Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Gu Jinyan remained silent for a moment, then slowly swept his gaze over the civilians and soldiers in front of him.

Her heart sank as she realized that although she had done her best to protect her homeland, the loss of public support had become a hidden danger.

The weary expressions of the people and the hushed whispers of the soldiers lingered in her mind. She silently clenched her fists, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

Several days later, news spread within the bandit group that several leaders were attacking each other out of suspicion, and even sent their subordinates to ambush each other's forces.

The news caused a stir among the city's residents, who spread the word and believed that the "peace negotiation" strategy had indeed worked.

Qi Rui'an's prestige soared, and some soldiers even directly advised Gu Jinyan to make some concessions to reduce unnecessary fighting.

Looking at the reactions of the soldiers and civilians, Gu Jinyan felt a growing sense of unease.

This temporary "internal strife" is merely a temporary division among the enemies, and it is hard to guarantee that they will not join forces again to attack Hersha City in the near future.

But now, her isolated situation is putting her under unprecedented pressure.

Just then, the enemy launched another attack, taking advantage of the darkness to launch a surprise assault on Hesha City.

The sudden attack shattered the peace of the city. The people were in a panic, and the soldiers rushed to the city walls, only to be caught off guard due to lack of preparation.

Gu Jinyan led his personal guard in a tenacious resistance, fighting valiantly to protect the city gate.

However, the enemy's torches illuminated the night sky, the bandits' shouts of battle were like thunder, and soldiers in front of the city gates fell one after another, plunging Hesha City into an unprecedented crisis.

Seeing the enemy's relentless offensive, Qi Rui'an, standing on the city wall, had a complex expression.

He tried to calm the panicked people, but to no avail. The people questioned him, "Lord Qi, didn't you say the bandits were fighting amongst themselves?"

Why are they still attacking us so fiercely?

Qi Rui'an was speechless for a moment, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Only then did he realize that his "peace negotiation" strategy could not completely eliminate the enemy's threat, but instead plunged Hersha City into even greater danger.

The people's anger gradually surged towards him, their questions tinged with fear and despair.

On the other side of the city wall, Gu Jinyan led her soldiers in a bloody battle. Her armor was already stained with blood, and she kept wielding her spear, each strike filled with unwavering determination.

She remained silent, but the anger and grief in her heart had already coalesced into a fighting spirit, transforming into every desperate struggle.

The soldiers beside her followed closely behind, silently vowing to stay with her to the death.

The battle continued until dawn, when the bandits were finally driven back.

On the city wall, soldiers collapsed from exhaustion, while the people looked around in fear, their hearts filled with uncertainty about the future.

Gu Jinyan stepped down from the city wall, surveying the still-shaken people with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

Qi Rui'an stood in front of the tent, his face pale.

He knew that his plan to negotiate peace had failed, undermining the morale of the army and the people, and instead putting the city in an even more dangerous situation.

He sighed heavily, unsure how to face this mistake.

A few days later, the city of Hersha returned to its former tranquility, but the scars left by that battle were still vivid in the memory.

The people rebuilt their homes on the ruins, and the soldiers, exhausted, regrouped and prepared for battle.

Gu Jinyan still stood on the city gate, her gaze as steel as it had been that day, but now with a touch more composure and tranquility.

Qi Rui'an did not evade the issue; he patrolled the city, silently accepting the gazes and questions of the people.

This battle was caused by his momentary decision, and he cannot shirk his responsibility.

Iron Barbarian and Black Wolf returned to camp amidst the swirling snow and wind, laden with spoils of war.

Their cloaks were covered in frost and snow, but their faces beamed with smug smiles.

The campfire was already lit, its flames illuminating half the sky. Rough laughter, the aroma of wine, and the smell of roasted mutton filled the camp, creating a lively and unrestrained atmosphere, like the howling of wolves in a winter night.

Tie Man and Hei Lang each held a large bowl of strong liquor, which clattered together, splashing wine everywhere. They laughed heartily, their eyes filled with mutual admiration.

They sat side by side in the most conspicuous spot in the tent, the firelight casting shifting shadows on their faces, their eyes revealing a hint of cunning that they couldn't quite conceal.

Tie Man was a burly man with a thick beard like iron wire, and his face was full of an undisguised ruthlessness.

Black Wolf, on the other hand, was lean and composed, with a cold and sharp gaze, always alert to any movement around him.

Having served as local military commanders, they had experienced the intrigue and treachery of the army and had long since become disdainful of petty divisive tactics.

They exchanged a knowing smile, as if exchanging a tacit understanding through eye contact.

They both knew that dealing with Hersha City would be an easy task.

During this looting, many people lost all their property, and the garrison of Hesha City also suffered heavy losses.

Black Wolf picked up his wine bowl and drank it down in a big gulp. His voice was hoarse and deep as he said, "Those people in Hesha City think they're very clever."

Little did they know, we former generals who fled to the northern frontier were no longer the lowly soldiers they once were, easily manipulated.

Tie Man grinned, patted Black Wolf's shoulder heavily, and said heartily, "We became outlaws just for freedom, didn't we?"

No one can control us! Those spies from Hesha City won't amount to anything.

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of laughter echoed in the tent.

In a corner of the tent, several lowered gazes revealed an unusual meaning.

The secret agents He Yun, Fang Qing, Shi Yong, and Xiao Yu, sent by Hesha City, have been lurking in the enemy camp, attempting to use a divisive tactic to separate Tie Man and Hei Lang.

However, their scheme has now clearly failed.

The four looked at each other silently, their eyes revealing a hint of anxiety, but even more so, a silent determination.

The secret agent, He Yun, was the leader of the four. He had a cold and stern face and narrowed his eyes as he observed everything around him.

He whispered to Fang Qing beside him, "The plan to sow discord failed. Tie Man and Black Wolf are indeed more cunning than we thought."

It seems we have to find another way.”

Fang Qing nodded, his voice extremely low: "The enemy camp is heavily guarded, and it is even more difficult to move around on a winter night."

But the more triumphant they become, the easier it is for them to reveal their weaknesses.

Perhaps we can find some weaknesses in their camp's defenses.

Xiaoyu was the youngest of the four. Although he was unwilling, he listened to He Yun's arrangement and still carefully suppressed his emotions.

He couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Are we just going to keep waiting like this?"

He Yun's eyes were cold and stern. He shook his head slightly, but his tone carried a hint of comfort: "As long as we can stay in the enemy camp, there is still hope."

The people of Hersha need us; we cannot act rashly.

Let's wait a few more hours and see if there are any other opportunities.

As they were talking, the noise outside the tent grew louder, with Tie Man and Hei Lang drinking and laughing.

That unguarded arrogance seemed to have made He Yun and the others a little more relaxed.

Fang Qing gently tapped He Yun's arm, gestured with his eyes to indicate the distribution of guards in the tent, and whispered, "Their soldiers are celebrating right now."

The defenses have become much looser; perhaps we can take advantage of the chaos to figure out their troop deployment.

He Yun nodded slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Alright, let's split up. Fang Qing, go and find out where their granary is."

Shi Yong, keep an eye on where their weapons are stored; Xiao Yu, investigate their escape route. Remember, don't arouse suspicion, and always remain calm.

The four men quietly dispersed and infiltrated different areas of the enemy camp.

The winter night was bitterly cold as they moved through the dark camp, occasionally using the faint light of a fire to observe their surroundings.

The spies moved stealthily, taking advantage of the drunken guards' negligence, shuttling back and forth between various locations around the armory, granary, and camp perimeter, gathering as much information about the enemy as possible.

The victory celebration in the tent continued, and Tie Man shouted loudly: "These fools from Hesha City think they can shake our alliance by sending a few people to play some tricks?"

Hey, what I, Tie Man, hate most is people who do dirty tricks behind people's backs!

Black Wolf chuckled coldly, put down his wine bowl, and said calmly, "Since these little bugs like to play dirty tricks, we need to be even more careful."

The defenses I laid out a while ago must not be allowed to be easily breached.

Hearing this in the darkness, He Yun's heart tightened.

He realized that the enemy had been on guard against their presence for a long time and had even set up sentries in the camp, which undoubtedly increased the difficulty of their retreat.

However, He Yun did not panic; instead, he became even calmer. He quickly bypassed the enemy's sentries and returned to his tent via a hidden path.

The four reunited and exchanged the information they had gathered, but their expressions did not lighten despite their success.

He Yun remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "It seems the enemy is extremely wary of us, especially Tie Man and Black Wolf; their vigilance is even higher than we thought."

For now, we can only continue to hide and not reveal our identities.

Our real opportunity will come when the enemy camp begins to weaken its defenses.

Just then, Tie Man's angry roar rang out from outside the tent: "Someone! Go check if the patrol over there is slacking off!"

Several soldiers hurriedly got up and went to patrol the perimeter of the camp.

He Yun and the others exchanged glances, and simultaneously held their breath, suppressing the tension in their hearts.

Such opportunities are fleeting, and a slight misstep could lead to total annihilation.

The long night slowly faded away in the cold wind, and the clamor of the victory banquet gradually subsided.

The spies sneaked back to their tents, quietly waiting for the cover of night, exchanging knowing glances with each other.

Although their plans have not yet come to fruition.

However, the trust and tacit understanding among the four allowed them to remain calm and composed under the heavy pressure of the enemy camp, waiting for a turning point in their fate.

In winter, the biting wind sweeps across the city walls of Hersha, leaving the streets and alleys desolate.

The last rays of twilight disappeared behind the western mountain ridge.

As darkness gradually swallowed the city's lights, only a few scattered lights seemed to struggle against the heavy night.

Qi Rui'an donned a heavy cloak and discreetly left Hesha City.

He moved cautiously and quickly, trying to avoid any spies he might encounter in the city.

Today's meeting with Tie Man was arranged in great secrecy, and even the officials of Hesha City were unaware of it.

Qi Rui'an knew that this was an extremely dangerous test.

Tie Man is a cunning bandit leader. If he really wants to negotiate peace with Hesha City, he must have ulterior motives. If he has other purposes, Qi Rui'an must be vigilant at all times and proceed with caution.

The meeting place was chosen to be an abandoned mountain god temple outside the city.

The temple was desolate and dilapidated, and the two stone lions at the entrance were covered with moss and had long lost their original majesty.

Qi Rui'an entered the temple, and a cold wind blew into the cracks in the broken walls, bringing with it a chilly atmosphere.

He shook the snow off his shoulders, glanced around, and saw Tie Man sitting in front of the offering table, playing with an amber pipe in his hand, his expression lazy and indifferent.

"Lord Qi, I never expected that a civil official from Hesha City would brave the snow to come here." Tie Man raised his eyelids, his gaze gloomy, his words tinged with probing.

Qi Rui'an smiled calmly and slowly stepped forward: "Chief Tie, since you are willing to discuss a ceasefire with Hesha City, I am naturally willing to brave the wind and snow."