A divine healer, a general, a young marquis! Who can rival them!

A great fire destroyed most of the grain and fodder in the western camp, and also exposed the deep-rooted decay within the military camp.

Yang Hu rescued the burned soldiers, and in terms of skill and merit, no one in the camp dared to disagree.

But what he had to do was far more than just save lives.

The thought that someone had set the way for that fire was like a thorn stuck in his heart.

As night fell, he used the pretext of the medical officer inspecting the wounded and taking inventory of medicines to once again quietly move around the camp.

"That night, the barbarians used the old irrigation canal west of the camp," Liu Ye, disguised as a guard, whispered, reporting the information she had gathered during the day.

Born in the mountains, she was most skilled at finding traces in remote places. After the fire broke out that night, everyone else was busy putting out the fire, but she quietly went around to the west of the camp and followed the footprints of the barbarians as they retreated, exploring all the way.

"That canal is long abandoned, silted up, and not even marked on the map." She lowered her voice very much. "The canal mouth is covered with withered grass and fallen leaves for cover. Ordinary people have no idea that people can pass through there, let alone sneak into the camp in the dark."

Yang Hu's fingertips slowly traced across the simple camp defense map.

"It's an abandoned irrigation canal, unknown to outsiders." His eyes were cold. "But those in charge of ordnance and defense within the camp know about it."

Yang Hu's heart sank.

An abandoned irrigation ditch, not even marked on the camp map, its mouth deliberately covered with withered grass. This was definitely not a path the barbarians could have found on their own.

The clue, once again, points to the hand hidden deep within the central command tent.

The leaked inferior weapons, the poisoned arrowheads, the shoddy cotton-padded clothes, the poisoning in the well, the fire that led to the invasion of the country... each and every one of these seemingly scattered incidents is connected to the same thread.

That hand wasn't looking to gain a small advantage.

What it wanted was to hollow out and burn down this great border city from the inside, bit by bit, and hand it over to the barbarians outside the pass, along with the millions of people inside.

"This is no longer just about leaking some supplies or damaging morale." Qin Ying, disguised as a medicine boy, sat under the lamp, his cold eyes filled with boundless hatred. "Leading the barbarians to launch a night attack and burn our own grain supplies—this is to ensure that this pass falls completely into the hands of the barbarians. This is treason, this is collusion with the enemy."

Yang Hu nodded silently.

He knew better than anyone that the further he went down this path, the more dangerous it would become. His adversaries wanted to overthrow the very foundation of the border region; and all he held in his hands were a few clues that weren't yet a solid case, and his medical skills that could save lives.

But he had no way out.

The soldiers of this battalion, the brothers he had pulled back from the brink of death, and this border post that protected millions of people—all were now living in constant fear under the machinations of this hand.

If he retreats, this pass will inevitably fall into that hand sooner or later. At that time, the barbarian cavalry will sweep in unimpeded, and he dares not even imagine the devastation that will ensue within the pass.

"Investigate." He said each word with unwavering determination, "Follow this lead, investigate layer by layer. I want to see who has the audacity to burn down the gates of Da Cheng."

"Armaments, defenses, that abandoned canal—everything had to go through the hands of the central army." He pointed his finger at the camp defense map, tracing it inch by inch. "The one who could mobilize all of this and suppress that 'fighting to the death' military report was definitely not a mere central army clerk. The person behind him was the one who truly held the reins."

Qin Ying listened intently, nodding slowly. Having led troops before, she knew best the intricacies of the military's hierarchical control. Yang Hu's deductions had hit the nail on the head in every aspect.

A few days later, the commotion in the camp gradually subsided. The burned provisions were urgently replaced by supplies from neighboring camps; most of the scalded soldiers also recovered and were able to walk again.

Although the night raid was dangerous, Yang Hu's effective treatment saved a large number of wounded soldiers, adding a note to the military report sent to the central army.

"Medical officer Yang Hu treated dozens of scalded soldiers during the night of the fire, many of whom survived, thus preserving the fighting strength. His contribution was invaluable."

The short line of text was added by Captain Chen himself.

This usually taciturn and strict captain had witnessed the young medical officer's abilities firsthand. A great fire had destroyed half the camp's provisions, causing widespread panic among the troops. If Yang Hu hadn't acted decisively and rescued the dozens of burned brothers, the western camp's vitality would likely have been severely damaged.

This line of text, though seemingly casual, is a testament to the military merit earned through saving lives.

At this pass, military merit is of utmost importance. Countless people risk their lives on the city walls, all for that one line in the military report.

A traveling physician, relying on his medical skills, never fought on the battlefield, yet he gradually earned respectable merits within the military camp. This was unprecedented in the history of the Western Camp.

Qin Ying looked at Yang Hu's name on the military newspaper, a complex and strange light flashing in her usually cold eyes.

She suddenly remembered that when she first met this man, he was just a down-on-his-luck doctor tending to her wounds by a mass grave. At that time, she was seriously injured and on the verge of death. It was this seemingly weak young man who protected her all the way, carving a path to survival through the pile of corpses.

But now, with his skills, he has carved out a foothold in this perilous border region and taken on the heavy responsibility of exposing treacherous officials and saving the border.

This burden shouldn't have fallen on the shoulders of a traveling doctor. But he took it all on without a word and carried it steadily.

"Your reputation as a medical officer is growing stronger," she said softly, her tone carrying a warmth she herself didn't realize. "From a wandering doctor by a mass grave to a medical officer whose achievements are recorded in the military newspaper, you've had a tough journey."

"The more prestigious the reputation, the more restless that hand will become." Yang Hu looked out the window at the burned and ravaged camp and said calmly, "The more eager it is to make a move, the more flaws it will reveal. What I've been waiting for is the day when it loses its patience."

Night had fallen, and the night wind howled through the dilapidated tents, carrying with it an unyielding chill.

In the distance, the lights in the central command tent remained unusually bright. The hand hidden deep within, after this night raid, not only failed to bring down Yang Hu, but instead added another layer to his prestige and military achievements within the army.

After this defeat, it is probably even more anxious and ruthless.

Yang Hu knew that the waters deep within the military camp were even deeper and more murky than he had imagined. The truth of this contest was far from being revealed.

The real storm is yet to come.

That hand won't give up easily; the next strike will be even more ruthless and swift. And all it can rely on is the morale of the entire camp of soldiers and their unwavering tenacity—they won't stop until they find a weakness.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone. He had Qin Ying, Liu Ye, and the brothers in his battalion whom he had pulled back from the brink of death and who regarded him as their backbone.

He gripped the roll of scrap paper filled with clues tightly in his hand, his eyes resolute.

On that roll of straw paper were recorded inferior weapons, poisoned arrows, cotton-padded clothes, poisoning, and fire attacks, one after another, gradually outlining the contours of the hand hidden in the shadows.

We are not far from uncovering its true nature.

No matter what lies ahead, whether it be a den of dragons or a lair of tigers, he will walk this path step by step to the very end, to expose the mastermind and restore order to the border.