The air inside the command tent was as taut as a fully drawn bowstring.
The charcoal fire crackled, embers dancing along the edges of armor, casting the sharp, cold lines of Chu Hongying's silhouette into stark relief. The Lie Feng spear lay across her knees, its surface swallowing the cold light. Her gaze, eagle-sharp, swept over the assembled lieutenant generals, captains, and finally settled on Gu Changfeng, who lounged lazily to the side—a seemingly indolent figure whose keen intelligence was hidden deep within his eyes.
Shen Yuzhu reclined on a couch, a fox-fur cloak draped over his shoulders, his face paper-pale, interrupted by occasional low coughs. Beneath the weakness, his eyes remained clear as mirrors, subtly noting the shifts in emotion among the crowd.
"Zhao Dashan," Chu Hongying began, her voice not loud but driving into the silence like an iron nail. "Report the findings of the past days—the silver bell, the powder, the South Ridge assassin, the fake token—item by item."
"Yes, sir!" Zhao Dashan stepped forward, laying out the clues as if peeling back layers of a silk cocoon; each piece was like an ice spike, piercing the brows of everyone present. The conclusion was singular: there was a "ghost" in the camp, and its reach extended perilously close to the command tent itself.
A tide of whispers rose, killing intent and suspicion colliding in the confined space.
Chu Hongying's knuckles tapped lightly on the spear shaft, the dull sound making hearts shudder. "Gentlemen, the clues are clear. Who is colluding with the Wolf Owl Battalion? Who seeks to disrupt the morale of my army?" Her cold gaze sliced through the assembly, stopping on Gu Changfeng. "Supervisor Gu, what is your view?"
Gu Changfeng saluted leisurely, a slight smile playing on his lips. "The General's investigation is thorough, of course. However..." He pivoted, his eyes drifting towards the couch. "...someone who could swap the command token right under the General's nose must be deeply hidden. Conducting an open inquiry now—might it startle the snake, allowing the real 'ghost' to watch this spectacle from the shadows?"
His words, layered with double meaning, questioned her methods while hinting at a larger hand behind the scenes.
Chu Hongying's expression remained unchanged. Just as she was about to respond, the felt flap was lifted—Lu Wan'ning entered, holding a bowl of medicine. Calm and composed, she went first to the couch, speaking softly, "Advisor Shen, the medicine is at the right temperature."
Gu Changfeng's interest was piqued. "And this lady is?"
"This commoner is Lu Wan'ning, temporarily serving as a medical assistant in the army." She curtseyed slightly, her tone gentle yet measured.
"The lady is clever," Gu Changfeng said, his gaze falling on the medicine bowl. "Skilled in medicine and poison identification. Can you tell if the poison taken by the watchtower assassin and the Vertigo Powder from the granary share the same origin?"
Lu Wan'ning handed the bowl to Shen Yuzhu before turning to answer. "Replying to the Supervisor, they are not from the same source. The assassin's poison is a common Wolf Toxin from the Northern Di, fierce and fast-acting. The Vertigo Powder's composition is refined, carries the scent of herbs from the Jiangnan region, and seems more like... something circulating on the capital's black market."
The words "capital" landed, instantly altering the atmosphere. The officers' expressions became complex.
Shen Yuzhu took the bowl, his fingertips trembling slightly. He thanked her in a low voice and drank slowly. When he looked up, his eyes met Chu Hongying's for a fleeting moment—a slight, almost imperceptible shake of his head, like an invisible blade being pulled back an inch from someone's throat.
Chu Hongying seized the momentum. "So, it seems there's not just the Di's claws in the camp, but also a hand reaching out from the capital?"
Uproar erupted again.
Lieutenant General Wang Meng, in charge of provisions and documents, suddenly stepped forward, his face flushed red. "This subordinate believes the matter is suspicious! Perhaps someone is deliberately framing others, creating confusion!" His tone was urgent, but the tail of his eye inadvertently swept towards Shen Yuzhu. "Those of unknown origins should be scrutinized especially thoroughly!"
The accusation was now openly pointed at the man on the couch.
A cold glint flashed in Chu Hongying's eyes. Before she could act, Shen Yuzhu had already gently set down the empty bowl, his tone somewhere between a sigh and a statement. "Lieutenant Wang makes a fair point. Since doubts have arisen, we must examine things more carefully. For example, this command token..." He tilted his head slightly, looking at the fake token on the table. "...The copper used by the Northern Frontier armory tends towards bluish-grey; the Ministry of War's standard issue has a purplish-gold hue. Comparing them against the light should reveal the difference."
His words struck like thunder. Chu Hongying's fingers tightened. She lifted the fake token towards the firelight for comparison—the area around the wolf's eyes was indeed a different color from the Northern Frontier standard, closer instead to the Ministry's purplish-gold.
Her gaze shot towards Gu Changfeng.
Gu Changfeng showed no panic. Instead, his smile widened. He spread his hands. "If you suspect me, feel free to search my accompanying supplies." Then, his tone shifted subtly, landing elsewhere. "But those with access to the Ministry's standard copper aren't limited to me. Those who come and go from the armory, handling documents and seals... they aren't necessarily few in number either."
His gaze, faint and seemingly casual, returned to Wang Meng.
Wang Meng's face turned stark white. His Adam's apple bobbed. "General! I'm innocent!—"
"Zhao Dashan," Chu Hongying hesitated no longer, her voice cutting sharp. "Seal and inspect all similar copper tokens in the camp. Request Supervisor Gu's cooperation in verifying the standard Ministry copper supplies. Lieutenant Wang, you will remain."
"General! I've been framed!—" Wang Meng's words were cut short as his expression suddenly shifted, turning vicious as a wolf.
He didn't charge outwards. Instead, he erupted into motion, lunging towards the couch! A flick of his sleeve, a flash of cold light—a poisoned dagger aimed straight for Shen Yuzhu's heart! "You ruined the Wolf King's plan—DIE!"
It happened in a flash of lightning, at close quarters.
"Outrageous!" Chu Hongying was faster. The Lie Feng spear swept horizontally, clanging as it deflected the dagger! The shaft whirled back, the butt striking Wang Meng's knees like an owl's talon! Wang Meng crashed to the ground. The personal guards swarmed, subduing him in an instant.
Black blood seeped from Wang Meng's mouth—he had already bitten the poison capsule hidden in his teeth. He looked up, glaring fixedly at Gu Changfeng, a venomous smile twisting his lips. "The... the great lords in the capital... won't let you... get away..." Before he could finish, his breath ceased, eyes wide open.
A dead silence fell. The firelight flickered across every face, fear and anger intertwined.
Zhao Dashan searched Wang Meng's body, retrieving the genuine male token and another packet of Vertigo Powder identical to the brown powder on the fabric. The evidence was irrefutable.
"The spy is dead," someone exhaled heavily, but no one felt relief—because the words "the capital" felt colder than the blizzard outside.
Chu Hongying looked down at the corpse, her expression calm as still water, but waves were churning inside. She raised a hand. "Clear the area. Cross-check all the copper materials. Report the findings before Mao hour [5-7 am]." The officers saluted and withdrew, each harboring their own thoughts.
Gu Changfeng covered a yawn. Passing by the couch, he glanced at the two men with a hint of a smile. "Impressive handling, General. Advisor Shen, take care of your health." With that, the scent of medicine wafted faintly from his robes as he sauntered out.
Lu Wan'ning collected the medicine bowl. Her gaze briefly fell on Shen Yuzhu's wrist, checking his pulse almost imperceptibly. "Take another pill in the time it takes an incense stick to burn," she murmured softly before also withdrawing.
Silence returned to the tent, broken only by the whisper of the charcoal fire.
Shen Yuzhu seemed drained by the recent attack. He leaned back against the pillow, eyes closed, his breathing shallow, the edges of the fox-fur cloak trembling faintly.
Chu Hongying approached, poured a bowl of hot water, and handed it to him. Her fingertips brushed the back of his hand—it was cold as ice. Both of them paused momentarily.
"Why did he try so desperately to kill you?" she asked, her voice low and hoarse, like the wind whispering close to the ear on a snowy night.
Shen Yuzhu opened his eyes, took the bowl, his fingers trembling weakly. "Because he was afraid," he said, looking towards the fire, his voice very soft. "Afraid I might reveal from which direction that fateful 'arrow from behind' in Snow Wolf Valley was truly loosed." He raised his eyes, his gaze sinking into the depths of hers. "The spy is gone, but the hand that drew the bow remains—in the capital, pulling the strings of the Northern Frontier from a thousand miles away."
Chu Hongying's heart jolted. Suspicion hadn't vanished, but a strange thread of trust began to vine its way up the walls of her heart.
She lowered her voice. "Until you prove you are ally, not enemy—your life belongs to me." It was a warning, but also a promise.
Shen Yuzhu was taken aback for a moment. The corner of his mouth lifted into an almost imperceptible arc. "Mm."
He obediently took the pill. His breathing gradually steadied as he drifted into a deep sleep.
Chu Hongying pulled the fox-fur cloak snugly over him. As she turned to leave, her peripheral vision was caught by a corner of ragged leather peeking from under his pillow. Acting on impulse, she carefully pulled it out—it was a piece of a map, ancient and stained with dark brown bloodstains. A vermilion route snaked across it, its endpoint clearly marked—a secret passage at the bottom of Snow Wolf Valley! A passage she had never heard of!
Her hand gripping the map tightened violently, her heart pounding like a drum. She looked up, staring at the man on the bed, tumultuous waves surging in her eyes—
Just how many secrets about Snow Wolf Valley, about the Chu family, was this man still hiding?
Outside the tent, the northern wind howled, rolling the snow like waves, but the mist inside the tent grew only thicker.