Chapter 4

More than ten miles away from the main camp, the central army camp was much more solemn compared to the laxness of the Death Corps. The tall watchtowers overlooked the surroundings, and the wooden stakes as thick as bowls formed a fence. In front of the fence, there were dense rows of horse barriers and antler-shaped obstacles. Fully armed soldiers patrolled back and forth behind the fence. Outside the camp, one could often see returning cavalry patrols and newly dispatched patrols crossing paths.

When they were still one arrow's distance from the camp, Qin Feng reined in his horse, dismounted, and handed the reins to the monkey behind him, then strode towards the camp gate.

No matter how bold Qin Feng was, he dared not ride his horse in front of the central camp gate. That could invite a shower of arrows, and even if you were killed, there would be no place to appeal.

A duty officer standing at the camp gate, seeing Qin Feng approach, smiled and bowed with his hand on his sword. Although they were both officers, this officer was different from the other. Qin Feng was the actual commander of a camp, while the duty officer at the gate was just a figurehead. Their status and position were incomparable. Moreover, Qin Feng was a well-known figure, the leader of the Death Corps, a special existence in the Western Border Army. Although they were a corps destined for death, their combat power was the best in the Western Border Army. In the eyes of other units, this corps was a group of madmen, and no one wanted to offend a pack of mad dogs, as they could attack at any time.

Walking all the way to the central command tent, Qin Feng looked up at it. Compared to his own tent, this was like a mansion compared to a thatched hut. The central command tent, covering an area of over a hundred square meters, made anyone standing in front of it feel solemn and respectful.

However, Qin Feng did not feel much reverence. He had even overturned the commander's table in this tent before, and that time, he only received twenty military lashes. Lifting his steps, he walked inside. The entire central command tent was surrounded by rows of soldiers, silent and still, looking different from usual. It seemed he was late again, but it didn't matter. Who could blame him for being late when his camp was so far away?

Qin Feng, who was used to this, didn't feel anything unusual. He held his sword and walked inside as usual.

With a clank, two swords appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

"Stop, the central camp, intruders will be executed." A voice pressed down on Qin Feng's ears.

Qin Feng hummed, looked up at the two guards who had drawn their swords, and narrowed his eyes. If anyone familiar with Qin Feng knew, this was a sign that he was about to burst out. He had come to the central camp countless times, and even the commander's adjutant would not dare to draw a sword at him.

However, Qin Feng did not burst out today because he noticed that these two were unfamiliar faces. Although they wore the uniforms of the Western Border Army, they were definitely not the guards of the commander's central camp. Qin Feng knew most of the soldiers there, and even if he didn't, they would be familiar faces.

"Who are you?" Qin Feng asked, tapping the two swords in front of him. The clear sound deepened his doubts. Good swords, not the standard issue of the Western Border Army. The quality of these swords was much better.

"Step back, intruders will be executed." The two soldiers in front of him ignored Qin Feng's question and threatened again in a low voice.

Qin Feng tilted his head and looked at them, then laughed, "Is that so?"

As soon as the words were out, his hands shot out like lightning, sliding along the backs of the swords to the wrists of the two soldiers. With a light twist, the two soldiers cried out in pain, unable to hold their swords, and Qin Feng easily took them away, causing them to bend over in pain.

This stirred up a hornet's nest. The other guards in front of the tent drew their swords and rushed towards Qin Feng. Not one of them was familiar. Qin Feng laughed, "Commander, I've come to save you."

Swinging the two swords, a cacophony of metal clashing followed as steel swords fell to the ground. Qin Feng easily reached the tent entrance, and the soldiers behind him, holding their wrists, looked at him with shock and anger. The cry of "Capture the assassin" echoed.

Qin Feng laughed, about to enter the tent, but the tent curtain suddenly flew up, and a sword flashed out, aiming straight for his face.

Like a duck whose throat was choked, his laughter stopped abruptly. The sword came too fast, and Qin Feng, taken by surprise, leaned back, his left hand holding a sword to the ground, and his right hand raising a sword. With a clang, the sword grazed his nose and flew past. As he straightened up, a whistling sound came from behind, and the sword that had just flown out returned from behind.

"Damn, sword control!" Qin Feng broke out in a cold sweat, roared, and crossed his two swords in a cross. Spinning like the wind, the swords intersected, and this time, a grating sound was heard. The lightning-fast sword was caught between the two swords. Qin Feng saw that it was a short sword, no more than a foot long, writhing like a venomous snake between his two swords. He saw that the surfaces of the two steel swords were instantly covered with fine cracks, and with two crisp sounds, the front halves of the swords turned into fragments.

Letting go of the handles, Qin Feng sidestepped, reached out, and grabbed the short sword. A violent tremor ran through his hand, and the sword writhed, trying to break free. Qin Feng laughed, and a dark golden light flashed in his hand. The light on the short sword disappeared, and a violent coughing sound came from inside the tent.

"Qin Feng, stop, you damn fool, when will you ever behave!" The commander's angry voice came from inside the tent.

Qin Feng laughed and walked in, lifting the tent curtain.

Inside the tent, the twenty main commanders of the Western Border Army were seated, each with a serious expression. The commander, Zuo Lixing, sat in the center, his usually refined face now dark, staring at the indifferent Qin Feng. Sometimes Qin Feng thought the commander was more like a scholar than a military leader with the power to command thousands of lives and order bloodshed.

What surprised Qin Feng was that a chair was placed next to the commander's desk, and a woman, her face covered by a veil, sat on it.

It was unusual to see a woman in the army, and even more surprising to see a woman with the right to sit next to the commander. However, Qin Feng only glanced at her and then saluted the commander, "Commander Zuo, I saw that it wasn't your guard outside the tent, and I thought something was wrong. I was just about to come in to check, and this sword flew out."

He straightened up, tossing the short sword in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on a young man behind the woman, who was red-faced and clutching his chest. It seemed this short sword belonged to him. Despite his young age, he could control a sword to kill, which was quite impressive. The young man's eyes were burning with anger, like a wild beast ready to pounce.

Qin Feng ignored this look. He had seen more ferocious eyes on the battlefield, and how could they be of any use? Could they kill with a look?

"You are getting bolder. This is the central command tent, not your chaotic Death Corps. Who dares to cause trouble in the central command tent? Are the other generals just eating their rations?"

Qin Feng coughed, bowed to the surrounding people, "Everyone, I apologize. Qin Feng was concerned about Commander Zuo's safety and momentarily forgot that we all eat the same rations."

The tent erupted in laughter. Everyone was used to Qin Feng's boldness. Even the woman sitting next to Zuo Lixing chuckled.

"Hmm!" Zuo Lixing snorted, and the tent immediately fell silent. Everyone forced themselves to maintain their composure, but a few officers still made strange sounds. Qin Feng looked at them, raising an eyebrow. They were all from the Death Corps: Langya, Leopard, and Xiaomao, now commanders of the main combat units of the Western Border Army.

"Commander Zuo is indeed strict in his command!" The old man behind the woman snorted, "Indeed, the reputation is better than the reality."

Zuo Lixing laughed dryly, turned to the old man, and said, "Old Guo, you don't know. This is Qin Feng, the officer of the Death Corps of the Western Border Army. He is a wild man, doesn't understand etiquette, and is always bold."

"So you are Qin Feng of the Death Corps?" The woman turned her head, her eyes flickering, "Indeed, the reputation is better than the reality." Her voice was clear and pleasant, and even sitting, one could see that she had a good figure, though it was unknown how beautiful her face was under the veil. As soon as she spoke, Qin Feng's eyes immediately turned to her, rudely examining her from head to toe.

"Qin Feng, quickly greet the princess. This is Princess Zhaohua, sent by the emperor to comfort the Western Border Army." Zuo Lixing said solemnly.

Princess? Comfort the army? Qin Feng was taken aback; this was a strange thing he had never heard of.

"Greetings, Princess!" He stepped forward and saluted the woman.

"Rude, you still don't kneel before the princess?" The young man, still red-faced, shouted angrily.

Qin Feng straightened up and looked at him, "This is Commander Zuo's central command tent, and we follow military orders. Even the commander, we only salute with a bow."

"Enough, enough, Officer Qin is right. In the army, we follow military law. Officer Qin, can you return the sword to my guard?" The woman said, her voice clear and pleasant.

Qin Feng held the short sword with both hands and handed it to the young man, "The sword is good."

The sword is good, but the person who uses it may not be. Everyone understood the meaning. Someone laughed, and it was Xiaomao, who always laughed the most in the Death Corps.

The young man's face turned red as if it would bleed. He waved his hand, and the sword flew from Qin Feng's hand, returning to his hand like a bird returning to its nest. Qin Feng was furious. He had honestly returned the sword, and the young man was so impolite. He would find a way to deal with him. Sword control, so what?

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**End of Chapter**