Sieben Nächte mit Schnee

Kapitel 47

When will the transaction take place?

"The goods have arrived. Our lord has predicted that the bandits will attack the camp tonight. You can pick them up tomorrow. You just need to inform General Yan, and he will have his own plan." The man lowered his voice so that no one could tell his origin.

The two men smiled and said, "We'll pay you the way you asked. I really don't understand when Yin Sang started having guys like you."

The man seemed to smile and said, "People die for money, birds die for food, why ask so many questions?"

The two men seemed to be of high status. Realizing they had spoken too much, they smiled at each other and disappeared into the darkness. The man in black moved swiftly and soon returned to the camp. He changed his clothes and went through several tents before finally entering a large tent that was still lit.

The person inside the tent smiled slightly. There were books, ink, and maps on the table. He put down his pen and smiled when he saw him come in.

"What time is it?"

She wore a coat, her long, flowing black hair cascading down her shoulders. Her features appeared slightly pale in the light, making her breathtakingly beautiful! Yet, the smile in her eyes conveyed that she was no weak woman; a sense of confidence, pride, and even arrogance emanated from her. Who else could she be but Lin Feng?

"My lord, it's late at night, and there's still no sign of them." The lamplight illuminated the man's handsome, lean face—it was Qin Zheng. He had been stunned when he entered the tent, and coughed rather awkwardly. Knowing that the main tent wasn't a suitable place to discuss matters, and that Lin Feng wasn't asking him about it to avoid leaks, he changed the subject, frowning as he asked, "Are they not coming?"

“No, they will come.” Lin Feng glanced at the map on the table and said with full confidence, “Today’s terrain is the most suitable place to attack. Tomorrow, once we cross the mountain pass, it will be all plains. No matter which way we go, we can contact the people of Chechi Kingdom. Even if they want to let us die, they can’t give Chen Tian any reason to start a war. So if they are coming, it can only be today.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a bugle call suddenly sounded outside, causing a brief commotion at the front. The soldiers in the central camp, however, remained remarkably calm. Fearing the bandits would suspect something was amiss, Lin Feng only instructed Qin Zheng to inform the central camp soldiers to prepare, and forbade any leaks. He wanted the bandits to believe they were unprepared, thus setting a trap for them.

A smile played on Lin Feng's lips. He rolled up the map on the table and set it aside, then shouted to the people outside the tent, "Send the order down: spread the distance between the left and right armies and let those bandits break in." The person outside seemed to know the Dark King's methods, and responded before going to report. Lin Feng stood up, tied his hair back, changed his overcoat into a long robe, and, without his armor, smiled at the people behind him.

"Let's go check out the forward camp."

Qin Zheng lowered his head, responded with a "yes," a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, and followed without leaving a trace.

Lin Feng stepped out of the tent and walked forward. Seeing that the surrounding tents were not in disarray, he nodded to himself. After looking around, he asked, "Where is Prince Xiang?"

"The prince led a group of men out this afternoon and has not yet returned."

"Oh?" No wonder Bei Chenxiang disappeared this afternoon. Going out in this terrain... Bei Chenxiang truly lives up to his reputation as a general! Lin Feng felt a surge of admiration, smiled knowingly, and asked no more questions. "Let's go meet those bandits!"

The smoke and dust on the battlefield had long since obscured people's faces. Shouts of battle echoed everywhere. The bandits were extremely fierce, many of them capable of taking on ten men at once. Many of those who attacked were stabbed by long weapons, their bodies covered in blood, and thrown back into the air. The bandit leader was particularly burly, with a loud voice, laughing heartily.

"The Beichen Army is nothing special. Today, I, Huo Fan, will take you all!"

The fighting had been going on for three quarters of an hour, with casualties on both sides. Although the enemy was in a panic, they were still able to hold on. Huo Fan was displeased and thought to himself that the fighting was not as satisfying as it used to be. Since Che Chi was not going to be lenient, how could he let it go so easily?

Suddenly, the two paths parted, and a handsome young man with delicate features emerged from the dust. He wasn't even wearing armor, but everyone around him bowed and scraped, knowing that he was of extremely high status. They just assumed he was still asleep and thought to themselves, "I'll make sure your head explodes first!"

"Boy, prepare to die!" With a swing of his great axe, Huo Fan charged forward with his horse!

"Dark King, be careful!" several people around exclaimed.

Seeing his fierce approach, Lin Feng dared not be careless. He smiled slightly, and the Heavenly Desolation Blade on his wrist quietly unfolded, slicing out a flat blade! He spun around, leaped upwards, and in a flash, Huo Fan's great axe was gone.

Huo Fan's horse let out a mournful neigh as all four of its limbs were severed and spurted blood. Huo Fan's expression changed drastically, and he was about to fall off the horse! He hurriedly braced himself with his axe on the ground, when suddenly he heard a gust of wind above him. It was Lin Feng, who had leaped up and was laughing as he dismounted.

"This man is spouting nonsense and disrupting our morale. Cut off his head and use it as a sacrifice to our banner!"

Lin Feng spoke slowly and deliberately, and without saying a word, kicked Huo Fan in the back. Before Huo Fan could even react in surprise, Lin Feng had already swiftly swung his knife down! A bloody head rolled to the ground in an instant.

Amidst the fierce fighting all around, no one had time to react. When the bandits finally came to their senses from the cheers from all sides, they were astonished to find their leader's head placed on a tray, with a handsome, spirited man standing beside him, smiling. The cheering band was none other than the Beichen army. Looking at the Beichen soldiers, they saw them neatly dressed, composed and at ease, with wave after wave of soldiers appearing around them. Only then did they realize what had happened.

Only then did the bandits realize they had to retreat. The man in brightly colored armor roared angrily, "It's a trap! You lackeys, I'll fight you to the death!"

"Is it too late to realize it's a trap now?" Lin Feng's expression was cold as he sneered, raised his hand, and continued to shout, "Soldiers behind, block them! Don't let a single one escape!" The bandits looked again and saw that a dense crowd had suddenly emerged from behind them. They broke out in a cold sweat, scattered without a fight, and rushed in all directions, breaking their ranks into pieces.

Lin Feng frowned, not expecting that some of the bandits were quite capable. They gathered a small group of men and rushed out in the chaos, fleeing towards the mountain stronghold in the valley.

To their surprise, as soon as they reached the valley entrance, the first few groups of people who had been walking hurriedly fell to the ground, horse and rider. It was the "tripping rope" that Lin Feng had told Bei Chenxiang a few days ago. At this moment, the bandits looked at the valley entrance again and saw another group of people, as if they had been waiting there. The general in charge was dressed in a majestic armor and was handsome and extraordinary. He sat on his horse with a steady and unwavering presence. It was clear at a glance that he was not someone to be trifled with.

Looking behind them, Lin Feng had already arrived with his men. Dressed in a flowing blue robe, he looked like a frail scholar. However, the bandits who had seen him behead people with a single sword would not think so. With his men blocking their way from the front and back, they were immediately surrounded. This time, the bandits had no way to escape!

Lin Feng smiled and ordered his men, "Capture them alive." His eyes met Bei Chenxiang's across from him, and he felt pleased. Bei Chenxiang had indeed laid an ambush here. The mountain was the stronghold, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Breaking through the stronghold would be difficult. This time, the losses were almost minimized. It was a testament to the bandits' lack of common sense; their failed ambush only brought them death upon themselves.

Thick smoke suddenly rose from the mountain stronghold. Lin Feng smiled slightly, knowing that the Yan army had probably made their move; their timing was quite accurate.

"Deputy Chieftain, the mountain is on fire!" The deputy chieftain, who had originally intended to put up a stubborn resistance, was shocked when he saw thick smoke billowing from the mountain and flames rising, clearly visible even in the darkness of night. He froze for a moment, then finally sighed and put down his weapon.

Seeing this, the other bandits also laid down their weapons and surrendered.

At this point, what other option did they have but to surrender? It was clearly a setup, a trap set for them to fall into, and they were foolish enough to jump right in. Che Chi's leak of information was clearly a ruse, making them lambs to the slaughter. Che Chi discovered the strength of Bei Chen's expeditionary force without losing a single soldier, completely benefiting others! The deputy chieftain and the others became increasingly frustrated.

"Take the first two to the main tent; I have questions for them. The rest are imprisoned, but don't kill them," Bei Chenxiang said. He then walked to Lin Feng's side, his brow furrowing slightly, and asked with concern, "Why aren't you wearing your battle armor? What if you get injured?"

Lin Feng glared at him and laughed, "Prince Xiang, are you out of your mind? I am an envoy, not a general. I don't have my own armor. Do you expect me to wear a soldier's armor and blend into the crowd so I can't be found?"

Bei Chenxiang then remembered that this was not a battlefield. His face flushed, and he smiled awkwardly, but said seriously, "Then don't rush to the front lines in the future. You will command from the rear. I will take responsibility if anything goes wrong." Seeing his concern, Lin Feng nodded and smiled, "Okay."

This resounding victory and his seamless cooperation with Lin Feng greatly pleased him. He turned and entered the main tent to begin questioning the bandits about their origins. Lin Feng, sitting beside him, was somewhat distracted; having already anticipated the outcome, she had lost interest in the process.

The general explanation was no different from what Lin Feng and Bei Chenxiang had guessed. However, what they did not expect was that Che Chi not only tacitly approved of the bandits, but also revealed the information about the mission to them. However, there was no evidence to support the secret report. Lin Feng and Bei Chenxiang were both furious. After thinking for a while, they ordered that the bandits be kept locked up and sent to Che Chi when they arrived in the capital, to see how they would deal with them.

The next day, upon arriving at the village, they found it in a state of great distress, presumably due to bandits attacking along the route the previous day. Bei Chentian and Lin Feng were riding at the front of the group when they suddenly heard a report from the soldiers behind them that the First Beauty, also known as the Holy Maiden, wanted to stay and comfort the villagers, providing them with some supplies.

Bei Chenxiang frowned slightly: "How could this woman be so reckless?"

Lin Feng smiled noncommittally: "Anyway, our journey is still early, and the troops are exhausted from last night's battle. It wouldn't hurt to stay and rest for a day. A saintess should act like a saintess. General Xiang, I think we should agree."

Bei Chenxiang, who had been displeased, laughed when he heard her say, "Alright, pass down the order to set up camp." A commotion broke out, and Qin Zheng, who had been watching from the side, finally couldn't help but step forward and whisper a reminder in Lin Feng's ear.

"My lord, aren't you being too careless?"

Chapter 49: The Robbery