In Black Tiger Village.

Wang Meng paced back and forth, his face deathly pale, his heart growing increasingly uneasy.

The men sent out to find the commander have been gone for some time, but they still haven't returned.

According to reports from his scouts, the army was still rushing towards Shuangqi Mountain.

This filled Wang Meng with apprehension; he had already sensed something was amiss.

Just then.

Deputy leader Wang Shuang rushed in with a panicked expression.

"Big brother! Oh no!"

Upon seeing Wang Shuang's expression, Wang Meng knew that something must have happened again, and quickly said:

"Have the brothers who went to find the commander not returned yet, or have they already...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Shuang wiped the sweat from his brow and quickly said:

"That's not it! It's that another large army has arrived from the north!"

"The sound of horses' hooves is loud, and there are quite a few people! Isn't that Qingfeng Village to the north? Damn it, it's the Prince of Zhenbei leading his troops!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Meng's eyes widened and his whole body trembled.

"What! He brought his troops here too!"

"Sending troops at the same time, could it be... that they intend to besiege my Black Tiger Stronghold today?"

Wang Shuang nodded repeatedly, and said in a panic:

"Yeah, brother! No need to even think about it, I've already had the brothers prepare their defenses!"

"But with these two armies attacking at the same time, I'm afraid we can't hold out!"

Wang Meng understood perfectly well that he was now completely overwhelmed by rage.

He could have imagined that Qin Ze would send troops to attack Black Tiger Stronghold, but he never expected that Zhao Yuan would actually send troops over.

With two armies surrounding them, how could they possibly stop them?

He had previously been so confident that Zhao Yuan would not come to wipe them out, but now it seemed like a complete joke...

Wang Meng's face was deathly pale, and he slumped weakly into the chair...

........

After an incense stick has burned.

At the foot of Shuangqi Mountain.

Zhao Yuan, his face grim, led his army to this place.

Shuangqi Mountain is extremely steep and precipitous, making it difficult to build houses. Below it lies a vast plain, and Black Tiger Village is located on this plain, with its back to Shuangqi Mountain.

With natural barriers behind them, any attempt to capture Black Tiger Stronghold would inevitably require a fierce battle on this vast plain.

Fighting on the plains is a real battle, fought piecemeal.

That is why Zhao Yuan was so conflicted. Killing Wang Meng would be like cutting off his own arm, but he had no choice but to do so!

Thinking of this, Zhao Yuan's face turned extremely ugly.

Just then, the continuous sound of horses' hooves caught his attention.

Looking up, dust was rising from the main road to the north, indicating that a large army was approaching.

The next instant, a troop of iron cavalry clad in black armor appeared in his sight!

Zhao Yuan stared intently and saw that one of the leaders was Qin Ze, while the burly man beside him carried two halberds and looked imposing at first glance.

Although Zhao Yuan had expected it, he was still shocked to see Qin Ze leading his troops.

The soldiers who arrived at breakneck speed were all clad in black armor, wielding long halberds, with solemn expressions, and their orderly ranks exuded a murderous aura.

For some reason, Zhao Yuan felt a chill run down his spine and a strange sense of panic welled up inside him.

He only brought eight thousand soldiers with him on this trip, but he had a strange premonition that his men were far inferior to the disciplined army opposite him.

"Hoo."

The sound interrupted Zhao Yuan's thoughts, and he rode his horse over.

"This humble general, Zhao Yuan, pays his respects to the general!"

If he had previously looked down on Qin Ze, the presence of this army before him forced Zhao Yuan to adopt a more respectful attitude.

Qin Ze traveled at a fast pace and saw Zhao Yuan waiting here. He sneered inwardly.

You could tell from Zhao Yuan's eyes that he was extremely unwilling to fight today, but what could he do?

You have no choice but to fight!

Qin Ze narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly:

"Hmm, Commander Zhao arrived early. Are you in such a hurry to wipe out the bandits?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuan was furious, but dared not contradict him, and could only say in a deep voice:

"Yesterday, my subordinates reported that these bandits were slandering us. How could I, your humble general, turn a blind eye to this!"

"These bandits, who bully men and women, commit all sorts of atrocities such as burning, killing, and looting, even tried to smear me on their deathbeds. They are utterly despicable!"

"If I hadn't been so busy with military affairs that I couldn't get away, I would have led troops to suppress the bandits long ago. Why did I have to wait until today? It's truly a helpless situation."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ze chuckled lightly:

"Really? Commander Zhao has quite a few troops under his command, yet he has no time to spare to suppress bandits. What important matter is he busy with?"

Zhao Yuan sensed the sarcasm in Qin Ze's words, and his anger nearly burst from his chest. His face turned ashen, and he forced out an ugly smile as he said:

"The Northern Hu, a foreign tribe, has repeatedly harassed the border of Northern Liang. We had no choice but to put aside the matter of suppressing the bandits for the time being. Recently, the chaos caused by the Northern Hu has subsided, and I was able to free myself to come and assist the general in suppressing the bandits."

Qin Ze stroked his chin and said calmly:

"Good! Commander Zhao, your troops look very spirited. You must have been keeping a low profile all the time. It's really not easy for you to personally lead the troops here today! Haha."

"The Black Tiger Stronghold bandits are the leaders of the three bandit groups in Beichuan. They have been based here for several years, and the bandits in the stronghold must be quite skilled and have strong fighting power. Today, let me see how strong your troops are!"

At this point, Qin Ze's expression turned serious, and he looked at Zhao Yuanzhen, saying in a deep voice:

"You will lead the soldiers in the attack on Black Tiger Stronghold!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yuan's expression changed. How could he not understand the strength of the Black Tiger Stronghold bandits?

Even among bandits, there are differences!

The Black Tiger Stronghold had been entrenched in Beichuan for a long time, and the amount of money and grain it had plundered was enormous. As a result, these bandits were all strong and brave, and each one was skilled in battle.

If someone is to lead the vanguard, then that force will have to pay a considerable price.

Thinking of this, Zhao Yuan's face turned extremely ugly.

Just then, a thunderous shout rang out.

"Zhao Yuan! Can't you hear what the general said? Why are you still dragging your feet!"

Dian Wei, wielding two halberds, rode in on horseback, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Zhao Yuan.

Zhao Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. He had already recognized this man as a fierce general, and now that he was closer, he appeared even more imposing.

Those bulging arms were as thick as an adult man's waist, and the pair of iron halberds looked extremely heavy.

Zhao Yuan was terrified and quickly took two steps back, saying at the same time:

"Yes! I will obey the general's orders!"

"All troops, listen to my command! Follow me to wipe out the bandits of Black Tiger Stronghold!"

Zhao Yuan gritted his teeth, let out a loud shout, and led his soldiers to charge towards Black Tiger Stronghold!

Qin Ze looked on coldly, a faint smile on his face.

After Zhao Yuanchong finishes his attack, while the Black Tiger Stronghold bandits are engaged in battle with him, I can lead my troops to attack from the flank, strike at the heart of the stronghold, and storm into the village!

In this way, I can minimize my battle losses!

Once Black Tiger Village is captured, the entire Jubeichuan region will become an impregnable unified entity!