With Qiao Mu and Xiao Yingtao holding the line, Zhao Yusheng rode his horse back a few paces and came before Feng Jiu’er.

Xing Zizhou brushed past him, following close behind Xiao Yingtao.

“You little vixen — so it was you who sent that throwing dart just now?” Black Steel fixed his eyes on Xiao Yingtao, his thick brows knitted tightly.

Though she too was a beauty, when lives were on the line, no one dared make light of things.

“And what of it?” Xiao Yingtao stared Black Steel down without a trace of fear. “I am no hero, and have no need to act like one.”

“And what point would there be in talking to someone like you about heroes and gallant conduct?”

“You — what do you mean by that?” Black Steel paused, then demanded in a low voice.

Distracted by Qiao Mu and Xiao Yingtao’s interference, he had not noticed what Zhao Yusheng was doing.

Zhao Yusheng came to Feng Jiu’er’s side and said in a low voice: “Jiu’er, this Black Steel is Black Pond Clan’s top general.”

“His appearance here must have come at the Clan Leader’s orders.”

“Black Pond Clan’s forces are under twenty thousand — our numbers are about the same right now. At worst, we fight.” Tuoba Keyan said in a low voice.

“That’s easy to say, but we’re in a mountain ravine — if a fight truly breaks out, we can’t avoid casualties.” Zhao Yusheng furrowed his brows.

“Do you have a plan in mind?” Feng Jiu’er looked at Zhao Yusheng and asked softly.

Meeting her gaze, Zhao Yusheng continued: “After we found the treasure, I sent word to my sworn brother at the Zhao Family Stronghold.”

“He may already be on his way. Once he brings his people and we have him working from the outside while we push from within, I believe Black Steel wouldn’t dare make a move.”

“The reason they’re blocking us here is because they hold Zhao Family Stronghold in check.”

Black Steel had been arguing with Xiao Yingtao for a while and finally took notice, turning his gaze toward Zhao Yusheng and Feng Jiu’er.

“Zhao Yusheng, what are you doing? Why do you keep sending women to speak with me?” He grew suspicious that something was afoot and immediately demanded in a low voice.

All at once, a familiar but brief whistle sounded. Zhao Yusheng gave Feng Jiu’er a reassuring look, turned his horse around, and raised his eyes to fix them on Black Steel.

“Surely you know these are all my people — so you’ve decided not to show any respect to Zhao Family Stronghold and spare us all from this battle today?”

Black Steel glared at Zhao Yusheng and furrowed his brows slightly.

“Zhao Yusheng, those are fine words, but if our Black Pond Clan went to your Zhao Family Stronghold and took your things, would you just look the other way?”

“Whether this area is Black Pond Clan territory — you know it, and I know it too, don’t I?” Zhao Yusheng met his gaze and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Giving the other no chance to speak, Zhao Yusheng continued: “You’ve also seen the number of brothers we have.”

“Is Black Pond Clan truly prepared to throw every single man it has into a fight against me — even to make an enemy of all of Zhao Family Stronghold?”

“Wrong, wrong, wrong.” Black Steel waved a hand. “We have no intention of making an enemy of Zhao Family Stronghold. We’re simply defending what is ours.”

“Besides, your people from Zhao Family Stronghold forcibly plundering things from someone else’s territory — isn’t that a bit too brazen?”

“Young Master, let’s fight!” A brother rode up on horseback. “Talking this much with him is just wasting time.”

The moment the brother’s words fell, from the other end of the mountain ravine came the sound of chaotic hoof beats.

Qiao Mu turned around to look.

Not only her — even the Black Pond Clan members standing on the mountain craned their necks in that direction.

Before long, Qiao Mu’s delighted voice rang out: “Jiu’er, it’s General Long — they’ve come!”

Upon hearing it was Long Feiyan, every single person’s face broke into a smile of joy.

Xiao Yingtao let out a soft sigh and raised her eyes toward Black Steel: “We’ve just gained another half of our numbers. Do you still plan to plunder?”

“Clearly this isn’t your territory at all, yet you insist we dug up something of yours — aren’t you ashamed?”

Black Steel withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at Xiao Yingtao.

“What does an outsider like you know? This is Black Pond Clan territory — don’t think you can just…”

“Black Steel — are you certain?” Suddenly, a voice carrying the force of inner energy resonated through the mountain ravine.

Xiao Yingtao looked from side to side for a moment before spotting a tall, slender figure that had appeared atop a higher boulder.

“And you are?” Black Steel looked toward the figure on the opposite hillside.

“Zhao Zhuosheng.” With those few words cast down, Zhao Zhuosheng leaped down and landed beside Qiao Mu.

In that same instant, a considerable number of people appeared on the mountainside — bows drawn and aimed at the Black Pond Clan members.

“Sworn Brother.” Zhao Yusheng raised his eyes toward Zhao Zhuosheng and called out softly.

Feng Jiu’er looked at Zhao Zhuosheng too, the corners of her mouth curving slightly upward.

She had assumed all the people on the mountain were Black Pond Clan — she had not expected that some were actually from Zhao Family Stronghold.

With things as they were, this battle ought not to come to pass.

“Zhao Zhuosheng?” Black Steel fixed his eyes on Zhao Zhuosheng and furrowed his brows.

Zhao Zhuosheng’s gaze, however, locked onto Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu, watching him, heard Zhao Yusheng call out “Sworn Brother” and drew back her silver spear.

“A pleasure.” Zhao Zhuosheng clasped his hands toward Qiao Mu in greeting.

Qiao Mu looked at him and returned the gesture.

With General Long’s arrival and Zhao Yusheng’s sworn brother here as well, she had no need to keep the Black Pond Clan people in her eyes any longer.

Qiao Mu leaped down onto a lower boulder below.

She planted her dragon-tongue silver spear beneath one of the boulders above and gave it a sharp lever — the boulder launched upward, landing with a crash right near the Black Pond Clan members.

It was no more than a light smirk tossed toward Black Steel before Qiao Mu levered up a second boulder.

Zhao Zhuosheng watched her for a moment, then leaped down himself, landing on the boulder where she stood.

The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, levered up boulders of all sizes and sent them flying toward both sides of the ravine — and they looked remarkably in sync doing it.

The Black Pond Clan members on both sides scrambled to dodge, cries of alarm ringing out without pause.

With the help of Zhao Yusheng, Xing Zizhou, Xiao Yingtao, and several of the brothers, the mountain road was quickly cleared and passable once more.

“Black Steel — I’m keeping this score in mind!” Zhao Yusheng swept a glance at Black Steel, then turned and headed out.

“Zhao Yusheng, you…”

The moment Black Steel’s words left his mouth — whoosh — a cold arrow sliced past Black Steel’s face.

He immediately furrowed his brows and dared not say another word.

Zhao Zhuosheng withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhao Yusheng: “Let’s go — we’ll talk when we get back.”

“Yes.” Zhao Yusheng gave a nod and turned to head back.

Three groups converged in the ravine, departing in as grand and sweeping a procession as they had arrived.

By the time they returned to Zhao Yusheng’s place and had the camp properly set up, dawn was nearly breaking.

Feng Jiu’er rode her horse in a wide circuit before finally returning to the side room Zhao Yusheng had prepared for her.

“Jiu’er, go rest first — you won’t have any trouble at my place.” Zhao Yusheng looked at the woman beside him and said softly.

“Alright.” Feng Jiu’er gave a nod and dismounted.

She patted Zhuiyue’s neck and waved her hand: “You’ve worked hard this stretch of time — off you go. I’m giving you two days of freedom. Just remember not to run too far.”

Zhuiyue gave a whinny and galloped off toward the vast open plains.

Feng Jiu’er watched the direction Zhuiyue disappeared for a moment before finally turning away with satisfaction and stepping into the side room.