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

Everything is ready, from the banquet to the warriors preparing for battle.

Su Zhan divided the matter into two steps. The first step was to proceed with the banquet as normal, since the tribal leaders who had already submitted were still willing to attend. This was a gesture, and also to reassure himself and everyone on the nearby grasslands.

Others are unwilling to come; if they are unwilling to come, then they can only perish.

Just like those chaotic tribes, what's the point of keeping them around? For the New Year? They must be completely wiped out.

Therefore, Su Zhan's arrangements at this time were divided into two parts: one part was the banquet hosted by Bai Zhanqiu, and the other part was the troops that Su Zhan had prepared.

This time, they prepared food and wine, and even a large knife, intending to use both kindness and force.

Well, naturally, we should unite all forces that can be united, so that this grassland can temporarily fall into peace, and everyone can temporarily live a good life, no longer in chaos and turmoil, no longer struggling for a living.

Wei, naturally, wanted to wipe out a few tribes that had shown signs of life.

Stone City is determined to wipe this out, so they won't be allowed to live freely in this place. No matter how powerful they are, Su Zhan is confident he can kill them. After all, he also lives in this place and doesn't need to keep such trash around.

Therefore, he and the second-in-command have prepared everything and are about to overthrow the vast grasslands.

The banquet proceeded as planned the following day, and the city was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, just like during the Lunar New Year.

But the people didn't think so, and had already gone into hiding.

The city's defenses had reached their peak, and the city gates were wide open, with a lively drum and gong troupe welcoming every tribal chief who came to the city, or rather, the hostages they brought.

These are all tribes that have personally handed over their leverage to Stone City and are willing to submit to it.

Bai Zhanqiu naturally welcomed them warmly. Next, he invited them to a banquet and explained the details to them. Everything was proceeding normally, and the atmosphere was cheerful yet tense.

The tribal chiefs or hostages who came were all very afraid, but they also respected Stone City. After all, if they were capable of fighting, they would have already done so. If they couldn't win, they would naturally admit defeat and not lose face.

Meanwhile, Su Zhan had already mustered five thousand troops and was preparing to wipe out those troublesome tribes.

He is the highlight of today's banquet.

After Bai Zhanqiu has settled things with the tribes, he will bring the heads of the rebelling tribal leaders back to the banquet to add to their festivities.

At this moment, thirty miles north of the city, five thousand soldiers were ready to set off.

Next, we need to head straight for those rebellious tribes.

The north wind whipped up the withered grass and lashed against the cold armor.

Su Zhan reined in his horse before the battle, his eyes filled with fierce fighting spirit.

"Did you all hear that clearly?" His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the wind and reached every soldier's ears clearly. "Batu of Fenglang Valley threw away my invitation from Stone City, the White Deer Tribe sat idly by, and Wu Enqi of Wild Buffalo Valley pretended to be deaf and dumb. Did they think that by gathering together in Fenglang Valley for warmth, they could escape today?"

Su Zhan suddenly drew his sword, its blade pointing directly northwest towards Fenglang Valley, its cold light blinding: "Tell them they can't escape the blade of Stone City! Today we'll raze Fenglang Valley to the ground, take Batu's head, and follow me to kill!"

Five thousand steel swords were drawn simultaneously, their cries of "Kill!" coalescing into a deafening roar.

The iron hooves roared into action, their thunderous roar tearing through the silence of dawn as they swept towards Fenglang Valley.

With two horses, one rider and two horses, taking turns riding, Su Zhan spared no effort in conserving power, racing against time. He wanted to drive this thorn firmly into the ground before the defenses of Fenglang Valley were fully completed.

Meanwhile, the scout team dispatched by Zhuyeqing had already headed ahead.

They needed to find out the defenses at the valley entrance, the existing traps, and even Batu's exact location, so as to act as an inside agent for the Soviet campaign.

This battle is of paramount importance. If we win, we can bring peace to this region; if we lose, it's all over.

Meanwhile, the Anbian Banquet in Stone City had already begun.

Inside the huge hall, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, and the long table was filled with whole roasted lambs, golden brown and dripping with oil, large jars of milk wine, precious salt dishes, and various dried fruits rarely seen on the grasslands.

But the atmosphere was anything but relaxed, like a celebratory banquet. Bai Zhanqiu sat in the main seat, his right arm still in a sling, his eyes sharp as a hawk, scanning the tribal representatives below with their varied expressions.

Harbala sat in the first seat on the left, his posture respectful, his eyes scrutinizing. The other tribal chiefs or hostages mostly sat upright, their eyes darting around as they cautiously observed their master's expression, occasionally stealing glances at the Stone City guards who were faintly visible outside the hall. Clearly, they were all very nervous.

Bai Zhanqiu glanced at everyone, quite satisfied with the current situation. He picked up a bowl of milk wine and said loudly, "You have all come from afar to attend this banquet for the sake of long-term peace and stability on our grasslands. As you all know, the Nascent Soul cultivator Agudamu has been destroyed, and the White Wolf Alliance has vanished. What our Stone City seeks is not war, but order, for all our tribes to lay down their weapons, exchange goods, and share peace."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room: "Today's banquet marks the beginning of our treaty. Your offering of Manachi is not to weaken you, but to ensure the peace and tranquility of the people within our borders."

I hereby promise that Stone City will guarantee unimpeded trade routes, fair trade in salt and iron, and will protect subjugated tribes from invasion.

Finally, he pointed to the parchment scrolls that everyone already had on the table and said, "This is the rule of Stone City: those who sincerely submit can enjoy priority."

If you have any doubts, you can send a message back after today, and you must make a choice within three days.

But if anyone thinks that I, Stone City, am weak, then I should learn from the likes of Batu and Wuenqi, and Yang Feng because he harbors ill intentions.

Their birthplace serves as a model for others. Don't blame me for mentioning this earlier.

The hall was deathly silent, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire.

The delegates were all silent, and a few of the more timid hostages were already trembling.

At this moment, Harbala stood up to ease the atmosphere. He raised his wine bowl and said loudly, "The Black Feather Tribe is willing to obey the orders of Stone City and offer three hundred horses and five hundred weapons. We wish Second Leader Bai and Third Leader Su great success and lasting peace on the grasslands."

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.

With a leader in place, the representatives of several small tribes, who were already terrified, hurriedly stood up and echoed him, vying to express their loyalty.

The banquet proceeded in an atmosphere of outward politeness but inward turmoil. Every toast and every conversation was filled with probing and weighing of options.

Bai Zhanqiu's gaze kept drifting towards the northwest sky outside the hall, his mind filled with the roar of Su Zhan's journey.

At this moment, Su Zhan's army was galloping all the way, their horses' hooves digging through the frozen soil and remaining snow. Scouts kept reporting back, and Su Zhan had already sketched out the defensive outline of Fenglang Valley in his mind.

The canyon entrance was very narrow, and Batu made good use of the terrain, setting up some barricades and roadblocks, while archers were also ambushed on the hillsides on both sides.

Inside the canyon, they were ready. Their main force had been assembled.

Su Zhan smirked. Did he intend to hold the canyon and fight a defensive battle?

He made a quick decision and ordered: "The vanguard should dismount, carry heavy shields, and advance slowly to draw arrows from both sides."

Archers, follow up on the slopes on both sides, suppress their arrows!

"Li Ergou, your men are here," a soldier immediately replied.

"Take your five hundred bravest warriors, change into light armor, abandon your horses, and climb down that hidden ravine on the right. Sneak up behind their archers, stab them in the back, and when you see the signal smoke, make your move immediately!"

"Understood!" A fierce glint flashed in Li Ergou's eyes. This was his chance to make a name for himself. Without hesitation, he led his large group away from the main force and headed toward the treacherous mountain path pointed out by the scout.

The order was given swiftly, and the vanguard soldiers of Stone City quickly dismounted, raised their heavy leather shields to form an iron fortress, and steadily advanced towards the valley entrance despite the sporadic arrows. The archers behind them immediately dispersed.

Then, horns sounded from the camp ahead, and archers on both sides of the mountain immediately began to suppress the army.

But the archers below were equally formidable. A dense rain of arrows then swept down the hillsides on both sides, suppressing the hastily deployed archers. Their screams echoed from afar.

When Batu's garrison at the valley entrance saw that a frontal assault was ineffective, they indeed sent more archers to the slopes on both sides in an attempt to suppress the crossbow formations of Stone City.

Just then, Su Zhan personally lit a specially made red whistling arrow. Whoosh! Bang! The piercing sharpness and the exploding red frame were particularly eye-catching in the air.

Almost simultaneously, on the right slope of Fenglang Valley, shouts of battle suddenly arose. Li Ergou led his elite troops out from behind the defending army. They had no formation, only the most primitive killing.

The scimitar slashed horizontally at the archers, and the short spear thrust fiercely at them.

Caught off guard, the defenders' ranks were turned upside down, screams and cries filled the air, and chaos erupted on the hillside.

A golden opportunity! Su Zhan's eyes flashed with golden light. He leaped onto his horse, raised his steel saber high, and shouted, "Breakthrough team, the target is their horses! Burn them! All troops, charge!"

The prepared assassins, carrying pottery jars, charged out under the cover of heavy shields, braving stray arrows to reach the obstacle at the valley entrance. They slammed the jars down, and with a deafening roar, flames erupted, engulfing the wooden barrier. Thick smoke billowed, and the fire and chaos tore through the first line of defense.

"Charge in! Anyone who stands in my way shall die!" Su Zhan took the lead, then led the long-awaited torrent of steel, stepping over the burning remains of giant trees, and stormed into the smoke-filled entrance of Fenglang Valley.

There were a few scattered guards at the city gate, but they were no match for the Stone City warriors led by Su Zhan, and they were all cut down to the ground.

Batu's chosen strategy at this time was to stay indoors and not come out. After all, the Stone City warriors led by Su Zhan were notorious for their ferocity, and who would dare to confront them head-on?

They deployed many archers on the city walls and attempted to wear down the Stone City's warriors with oil and giant crossbows.

But the Stone City warriors paid no heed to any of that. They charged forward with their leather shields, and instead of setting up ladders, they pulled up siege logs and rammed them against the city gate.

The battle on the field became extremely fierce for a time.

The people on the city wall kept shooting arrows. They only wished they had two more hands, because the arrows they were shooting were too slow. The stone city warriors below held up large shields and were not afraid of their arrows at all.

Although those oil canisters injured many Stone City warriors, they were no match for Stone City's fierce attack.

The city gate was not as sturdy as the stone city; it was just a wooden gate. Under the impact of the battering ram, it made a "creaking" sound, and finally, unable to bear the weight, it was smashed open with a "bang".

The defenders inside the city were still fighting desperately, but when the city gates came crashing down, they could no longer hold on and had to retreat in panic.

But where could they retreat to? The city gate was only so big; there was no way to retreat. People behind were pushing forward, and people in front were retreating backward. In an instant, the situation on the field became extremely chaotic.

However, their panic did not last long. Suddenly, a large number of cavalrymen rushed in from outside the city gate, each wielding a curved sword and looking ferocious.

They brandished their scimitars and slashed fiercely at the city's defenders.

The grassland dweller inside the city gate only felt a flash of cold light, followed by a chill on his neck, and his head flew off completely.

In an instant, the archway was filled with flying heads and splattered blood. Screams rose and fell, but quickly subsided, for the cavalry, after slaughtering everyone in the archway, immediately charged into the city.

Batu was completely thrown into chaos; he had not expected the Stone City's attack to be so sharp and fierce.

His men were nothing more than a bunch of third-rate soldiers who had all the strength but no real combat experience. They only knew how to bully slaves and ordinary herders, and even how to plunder ordinary trade routes.

They were no match for the battle-hardened warriors of Stone City, and were quickly cut down one after another.

Batu watched helplessly as a large number of Stone City warriors rushed in, powerless to stop them.

At this moment, he felt utterly hopeless. He realized he had made the wrong choice. If he had known this would happen, he should have agreed to Stone City's demands first, at least he could have maintained his own power.

But now it was too late. The situation on the field had completely changed. The warriors of Stone City rushed into the city and burned and killed. All resistance was insignificant in their eyes.

Those warriors, like gods descended from heaven, cut down everyone who stood in their way.

The situation on the field had completely turned against them. Batu's men were fleeing for their lives, and they had no chance of stopping Stone City's attack.

The warriors of Stone City brandished their broadswords, cutting down every steppeman who tried to escape.

Heads rolled, blood splattered everywhere, and the field was filled with screams of agony and the cracking sounds of heads hitting the ground.

This is all so terrifying, so terrifying that it feels like the end of the world.

Batu was then yelled at by his personal guards, "My lord, let's go! It'll be too late if we don't leave now!"

Batu gritted his teeth and immediately led his men toward the back gate of the camp. He attempted to escape in the chaos, believing that as long as he survived, he could always find a way to rebuild.

But Su Zhan had already led his men in. He ignored the ordinary soldiers and let them do as they pleased. He had only one goal: to take Batu's head and return to report to Bai Zhanqiu. This was the main course of the day, and he couldn't let him get away.

After rushing into the city, he immediately spotted Batu fleeing with his personal guards in the distance. Without any hesitation, he led a hundred or so Stone City warriors and charged forward.