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

The abandoned village reeked of blood; these were the resting places of those who had narrowly escaped death.

The pheasant's voice was hoarse as it reported an even crueler reality.

"Third Boss, of the brothers we took to the royal court, plus those who instigated the outside and those who were inside, those who came back alive, including our men, are less than five people."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the figures bandaging their wounds in the corner. "The losses among the slaves and herders incited on the periphery are even more incalculable."

The royal court was enraged and was carrying out a frenzied purge, cleaning up any suspicious camps.

Su Zhan leaned against the earthen wall, feeling the coldness coming from behind him, and his heart grew even colder.

His shoulder wound had been given basic treatment; the cloth strips had been used to cover the blood, but it was still seeping out.

Every breath is accompanied by pain.

He closed his eyes, thinking about everything that was happening now, the scene of Huyan Zhuo's death, and the bloody scenes of their escape.

These thoughts raced through his mind, and he let out a long sigh, realizing the price had been far too high.

"Our people did their best."

Su Zhan's voice was low and weary.

But his exhaustion was soon replaced by the cold light.

By this time, Huyan Zhuo was already dead, and the sky over the grasslands had cracked. The chaos that ensued was not enough to atone for this blood debt.

He reached for the heavy bronze talisman in his pocket, which bore the inscription "Northern Warlord's Office".

This is an extraordinary force.

A flame of revenge ignited in the pheasant's neck.

"I understand. The royal court is currently leaderless, and those princes will probably fight tooth and nail to seize the throne."

Now is the time for us to act. As long as the flame is still burning, we can make it burn even brighter. As long as the Third Master gives the order, we can…”

Su Zhan suddenly opened his eyes, interrupting her.

He propped himself up with his uninjured left hand, the movement aggravating his wound. He groaned softly, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes remained sharp as an eagle's.

"The incitement must not stop," he said firmly, "but not now."

"The Wangting's reaction was more frantic than expected. They are now wounded wolves, ready to bite and kill whoever they catch."

We cannot let our remaining embers be wasted in their bloody mouths.

He walked to the simple window and looked towards the direction of the northern royal court, where an impenetrable cloud of blood mist had once shrouded the place.

"It's time to use the bronze tokens the counselor gave us."

Su Zhan turned around and clenched the bronze talisman in his hand.

The Lone Wolf tribe in the north and the Iron Cavalry Alliance in the south—these spies planted by the empire have been lying dormant for far too long.

The news of Huyan Zhuo's death and this bronze talisman were the sparks that ignited them.

He then handed the bronze talisman to the pheasant's neck, his eyes burning with intensity, and said, "Your injuries are relatively minor. Immediately select the most astute and reliable brother, and at all costs, deliver this bronze talisman and the news of Huyan Zhuo's death to the leader of the Lone Wolf tribe through our channels as quickly as possible."

Tell them that Xiao Yan, the military advisor of the Northern Border Command of the Empire, has ordered that once the fire of prairie fire starts, the Left Wise King is dead, the royal court is in chaos, and the time is ripe. All departments should immediately act according to the previous orders and do their utmost to harass the royal court's forces in their respective territories.

"Plunder their trade routes, attack their weak points, and incite their easily manipulated followers, setting the entire steppe ablaze, thus preparing an even larger furnace for the royal court's furious retaliation."

"Yes!" The pheasant carefully took the bronze talisman, feeling its weight in his hand, his eyes filled with extreme caution.

"I will personally select the manpower to ensure that nothing goes wrong, and I will make sure that everyone takes action so that this fire can spread throughout the entire grassland."

Su Zhan nodded, then turned his gaze to the distance, towards Stone City, a fleeting look of worry crossing his face.

"As for us." He clutched his injured shoulder, the intense pain reminding him that his body had reached its limit.

"We cannot stay here any longer. The royal court's pursuers and search teams will soon be here. We must act before dawn, erase all traces, bypass the most chaotic areas, and return to Stone City in a more secluded direction."

"The second-in-command is under immense pressure defending the city alone. The royal court's wrath will first be unleashed on the surrounding areas, and then it will spread to Stone City. Therefore, we must hurry back."

He glanced at his few remaining, battered men, his voice leaving no room for argument, "Pack up, take the necessary medicine and dry rations, clean up the mess, and we're going back."

"Stone City is our foundation, and also the storm that follows this great battle. We must prepare early and not get involved."

The few remaining assassins struggled to their feet. Although their eyes showed pain, they were filled with an almost fanatical determination. Huyan Zhuo was dead. They had completed an almost impossible mission. Now they were going to return to Stone City with this earth-shattering achievement and their unfinished mission.

The campfire crackled, and the abandoned village was once again bustling with activity. Wild Chicken Neck quickly dispatched his most skilled stealth brother to secretly set off with a copper talisman. That brother then disappeared into the vast night, heading towards the Northwest Lone Wolf tribe.

Su Zhan endured the pain as he checked every injury and piece of equipment to ensure that no one would be left behind as a burden during the withdrawal.

The morning star was already faintly shining on the horizon. This last remaining team quietly left the village and merged into the vast sea, heading towards the stone city in the southwest.

Although things were calm at the moment, everyone knew that the storm to come would be even more brutal, and the grassland people's counterattack would be even stronger.

Everything will fall into chaos. It's uncertain whether an even bigger storm will engulf them, or whether they will take advantage of the chaos to grow stronger.

All of this needs to be discussed carefully with the second-in-command, Bai Zhanqiu, after we get back. Bai Zhanqiu probably hasn't received the news yet, but he's already making preparations.

Su Zhan then led his men back directly, although the journey was quite arduous.

Everyone was terrified, but they eventually arrived at Stone City unharmed.

When Su Zhan led his men to Stone City and saw its peaceful city, everyone's eyes lit up with a relieved smile.

They have finally returned, returned to their hometown.

Then they went into the city and headed straight for Yingkou.

Everyone in the camp is very tense right now, after all, the situation on the grassland has been getting increasingly tense lately.

When Su Zhan met Bai Zhanqiu, Bai Zhanqiu was discussing recent matters with several managers in the camp's main hall.

Several stewards were describing everything they had seen in the vicinity.

Su Zhan stepped into the council hall, covered in gunpowder smoke.

His shadow stretched long in the light and shadow, yet stood as straight as a spear.

The shoulder wound had healed by now, but the blood-soaked strip of cloth was still terrifying, telling the story of the painful price paid for this trip to the royal court.

"Third Master!" The stewards in the hall suddenly stood up, their exclamations filled with unbelievable joy.