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

The destruction of the Mandu tribe eliminated a major threat, but the shadow of the royal court suddenly loomed over the area like a dark cloud.

This was something Su Zhan had not anticipated. He had thought that Stone City was just a small city and would not attract the attention of those grassland people at all.

After all, the Agada tribe has a total of only about a thousand people, and the Mandu tribe also has about a thousand people, young and old.

Such a small tribe is like a drop of water in the ocean compared to the entire grassland; it is insignificant.

The Dragon Gang is an even more despicable gang. Their attempt to seize Stone City by taking advantage of the chaos is nothing more than picking up a small stone on the entire grassland, not even a gem.

Even so, it still attracted the attention of the royal court's main tent.

The dignified Prince Shunyi actually sent someone to personally warn them, demanding their submission and the payment of annual tribute.

Moreover, their timing was so opportune, arriving right after Su Zhan had wiped out the Mandu tribe.

In other words, all of Su Zhan's actions tonight are under their control.

Thinking of this, Su Zhan's face grew even more gloomy.

It seems that the power of the forces on the grasslands is even more terrifying than he imagined.

Su Zhan suddenly recalled the last time he ambushed the Agada tribe, when the Agada tribe suddenly sent reinforcements. Could it be that other forces on the grassland were also involved?

At the time, Su Zhan suspected that Bai Zhanqiu had sent someone to assassinate him, or that there was a traitor within the Menglong Gang.

But now that I think about it, the matter is still very complicated, and I don't know what the reason is.

Thinking of this, Su Zhan composed himself and decided that no matter what, he, as the third leader, didn't need to overthink things.

There are things that should be the top leader and the second leader to think about. I'm just a small third leader, why should I worry about this?

So he spurred his horse and led his men straight to Stone City.

When they arrived at Stone City, it was only late at night.

Su Zhan did not go directly to Bai Zhanqiu, as it was not appropriate to do so late at night.

So he found a room to rest alone, and early the next morning, Su Zhan headed straight for the Fierce Dragon Gang's camp.

When Su Zhan arrived at the main hall of the Fierce Dragon Gang's headquarters, he saw Bai Zhanqiu eating hot pot alone in the hall, and the whole courtyard was filled with the aroma of food.

Su Zhan felt that this guy was really going too far, eating hot pot so early in the morning, there was something wrong with him.

However, this wasn't the first time this kid had done something like this, and Su Zhan was already used to it.

Bai Zhanqiu was the only person in the lobby; Xiao Dalong was nowhere to be seen.

The gang leader is elusive; who knows where he's gone? When Bai Zhanqiu saw Su Zhan, he quickly waved to him, "Su Zhan, come quick! The meat just went into the pot; we'll be able to eat it in a bit."

Su Zhan sat down next to him and asked directly, "Have you heard about what happened last night?"

Su Zhan's straightforward words made Bai Zhanqiu's chopsticks pause in mid-air as he picked up the meat. He did not answer immediately, but instead slowly rolled the cooked mutton slices in the dipping sauce bowl, put them in his mouth and chewed them carefully, as if he were savoring the rare freshness.

The only sounds in the lobby were the bubbling and boiling of the hot pot and the aroma of mutton.

After a while, Bai Zhanqiu put down his chopsticks, picked up the wine pot that was being warmed next to him, and filled the empty cup in front of Su Zhan with wine, his face still bearing that inscrutable smile.

"I heard! Ye Zibo came back to report before dawn." Bai Zhanqiu raised his wine glass, gesturing to Su Zhan, "Well done! Su Zhan's swift and decisive actions, cutting off the root of the problem cleanly and efficiently, have completely eradicated this cancerous tumor in Mandu! Come! Let me toast you first, thank you for your hard work!"

Su Zhan did not raise his glass, but stared sharply at Bai Zhanqiu.

"The Shunyi King's personal guards arrived at the perfect time. They came out right after we finished fighting and were exhausted, and surrounded us in the Savage Gully. It was like a warning, or a reminder."

"The people from the royal court always have a keen sense of smell. Who told us to make such a big fuss?" Bai Zhanqiu took a sip of wine, his smile unchanged, but his eyes became deep.

"They don't care about the life or death of the Mandu tribe. The law of the jungle plays out every day on the grasslands. What they care about is whether the new owner of this Stone City understands the rules, whether he will pay tribute on time, and whether he will affect the order and interests set by the royal court."

They wanted me to convey their message that they hoped the Fierce Dragon Gang would understand the rules of the grasslands, know who the real masters were, and that any disputes involving merchants, traders, or tribes should be resolved by sending someone to the Shunyi King.

Su Zhan repeated the words of his personal guard leader verbatim, his tone icy.

He picked up the glass in front of him and drank it all in one gulp. The spicy liquor rolled down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the restlessness in his heart.

"This is to force us to submit, to become their vassals, and to pay annual tribute!"

"That's right!" Bai Zhanqiu nodded, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of meat, and put it into the boiling soup.

"The Prince of Shunyi is one of the powerful princes in the royal court. He controls several tribes near our area. His sending people here is both to show his attitude and to ask for benefits."

In his eyes, we've wiped out the Gada and Mandu tribes, and now we're the most powerful tribe in Stone City and even the surrounding area.

"So what do you mean? Does the Boss know about this?" Su Zhan pressed.

He didn't care about being a prince or a nobleman; what he cared about was whether this sudden change would disrupt his year-long plan and plunge him into a deeper quagmire of power.

He more keenly sensed that Bai Zhanqiu's attitude seemed too calm.

Bai Zhanqiu looked at the bubbling meat slices in the pot and said leisurely, "Big brother? He knows, but he has more important things to do."

Bai Zhanqiu put down his chopsticks, leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and carried a hint of barely perceptible arrogance.

"Su Zhan, do you remember when I told you? Our Raptors Gang has powerful backers."

Su Zhan's eyes narrowed. "The Great Wu Empire?"

"Yes!" A meaningful smile appeared on Bai Zhanqiu's lips.

"King Shunyi is a prince of the grasslands, but we have the great powers of the Great Wu Empire behind us. Do you think we were able to gain a foothold in this Stone City and eliminate the Agada and Mandu tribes so quickly on our own? Without the tacit approval and support of the higher-ups, we would not have gotten to where we are today."

As he spoke, Su Zhanqiu picked up the wine pot, refilled Su Zhan's cup, and poured one for himself as well.

"The Prince of Shunyi demands rules and annual tribute. We can give them to him. It's nothing more than cattle, sheep, furs, gold, and silver. Giving them these things won't hurt us much, but it will temporarily appease him. Trading some material possessions for a chance to breathe and develop is a very worthwhile deal!"

"Keep him calm? And then what?" Su Zhan understood the underlying meaning. "Isn't our backer afraid of the royal court?"

"The royal court?" Bai Zhanqiu chuckled softly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"If they were afraid, they wouldn't have sent us here!"

The royal court may seem vast, but its members are not a monolithic entity. The Shunyi King has his own sphere of influence and his rivals. Our master is here on the grasslands like nails, stirring up the muddy waters. Once our foundation is more stable and our strength is greater, we will be able to do more!

"Right now, playing along and biding our time is the best strategy!"