Border Soldier: My fiancée snatched credit and broke off the engagement, so I promptly became a marq

When leaving the fortress, do not go through the south gate or the north gate.

Chen Mu chose the wastewater outlet in the northwest corner.

That place was usually used for draining snowmelt; the entrance was narrow and dirty, and the Zhao family's personal guards considered it unlucky and never wanted to guard it. The cooks, however, were familiar with it.

The dirty water from the kitchen often flows out from here.

Old Chai led nine cooks, carrying ash bags, short pitchforks, hemp ropes, tattered felt, and two small buckets of kerosene. Zhou Tie brought up the rear with two of Lu family guards.

Anato's hands were tied in front of her, and a thin rope was around her neck.

The end of the rope was in Chen Mu's hand.

She glanced down, her face grim.

"You treat me like a dog?"

Chen Mu bent down and crawled out of the wastewater outlet, his voice echoing back from outside the wind and snow.

"A dog won't lead you astray."

Old Chai almost burst out laughing, but Anado glared at him and stopped him.

Outside the cave is a rocky slope.

The wind was harsher than inside the fortress, and the snow swirled and rolled along the ground. In the distance, rows of torches lined the northern slope, and barbarian cavalry occasionally fired arrows, keeping the city walls on high alert. The Black Tiger Camp on the east side was also ablaze with fire, like a pack of black wolves crouching in the snow.

Everyone thought Chen Mu was still inside the fortress.

No one expected that he had already emerged from the wastewater outlet.

After Anado came out, she glanced around.

"Your Blackrock Fortress is really dilapidated."

Chen Mu tugged at the rope.

"Even this wretched place can lock you up."

Anato was pulled forward a step, her eyes gleaming with anger.

Zhou Tie lowered his voice: "Squad Leader Chen, is she reliable?"

"Unreliable".

Chen Mu did not avoid her.

"So they're tied up."

Anato sneered, "Why don't you say it to my face?"

I didn't hide it from you.

She choked again.

The side valley is nestled between the north and east slopes. From the outside, it appears to be just a shallow ditch, but once inside, one realizes that the jagged rocks and low walls on both sides are enough to hide a person. If two hundred ambush troops were to bite the Black Tiger Camp's flank from here, even if Han Zhao didn't want to fight, he would be dragged into Batu's trap.

Anato led the way very steadily.

Although she was bound, her feet remained steady. She always managed to avoid snow pits, ditches, and loose rocks in advance.

Old Chai was alarmed and couldn't help but mutter, "How many times has this girl come here?"

Chen Mu asked, "How many times?"

Anato paused in her steps.

"three times."

"This is the first time we've scouted the way for Wugudu."

"This is the second time I've sent a picture to Batu."

"The third time I'm escaping for my life."

Chen Mu said, "This is the fourth time you've taken me to retrieve the body."

Anato said coldly, "The fifth time might be the last time."

Chen Mu tightened the rope in his hand.

Anato was pulled so hard she staggered half a step.

"Just a reminder," Chen Mu said, looking ahead, "don't forget who's holding the rope."

She gritted her teeth but didn't argue back.

The firelight ahead suddenly flickered low.

Everyone stopped.

Whispers of barbarian language drifted from behind the rocks. An ambush was nearby; though few in number, it was enough to wipe out the small squad.

Anato bent down and drew a curved line on the snow.

"The messenger's body is behind a dead tree on the right."

Chen Mu asked, "Why?"

"Batu killed people and didn't like leaving the smell of blood on the main road."

She looked up at him, her smile turning colder.

"I almost married him, I should know something."

Zhou Tie and Lao Chai were both stunned for a moment.

Anato didn't explain much, only saying calmly, "The royal court wanted to annex my uncle's tribe. The easiest way was to have me marry into their tribe. Ugudu didn't want to, so when he died, Batu was the first to want me dead too."

Chen Mu looked at her.

So you're not running for your life.

"You want to use me and Lu Shuangyi to bite Batu."

Anado's smile slowly faded.

"You're so annoying."

"Did I hit the nail on the head?"

"Yes." She didn't deny it. "I want to live, and I want Batu to die. You want Han Zhao to fall. We can use each other."

Chen Mu nodded.

"It's good that you explained it clearly."

He took off his red fox cloak and threw it to Old Chai.

"Put it on, bend over and walk."

Old Chai was startled: "Me?"

"To make people far away think I'm still in the team."

Old Chai swallowed hard, but still put on his cloak.

Chen Mu then handed over the deputy commander of the personal guards to Zhou Tie.

Zhou Tie frowned: "You're going by yourself?"

"A lot of people make a lot of noise."

Anato immediately replied, "You can't find it."

Chen Mu looked at her.

She raised her bound hands: "I'll take you."

Chen Mu did not untie her, but only cut the ropes binding her feet.

"As long as you can walk, that's fine."

Anato muttered a barbarian curse under her breath.

Chen Mu asked, "Are you insulting me?"

She gave a fake smile: "I'm praising your caution."

The two of them groped their way to the right, close to the stone wall.

The snow was deep, and the wind was fierce. With each step Chen Mu took, it felt as if iron rings were tightening around his chest, and the cloth strips Lin Qinghe had just tied were quickly soaked through with heat. He couldn't stop.

Behind us is Blackrock Fortress.

Two hundred soldiers were lying in ambush ahead.

Beside her was Anado, who could turn on her at any moment.

When Anato reached a snowdrift, she suddenly stopped.

"A hidden sentry."

Chen Mu crouched down and indeed saw two dark figures pressed against the rock, almost blending into the night.

He pulled out a small packet of stove ash.

Anado's expression changed slightly upon seeing this: "You left the castle with dust on you?"

"It's normal for the cooks to have dust on them."

He handed her the ashes.

"You throw it."

Anato paused for a moment.

Chen Mu said, "You are familiar with the wind."

She looked at the bag of ash and suddenly smiled.

"You really know how to use people."

The gray snow was swept away by the wind and rushed towards the back of the rock. The sentry had just raised his hand to shield his eyes when Chen Mu had already rushed out. There was no spear, no shout, just close in, sidestepping, and suppressing any movement.

At the same time, Anato kicked a pebble, which hit another person in the back of the knee.

Two dark figures quickly fell into the snow.

The wind silenced all sound.

Anato whispered, "I helped you."

Chen Mu took a breath.

"Remember that."

"What?"

"You have done a good job."

Anado looked at him, unsure whether to laugh or scold him.

She, a female spy from the northern barbarians, was actually credited with merits by the lowly soldiers of Black Stone Fortress.

The dead tree on the right has arrived.

There were traces of snow covering the tree roots. Chen Mu squatted down and used his short knife to dig through the frozen snow, quickly revealing a stiff hand.

The hands of Han people.

The cuffs were sewn with black tiger-patterned stripes.

When the body was dragged out, its face was frozen stiff, and its waist was empty, which was where Anato had taken the waist tag.

Chen Mu pulled out half a piece of blood-soaked cloth from the corpse's arms.

The handwriting was half blurred, but a few words could still be made out.

Merit Book.

Chen Mu.

Lu Shuangyi.

Batu.

There is also the character "韩" (Han).

enough.

It wasn't complete, but it was enough to make Han Zhao unable to admit his innocence.

Anato took a closer look.

I'm not lying to you.

"Not at the moment."

A low shout suddenly came from afar.

The firelight flickered.

Someone noticed something was wrong.

Chen Mu pushed the corpse onto Anado.

She was nearly pinned down, and angrily shouted, "What are you doing?"

"drag."

Anato's eyes widened: "Me, drag a corpse?"

"Your pledge of allegiance."

Footsteps drew closer.

Anado looked at the corpse, then at Chen Mu, and finally gritted her teeth and grabbed the corpse's shoulder.

The two retreated.

A barbarian roar exploded from behind.

Chen Mu blew a short whistle.

On the other side of the snow slope, Old Chai, wearing a red fox fur cloak, deliberately revealed himself. As expected, the pursuers split up, half chasing after the cloak and the other half still pressing towards Chen Mu.

Anato, panting, whispered, "You're going to have someone wear your cloak as bait?"

Chen Mu said, "He's more reliable than you."

Anato laughed in exasperation: "I'm still dragging a corpse!"

"So now you're somewhat reliable."

She almost wanted to smash the body in his face.

When they returned to the agreed-upon location, Zhou Tie and his men were already waiting to meet them. A cook threw out a bag of ash, which was whipped up by the wind, causing the pursuers to stumble. Old Chai also rushed back from the other side, two arrows stuck in his red fox cloak, his face pale.

"Sergeant Chen, you almost really became one!"

Chen Mu said, "Go back and record this as a small merit."

Old Chai's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Remember this."

The ambush has been alerted, and the neighing of horses is approaching from the depths of the side valley.

The group dragged the corpse towards the wastewater outlet.

As they approached the rocky slope, an arrow flew from the side and behind, its target not Chen Mu, but Anato.

Chen Mu's eyes flickered, and he suddenly grabbed the rope.

Anato was pulled back, crashing into his arms. The arrow grazed her shoulder and embedded itself in a crevice in the rock ahead.

She looked up and saw the cold sweat on Chen Mu's forehead, and smelled the medicine and blood on his body.

"You'll save me?"

Chen Mu pushed her away.

"You haven't taken the body back yet."

Anato's expression froze for a moment, then she laughed in exasperation.

"You're really not attractive to women at all."

"Then you can hate me."

She stared at his back, but her gaze was no longer as sharp as before.

Lin Qinghe was already waiting inside the wastewater outlet.

Chen Mu had just crawled in when he stumbled. She rushed over to support him and saw that the cloth strip on his chest was soaked again; her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

This time, she didn't yell.

Just hold it tight.

Su Wan was also there.

She stood in the snow, pale-faced, clutching the list of fallen soldiers from the cookhouse. Seeing Chen Mu return with Anato, and noticing Anato's wounded shoulder, she felt a sharp pang in her heart.

When Anato saw her, she immediately guessed her identity.

She deliberately took a half-step closer, her smile dangerous.

"Chen Mu, it hurt when you pulled me just now."

Su Wan's face turned even paler.

Lu Shuangyi walked over from the side and gave Anato a cold look.

Chen Mu turned around.

"Zhou Tie".

"exist."

"Take her to the Military Merit Hall."

Anato's smile froze.

Chen Mu said, "Also, record one more merit."

She was stunned.

"Ce Gu led the way, retrieved the body of Han Zhao's messenger, and recorded the assistance of the spy Anado once."

The provocation on Anado's face slowly faded.

She looked at Chen Mu for a long time, then whispered, "I am not yours."

Chen Mu said, "I know."

"Therefore, only those who assisted in the work are recorded."

Anado did not refute this for the first time.

Su Wan hugged the roster tightly, suddenly realizing that Chen Mu's rules had never changed.

He keeps a record of who wronged him.

He keeps a record of who helps him.

What she looked down on back then was this insignificant soldier's account.

Now, the entire Blackrock Fortress is watching him keep the accounts.

Lu Shuangyi personally unfolded the half-length blood-stained cloth in the corpse's arms, and her eyes turned cold when she saw the character "Han" on it.

"Han Zhao"

A sliver of gray and white had already appeared on the horizon.

Chen Mu looked towards the Black Tiger Camp to the east, pressed his hand to his chest, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"After dawn."

"Carry the body to the list of military merits."

"Please have Lieutenant Han identify the person."