48: war

By now, the entire Stone Forest Camp was a sea of fire. Most of the Horse Bandits had either perished in the flames or fled in all directions, and the few who put up a desperate struggle were easily dealt with by Lin Mo.

Lei Meng jumped out from his hiding place. Looking at the blazing camp and the corpses strewn across the ground—especially Black Wind Fiend's corpse with eyes wide open in death—he swallowed hard. His gaze toward Lin Mo was filled with awe and fervor.

"Junior... Junior Brother Lin, you're... way too fierce!" Lei Meng stammered for a long time before finally squeezing out a sentence.

Lin Mo sheathed his sword, his expression calm. "Clean up the battlefield. Collect all evidence proving Li Chongshan's collusion with Black Wind Fiend, especially any traces left by Advisor Hu.

Take the horses and any portable gold, silver, and valuables. Bury or burn whatever can't be taken. Move quickly; we shouldn't stay here for long."

"Understood!" Lei Meng immediately got to work.

The two of them quickly searched the tents of Black Wind Fiend and several leaders, finding several secret letters exchanged between Advisor Hu and Black Wind Fiend.

Although specific matters weren't mentioned, the meeting times and locations matched Black Wind Fiend's confession. There was also stationery specially made for Li Chongshan's City Lord's Manor and a private Seal used as a token of trust.

In addition, they found quite a bit of gold, silver, jewelry, and specialties from the Northern Border Prairie.

Lin Mo had Lei Meng pack the valuable and portable items, while he kept the secret letters and the token close to his person.

Before leaving, Lin Mo looked at the pile of burning supplies, his eyes flickering. Although most of these armaments were destroyed, there was no guarantee that nothing remained.

He walked to the edge of the fire, protecting himself with internal qi. He quickly pulled out two standard-issue horizontal dao and several sets of light armor plates from under a partially unburnt tarp, wrapped them in cloth, and handed them to Lei Meng.

"Take them. These are also evidence."

"Got it!"

Each of them mounted a captured warhorse and led two others laden with valuables. They quickly left the ruined Stone Forest Camp, vanishing into the deepest darkness before dawn.

As dawn broke, the two had returned to the valley where they had originally camped.

Liu Qingli, Chen Feng, and Fang Han had not yet returned. Lin Mo told Lei Meng to rest and stay alert while he took the time to regulate his breathing and recover.

Although he had won the battle against Black Wind Fiend cleanly and decisively, using his true strength—especially taking the armor-piercing cone head-on and delivering a full-strength strike—had taken a significant toll on his internal qi and mental state.

Li Chongshan, the Third Prince, the chaos in the Northern Border, arms smuggling, the Crimson Flame Mountain Range... everything was like a whirlpool, and he was already caught in the middle of it.

The rusted sword in his arms vibrated weakly but clearly once more. It still pointed northwest, but the frequency seemed more urgent than last night.

"Wild Wolf Valley, near Earth Fire Valley..."

Lin Mo muttered to himself, "The end point of the arms trade, the source of the Seal's disturbance... is there some connection between these two?"

Two hours later, Liu Qingli's group of three arrived at the valley, accompanied by over ten elite bailiffs from the Prefecture Patrol Inspection Department and a small squad of border army scouts.

Seeing Lin Mo and Lei Meng safe and sound, as well as the valuables and standard-issue armaments they had brought back, Liu Qingli breathed a sigh of relief, and admiration appeared in Chen Feng's eyes.

When they heard Lin Mo's brief account of last night's events, especially Black Wind Fiend's confession and Li Chongshan's involvement, the expressions of the patrol bailiff captain and the border army captain turned extremely solemn.

"This matter is of great importance, far exceeding the scope of bandit suppression."

The Patrol Inspection Department's bailiff captain was surnamed Yan, a serious-looking middle-aged man. "We must immediately send the witnesses and evidence back to the prefecture capital to report to the Prefect and the Northern Guard General.

Young Hero Lin, the clues you provided are vital!"

"It's a pity that Advisor Hu escaped," Chen Feng said regretfully.

"It doesn't matter," Lin Mo said. "Black Wind Fiend is dead, and the Stone Forest outpost is destroyed. Li Chongshan will certainly be on guard, but he will also temporarily restrain himself.

Advisor Hu can run, but he can't hide forever. The priority now is to prevent them from acting out of desperation or moving other evidence of their crimes."

He looked at Head Constable Yan and the border army captain. "Sirs, although the main force of Black Wind Gorge has been heavily hit, once news of the bandit leader's execution and the destruction of their Nest spreads, the remaining Horse Bandits might scatter or seek frantic revenge.

I suggest deploying troops immediately to wipe out the remaining bandits in Black Wind Gorge. Simultaneously, block the main roads leading toward the Crimson Flame Mountain Range to prevent them from moving or receiving that shipment of armaments."

"Young Hero Lin is indeed thoughtful!"

The border army captain nodded. "I will immediately send word back to Iron Wall Pass to request a squad of cavalry to assist in the cleanup and blockade."

Head Constable Yan also said, "I will assign more personnel to secretly monitor the movements of the Qinglan City Lord's Manor and those in close contact with Li Chongshan."

Everyone finished their deliberations and set out in different directions.

The people from the Patrol Inspection Department and the border army left first with the evidence and some prisoners.

Lin Mo and the other four remained in the valley for the time being to rest and recuperate, serving as a mobile force to respond to any possible changes.

Liu Qingli walked to Lin Mo's side and whispered, "You weren't injured last night, were you?"

"I'm fine." Lin Mo shook his head and looked at her. "Was everything smooth at the prefecture capital?"

"It was. The Liu family has some connections in the prefecture capital, and Head Constable Yan is someone who hates evil. Upon hearing this, he immediately brought his confidants."

Liu Qingli paused. "Lin Mo, the Third Prince is behind Li Chongshan. Once this matter is proven, it will be like poking a hole in the sky. Have you thought it through?"

"The arrow is on the string; it must be fired," Lin Mo said calmly.

"Besides, the chaos has already begun. Staying out of it is just a luxury. It's better to take advantage of the situation and cleanse the filth."

Liu Qingli looked deeply at him and suddenly smiled, like an ice lotus blooming for the first time. "Fine. In that case, my Liu family is willing to advance and retreat with you."

This was not a light promise. Liu Qingli represented not just herself, but the attitude of the Qinglan Prefecture's Liu family. This meant that Lin Mo had gained another significant ally in his camp.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

"Calling me 'Senior Sister' sounds too distant." Liu Qingli turned around, her voice drifting back. "Just call me Qingli."

Two days later, news began to trickle back.

Iron Wall Pass sent three hundred cavalrymen. Joining forces with the Patrol Inspection Department and the prefecture soldiers, they crushed the leaderless Black Wind Gorge in one fell swoop, wiping out over a hundred remaining bandits, capturing dozens, and rescuing more than twenty kidnapped civilians.

Deep within the gorge, they discovered a treasure vault accumulated by the Black Wind bandits over years of plundering. The amount was staggering.

Eagle Ravine Trail was blocked, but the team transporting the final payment was not intercepted. Clearly, the other party had received word in advance or changed their route.

As for Qinglan City, Li Chongshan claimed illness and did not emerge, and the City Lord's Manor was heavily guarded.

Advisor Hu's whereabouts had been unknown since he left the Stone Forest that night. Several mid-level officers in the City Guard were taken away for investigation by the Patrol Inspection Department on charges of 'colluding with bandits,' causing quite a stir.

Meanwhile, even more shocking news came from the Northern Border:

The 'Black Wolf Tribe' under the Prairie Golden Tent Khanate launched a large-scale southern invasion, breaking through two border outposts and erupting into a fierce battle with the Zhenbei Army's vanguard, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.

The imperial court had issued an emergency order for the main force of the Zhenbei Army to assemble. The Third Prince was ordered to oversee the army and would head north soon.

War was on the verge of breaking out.