At the border between the two nations.
In a small valley near Nethergate Ridge, countless soldiers were encamped, packed together as densely as worker ants in an anthill.
The moon shone bright while the stars were sparse. The land lay silent in every direction; apart from the soft rustling of soldiers on night patrol, only the howling wind and the occasional roar of Fierce Beasts remained between heaven and earth.
At the center of the army, a Rock-Armored Giant Elephant, like a small hillock, knelt upon the ground and dozed quietly.
Inside the spacious elephant house on the Rock-Armored Giant Elephant's back, Murong Kaifeng was, as usual, studying strategy and tactics over a freshly drawn map.
The dim glow of the Fluorescent Spirit Lamp fell across his face, making the furrow between his brows stand out all the more clearly.
"Grand Marshal."
At that moment, Prince Beimin's voice sounded outside the room.
"Please come in, Your Highness."
Murong Kaifeng came back to himself and saw Prince Beimin push open the wooden door and enter.
After exchanging greetings, Prince Beimin said, "All the scouts we sent out have returned. The entire Nethergate Ridge region is calm. No abnormalities were found."
"No abnormalities..." Murong Kaifeng's gaze darkened, yet his expression did not relax in the slightest. "Though our march was concealed, it could not possibly have escaped East Qian Kingdom's notice entirely."
"By all rights, they should not have been completely unprepared. According to past practice, they should already have set up defenses near Nethergate Ridge and taken advantage of our unstable foothold to wear us down first... There must be a trick here."
"It is indeed rather unusual." Prince Beimin nodded in agreement. "The army's scouts are all seasoned veterans, well-trained and experienced. If there truly is a trap that can