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

The Iron-Capped Kings of Rock City had no idea that Stone City had already targeted them.

A hundred miles away, in the central military tent of Stone City, a huge cowhide tent, a map was spread out, with twelve black iron tokens pressed on the marks of twelve cities.

Su Zhan traced the supply lines and strategic passes on the sand table with his fingertips, and said in a low voice to the crowd, "The time has come."

At this moment, Bai Zhanqiu, Halbala, and the other managers in the room all paused.

"Bamboo Leaf Green," Su Zhan whispered.

From the shadows, Bamboo Leaf Green silently stepped forward, unfurled a scroll of densely packed parchment, and said, "Reporting to the Third Master, the true nature of the twelve cities has been ascertained."

The granaries in Xiping and Shuocheng are nearly half empty, the garrison commanders are withholding soldiers' pay, and the soldiers are filled with resentment. A mutiny could happen in an instant.

Arutai, the lieutenant of Blackrock City, owes me a life. He can act as an inside agent to open the city gates and capture Blackrock City.

As for Yingchou Gorge.

He pointed his finger at the most treacherous canyon pass on the sand table, "The defending general Tuoba Lie was arrogant and brave. He drank until midnight every day and treated patrolling the pass like child's play. He didn't take the enemy seriously at all."

The intelligence was precisely injected into every crack in the seemingly impenetrable defense of the Iron-Capped King, and everyone understood the situation.

Su Zhan picked up the Xiping token and handed it to Yejibozi, who caught it steadily.

"You lead your 800 light cavalry, travel through the night, and sneak up to the city of Xiping."

"The first priority after breaching the gate is to burn down its beacon towers. I want the remaining eleven cities to become blind and deaf immediately." A cold glint flashed in Su Zhan's eyes.

The pheasant licked its chapped lips, its eyes filled with the raging flames of a city in flames, and replied, "Yes, sir!"

Su Zhan's gaze swept across the sand table, finally landing on the token at Eagle Sorrow Gorge.

He picked up the token and slowly walked up to Harbala, who was dressed in black feathered leather armor.

This former headman of the grasslands no longer has the wildness in his eyes, only a deep silence remains.

The salt and iron used by Stone City had worked on his people, saving them from freezing to death in the cold winter. Therefore, he was grateful to Stone City and had long considered himself a part of it, obeying its commands in everything.

Su Zhan pressed the token heavily into Harbala's palm and said, "This pass is crucial in controlling the throat of the Iron-Capped King."

Even a strong assault on the Bloodstained Canyon would be difficult to take down.

You can wait until Tuoba Lie is drunk and inspecting the camp, then strip him of his armor, replace it with his men, blow open the city gates, and take the city.

Harbala immediately placed his hand on his chest and bowed deeply, his posture as firm as a rock: "Stone City has granted my people the grace of survival. We will never back down when the Black Feather Cavalry's blades point at us!"

Su Zhan was very satisfied with his reaction and was about to say something more when a scout rushed into the tent, looking travel-worn: "Report! Three thousand Iron-Capped King's personal guards have left the direction of Rock City and are patrolling westward towards Black Stone Ridge!"

Bai Zhanqiu raised an eyebrow: "Going out hunting? Impossible, right? It seems they've already noticed."

Blackstone City is only half a day's horse ride from Blackstone Ridge.

Su Zhan sneered: "It's perfect timing to deploy the Pan Shi forces to make a show of harassing Black Stone Ridge and pin this guard down there."

"Bamboo Leaf Green, send word to Arutai: the day his personal guards are tied down is the day he will make his move in Blackrock City!"

His gaze swept over the assembled generals, and his voice suddenly rose: "The remaining nine routes, each led by a single rider! At three-quarters past midnight, the beacon fires of all twelve routes shall be lit simultaneously! We swear not to return until all twelve cities are captured!"

At midnight, outside Xiping City.

The pheasant's neck lay flat on the cold grass, while eight hundred light cavalrymen disappeared into the night behind it.

Under the sparse torchlight on the city wall, one could see the figures of the guards who were lax in their duties.

Zhu Yeqing's intelligence was frighteningly accurate. The southeast corner of the city wall had been in disrepair for many years, the rammed earth was loose, and it was only hastily covered with a fence. This was the attack point for Ye Jibozi and his men.

The pheasant, its neck pointing to its side, whispered, "Oil can, hurry up!"

Dozens of figures darted out instantly, and the specially made kerosene was splashed onto the wooden fence and the base of the wall.

The moment the flare lit up, a roar erupted and flames shot into the sky, instantly engulfing the fragile defense.

The sound of the police gong had just begun when it was drowned out by screams.

The city gate groaned as the giant logs of the suicide squad struck it, and the entire city opened its arms to Stone City.

"Follow me and charge in!" Wild Chicken Neck took the lead, his long sword whipping up waves of snow as he charged straight at the towering stone tower inside the city.

The firelight illuminated his face, and also reflected the despairing sky over Xiping City.

A rocket whistled through the night, ripping apart the darkness and announcing that the first flame of the twelve-way war had been lit.

At the same moment, on the official grain road outside Eagle Sorrow Gorge, darkness perfectly covered the three hundred black feathers.

Harbala lay on the cold earth, taking in everything around him.

Suddenly, he heard a slight tremor in the ground, and he knew someone was coming.

Then, the sound of horses' hooves, along with the roar of horses and the clatter of wine jars, grew louder as they approached, and the flickering firelight illuminated a group of people.

The leader was none other than Tuoba Lie, whose massive, swaying body was adorned with golden armor that gleamed brilliantly in the firelight.

His helmet was askew as he swung his whip, cursing and lashing out at a guard leading his horse, completely unaware that death had already locked onto him.

"Archers, prepare! Shoot his horse first!" Harbala whispered.

The archers beside him immediately drew their bows and nocked their arrows, which flew silently through the air.

Before Tuoba Lie's men could react, they heard the mournful cries of warhorses.

Tuoba Lie's warhorse crashed to the ground, throwing him heavily off, and chaos erupted suddenly.

All the guards were stunned by this sudden blow and did not know what to do.

Harbala seized the opportunity and roared, "Follow me and kill!"

Then the scimitar sliced ​​through the night sky, heading straight for the guards.

Caught off guard, the guards were utterly routed.

Before Tuoba Lie could even get up, his neck was severed by Harbala's long sword.

Before the splattered blood had even dried, Harbala had already removed the golden armor from Tuoba Lie's body. Carrying Tuoba Lie's head and the golden armor, he grabbed the battle flag left behind by Tuoba Lie, which he would use to deceive the city later.

He shouted to everyone around him, "Let's go, break through the city!"

He shouted and led his men toward the city.

The soldiers changed into the uniforms of Tuoba Lie's personal guards and followed him straight to the city.

By the firelight, the Guanzhong garrison saw General Tuoba returning in a panic, covered in blood, followed by his defeated troops and a relentless pursuit. They dared not examine him closely and hastily shouted to their men, "Open the city gates and let the general in!"

The winch creaked, and the heavy city gate opened a crack.

Harbala led his men and stormed in instantly. The defeated soldiers behind him drew their swords and charged at the guards inside the cave.

Harbala roared, shouting to those around him, "Black Feather Riders, follow me and charge through the pass!"

In an instant, smoke and fire filled Eagle's Sorrow Gorge. Amidst the bloodshed of the pass changing hands, Eagle's Sorrow Gorge was completely captured by the Black Feather Cavalry.

Meanwhile, at the foot of Panshi City, in the central command tent of the Soviet army.

At this moment, Su Zhan led eight thousand iron cavalry, gazing at the distant Pan Shi City, while several scouts quickly rushed towards him.

"Report! The beacon towers of Xiping City have been burned down. General Wild Chicken Neck is mopping up the remaining enemy forces. Eagle Sorrow Gorge has changed hands. General Harbala has lit the beacon fires. The situation in Black Pool City should be successful. Arutai has opened the west gate. Our army is engaged in street fighting, which will be over soon!"

"The garrison of Heshuo City mutinied and surrendered the south gate. Heshuo City is now under the control of our Stone City!"

One victory report after another followed, and the breathing in the central army formation became heavy and intense. The soldiers were extremely excited, and Su Zhan's eyes also gleamed.

He suddenly drew his sword, the blade pointing directly at Rock City: "The Iron-Capped King, his twelve foundations have crumbled! Today is the day Rock City collapses! Sons of Stone City, follow me and crush Rock City!"

"Stomp the rock! Stomp the rock!" A thunderous roar rose into the sky, and the soldiers in the city trembled with fear.

With Su Zhan's order, the siege began.

With a deafening roar, the massive catapults hurled burning boulders at the thick walls and towers of Rock City.

The ballistae roared, and rockets rained down on the city, setting buildings ablaze and reflecting the terrified faces of the inhabitants.

Countless ladders were instantly erected on the city walls. The most elite soldiers of Stone City, carrying sharp blades, braved rolling logs, thunderstones, boiling oil, and molten gold to climb upwards without fear of death.

On the city wall, the Iron-Capped King finally appeared.

He stood beneath the royal banner, clad in black armor, his face ashen, his eyes blazing with fury.

He drew his sword sharply and roared at the soldiers around him, "Hold on! Hold on! Reinforcements will be here soon. A reward of ten taels of silver will be given for every person killed, and those who retreat will have their entire family executed!"

His voice temporarily calmed the soldiers down.

However, in the distance, apart from the towering flames in the direction of Xiping, the other eleven cities were completely silent, with no sound coming from them. What kind of reinforcements could these cities of the Iron-Capped King possibly have?

Meanwhile, at the city walls, Su Zhan personally led the charge, calmly commanding: "Left-flank crossbowmen, advance and suppress the western corner tower! Battering rams, concentrate your fire on the main gate! Prepare the oil!"

His personal guards held up command flags and issued orders one by one.

Huge rocks roared down beside him, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

He didn't even flinch; his eyes were fixed on the crumbling defense line.

His eyes blazed with fury; the moment to breach the city had arrived!

The heavy city gates of Rock City trembled with each impact from the iron cavalry.

On the city wall, the Iron-Capped King's face was ashen; his former dignified demeanor had been replaced by a ferocious expression.

He stared at the surging army of Stone City below, his teeth clenched. Twelve cities, his very foundation, had been destroyed in a single day.

One piece of bad news after another came in. He was isolated and helpless. Even the guards of Rock City had been lured away and trapped in Black Rock Ridge, beyond their reach.

The battlefield was now too horrific to bear; arrows rained down, and both sides were dying.

Su Zhan stood at the front line, calmly watching this scene. War is all about casualties, and the current casualties were within his tolerance. As long as he could kill the Iron-Capped King, all of this was acceptable.

At that very moment, in the northwest direction, the black stone banner fluttered.

Instead of rushing to the rescue of Rock City, it was like a steel knife that stabbed fiercely into the western flank of the Rock City's defenders. It was none other than Arutai, the inside agent who had surrendered Blackrock City earlier.

He knew that the Iron-Capped King was suspicious, and that Rock City would never easily trust his defeated troops to approach the core battlefield.

So he simply led his surrendered soldiers, who had been briefly reorganized and were filled with a desire for revenge, and chose to tackle the toughest challenge by attacking the defending army's position from the outside.

"Kill! For Stone City, for the Fierce Dragon Gang!" Arutai charged ahead, brandishing his spear.

The sudden defection of this surrendered army dealt another heavy blow to the already tense nerves of the defenders of Panshi City.

The western flank defenders were facing a fierce attack from the main Soviet force when, caught off guard, their flank was instantly torn apart by Arutai.

Screams, the clash of weapons, and the neighing of warhorses filled the air in chaos, and the defensive formation near the city gate was thrown into deadly disarray.

The Iron-Capped Prince atop the city wall glared with rage: "Traitor Arughtai, I will tear you to pieces!"

However, his roar was instantly swallowed up by the huge commotion on the battlefield, and could not change the situation of the battle below the city.

A glint of light flashed in Su Zhan's eyes; such an opportunity was fleeting: "Now!"

He suddenly drew his sword from his waist, the blade pointing directly at the rocky city gate: "Crush the rock, all troops charge!" With that roar, the eight hundred heavily armored cavalry, who had been poised to attack, surged forward like a torrent, their target the city gate that was teetering on the brink of collapse under the combined attack from both inside and outside.

Horse hooves pounded the earth, kicking up clouds of dust.

The sheer force of the heavy cavalry charge was enough to terrify the enemy; they ignored the stray arrows and stones falling from above, their eyes fixed solely on the door.

After the massive, final, and most violent impact of the ramming machine, with a deafening roar, the bolts on the inner side of the rocky city gate finally broke, and the heavy gate swung open a crack inward.

"Break down the door!"

The shouts of the eight hundred heavy cavalrymen thundered together. Su Zhan, who was at the forefront, slammed his horse into the half-open city gate. The huge impact broke the bones of several guards behind the gate.

The iron cavalry surged forth without hindrance, crashing into Rock City with overwhelming force as the city gates were breached, instantly turning the city into a blood and flesh mill.

The defenders who tried to block the gate were no match for the sharp lances, and all that remained in the path of the steel torrent was devastation and wailing.

Su Zhan took the lead, his broadsword turning into a streak of light, each swing bringing forth a storm of blood and gore, and no one could withstand a single blow from him.

His heavy cavalry plunged deep into the city of Rock.

News of the city gates falling spread across the city walls in an instant, shattering the morale of the defending troops and causing them to collapse rapidly.

"The city gates have been breached! The people of Stone City have stormed in!"

Screams of terror echoed across the city walls. Many soldiers, no longer heeding orders, began to discard their weapons and flee hastily, searching for hiding places.

The once-solid defensive system on the city wall collapsed instantly.

Surrounded by his guards, the Iron-Capped King was deathly pale. His last reliance, the impregnable city of Rock City, had fallen.

Looking at the unstoppable cavalry surging below the city, and then at the chaotic garrison at the west gate still locked in fierce battle with the Arughtai tribe, he knew that all was lost, and an unprecedented fear gripped him.

"Your Highness, hurry! Take the secret passage!"

The loyal guards clung tightly to the Iron-Capped King's arm, trying to drag him away from the city gate.

It was a secret passage connecting to the inner palace of the prince.

"Which way?"

A flash of madness crossed the Iron-Capped King's eyes, only to be swallowed up by immense despair.

A lifetime of hard work, twelve prosperous cities, and tens of thousands of elite soldiers were all reduced to ashes in a short period of time, destroyed by an insignificant stone city.

He shoved his guards aside, glaring at the steel torrent that had breached the city walls and was advancing along the main street towards the palace. He roared, "Stone City! I will never forgive you! I will kill you!"

The roar was mournful, but it was quickly drowned out by the battle cries from Stone City.

He could see no hope anymore, and all his strength vanished in an instant.

Ignoring the Iron-Capped Prince's roars, the guards dragged him away towards the palace, their backs filled with the panic of a prince on his last legs.

With the city gates breached and the commander retreating, the resistance of Rock City crumbled instantly.

The west gate fell quickly under the combined attack of Arutai's forces and the Soviet troops that had entered the city.

The infantry following Stone City surged into the city like a tidal wave, quickly taking control of the main roads and city gates, and began to separately annihilate the remaining troops and take over the city's defenses.

The fighting in the city streets was still raging. The last of the Iron-Capped King's trusted guards relied on the city walls to put up a resistance, but the gates of the palace were tightly closed, and the archers on the arrow towers were doing futile snipes.

Su Zhan reined in his warhorse and stood in front of the square of the Prince's Palace.

Seeing the palace completely surrounded by Stone City soldiers, he shouted, "Send word! Under the command of the Iron-Capped King, those who surrender will be spared; those who resist will be killed without mercy! No one will be left alive inside the palace!"

With the order given, the warriors of Stone City launched an even fiercer offensive.

The battering rammed against the gates of the Prince's Palace, and ladders were also placed against the city wall. The resistance of the Prince's Palace was quickly extinguished, and the shouts and screams gradually subsided.