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

The smoke from the battle in Wolf Valley had not yet dissipated, and the air was still thick with the stench of blood and scorched earth.

The annihilation of the three thousand Northern Yan vanguard was like a bucket of ice water, temporarily extinguishing the arrogant fire in Murong Chui's heart, but it failed to extinguish his ambition to conquer the south. Instead, it aroused even deeper violence and caution.

He ordered his main force to set up a fortified camp thirty miles outside the valley, with deep trenches and high walls, and to deploy scouts extensively. Like a giant beast that had been provoked but was now even more vigilant, it temporarily retracted its claws and scrutinized the direction of Rock Fortress with sinister eyes.

"Fortify the walls and clear the fields, lure the enemy deep into our territory, ambush and kill them... What a shrewd strategist, Xiao Chen! What a shrewd strategist, Han Yuan!"

Inside Murong Chui's central command tent, the crackling of charcoal fire reflected off his ashen face.

News had already spread that Helian Tienu's head had been displayed at the entrance of the valley, a blatant insult to his prestige.

"Issue orders to all units: no one may engage in battle without my command. Send out more scouts to thoroughly search every inch of land within a fifty-mile radius! Especially our supply lines; triple the manpower to guard them, patrolling day and night, without fail!"

Murong Chui was, after all, a veteran general, and he learned his lesson quickly after suffering a loss.

He knew that the Han Yuan Army was as cunning as a fox and as ruthless as a wolf, and would never be satisfied with just one ambush.

If a breakthrough is difficult to achieve on the main battlefield, the enemy is likely to turn its attention to the lifeline of its army—its food supplies.

Therefore, he stored the grain and fodder in a valley he considered relatively safe and easy to defend in the rear—Black Wind Pass—and assigned two thousand elite troops to guard it, with Tuoba Yan, a general under his command known for his caution, in charge.

However, Murong Chui underestimated the Night Owl's infiltration capabilities and overestimated the absolute security provided by the terrain.

Almost at the same time that the Northern Yan army set up camp, Xiao Chen in Panshi Fortress had already turned his attention to the sand table marked with the Northern Yan supply routes.

"The Battle of Wild Wolf Valley dampened the vanguard's momentum, but it also made them more cautious. A direct assault on their stronghold would be counterproductive."

Xiao Chen's finger finally landed on the "Black Wind Pass" location. "Murong Chui seeks stability in his military strategy, so his supplies must be stored in a strategic location in the rear. This place is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one narrow passage for entry and exit. It seems secure, but in reality... once a fire breaks out, it will be a dead end."

He looked at Zhao Tie, who was standing to the side, his gaze calm yet sharp: "Zhao Tie, have your men figured out the details of that place?"

Zhao Tie bowed, his voice low and clear: "Your Highness, the Night Owl has been investigated over the past three days."

The grain camp was set up on a sheltered, gentle slope inside the Black Wind Pass, storing enough grain for about half a month's supply for the army. The garrison commander, Tuoba Yan, was cautious in his military tactics, and the camp was well-organized with a mix of visible and hidden sentry posts and strict patrols.

However, their camps were mostly wooden palisades, with grain bins and haystacks concentrated in one place, and for fire prevention, water sources were located a little far from the camp area.

More importantly, our side has already detected the shift changes of their outer patrol teams and their nighttime passwords.

"it is good."

Xiao Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. "Murong Chui thinks he can rest easy by hiding in his position and relying on the natural defenses to guard the supply lines. I'll show him that there's no place that's absolutely safe in the territory of Hanyuan. Zhao Tie!"

"Your humble servant is here!"

"I order you to personally select fifty of the most elite and skilled assassins from the Night Owl and the Merchant Protection Army, those most adept at stealth, demolition, and harassment, to form a suicide squad. They will carry sufficient oil, gunpowder, and poison canisters. Infiltrate Black Wind Pass and burn Northern Yan's supplies for me! This is a decisive move, a swift and decisive strike, with a clean retreat. Is this achievable?"

Zhao Tie knelt on one knee, his eyes showing no hesitation, only icy killing intent and absolute faith: "Your Highness, rest assured, Night Owl never fails. This humble servant will surely reduce Northern Yan's grain supplies to ashes!"

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Fifty carefully selected experts have assembled at a secluded stronghold within Rock Fortress.

They changed into the mud- and blood-stained uniforms of the Northern Yan army, captured from the battlefield of Wild Wolf Valley, and wore the same captured, scattered but convincingly authentic waist tags.

His face was painted with dark greasepaint, and he was equipped with a poisoned dagger, a crossbow, a grappling hook, a fire starter, and canisters of fire oil and gunpowder wrapped in special oilcloth to prevent the smell from escaping.

Everyone silently inspected their equipment, their eyes gleaming with a wolf-like light in the dim light.

Zhao Tie's gaze slowly swept over each face. These were his most trusted subordinates, the sharpest claws among the Night Owls.

"Tonight's target: the Yan grain camp north of Black Wind Pass. Mission: Burn their supplies and create maximum chaos. Remember, we are shadows, ghosts; strike and retreat, never linger. Success or failure concerns the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers on the front lines, and the outcome of this battle. Move out!"

Fifty dark figures, as if blending into the night, silently left Rock Fortress and stealthily made their way northeast towards Black Wind Pass.

They avoided all main roads, taking only mountain trails and dry riverbeds, like the most skilled hunters, quickly approaching their target under the cover of night and the terrain.

Around midnight, the suicide squad arrived at the outer edge of Black Wind Pass.

Looking into the distance, there was a campfire at the mouth of the valley, and the figures of patrolling soldiers could be vaguely seen.

Zhao Tie made a few hand gestures, and the team immediately split into several groups.

Several of the most skilled stealth owls clung to the shadows of the cliff like geckos, using their night clothes and the terrain to perfectly avoid the sight of the visible sentries, and silently took down two hidden sentries behind the rocks.

Afterwards, Zhao Tie personally led three people, disguised as a disheveled and defeated squad, supporting each other as they stumbled and staggered toward the valley entrance sentry post.

"Halt! Who goes there? Password!" The sentry warily raised his spear.

"Brother...brother, don't shoot! They're on our side..."

Zhao Tie spoke in a hoarse and weary voice, his accent slightly tinged with Youzhou, "We were from Wild Wolf Valley under General Helian's command... We were defeated... We barely managed to escape..."

The sentry approached with a torch, still somewhat skeptical. Seeing their tattered Northern Yan uniforms, their bodies covered in blood and dust, and the lingering fear on their faces, his wariness lessened.

They checked the waist tag again; although the serial number was a bit messy, it was definitely genuine.

"Password!" the sentry pressed again; this was the final checkpoint.

Zhao Tie seemed to struggle for a moment before whispering, "...the north wind."

This is the password for tonight that Night Owl risked his life to intercept from a messenger from Northern Yan.

The sentry breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand: "Go on in. Go find the medic in the wounded soldiers' camp over there. What bad luck, we lost the battle..."

He muttered something as he stepped aside.

Zhao Tie and his companions thanked him repeatedly, bowed their heads, and quickly passed through the checkpoint, disappearing into the shadows of the camp.

Subsequent suicide squad members either used this gap or used grappling hooks from other directions to climb over the wooden fence and infiltrate the area.

Under the cover of night and in disguise, the entire food camp opened its doors to these deadly ghosts.

The layout of the camp had already been figured out by Night Owl.

Like a wolf in the dark, Zhao Tie calmly assigned tasks: the first group of fifteen, led by his deputy, continued to eliminate hidden sentries and destroy any possible alarms or tripwires; the second group of twenty, carrying most of the flammable materials, dispersed and infiltrated the grain storage area, hay yard, and even the stables, carefully sprinkling kerosene on the edges of grain stacks, haystacks, and tents, and burying gunpowder packs under key support points; the third group of fifteen, including Zhao Tie, infiltrated towards the central command tent, preparing to create greater chaos if the fire broke out.

Time passed slowly, and the camp was quiet except for the footsteps of the patrol team and the occasional cough.

Most of the Northern Yan soldiers were still asleep, except for the sentries by the granaries and at the camp gate, who were forcing themselves to stay awake.

The third quarter of the hour of Zi (11:45 PM).

"Whoosh—Bang!"

A rocket with a piercing whistle suddenly rose from a hillside outside the grain camp, exploding into a bright green flame in the night sky!

This is the agreed-upon signal to take action, and also a feint to confuse the audience and attract attention!

"Enemy attack?! Over there!" A commotion broke out in the camp as some soldiers were awakened and looked in the direction where the rockets had been launched.

In that instant when attention was drawn—

"Do it!" Zhao Tie roared, throwing the tinder in his hand at a grain bin next to him that was covered in grease!

"call--!"

The dry grain ignited instantly upon contact with kerosene and an open flame! Almost simultaneously, dozens of fire lines sprang up in every corner of the grain camp!

Stacks of grain, haystacks, and tents, doused with kerosene, transformed into enormous torches! And then—

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The gunpowder pack buried under the support pillars of the grain bin and deep in the haystack was ignited, causing a violent explosion!

Wood chips, hay, and burning grain were blasted into the sky like a rain of fire! The blast wave overturned nearby tents and ignited even more flammable materials.

"Fire! The granary is on fire!"

"Enemy attack! It's the traitor Han Yuan!"

"Gunpowder! They have gunpowder!"

The piercing alarm, terrified screams, and frantic running sounds shattered the tranquility of the night, plunging the entire Black Wind Food Camp into chaos and flames.

The towering flames illuminated the valley as if it were daytime, and thick smoke billowed into the night sky.

"Don't panic! Put out the fire! Quickly, fetch water!"

The bald-haired commander rushed out of the central command tent, disheveled, shouting at the top of his lungs in an attempt to organize firefighting efforts.

However, chaos had already broken out, and the soldiers were running around like headless flies. Many of them couldn't even find a water bucket, or discovered that the water channel had been blocked by sandbags and debris.

Just as Bald Yan was trying his best to maintain order, several cold crossbow bolts shot out from the dark corners, shooting down two of his personal guards!

Meanwhile, several smoldering earthenware jars were thrown near the central command tent, the pungent smoke spreading and causing violent coughing and tearing.

"Protect the general!" The guards hurriedly shielded the bald man in the middle.

The attack came from the shadows. How many enemies were there? Where were they? Nobody knew! Fear spread like a plague.

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

Seeing that the fire was out of control and the thick smoke was providing cover, Zhao Tie gave the order to retreat without hesitation.

The suicide squad members quickly evacuated from the camp according to the predetermined route.

They moved nimbly and coordinated perfectly, using the chaos and smoke as cover to easily shake off the scattered Northern Yan soldiers who tried to intercept them. Like drops of water flowing into the sea, they quickly disappeared into the dark forests outside the camp.

While Bald Yan managed to stabilize some of his men, extinguish the fire near the central command tent, and organize effective firefighting and search operations, the suicide squad had already fled far away.

All that was left for them were endless, uncontrollable fires burning the grain and fodder, the acrid smell of burning and toxic smoke in the air, the devastation everywhere, and the cruel reality that more than 30% of the grain and fodder had been reduced to ashes.

The towering flames and billowing smoke were clearly visible from dozens of miles away.

When the news reached Murong Chui's camp, the face of this Northern Yan General, under the flickering candlelight, first turned red, then ashen, and finally ashen.

He abruptly overturned the table in front of him, his roar echoing throughout the tent: "Bald Yan is incompetent! Useless! This general will tear him to pieces!"

However, after the roar came endless coldness. With supplies burned, morale was bound to waver.

The original attack plan had to be postponed or even changed. A deep chill rose up Murong Chui's spine.

He suddenly realized that this southern expedition might have been a carefully laid trap from the very beginning, a quagmire fraught with danger at every turn.

However, his young rival, Xiao Chen, who was far away in Panshi Fortress, was far more ruthless and cunning than he had anticipated.

The fire at Black Wind Pass not only destroyed the Northern Yan army's supplies, but also shattered Murong Chui's confidence in a swift victory and ignited panic among the Northern Yan soldiers.

Han Yuan's sharp blade had already silently approached the throat of the Northern Yan army.