Chapter 123

The bloodstains inside Wolf Gorge had not yet dried, and the mingling smoke of gunpowder and the stench of blood in the air made one feel nauseous.

The soldiers of the Jing'an Army silently gathered the bodies of their comrades.

The excitement from their initial victory was gone from their faces, leaving only heaviness and solemnity.

They had won this battle, but the victory was so tragic that everyone keenly felt the terror of their opponent.

Chen Wen's shoulder wound had been redressed by the army medic and smeared with wound medicine.

But that wisp of yin cold killing intent seemed to have drilled into his marrow, still faintly exuding chill, reminding him of the Iron Crow Army's tenacity.

He stood beside the corpse of an Iron Crow Army minor leader who had been gravely wounded by Shi Dun, unable to flee in time and now dead, his brows furrowed tightly.

Qian Gui, accompanied by a few meticulous soldiers, was carefully searching these remaining Iron Crow Army corpses.

They stripped off the enemy's black tight-fitting garments, examining every inch of skin and every item.

"Commander, look."

Qian Gui lifted several items and held them up before Chen Wen.

Besides the standard-issue, yet sharper and tougher than ordinary swords, narrow curved sabers and exquisite hand crossbows,

there were also several uniformly manufactured small porcelain bottles containing some kind of deep blue powder.

exuding an energy fluctuation that shared the same source as that yin cold killing intent, yet was even more pure and intense.

——precisely the powder ground from the "Nether Energy Crystal Ore" discovered earlier!

Moreover, a black metal token about half the size of a palm was found sewn into the inner clothing of that minor leader.

The token felt icy to the touch, neither iron nor copper, and bore no inscription.

Only a simple yet lifelike carving of a crow adorned it.

At the crow's eyes were inlaid two tiny points of the same material, a dark blue crystal.

In the dim light they emitted an eerie glow.

"This kind of crystal ore again..."

Chen Wen pinched a bit of the blue powder, sensing the strange energy it contained.

"It seems this is one of their sources of power."

His gaze fell upon that crow token.

This is clearly an identification token, also confirming the name "Iron Crow Army."

But aside from that, there were no further clues.

"Have you found any documents, maps, or anything like that?" Chen Wen asked, his voice hoarse from fatigue.

Qian Gui shook his head:

"No. These people are terrifyingly clean—aside from their weapons and this crystal ore powder..."

"they only carry a little emergency rations and water, with nothing that could reveal their origin or mission details."

Just as everyone was feeling disappointed,

a scout tasked with searching farther away came running up quickly.

He held in his hand a torn, mud-stained gray piece of cloth.

"Commander, Qian Team Leader, we found this in the grass over there—it looks like it was hastily torn from clothing, and… there seem to be characters on it!"

Chen Wen's spirits lifted, and he took the cloth.

The cloth was coarse, like a lining.

On it were written several lines of twisted, scrawled characters in some dark reddish substance, apparently dried blood.

The characters were fragmented, evidently written by someone in extreme pain or haste.

Most of the characters were blurred and hard to decipher, but a few fragmented words could barely be made out:

"... node... approaching..."

"... maintain... original state..."

"... clean... variable..."

"... Gaoping... critical..."

These fragmented words exploded in Chen Wen's mind like a thunderclap!

Node? Original state? Cleanse variable? Gaoping critical?

Taken together, these words point to a chilling possibility!

The Iron Crow Army, they seem not merely vassals of Northern Han or the Khitan.

They have their own independent and eerie purpose—are they preserving some "original state"?

And any "variable" that tries to alter this "original state" is on their "cleanse" list!

Obviously, I and Chai Rong are precisely that "variable"!

And the impending Battle of Gaoping is exactly their so-called "critical node"!

They are not fighting for any one side; they are… attempting to manipulate the course of history?!

This thought is too absurd!

Yet it fits perfectly with the Iron Crow Army's transcendent, cold‑hearted behavior pattern.

Chen Wen felt only a chill surge from his soles straight to his crown, even stronger than the yin cold killing intent on his shoulder.

"Commander, what… what does this mean?"

Shi Dun stepped forward, looking at the characters on the cloth, his face blank.

He knows few characters, and cannot grasp the terrifying implications behind these words.

Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru also gathered around, looking at the cloth, their faces solemn.

They thought more than Shi Dun did, yet still felt lost in a haze, unable to piece together a complete picture.

Keep things as they are……Could it be that they want Northern Han and the Khitan to win the Battle of Gaoping?

Wang Ru guessed, her voice trembling slightly.

I'm afraid it's not that simple.

Chen Wen slowly shook his head, clutching the cloth tightly in his palm, his knuckles whitening from the force.

If they merely wanted to help Northern Han win, there are many ways; there's no need to go to such lengths to target the Commander and me, let alone use the phrase 'clearing variables'.

He lifted his gaze, as if piercing through layer upon layer of mountains, looking toward the direction of Gaoping.

They seem to be……enforcing some kind of rule, ensuring things develop along a set trajectory.

Anyone or anything that deviates from this trajectory will be mercilessly erased.

This explanation left everyone present with an inexplicable fear.

The opponent is no longer an understandable enemy on the battlefield, but a force almost as merciless as the Heavenly Dao.

Immediately seal this situation together with this cloth piece, token, and crystal ore powder, and rush it to the Military Governor's headquarters to report to the Commander!

Chen Wen issued the order in a low voice.

Be sure to remind the Commander: the Iron Crow Army's aims are strange, their ambitions not small; in the Battle of Gaoping we must be extremely vigilant, especially regarding his own safety!

Yes!

Qian Gui.

Subordinate present.

Increase patrol efforts in the vicinity of Wild Wolf Valley and Blackwater Ford, especially mountain trails, abandoned mines, hunter's cabins, and any other possible hiding spots.

They lost a few people; they won't let it go, surely there are still accomplices hiding nearby.

Understood!

Chen Wen once again looked at the cold crow token in his hand, his fingers rubbing the two points of azure crystal.

Beneath the surface of the world, there seems to be a hidden undercurrent he cannot comprehend.

Iron Crow Army, purification plan, nodes, variables……

These fragmented clues point to a huge and dangerous mystery.

He took a deep breath and put the token away.

No matter whether the opponent is human or ghost, whatever their purpose, he cannot retreat.

Behind him lie the hopes of countless people, the trust of Chai Rong, and the belief held by his troops, guarded with their blood.

Purge me?

A flash of harsh light crossed Chen Wen's eyes.

Then let's see—are your claws sharper, or is my blade harder!