Chapter 529

First Volume, Chapter 529: Negotiation Chips

From Xiao Zhuo's mouth, Qin Feng learned that since Chen Si ordered the elite troops recalled to hunt down Qingyu Mountain, news of Qin Feng's whereabouts in enemy territory 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 caught Qin Feng off guard.

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 describable only as "unbearably gruesome."

How, then, had others come to see him as an "anti-Di hero"?

But since he had been rescued, Qin Feng no longer dwelled on it; he immediately set out toward the Beidi Frontier with Xiao Zhuo's aid.

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

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

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

Qin Feng took a step forward, crossing the border, gazing at the enemy land where countless soldiers had perished in perilous conditions, and his heart swelled with emotion; he silently vowed that no matter the cost, he would one day bring back the bones of the fallen soldiers to Beixi County for proper burial.

Beside him, Xiao Zhuo ordered his troops to immediately replenish the warhorses' forage and rest briefly, then warned Qin Feng: "Commander Qin, this area is rife with Di patrol cavalry—do not linger. Head swiftly to Wang Du before trouble finds you."

Seeking temporary refuge in Gaoshan Country was certainly a wise choice.

But after careful deliberation, Qin Feng politely declined Xiao Zhuo's generous invitation: "General Xiao, we are remnants of Liang's defeated army, stranded in a foreign land—even if many inconveniences await us, we cannot go to the Gaoshan royal capital. Should opportunity arise, I shall surely pay homage to the King of Gaoshan with rich gifts.

"Now that the war between Liang and the Di rages on, we must return immediately to the Liang Kingdom North Border to lend aid."

Saying this, Qin Feng bowed to Xiao Zhuo, his gaze utterly sincere: "Gaoshan Country extended its hand in aid—I, Qin, shall never forget it. Please, General Xiao, return to your nation and inform your military: from this day forward, my Tianji Camp and Gaoshan Country are not merely trade partners, but full-time strategic partners. All trade commodities shall be granted Gaoshan a one-point profit margin.

"Once we quell our internal war, if the Di intend to retaliate against Gaoshan, I, Qin Feng, shall spare no effort to petition the Liang Holy Man for military aid. Should circumstances shift, even if Beixi County exhausts every last soldier, we shall 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 the Di.

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

The thought that Gaoshan's generations-long shortage of materials and supplies might finally be resolved filled Xiao Zhuo with excitement; he immediately ordered all warhorses gifted to Qin Feng, along with all military supplies, and dispatched scouts to guide Qin Feng through a secret trade route.

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

Qin Feng led his remaining eighty-three bodyguards, traveling day and night without pause, 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 was forced to order a halt, hiding within Yinggang Mountain—for the land between Yinggang 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 ventured 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 truly be annihilated at the very end? That would be too humiliating.

Qin Feng could only order his men to hide within Yinggang Mountain, awaiting the right moment to return to Beixi County.

Meanwhile, the Di army had advanced to the gates of Beixi County, forcibly driving Zhao Yulong and Xu Mo back inside, forcing the Beixi County troops to shift entirely from offense to defense.

The Di, however, had no intention of besieging the city; they merely established camp fifteen li outside, forming a standoff with Beixi County.

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

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

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

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

At the same time, in the Sanjieguan Camp.

Chen Si stood outside his ying zhang, gazing southward, his eyes vacant.

Though this place was now within reach of Liang's grain-producing regions, 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 attempt to sortie.

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 a campaign, achievements were negligible—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 absurd outcome.

Chen Si knew well: this war, the Di had already lost. What remained was not desperate flailing or immediate retreat—rather, it was salvaging as much ground as possible, to secure more leverage in future negotiations between the two nations.

The best leverage? 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 the Di could seize it at the last moment and station a large force within, they would hold an irreplaceable bargaining chip.

Chen Si had made his decision—but dared not move yet.