Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 201 Interrogation and Intelligence

The snowstorm finally subsided before dawn, and the leaden sunlight struggled to pierce the clouds, illuminating the ravaged battlefield inside and outside the fortress. Beneath the walls, the bodies of vassal soldiers killed by rolling logs and stones the previous night lay scattered, most half-buried by the falling snow, their congealed dark red bloodstains starkly contrasting against the pristine white. A faint stench of blood and burnt flesh filled the air, mingled with the biting chill characteristic of a northern morning.

Inside the fortress, the atmosphere was somber yet orderly. Wounded soldiers were being carried down for treatment, the bodies of the fallen were being temporarily housed, damaged battlements and walls were being repaired hastily, and more logs, stones, and arrows were being carried up the walls. Having experienced the bloody battle of the previous night, the faces of the defending soldiers showed less of the initial tension of a major battle and more of composure and fortitude, their eyes sharper than ever. The Queen's presence at the front lines, her decisive command, and the powerful crossbows all greatly boosted morale.

Murong Mingyue rested for less than two hours. As dawn broke, she rose and, accompanied by her guards, inspected the fortress walls again, paying particular attention to the northwest corner, which had been attacked the previous night. She carefully examined the traces of the enemy's climb and the grappling hooks, and inquired about the condition of the wounded before returning to the council hall. Her face was slightly pale, with faint dark circles under her eyes, but her back was straight, and her eyes were clear, showing no sign of exhaustion.

Pound and the garrison commander were already waiting there, their eyes bloodshot, but they were still in good spirits.

"Your Majesty, the casualty count is complete," the garrison commander reported first. "Our army suffered 47 dead and over 120 wounded, mostly from arrow wounds and close-combat injuries, including over 30 seriously wounded who are being treated to the best of their ability by the army medics. We consumed approximately 8,000 arrows, including 300 from the Shenbi crossbow; we used 30% of the rolling logs and stones; and a small amount of kerosene and molten gold. The main structure of the fortress is intact, but three crenellations in the northwest corner have suffered minor damage and are being repaired."

Murong Mingyue listened silently. Compared to the enemy's losses, the casualty figures were negligible, but the loss of each life weighed heavily on her heart. She nodded slightly: "The fallen soldiers should be registered, given generous compensation, and relocated to the Martyrs' Cemetery after the war. The wounded should be properly cared for, and if the fortress lacks the necessary medicines, they should be immediately requested from Dingbei City."

"Your humble servant obeys."

"How is the count of the enemy corpses? Have you found anything?" Murong Mingyue turned to Pang De.

Pang De said in a deep voice, "A preliminary count at the foot of the fortress wall revealed approximately four hundred corpses. The vast majority were vassal soldiers who had been driven to their posts, dressed in haphazard clothing and armed with rudimentary weapons. Judging from their skin color, hairstyles, and the totems on the bodies of a few, they came from at least three different small northern tribes. There were also more than thirty corpses, concentrated in the northwest corner. These were all elite soldiers who scaled the wall last night. They were uniformly dressed, more robust and wielder than the vassal soldiers, with painted faces and well-equipped weapons. They should belong to the Snow Wolf Clan's 'White Wolf Guard' or similar elite troops. Bone whistles, small horns, and some animal bone talismans of unknown purpose were found on some of the corpses. In addition..."

He paused, then took out a piece of gray fur, mostly soaked in blood, from his robes, carefully unfolded it, and laid it on the table. On the inside of the fur, in some dark red pigment, were drawn some wavy lines and strange symbols. "This was found inside the clothing of a White Wolf Guard junior officer. The texture resembles some kind of deerskin. The drawings don't seem to be a map, but more like… a path guide, or ritual symbols? This humble general is too dull to understand."

Murong Mingyue bent down to examine it closely. The lines were chaotic, the symbols abstract; it certainly didn't resemble an ordinary map. But several recurring patterns, resembling a wolf's head combined with a crescent moon, stirred something within her. Perhaps this was some kind of symbol or religious totem within the Snow Wolf Clan.

"And this too." The guard handed over an item, a severed end of a grappling hook. The iron hook was exquisitely crafted, and the end was still attached to a short section of dark brown rope that was neither hemp nor leather, but extremely tough. "This rope is made of a peculiar material, exceptionally strong and difficult to break with swords. Last night, it was burned with kerosene to make it lose its weight. It is no ordinary object."

Murong Mingyue picked up the rope; it was cold and smooth to the touch. She pulled on it slightly and found it to be remarkably elastic and strong. "This...it might be some special material from the frigid far north. It seems the Snow Wolf Clan is not only fierce, but also possesses unique skills." She placed the rope and fur together. "These, along with the two prisoners we captured the other day, are currently our most direct window into understanding the Snow Wolf Clan. General Pang, how is the interrogation of the prisoners going?"

A flicker of anger and helplessness crossed Pound's face: "Your Majesty, those two prisoners are incredibly stubborn! We interrogated them separately all night, using every method imaginable, but they only revealed trivial details, such as that they belonged to the Snow Wolf Clan's 'Outpost Hundred-Man Team,' that their captain had been killed by the Divine Arm Crossbow, and that their southward journey was on the orders of the 'Wolf Lord' to 'scout ahead,' etc. When asked about the main force's location, troop strength, specific plans, and the origin of the fur and rope, they either feigned deafness and muteness, or rambled on, even attempting to bite their tongues to commit suicide, but were stopped in time. They are two tough nuts to crack."

Murong Mingyue was not surprised. Those selected as scouts were mostly loyal and resilient members of their tribes, especially the Snow Wolf tribe, a disciplined and fanatical clan.

"Bring them up." Murong Mingyue sat back in her seat, her voice calm. "I will ask them myself."

Soon, two Snow Wolf Clan prisoners, tortured all night, covered in wounds and staggering, were brought in. Their armor had been removed, leaving them only in thin, tattered fur coats, their hands and feet bound by heavy shackles. One was slightly older, with a rugged face and cloudy eyes that held a fierce, unyielding determination; the other was younger, his face still bearing traces of youthful innocence, but his lips were tightly pressed together, his gaze lowered, avoiding eye contact with those in the hall.

Murong Mingyue didn't ask a question immediately, but instead slowly swept her cold gaze over the two of them. The charcoal fire crackled in the council hall, creating a tense atmosphere. After a long while, she finally spoke, her voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority, in slightly rusty but clearly pronounced Hu language: "Raise your heads."

The older prisoner snorted and turned his head away. The younger prisoner trembled, subconsciously raising his eyes slightly before quickly lowering them again.

"You were loyal to the Wolf Lord Uvi and died for him; you are warriors," Murong Mingyue said slowly, her Hu language somewhat hesitant, but the meaning was clear. "But your Wolf Lord, last night, used people from vassal tribes to fill my trenches, testing my strength, yet he sent elite troops like you to risk climbing the walls, only to retreat after failure. Did he truly value your lives?"

The older prisoner whirled around, glaring at Murong Mingyue, and growled in a low voice in the barbarian language, "Witch! Stop sowing discord! To die for the Wolf Lord is to give glory to the Wolf God! Our lives belong to the Wolf Lord!"

"Glory?" Murong Mingyue's lips curled into a faint, cold smile. "To be left exposed beneath my wall, buried by wind and snow, and devoured by wild wolves—is this the glory bestowed upon you by your wolf god? Your families and tribes may not even find your remains; they will only receive a cold 'death in battle' notice, or perhaps nothing at all."

The young prisoner's body trembled even more violently.

"I dislike pointless killing." Murong Mingyue changed the subject. "Tell me anything of value you know. For example, what is the meaning of the pattern on this fur? Where did this rope come from? Where is your main force currently located? What might Uvi's next move be? If you tell me, I can guarantee that I will spare your lives. After the war, you might even be able to reunite with your families, or settle down in the Star Kingdom as civilians. That would be better than being in that harsh land, where you could become the next 'warrior' to be consumed at any time."

"Pah! Dream on!" The older prisoner spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

Murong Mingyue stopped looking at him and focused her gaze on the young prisoner: "And you? Are you also willing to die like this, meaninglessly, letting your parents outlive their child, letting your wife weep every night, and letting your child never know what their father looks like?"

The young prisoner suddenly raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed and his lips trembling. He looked at Murong Mingyue, then at his older companion who was glaring angrily beside him, clearly struggling with his inner turmoil.

"Takumi! How dare you betray the Wolf Lord!" the older prisoner shouted sternly.

Murong Mingyue gave Pang De a wink. Pang De understood, stepped forward, grabbed the older prisoner by the hair, and roughly dragged him out. The shouts and struggles quickly faded into the distance.

Only Murong Mingyue, the garrison commander, a few personal guards, and the young prisoner named "Tuomu" remained in the council hall.

Murong Mingyue softened her tone: "Tuomu is a good name. In the Hu language, it means 'a resilient tree,' right? Your parents must have hoped that you could live tenaciously like a tree. Now, the choice is in your hands. Do you want to die here meaninglessly, or do you seize this chance to live, and perhaps one day have the opportunity to return to your grasslands and see your family again?"

Takumi's defenses finally began to crumble under the repeated psychological shocks and the fear of his companions being taken away. He collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face, and began to explain in a broken, halting voice, a mixture of foreign languages ​​and broken Chinese.

Based on Tuomu's confession, combined with previous intelligence and the battle situation last night, Murong Mingyue, Pang De, and the defending general pieced together a clearer picture:

The main force of the Snow Wolf Clan is indeed currently still gathering and resting in a river valley south of Langjuxu Mountain. Tuomu is not sure of the exact number of troops, but it is definitely more than 30,000. Among them, the true elite of the Snow Wolf Clan is about 15,000, including 5,000 "White Wolf Guards". The rest are mostly troops from vassal tribes that they have conquered or intimidated.

Last night's attack was indeed a probing strike by Uvi. Its objectives were threefold: first, to deplete the energy and resources of the garrison at the fortress; second, to test the strength and reaction speed of the defenses; and third, to cover the elite squad's ascent of the wall. If they could successfully create an opening or create chaos, the main force would then launch a fierce attack. According to Tuomu, the special ropes were made from the peeled and tanned bark of a "snow vine" that grows on the cliffs of the far north. They were rare, incredibly strong, and exclusively used by the "climbers" of the "White Wolf Guard."

As for the patterns on the fur, Tuomu recognized them as "mountain god guide symbols," drawn by the tribe's "shamans." They were said to guide the wearer through complex mountainous terrain or blizzards, helping them find safe paths or camps. The wolf-head crescent symbols were the insignia of Uvi's direct royal guard.

"Uvi... what will happen next?" Murong Mingyue pressed.

Tuomu shook his head blankly. He was too low-ranking to know the leader's specific plans. But he did mention one thing: Uvi was hot-tempered, but not a mindless brute; on the contrary, he was extremely vengeful and unforgiving. Last night's raid had failed, especially with the loss of the valuable "Mountain Climber" and "Snow Vine Rope." He would definitely not let it go. It was very likely that after figuring out the strength of the chevaux-de-frise, he would mobilize more troops and adopt a more aggressive attack, or... try to bypass it.

"Bypass?" Murong Mingyue's eyes narrowed.

"Yes...yes." Takumi tried to recall, "I once heard...I heard the little chief bragging while drinking that the Wolf Lord had been looking...looking further west, where there are more mountains and more dangerous paths, but in some places, the icy rivers and passes in winter might be passable by horse..."

Murong Mingyue and Pang De exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. If the main force of the Snow Wolf Clan really attempted to infiltrate from the more treacherous but potentially weaker sections to the west, the pressure on Juma Fortress might be alleviated, but the entire northern frontier defense line, especially the flanks of the newly annexed Xiliang territory, would face a tremendous threat!

"And...and..." Tuomu seemed to remember something and said uncertainly, "A few days ago, it seems that some people from the south secretly saw the Wolf Lord...they weren't dressed like people from our grasslands...but I didn't see them clearly, I only heard the brothers guarding the royal tent mention it..."

People from the south? Murong Mingyue's heart skipped a beat. Were they envoys from other forces in the Central Plains? Or... spies from the Southern Dynasty? Trying to incite Wuwei to invade the south in order to relieve the Southern Dynasty's own pressure?

The interrogation lasted for nearly an hour. Takumi's knowledge was limited, and much of the information needed to be verified, but he had provided extremely valuable clues.

After having her guards take the mentally unstable Tuomu away and lock him up in a separate place, Murong Mingyue immediately spread out a map of western Northern Frontier.

"General Pang, immediately dispatch more elite scouts to expand the search area westward, focusing on all valleys, passes, and glaciers west of Langjuxu Mountain, all the way to the northern border wall of Xiliang, especially the narrow paths that might be used by people and horses in winter! At the same time, send this intelligence back to the capital as soon as possible, report to the King, and inform the Xiliang garrison to be on high alert and strengthen patrols on the western flank!"

"Yes, sir!" Pound clasped his hands in a fist salute and hurried away.

Murong Mingyue stood alone before the map, her finger unconsciously tracing the long, potentially existing "western route." The snowstorm had paused, but the sky over northern Xinjiang remained overcast. She knew that last night was merely an appetizer. Uwei's fangs had only just been revealed. And the possible "person from the south" added even more unpredictability to the situation.