Chapter 315 Unusual Movement

Chapter 315: Unusual Activity

He seemed to know the camp layout pretty well, deliberately choosing less-traveled paths.

The cold wind howled, stirring up snow from the ground and masking Cheng Ge's quiet movements.

He kept a safe distance, his gaze locked on the moving dark figure.

A cook, not busy in the kitchen, coming to this abandoned area—what for?

The figure stopped before a half-collapsed, worn tent, once again glancing around cautiously.

Cheng Ge immediately ducked behind a broken supply cart, holding his breath.

After confirming no one was following, the figure quickly bent down and slipped into the ruined tent.

One man, one snake companion, plus a dog—three heads poked out in unison from behind the broken supply cart.

The six eyes met briefly, then all turned in unison toward the ruined tent.

The atmosphere grew tense, with only the mournful sound of the wind sweeping over the snowdrifts.

Cheng Ge held his breath, watching as the figure, before the ruined tent, mimicked some kind of bird call, letting out two short cries: "Cuckoo—cuckoo—"

After a brief moment, from deep within the ruined tent came an almost identical response: "Cuckoo—cuckoo—"

Then, a half-full, foul-smelling bucket of swill was slowly pushed out from inside the tent.

Seeing this, the figure hurried forward, deftly lifting the hemp rope on the bucket, and turned to leave.

The man hurried away, head lowered, clutching the swill bucket.

Cheng Ge lowered his head and quickly shot Dahuang a meaningful look.

Dahuang raised his head, and without hesitation, his hind legs kicked off the ground. With a loud bark, he crashed straight through the tattered tent curtain and charged fiercely inside!

And almost at the same instant Dahuang charged in, Cheng Ge himself darted forward.

He moved with incredible speed, catching up to the man in just a few steps.

Using the momentum of his forward charge, he delivered a sharp side kick, slamming it hard into the man's lower back!

"Bang!"

The man clearly hadn't anticipated this sudden attack. His back was completely exposed, and he took the hit square in the back.

He was sent sprawling forward, the swill bucket flying from his hands and clattering to the ground.

The man was dazed, but his reaction was quick. The moment he hit the ground, he scrambled to get up.

However, just as he pushed himself halfway up, Cheng Ge's foot had already landed precisely on his back.

The force was immense, pressing him heavily back down into the ground, his mouth filling with muddy, snow-dusted dirt.

He struggled, his other hand reaching for his waist. A flash of cold light revealed a poisoned dagger, which he aimed at his own heart without hesitation!

Cheng Ge's eyes narrowed. He moved faster than thought. In the instant before the dagger could pierce flesh, he struck like lightning, his five fingers clamping down on the man's wrist like iron tongs, twisting hard!

"Crack!" A sickening crack of bone rang out.

"Ah—!" The man let out a pained scream, the dagger clattering to the ground.

At the same time, sounds of a fierce struggle came from inside the ruined tent, punctuated by Dahuang's furious growls and the dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground.

Within moments, the tent curtain was thrown open again. Wufeng emerged, dragging two battered men by their collars, one in each hand.

One of them had Dahuang clamped firmly onto his backside, refusing to let go.

Dahuang's sharp teeth were sunk deep into his flesh, causing the man to yelp in pain, yet he dared not struggle violently.

Cheng Ge scanned the area left and right, confirming there was nothing else unusual nearby, and said in a low voice to Wufeng.

"Take them all to the empty tent nearby and keep them under watch. Move quietly—don't draw attention."

He needed to temporarily seal off the news to avoid tipping off the enemy, and see if he could follow the leads to uncover more hidden operatives.

Wufeng effortlessly hauled the three captives, striding quickly toward a nearby unused tent.

Dahuang finally let go, shaking his head with a triumphant air, and trotted back to Cheng Ge's side, rubbing against his leg as if seeking praise.

Before long, the sound of hurried but steady footsteps approached from afar.

Cui Ji hurried back, snowflakes still clinging to his cloak.

As he drew near, his gaze quickly swept over Cheng Ge from head to toe, with a hint of tension in his voice: "Are you alright?"

Cheng Ge shook his head, pointing toward the tent holding the captives: "I'm fine. Those men were acting suspiciously, not like ordinary soldiers, so I subdued them first."

Cui Ji glanced sharply toward the tent, nodded, and waved to the guards behind him.

"Take them away. Interrogate them separately and thoroughly."

The guards immediately obeyed. Cui Ji turned to leave.

Just as he took a step, Cheng Ge impulsively called out: "Cui Ji..."

Cui Ji stopped mid-stride, turning back with a questioning look.

Cheng Ge felt flustered under his gaze, scratching the back of his head, his eyes darting away.

He then pulled a small cloth pouch from his sleeve and handed it over, trying to sound casual.

"Um... Funiang baked some pastries. I figured you probably haven't eaten yet. Have a bite to tide you over."

Cui Ji's gaze fell on the cloth pouch, then slowly moved to the tips of Cheng Ge's slightly reddened ears. The cold, hard line of his lips seemed to soften, almost imperceptibly.

He reached out, taking the pastries still warm from being close to his body. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against Cheng Ge's palm, and they both froze for a moment.

"Mm." Cui Ji tucked the pastries inside his robe, close to his heart. His voice remained steady, but with less of its usual coldness.

"There's been a lot of activity in the camp lately. If you need anything, just go to Ling Feng or Jiyue."

Cheng Ge nodded: "Got it. You... go ahead and attend to your duties."

Cui Ji said nothing more, giving him a lingering look before turning and striding away.

---

When Cui Ji arrived, the key commanders in the tent had long been waiting, each with a grave expression.

The brazier burned fiercely, yet it couldn't dispel the tense atmosphere that filled the tent.

Cui Ji had just taken his position at the head of the assembly when a scout officer in charge of intelligence stepped forward, cupped his fists in salute, and reported urgently.

"General! We've just received an urgent dispatch from General Zhou on the western front. Western Rong cavalry have been frequently harassing our border outposts recently. Though the scale is small, the frequency is abnormally high, and their behavior is suspicious—as if they're testing us, or trying to pin us down!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another officer responsible for northern defense stepped forward in turn, his voice heavy: "General, our undercover agents have also sent back secret letters.

The major tribes of the Northern Di have been moving troops around a lot more than usual lately. Their chiefs have been traveling to the royal court for councils far more often than usual, and large quantities of grain, fodder, and warhorses are being secretly amassed!"

A hushed buzz of talk broke out in the tent.

Cui Ji's gaze swept across every officer present, finally settling on the massive border defense map.

The bearded officer blurted out: "General, could it be... they've joined forces again? Trying to hit us from both sides?"

Cui Ji did not answer immediately. His eyes moved slowly across the map, eventually coming to rest on the vast territory symbolizing the southern region, his brow furrowing even tighter.

After a moment of deliberation, he spoke: "The Southern barbarians... have there been any unusual activity recently?"

The officer in charge of southern intelligence immediately stepped forward, cupping his hands in reply: "Reporting to you, General, the various tribes of the Southern barbarians are staying quiet for now. Our planted agents have yet to report any large-scale troop movements or abnormal gatherings, however..."

He paused, his tone taking on a note of uncertainty and gravity: "However, further south in the Southern Kingdom, the princess who was sent to our country for a marriage alliance—I've heard that, for reasons unknown, she departed a month ago and has returned to the Southern Kingdom."