I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

After hearing this, Jiang Zhaoyue couldn't help but smile.

"Before meeting anyone, the young master always likes to observe when others are not paying attention."

Qin Mu leaned against the carriage wall, his gaze passing through the half-open curtain as he looked at the receding wasteland outside.

"Because people are most likely to deceive others when they are preparing."

"People are most likely to reveal their true selves when they are least prepared."

Jiang Zhaoyue nodded gently.

Having been by Qin Mu's side for so long, she had long been accustomed to his way of doing things.

I like to see the results when I do things.

But Qin Mu was different.

He prefers to watch the process.

He enjoys watching how a person chooses to react to sudden changes.

Because that moment is often more real than a person's carefully crafted facade over decades.

The carriage continued forward.

One hour later.

The team finally arrived near Qingshidu.

Yin Sutang led the group around the main road and into a low hill.

There are several naturally formed boulders here that happen to block the view below.

Standing behind the highest rock, you can clearly see the Qing Shi Du campsite in the distance.

Qin Mu stood there, squinting his eyes.

far away.

A sizable camp was built along the river.

The Northern Mang army flag fluttered in the wind.

However, the atmosphere here was noticeably different from that of Huyan Lie and Tuoba Jun's camp.

It lacked the overtly aggressive and murderous aura of the First Prince's camp.

There was none of the tension and oppression found in the Second Prince's camp.

The Qingshidu campsite was very quiet.

It could even be said that it didn't resemble a prince's camp vying for the Khan's throne.

Jiang Zhaoyue stood beside Qin Mu, watched for a while, and then said softly:

"This third prince seems very cautious."

Qin Mu did not answer.

Yunluan stood behind him, her gaze sweeping across the camp.

After a moment, she spoke:

There are many hidden sentries.

The sound was very soft.

"There are three outposts on the outer perimeter, two on the riverbank, and four more hidden posts at the mountain pass."

Jiang Zhaoyue was slightly taken aback.

She looked closely, but found nothing unusual.

Yunluan continued:

"But these sentry posts were not located for defense against the enemy."

Qin Mu's lips curled up slightly.

"It's to protect ourselves from our own people."

Yunluan nodded.

"They are more worried about what's inside the camp."

Yin Sutang's expression turned complicated upon hearing this.

"It seems that the Wuhuan have been living very cautiously all these years."

She looked at the camp in the distance.

"Among the three princes of Northern Mang, the eldest prince, Huyan Lie, is the most like a traditional warrior of Northern Mang, who likes to prove himself through military achievements."

"The second prince, Tuoba Jun, is the most ruthless; he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals."

"Only the Third Prince, Wuhuan..."

She paused for a moment.

"He doesn't seem like a Northern Barbarian."

Qin Mu turned his head to the side.

"How so?"

Yin Sutang remained silent for a moment.

He loves reading.

"I enjoy studying the military strategies of the Central Plains."

"He even spent a lot of money to buy many books from the border of Daqin."

"In the eyes of the Northern Mang nobles, this behavior is ridiculous."

They believed that men from the Northern Barbarian lands should carry knives, not pens.

Qin Mu chuckled.

"So many people look down on him?"

"Yes."

Yin Sutang nodded.

"But strangely enough, many small tribes in the Northern Wilderness were willing to follow him."

"Because he promised them land and security."

"Instead of being like the other princes, who only thought about plundering."

Qin Mu listened without saying a word.

His gaze remained fixed on the Qing Shi Du camp.

A moment later.

He suddenly said:

"interesting."

Jiang Zhaoyue looked at him.

"Does the young master find this third prince more difficult to deal with than the previous two?"

"No."

"On the contrary."

He pointed into the distance.

"The first two are knives."

"As long as you hold the handle, you can control the direction of the knife."

"But this Wuhuan..."

Qin Mu paused for a moment.

"More like a hidden sword."

Jiang Zhaoyue seemed to be deep in thought.

"Is a sword more dangerous than a knife?"

Qin Mu smiled.

"The deeper the sword is hidden, the more the owner cares about the timing of its drawing."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at the crowd.

"Let's go."

"Go and meet this Third Prince of Northern Mang."

……

Qingshidu Camp.

The guards immediately became alert when they saw someone approaching.

Dozens of Northern Mang cavalrymen instantly drew their swords.

The leading general shouted in a cold voice:

"Who goes there?"

Qin Mu was riding on horseback.

He was still wearing a plain gray outfit.

He looked like a wandering martial arts cultivator passing through Northern Mang.

He did not answer.

Instead, he glanced at Yin Sutang behind him.

Yin Sutang understood.

He rode straight forward.

"Yin Sutang of the Xuan Yin Sect requests an audience with the Third Prince."

The general's expression changed drastically.

"Yin Sutang?"

He clearly recognized the name.

After all, the Xuan Yin Sect was not an ordinary force in Northern Mang.

Especially after Su Shuang became the sect leader, she became even more feared by the entire Northern Mang royal family.

"Shouldn't you be at the Xuan Yin Sect?"

The general frowned.

Yin Sutang said calmly:

"I want to see the Third Prince."

"It's important."

The general stared at her for a while.

He waved goodbye in the end.

"Wait."

Soon after.

The camp gates opened.

A young man came out.

He was wearing a black leather armor.

It lacks the luxurious decorations commonly found among Northern Mang nobles.

Even the knife at his waist was quite ordinary.

He looked to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

His eyes and brows lacked the domineering air of Huyan Lie, and the sinister ruthlessness of Tuoba Jun.

Instead, it carries a scholarly air.

When he came out, the first person he looked at was not Yin Sutang.

It was Qin Mu.

To be precise.

It's that kind of aura that Qin Mu possesses.

The Wuhuan stopped in their tracks.

"Who is this?"

Yin Sutang said:

"Zhao San".

"A江湖人 (jianghu person)."

The Wuhuan glanced at Qin Mu.

Then he laughed.

"How could a mere江湖人 (jianghu person) command the personal accompaniment of an elder from the Xuan Yin Sect?"

Yin Sutang did not explain.

Qin Mu did not offer an explanation.

He just smiled and said:

"The Third Prince is indeed clever."

The Wuhuan were slightly taken aback.

Because Qin Mu's words didn't sound like something an ordinary martial arts person would say.

So natural.

It's too peaceful.

It was as if the person standing there wasn't a prince of Northern Mang, but just an ordinary friend.

The Wuhuan looked at Qin Mu.

Suddenly asked:

"Mr. Zhao, what brings you to see me?"

Qin Mu didn't beat around the bush.

"I want to discuss a deal with the Third Prince."

Wu Huan frowned slightly.

"What kind of deal?"

Qin Mu looked at the distant Northern Wilderness.

"A deal that will make you the Khan of Northern Mang."

These words were spoken.

The expressions of all the guards around them changed instantly.

Several guards had even gripped the hilts of their swords tightly.

But the Wuhuan did not move.

He just looked at Qin Mu.

Much later.

He suddenly laughed.

"Mr. Zhao."

"Do you know?"

"Over the years, many people have said this to me."

"Someone is trying to take advantage of me."

"Someone wants to make me their puppet."

"There are also people who want to use my name to seize power."

"But they all have one thing in common."

Qin Mu asked:

"What?"

The Wuhuan looked at him.

"They all think I'm easy to fool."

The wind blows across the green stone ferry.

The flags at the camp fluttered in the wind.

Qin Mu suddenly smiled.

"So you think I'm like that too?"

The Wuhuan remained silent.

no answer.

Qin Mu already knew the answer.

He dismounted.

He walked step by step toward the Wuhuan.

The voice was calm.

"If I wanted to lie to you."

"You have no choice now."

Wu Huan's pupils contracted slightly.

Because of this moment.

He felt an indescribable pressure.

It wasn't murderous intent.

It's not intimidation.

Rather, it is a kind of oppression from the level of life itself.

It was as if the person standing in front of him was not a person.

It is an unshakeable mountain.

next moment.

Qin Mu withdrew his breath.

Everything is back to normal.

The people around them didn't even realize what had just happened.

Only the Wuhuan people had a bead of cold sweat on their foreheads.

He looked at Qin Mu.

This was the first time I had really looked at the man in front of me.

for a long time.

He spoke slowly:

"Mr. Zhao."

"Who exactly are you?"

Qin Mu smiled.

"A person who wants to see the future of Northern Mang."

The Wuhuan stared at him.

Suddenly he said:

"You are not Zhao San."

Jiang Zhaoyue's heart tightened.

Yunluan's hand was already on the hilt of the sword.

But Qin Mu just smiled.

Why do you say that?

The Wuhuan looked at him.

"Because a true江湖人 (jianghu person) will not stand in front of me like I'm watching a game of chess."

Qin Mu was slightly taken aback.

Then his smile deepened.

"It seems your strategist from the Western Regions was right after all."

Upon hearing this...

The Wuhuan's expression changed for the first time.

"You know him?"

Qin Mu did not answer.

Instead, they looked towards the camp.

"Let him come out."

"I'd like to see it too."

"This is the person who made the Third Prince willing to hide his talents for so many years."

"What kind of person is he?"

The words fell.

Inside the camp.

A voice slowly drifted over.

"Your Highness."

"It seems our guests are more interesting than we imagined."

next moment.

A figure emerged from inside the tent.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a Western Region robe.

A faint smile played on his lips.

But the moment he saw Qin Mu.

The person's entire expression.

Completely solidified.

Because he recognized an identity known only to a very few people.

He looked at Qin Mu.

For the first time, the voice lost its composure.

"you……"

"Who are you……"

Qin Mu looked at him.

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips.

"It seems so."

"You are smarter than the Wuhuan."

"And she recognized me even earlier than him."

next moment.

The entire Qingshidu camp.

A deathly silence fell.

The strategist from the Western Regions stood at the entrance of the camp.

The smile on his face had vanished.

Instead, there was an undisguised shock.

He stared intently at Qin Mu.

It was as if they were trying to discern a trace of pretense from that ordinary face.

But no.

There was nothing there.

That face still looks young.

It remained calm.

It even carries a touch of the laziness of a wandering swordsman.

But his eyes...

That kind of detached, indifferent gaze over the world.

That kind of composure, as if everything is under control.

He had only ever seen it in one person before.

Emperor of the Great Qin Dynasty.

Qin Mu.

"gentlemen."

The Wuhuan noticed his unusual behavior and their brows furrowed slightly.

"Do you know Mr. Zhao?"

The strategist from the Western Regions did not answer.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

Much later.

He slowly uttered a few words.

If I'm not mistaken.

"This Mr. Zhao..."

"It shouldn't be Mr. Zhao."

The Wuhuan's expression grew even more solemn.

Qin Mu simply smiled.

"Go on."

The strategist from the Western Regions took a deep breath.

If I'm not mistaken.

"The one standing before me should be that of the Great Qin..."

He paused.

His voice became low.

"The Emperor of Qin"

These words were spoken.

Outside the entire camp.

All the Northern Barbarian soldiers' expressions changed drastically.

Several young soldiers even instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.

Emperor of Qin!

This name is too special for the Northern Barbarians.

In just one year.

Swallowing and merging with Liyang.

The Moon Goddess Cult was destroyed.

This deterred Xu Longxiang, the crown prince of the Northern Territory, from making any rash moves.

Even now, the three princes of Northern Mang are vying for the Khanate, which seems chaotic, but in reality, it is being slowly pushed forward by an invisible hand.

They never expected this.

The Qin emperor, whom they always regarded as a foolish ruler of the Central Plains.

He actually showed up in Northern Mang in person.

and.

I stood right in front of them.

The Wuhuan fell silent.

His gaze fell on Qin Mu.

for a long time.

He suddenly laughed.

"I see."

Qin Mu looked at him.

"You don't seem very surprised."

The Wuhuan shook their heads.

"Actually, I should have thought of that earlier."

"The person who could make Huyan Lie give up killing my brothers, the person who could let Tuoba Jun leave alive, the person who could change the attitude of the Xuan Yin Sect..."

"There are only a handful in the entire Kyushu."

As he spoke, he glanced at Yin Sutang.

"Moreover, the Xuan Yin Sect elders are standing beside you, yet there is no master-servant relationship whatsoever."

"And the way she looks at you."

"It's more like watching someone who can't be disobeyed."

Yin Sutang's expression changed slightly.

She hadn't expected the Wuhuan to be so observant.

Qin Mu smiled.

"So you already guessed it?"

"No."

The Wuhuan shook their heads.

"I only realized it when you said those words just now."

"What did you say?"

The Wuhuan looked at Qin Mu.

"A person who wants to see the future of Northern Mang."

"Because only those who truly stand outside the world speak in this tone."

Qin Mu chuckled.

"It seems you are indeed not simple."

The Wuhuan were not pleased by these words.

Instead, they became more cautious.

"His Majesty."

"Now that your identity has been exposed, there's no need to test me anymore."

"You came here in person."

"It's probably not to tell me your identity."

Qin Mu looked at him.

A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

You're right.

"I didn't come here to see your reaction."

"I just want to take a look."

"Are you qualified to sit on the throne of the Northern Mang Khanate?"

The Wuhuan remained silent.

After a while.

he asked:

"What if you're not eligible?"

Qin Mu looked into the distance.

"Then Northern Mang will choose someone else."

A simple sentence.

This startled the Wuhuan people.

He finally understood.

What is the biggest difference between this man and everyone else?

Others fight for the world in order to gain it.

And Qin Mu.

It's a selection process.

He didn't want to fight with the Northern Barbarians.

He is making a decision.

Who will succeed the Northern Barbarians?

This is a completely different attitude.

……

Inside the camp.

Qin Mu sat in the main seat.

The Wuhuan sat opposite.

The strategist from the Western Regions stood to one side.

Jiang Zhaoyue, Yun Luan, Xu Fenghua, and others stood behind Qin Mu.

Wu Huan glanced at the formation behind Qin Mu.

Especially when I saw Xu Fenghua.

His eyes changed slightly.

"Daughter of the Northern King of Zhenbei".

He said.

Xu Fenghua did not answer.

She simply looked at him calmly.

The Wuhuan sighed softly.

"It seems the North has already..."

"That's about it."

Qin Mu said calmly.

The Wuhuan did not ask any further questions.

Because he already understood.

Xu Longxiang of the Northern Frontier has probably already become a pawn on the chessboard.

"His Majesty."

Wu Huan picked up his teacup.

"You want me to become the Khan of Northern Mang."

"What are the conditions?"

Qin Mu leaned back in his chair.

"It's very simple."

"Submit to the Great Qin."

Wu Huan paused for a moment while holding his teacup.

Although he had already guessed it.

But when I actually heard it, I fell silent.

For hundreds of years, the Northern Barbarians...

It has always been known for its toughness.

They can lose.

It is possible to lose.

But few people are willing to bow their heads.

"If the Northern Barbarians submit..."

Wuhuan slowly said:

"Those tribes won't agree."

Qin Mu smiled faintly.

"That's why I want the Khan of Northern Mang."

"Not the opinion of everyone in Northern Mang."

The Wuhuan remained silent.

The Western Region strategist beside him suddenly spoke up:

"His Majesty."

"If it's just a matter of making Northern Mang a vassal state, that shouldn't be too difficult."

"But if you want to truly integrate into the Qin Dynasty..."

"The resistance will be enormous."

Qin Mu looked at him.

"What's your name?"

"Murong Xuan".

"From the Western Regions?"

"Yes."

Qin Mu nodded.

"You're quite a smart person."

Murong Xuan lowered his head.

"I have simply assessed the situation."

Qin Mu smiled.

"Many people see the situation clearly."

"But very few people dare to say it."

Murong Xuan did not speak again.

Qin Mu picked up his teacup.

I took a small sip.

"Wuhuan".

I'm giving you a choice.

"To become the Khan of Northern Mang."

"Lead the Northern Barbarians to integrate into the Nine Provinces."

"or……"

He put down his teacup.

"Continue the fight."

"Then watch as the Northern Barbarians perish in their internal strife."

The Wuhuan clenched their fists.

This was his first time.

I truly felt the weight of an era.

He used to want to become a Khan.

It's because of resentment.

Because he wanted to prove those who looked down on him wrong.

But now.

When this opportunity truly presented itself.

But he discovered...

Sitting in that seat is not the end.

It is a responsibility.

for a long time.

Wu Huan stood up.

Kneel down on one knee.

"The third prince of Northern Mang, Wuhuan."

"I am willing to follow Your Majesty's arrangements."

Inside the camp.

Everyone quieted down.

Qin Mu looked at the kneeling Wuhuan.

He did not speak immediately.

A moment later.

He then slowly began to speak:

"very good."

"You are smarter than both of your older brothers."

The Wuhuan people lowered their heads.

"I have one more request."

"explain."

"We hope Your Majesty will give the people of Northern Mang a way to survive."

Qin Mu looked at him.

Suddenly he laughed.

"Don't worry."

"What I want is the world."

"It's not ruins."

this sentence.

This made the Wuhuan people completely submit.

Outside the camp.

The winds of the Northern Wilderness still howl.

Nobody knows.

That very night.

The choice of the third prince of Northern Mang, Wuhuan.

This signifies the fate of the entire Northern Barbarian lands.

It has quietly changed.