Li Man'er shook her head, "The time is not right yet, let's wait a bit longer."
"Wait for what?" A'Si shifted closer, "General, opportunity knocks but once."
"Even though the barbarians don't know our plan, and could never have expected us to launch an attack on such a snowy night, with just our forty men, going in rashly would be seeking death."
"General, we are not afraid of death."
"Yes, General, we are not afraid of death."
Li Man'er pulled her scarf higher, revealing only her eyes. "Not being afraid of death does not mean we should die without purpose. Lives are precious, do you truly believe in the saying that eighteen years later we'll still be heroes?"
The soldiers who followed her were deeply moved.
"Then when will we make our move?"
"Timing is paramount," Li Man'er said. "At this moment, General Han should have already prepared to depart. When we move, it will be at my command."
"Yes!"
Everyone lay flat, motionless.
Strangely enough, after working all night, they felt no fatigue or cold. Their bodies were warm, as if they had taken a divine elixir. Could it be that killing barbarians was so exhilarating that they could not feel the cold or exhaustion?
Meanwhile, inside the old city of Mobai, Yan Fang and others were desperately trying to prevent Qi Yihan from deploying his troops.
"General, please reconsider! The wind and snow outside are fierce. If General Li has not cleared the snow completely, and you lead your men out like this, you might fall into a trap."
Qi Yihan asked coldly, "A trap? I wonder what trap General Yan is referring to?"
Yan Fang said, "The Li family has been coveting Mobai for a long time. I fear they already view our Xiao family's subordinates as thorns in their side. My subordinate believes that Li Man'er is cunning and full of tricks. Her claims of clearing snow and eradicating barbarians are likely traps she has set to cause us heavy losses."
Ding Yan's eyes blazed with anger. "Yan Fang, do you know what you are saying!"
"I naturally do," Yan Fang replied. "Ding Yan, you should also advise the General. Military achievements are desirable, but one must be alive to enjoy them."
Yan Fang was stalling for time. He feared that Li Man'er truly possessed the ability to clear snow and was deliberately keeping Qi Yihan from leaving. Even if Li Man'er did clear the snow, what then?
Just then, Zhang Jingfeng, covered in wind and snow, burst in. As soon as he entered the room, he eagerly reported to Qi Yihan, "General Han, your subordinate Zhang Jingfeng has led men to scout the situation outside the city. The accumulated snow has been cleared, and the army can proceed."
"Did you hear that?" Although Ding Yan was sent by the Xiao family to monitor Qi Yihan, he was unaware of Qi Yihan's true identity. He greatly admired the silver-masked general and supported all his military actions. In Ding Yan's view, Yan Fang's current behavior was tantamount to treason. He was delaying, very likely missing the best opportunity to attack.
"General, please reconsider."
Qi Yihan was not one to be easily restrained. Without a word, he ordered Yan Fang and his close associates to be bound, instructed Ding Yan to guard the city, and personally led his men out of the old city of Mobai.
On the grand avenue outside the city, the accumulated snow had been cleared to the sides, leaving a clear path.
Although it was still snowing outside, the snowfall had significantly reduced. Due to the large amount of de-icing agent spread on the ground, the new snow did not accumulate, turning into a muddy slush, but it did not impede horse riding.
Seeing this, Qi Yihan reined in his horse and looked into the distance. The others were also astonished, unable to understand how Li Man'er had accomplished this.
A'Qi and A'Wu, who had disguised themselves and were mixed in the ranks, could not help but click their tongues. They genuinely wondered who Miss Li's mentor was to possess such immense ability to clear the road in such a short time.
"General."
Qi Yihan raised his horsewhip high. "Full speed ahead."
With banners fluttering in the wind, tens of thousands of troops charged towards the barbarian encampment.
Li Man'er calculated that the time was almost right and immediately said, "You all stay here and lie low, ready to support General Han."
A'Si exclaimed in surprise, "Girl, where are you going?"
"I'll scout ahead alone."
"Girl!"
"General."
"General."
Li Man'er frowned. "All of you, shut up."
Everyone dared not speak, watching her anxiously.
"You are not familiar with this place, it's safer for me to go alone. Don't worry, I won't act rashly. Being alone makes me a smaller target and safer. You all wait here. When General Han's army arrives, I will coordinate with you from the inside. Remember, we have achieved our goal. Safety is paramount now. I want all of you to return with me, not one missing."
"General..."
"General, you must not!"
Li Man'er lowered her voice. "All of you, shut up and do as I say."
She held authority within the Iron Gallantry Camp, especially among the forty men she led, who would follow her lead without question.
"Yes!"
"A'Si, I entrust them to you. Bring them all back safely."
"Girl..." A'Si had a peculiar habit. Normally, she would address Li Man'er formally as "General," but in critical moments, she preferred to call her "Girl."
Perhaps, in A'Si's heart, Li Man'er was her future mistress.
"Silly girl, after this mission, we can return to the capital."
A'Si nodded. "You must be careful."
The response she received was Li Man'er's confident smile.
Li Man'er stealthily approached the encampment. The guards were all hidden away, sheltering from the wind and snow. Li Man'er knew there must be sentries, likely hidden in the shadows, perhaps even underground. She crept forward cautiously, lying in ambush, and soon discovered a suspicious spot. Beneath a warped wooden plank, someone was hidden. A closer look revealed faint breath, but the wind and snow made it difficult to spot.
Li Man'er lay there and took out a handheld thermal imager from her spatial storage. After fiddling with it for a while, she quickly confirmed that the targets were indeed hidden underground, and there was more than one.
The tunnel on the left was smaller, likely containing two people. On the right, there was another tunnel, deeper vertically, where seven or eight people were concealed, with only a small air vent. It must have been an uncomfortable situation.
Li Man'er put away the thermal imager, and a mischievous idea struck her. She quietly circled to the side.
The men of the Iron Gallantry Camp were curious, wondering why Li Man'er was going the long way around.
"Miss A'Si, what is the General doing?"
"I don't know, perhaps there's something amiss at the entrance?" She raised her binoculars, her gaze following Li Man'er. But suddenly, Li Man'er leaped and disappeared, and after searching for a long time, A'Si couldn't find her and had to give up.
"Miss A'Si, where is the General?"
A'Si was annoyed and snapped, "All of you, shut up. If you're cold, have a drink of wine. We can't mess up the General's plans."
Everyone dared not speak again.