How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

Lin Xian had been defeated by Lin Mo in a pre-hunt competition, losing face and filled with resentment. He was determined to seek revenge on the Crown Prince's lineage, so he joined the hunt.

Lin Xian stepped forward quickly and bowed respectfully: "Third Prince."

Lin Fu looked at him and said, "Lin Xian, I'm giving you a chance to wash away your shame and take revenge yourself. Do you dare to accept?"

Lin Xian's eyes narrowed. His sole purpose in entering the mountains was revenge, and he immediately knelt on one knee without hesitation: "Your Highness, please give your orders, and I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life!"

"Alright." Lin Fu said in a deep voice, "The Southern Barbarians have blocked Eagle Sorrow Gorge. Lin Xuan will definitely pass through here. I order you to take fifty men to support the Southern Barbarians and help them intercept and kill the Crown Prince. I have already made arrangements with Batu Lie. With cooperation from both inside and outside, there will be no chance of failure."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xian's heart sank and his face turned pale instantly.

He wanted revenge and to regain his dignity, but he never thought of murdering the crown prince in public.

This was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. He couldn't bear it at all and froze on the spot, not daring to respond.

Lin Fu saw through his apprehension at a glance and calmly reassured him: "You don't need to panic. I have already prepared a full set of Southern Barbarian armor. All of you will be disguised as Southern Barbarian soldiers. There are fifty of you accompanying me, all of whom are my loyal followers. There is absolutely no possibility of leaking information."

"Hunting is a life-or-death trial. Deaths and injuries are common in the mountains, and no one can investigate. After the mission is accomplished, all the blame is pushed onto the Southern Barbarians. There is no evidence, and no one can find any fault with it."

He stepped forward half a step, lowered his voice and made a promise: "Once this matter is settled, when I ascend the throne in the future, you and the Prince Su's Mansion will enjoy prosperity and power for generations to come."

Lin Xian quickly weighed the options in his mind.

The Prince Su's mansion had already sided with the Third Prince and was now at odds with the Crown Prince; there was no turning back.

This plan is meticulous, carries minimal risk, and promises enormous rewards.

If you miss this opportunity, you'll never have another chance to turn your life around.

After a moment's thought, Lin Xian gritted his teeth and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly handle it well!"

After saying this, he turned and left to receive his orders, heading straight for Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

After Lin Xian left, Lin Fu summoned his personal guards again.

"Are those fifty assassins all in position?"

The guard bowed and replied, "Your Highness, they are all hidden in the shadows of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge. Once the Southern Barbarians have engaged the Crown Prince in a direct confrontation, we, the elite warriors, will strike immediately to finish him off, leaving no survivors."

A sinister glint flashed in Lin Fu's eyes.

These fifty assassins were his trump cards, secretly cultivated for many years.

During the standoff at the Eastern Palace, in order to protect these loyal soldiers from being exposed, he was extorted out of 300,000 taels of silver by Lin Xuan.

He held this grudge until today, and today he will use these fifty elite warriors to settle all scores.

Lin Fuli stood on the high ground of the central circle, gazing towards the direction of Yingchoujian, and thought coldly to himself:

The southern barbarians' frontal blockade was the first layer of attack.

Lin Xian led his men to assist in the encirclement, forming the second layer of the deadly trap.

My fifty elite assassins secretly carried out a deadly attack, which is the third layer of deadly trap.

The triple deadly strikes are nested layer upon layer, forming an inescapable net.

Even if Lin Xuan possesses extraordinary abilities, he will be unable to escape tonight.

As night fell, the mountains and forests were completely shrouded in darkness.

Deep within the dense forests on both sides of Eagle Sorrow Gorge, Lin Mo led six Shadow Hunters in ambush.

The location they chose was extremely cunning, the best hidden sentry post in the entire Eagle Sorrow Gorge.

A short while later, a Shadow Guard, keeping a low profile, silently returned to Lin Mo's side, his breathing slightly rapid, and whispered an urgent report:

"Brother Mo, something's not right."

Lin Mo's gaze remained fixed on the canyon below: "Speak."

"I explored the entire Eagle Sorrow Gorge. The main force of the Southern Barbarians, more than two hundred men, were deployed on both sides of the valley entrance. However, in the secluded forest on the east side, I discovered fifty figures wearing Southern Barbarian leather armor, lying in ambush."

The Shadow Hunter frowned and continued, "But this group of people is completely different from Batu Lie's Southern Barbarian soldiers."

Besides, there's another group of people lurking in the crevices of the back mountain. My subordinates dare not approach them; that group is extremely vigilant. Even the slightest noise at night will put them on alert instantly. They are definitely not the Southern Barbarian troops.

Lin Mo's eyes instantly turned serious.

He pondered quietly for a moment.

The total strength of the Southern Barbarians was just over two hundred, a number that could be confirmed in advance.

But now, two more groups of unidentified people have appeared.

A group of fifty people, dressed in southern barbarian leather armor.

A group of unknown numbers hid in the shadows, heavily guarded.

Their origins and purpose are unknown; they are clearly here specifically to ambush us in the canyon.

Lin Mo dared not delay and immediately arranged for two people to continue to lie in ambush and monitor the entire scene. He also sent a Shadow Hunter back overnight to report all the information about the three layers of ambush to Lin Xuan as soon as possible.

In the dense forest, upon hearing the intelligence, the atmosphere instantly plummeted.

Lin Xuan lightly tapped the ground with his fingertips, calmly reviewing the situation:

"Two hundred main forces of the Southern Barbarians were lying in ambush."

The first wave, operating from the shadows, consisted of fifty people disguised as southern barbarians.

A second wave lurking in the shadows, a mysterious group.

The third brother is determined to kill me at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

Su Ling Shuang's expression was tense: "Your Highness, the enemy has a total of more than 300 men. They occupy the high ground and the natural barrier of the canyon. Our main force has only 100 men, plus the remnants of the Northern Di army. We are at a disadvantage in terms of both manpower and terrain. We simply cannot win in a head-on confrontation."

Shen Hu also spoke in a deep voice: "Moreover, visibility is poor in the dark, and the opponent is hiding in the shadows. We can't even predict when they will make a move, which puts us at a great disadvantage."

Everyone knew in their hearts that this was a dead end.

Lin Xuan remained unmoved, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He paused for a moment, then quickly made a decision:

Princess Yu'er.

Tuoba Yu'er looked up, her eyes filled with wariness and doubt.

Lin Xuan looked at her, his voice steady: "Later, you will lead all the Northern Di troops to enter the Eagle Sorrow Valley from the front. There is no need for a direct attack. You only need to feign an advance to hold back the main force of the Southern Barbarians. As long as you keep Batu Lie's Southern Barbarian troops at the front of the valley entrance, your mission will be complete."

Tuoba Yu'er immediately frowned: "Our Northern Di have already suffered heavy casualties, with only a little over a hundred people left. If we are entangled with the main force of the Southern Barbarians, we will not be able to withdraw at all."

It wasn't that she didn't trust Lin Xuan, but this battle was far too dangerous; if she wasn't careful, the remnants of the Northern Di tribe would be completely annihilated.

Lin Xuan looked at her and said frankly, "You only have two paths now."

Alternatively, they could give up on the spot, withdraw from the six-nation encirclement, and admit defeat.

"Or, trust me this once, and give it a shot."

After a pause, he pointed out the most crucial flaw: "Tonight it is dark and moonless, and the visibility in the canyon is extremely poor. The Southern Barbarians, being on high ground, can only see shadows and torches, and cannot distinguish whether those entering the canyon are Northern Barbarian troops or our Great Qian soldiers."

"As long as you hold off the front lines, I'll deal with the two groups lurking in the shadows. After that, I'll come to your aid. Tonight, we'll break through Eagle's Sorrow Gorge and enter the central circle."

Tuoba Yu'er pursed her lips tightly, and after a moment, gritted her teeth and nodded.

Things have come to this point; retreat means utter defeat, while fighting offers a chance of survival.

"Okay, I'll trust you this once."

Lin Xuan then turned to Zhou Yi and said, "Bring out all the armor we seized after defeating the Southern Barbarians."

Everyone is puzzled.

Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke calmly:

"If we can't defeat the three hundred ambushers in a head-on confrontation, then I'll take advantage of the situation and create a situation where they fight amongst themselves."