Just as Zhang Zhe charged toward a full company of Iron Sparrowhawks from the Northern Barbarians,
Zhou Hongling was already seated in the reception hall of the General's Mansion in Yan City.
Zhou Ming was there too.
Also present were Helian Tielin, the General of You Province, and his son, Helian Shang, the Captain of Yellow Sand City.
They had gathered for the routine review of the defense plans for the three major fortresses.
The meeting was chaired by Hong Cheng, the Grand Governor of the north.
His cultivation was above the Xiantian Realm. As for which step he had reached, the people below him had no idea. He was Great Yong's Marquis of Nine Fortresses, responsible for commanding the nine border fortresses.
Though he was not yet considered a renowned general of the age, he was already a famous figure throughout Great Yong.
At that moment, Hong Cheng sat in the seat of honor, clad in black tiger-patterned armor that made his already imposing frame look even more massive. He was around fifty, with a full beard that gave him a fearsome air.
Even the famed General of Yan Province, Zhou Ren, and the General of You Province, Helian Tielin, were careful and deferential in his presence.
Hong Cheng lifted his teacup and took a sip, then said coolly, "Tell me, why is there always trouble around your three fortresses? Last time, a single Iron Sparrowhawk company had you too scared to even leave the city gates.
"You finally dealt with that, and now another mess has cropped up. The heir of Prince Lie had his merchant caravan robbed, and you're too scared to leave the city again. This is a laughingstock."
At the end of his words, he slammed his teacup onto the table. The sound made everyone in the hall shudder.
The hierarchy in the army was exceptionally strict. Unless you were invincible in battle and had earned your superior's special regard,
even a general commanding an army had to lower his head and bow before a superior.
"Marquis..."
"Don't give me any useless excuses. One month. I'm giving you just one month to bring peace to the area around all three fortresses. Find whatever means you can.
"But remember, don't let this escalate into a confrontation between the two courts. Keep it contained to small-scale local battles.
"Get it done, and you'll be rewarded. Fail, and don't blame me for kicking your asses."
Hong Cheng glared and cut Zhou Ren off.
He was a general who had fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, rising step by step through military merit.
His words were harsh, but in the army, they worked.
"Yes, sir!"
The men quickly rose and answered.
After giving his orders, Hong Cheng stood and headed for the door. "I've got important business every day, yet I have to make a trip over here for your petty, infuriating little messes. I expect an answer in one month."
With that, he walked straight out.
As far as he was concerned, the Iron Sparrowhawks and the elite forces of the Manyan Tribe were all insignificant. The main reason he had come in person to put pressure on them this time was that Prince Consort Lie had asked him to.
After Hong Cheng left,
Zhou Ren and Helian Tielin exchanged a glance. They saw ambition in each other's eyes. Clearly, both were determined to wipe out the Manyan Tribe's elite cavalry.
The two families had never been on good terms.
From Hong Cheng's words, it was clear that whichever family wiped out the Manyan Tribe's elite horsemen and restored peace to the three fortresses would get to appoint the commander of all three.
That was a crucial position. Yellow Sand Fortress, for instance, actually lay within the Helian Clan's territory. If someone under the Zhou Family secured the command of the three fortresses,
it would be like carving a piece of flesh from the Helian Clan.
Naturally, they wouldn't accept that.
Conversely, if the Helian Clan succeeded, the Zhou Family would suffer an even greater loss. Both Ice Plains Fortress and Huqiu Fortress would fall under the Helian Clan's jurisdiction.
In truth, this was also the court's intention. The imperial court was very cautious about controlling the border armies. It wanted the military clans to distrust and check one another, so it could better control those below.
Just as silence settled over the hall,
"Thud, thud, thud!"
A figure came running in.
It was a messenger. As soon as he entered, he first glanced at Zhou Ren.
"There's nothing to hide from the generals when it comes to military intelligence. Speak," Zhou Ren said, waving a hand.
The messenger didn't dare delay. He bowed and reported, "General, the Night Scouts who were just surveying the depths of the Northern Barbarians' territory have sent word. A full company of Iron Sparrowhawks set out several days ago, and their destination is likely somewhere near the three fortresses."
At this news, the men's expressions changed.
The elite troops they had dispatched might stand a chance against the Manyan Tribe's cavalry, but they would be no match for a full company of Iron Sparrowhawks.
After all, last time, just forty or fifty Iron Sparrowhawks had routed a hundred of Yun Mo's elite troops. Only he and a handful of others had made it back.
A full company of Iron Sparrowhawks numbered a hundred.
Their fighting strength was beyond what ordinary fortress troops could match.
Zhou Ren couldn't help looking at his daughter. His meaning was clear: "Do the men you sent have any chance against this company of Iron Sparrowhawks?"
Zhou Hongling's heart tightened. Lu Yuan was a talent she had discovered with great difficulty. Given time to grow, he could surely match a full company of Iron Sparrowhawks, but right now, she truly couldn't say.
So she rose at once and said, "General, I'll return to the fortress immediately and take command."
"Go," Zhou Ren said. He more or less understood what his daughter was thinking, so he waved her off.
Zhou Ming also hurried away.
His disciple had taken men out of the city too. If there were even a sliver of hope, then as a warrior, he would have Yun Mo fight to the death. But against a full company of Iron Sparrowhawks, a force of fewer than a hundred would have no chance but death.
There was no point in sending them to die like that, so he intended to bring them back.
Seeing the Zhou family act this way, Helian Tielin looked at his son, his meaning clear: "Are the men you sent confident of victory?"
Helian Shang, however, didn't move. He merely said, "No matter how powerful the Iron Sparrowhawks are, we have to find a way to deal with them. The Marquis ordered us to resolve the troubles around the three fortresses and eliminate the barbarian cavalry.
"Resolving the trouble comes first; eliminating the cavalry comes after.
"The Iron Sparrowhawks are the greatest trouble of all."
After he finished speaking, both Helian Tielin and Zhou Ren furrowed their brows.
What he said was true. If they had no elite troops capable of facing this company of Iron Sparrowhawks, their only option was to wear the enemy down with men.
And to keep the fighting from escalating, they couldn't send too many troops at once. It would be no different from moths flying into a flame.
But they had no choice.
The Zhou Family's Night Scouts were surveying the depths of the Northern Barbarians' territory, where they had more important duties. The Helian Clan's Silent Cavalry was also deep in enemy territory.
With both groups unavailable, they couldn't think of a single other elite unit of fewer than a hundred men capable of matching the Iron Sparrowhawks.
"Let's go!" Helian Tielin had no intention of consulting with the Zhou Family.
He planned to return as quickly as possible and gather elite troops.
Dealing with the Iron Sparrowhawks was no longer just a contest between the two families. More importantly, they had to carry out the Marquis's orders within a month.
Otherwise, they would all be in trouble.
Zhou Ren turned to the deputy general beside him. "Notify Hong Ling and Zhou Ming. If there's truly no other way, they can gather their Squad Leaders and form a hundred-man unit to fight."
He didn't want to do this unless absolutely necessary. Heavy losses would cut off the family's roots at the lowest level. But now, they had no better option.
This battle meant a great deal to the Zhou Family.
Helian Tielin's haste to return clearly meant he thought the same.
"Yes, sir!" the deputy general replied, then withdrew.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan had been searching the Wasteland with Old Huang's help, and they had actually managed to find the Manyan Tribe's elite cavalry.
Old Huang lay prone on the ground, his ear pressed to the earth as he listened intently. A moment later, he lifted his head with a grin. "My lord, a cavalry unit is approaching us. From the sound of the hooves, they're riding Northern Barbarian steeds. At this time, the only ones who could be here
are the Manyan Tribe's elite cavalry, no doubt about it."
Lu Yuan nodded. He hefted the Tiger-Head Heaven-Swallowing Blade in his hand, then smiled at the people behind him. "Everyone, get ready. We've been lucky—only a few days out, and we've already found our target. Once this battle is over, we can go home."