“Jiu’er.” Not knowing what was happening, Zhao Yusheng quickly closed in.

But what he saw, unexpectedly, was the woman on the opposite bank sitting atop a white horse.

“Chase Moon.” Feng Jiu’er, soaked from head to toe, stroked the horse’s mane, her face full of excitement.

“I never thought you’d still be around. I thought after we parted last time, we’d never see each other again in this life.”

“Chase Moon, I’ve missed you so much, do you know that?”

No sooner had she spoken than Feng Jiu’er even lay down across the horse’s back, pressing herself tightly against her mount.

Zhao Yusheng crossed the little river in a few strides and came up beside Feng Jiu’er.

Seeing how her clothes clung to her slight frame, he immediately took off his own robe and draped it over her.

“Jiu’er, you two… know each other?” Glancing at the white prize warhorse, Zhao Yusheng’s gaze settled on Feng Jiu’er.

Feng Jiu’er, looking somewhat exhausted, lay across the horse’s back, reluctant to get up.

“This is my mount, named Chase Moon. I never expected it would come find me.”

Whether or not Chase Moon understood Feng Jiu’er’s words, it let out a series of neighs, almost as if responding to her.

“I see.” Zhao Yusheng nodded. “Either way, it’s so cold right now — let’s get you back first and talk later.”

As he spoke, Zhao Yusheng took hold of the reins and led them toward a narrower stretch of the river.

That night, Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao’s small tent had an extra occupant in the form of a horse, which made it feel unusually warm.

Early the next morning, the messenger bird was already outside, singing a pleasant tune.

Feng Jiu’er rode Chase Moon, leading everyone onward.

Entering this stretch of Black Gorge Valley, infested with mountain bandits, it was fortunate Zhao Yusheng was guiding the way — otherwise, even on her second visit, Feng Jiu’er felt she’d have gotten lost.

Once the messenger bird flew in, it would occasionally vanish from sight, but Zhao Yusheng could always find it again quickly.

After two straight days of travel, the group stopped on a mountainside, looking ahead.

“Jiu’er, it looks like the messenger bird is heading back along the route to Zhao Family Stockade. I wonder if Jian Yi might be somewhere along it.”

“Have your men sent any word?” Feng Jiu’er drew her gaze back and glanced over at him.

“Since the letter I got the day before yesterday, there’s been no new word.” Zhao Yusheng let out a soft sigh. “I’m sorry, Jiu’er.”

“Ever since I left with the brothers, my father stripped me of every privilege I had. There aren’t many people left in the stockade who still dare to do things for me now.”

“It’s fine.” Feng Jiu’er nodded, glancing back. “Everyone rest here. We’ll set off again in half an hour.”

“Got it.” The brothers answered in unison.

Half an hour later, they continued on, but no sooner had night fallen than they found themselves surrounded in a mountain ravine.

Zhao Yusheng and several brothers positioned themselves front, back, and to either side, shielding Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao in the middle.

“Who’s there? Come out.” Zhao Yusheng said sternly, staring toward one spot.

“You little brat, finally willing to come back, are you?” A deep voice rang out, seeming to fill the entire ravine.

In an instant, men sprang out from all sides, surrounding Feng Jiu’er and the others.

Glancing around, Feng Jiu’er couldn’t help being stunned.

Just how many descendants of the Zhao Yu clan were there?

She had thought that with so many brothers already having left with Zhao Yusheng, there couldn’t be many left behind — yet here was a sudden crowd of so many more.

No wonder Mu Mu had said their numbers were beyond counting.

Seeing so many men, Feng Jiu’er felt her heart stirred with excitement — but not a trace of fear.

“Big Brother, you’ve finally come back.” Zhao Xiaoxiao emerged from the crowd, riding her horse toward Zhao Yusheng.

“Xiaoxiao.” Zhao Yusheng called out softly.

“Eldest Miss.” Several of the men turned at once to look at Zhao Xiaoxiao.

As their gazes fell on the old patriarch not far off, the men all lowered their heads without thinking.

Even among Zhao Yusheng’s own men, everyone held the old patriarch in great respect.

Having left in secret behind the old patriarch’s back this time, the brothers still felt rather uneasy about it.

“Big Brother, do you have any idea how long Mother was sick after you up and left?”

“It’s fine now, she’s recovered — otherwise I really was planning to go out and look for you.”

Looking at Zhao Yusheng, Zhao Xiaoxiao’s face was full of complaint, but the longing in her eyes was impossible to hide.

“How is Mother now?” Zhao Yusheng asked softly.

These past days, the person he’d worried about most was his mother, but for the sake of the ideal in his heart, he had still chosen to leave.

“She’s fine. Everything’s settled down now, nothing should happen to her.” As she spoke, Zhao Xiaoxiao glanced over at Feng Jiu’er.

“Big Brother, did you leave with the brothers for the sake of my sister-in-law?”

Zhao Xiaoxiao didn’t know much about Feng Jiu’er, but she did know that the woman hadn’t been willing to marry her brother.

“Xiaoxiao, don’t talk nonsense. Jiu’er is our general.” Zhao Yusheng explained quietly.

“General?” Zhao Xiaoxiao’s crescent brows knitted tightly. “Big Brother, you took the brothers off to serve under someone else? What general — how come I never heard about this?”

“Jiu’er belongs to the War God Prince, the Ninth Prince. The truth is, when I took the brothers out this time, we went to pledge ourselves to the Ninth Prince.”

Zhao Yusheng took a deep breath and looked at Zhao Qingshan.

“Insolence!” Zhao Qingshan frowned and gave a cold snort. “Do the people of the Zhao Yu clan need to pledge themselves to anyone?”

Zhao Qingshan was well aware that wars had broken out at both Phoenix City and Crow-Wood City.

His own son’s departure was likely because of these wars, but for the safety of the clan, he couldn’t simply leave rashly to go look for him.

“Father, you know better than I do what kind of man the Ninth Prince is. Why would you…”

“Insolence!” Before Zhao Yusheng could finish, Zhao Qingshan cut him off coldly. “There’s no ‘why.’ Our home is here. You don’t need to go anywhere!”

“Father.” Zhao Yusheng called out sternly. “The Ninth Prince is a good man. Those events happened so long ago — why must you still hold on to them?”

“Insolence!” Zhao Qingshan waved a hand and turned to leave. “Take this disobedient son of mine back!”

“Yes, sir.” The men answered together, nodding.

Watching the men close in on him, Zhao Yusheng clenched his fists tightly and drew a deep breath.

“Father, the Ninth Prince is a good man, we don’t need to keep being outlaws. Father, the brothers all have their own ambitions — none of them want to spend a lifetime holed up in these mountains, Father.”

No matter how Zhao Yusheng called out, Zhao Qingshan walked away regardless.

Hearing Zhao Yusheng’s words, the men closing in on him couldn’t help but pause in their steps.

Zhao Yusheng had voiced what many of the brothers hadn’t dared to say all these years — that going out into the world, even if it meant dying in battle, was still something worth fighting for.

A whole life spent holed up in the mountains, asking only for three meals a day — this wasn’t the life most of the brothers truly wanted.

Unfortunately, the trauma of their clan’s near-extermination ran too deep, and no one dared take such a risk lightly.

“Young Master, let’s talk it over once we’re back.” Elder Feng glanced at Zhao Yusheng, shook his head, and turned his horse around.

“Escort the Young Master and his group back to the stockade — no mistakes!”