Xue San led more than twenty brothers behind him, hidden deep within the vast mountains like a lurking leopard, elusive and mysterious. The terrain here had all been mapped out, and for several days, they wandered the forests like wild beasts.

"There’s a cave here, everyone come inside to shelter from the rain," Xue San saw a cave ahead and looked up at the downpour, speaking calmly.

"Understood."

"Understood."

The group rushed into the cave. During the rainy season, the rain is continuous and sometimes light, sometimes heavy. Xue San urged everyone to quickly eat some dry food to replenish their strength.

"Luckily, the general provided us with rain cloaks; otherwise, with this weather, if our clothes got soaked, we’d freeze to death overnight." A team member removed the rain cloak he wore. The group lit a fire and gathered around for warmth. This cloak was different from ordinary straw cloaks. The common folk wore straw cloaks that could shield from rain but were too cumbersome for combat. Ye Shikai referenced modern raincoats and found a special material, equipping the team with rain cloaks that provided excellent rain protection and did not hinder movement.

"That’s right. What’s there to say? Our general, what kind of person is he? He’s a heavenly person. If he wanted to level Beast Mountain, it’d be just a matter of moving his lips," Xue San boasted as he ate the dry food, embellishing and "hyping" Ye Shikai’s past exploits.

"But why didn’t the general anticipate the enemy’s arson attack on us?"

"You foolish boy, it’s because Yan Yu is cunning, using little tricks. This kind of trickery at best scares people. The outcome, isn’t it still a dead end? We’ve drawn the map for the general, and this time we will surely win," Xue San encouraged.

"Yes, the general has led us to many victories; this time is no different."

"Indeed, you’re right. Back at Stone Peak Fortress, the general faced the Wolf Clan without fear, slaughtering them like falling flowers. The rebel army is nothing compared."

"True." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Everyone agreed in unison. Seeing the morale rise, Xue San felt gratified. Compared to soldiers battling on the front lines, they often bore greater pressure, infiltrating deep behind enemy lines, amidst thousands of enemy troops. Even a slight mistake could lead to their complete annihilation, dying without a grave. Their tasks involved reconnaissance and infiltration and assassination, akin to modern special forces, making them highly skilled, with strong psychological fortitude.

"Operating in the enemy’s lair, we must be particularly careful. The fire should last no more than an hour. Once the time is up, it must be extinguished and traces covered. Understood?" Xue San instructed.

"Understood."

"Understood."

"Commander, look, there seems to be a light in this cave," suddenly, a team member pointed inside the cave.

"Really?" Xue San turned his head, and indeed, a faint light emerged from within the cave. If there isn’t someone inside lighting a fire, then it could only mean... the cave goes all the way through, with an exit at the other end.

"Everyone, hide, prepare your weapons, follow me," Xue San’s expression darkened, his tone turning stern.

"Understood."

Xue San led the team into the cave. For concealment, only the leading Xue San held a torch, with the team lined up, each placing a hand on the shoulder of the person before them and the other holding a crossbow, cautiously observing the cave’s ceiling, fearing an ambush.

"Everyone, soften your steps, don’t make too much noise," Xue San reminded.

"Commander, there’s a lot of dust in here; it seems no one has been here," a team member observed the surroundings. Many bats were perched atop the cave, not looking like a place people frequent.

"Indeed," Xue San looked towards the light source, gradually approaching it. Soon, the tiny light grew bigger until they finally reached the end.

It was indeed an exit.

"You all wait here, I’ll go out to check. Remember, without my signal, do not come out, understand?" Xue San ordered.

"Understood."

Xue San cautiously poked his head out of the cave, and the scene before him nearly made him cry out in shock. Outside were barracks, with many soldiers in armor patrolling the military camp. This was not the Qin Army’s camp but... the rebel army’s camp.

Xue San carefully observed; the cave was on a higher elevation, with the entire camp below in a valley. There was only one road in and out. Standing above, he could see everything clearly, even the watchtowers and sentry posts.

"My heavens, so many people," Xue San muttered, estimating there were at least two to three thousand. Even if it wasn’t the rebel army’s main base, it was a large encampment. Destroying this would severely damage the rebel army’s essence, causing a collapse.

Xue San studied the terrain closely; the valley was surrounded by high mountains, difficult to cross, with only one road in and out. From a military encampment perspective, it’s a last-ditch effort. If surrounded, there would be no aid, and if breached, the outcome is death for everyone. But the exit is long and narrow, filled with many trees. Without knowledge of the terrain, one would not venture inside, nor discover its concealed secrets, so well-hidden that Xue San found it through sheer luck.

"Well, well, hiding here now, no wonder the general couldn’t find you. Now that you’ve met me, prepare to die," Xue San returned to the cave and let everyone out.

"Commander, we’ve searched for so long, turns out they were hiding here," the team members were thrilled at the scene, as if they had discovered gold and silver on the ground. After all, they were searching for the rebel army’s main base for so long, now finding it had fulfilled their goal, how could they not be happy?

"Alright, don’t get too excited. Bring the paper and pen, draw the terrain here, the entrance and exit, and map out the layout of the camp. Be detailed, and then we leave this ghost place," Xue San instructed.

"Understood."

"Looking at the numbers, this should be a large rebel army camp. The granary roof is covered with straw for moisture protection. At the back of the camp, the adjacent warehouse should contain weaponry. The enemy army mostly comprises infantry and archers, lacking organized cavalry," Xue San analyzed as he observed the rebel army’s camp. "The rebel army wears common armor, mostly leather and wooden armor. Their weapons appear mostly homemade, quite rudimentary. Hence, their armory doesn’t hold much value."