Chapter 375: Time Waits for No One, I Have to Jump into the Fire Pit
The dawn light gradually spread across the earth, and the originally quiet wilderness was broken by the sound of horse hooves.

Hu Yanhuan looked at the soldiers’ reactions and sneered in his heart.

His words were not only meant to boost morale, but also to convey a false impression to any spies who might be lurking in the dark – the purpose of their trip was simply to assist the Khan.

“If you’re going to put on a show, you have to do it completely.” Hu Yanhuan said to himself, but his face still had a serious expression.

Although he couldn’t be sure whether there were any rebel spies following him, as a veteran who had fought on many battlefields, he would never let his guard down easily.

In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan, he must make every detail perfect and not leave any loopholes for the enemy.

He turned to look at a trusted confidant beside him and whispered, “Tell the rear team to step up their vigilance, especially the scouts on both wings. Be sure to pay attention to the surrounding movements. If you find anything suspicious, report it immediately.”

The confidant nodded and immediately turned around to convey the order.

Although the soldiers were exhausted, when they heard Hu Yanhuan mention that “the Khan is in trouble”, everyone’s eyes flashed with determination. Their loyalty to the Khan and their trust in Hu Yanhuan made them have no doubts about this operation.

“General, we will do our best!” a young cavalryman said loudly with a hint of excitement in his tone.

Hu Yanhuan nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes: “Very good! As long as we work together, we will be able to resolve this crisis and relieve the Khan’s worries!”

His voice was loud and powerful, as if it could strike directly into people’s hearts. The soldiers nodded in agreement, and the morale of the team was boosted again.

After a moment, Hu Yanhuan mounted his horse again, waved the spear in his hand lightly, and the team started marching again.

The sound of horse hooves rang out again, dust flew in the morning light, and the team moved forward in an unknown direction like a winding dragon.

Hu Yanhuan rode at the front of the team, his eyes cold and deep.

He knew that the show had just begun and the real battle was yet to come.

“Lin Zhongyun, how will you respond?” Hu Yanhuan thought to himself, his lips slightly raised, revealing a meaningful smile.

At the same time, Qin Lie was crawling in a dense grass, holding his breath, his eyes fixed on Hu Yanhuan’s team in front of him.

His movements were extremely covert, his body almost blending in with the surrounding grass, and he even tried to keep his breathing to a minimum.

“The Khan is in trouble? What does this mean?” Qin Lie was shocked when he heard this.

His brows furrowed slightly, and his mind quickly recalled the intelligence the rebels had.

He noticed that Hu Yanhuan’s tone was powerful and the soldiers’ reactions seemed very natural, and it was obvious that they had no doubts about the operation.

“It seems that these soldiers have also been kept in the dark.” Qin Lie said in his heart, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a sneer.

He quickly connected Hu Yanhuan’s words with the intelligence he had obtained before, and gradually formed a clear picture in his mind: “Chagan Wuli was caught in a pincer attack? No wonder Hu Yanhuan personally led his troops out of the camp, it turned out to be to rescue Chagan Wuli.”

Thinking of this, Qin Lie’s eyes flashed with excitement: “If Chagan Wuli is really in crisis, then isn’t this our best chance?

As long as the rebels can seize this opportunity, Hu Yanhuan’s plan will be completely thwarted!”

“Opportunity is fleeting!” he whispered, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

This information is of vital importance to Yuan Jingxin and the rebel army and must be passed back as soon as possible.

He glanced at Hu Yanhuan’s team again, and after confirming that the other party was not aware of his presence, he quickly adjusted his posture.

His movements were light and quick, like a nimble cheetah, moving silently among the grass.

“General must know this news as soon as possible!” Qin Lie said in his heart, but his steps became more cautious.

He knew that any careless movement at this moment might expose himself and lead to the failure of the mission.

On the way back, he retreated carefully, always keeping a high level of vigilance. His ears caught every movement around him, and his eyes kept scanning the surroundings to make sure no enemy scouts spotted him.

Despite the difficult journey, Qin Lie still moved quickly.

He had only one thought in his mind: to bring this news back as soon as possible and let General Yuan Jingxin make the next plan.

The dew in the grass wet his clothes, but he ignored it and continued to walk firmly and quickly.

Hu Yanhuan’s team in the distance gradually disappeared into the night, and Qin Lie’s figure gradually merged into the shadows of the wilderness.

Not long after, Qin Lie returned to the place where Yuan Jingxin was hiding.

There was a hint of fatigue on his face, but more of excitement and eagerness.

He quickly knelt in front of Yuan Jingxin and whispered, “General, I have important information to report!”

Yuan Jingxin raised his head, a sharp look flashed in his eyes: “Speak!”

Qin Lie took a deep breath and quickly reported what he had heard: “Hu Yanhuan led his team out of the camp to help Chagan Wuli!

“I heard him say that Chagan Uli was being attacked from both sides, and they came here to rescue him!”

When Yuan Jingxin heard this, his eyebrows slightly raised, and a hint of thought flashed in his eyes.

He whispered, “Chagan Uli is in danger? If my judgment is correct, this is a great opportunity for our rebel army!”

He turned to look at his trusted followers, and said with a decisive tone: “Pass the order, everyone prepare for action! We must seize this opportunity and completely disrupt Hu Yanhuan’s plan!”

The confidant nodded and replied, “Yes, General!”

As Yuan Jingxin’s order was issued, the lurking rebel army quickly took action.

The soldiers lowered their bodies, quietly stood up from the grass, and began to check their weapons and equipment in a quick and orderly manner.

Although there was a hint of fatigue on everyone’s face, there was more of a solemnity and tension as they were about to face the battle.

Yuan Jingxin stood on a slightly higher earth slope, staring at the enemy camp in the distance.

The camp seemed exceptionally quiet at the moment, with only sporadic flames flickering in the night. Patrolling soldiers occasionally walked by, not seeming to be in a panic.

However, in Yuan Jingxin’s eyes, this quiet camp was like a sleeping beast that could show its fangs at any time.

“Chagan Uli was in danger, and Huyanhuan personally led troops to rescue him…the timing was too coincidental.” Yuan Jingxin muttered to himself, frowning even more tightly.

He naturally knew that such a “god-given opportunity” might hide huge risks. Hu Yanhuan was a veteran who had been through many battles and would never reveal his flaws easily.

The current situation is most likely a trap carefully set up by Hu Yanhuan, with the purpose of luring them into taking action.

“It’s almost like God is helping us…” Yuan Jingxin sneered, but a trace of caution and vigilance flashed in his eyes, “But such ‘help’ often comes with a deadly price.”

His eyes swept across the camp in the distance again, his heart filled with contradictions and struggles.

He knew that if this was really a trap, if they acted rashly, the entire army might be put in a desperate situation.

However, if this was not a trap but a real opportunity and they missed it because of hesitation, it would be an unforgivable mistake.

He looked up at the sky. The eastern horizon was beginning to turn white and the cover of night was about to disappear.

He knew clearly that once daybreak came, their hiding place would be exposed and the enemy’s vigilance would be tighter.

“Time does not allow us to drag it on any longer.” Yuan Jingxin said to himself, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind.

He knew that he had to make a decision at this moment, and this decision would directly affect the life and death of the rebels.

Yuan Jingxin turned to look at his confidants and whispered, “Instead of waiting until dawn and jumping into Hu Yanhuan’s trap, why don’t we make a decision now?”

The confidant was slightly startled, then nodded and replied: “General, what you mean is… to act under cover of night?”

Yuan Jingxin nodded firmly, “That’s right. Taking advantage of the night, we still have at least a slight chance of success.

Now that the enemy’s main force has been moved away, the defense inside the camp is relatively weak. This is our only chance.”

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of unquestionable decisiveness: “Pass the order down, everyone get ready immediately, we will launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp under the cover of night!

The goal is to capture the prisoners, quickly disrupt the enemy’s deployment, and then evacuate immediately!”

When the confidant heard Yuan Jingxin’s order, a hint of nervousness and excitement flashed in his eyes: “Yes, General!”

The order was quickly passed down, and the soldiers began to move. They lowered their bodies, quickly checked their weapons, and adjusted their armor, with solemnity and determination written on their faces.

“Brothers, success or failure depends on this!” an old soldier whispered with a hint of excitement in his tone, “As long as we can successfully rescue the prisoner, we can completely disrupt Hu Yanhuan’s plan!”

“Yes, we still have a chance of survival while it’s dark.” Another soldier echoed, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Although everyone was filled with nervousness, their trust in Yuan Jingxin made them not hesitate at all.

Yuan Jingxin watched the soldiers’ preparations, and his heart was still filled with heavy pressure. He knew that this operation was extremely risky, but he had no choice.

“Brothers, remember, our goal is to capture the prisoners quickly and then evacuate immediately.” Yuan Jingxin whispered, with a warning in his eyes, “No matter how the situation changes, we must not linger in the battle. Our mission is to disrupt the enemy, not to confront them head-on.”

The soldiers murmured in unison, “Yes, General!”

Yuan Jingxin took a deep breath and glanced at the camp in the distance again, as if to imprint every detail into his mind. His hand slowly tightened the long knife at his waist, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

“Hu Yanhuan, this time, let’s see who plays the better chess game.” Yuan Jingxin whispered to himself, then waved his hand, “Let’s go!”

“Everyone be careful and don’t make any noise.” Yuan Jingxin warned in a low voice with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

The soldiers nodded one after another, lowered their bodies, and held their weapons tightly in their hands. The night wind blew, and the grass rustled, as if to cover up their footsteps.

Outside the camp, several northern barbarian soldiers were patrolling back and forth. The torches in their hands swayed in the night wind, reflecting their rough faces and lazy steps.

Although their movements seemed careless, the fire mercilessly illuminated the surrounding environment clearly and brightly, as if warning any enemy who dared to approach.

However, their torches illuminated the surroundings brightly, making infiltration more difficult.

Yuan Jingxin crouched behind a huge rock, carefully observing the patrolling soldiers’ movements. His eyes were sharp, like a cheetah patiently waiting for its opportunity.

He gestured to two elite soldiers to go forward and deal with the patrolling Northern Barbarian soldiers, and at the same time raised his hand to signal the others to stay where they were.

The two soldiers immediately understood Yuan Jingxin’s intention and crouched down to quietly approach the patrolling northern barbarian soldiers. Their movements were light and swift, like cheetahs attacking at night.

The patrolling northern barbarian soldiers were obviously unaware of the approaching danger. As they walked, they grumbled in low voices: “This is really hell, we still have to patrol in this weather, are the enemies going to fall from the sky?”

“Stop talking nonsense and finish this patrol quickly. You can have a bowl of hot soup when you go back.” Another soldier said lazily, shaking the torch in his hand, and the firelight made his shadow sway on the ground.

However, just as they were about to turn a corner of a tent, a faint sound of wind came from behind.

“Pfft-“

A dagger of a rebel soldier accurately pierced the back of the neck of one of the northern barbarian soldiers, and blood gushed out instantly, soaking the soldier’s collar. The soldier’s eyes widened, his lips trembling, as if he wanted to shout something, but the sound in his throat was cut off instantly, and he finally fell to the ground silently.

Before another northern barbarian soldier could react, another dagger had already pierced his chest, the movement was swift and clean.

His eyes were filled with shock and fear. The torch in his hand fell to the ground with a slight “pop” sound, and the fire went out.

“Well done.” Yuan Jingxin stood up from the grass and said in a low voice.

He glanced around and confirmed that there were no other patrolling soldiers approaching, then quickly waved his hand to signal the team to continue moving forward.

The two rebel soldiers quickly dragged the body of the Northern Barbarian soldier deep into the bushes, covered the bloodstains with dry grass, and then silently reintegrated into the team.

When Yuan Jingxin saw this scene, he nodded slightly, then waved his hand to signal the team to continue moving forward.

After dealing with the patrolling soldiers outside, Yuan Jingxin led the team to sneak into the camp.

In the camp, tents were arranged in an orderly manner. Occasionally, there were soldiers walking around, but most people had already gone into the tents to rest, and the surroundings were exceptionally quiet.

The night wind blew, bringing a slight chill. Yuan Jingxin quickly scanned the camp, looking for the target tent.

He remembered that the intelligence mentioned that Li Zhongwu was held in a tent near the center of the camp, where there were soldiers guarding it.

“The target should be just ahead.” Yuan Jingxin whispered, and then gestured to his confidant beside him, indicating that the team should disperse and avoid the patrolling soldiers.

(End of this chapter)