At the same time, inside Hailanhak’s tent.

The tent was dim, and the charcoal fire in the brazier emitted a faint red light, making his iron-green face flicker.

Hailanhak stood in front of a spread-out sheepskin map, his fingers tightly gripping the hilt of the knife hanging from his waist, his knuckles turning slightly white from the excessive force.

His eyes were like knives, coldly sweeping across the positions marked by the rebel army and the northern barbarians on the map, as if he wanted to cut the dotted lines in half.

There was no expression on his face, but there was a hint of deep coldness and depression between his brows.

His Adam’s apple rolled slightly, and he suddenly whispered, “What’s going on? The rebels haven’t made any move yet?” His tone was not loud, but it was like a cold blade, piercing the dull tent.

His gaze returned to the map, with a hint of unfathomable calculation and uneasiness in his eyes: “Could it be that Lin Zhongyun has seen through our conspiracy?”

This thought was like a thin needle that pierced into his mind, and the cold premonition that could not be dispelled immediately spread through his heart like a chill.

He paced slowly, and the subtle sound of his boots rubbing against the carpet echoed in the empty tent, like a kind of annoying torture.

The guard following behind him said nothing, but felt even more guilty because of Hailanhak’s gloomy expression.

They had never seen this usually decisive general look so hesitant. Finally, the guard gritted his teeth and asked tentatively: “General… Tell me, is what we did right this time?”

His voice was hoarse and trembling uncontrollably, and the last syllable was even slightly choked.

Obviously, he himself knew how offensive such a question was at this moment.

Hailanhak’s footsteps suddenly stopped, as if they were cut off by something.

He turned around, his gloomy eyes like a knife, shooting straight at the guard. The guard felt like he was falling into an icy cave, and was forced to take a half step back by the general’s gaze.

At this moment, Hailanhak frowned and shouted coldly: “Enough! Don’t disturb my thinking!”

The voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty and anger.

The guard suddenly felt as if an invisible hand was pressing heavily on his throat, and even breathing became difficult. He suppressed the fear that surged in his heart, lowered his head and stared at his toes, not daring to say anything more.

The big tent returned to deathly silence, but the turmoil in Hailanhak’s heart was far from subsided.

In fact, his irritation was not only due to the sudden inaction of the rebels.

Deeper worries were like a lurking poisonous snake, silently entwining around his heart – would something go wrong with Hu Yanhuan?
Although he had made a plan with Hu Yanhuan beforehand, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

He carefully recalled every promise Hu Yanhuan had made, but another thought emerged in his mind – how credible were these promises?

He knew very well that the reason why Hu Yanhuan was willing to win over the Hailan tribe was simply because he was attracted by their military strength and geographical advantages.

But what about now? Did Hu Yanhuan regard me as useless by withdrawing my troops on my own initiative?
“Will he take advantage of my retreat to make other plans?” Thinking of this, Hailanhak felt a dull pain in his heart, as if he was stabbed by something sharp.

The uncertainty almost took his breath away.

He slowly closed his eyes, suppressing the restlessness in his chest, but his fingers slowly stroked the hilt of the sword.

His thumb slid repeatedly over the rough grooves on the handle, which were the marks left by dozens of battles.

In the past, this touch would calm him down, but this time, he couldn’t feel the same calm as before.

“Hu Yanhuan…” He muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with deep suspicion and faint unwillingness, “If you dare to betray me… don’t blame me for being cruel!”

The sound of the wind outside came through the tent door, like a whisper, as if reminding Hailanhak that his chess game was no longer under his control.

And what kind of ending will come at the center of this storm? Even he himself may not be able to predict.

The uneasiness gradually fermented into a mess in Hailanhak’s heart.

His fingers subconsciously pressed on the sword at his waist, and his knuckles trembled slightly.

However, just as his inner whirlpool was sinking deeper and deeper, there was a sudden sound of hurried horse hooves outside the tent.

The sound came from far away and soon stopped at the entrance of the camp.

Then, there was a loud shout: “Who dares to break into the camp of the Hailan tribe?”

The gate guard’s voice was filled with vigilance and anger, breaking the silence of the camp late at night.

However, the other party’s answer was surprisingly calm: “I am Wuyangxicuo, and I have come here to negotiate with the general on the orders of the Khan and the general!”

The voice was neither humble nor arrogant, revealing an aggressive confidence.

“Great Khan? Hu Yanhuan!”

Hearing the name “Hu Yanhuan”, Hailanhak’s brows jumped suddenly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, as if a blade was unsheathed, but that sharpness was quickly concealed by him.

His face regained its usual sternness, and he slowly lowered his hand from the sword on his waist and put it behind his back. The tense movement of his hands revealed some of his emotions.

“Go, invite Wuyangxicuo in!” Hailanhak’s voice was low, mixed with a little imperceptible depression.

The guard beside him was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly said, “General, since this is a negotiation, why don’t we set up defenses first, just in case…”

However, before he could finish his words, Hailanhak turned around abruptly, his eyes slashing at him like a knife: “Just do whatever I tell you to do, why are you talking so much nonsense!”

The voice was cold and sharp, with unquestionable majesty.

The guard was frightened by the scolding and turned pale. He dared not say anything more. He bowed his head, saluted, and quickly ran out.

The curtains were blown up by the wind, revealing the dark night outside and the faint glow of fire in the distance.

After a moment, the curtain was opened again, and a figure walked in calmly.

Wuyang Xicuo, wearing silver armor, held his head high and walked steadily with a hint of pride on his face.

His shadow and the flames from the brazier were projected onto the carpet, seeming to engulf the entire space of the tent.

There was confidence on his young face, and that confidence seemed to be the certainty of victory.

Hailanhak’s eyes narrowed slightly. He looked at Wuyangxicuo calmly, feeling unhappy.

This young man was too arrogant. His arrogance was written on his face, and this kind of arrogance was exactly what Hailanhak couldn’t stand the most.

But reason told him that this was not the time to act on impulse.

He frowned, took a deep breath, suppressed the dissatisfaction in his chest, and his face gradually returned to a cold expression.

“Young people are really formidable!” He spoke slowly, his voice neither hurried nor slow. He waved his hand and glanced at everyone in the tent, “Everyone, leave. I want to have a good talk with him.”

The guards looked at each other, some wanted to say something but stopped, but silently saluted under Hailanhak’s cold gaze and left the tent one after another. The curtain fell, the fire flickered, and suddenly Hailanhak and Wuyangxicuo were the only ones left in the tent.

Silence, like an invisible net, enveloped the two of them.

Hailanhak walked slowly to the table and tapped lightly on the edge of the wooden table with his fingertips.

One sound after another, like death-threatening drumbeats.

He was considering how to start, trying to find out some details from the other party’s attitude. But at this moment, Wuyang Xicuo suddenly spoke:

“The general had already told me the plan long before I came here.”

These words, like a heavy hammer, hit Hailanhak’s heart without any warning.

He was originally thinking about how to lay the groundwork for his conversation and make a few excuses for his situation.

However, Wuyang Xicuo’s words directly shattered all his thoughts. His fingers paused involuntarily, and then clenched suddenly, and the joints trembled and made a barely perceptible sound.

Hailanhak’s expression froze.

He did not speak immediately, but just stared at Wuyangxicuo quietly, as if his eyes could see through him.

But Wuyang Xicuo’s face still showed that kind of neither humble nor arrogant confidence.

He stood straight and even raised his chin slightly, as if he had already won.

Silence has become the sharpest weapon at this moment.

Finally, Hailanhak let go of his hand and slowly stood up.

His voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of fatigue: “It seems that the Khan has already made arrangements for this chess game.”

He didn’t say anything else, but his heart was in turmoil.

Wuyang Xicuo’s arrival and his knowledge of the plan meant that Hu Yanhuan had already made the decision.

And this decision is obviously not only aimed at the rebels, but also probably includes the fate of his Hailan tribe.

“Yes, even I am just a chess piece on the chessboard…”

A bitter feeling welled up in Hailanhak’s heart, but his face remained calm. He just stared deeply at Uyangxicuo, as if he was weighing what information this young man could bring.

“Not bad!”

The corners of Wuyangxicuo’s mouth slightly raised, revealing a faint smile.

There was a certain politeness in this smile, but it also contained a hint of profound coldness.

Hu Yanhuan’s instructions before leaving flashed through his mind, reminding him to be careful when dealing with Hailanhak, the cunning “ally”.

Although he tried to soften his tone at this moment, his heart was still full of contempt and disdain for this man who had betrayed the Northern Barbarians and was now wavering.

Wuyangxicuo said slowly: “General, don’t worry. The Khan repeatedly told me before he came that the previous transaction is still valid and there will be no changes.”

These words were like a tranquilizer, instantly relaxing Hailanhak’s tense nerves.

His brows relaxed, his whole demeanor relaxed a bit, and he breathed a long sigh of relief. The huge rock that had been pressing on his chest for many days seemed to have finally been removed.

He couldn’t help but reveal a faint smile, but he was already calculating quickly in his mind: “Since the deal is still going on, it means that Hu Yanhuan still needs the support of my Hailan tribe.

He didn’t dare to break up easily, which at least gave me some room to maneuver.”

However, his ease had just appeared when it was broken by a sudden voice.

“It’s just…” Wuyang Xicuo paused, deliberately lengthening the last syllable, and looked calmly at Hailanhak.

“Just what?”

Hailanhak’s heart suddenly tightened and the smile on his face froze.

His voice was low, even a little impatient, and before he finished speaking, his hand unconsciously reached for the hilt of the knife at his waist.

The mood that had just calmed down was stirred up again because of these two words.

Wuyang Xicuo saw his reaction clearly, sneered in his heart, but remained calm.

He raised his chin slightly, his tone still calm: “But, from now on, the entire Hailan tribe must obey my orders!”

Before he finished speaking, the tent fell into deathly silence.

Wuyang Xicuo stared at Hailanhak like a hawk, observing every subtle change in his expression. He knew that this sentence was a test – and also a declaration. He needed to see clearly whether this once arrogant tribal leader would collapse because of this sentence, or would take a violent reaction.

“This this……”

Hailanhak’s eyes widened, and his fingers trembled on the sword at his waist, as if he wanted to pull it out, but he forced himself to restrain himself.

His expression froze instantly, as if he had been hit by a slap in the face, and he was speechless for a moment. He stood there like a statue, the blood on his face gradually faded, and he seemed to have lost his vitality.

These words were too heavy – so heavy that they almost crushed the last glimmer of hope in his heart.

Ask him to give up the Hailan tribe that he has firmly controlled all his life?

This was beyond his imagination. Every inch of land and every soldier on this land were the cornerstones he built with his own hands.

Now he has to hand it all over to others, which is tantamount to uprooting his roots and breaking his backbone.

“No, this is impossible…”

Hailanhak screamed in his heart, and a gleam of struggle gradually appeared in his eyes.

His Adam’s apple rolled up and down, and he opened his mouth several times to refute, but Wuyang Xicuo’s eyes were like two sharp swords, nailing him to the spot.

He finally spoke, but could only utter fragmented words: “This… this…”

Wuyang Xicuo saw his reaction clearly and the smile on his face gradually deepened.

He took a step forward slowly, his voice still steady, like a teacher who was patiently guiding others: “Of course, this does not mean that you will be removed from your position, General.

You are still the leader of this land, and all orders will still come from the general’s mouth.”

This sentence was like a feather, gently falling in the storm, but instead of calming the storm, it stirred up even bigger waves.

The corner of Hailanhak’s mouth twitched and his eyes were fixed on Wuyangxicuo.

He seemed to be trying to see a glimmer of possibility of easing in the other person’s eyes, but all he saw was indifference and determination.

He suddenly realized that although Wuyangxicuo’s words seemed to be a compromise, they were actually a soft knife – the nominal power was just a cover, and the real control was firmly in Huyanhuan’s hands.

“Is this Hu Yanhuan’s decision?”

He was filled with bitterness in his heart, but he could only maintain calm on the surface.

He knew that any overreaction would make him appear even more passive.

He lowered his eyes, slowly let go of his sword, and asked in a deep voice: “So, my Hailan tribe will be directly under the jurisdiction of the Khan from now on?”

Uyangxicuo seemed to sense the reluctance in his voice, but did not respond.

He just smiled slightly, with an unquestionable firmness in his words: “General, you are wrong. From the beginning to the end, the Hailan tribe has been a part of the Khan’s rule.

You just need to understand that obeying orders is the greatest trust I, the Khan, have in you.”

“trust?”

Hailanhak sneered in his heart, a nameless anger burning in his chest, but he forced it down.

He knew that this was no longer a situation he could choose. He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes had regained some calmness.

He said in a low voice: “In that case, I understand. If the Khan has the order, the Hailan tribe will do its utmost to be loyal.”

(End of this chapter)