I asked you to go hunting, and you ended up wearing a yellow robe?

After listening, Yuan Tianlong nodded, his tone chilling: "Well said."

He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the still-shaken border soldiers, and declared loudly, "Treason is an unforgivable crime. If anyone dares to defect to the Yelü people, let alone kill them, even being subjected to slow slicing would not be too much! I, Yuan Tianlong, will be the first to object!"

His tone suddenly shifted, and his voice became as cold as an iceberg.

"but--!"

"If anyone dares to distort the truth and frame or unjustly kill those who fought and bled for our Great Zhou, they are a thousand times more despicable than traitors! Such people deserve to be torn to pieces to atone for their sins!"

The last eight words were practically roared out by Yuan Tianlong, his voice shaking the surrounding area, carrying with it boundless killing intent honed from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, pressing down fiercely on He Yong.

He Yong felt a powerful force strike his chest, his blood surged, and he staggered back three steps, his face as pale as paper.

He got it.

Yuan Tianlong is determined to protect Qishan!

If we keep arguing, we'll only hurt ourselves. I messed up this task today.

"General Yuan...you're right." He Yong spat out the words through gritted teeth, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes. He then waved his hand and growled at his subordinates, "Let's go!"

Having said that, he mounted his horse, glared fiercely at Qi Shan as if trying to etch his image into his very bones, and spat on the ground before leaving: "You lucky bastard!"

The thousand-strong border guards arrived quickly and left just as fast, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye, leaving only a cloud of dust behind.

Only then did Meng Da and the others seem to have all their strength drained away, with many collapsing to the ground, panting heavily.

From hell to heaven, it only takes a moment.

Qi Shan dismounted, walked to Yuan Tianlong's horse, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice steady: "Qi Shan, the magistrate of Qingyang County, thanks General Yuan for saving my life."

There was no excessive gratitude or tears, only the most direct thanks.

Yuan Tianlong laughed heartily, dismounted, and personally helped Qi Shan up. His tiger-like eyes scrutinized Qi Shan repeatedly: "Good! Good indeed, Qi Shan! I heard that a remarkable man had emerged in Qingyang County, who led two hundred infantrymen in a surprise attack on a three-thousand-strong enemy camp and killed Yelü Da in battle. I came to provide reinforcements, but I didn't expect to arrive too late, letting you finish all the work!"

Qi Shan understood.

It turned out to be the case.

This renowned general from the North came because of his past achievements.

His mind raced, and he immediately understood that the other person had saved him, and such a tremendous favor would be too cheap to be repaid with just a word of thanks. In the ways of the world, relationships are reciprocal; only then can they last.

Moreover, this General Yuan was the only "clean" high-ranking official he could possibly come into contact with within the corrupt border army system.

"General Yuan flatters me. Qi Shan was merely lucky." Qi Shan straightened up and changed the subject. "Although Yelü Da is dead, he still has nearly two thousand defeated soldiers under his command. They are leaderless and have scattered in all directions. Qi Shan's troops are few and weak, so it is really difficult to annihilate them all."

He paused, looking at Yuan Tianlong, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "But this defeated army hasn't gone far; most of them are in a few valleys within thirty miles to the west. If General has enough troops, we can achieve a complete victory in one battle and wipe out this scourge!"

Upon hearing this, the guards behind Yuan Tianlong all gasped in shock.

Nearly two thousand Yelü soldiers were annihilated.

What an incredible achievement! Enough to shake the entire Northern Territory, and even reach the ears of the Emperor!

And Qi Shan, just like that, casually... sent it out?

Yuan Tianlong's eyes widened as he stared intently at Qi Shan, as if he were seeing him for the first time.

He had initially thought Qi Shan was just a fearless and valiant general, but now he was astonished to realize that this man's vision and ambition far exceeded his expectations! This was no mere valiant general; he was clearly a young and ruthless leader who knew how to assess the situation and knew when to advance and retreat!

"Hahaha! Excellent!" Yuan Tianlong patted Qi Shan's shoulder heavily, his eyes practically overflowing with admiration. "I accept this great gift from you! Fighting against Yelü is not a matter for one person or one family. With your magnanimity, Qi Shan, how can the northern border not be peaceful!"

He immediately turned around and ordered one of his lieutenants, "Zhang Hu, you immediately take three thousand brothers and, following the direction indicated by Magistrate Qi, wipe out the remaining forces of Yelü, leaving no one alive!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

"The rest of you, escort Qi Yingxiong back to Qingyang County!"

At Yuan Tianlong's command, the army split up and galloped away. He rode alongside Qi Shan, heading towards Qingyang County.

On the way, Yuan Tianlong's excitement was palpable as he kept asking about the details of the surprise attack.

"Brother Qi, tell me quickly, how exactly did you manage to break through a camp of three thousand men with only two hundred, and even behead Yelüda?"

Qi Shan didn't hide anything and briefly recounted how he crossed the dangerous terrain, how he disguised himself and infiltrated, how he used a feint to burn the supplies, how he took advantage of the chaos to rush straight to the central army tent, how he killed Yelü Da in battle, and how he ambushed and annihilated Zhao Wuji's bandit gang at Yixiantian...

His words were calm, but to Yuan Tianlong they were no less powerful than a raging storm.

Overnight, he scaled cliffs, beheaded sentries, burned granaries, killed the commander, annihilated bandits, and shattered the enemy's courage... Each of these deeds is remarkable, yet they were all accomplished by one man in a single night.

Is this something a human being could do?

This guy must be a reincarnation of a military god!

Yuan Tianlong's gaze toward Qi Shan gradually shifted from admiration to a kind of fanaticism, as if he were looking at a priceless treasure.

"A genius! Truly a genius of unparalleled talent!" He pulled on the reins, stopped the horse, and looked intently at Qi Shan, his voice extremely solemn.

"Qi Shan, with your abilities, it's a complete waste to be a county magistrate in such a small county as Qingyang!"

"With your abilities, if you were in the army, you could easily rise through the ranks based on your military achievements, becoming a marquis or general! But if you remain in the position of county magistrate, you won't be able to advance any further without spending decades in this stagnant position!"

Yuan Tianlong leaned forward slightly, his voice carrying an undeniable seductive power.

"Liu Wei and his ilk are nothing but parasites who have usurped high positions; there is no future in following him."

"Qi Shan, are you willing to join my Yuan-class camp, to pursue fame and glory with me, and to defend our northern borders?"

Yuan Tianlong's voice carried an undeniable seductive power, like strong liquor, capable of igniting the deepest desires in people's hearts!

Yuanzi Camp?

Will you follow me to pursue fame and fortune?

To defend our northern borders and rivers?

This is undoubtedly a road to heaven.

Given Yuan Tianlong's status in the Northern Territory, with just a nod, his position as a county magistrate could be immediately transformed into a promising military post.

From then on, the sky was high and the sea was wide, and they no longer had to be confined to this corner of Qingyang.

Meng Da and the others were breathing rapidly, their eyes filled with fervor.

This is an incredible opportunity!

However, Qi Shan did not answer immediately.

His gaze went over Yuan Tianlong's shoulder and towards the distant county town, its outline blurred in the morning light.

The wind and sand blew by, making the congealed scabs on his face itch a little.

His voice was hoarse, yet carried a rock-solid calmness.

He spoke slowly, "I appreciate the General's kindness."