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

Now, he knows better than anyone else that he has lost.

The moment the knife was placed against his neck, Han Shi'an calmed down.

The image of his late-night conversation with the military governor of Shuofang Road on his way here involuntarily came to mind.

That official once said, "You will lead the barbarians into the pass, and then personally drive them out. One in and one out, a great achievement, and Ling Shuang Pass will be yours."

Unfortunately, at this moment, everything has come to naught.

Han Shi'an was unwilling to accept this.

"I'd love to know, what else do you know?"

Shen Chuxiao met his gaze and revealed a very faint smile.

"Lord Han's plan is complex in some ways, but simple in others."

"The ambush by the fake barbarians at Qingfengkou was carried out by your former subordinates of Zhou Henian. There were two purposes: first, to kill me; second, to use the opportunity to send your personal guards to contact the barbarians."

Han Shi'an's brow twitched suddenly.

"The Black Stone tribe just suffered a defeat, their supplies were burned, and they desperately need food for the winter. Qingfeng Pass is a remote place with no garrison—you have three hundred personal guards block the mountain roads surrounding the pass, intercept patrolling scouts, and prevent anyone from discovering the barbarians entering the pass. After they plunder Liuhe Town, you then lead men to 'repel' the barbarians and falsely report a great victory to the court—is that right?"

Shen Chuxiao paused, his gaze sharp as a knife:

"As for how many people in Ling Shuang Pass and Liu He Town will die—you don't care at all."

Han Shi'an's expression finally changed completely.

"Lord Han, am I right?"

Han Shi'an stared intently at him, his chest heaving violently.

"Impossible... You couldn't possibly know so much detail... Who told you?"

"I guessed, do you believe me?" Shen Chuxiao said calmly, "Tonight, I'll play along and finish this charade—"

"Then I'll let you and all of them die here."

Han Shi'an's eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead were bulging.

He struggled violently, not caring that there was a knife to his neck.

"Shen Chuxiao, I refuse to accept this!"

Lu Chenzhou sighed and took a short knife from his personal guard.

The blade gleamed coldly in the candlelight.

She gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, walked slowly to Han Shi'an, and looked down at him.

When Han Shi'an first arrived at the border, he was already an old man in the Shuofang Circuit.

The two had known each other for many years. Although she knew he was dishonest and that his gaze towards her always carried a hint of frivolity, she never imagined that he would betray his country and collude with the enemy.

"Han Shi'an, I'll give you a quick death."

Before he could finish speaking, the dagger had already pierced his heart.

Blood spurted out, the crimson liquid splashing onto the snow, scalding small holes. Han Shi'an's eyes widened suddenly, his lips moved slightly, but he ultimately said nothing. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

Upon seeing Han Shi'an dead, Zhao Chongyuan turned deathly pale, his legs buckled, and he knelt down, trembling as he cried out, "General, spare my life! This humble general... this humble general was only coerced by Han Shi'an, I was not the mastermind!"

Lu Chenzhou gave him a cold look: "Take him away and lock him in the death row. I'll interrogate him when I have time."

The guards stepped forward and dragged the limp Zhao Chongyuan away.

Shen Chuxiao looked at Lu Chenzhou: "General, it's time to close the net at Qingfeng Pass."

Lu Chenzhou nodded: "Lin Shang and I will stay in the pass to handle the aftermath. You take your men and go quickly."

Shen Chuxiao clasped his hands in a fist salute and led Tie Niu straight to Qingfeng Pass.

Located in a valley northeast of Lingshuang Pass, Qingfeng Mountain is situated in a treacherous area with steep, knife-like cliffs on both sides and only a narrow passage at the bottom of the valley.

If the barbarian cavalry passes through here, they can bypass the frontal defenses of Ling Shuang Pass, advance directly into the rear of Liuhe Town, and cut off the garrison's supply lines.

Last time, Han Shi'an had his men set up an ambush here, intending to kill Shen Chuxiao, but the attempt failed.

This time, he risked everything.

At this moment, on the snow-covered plains three miles outside the pass, a group of dark figures lay silently in the wind and snow.

The leader was a young man wearing a wolf-skin cloak. He had a handsome face, calm eyes, and was covered in a thin layer of frost, yet he remained motionless.

Young chieftain of the Black Stone tribe of barbarians.

He had fought against Shen Chuxiao and knew that this man was no ordinary general.

He is meticulous and skilled at planning. His failure in the last siege was because he underestimated Shen Chuxiao.

This time, he was invited by Han Shi'an to prepare to take Ling Shuang Pass by working together from the inside and outside.

This is his only chance.

"Young clan leader, the time is almost up," the lieutenant beside him whispered.

The wolf-skin boy didn't speak, but simply looked up towards the direction of Qingfeng Pass. The wind and snow obscured most of his vision, but he could vaguely see the sparse torchlight on the mountainside.

"Any news from Han Shi'an?"

"Not yet. The agreed signal is at 3:45 AM, and it's just past midnight now."

The wolf-skin boy frowned slightly.

He doesn't like to wait.

They disliked betting their lives on a traitorous general from the Great Jing Dynasty.

But this time, Han Shi'an's offer was too tempting—after the deal was done, the Black Stone tribe could take all the grain and fodder from Liuhe Town, enough for the entire tribe to survive the winter.

He suppressed his unease and continued to wait.

Time passed little by little.

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

Suddenly, a cluster of fireworks lit up the sky above Qingfeng Pass.

The wind and snow obscured most of the light, but the faint glimmer still pierced through the white curtain of snow and fell into the eyes of every barbarian soldier.

"The signal has arrived!" The lieutenant's voice trembled with excitement.

The wolf-skin boy did not give the order immediately.

His gaze was fixed on the cluster of fireworks, something felt off. The light was too bright, and it lasted too long—it didn't seem like a signal from an inside agent, but rather... it seemed like it was deliberately meant to be seen.

But time waits for no one.

If this drags on any longer, the snow will accumulate and the cavalry will be unable to advance quickly, and the battle will be lost.

"Let's go." He slowly drew the curved sword from his waist. "Straight to Qingfeng Pass!"

A thousand elite Blackstone cavalrymen marched out through the snow. The thick snow slowed their march, but it also silently swallowed most of the sound of their hooves, making the cavalrymen seem like a pack of wolves quietly approaching in the dark.

The journey of three miles will take only a short while.

When the wolf-skin boy led his men to the Green Peak Pass, he suddenly pulled on the reins—

The valley mouth was empty.

There were no patrols or scouts, no obstacles, only snow-covered mountain paths and dark mountain walls on both sides.

It's too quiet.

It was as quiet as a trap with its mouths wide open.

"Young clan leader..." the lieutenant's voice began to falter, "Could it be a trap?"

The wolf-skin boy did not answer.

His gaze swept across the empty valley entrance, the silent mountain walls, and the bottomless darkness deep within the valley. Reason told him that he should retreat.

But another voice echoed in his mind—

food.

That was the fate of the entire tribe during the winter.

He gritted his teeth, and sharply pointed his scimitar forward: "Into the valley!"

A thousand cavalrymen surged into Qingfeng Pass like a tidal wave.

The vanguard cut through the narrow valley and plunged into the heart of the region—

Then everyone stopped.

The unease in the wolf-skin boy's heart suddenly intensified at that moment.

It was like a hand suddenly gripping his heart.

He subconsciously looked around—the valley wasn't large, but it was already packed with four or five hundred people, people and horses squeezed together, a dark mass, making it difficult to even turn around.

More cavalry continued to pour in, making the already crowded valley even more congested.

He opened his mouth, about to order a retreat—

"boom--!"

Suddenly, deafening shouts erupted from the mountain walls on both sides, and countless torches were lit at the same time, illuminating the entire valley as bright as day.

The firelight illuminated every face.

"Not good!" The wolf-skinned boy's pupils constricted sharply, and he jerked the reins with his scimitar. "Retreat! We've fallen into a trap!"

"Boom!"

Before the words were finished, a dull, loud noise came from the direction of the valley entrance.

Huge boulders and logs rained down like a storm, crashing into the valley and spraying up a cloud of blood. Dozens of barbarian soldiers, unable to escape in time, were crushed into a bloody pulp before they could even scream.

Those massive boulders and logs, each weighing thousands of pounds, completely blocked the only way out.

The valley had become a death row.

Meanwhile, on the mountain roads outside the pass, Han Shi'an's three hundred personal guards were scattered at various intersections, waiting to intercept patrolling scouts.

Unfortunately, what they encountered was Zhao Wu's axemen—who struck silently, leaving no one alive.

In the distance, Shen Chuxiao rode his horse to the top of the cliff, just in time to witness this spectacle.

"Young clan leader—" he said loudly, "I have been waiting for you for a long time."