Battle for Northern Frontier: The game begins with the grassland woman buying him.

Behind the gentle slope on the west side of Shiyanwa, the eyes of the pheasant neck, which had been poised to pounce, gleamed.

The signal's here! Brothers, charge! Burn them to death!

He charged ahead, drawing his curved sword from his waist and spurring his horse's flanks fiercely: "Kill!"

One hundred knights, like demons, roared and suddenly appeared from behind the western slope.

What they held in their hands were not knives and guns, but heavy kerosene canisters.

The warhorse quickly increased its speed to the maximum, heading straight for the location of the bald flower banner on the high slope.

The sudden attack completely stunned Bald Flower and his personal guards.

"There are enemies to the west too! Protect the master!"

Pheasant Neck didn't bother with the few scattered obstructors rushing up; he had only one target: the dense crowd waving the white wolf flag.

He suddenly lit the tinderbox with the strip of cloth soaked in kerosene in his hand, and then the fuse at the mouth of the kerosene can flashed.

"Let me show you what roasted wolf meat tastes like!"

With all his might, he smashed the first burning oil canister into the densest area of ​​the Bald Flower Guard.

With a whoosh, the oil canister streaked through the air, belching black smoke and spewing flames, before crashing down.

With a bang, the earthenware pot shattered, oil splattered everywhere, and flames instantly opened their blood-red maws, engulfing seven or eight guards who couldn't dodge in time.

The piercing screams instantly echoed throughout the entire depression.

"Throw them all over there, burn the horses, burn their warhorses!"

Pheasant Neck seemed to have gone mad, frantically dodging the incoming arrows while simultaneously lighting a second oil canister.

The 100 suicide squad members behind him completely replicated his madness, igniting and throwing oil canisters at top speed, aiming directly at the densely populated areas and the reserve warhorses tethered at the bottom of the slope.

A series of rumbling sounds rang out as huge fireballs rose one after another in the core area of ​​the Bald Flower.

Flames flew, igniting furs, tents, hay, and even the frightened warhorses.

Hundreds of warhorses, scorched by the flames, let out terrified and desperate howls, struggling and charging wildly.

"Hold your ground! Don't panic, archers, fire!"

Bald Flower tried desperately to give directions, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the crackling of the flames.

The White Wolf tribe's command center had become a living hell, with thick smoke billowing and flames shooting into the sky.

Soldiers rolled on the ground, burned, and warhorses galloped wildly, trampling and knocking down soldiers who were trying to regroup. Fear spread like a plague.

Orders to destroy the salt mine were completely forgotten, and everyone instinctively avoided the flames.

The frightened warhorses charged left and right in the inferno-like inferno, dodging the suicide squad.

The sabotage team in the center of the depression witnessed the horrific scene at the core rear, and were utterly terrified.

In addition, the main cavalry led by Su Zhan, like war gods, continuously reaped lives with precise poison arrows, driving them away from the salt flats.

The White Wolf soldiers collapsed instantly, defeated! Defeated! Run! The commander is dead! Fire! Huge fire! Help!

The chaos spiraled completely out of control. Driven by fire, arrows, and fear, thousands of White Wolf soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons, crying out for their parents as they scattered towards the edge of the depression, trampling each other in the process.

Under the desperate protection of several loyal guards, Turpan managed to cut the reins of his horse in a disheveled state and seize a warhorse that had escaped the attack.

His face was blackened by soot, his helmet was gone, and his hair was disheveled; he was no longer as arrogant as before.

He watched as the army completely collapsed, and then at the core area engulfed in flames, his eyes filled with disbelief.

This time, he was beaten badly.

You Han dogs of Stone City, I'm not finished with you!

He let out a defiant roar, daring not to linger, then lashed his horse's rump and fled for his life in the southwest, the collapsing army following him.

At the edge of the depression, Su Zhan reined in his warhorse, panting heavily.

The old wound on my shoulder reopened, sending waves of pain through me.

Sweat mixed with blood soaked through his clothes, but his eyes remained sharp as he surveyed the salt flats, which had become a scene of carnage.

Most of the salt flats have been preserved, although some of the edges have been damaged, the core salt mine outcrops and major depressions still remain.

The price was that the depression was littered with corpses, burning hay, and terrified warhorses.

Wild Chicken Neck led the dozens of surviving daredevils to join them. Everyone was wounded and covered in smoke and fire, but they all grinned, their eyes filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster.

That was awesome! Third Boss, that bastard from Turpan almost got roasted into a wolf by me!

The pheasant wiped the black ash off its face, revealing a set of white teeth.

A relieved, tired smile appeared on Su Zhan's tense face: "Well done, you little rascal, I'll remember your credit."

Immediately treat the wounded, extinguish the remaining fires in key areas, organize manpower to guard the prisoners, and gather the warhorses.

He paused, his gaze sweeping southwest towards the route of the retreat from Turpan, and further away towards the location of the main force of the White Cloud Alliance. His voice turned cold: "That old fox, the Nascent Soul cultivator, won't let this go. This is just the beginning."

Just then, a scout responsible for perimeter security suddenly galloped up on horseback, a hint of surprise in his voice: "Report! Third Master, about fifteen li to the southwest, a large cavalry force has been spotted, raising dust and moving very fast, heading this way! Judging from the banners, they seem to be the wolf-head totem flag of the Black Feather Tribe of the White Cloud Alliance!"

The smiles on Pheasant Neck and Su Zhan's face froze instantly.

The Kuroba clan, they've finally arrived.

Is it to rush to the aid of Turpan, or to take advantage of its misfortune?

Su Zhan endured the pain, his gaze fixed on the ever-approaching dragon in the southwest direction.

The wolf head totem of the Black Feather Tribe appeared and disappeared in the dust, and the horses galloped like thunder at great speed, heading straight for Shiyanwa.

He quickly surveyed the battlefield. His side had just fought a fierce battle and, although victorious, was exhausted, with wounded soldiers everywhere and their formation scattered.

The cries of the fleeing White Wolf soldiers in the depression mingled with the crackling of flames, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.

If the Black Feather Clan's fresh troops were to charge with hostility at this moment, the situation would take a sharp turn for the worse.

"Regroup and form a defensive formation immediately! Quickly!"

Su Zhan's voice was resolute, drowning out the clamor of the battlefield.

The Stone City warriors, who had just been cheering and chasing the fleeing soldiers and collecting warhorses and spoils, reacted quickly. They immediately dropped their spoils and, in units of centurions, rapidly moved toward the core area where Su Zhan was located.

The archers sought cover behind the ruined salt mine and the carcasses of horses, nocking arrows again. Although their arms trembled slightly from exhaustion, their eyes were fixed on the smoke and dust.

Wild Chicken wiped the soot off his face, leaned close to Su Zhan and whispered, "Third Master, something's wrong. They're not charging, and their speed is slowing down."

Sure enough, the billowing dust suddenly slowed down when it was about an arrow's length from the edge of the rocky depression. The dust gradually settled, revealing the true appearance of the Black Feather Cavalry, numbering about 2000. Their equipment was inferior to that of the White Wolf Cavalry's elite troops, and their faces showed fatigue and tension.

Instead of deploying their attack formation as the White Wolf tribe had done before, they seemed somewhat hesitant.

Several cavalry units at the front of the column broke away from the main force and slowly rode towards the edge of the depression. The leader was not particularly burly, wearing relatively simple leather armor, with deep wrinkles on his face. His eyes swept across the depression with a complex expression. There were burning corpses of the White Wolf tribe everywhere, as well as Stone City warriors who looked like they were facing a formidable enemy.

He raised one hand to signal his side to stop, while his other hand held a rolled-up white wolf-tail flag, a symbol of truce.

The Black Feather Clan's flag was raised right there. Wild Chicken Neck immediately recognized the person as Harbala, the leader of the Black Feather Clan. He had come in person. What did he want?

Su Zhan quickly realized that the information about the wild pheasant's earlier walk had been effective. He immediately ordered his men: "Hold the line. Archers, guard the retreating soldiers in the rear. Those in the front, let them come over."

After giving the order, he gestured to his personal guards to put away their powerful bows, straightened his back, and spurred his horse forward a few steps. An invisible pressure enveloped the entire Shiyanwa area, and even the wind seemed to stand still.

Harbala, accompanied by two bodyguards, slowly approached the edge of the depression under the watchful eyes of countless tense and vigilant people, only 10 steps away from Su Zhan.

He reined in his horse, took a deep breath, glanced at Su Zhan's body, and then said with the ruggedness characteristic of grassland people, "Third Master, the smoke from Shiyanwa can be smelled from dozens of miles away."

It seems that Turpan and the white wolf warriors he brought to guard the salt mines have already tasted your wrath.

He deliberately emphasized the word "guard," which was full of irony.

Su Zhan remained unmoved: "Chief Harbala, you brought your 2000 Black Feather Warriors here day and night, surely not just to mourn Turpan and his saboteurs? I know better than you who the salt mine is more important to, and you should also know the key to it."

Su Zhan cut straight to the point, highlighting the Black Feather Tribe's core interest in relying on Shiyanwa during the winter.

Harbala's facial muscles twitched, a flash of angry helplessness in his eyes: "Destroyers? Hmph!"

He snorted coldly, his tone suddenly rising: "The Nascent Soul cultivators are holding knives to our necks, forcing us to join their damned White Cloud Alliance. And that mad dog of the White Wolf, Bald Flower, is even using a chicken feather as a royal decree, actually coming to destroy our Black Feather Tribe's Winter Garden, our only means of surviving the winter. Su Zhan, is the news you're spreading in Stone City true?"

"Did that old scoundrel, Hua Shen, already intend to sacrifice our Black Feather tribe so he could monopolize your Stone City's territory and resources?"

He practically roared these words, his voice echoing across the low-lying area and clearly reaching the ears of everyone on both sides.

A restless commotion arose among the Black Feather Cavalry, many of them displaying understanding and anger.

Clearly, Harbala was not completely kept in the dark; his arrival with his troops was not simply for support or attack.

Su Zhan knew that the crucial moment of the divide-and-conquer strategy had arrived. His voice was calm and steady: "Big Head Harbala, you already have the answer in your heart whether it is true or false."

Turpan came here with shovels and hammers, are they mining rocks, or are they, as you see, frantically destroying and filling land?

If the rock mine is destroyed, who will be the first to lick the mud next spring? Will it be Stone City or your Black Feather Tribe? The Nascent Soul cultivator, who possesses the White Wolf Tribe's fertile grasslands, would he care about the survival of a small, peripheral tribe?

They only want to use your destruction as leverage to weaken our Stone City. The White Cloud Alliance is nothing but a cage where Nascent Soul cultivators are using you to pull chestnuts out of the fire for them!

Su Zhan's words were insightful, striking directly at the Black Feather Clan's deepest fears and their most likely schemes as Nascent Soul cultivators.

Harbala's face was ashen, and the veins on his arm gripping the reins were bulging.

Looking at the scorched earth beneath his feet and the signs of destruction on the distant rocky beach, and thinking of the hungry cattle and sheep in the tribe and the miserable plight of the elderly, women and children who had no salt in the winter, the scales in his heart began to tip violently.

Just then, an even louder cry of chaos and terror came from the north side of the depression.

It turned out to be scattered White Wolf soldiers who had been driven away by the Stone City cavalry earlier, running around like headless flies.

More than a hundred of them panicked and ran headlong into the edge of the Black Feather Cavalry formation.

"Get out of the way! Cowards of the White Wolf tribe, kill them!" The fleeing soldiers were already bloodthirsty and could not distinguish friend from foe. They only wanted to fight their way out and escape. They even brandished their blood-stained scimitars and slashed at the Black Feather tribe cavalry who were blocking their way, ignoring any obstruction.

This sudden change was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

"Damn it! The mad dogs of the White Wolf tribe dare to be so insolent!" Harbala's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and anger completely overwhelmed the last trace of hesitation.

He abruptly drew his curved sword from his waist, the blade pointing directly at the fleeing White Wolf soldiers charging towards their ranks. His voice, like thunder, echoed across the battlefield: "Warriors of the Black Feather Tribe, slaughter these White Wolf mad dogs who destroyed our homeland! Leave no one alive!"

"Good!" The Black Feather Cavalry, who had been holding back their anger for so long, roared with deafening force. Their pent-up rage found an outlet, and two thousand scimitars were drawn simultaneously, like a surging black tide, instantly engulfing the fleeing White Wolf soldiers who had run into the gun barrels.

The sounds of hacking and screaming rang out again, but this time, it was the Black Feather tribe that swung their curved swords at the White Wolf tribe.

Wild Chicken Neck and Su Zhan exchanged a glance, both seeing a glint of gold in each other's eyes! It's done, it's really done this time.

Harbala slashed down a fleeing White Wolf soldier who charged forward, his face splattered with hot blood.

He was panting heavily as he spurred his horse to face Su Zhan again, blood dripping from the tip of his blade, but his voice was resolute: "Third Master Su, Turpan has been defeated by you, and the salt mine has been preserved. My Black Feather tribe is grateful for your help."

If the gods are ruthless, don't blame me for being unjust.

From this day forward, my Black Feather Clan severs ties with the White Cloud Alliance. However…”

He then changed the subject: "A Nascent Soul cultivator will not let traitors go unpunished, and Stone City needs your promises as well."

My Black Feather Tribe can be a thorn in your side, but we need salt, we need iron, we need weapons, and even more so, we need a guarantee from your Stone City.

The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated from Shiyanwa, and the situation on the field remained dire.

Su Zhan laughed and said, "Those who understand the times are heroes, that's a saying we Central Plains people have. Now I'm passing that saying on to you grassland people."

If you can change your mind, we will naturally show you 100% sincerity.

But all of this is true; we treat friends and enemies completely differently.

If you don't believe it, you'll understand why once you join.

Upon hearing Su Zhan's words, the leader of the Black Feather Tribe's expression gradually softened.

He felt that he had found a way out for his people, a way out he had never dared to imagine before, but the only way out that lay before him.

He could not lead his people to destruction; he could only find a reliable path to lead them on.