Frontier Hero: From Receiving a Convicted Woman to Becoming an Emperor for All Time

Shen Chuxiao stood at the entrance of the cellar, twitched the corner of his mouth, and walked towards the central command tent.

Pei Jue arrived faster than expected.

He Jinzhong was captured just yesterday, and this man has already led his men out of the city today. Either he had made a contingency plan in advance, or he was on the road when He Jinzhong was surrounded.

Both possibilities made Shen Chuxiao's heart tighten.

When he arrived at the central command tent, there were already people inside.

Tie Niu was squatting at the doorway drinking porridge. When he saw him coming, he put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and said, "Boss, that bastard Pei Jue really came?"

"Come in." Shen Chuxiao lifted the curtain and entered.

Before long, everyone who was supposed to arrive had arrived.

Lu Chenzhou returned from his inspection of the city walls, his cloak still damp with dew.

Han Meng, Zhao Wu, Shen Qiao, and Baturu sat on either side, while the Third Prince, as usual, sat in the corner fanning himself, seemingly unconcerned.

Shen Chuxiao didn't waste any words. He put the intelligence on the table and explained the situation in a few words.

"That's all the information the scouts brought back. We didn't keep up, and we don't know where they are now."

Han Meng frowned and said, "What can five hundred lightly armed men do? They can't attack cities, they can't raid camps. Are they going to run all night in the dark to Ling Shuang Pass for a one-on-one duel?"

"A one-on-one fight is out of the question."

Zhao Wu shook his head and said, "But if five hundred skilled fighters were to scatter into the mountains and hide, targeting our sentries and patrols, they could really disgust us."

"That's different. Pei Jue doesn't need to come out and disgust people himself."

Shen Chuxiao shook his head.

"He could easily send any of his men to do this dirty and tiring work. The fact that he personally led his men out of the city means he must have a specific target he can't do without."

The tent was quiet for a while.

"What's the target?" Tie Niu couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know."

Shen Chuxiao answered frankly.

"I've never met him. He Jinzhong only said that this man is shrewd and never fights a battle he's not sure he can win. We can't guess his target right now. But some things don't need to be guessed."

He stood up, walked to the sand table, and pointed out the official road, mountain path, and trail between Zizhou City and Lingshuang Pass one by one.

"Five hundred people couldn't just disappear into thin air. The scouts lost track of them after they left the city, which means they didn't take the main road, but a pre-prepared side road."

There are few routes from Zizhou to Lingshuang Pass that can bypass the scouts' line of sight. The shortest main road goes north from Zizhou, passes Qingshi Town, and then turns east, a distance of over 300 li. Smaller paths are shorter, but more difficult to traverse, especially at night.

Han Meng stood up and walked to the sand table to examine it closely: "The road to Qing Shi Town has a section that crosses Niu Tou Mountain. In this season, the wind on the mountain is fierce, and a person can lose half their life after walking for a night. Knowing Pei Jue's personality, he won't let his men be half-dead right from the start."

"So you mean he hasn't gone far? He's still near Zizhou?" Zhao Wu asked.

"That's possible."

Shen Chuxiao said, "But it's also possible that he never intended to come to Ling Shuang Pass at all. Five hundred people are a small target. He could just find a place to hide along the way, and when our people search towards Ling Shuang Pass, he could turn around and go somewhere else. The next time he appears, it will be in the place we least want him to be."

"He's a master of deception, this guy is really cunning," Tie Niu spat.

Lu Chenzhou, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke: "Regardless of whether his intentions are genuine or not, the defenses of Ling Shuang Pass cannot be relaxed. Double sentries must be added to the official road in the northwest, the mountain road in the north, and the Baishui River in the south. The curfew in the city will be moved forward by one hour starting today. Also, your Dragon Tiger Team can no longer be just for show."

Shen Chuxiao nodded: "General, rest assured, I have already had Zhao Wu deploy his men. Starting today, the Dragon Tiger Team will be deployed in ten-man squads along the outer perimeter of Ling Shuang Pass, scattered throughout the mountains and forests. If Pei Jue's men try to sneak into Ling Shuang Pass, they'll have to get past them first."

"We should also withdraw our scouts."

Han Meng added, "Pei Jue has skilled men under his command. Scouts alone are easily taken out. My suggestion is that all those who go out to scout should be in groups of at least three, supporting each other."

"Okay," Shen Chuxiao replied.

The Third Prince suddenly spoke up: "Captain Shen, didn't you consider that Pei Jue might already know how you would handle this before he came out?"

Everyone looked at him.

The Third Prince closed his fan and said slowly, "He Jinzhong's army has been defeated, and Zizhou City is now empty. Pei Jue couldn't have been unaware of this situation. Since he dared to lead five hundred men out of the city, he must have a backup plan."

"This prince is merely offering a reminder: don't focus solely on these five hundred men. Zizhou City still exists, Li Bi still exists, Xue Jingzhi still exists. Perhaps this so-called leader of the martial world is just a prelude."

Shen Chuxiao looked at him and suddenly smiled: "Your Highness has improved; you've started to use your brain."

The third prince rolled his eyes: "I've always had brains, I just don't like to use them."

"Alright, lend me your brain that you don't like to use. What do you think Pei Jue's backup plan is?"

The Third Prince opened his fan and shook it: "This prince doesn't know much about the affairs of the martial world. But one thing is certain: Pei Jue will not fight alone."

The five hundred men were only those he took out of the city; there were likely many more he didn't. He'd been operating in Zizhou for so many years, with three thousand troops on the surface, but what about the hidden forces?

Shen Chuxiao's smile faded as he looked at Shen Qiao: "When was the last time you entered Zizhou City?"

Shen Qiao said, "Three months ago. There were about half visible sentries and half hidden sentries in the city, and the security was neither too tight nor too loose. But Zizhou has a unique characteristic: there are many wealthy families and manors. If someone keeps dozens of Jianghu people, the officials simply cannot find out."

"That's right."

Shen Chuxiao snorted coldly, "That's just a decoy. The real people who want to make a move have probably already infiltrated and are hiding around Ling Shuang Pass. While we're running around for these five hundred men, their main force will have already quietly crept up to our doorstep. At that time, we won't even need to attack the city gates. They can kill me, burn the grain, and then lure the troops outside the city away. The city will fall on its own without a fight."

"I'll take men to search outside the city right away." Zhao Wu stood up abruptly.

"sit down."

Shen Chuxiao glanced at him. "Go search now. What are you going to search for? You'll only find hunters or ordinary people. Do you think Pei Jue's men will just stand there waiting for you to arrest them? Putting aside everything else, take Yan Wuhen for example. He Jinzhong said he walks on the city wall as if it were flat ground. You wouldn't even notice someone like that hiding right above you."

Zhao Wu gripped the hilt of his knife and remained silent.

"So, I won't search."

Shen Chuxiao walked to the sand table, gently inserted his long sword into the edge of the sand table, and stood it upright in the sand, the blade trembling slightly.

"If he wants to hide, let him hide. If he wants to infiltrate, let him infiltrate. Pei Jue's specialty is operating in the shadows. Fine, I'll turn off all the lights and stand in the shadows myself. In the dark, his visible informants and scouts will be blind. If we can't find him, he won't be able to find us either."

Lu Chenzhou looked up at him: "What do you want to do?"

"From today onwards, all military movements at Ling Shuang Pass will be carried out with great fanfare during the day, but not a single soldier is to be moved at night. All defenses must be in place by day. The Dragon Tiger Brigade will leave the city and hide in the mountains. All our sentries will be moved underground. From the outside, Ling Shuang Pass will appear as an empty shell. But anyone who tries to intrude..."

Shen Chuxiao paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "Your entire arm will be chopped off with a knife."

The group exchanged glances, and they all saw the same thing in each other's eyes.

That was the will to fight.

"General Han, select two hundred sharp-eyed veterans to infiltrate the streets and alleys, disguise themselves as peddlers, tea vendors, and porters, and have them search every possible hiding place in the city. Houses, wineries, dilapidated temples, vegetable cellars—don't miss a single one."

"Shen Qiao, you go out of the city at night and search in the opposite direction of Zizhou. Don't look for the main force, only look for the lone wolf. If they send anyone to watch the city, take their eyes out first."

"Tie Niu, recount the city's defensive equipment. Carry all the logs and oil to the top of the walls. The city's defenses may seem lax, but everything must be prepared. I want a loose exterior but a tight interior."

"Zhao Wu, the Dragon Tiger Team's shift changes are completely disrupted. They hide during the day and move at night, and even their own men have to change clothes to meet up. They are the city's second line of defense, the one you can't see."

As the orders were issued, the crowd responded with a resounding roar.

After everyone had left, only Shen Chuxiao remained in the tent.

He walked to the sand table, pulled out the knife stuck in the sand, turned around and walked to the tent entrance, looking at the rising sun in the east.

The morning light was dazzling, and Shen Chuxiao squinted slightly.

"Pei Jue, you'd better keep a low profile. Don't let me find you out too soon, or it won't be fun."