The night was as dark as ink. There was silence outside Hu Yanhuan’s camp, with only the rustling sound of the breeze blowing through the grass echoing in his ears.

However, this silence makes people feel more depressed. Yuan Jingxin crouched in the grass, his hands tightly grasping the soil on the ground, his brows furrowed so tightly that they could almost pinch a mosquito to death.

His eyes kept scanning back and forth between the terrain in front of him and the enemy camp in the distance, trying to find any possible flaws.

However, the enemy’s camp was still brightly lit, and the patrolling soldiers were marching in step, showing no signs of slacking off. This stagnant situation made Yuan Jingxin increasingly anxious.

“Time…is running out of time.” He said to himself and looked up at the sky.

The night had begun to thin, and in the distant east there was a faint hint of morning light.

He knew that after daybreak, their advantage of hiding would be gone and the enemy’s vigilance would be even tighter.

“If we delay any further, we will only put ourselves in greater danger.” Yuan Jingxin whispered to himself, feeling as if a huge rock was pressing down on his heart, heavy.

He turned his head to look at his subordinates. They were lying on the ground, their faces full of fatigue and anxiety. The long period of lurking and waiting had already pushed their physical and mental strength to the limit, and some of them couldn’t help but complain in a low voice.

“General, is it really useful to wait like this?” A young soldier whispered, his tone filled with undisguised anxiety. “The enemy’s defense is so tight, even if we wait until dawn, we may not be able to find a chance.”

An old soldier next to him glared at him and shouted in a low voice, “Shut up! The general has his own arrangements, it’s not your turn to question them!”

However, even though the old soldier’s scolding made the young soldier shut up, the uneasy mood spread like a plague in the team. Some began to move their bodies unconsciously, trying to relieve their sore muscles; some secretly raised their heads and looked around, with a hint of anxiety in their eyes.

Yuan Jingxin saw this and couldn’t help but sigh in his heart.

He knew that these brothers had reached their limit. If they continued like this, not only would their morale be affected, but someone might even lose control of his emotions and expose their whereabouts.

“Calm down, you must stay calm.” He warned himself in his heart, “Now is not the time to panic. Even if the situation is unfavorable, we must find a way out.”

However, no matter how rational I was, the anxiety in my heart surged like a tide.

The possible consequences kept flashing through his mind: What if they didn’t act by daybreak and an enemy patrol spotted them?
If Hu Yanhuan’s troops were deployed ahead of time, their ambush plan would be completely thwarted…

“His Highness is still waiting for news from us. I can’t let my brothers die in vain!” Yuan Jingxin clenched his teeth, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and turned to look at the soldiers around him. He lowered his voice with a hint of firmness in his tone: “Brothers, I know you have been waiting for a long time, but now we must cheer up.

This battle is related to the future of the entire rebel army. As long as we can seize the opportunity, we will be able to disrupt the enemy’s plan!”

Although his voice was not loud, it carried an irresistible power, like a warm current flowing into the hearts of the soldiers.

The tired and uneasy soldiers raised their heads one after another, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes.

“General, we listen to you!” the young soldier whispered, with a hint of shame in his tone, “As long as you give the order, we will do our best!”

Yuan Jingxin nodded, with a hint of relief in his eyes: “Very good, remember, our goal is not to fight head-on, but to find the enemy’s weakness. Once we find an opportunity, we will act immediately!”

Yuan Jingxin raised his head again, staring at the enemy camp. He quickly analyzed the enemy’s deployment in his mind: the main force seemed to have begun to mobilize, and the defense of the right camp was relatively weak, which might be their only breakthrough.

“Right Camp…” Yuan Jingxin murmured in a low voice, with a cold light flashing in his eyes, “Hu Yanhuan really did have a trick up his sleeve, but he didn’t expect that we would start from here.”

He turned to his trusted men and whispered, “Pass on my order. Everyone, get ready immediately. We will take advantage of the cover of night to launch a tentative attack on the right camp.

If we can find a breakthrough, we must immediately break into the enemy’s interior and never let Hu Yanhuan complete his deployment easily!”

The confidant nodded, with a hint of solemnity on his face: “Yes, General!”

As Yuan Jingxin’s order was issued, the lurking rebels quickly began to move. They carefully passed through the bushes and quietly approached the right camp under the cover of night. Every step was extremely cautious, as if the slightest mistake would trigger the enemy’s vigilance.

The fire in the camp was still bright, and patrolling soldiers were walking back and forth, obviously keeping a close watch on the surroundings.

However, Yuan Jingxin keenly discovered that the right camp’s defense did not seem as tight as he had imagined, and was even a little lax.

“The opportunity has come.” Yuan Jingxin said in a low voice, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

However, at this quiet moment, a burst of dense horse hoof sounds suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the night.

“Da da da–“

The sound of horse hooves came from far away, causing the ground to shake slightly.

Yuan Jingxin was crouching in the grass. His ears moved slightly, and he immediately raised his head and looked towards the camp with vigilance. His brows were furrowed, and he felt vaguely uneasy.

“What’s going on?” He whispered to himself, his eyes fixed on the movements in the camp.

Through the gaps in the grass, he saw the chevaux de frise in front of the camp gate being hastily removed by the soldiers, and a team of fully armed cavalrymen were filing out. The horses’ manes were shining in the firelight, and their iron armor was reflecting a cold light in the morning light.

Soon, his attention was attracted by the leader at the front of the team.

The man was wearing a black cape, riding a sturdy warhorse, with a straight and majestic back. His helmet gleamed in the firelight, and he held a long spear in his hand, looking as imposing as a mountain.

“That’s…” Yuan Jingxin took a closer look, his heart suddenly trembled, and his breathing suddenly became a little faster, “Hu Yanhuan?!”

Although he had never fought with Hu Yanhuan, he was the one who found out all the information about Hu Yanhuan and then reported it to Lin Zhongyun.

Therefore, he was very familiar with Hu Yanhuan’s face.

However, at this moment, the commander actually led a large number of troops out of the camp in person, which immediately caused a huge wave of anxiety in his heart.

“What are they going to do?” Yuan Jingxin was secretly confused.

He quickly recalled the previous intelligence that Hu Yanhuan’s main force had begun to mobilize, and now he was going out of the camp in person, which was obviously not an ordinary patrol or exercise.

Although he was filled with doubts and uneasiness, he quickly suppressed his emotions.

Obviously, now is not the time to act rashly, otherwise not only will their whereabouts be exposed, but the entire plan may also be disrupted.

He turned to look at the soldiers around him and found that they all looked nervous, with a hint of panic in their eyes.

Obviously, Hu Yanhuan’s sudden appearance made them feel extremely pressured.

“Everyone take cover and don’t act rashly!” Yuan Jingxin lowered his voice, his tone filled with unquestionable majesty.

When the soldiers heard his order, they immediately lowered their bodies and buried themselves in the grass as much as possible, even breathing carefully. Yuan Jingxin raised his head again, his eyes fixed on Hu Yanhuan’s team.

He quickly analyzed in his mind: What was Hu Yanhuan’s purpose in leaving the camp at this moment? Was it to mobilize more troops, or to carry out some important plan?

Or was it just a feint to confuse them?
Hu Yanhuan rode on his warhorse, his eyes were cold and there was not a trace of unnecessary expression on his face.

Behind him followed a team of elite cavalrymen, each of whom had a solemn expression, and was obviously ready to fight at any time.

“Let’s go!” Hu Yanhuan shouted in a low voice. His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.

Following his order, the cavalry team quickly increased its speed and galloped towards a certain direction outside the camp.

The sound of horse hooves echoed across the wilderness like thunder, gradually fading away, and finally disappearing in the morning light on the horizon.

Yuan Jingxin watched Hu Yanhuan’s team leave, but he didn’t relax at all. His brows were furrowed, and various speculations and possibilities kept flashing in his mind.

“Hu Yanhuan’s personal visit to the camp cannot be a meaningless move.” Yuan Jingxin thought to himself, “Could it be that he wants to lure us into action? Or is his real goal not here?”

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that any hasty decision at this moment might lead to irreversible consequences.

“Pass the order down. Everyone stay hidden and closely observe the enemy’s movements.” Yuan Jingxin whispered, with a hint of calmness and decisiveness in his tone. “After they leave completely, we will wait for an opportunity to act.”

The confidant nodded and quickly passed on the order.

The soldiers adjusted their postures, blending their bodies into the surrounding grass as much as possible, and waited patiently for the next instruction.

“We can’t just rely on guessing, we must find out his purpose.” Yuan Jingxin made up his mind.

He quickly turned his head and scanned the soldiers around him, finally locking his eyes on an agile and experienced confidant.

This man’s name was Qin Lie. He was one of his spies who was best at hiding and tracking, and had made great contributions in many dangerous missions.

“Qin Lie!” Yuan Jingxin shouted in a low voice.

Qin Lie immediately raised his head from the bushes, his eyes showing a hint of alertness: “General, what do you want me to do?”

Yuan Jingxin lowered his voice, with a hint of unquestionable majesty in his tone: “Follow Hu Yanhuan’s team immediately and make sure to find out their purpose. Remember, you must not be discovered by them. If the situation changes, find a way to send a message back immediately.”

Qin Lie was slightly startled, then nodded and said, “Understood! I will definitely complete the task!”

Yuan Jingxin looked at him with a trace of trust and admonition in his eyes: “This mission is of great importance, you must be careful. If you find that something is wrong, don’t take risks, save your life first.”

Qin Lie nodded without saying anything more.

He quickly adjusted his equipment, removing as much armor as possible, leaving only light clothes and a dagger, then crouched and quietly chased in the direction where Hu Yanhuan’s team had left.

Qin Lie was like a nimble cheetah, using the cover of bushes and terrain to stay far behind Hu Yanhuan’s team. His footsteps were light and swift, and each step was on the soft soil without making any sound.

The Hu Yanhuan team in front still maintained a neat formation, and the sound of horse hooves could be heard clearly and rhythmically.

Qin Lie carefully kept his distance, not exposing himself to the other party’s sight, but also being able to clearly observe their movements.

“These people… don’t look like an ordinary patrol team.” Qin Lie thought to himself, his eyes fixed on Hu Yanhuan in the team.

He noticed that Hu Yanhuan’s expression was extremely stern, and it was obvious that he came with a clear goal.

At the same time, Yuan Jingxin was still lying in the grass, staring at the direction where Hu Yanhuan left.

His heart was filled with complex emotions: worry about the unknown situation, but also trust in Qin Lie.

“Hu Yanhuan, what on earth do you want to do?” Yuan Jingxin murmured in a low voice, frowning.

“I hope Qin Lie can find out their intentions.”

He looked up at the sky again. The morning light had completely covered the earth and the cover of night was about to disappear.

His eyes became sharper. If he couldn’t wait for news from Qin Lie, he would have no choice but to take the risk.

……

At the same time, Hu Yanhuan was riding on a tall horse, his cloak fluttering in the wind, and he looked majestic.

His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s as he scanned the road ahead, without a trace of unnecessary expression on his face.

The army behind him followed closely, and the sound of their horses’ hooves hitting the ground made a low roar, raising a cloud of dust.

The soldiers all had solemn expressions and held weapons in their hands. Although the march was arduous, no one dared to slack off.

In their eyes, Hu Yanhuan’s orders were like iron laws and could not be questioned.

The corners of Hu Yanhuan’s mouth rose slightly, revealing a sneer.

This was exactly what he wanted. In fact, they were executing a carefully planned plot. And he had to act perfectly in this scene.

When they reached an open grassland, Hu Yanhuan suddenly pulled the reins, and the warhorse neighed and stopped. He turned around and looked at the team behind him, with a hint of majesty in his eyes, while also secretly paying attention to the movements around him.

“Stop!” he shouted loudly, and his voice echoed in the wilderness like thunder.

When the soldiers heard the order, they reined in their horses and stopped in place. Although they didn’t know why they stopped suddenly, no one dared to ask any more questions.

Hu Yanhuan took a quick look around and made sure that there was nothing wrong with the team before he slowly dismounted from his horse. He stood by the road, looking deep into the distance, as if thinking about something.

After a moment, he turned to face the soldiers and said in a loud and firm voice: “Everyone cheer up! The Khan is in trouble now, and we must rush to the battlefield as soon as possible!

Although this journey has been hard, we are the warriors of the Northern Barbarians and we must not fail at the critical moment!”

His tone was sonorous and powerful, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

When the soldiers heard this, they straightened their backs, a glimmer of fighting spirit ignited in their eyes, and they shouted in unison: “Yes, General!”

(End of this chapter)