Chapter 528: First Volume, Chapter 528: The Final Struggle

First Volume, Chapter 528: The Final Struggle

From Xiao Zhuo's mouth, Qin Feng learned that word of his being trapped in enemy territory after Chen Si ordered elite troops to encircle Qingyu Mountain had already spread—after all, cavalry could relay messages swiftly, and it was no surprise it reached Gaoshan Country in just over ten days.

Yet the reactions of others still surprised Qin Feng.

After all, in Qin Feng's view, he had lost so many men and nearly died of thirst in the Di Wuren District, an ordeal that could rightly be called "unbearably gruesome."

How, then, had he become an "anti-Di hero" in others' eyes?

But since he was now saved, Qin Feng let go of his brooding and immediately set out toward the Beidi Frontier with Xiao Zhuo's aid.

For Qin Feng and his remaining guards, the four-hundred-li journey would normally take at least twenty days—an insurmountable abyss.

But with horses, things changed: in just one day and night, Qin Feng stood beside the border marker.

Before him stretched endless mountains—Gaoshan Country's territory; behind him lay boundless, desolate wasteland—Di territory.

Qin Feng took a step forward, crossing the border, gazing at the enemy land where countless soldiers had perished in perilous conditions, and felt a flood of emotion, silently vowing that no matter the cost, he would one day bring back the bones of those who died far from home to be buried with honor in Beixi County.

Beside him, Xiao Zhuo ordered his troops to immediately replenish the warhorses' forage and rest briefly, then warned Qin Feng: "Commander Qin, this area sees frequent Di patrol cavalry—do not linger. Head for Wang Du swiftly, lest delays bring misfortune."

Seeking temporary refuge in Gaoshan Country was a sound choice.

But after careful thought, Qin Feng politely declined Xiao Zhuo's generous invitation: "General Xiao, we are remnants of Liang's defeated army, stranded in a foreign land, burdened by countless difficulties. I must decline your offer to go to the Gaoshan royal capital—when opportunity arises, I shall surely bring rich gifts to pay respects to the King of Gaoshan."

"Now that war between Liang and Di still rages, we must return immediately to the Liang Kingdom North Border to reinforce our lines."

Saying this, Qin Feng bowed deeply to Xiao Zhuo, his gaze earnest: "Gaoshan Country extended its hand in aid—I, Qin, will never forget it. Please, General Xiao, return to your nation and tell your military: from this day forward, my Tianji Camp and Gaoshan Country are not merely trade partners, but full-time strategic partners. All trade goods will be offered to Gaoshan with a one-tenth discount."

"Once we quell our internal war, if Di seeks to retaliate against Gaoshan, I, Qin Feng, will spare no effort to petition the Liang Holy Man for military aid. Should anything change, even if Beixi County exhausts every last soldier, we will never abandon our Gaoshan ally."

With words spoken thus, Xiao Zhuo ceased pressing.

Gaoshan Country had always been poor and weak—likely less than one percent as strong as Liang or Di.

Now, forging a friendship with Tianji Camp beyond mere commerce was a tremendous boon for Gaoshan's future, and the King of Gaoshan would surely rejoice upon hearing this.

Thinking of how this would finally resolve Gaoshan's generations-long shortage of materials and supplies, Xiao Zhuo grew ecstatic, immediately ordering all warhorses gifted to Qin Feng, along with all military provisions, and dispatching scouts to guide Qin Feng through a secret trade route.

The secret trade route, carved along the mountain ranges bordering Gaoshan, Di, and Liang, lay on the western flank of the hills—perfectly beyond Di's line of sight.

Qin Feng led his remaining eighty-three guards on a relentless march, entering Liang territory in just two days, then reaching the northern foothills of Yinggang Mountain after one more day.

Once they crossed Yinggang Mountain, Beixi County lay just ahead.

But at the final moment, Qin Feng had no choice but to order a halt, hiding within Yinggang Mountain—for the land between the mountain and Beixi County had become a horrific battlefield, the air thick with the stench of blood.

Qin Feng sent his last two Jin Yi Wei scouts to investigate, only to discover that over a hundred thousand troops had gathered within a hundred-li radius.

The entire Yinggang Mountain region was swarming with Di forces; if Qin Feng now advanced toward Beixi County, he would surely be detected, triggering a brutal battle.

He had endured nine deaths and one life in Di territory—could he really be annihilated at the very end? That would be too humiliating.

Qin Feng could only order his men to hide in Yinggang Mountain and wait for the right moment to return to Beixi County.

Meanwhile, Di forces had pushed to the gates of Beixi County, forcibly driving Zhao Yulong and Xu Mo back inside, turning the Beixi County troops from offense to total defense.

The Di army, however, had no intention of besieging the city—instead, they established camp fifteen li from the walls, forming a standoff with Beixi County.

In contrast, pressure on the Chariot and Cavalry General's defensive line had dwindled to near nothing—the enemy had not attacked for seven straight days.

At first, Li Xiaolan suspected the Di might shift focus to the Piaoqi General's line, but after sending Jin Yi Wei scouts to investigate, she learned that the Piaoqi General's front was also quiet.

After a moment of confusion, Li Xiaolan suddenly realized: the Di army was spent!

If they held out a few more days, the Di army would retreat whether they wished to or not—now, the situation for Liang was overwhelmingly favorable.

At the same time, in the Sanjieguan Camp.

Chen Si stood outside his ying zhang, staring southward, his gaze vacant.

Though this place was now within reach of Liang's Chanshi grain-producing region, his army could not advance another step.

Though Beixi County's troops had been driven back into the city and forced onto the defensive, they still required tens of thousands of troops to garrison and deter any breakout attempt.

Chen Si had considered turning to attack the Piaoqi General's forces, but his army's grain and forage were nearly exhausted, and after so long, their gains were negligible—their morale had sunk to rock bottom.

Most devastating of all was the disaster from Qingyu Mountain.

Against ten thousand Search and Exterminate Army troops and five thousand elite reinforcements, that bastard Qin Feng… somehow escaped?

Chen Si spent a long time just accepting this unbelievable outcome.

Chen Si knew clearly: this war, Da Di had already lost. What remained was not desperate flailing or immediate retreat—rather, it was salvaging as much as possible, to secure better bargaining chips for future negotiations between the two nations.

The best chips? The Bian Jun Zhong Zhen.

The Bian Jun Zhong Zhen was Liang's most vital border fortress, the key tooth of the northern frontier. But after relentless battles, its garrison had been stripped bare—if, at this final moment, they could seize the fortress and station a large force inside, they would hold an irreplaceable bargaining chip.

Chen Si had made his decision—but dared not act rashly.