Sharpening Blades in Secret, Eying Official Shadows; Cunning Schemes, Secretly Probing the Qin Camp's Autumn

The bewildered look on King Hunxie's face gradually faded, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes. With his hands behind his back, he paced to the center of the great tent, rubbing his chin as he repeatedly pondered that tribal chief's conjecture.

After a long while, he slowly nodded. "It does make sense. That would explain how the Xiutu Tribe was wiped out overnight, and how Donghu was quietly occupied.

"But there is still one most crucial doubt. Why would the Qin Army suddenly appear beyond the frontier, a thousand li away?"

"They were attacking Yan and fought all the way to Pinggang City? Would they really stretch their battle line that far?"

"Or did they sneak around and infiltrate from another route?"

"What is wrong with the Qin Army? Why would they go so far out of their way just to deal with Donghu?"

"Could Yan have ceded land and given Pinggang City to Qin State...?"

"Did you even use your brain? Does that sound reasonable?"

Everyone lowered their heads in deep thought, brows tightly furrowed. They looked at one another, but not a single person could offer an answer.

The Qin Army's appearance beyond the frontier was inherently absurd. Combined with the current chaos, the situation behind it became even more impossible to fathom.

The atmosphere in the great tent turned grave once more. Only the crackling of the leaping candle flames, mingled with everyone's heavy breathing, echoed through the tent.

King Hunxie, too, fell into contemplation, his brows twisted into a knot. Yet the more he failed to make sense of it, the more the doubts in his heart gradually dispersed, replaced by a certainty born of sudden enlightenment.

"If those Qin soldiers merely got lucky and happened to seize Donghu territory, then perhaps this is precisely