The Chess Player

One day later.

The endless blizzard continued to fall from the sky as always.

The ruined Beifeng City lay like a giant beast on the only road the Barbarian Tribe could take in their southward advance, but the Barbarian Tribe who had just completely occupied the city had already begun to withdraw from it one after another.

They did not understand the king's command, but because they trusted him, they obeyed it anyway.

After receiving war supplies from the sect, the wolf riders who were roaming outside the camps passed by the Barbarian Tribe's endless camps and headed north under the cover of the blizzard.

The sight of two massive, hostile armies working in perfect unison is eerily reminiscent of a pantomime.

Both sides were wary, yet both maintained restraint.

While this bizarre scene was unfolding...

Two hundred miles to the north, in a snow-covered forest, a group of several hundred remaining soldiers were taking a short rest.

The snow-covered forest was quiet, with most people silently circulating their cultivation Cultivation Method to restore the little remaining Source Qi in their bodies.

Li Qingyan sat quietly in the center of the army formation, his eyes closed as he rested. His heroic face showed signs of fatigue.

I don't know how much time passed in the swirling snow.

A man dressed in a purple python robe descended gracefully through the blizzard, his body still shrouded in lingering arcs of lightning.

As soon as Li Zhaoyuan landed, a woman dressed in a red Qilin official robe immediately stood up and bowed in greeting:

"Your Highness."

Li Zhaoyuan glanced at her sideways:

"Mengxi, no need for formalities, hurry up and heal your injuries."

Xu Mengxi quickly bowed her head in greeting:

"Thanks to the medicine bestowed by His Highness the Second Prince, Mengxi's injuries no longer affect her mobility."

In the desperate defense of a city, those who are more stubborn and upright tend to suffer the most severe injuries.

Xu Mengxi was not like Zhou Chen, who deliberately took on the Barbarian Tribe totem at the start of the war and then pretended to be dead to hide in the rear and recover from his injuries.

In the final battle to defend the northern city wall, Xu Mengxi fought desperately. If Li Zhaoyuan hadn't intervened to save her, she would probably have been reduced to a bloody mess by the Barbarian Tribe totem.

A perfectly measured gentleness appeared in Li Zhaoyuan's deep black eyes:

"Further ahead, we might encounter Barbarian Tribe wolf riders roaming the area. At that point, we shouldn't just keep charging forward."

Xu Mengxi's red lips curved slightly upon hearing this, and she was about to say something more when Li Zhaoyuan waved his hand:

"Alright, you should rest now. I have something to discuss with Qingyan."

"Yes." Xu Mengxi looked slightly disappointed, but still nodded and sat cross-legged to regulate her breathing.

Silently walking up to Li Qingyan, Li Zhaoyuan slowly sat down.

Li Qingyan then opened her closed phoenix eyes and asked:

"Second brother, how is it?"

Despite being of noble birth, Li Zhaoyuan, being the most skilled among the remaining soldiers, took on the scout mission without complaint.

After a moment of silence, Li Zhaoyuan glanced at the south and said in a low voice:

"The Barbarian Tribe and the sect have reached an agreement. The Barbarian Tribe have now begun their northward march, most likely to take over the Houting County area."

Li Qingyan nodded slightly:

"This is earlier than I expected, but it has still delayed things by at least a day."

Li Zhaoyuan hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice:

"Qingyan, are we still going to the Houting County area?"

"Hmm." Li Qingyan nodded.

Li Zhaoyuan frowned slightly:

"There should still be sect members remaining there. If the Northern Border sects have indeed reached an agreement with the Barbarian Tribe..."

He didn't continue, but his meaning was clear.

The reason they fled to Houting County Beifeng of going to the sect's camp Beifeng City was because they were afraid that the sect would sell them to the Barbarian Tribe as bargaining chips.

The few hundred remaining soldiers are no match for those sects.

Once inside their camp, they can make hundreds of people disappear without a trace.

In other words, the same risks apply to traveling to the Houting County.

Once the Barbarian Tribe army arrives, the sect's border troops stationed around Houting County can simply hold them off and make them disappear without a trace.

Li Qingyan's crimson eyes revealed no emotion, and he asked in a flat voice:

"Second Brother, do you really think the Barbarian Tribe Alien King will abide by the agreement made with the sect?"

"What?" Li Zhaoyuan murmured subconsciously, his eyes looking somewhat strange.

Li Qingyan looked up and glanced at the thick snow clouds above the school:

"Second brother, what the Northern Border Sect wants to see is the Barbarian Tribe fighting tooth and nail with our imperial elites while they stand by and watch. But the Barbarian King's ultimate goal from beginning to end has been to break through the Beifeng City and invade our Great Yan from the south."

"If I were to put myself in the position of the Barbarian King, I would be more inclined to believe that the Barbarian Tribe would launch a surprise attack on them when the sect's elite troops return to the city."

"A surprise attack?"

Li Zhaoyuan's sword-like eyebrows furrowed even more. "The Barbarian King now knows that we have Spirit Artifact like the Cloud Qi Bomb that can dispel blizzards. Without the advantage of favorable weather, if we don't rely on cities or some terrain advantages, their chances of winning in open battle are almost zero."

Li Qingyan shook his head:

"So the Barbarian Tribe Alien King waited for a whole day."

Li Zhaoyuan looked thoughtful:

"One day?"

Li Qingyan narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, her voice a little hoarse:

"Perhaps the Barbarian King spent that day waiting for the sect to offer a higher price, but I'm more inclined to believe he was assessing whether the sect's elite forces possessed a third Cloud Qi Bomb. After all, if they did, the sect only needed to detonate another Cloud Qi Bomb outside Beifeng City to disperse the blizzard, and they would have no choice but to obediently compromise."

Li Zhaoyuan remained silent for a few moments before slowly rising to his feet.

Li Qingyan then called out to him:

"Second brother, where are you going?"

Li Zhaoyuan replied matter-of-factly:

"Naturally, we'll go to monitor the movements in Beifeng City. If the sect and the Barbarian Tribe start fighting, we'll need firsthand intelligence."

A hint of amusement flickered in Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes:

"Second Brother, although your cultivation is high, if they really start fighting, once the army of hundreds of thousands is fully deployed, it won't be difficult for the commander to find you. This trip is too dangerous; let's forget about it."

Meeting Li Qingyan's gaze, Li Zhaoyuan exhaled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"In that case, I will stay by Qingyan's side."

Li Qingyan smiled slightly, propped himself up on his knees, glanced around at the soldiers resting and practicing their breathing exercises, and spoke in a powerful and resonant voice:

"Form ranks and continue north to Houting County."

Marching formations are a type of military formation where the soldiers' Source Qi resonates and complements each other, enabling them to launch long-distance raids.

After all was quiet, a group of several hundred people headed north through the snow.

As they approached the vicinity of Houting County, Li Qingyan suddenly frowned and ordered the marching soldiers to halt:

"Stop."

Elite troops are known for their absolute discipline; the moment she spoke, the hundreds-strong column of soldiers immediately halted on the Snow Plain.

Li Qingyan's crimson eyes peered through the white snow and vaguely saw two figures standing on a small hill not far away.

Watching,

A voice, tinged with a sweet laugh, drifted lightly across the two-mile-long snowstorm and reached Li Qingyan's ears precisely:

"Your Highness Wu Yuan, our Changtian has missed you terribly and has been waiting for you here."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan's chest heaved slightly.

But the next moment,

Li Qingyan glanced at the soldiers behind him and immediately lowered his voice, saying:

"Arrive at Houting County immediately. All personnel shall rest on the spot, form the Xuanwu Formation, and await my orders."

Having said that,

Li Qingyan glanced again at Li Zhaoyuan, who was accompanying him:

"Second brother, please keep watch around to prevent a surprise attack by the Barbarian Tribe wolf riders."

Li Zhaoyuan's eyes also fell on the two people standing on the distant hillside. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded and said:

"Okay, do you need someone to accompany you?"

Li Qingyan's red lips curved slightly as she glanced sideways and asked in return:

"Second brother, how could my husband possibly harm me?"

Having said that,

Li Qingyan a step forward and shot off like an arrow towards the distant hillside.

The two-mile distance was covered in an instant.

Landing

Xu Yuan turned his back and gazed into the distance, while Lou Ji stood to his side and slightly behind him, arms crossed, smiling as she said:

"Your Highness has arrived! Our Changtian has something to say to you."

Li Qingyan watched his retreating figure, her chest heaving slightly, and said with a smile as she stepped forward:

"Oh? Is there anything else the Prince Consort wants to say to me?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan slowly turned his head.

Amidst the wind and snow, they gazed at each other for a fleeting moment.

Xu Yuan frowned slightly, then quietly moved to Lou Ji's side and behind her.

He saw a hint of urge to punch someone in Li Qingyan's eyes, this wicked woman.

Lou Ji chuckled upon seeing this and immediately dragged Xu Yuan out from behind her.

"."

Pushed in front of Li Qingyan, Xu Yuan glanced back at Lou Ji as he looked into her beautiful eyes, which were so close to his own.

Lou Ji crossed her arms, ready to be a spectator and enjoy the show.

With a soft sigh, Xu Yuan spoke with a hint of helplessness:

"Sister, why don't you leave for a while? It seems Qingyan has something to say to me alone."

"."

Lou Ji glanced at the two of them, pursed her lips, muttered some random thoughts, and then swayed her voluptuous figure and disappeared into the wind and snow.

After Lou Ji left, the two people standing on the hillside fell into a deep silence.

Xu Yuan looked at the woman in red in front of him, shook his head, and smiled:

"It seems you have a lot to say to me, Qingyan?"

What do you think?

The cold wind ruffled Li Qingyan's hair, her crimson eyes, like red crystals, stared intently at the man before her, a dangerous smile playing on her lips.

After hearing the warning the guy gave her as he left, she realized a lot of things.

She was played by him.

From the very beginning, this guy was the one causing all the trouble in Beifeng City.

Under her gaze, Xu Yuan slowly sat cross-legged on the hill, then patted the spot next to him, gesturing for Li Qingyan to sit down as well.

But Li Qingyan didn't move, silently staring at him.

Xu Yuan shook his head upon seeing this.

Not obedient at all, it's the fifth day of missing the Big Ice Block.

He paused, then continued speaking to himself:

"Qingyan, I think you've already noticed something, haven't you? After all, even though Beifeng City fell, you didn't touch the things I left inside the northern city wall, did you?"

"Oh"

Li Qingyan scoffed in anger, "Prince Consort, do you think I dare to touch those things you left behind? Even a first-rank expert could die there if I'm not careful."

Xu Yuan was speechless upon hearing this, then smiled and said:

"Sometimes lifting the floorboards can be considered an art."

"Art?"

Li Qingyan's long hair, fluttering in the wind, scatters specks of white snow. "Whether it's artistic or not, I don't know, but I do know that with those Source Crystal providing energy, Beifeng City wouldn't have fallen by now."

"Yes, it definitely won't get lost."

Xu Yuan nodded in agreement, then stared at Li Qingyan and asked, "And then what? How long can the garrison inside the city hold out?"

"."

Li Qingyan remained silent.

The fundamental problem with the fall of Beifeng was not the lack of energy in the City Protection Array, but the lack of troops, and the unwavering attitude of the elite sects outside the city when their allies were in trouble.

After a few breaths,

She looked at his sharply defined profile:

"Xu Changtian, from the very beginning you've been trying every possible way to make Beifeng City fall as soon as possible, am I right?"

Xu Yuan tilted his head slightly to meet her gaze and nodded decisively.

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan let out a long breath, showing no anger, and calmly asked:

"So, you were also responsible for bombing the Triumph Gate in the south of the South City?"

Xu Yuan hesitated slightly upon hearing this, and this time his answer was ambiguous:

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't."

Li Qingyan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her eyes gradually narrowed:

What do you mean by that?

Xu Yuan braced his hands on the snow behind him, looked up at the dark, snow-covered sky, and after a moment of silence, said softly:

"I didn't do this,"

"However, I suspect it was my father who did it."

"." Li Qingyan.

That statement contains a lot of information.

Thinking about it more deeply, could it be interpreted as that Lord Xu was colluding with the Barbarian Tribe?

After a pause, Li Qingyan frowned and asked:

"You mean, Lord Xu has connections with the Barbarian Tribe?"

"Ha?"

Xu Yuan chuckled, staring at Li Qingyan with a slightly amused smile, "Why would you have such an idea?"

"."

Li Qingyan paused for a moment, then leaned down and sat beside him, letting out a breath:

"Indeed, I was a little confused just now. Lord Xu and the Barbarian Tribe have no common interests, and based on my understanding of that Barbarian Tribe Alien King, he would not gamble the fate of his entire tribe on someone else's promise. Taking the detour to the Beifeng City must have been his own decision."

At this point, Li Qingyan glanced sideways at Xu Yuan:

"So, this was just a casual move by Lord Xu?"

"Probably, after all, a cartload of Source Crystal isn't considered too valuable to my Prime Minister's Estate."

Xu Yuan's voice was gentle and deliberate.

The triumphant gate in the south of the city was blown up by the carriage of the Tian'an Chamber of Commerce. At first, Xu Yuan also thought that someone was framing their Prime Minister's Estate.

But the more you know, the more suspicious things seem.

The reason why the four of them were able to enter Beifeng City without being inspected was because Li Qingyan, the commander of the Yulin Army, was there.

And what about that carriage bearing the Tian'an Chamber of Commerce's insignia?

They carried a truckload of contraband and passed through the layers of checks outside the city, entering the Triumph Gate without any problems.

And more importantly,

Even after the incident, Lou Ji personally investigated but was unable to find any clues about the carriage.

How many people in this world would act in such a way?

Furthermore, since Zong Qingsheng could use the Heavenly Message Crystal to contact Di'an City in real time, his father knew very well how long it had been since the army deep in the Snow Plain had been subjected to a large-scale attack.

If this wasn't a random move by that old man, who did it?

After he finished speaking, the two fell silent for a moment.

Li Qingyan pondered for a long time before asking, word by word:

"Even a seemingly insignificant move must have its reasons, Lord Xu. What are your reasons for wanting Beifeng to fall, you and your son-in-law?"

"Because it couldn't be held."

"We can hold on."

Li Qingyan said very seriously, "If you hadn't done those things in the beginning, Beifeng City could have been defended if it wanted to."

Xu Yuan sighed and offered some advice:

"I don't understand military affairs. With your strategy, Qingyan, you might be able to hold out until the Marquis and Mr. Zong head south, but that won't maximize your gains."

"."

Li Qingyan pondered for a moment, then her eyes became complicated. She opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Seeing the change in her expression, Xu Yuan smiled gently and said:

I thought you were going to hit me.

Li Qingyan slowly raised her eyes and gave a self-deprecating smile:

"I know how to choose between a Beifeng City and a century of peace in the Northern Border. Just like what the Prince Consort said before he left last time, you have to give up something to gain something."

As he spoke,

She pursed her red lips. "I just never imagined that I would become a pawn in your hands, my husband."

"I?"

Xu Yuan pointed to himself and shook his head. "You overestimate me."

A cryptic smile played on Li Qingyan's lips, her long hair fluttering in the cold wind.

"When I led my elite troops out of the city to raid the camp, you, my consort, immediately provided the sect with Cloud Qi Bomb. At first, I thought it was your foolish move, but now it seems that I was short-sighted. It was specifically to force the Barbarian Tribe to attack the city, while at the same time drawing the sect's 300,000 elite troops south, where they encountered each other Beifeng City."

"I only think about how to exterminate the Barbarian Tribe, while you, my consort, not only want to eliminate the Barbarian Tribe, but also to use them as pawns to devour the sect's 300,000 elite troops in one fell swoop. How can you treat Beifeng City, this ancient and important strategic town, as a pawn? Can't you be considered a chess player?"

Of course not.

Xu Yuan gave Li Qingyan a deep look and shook his head:

"What I did was merely a small part of the game."

"A corner?"

"Do you remember those military vehicle frames we saw on our way north?"

"Those military vehicles used to transport relief supplies to the disaster victims in the Northern Border?"

"Yes, those are the ones. But I suspect the recipients of that 'disaster relief' aren't ordinary victims, but rather the sects and guilds of the Northern Border."

"."

The wind howled, and silence spread.

Xu Yuan slowly stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and gazed in the direction of Di'an City, whispering:

"Qingyan, we are all pawns; the real players are in Di'an City."