightforward and won by brute force. This time, Jiang Yan has really opened their eyes.

……

When news of this great victory reached the capital, the Jiang family was in an uproar.

Jiang Wuchen received the news of victory from the Ministry of War early in the morning.

He read the report of victory over and over again, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

Walking along the corridors of the mansion, he unusually took the initiative to chat with several old stewards for a long time, his back straighter than ever before.

Standing at the door, Jiang's mother watched his smug expression and shook her head with a smile.

But as she turned and went inside, she took out the news report again and looked at it once more.

Inside the palace, Ruoshui was sitting in her bedroom, flipping through an old book, when she heard several maids outside the courtyard talking about something.

She vaguely heard the words "Northern Border" and "Jiang Yan," and she jumped up, grabbed her skirt, and ran towards the main hall.

"Father!"

Tu Shanlie was annotating a folding paper when she shouted, startling him so much that he almost dropped his pen.

"Did you hear that? Jiang Yan has won the battle!"

"I heard it, I heard it." Tu Shanlie put down his pen and looked at his daughter's excited, flushed face. "The good news arrived yesterday, a great victory."

Ruoshui took the battle report from her father and read it from beginning to end, then from end to beginning.

The battle report clearly states that at Outpost No. 3, a thousand defenders faced three thousand wolf cavalry. The enemy was over half killed, more than a thousand were captured, and the enemy commander, Mo Duo, was killed in battle. Only a few dozen of their own men were killed.

"I knew it." Ruoshui raised her head, her tone full of undisguised pride.

Tu Shanlie felt a mix of bitterness and relief as he looked at his daughter's smug expression.

In fact, he did have high hopes for Jiang Yan and expected that the boy would definitely achieve something after going to the Northern Border, but he did not expect that it would only take a mere year.

The battle report in his hand was more detailed than Ruoshui's. It recorded every victory of Jiang Yan over the past year, from the ambush at the gravel beach to the burning of the grain and fodder camp, from the frontal defeat of the vanguard battalion to the decisive battle at the No. 3 outpost.

Looking at her daughter's face, which was filled with "I told you so," and then at Jiang Yan's name on the battle report, her eyes showed more and more appreciation. But seeing Ruoshui's happier expression than when she was praising herself, the sourness in her heart became more and more obvious.

I still feel like my daughter has been kidnapped by that blond guy, even though he's an exceptionally good guy.

……

A few days later, the imperial edict arrived at the northern military camp.

The entire army was lined up on the drill ground, with Jiang Yan standing at the very front.

The decree was quite long. The first half was a commendation to the soldiers in the Northern Territory, while the second half shifted the tone, stating that although the Sirius Dynasty had suffered a blow, it was regrouping its forces, and a decisive battle might be imminent in the Northern Territory.

The Tushan Dynasty has drawn reinforcements from its borders and capital, and has indicated that it cannot afford to be passively attacked, so it has instructed Tushan Jing to prepare for a full-scale counterattack.

The attendant paused, then unfurled another roll of yellow silk.

"Jiang Yan is hereby granted the title of Marquis of Dingyuan, commanding 5,000 armored soldiers. His army is named the Northern Expeditionary Army, and he will assist General Jing in coordinating this campaign."

The drill ground fell silent for a moment.

Then it exploded with a buzz.

The last time someone in the Tushan Dynasty was granted a marquisate was a hundred years ago.

Moreover, five thousand armored soldiers—this is no ordinary war between mortal kingdoms, involving hundreds of thousands of mortals. Keep in mind that even the lowest-ranking of these five thousand demons is at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

"Marquis Dingyuan." Lu Fa repeated these three words several times. "From now on, I'll have to call you Marquis?"

Tu Shanye, standing to the side, smiled for once: "The boss will always be the boss."

"Congratulations, young marquis!" Someone shouted first, and then the whole training ground joined in.

The title changed from Commander Jiang to Young Marquis, and for a time, everyone was calling him that.

However, some people realized other problems.

"Wait a minute, how old is Your Excellency?"

"Not yet fifteen."

After a brief silence, a heated discussion broke out again among the crowd.

Pei Xiao strode over and patted Jiang Yan on the back with his tiger-like paw: "I knew it long ago, you have a bright future ahead of you!"

Tu Shan Jing stood on the command platform watching this scene, showing no surprise.

He knew this day would come.

It wasn't because of military achievements, or at least not solely because of military achievements.

He knew very well about Ruoshui and Jiang Yan's affair; His Majesty was paving the way for the princess's future.

Tu Shan Jing's lips curved slightly.

Good. He has seen this kid's abilities firsthand. Whether it's paving the way or cultivating talent, this kid is capable.

Meanwhile, among the human population within the Tushan Dynasty, Jiang Yan's reputation was spreading at an unprecedented rate.

For the first time in thousands of years, a human has been granted a title of nobility in the territory of the demon race based on genuine military achievements.

Many human settlements were secretly discussing this name.

Whether in the capital or in remote villages, more and more people began to inquire about this human boy named Jiang Yan.

He not only enhanced the prestige of the Jiang family, but also indirectly influenced the status of the human race in the Tushan Dynasty. It seemed that from this moment on, all those who struggled to survive on this land had an additional banner.

……

At the same time, in the capital of Sirius.

The candlelight was dim in the secret chamber deep within the royal palace.

Sirius King Duan Linyuan bowed deeply to the woman before him.

His appearance was completely different from that of typical wolves; he lacked the rugged wolfish snout and broad muscles, instead possessing delicate features that bordered on effeminate.

If it weren't for those eerie green wolf eyes and the undeniable killing intent emanating from him, no one would doubt that he was a fox just by looking at his face.

Ao Tianxin stood three steps away from him, her plain white robes making her seem out of place in the dimly lit hall.

She looked at Duan Linyuan coldly, her face expressionless.

"As long as Senior Ao makes a move, Xuan Tianjian will gladly be offered up." Duan Linyuan adopted an extremely humble attitude.

"I will only make one move to help you restrain the strongest person on the other side, but I will not kill for you."

"That's enough." Duan Linyuan bowed even deeper.

Ao Tianxin didn't look at him again, her figure fading away in the light and shadow at the palace entrance.

Duan Linyuan waited until she was far away before slowly straightening up.

The wolf's dark green eyes reflected the smoke from the furnace, and a smile slowly rose to their faces.

The unfathomable ruler of the Dragon Court suddenly appeared, seeking only an ancient treasure for finding someone.

Although he didn't know who Ao Tianxin was looking for, it didn't matter, and he didn't care.

What he cared about was that this powerful being, who could turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist, appeared in his palace and agreed to his conditions.

enough.

Smoke billowed in the furnace. Duan Linyuan raised his hand, his slender fingers slowly clenching.

Tu Shan… He gave a cold laugh.

This time, it's Sirius's turn to be in the spotlight.