Chapter 102: A Peerless Feat

"It isn't that..." Shen Miao bit her lower lip. "We haven't done anything to deserve this. We have no reason to accept such a precious gift!"

"My approval is the only reason needed," Ye Xin said flatly. "If I do not grant it, then no matter how many justifications others find, they would mean nothing to me."

"But..." Shen Miao was still filled with doubt. It was not that she suspected Ye Xin of any ill intent, but she knew just how precious the Boundless Skywolves were. Back then, even the sovereign of the nation, Tie Xinsheng, had wanted a Boundless Skywolf, only to be refused by Ye Guanhai. Who was she, Shen Miao, to deserve such a magnificent gift?!

"Oh, if my brother says he's giving them to you, just take them!" Ye Ling urged. Her gaze toward Ye Xin was filled not only with reverence but also with deep gratitude. Over the past few years, she had owed Wen Rong, Shen Miao, and Shao Xue far too much. She simply lacked the ability to repay them. Ye Xin's gift allowed her to hold her head up high.

Shen Miao and Shao Xue exchanged glances, still hesitant to accept. At that moment, Wen Rong suddenly spoke up, "It's getting late, and we must set off. You two need to familiarize yourselves with the temperament of the Boundless Skywolves as quickly as possible. Don't make everyone wait for you."

Under Ye Xin's control, the Boundless Skywolves quickly accepted Shen Miao and Shao Xue. The Wolf Cavalry slowly rode out of the camp. At some point, Qiu Xiang had made his way to a small hill near the camp, quietly watching the Wolf Cavalry depart into the distance.

Ye Xin led the Wolf Cavalry around Qiuxi City, advancing toward the northwest. They traveled strictly through the wilderness and mountains, taking wide detours whenever they spotted enemy forces. Traveling by night and resting by day, they journeyed for about four days before entering a vast, unbroken range of rugged mountains.

At first, the march was slow. On one hand, there was no rush; on the other hand, Ye Ling and the others still needed to get used to the Boundless Skywolves. They wouldn't have been able to handle a faster pace.

Ordinary warhorses could never navigate such treacherous mountain terrain, but it posed no challenge to the Boundless Skywolves. This gave Ye Ling and the others a completely new experience.

The Wolf Cavalry's movements were elusive. At times they marched through rushing streams; at others, they bounded along mountain ridges with sheer cliffs flanking both sides. Occasionally, they would charge across a visibly dilapidated suspension bridge, leaving Ye Ling and the others holding their breath in terror, dreading that they and their wolves might plunge into the bottomless abyss below.

After another six or seven days, the Wolf Cavalry entered a well-concealed canyon. To their surprise, there was a row of small log cabins inside. However, the cabins appeared to have been abandoned for a long time, overgrown with moss and wild vines.

Xie En and the others dismounted. Some went into the forest to gather firewood, while others began cleaning the cabins. Led by Xie En, several veteran officers of the Skywolf Legion walked behind a large boulder and dug up a few pickaxes from a mound of earth.

"Start digging here," Xie En said.

The veterans said nothing and picked up the tools. Only then did they realize the pickaxes were forged from refined steel. Despite being buried under the dirt for so long, they hadn't rusted at all.

Seeing that they were making camp, Ye Ling and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Their horsemanship and physical endurance were far inferior to those of the Skywolf Legion veterans, let alone Ye Xin and his inner circle. The consecutive days of marching had been nothing short of torture for them. Fortunately, despite being pampered young ladies, none of them complained of hardship or exhaustion, gritting their teeth and persevering all the way.

After half an hour, the veterans had dug a pit several meters deep. Suddenly, the sharp clink of metal striking metal echoed from below. Xie En smiled and said, "Found it!"

"What are they digging for?" Ye Ling asked curiously. "Come on, let's take a look."

The young ladies gathered their energy and approached. They watched as the veterans brushed away the dirt, revealing a row of small chests.

Soon, the small chests were lined up neatly. Xie En picked one up and slowly opened it. Inside were snow-white Essence Stones. Judging by their color and luster, they were clearly high-grade, graded Essence Stones!

Ye Ling and the others were astonished. If all those chests contained the same kind of stones, the total count would easily reach five hundred. This was a massive fortune! The question was, how did Xie En know that Essence Stones were hidden here? Could these cabins have been built by Xie En himself?!

In truth, it was not just Ye Ling and her companions who were shocked; the veterans of the Skywolf Legion were equally surprised. Although they had already recognized the capabilities of Ye Xin's Sin Camp, the surprises just kept coming.

In the days that followed, it seemed as though Ye Xin intended to stay there indefinitely. In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed. Ye Ling had wanted to follow her brother to broaden her horizons, never expecting to be cooped up in such a secluded place. Wen Rong and the others were also growing restless. More than half a month had passed, and the Fenwu Battalion should have already entered full-scale combat. Was it really wise to hide here doing nothing?

However, they were guests after all. Since even the veterans of the Skywolf Legion remained silent, it was not their place to speak out.

At dusk, Ye Ling and the others sat chatting by the edge of the forest. This was the only thing they could do at this stage. They were already feeling suffocated; if they didn't talk, their frustration would have nowhere to go.

"Ling'er, what exactly is the 'monumental achievement' your brother mentioned?" Shen Miao asked in a low voice.

"How should I know? He hasn't told me anything," Ye Ling replied, shaking her head.

"If he doesn't say, you can always ask. It's not convenient for us to do so, but you are siblings," Shao Xue said.

"And how did your brother know that the Fenwu Battalion was in danger?" Wen Rong added. It was precisely because of those words that she had urged Shen Miao and Shao Xue to accept Ye Xin's generous gift.

"Oh..." Ye Ling frowned. Should she ask? If she didn't, Wen Rong and the others would have even less of a reason to speak up.

Just then, a rustling came from the forest. The Wolf Cavalry riders often went out on patrols, so Wen Rong and the others casually turned to look, only to see a strange face emerge from the woods. It was a chubby young man, who also froze for a moment upon seeing them.

The four young women immediately began circulating their Yuan energy. But when they saw the Boundless Skywolf beneath the young man, they realized he was one of their own and breathed a sigh of relief.

The young man grinned at them and rode toward the cabins. Dismounting, he exchanged a few words with Hao Fei, who stood guard at the door, before entering Ye Xin's room.

Before long, the atmosphere in the camp grew tense. Ye Ling and the others watched closely as some began packing their gear, while others slaughtered the wild beasts they had captured over the past few days to give the Boundless Skywolves a hearty meal. This was a clear signal for a long-distance forced march.

"Let's go take a look." Unable to contain herself any longer, Ye Ling jumped to her feet and hurried toward Ye Xin's cabin. Wen Rong and the other two exchanged glances before standing up to follow her.

Inside Ye Xin's cabin, Ye Xin sat upright in a chair while Xie En and the others stood in a semi-circle around him. The chubby young man who had just arrived was squatting on the floor. Scattered before him were numerous small pebbles and lines drawn with a twig—evidently a crude map.

"Ling'er, what's wrong? Is something the matter?" Ye Xin looked up and smiled.

Seeing the scene before her, Ye Ling thought little of it, but Wen Rong and the others were secretly shocked. A person could put on an act and lie, but the aura they exuded and the atmosphere in the room could not be concealed. Everyone in the cabin was clearly taking their cues from Ye Xin.

"Brother, are we leaving? Where are we going?" Ye Ling asked. "And you said there's a monumental achievement waiting for us. What exactly are we going to do? Brother, only we are here, and we didn't even bring a single family guard. There's no way the news could leak. Can't you really tell us?"

"You never asked," Ye Xin chuckled.

"I'm asking now, Brother. Can you tell us clearly?" Ye Ling said. "Otherwise, knowing nothing is driving us crazy."

"Very well." Ye Xin paused. "To achieve a truly unparalleled feat, I need to borrow someone's head."

"Whose head?" Ye Ling pressed eagerly.

"Zhuang Buxiu," Ye Xin said.

Even though Ye Ling knew her brother possessed extraordinary abilities, she was dumbfounded by this unbelievable answer. As for Wen Rong and the other two, they could hardly believe their ears.

"What?" Ye Ling's voice turned sharp. "Brother... who did you say?"

"Only Zhuang Buxiu's head carries enough weight," Ye Xin replied.

"Ye Xin, what kind of madness has possessed you?" Wen Rong knew it was somewhat inappropriate for her to speak out. After all, she had not yet married into the Ye family and had no right to dictate Ye Xin's decisions, but she could not stand by and watch him squander the last of the Ye family's forces. "Do you even know who Zhuang Buxiu is?"

"I do," Ye Xin smiled, then countered, "But do you know why they are willing to join me in this madness?"

"Why...?" Wen Rong noticed that the expressions of Qiu Jiecha, Xie En, and the others had turned rather peculiar.

"Although I was unable to gather Yuan energy in the past, when it comes to this..." Ye Xin tapped his own head. "I am second to none. That is why I could become the true commander of the Wolf Cavalry in such a short time. Qiu Jiecha, what is your take on my plan?"

"At least a ninety percent chance of success," Qiu Jiecha said, narrowing his eyes. Now that he truly understood Ye Xin's plan and the power Ye Xin wielded, his heart was in turmoil. Even the Wolf Marshal fell far short of Ye Xin in terms of strategic planning. His estimate of ninety percent was based on various calculations; had it not been for his wariness of Zhuang Buxiu's terrifying strength, he would have rated it a hundred percent.

Wen Rong was utterly dumbfounded. Ye Xin might act rashly, but Qiu Jiecha certainly would not. What kind of plan could possibly eliminate Zhuang Buxiu? If Zhuang Buxiu were so easy to deal with, how could he have survived to this day?

"Since even Qiu Jiecha says it's ninety percent, then it is indeed worth taking the risk," Ye Xin's gaze fell upon Ye Ling and the others. "Starting tomorrow, we will begin a forced march. If you can keep up, I will naturally bring you along. If you cannot, I will have someone escort you to another safehouse. The military situation is urgent, and I cannot afford a single moment of delay."