Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

Yan Qing acted quickly, or rather, his bandits, who had a "talent" for looting and destruction, were extremely efficient.

After obtaining some intelligence from the Northern Yan "Shadow Guards" through secret channels, the elite of "Piercing Swallow" quietly slipped out of the "Ghost's Lair" like a true venomous snake.

Instead of heading straight for their intended target, they broke into smaller groups, disguised as refugees, hunters, merchants, and even small groups of defeated soldiers, and infiltrated the southeastern border of Hanyuan along mountain paths and abandoned ancient roads.

They moved by night and hid by day, carefully avoiding official roads and major checkpoints. They used their familiarity with the mountainous terrain and the patrol patterns of the Hanyuan border, as well as bribing a few weak-willed border villagers, to gradually approach their target.

The first to suffer was the "Yefuling Woolen Mill," located thirty miles west of "Yefuling" in a relatively flat valley.

This is a burgeoning industry developed using grassland wool and local improved sheep breeds. It is quite large, with hundreds of spinners and weavers, and has stockpiled a large amount of washed wool and finished woolen cloth.

Because it is located in the heart of the Cold Abyss controlled area, and the main threat is believed to come from the northern grasslands, the defense force here is not strong, consisting of only a squad of fifty government soldiers and twenty-odd guards recruited by the workshops.

Yan Qing dispatched his most skilled "Night Raid Team," comprised of eighty men led by the second-in-command, "Scarface." The team was lightly armed and carried flammable materials, short blades, and hand crossbows.

On the night of the operation, there was no moon, only a thin mist.

The "Night Raid Team" stealthily infiltrated the perimeter of the workshop like ghosts.

They first poisoned several guard dogs, then silently eliminated the visible and invisible sentries on the perimeter using poisoned blowguns and crossbow bolts.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of people dispersed and sneaked into the workshop area, stuffing specially made oil-soaked cloth bundles and time-delayed tinder into warehouses, sheds, and raw material piles.

Another group, led by Scarface, headed straight for the guards' small barracks.

"Fire! The warehouse is on fire!"

As the first wisp of fire rose into the sky with thick smoke, a piercing alarm and panicked cries rang out from inside the workshop.

The guards, just awakened from their sleep, rushed out of the barracks in disheveled clothes, only to be met with a rapid barrage of crossbow bolts!

Immediately afterwards, countless dark figures pounced out of the darkness, flashing blades and screams echoing through the air.

The battle was brief but bloody. The guards were caught off guard. The captain tried to organize a resistance but was personally killed by Scarface, who cut off his head.

The fire spread rapidly, engulfing several warehouses and sheds, and thick smoke billowed, turning half the night sky red.

The bandits did not linger in the fight. They looted a small amount of portable valuables and cloth, and before any possible reinforcements from the defending forces could arrive, they fled into the mountains and forests, disappearing without a trace, leaving behind only a scene of devastation, towering flames, and dozens of corpses.

The "gift" was successfully sent.

A few days later, the contact person designated by Yan Qing received confirmation from Bei Yan at the agreed location, along with a small "deposit" and rough instructions for the next steps.

The initial victory greatly stimulated the greed and ferocity of the "Forest Swallow".

Yan Qing's ambitions grew, and he was no longer satisfied with merely fulfilling the "pledge of allegiance" required by Northern Yan.

He saw the "emptiness" of the border defenses of the Cold Abyss, and the seemingly abundant but "fragile" guards of the grain depots and workshops.

He decided to pull off an even bigger heist, both to prove his greater worth to the Northern Yan and to accumulate enough capital to "survive the winter" or even "fly far away".

His chosen target was a small, important grain transfer station and ordnance repair point located about 150 miles northwest of "Ghost's Sorrow" between Panshi Fort and Qinghe Town.

This place stores nearly a third of the reserve provisions for the front lines at Rock Keep, and also has a small blacksmith shop to repair damaged armor and weapons. The guard force numbers about a hundred men, led by an experienced captain.

This time, Yan Qing decided to take matters into his own hands, gathering the three hundred most elite and valiant bandits from the mountain stronghold and sending them out in full force.

He was determined to wipe out the stronghold with lightning speed, seize its food and weapons, kill the garrison commander, and then, with the looted supplies and the promised support from Northern Yan, quickly flee south or west.

However, Yan Qing made a fatal mistake—he severely underestimated Han Yuan's war machine, especially the presence of Night Owl, and the vigilance of Wang Dashan, the garrison commander of Pan Shi Fortress.

The wool spinning workshop at Wild Fox Ridge was attacked, engulfed in flames, and the guard captain was killed. The news spread to Zhenbei City and Panshi Fortress at top speed the following morning.

Xiao Chen was furious, but he didn't lose his composure. He immediately sensed something unusual—this was no ordinary bandit or small group of horse brigands. The professionalism, ruthlessness, and choice of target all indicated a deliberate strategy.

"Night Owl, investigate this place! Dig three feet into the ground, find out their origins, their hideout, and their whereabouts!"

Xiao Chen gave Zhao Tie a death order.

At the same time, he ordered all military towns, fortresses, and workshops along the border to immediately enter a level-two alert, strengthen patrols and sentry posts, especially in the mountainous and forested areas to the southeast.

At Panshibao, Wang Dashan received an urgent report and slammed his fist on the table.

He was more familiar with the terrain and banditry in this area than Xiao Chen.

"Wild Fox Ridge" is located in the southwest of the Rock Fortress defense zone. Although it is not directly under his jurisdiction, such a heinous incident has caused him, as one of the main generals of the Northern Territory, to lose face and his mind to be on high alert.

He immediately dispatched more elite scouts to expand the reconnaissance range in the southeastern mountains and personally reviewed the defensive deployment of all important strongholds in the defense zone, especially the transit station located between the fort and the town.

"Although that place is small, it is a vital supply route. If the bandits are truly organized, they are very likely to target it next."

Wang Dashan said to his deputy, "Keep your eyes peeled! The cavalry inside the fortress, get ready and stand by to attack!"

Yan Qing's greed and the Night Owl's tightening net eventually brought the two forces together at that small transfer station.

Five days later, late at night.

Yan Qing personally led three hundred ruthless bandits, relying on their familiarity with the mountains and forests and their cunning infiltration, and actually managed to bypass the newly added patrol lines on the perimeter, quietly sneaking to the edge of the mountains and forests outside the transfer station.

Looking at the sparsely lit camp ahead, which seemed to be poorly guarded, a hint of smugness flashed in Yan Qing's narrow eyes.

"Archers, prepare to shoot down the watchtowers and night patrols first. Swordsmen, follow me and rush straight to the central army and the warehouse! Be quick! Once you've got them, immediately move the supplies. What you can't carry, burn it!" Yan Qing ordered in a low voice.

However, just as the bandits drew their bows and prepared to launch a surprise attack—

"Whoosh—smack!"

A red signal rocket suddenly rose from a small hill behind the camp, exploding into a dazzling red light in the night sky!

Immediately afterwards, the seemingly quiet campsite came alive! Countless figures suddenly stood up from behind the fence, beside the tents, and even under the camouflaged haystacks!

The bowstrings twanged, and crossbow bolts rained down like locusts! At the same time, the makeshift warning devices, with bells attached to ropes and buried beforehand around the camp, were also triggered, ringing out loud!

"There's an ambush!"

Yan Qing was terrified, but being a seasoned soldier, he remained calm in the face of danger. "Don't panic! They don't outnumber us! Charge in! Kill!"

The bandits were fierce and brave; with a shout, they charged forward through the hail of arrows.

However, they soon discovered that the enemy's arrows were not only dense but also extremely accurate, targeting only the leaders and those at the forefront.

The camp gate was not easily breached as expected; instead, it was blocked from the inside.

"Boom! Boom!" Several muffled sounds rang out as the guards threw several lit gunpowder canisters from behind the fence, which exploded among the bandits. Although the power was not great, the flashes and sounds greatly disrupted the bandits' charge.

"We've fallen for their trap! Time to get out of here!"

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, and that the enemy was clearly well-prepared and had fierce firepower, Yan Qing knew that if they continued fighting, they would surely be killed once the reinforcements from Panshi Fortress arrived. He made a decisive decision and ordered a retreat.

"Trying to leave? Too late!" A thunderous shout rang out.

Suddenly, torches blazed in the woods to the side and behind, and the sound of hooves thundered!

Wang Dashan personally led five hundred elite cavalrymen from Panshibao, like an iron torrent, crashing into the bandit group that was retreating in panic from the flank!

The sabers flashed, and blood splattered! Behind the cavalry, hundreds of infantrymen shouted and charged forward.

"It's the Frost Abyss Iron Cavalry! Run!"

The bandits completely collapsed, no longer caring about their leader's orders. They wished they had two more legs, and fled into the depths of the mountains, crying and screaming.

"Chase them! Leave no one alive!" Wang Dashan pointed his saber forward.

A bloody pursuit and cleanup operation ensued.

The bandits, familiar with the terrain, attempted to escape through the mountains and forests, but Wang Dashan's cavalry and infantry were also experienced in mountain warfare, and with the help of skilled Night Owls accompanying the army, they relentlessly pursued them like leeches.

Under the fierce protection of several trusted guards, Yan Qing abandoned most of the looted valuables and, relying on his extensive knowledge of the terrain, fled for his life by taking treacherous paths.

Along the way, the bandits around him were constantly shot, cut down, or fell off cliffs.

When they fled back to the vicinity of their stronghold in a disheveled state, less than fifty of the three hundred elite soldiers remained, all wounded and looking terrified.

However, what awaited them was not a warm nest or a chance to catch their breath.

As they approached the outermost outpost of the stronghold, they found it deathly silent.

The air was filled with a faint, lingering smell of blood and... burnt smell.

A sense of foreboding welled up in Yan Qing's heart. He signaled his men to be quiet and cautiously made his way towards the entrance of the mountain stronghold's cave.

The scene before him made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The mountain stronghold has been reduced to ruins! Most of the wooden walls have been burned down, and the entrances to the caves are piled with the corpses of bandits, many of whom were killed by a single arrow or with sharp knife wounds.

Inside the cave, faint smoke still rose. The familiar henchmen, women, and children were nowhere to be seen; only deathly silence remained.

On the rock at the cave entrance, a ferocious wolf's head was drawn in blood—the mark of a night owl. Beside it, a line of words was carved with a knife:

"Those who trespass into the Cold Abyss will have their nests burned down, and their ringleaders executed!"

The signature was a simple character: "枭" (xiāo).

"It's over...it's all over..." Yan Qing's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Only then did he realize that from the moment he sent Li San to contact Bei Yan, or perhaps even earlier, he and Chuan Lin Yan, whom he had painstakingly cultivated for many years, had already been included in the kill list by the terrifying war behemoth Han Yuan.

His supposedly secretive conspiracy and brilliant attack turned out to be nothing more than a laughable farce under the enemy's powerful intelligence network and thunderous counterattack, at the cost of the entire mountain stronghold's destruction.

"Boss, what do we do now?" The few remaining leaders were ashen-faced.

Despair and madness flashed in Yan Qing's eyes, finally turning into a desperate, ruthless glint: "Northern Yan... yes, there's still Northern Yan! They promised to give us a passage! To Yunnei City! To find 'Hu Tuozi'! This is our only way to survive!"

He led his last few dozen defeated soldiers, like stray dogs, not daring to linger or even look back at their burning lair, and fled in panic toward the border of Northern Yan.

Unbeknownst to them, an even larger and denser net awaited them ahead.

Their self-righteous "conspiracy" and "attack" not only failed to shake the foundation of Han Yuan, but were like two stones thrown into the water. Although they splashed some dangerous waves, what they really triggered was a more terrifying undercurrent and whirlpool that had been brewing beneath the surface for a long time.

The long-suppressed peace in the North has been completely shattered, and the shadow of war is rolling in at an unprecedented speed.