The Xi River tribe—one of the Yu Wen clan's branch lines—was stationed across the vast plains about 400 li away. Their settlements were scattered and spread thin.
"Wang Zhi, you don't have to keep staring at me."
Luo Dongquan sneered coldly. "I already told you, I have no grudge with Hundred-Household Officer Chen. You're just being petty."
"Petty, my ass!" Wang Zhi snapped. "Seven years ago, there was a recruit with decent talent. You and Zhao Kang fought over him, didn't you? Then that guy mysteriously vanished—dead or gone, who knows? I've been suspicious of you ever since!"
"Watch your words, Wang."
Luo Dongquan narrowed his eyes. "And remember your place. I don't care what position you held back in the Eight Northern Garrisons, but now you're just a Hundred-Household Officer at the tempering bone stage. I, on the other hand, am a Deputy Thousand-Household, an officially appointed Fifth-Rank Martial General of the Great Sheng Dynasty."
"Enough, enough! Stop bickering!"
Liu Jinkui stepped forward to ease the tension. "We're all brothers who share life and death on the battlefield. What's there to argue about? Whatever grudges you've got, save them for a drink later. Luo Thousand-Household, you'd better assign the tasks before we waste more time."
"Fine."
Luo Dongquan pointed toward the horizon. "Northeast, northwest, and due north. Our three Night Scout teams will each take one direction for reconnaissance. Two days from now, before midnight, we regroup here. Anyone late will be left behind! Since we're covering different areas, Wang, you can stop worrying that I'll pull some tricks."
"Heh, who knows what kind of poison you've got brewing in that gourd of yours."
The three teams soon split up and rode off in separate directions.
Four hundred li wasn't exactly far, but it wasn't close either.
At the speed of the White Swan horse, Chen Sanshi could have reached the location in less than half a day. But speed wasn't the priority for a Night Scout.
Their job was to gather intelligence—and return alive.
If they moved carelessly and got spotted by barbarian cavalry, there'd be no way to retreat. Once surrounded, even their bodies wouldn't be recovered.
That was why "Night Scouts" were called what they were—not just because they rode out under the cover of darkness, but because many never returned, their corpses lost in the wild.
When Liu Jinkui first heard they were being assigned reconnaissance duty, he had cursed nonstop. But like it or not, missions like this required the best.
"So, where to next?"
Before long, their first challenge appeared—navigation.
They had to locate the exact position of the barbarian settlements without being discovered. It was far from an easy task.
Chen Sanshi recalled something from his previous life, from an old historical tale he'd once read out of boredom. During the Han dynasty, there was a saying: Li Guang could never be made marquis.
That general was valiant and brilliant, with countless military merits, yet each time he came close to the rank of marquis, fate denied him—either he ran into the enemy's main force or returned without significant results.
One major reason?
It was nearly impossible to navigate the vast desert accurately. Much of it came down to luck.
But for Chen Sanshi, this was no problem.
A hunter lived by his sense of direction.
And his eyesight was sharper than most men's. Even in total darkness—where one couldn't see a hand before one's face—he could make out every detail of his surroundings.
Now, for instance, he could clearly see the faint hoof marks pressed into the earth.
"We'll need to make a detour. Keep following this path and we'll run straight into the barbarians."
"Seriously?"
Wang Zhi sounded doubtful but followed anyway, motioning his men to stay close.
By dawn, they had advanced nearly 200 li.
Along the way, Chen Sanshi spotted multiple traces of human activity—prints, ashes, and disturbed soil—all growing denser as they moved forward.
When the sun rose, they found a secluded spot and settled down to rest.
Through all this, Chen Sanshi's skill continued to grow.
[Skill: Tracking and Hiding (Minor Achievement)]
[Progress: 605/1000]
He hadn't expected his hunting skills to come in so handy in warfare.
Chewing on a strip of dried meat, he said, "This direction—eight or nine times out of ten—it's leading us to the main gathering site of the barbarians. Old Wang, what do you think are the odds that the Xi River tribe has actually increased their troop numbers?"
"Pretty slim," Wang Zhi replied, leaning against a rock and sipping his wine. "There's no reason to. Even if the four steppe clans have formed an alliance, their total forces are limited. Concentrating them to attack the open plains of the northwestern prefectures would already stretch them thin.
"Splitting their forces to attack Yunzhou was already strange enough. Hitting Poyang County makes no sense at all. You understand what I'm saying, right?"
"I do," Chen Sanshi nodded.
He had studied the maps and terrain models himself.
The true fortress of Yunzhou was Anding Prefecture.
Even if Poyang fell, without taking Anding Prefecture, the enemy couldn't secure the key transport routes. Moving troops and supplies afterward would be nearly impossible.
Just as Wang Zhi said, even attacking Anding was already a bizarre decision.
Compared to the northwestern prefectures, Yunzhou was far harder to invade and offered little strategic value.
The whole thing didn't add up.
Which was exactly why Chen Sanshi felt uneasy.
There had to be something else behind this war—perhaps connected to the immortal treasure that had leaked from the Tuoba tribe.
If that were true, then all this mobilization might be because of that artifact.
For now, though, it was only speculation.
But if the Xi River tribe had indeed increased their numbers, it would confirm his suspicion.
Either way, a large-scale battle was inevitable.
And Chen Sanshi knew—his current cultivation was still far too weak.
He didn't waste a single moment. After eating some rations, he sat down and began cultivating again, letting the power of the spiritual grain and leftover medicinal energy flow through his body.
By midday, the group was back on their horses, moving deeper into the grasslands.
The next 200 li of travel revealed more and more signs of human activity. Even Wang Zhi and the others could see the traces—hoofprints, smoke trails, and distant herds of cattle and sheep tended by nomadic herders. Finally, as night fell, silhouettes of felt tents appeared faintly on the horizon.
From afar, the settlement shimmered with torchlight. Among the scattered tents were not only herdsmen but also armored soldiers standing guard, their vigilance unmistakable.
"We can't ride any closer," Chen Sanshi whispered.
He noticed that about 100 meters ahead, mounted patrols had begun sweeping the perimeter. If they were discovered now, there would be no way out.
He carefully observed the riders' patrol pattern and the terrain, then made a decision. "You all stay nearby and watch the surroundings. I'll try to sneak in and take a look."
They couldn't return without completing the mission.
"Hyah."
Chen Sanshi urged his horse into a quiet trot, circling around the encampment until he reached its outer edge. He slung the Willow-Leaf Spear across his horse's back. "Little Xun, if I need you, I'll call."
The White Swan horse seemed to understand, nodding slightly.
"Good."
Carrying only his bow and arrows, Chen Sanshi melted into the darkness, perfectly avoiding the patrolling cavalry. At the edge of the camp, he found his chance—an unsuspecting barbarian soldier who had stepped out to relieve himself.
An arrow flashed silently.
Moments later, Chen Sanshi dragged the corpse aside, stripped it, and put on the barbarian uniform, strapping on a curved saber at his waist.
It was only a disguise. He didn't actually intend to blend in with the barbarians.
In truth, he moved through the felt tents like a shadow—silent, unseen, leaving no trace.
'Still, without my spear, I feel so damn uneasy.'
The Willow-Leaf Spear was too large and too conspicuous to bring into the camp. Chen Sanshi gripped the curved saber instead.
Though his cultivation made up for much of it, an unfamiliar weapon would still weaken his combat edge.
'Looks like I'll need to learn a short weapon skill later. Something suited for tight spaces or ambushes.'
'A real soldier never lets the enemy get close enough to swing first.'
Training was meant to elevate one's cultivation—but now that he already had a solid foundation, learning a new martial technique would probably come much faster.
That, however, was a concern for later.
For now, Chen Sanshi focused entirely on the mission, slipping like a ghost through the barbarian camp while taking in every detail.
Their armory was well-stocked.
Their grain stores full.
And their troop numbers—
Easily more than 2,000.
Just one encampment alone held roughly 3,000 soldiers, by his rough count. And this was only a single part of the Xi River tribe. The directions Luo Dongquan and Liu Jinkui had gone likely had more camps—smaller perhaps, but no less prepared.
"Salute His Highness, the Prince—!"
Prince?
Chen Sanshi's ears perked up. He crept toward the source of the voice.
In the open space before the central command tent, all the barbarian soldiers had dropped to their knees.
A youth dressed in opulent robes strode forward, his clothes embroidered with gold thread, his belt heavy with ornaments. A sword studded with jade hung at his waist, gleaming faintly under torchlight.
"Greetings to His Highness, the Ninth Prince!"
The tribal chieftain—a Thousand-Household Officer—pressed a hand over his chest and knelt low. "Your Highness, what brings you here? We received no prior notice of your arrival!"
"That doesn't matter," the Ninth Prince said arrogantly, his chin tilted high. "I heard you plan to attack Poyang County in half a month. I've come to lend my strength to the campaign."
"Lend your strength?"
The chieftain's face turned pale. "Your Highness, how could we dare trouble you to join the battle?"
"When I say I'm lending my strength, you dare to question me?"
The Ninth Prince's tone turned sharp. "They wouldn't let me go to Liangzhou, fine. But now, are you saying I can't even fight at a small place like Poyang County?!"
"N-no, of course not," the chieftain stammered. "It's just… I'm merely a martial general at the tempering organs stage. I fear I can't protect Your Highness adequately. Please, Your Highness, return to safety!"
"Impudent!"
The Ninth Prince roared, eyes blazing. "I've trained with the sword for three years, and yet I've never killed a single Great Sheng soldier. What's the point of all this training then? If you dare stand in my way, I'll cut your head off myself!"
"..."
The chieftain froze, speechless. After a long silence, he sighed deeply. "Since Your Highness insists, this humble servant dares not object."
"That's more like it."
The Ninth Prince's anger turned to satisfaction in an instant.
"Clang!"
He drew his sword in a grand flourish. The blade shimmered with golden light under the campfires as he proudly held it aloft.
"This sword—Mountain-Suppressing Sword—do you recognize it?" he declared loudly. "Five hundred years ago, my Yu Wen clan took it from the emperor of the former dynasty in the Central Plains!
"When my father came of age, he bestowed it upon me!
"With this sword, I shall slay the generals of the Great Sheng Dynasty and restore the glory of the grasslands!
"From this moment forward, I officially take command of the Xi River tribe. The attack on Poyang County will proceed under my direct leadership!"
"By your command!"
The chieftain's heart trembled at the sight of that sword's radiance. He dared not argue further.
He hurriedly escorted the prince to rest in the central tent, then whispered to his lieutenant, "Send a rider immediately. Tell the Great Khan that His Highness has come here himself!"
"Yes, Chief!"
The rider leapt onto his horse and galloped into the night.
Not far away, Chen Sanshi had witnessed everything from the shadows.
'This prince…'
He couldn't help but think the youth reminded him of someone—foolish, impulsive, and utterly unrestrained.
And that sword.
Even in the dim firelight, he could see it clearly.
A true masterpiece.
Even a spear-wielder like Chen Sanshi couldn't help but feel tempted.
'Forget it. With a tempering organs-level general standing guard, getting close would be suicide.'
'Still, mission complete. The Xi River tribe really has reinforced their forces.'
He began to withdraw silently. But just as he was about to leave, the air suddenly trembled.
"Wooo—"
A horn blared. Arrows whistled. Shouts erupted through the camp.
The once-quiet night exploded into chaos.
"Enemy attack!"
"Scouts from the Great Sheng Dynasty spotted five li outside the camp!"
"Pursue them! Don't let a single one escape!"