With many thoughts weighing on her mind, Huo Yan couldn’t sleep soundly at night. The next day, she woke up before dawn. After morning training, she went to speak with Hong Shan.

Hong Shan said, “Yesterday, Stone and I took turns keeping watch for half the night, but we didn’t notice anything unusual.”

Huo Yan looked at Stone, who nodded at her.

“No movement all night?”

“None. He slept more deeply than any of us.” Hong Shan looked at Huo Yan suspiciously. “Aren’t you overthinking this? Hu Yuanzhong is just an ordinary hunter. I didn’t notice anything wrong with his speech. His family’s poverty makes him quite pitiful.”

“Brother Huo, what exactly is wrong with him that makes you so suspicious?” Little Mai asked.

What was wrong? In truth, it all came down to the red rash on his wrist at the tiger’s mouth point – hardly a major suspicious detail. But the timing coinciding with Xiao Jue’s departure made her feel something wasn’t quite right.

Having walked the line between life and death on battlefields countless times, sometimes the body made better judgments than the mind. An old general she once followed often said: “Ordinary people’s intuition might be wrong, but for people like us, our intuition about danger is right eight or nine times out of ten.”

After pondering for a moment, she said, “Let me observe further.”

Hong Shan shrugged and didn’t pursue the matter.

By evening, all daily training had concluded. Huo Yan first went to Shen Muexue’s room to get medicine, then went to see Hu Yuanzhong. He was alone in his room, looking down at a piece of paper.

When Huo Yan pushed open the door, he immediately hid the paper in his clothes.

“Brother Hu, what are you doing alone in your room?” Huo Yan pretended not to notice his action and asked with a smile.

“Nothing,” Hu Yuanzhong sighed, “My leg hasn’t healed yet, so I can’t get out of bed. I can only stay in the room, causing trouble for all of you.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Huo Yan said with a smile. “With such serious injuries, you should certainly take time to recover properly.”

She rolled up Hu Yuanzhong’s trouser leg and crouched down to apply medicine. Yesterday she hadn’t looked closely, but today, coming with suspicion, she examined everything more carefully.

The hunter’s legs were covered in scars, with the largest presumably made of Stone – deep enough to see bone, and the most severe.

“I heard from Miss Shen that Brother Hu encountered a bear while climbing the mountain,” Huo Yan casually asked. “Are there bears during this season?”

The bears of White Moon Mountain were likely hibernating even during the day. It seemed quite unlikely for Hu Yuanzhong to encounter one.

“Yes,” Hu Yuanzhong scratched his head, “I was just unlucky. Instead of finding foxes, I ran into a bear.”

“How can you call that unlucky?” Huo Yan shook her head. “Being able to escape alive after encountering a bear isn’t something everyone can do. I’ve heard bears have poor eyesight but are extremely sensitive to smells. Brother Hu was injured and covered in blood at the time, yet the bear didn’t chase you down – that’s quite impressive.”

“Moreover,” Huo Yan continued applying medicine without looking at Hu Yuanzhong’s expression, “It was quite fortunate that Brother Hu was buried in the snow and rescued by Miss Shen. Our Liangzhou Guard’s recruits only go up the mountain every few days. If Brother Hu had gone up the mountain a day later, or fallen in a different place, you probably wouldn’t be in Liangzhou Guard now.”

Hu Yuanzhong paused, then nodded, “Indeed, I owe it all to Miss Shen.”

Huo Yan smiled slightly, finished applying the medicine, and pulled down his trouser leg. When she handed him the medicine bowl, her gaze fell on his wrist again. Though he had pulled his sleeves down longer, a patch of red was still faintly visible at the tiger’s mouth point.

“How many years has Brother Hu been a hunter?”

Hu Yuanzhong answered while drinking the medicine, “Seven or eight years.”

“Have you always hunted on White Moon Mountain?”

She asked quickly, and Hu Yuanzhong hesitated before answering, “Yes.”

“Have you gone up White Moon Mountain in such snowy conditions in previous years?”

“No… never.”

“Then why did you go up this year?”

“Simply because I couldn’t feed myself.” Hu Yuanzhong looked at Huo Yan strangely after finishing the last of the medicine. “Brother Huo, why are you asking these questions?”

Huo Yan lowered her head and smiled, “Just curious.”

She reached out to take the empty bowl from Hu Yuanzhong.

Hu Yuanzhong extended his hand.

As Huo Yan’s hand moved toward Hu Yuanzhong, it suddenly changed direction, striking directly at his face. Hu Yuanzhong couldn’t dodge in time and could only frantically lean back. Huo Yan’s hand struck his chest, and he cried out in pain, spitting out fresh blood—

But the youth’s movement didn’t pause for a moment, reaching directly into Hu Yuanzhong’s clothes and pulling out a piece of paper.

“Give it back—” Hu Yuanzhong shouted, but due to Huo Yan’s earlier strike, his voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like a deflated balloon. He lay slanted on the couch, futilely reaching toward Huo Yan.

The commotion was too great and alarmed people nearby. Hearing the noise, surrounding recruits rushed in to find Hu Yuanzhong clutching his chest and spitting blood, while Huo Yan stood by the couch holding a piece of paper.

“What happened? What’s going on!”

Hu Yuanzhong said with difficulty, “He stole my belongings…”

“What did you steal from him?” the recruits asked.

Huo Yan looked down at the yellow paper in her hand.

On the yellow paper was written a poem: “My thoughts of you are like the Western River’s waters, flowing east day and night without cease.”

The handwriting was delicate, clearly written by a woman.

“What is this?” Huo Yan frowned and asked him.

Hu Yuanzhong stared at her, furious but silent.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Muexue’s voice came from behind. She happened to be nearby and had followed the commotion, arriving to see this tense scene.

“Huo Yan?” She looked suspiciously at Huo Yan, then at Hu Yuanzhong who was clutching his chest, and walked to Hu Yuanzhong’s side, asking in surprise, “How did your injuries get worse?” Seeing the blood on Hu Yuanzhong’s lips, she asked, “Who did this?”

Hu Yuanzhong glared at Huo Yan.

Shen Muexue frowned, “Huo Yan, what did you do?”

“I just gave him a light pat,” Huo Yan smiled. “Perhaps I didn’t control my strength well.”

“How absurd! He’s still injured – how could he withstand even one of your strikes?”

Hu Yuanzhong struggled to sit up, reaching out toward Huo Yan, his voice still angry, “Give it back!”

Huo Yan shrugged and returned the paper with the love poem to him.

“What is that?” a recruit asked. “What did you take from him?”

Shen Muexue looked over as well, and Hu Yuanzhong said dejectedly, “This was written by my deceased wife…”

So it was a memento from his late wife.

“Huo Yan, why did you take someone’s memento?” Some recruits couldn’t stand by quietly, “No wonder he’s so angry.”

“I was just playing around with Brother Hu, I didn’t know it was a memento,” Huo Yan said apologetically. “Brother Hu won’t hold it against me, right?”

Hu Yuanzhong looked at Huo Yan, seemingly unable to express his anger, and finally had to suppress it, saying, “It’s fine, just don’t do such things again.” After speaking, he began coughing violently, looking extremely weak.

Seeing this situation, Shen Muexue’s expression wasn’t pleasant either. She said to Huo Yan, “Enough, Huo Yan, you’re not needed here anymore. Go out first. From now on, I’ll be responsible for Hu Yuanzhong’s medicine. You don’t need to come here daily anymore.”

It was as if Huo Yan was a troublemaking plague god.

“Alright.” Huo Yan didn’t get angry, answering with a smile, glancing at Hu Yuanzhong before turning to leave.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, the smile vanished from her face.

She had indeed done it deliberately earlier. In moments of danger, people instinctively react. Just like when Ding Yi had tested whether she was truly blind in Liangzhou City. If Hu Yuanzhong wasn’t as seriously injured as he appeared on the surface, he would naturally have counterattacked.

But he hadn’t, instead taking Huo Yan’s strike head-on. If this was all there was to it, it might have been fine, but Huo Yan had also been careful when delivering that strike.

The strike she gave Hu Yuanzhong, though appearing fierce, actually used very little force. At most, Hu Yuanzhong should have felt some muscle pain, certainly not enough to make him bleed. After all, Huo Yan didn’t want to take a life – if everything had been her overthinking, wouldn’t Hu Yuanzhong have suffered for nothing?

The problem lay here – Huo Yan was extremely confident in her control of force. How could such a harmless strike make Hu Yuanzhong cough up blood? Unless she had misjudged her strength, this person was lying.

Huo Yan believed Hu Yuanzhong was lying.

As for the paper with the love poem in his clothes, that was even stranger. Someone who carried his late wife’s memento would naturally be a sentimental person, and such a person shouldn’t develop other thoughts toward a beautiful female doctor.

To Huo Yan, this all seemed like watching a poorly acted play. Unfortunately, even with all her suspicions, she couldn’t tell others about this. If she told others that the earlier strike was just a feint, they might think she was avoiding responsibility by deliberately downplaying it.

This was indeed thorny.

As she walked, it wasn’t long before Little Mai and the others came looking for her. Seeing her, they first sighed in relief and asked quietly, “Brother Huo, they say you hit Hu Yuanzhong? Is it true?”

How did all of Liangzhou know about it in the time it takes to burn an incense stick?

“It’s true.”

“You still suspect him?” Hong Shan frowned. “If you suspect something’s wrong with him, we could help you watch him. Why did you need to hit him? Do you know what everyone in Liangzhou Guard is saying about you… saying…” He hesitated to continue.

Huo Yan asked, “What are they saying?”

“They’re saying Brother Huo is bullying the weak and acting arrogant,” Little Mai said.

Huo Yan fell silent.

Things were becoming even stranger.

“Brother Huo, what should we do now?” Little Mai looked at him worriedly. “Should we explain to others?”

“No need.” Huo Yan lowered her eyes. Since this person had spread rumors so quickly, they were targeting her. Explanations would be futile. Rather than explaining these meaningless rumors, she was more suspicious of Hu Yuanzhong’s purpose and how to expose his true colors.

“Keep watching him at night,” Huo Yan said. “I’ll observe further.”

Little Mai and Hong Shan looked at each other, saying nothing more.

Several days passed peacefully…

Nothing unusual occurred in the Liangzhou Guard. Little Mai helped Huo Yan watch Hu Yuanzhong daily but found no flaws. However, Hong Shan and others didn’t sleep well at night, appearing distracted during training the next day with dark circles under their eyes, earning several reprimands from Liang Ping.

As for Huo Yan, she wanted to check on Hu Yuanzhong’s situation daily to gather more information. However, Shen Muexue guarded against her like a thief, strictly forbidding Huo Yan from approaching Hu Yuanzhong, fearing she might “playfully” injure him again. Thus, over several days, Huo Yan couldn’t even get near Hu Yuanzhong, let alone catch him in any slip-ups.

That night, Huo Yan went alone to the training ground. Due to her injury, night training had been reduced to once every three days.

Xiao Jue had been gone for over half a month without any news. Huo Yan had secretly asked Cheng Lisu if there was any word from Zhangtai, but even she didn’t know. When Xiao Jue was here, they hadn’t felt his importance, but now that he was gone, they realized the Liangzhou Guard couldn’t function without him. If she could just share some of this with Xiao Jue, with his insight, he would surely spot something suspicious. Now she had no one to consult with, making things truly difficult.

She walked to the archery area, planning to practice with the bow when she heard movement from the horse path. Looking up, she saw a dark figure on horseback racing toward White Moon Mountain.

Who would go up the mountain in the dead of night? Though the past few days of fair weather had melted some snow on the mountain, making it more traversable than before. Huo Yan wanted to call for others, but the training ground was too far from the recruits’ dormitory – if she called for help, she would lose track of this person.

Seeing the figure disappearing into the dark forest, Huo Yan couldn’t wait any longer. She pulled a horse from the stable, mounted it, and gave chase.

The winter soil of White Moon Mountain was bone-chillingly cold, especially with melting snow making it slippery for horses. The person ahead hadn’t lit any torch, traveling only by starlight through the forest. Huo Yan couldn’t see clearly and couldn’t overtake them while following.

They clearly knew White Moon Mountain’s terrain well, choosing small paths, and trying several times to lead Huo Yan into ditches. However, Huo Yan had memorized these paths better than most over the years – once during the flag competition, twice while cutting firewood. She knew all the dangerous spots by heart and didn’t fall for the tricks. After several failed attempts, seeing that Huo Yan hadn’t taken the bait, the figure turned their horse in a different direction.

Huo Yan pursued closely.

She suspected it was Hu Yuanzhong, but why would he go up the mountain late at night? Surely not to quietly slip away home under cover of darkness.

When you can see too little of something, it’s hard to see the full picture. Rather than waste time trying to piece it together, it would be better to grab the source directly and get clear answers.

She was determined to catch this person today.

Off the small paths, the road became much wider. Huo Yan’s pursuit drew closer, the distance steadily shrinking. When only a few zhang remained, she leaped up, half her body lunging toward the other horse. The person couldn’t dodge in time and was forced to rein in their horse. As they tried to escape, Huo Yan pounced, engaging them in combat.

Having left in a hurry, she had only grabbed an iron-tipped staff from the weapons rack, better than being empty-handed. In the darkness, the figure leaped up, and Huo Yan could finally see they wore a mask, completely wrapped up except for their eyes. Their build was similar to Hu Yuanzhong’s, but the poor light made it impossible to confirm their identity by eyes alone. They stood firm, wielding a large curved blade that gleamed coldly in the night like a crescent moon.

“A curved blade?” Huo Yan’s heart raced.

Qiang warriors favored curved blades for their efficiency in cutting flesh – good for both killing and eating meat. Huo Yan had witnessed their deadliness firsthand, having seen comrades struck by such blades – their heads falling before blood could even flow. During the Western Qiang’s invasion of the Central Plains, Commander Ri Damuji’s favorite practice was using curved blades to sever captives’ heads, stringing them together and tying them to his favorite horse’s tail, spreading terror wherever he went.

Seeing this curved blade now, Huo Yan knew this person used Qiang techniques.

She frowned: “So you are Qiang?”

Hearing this, the person gave an eerie laugh, their voice hoarse and muffled, “How did you know?”

“Enough talk,” Huo Yan planted her iron staff on the ground, glaring coldly, “Tell me, what’s your purpose for infiltrating Liangzhou Guard?”

“Shh—” The person held a finger to their lips, saying, “Keep it down, lest someone discovers us.” Seeing Huo Yan’s silence, they seemed amused and added, “Defeat me, and I’ll tell you.”

“Arrogant!” Huo Yan snapped, immediately charging at them.

Though the iron staff lacked the curved blade’s sharpness, its solid durability made it hard to approach. Huo Yan’s previous injury hadn’t fully healed, restricting her movement, but even so, she fought this person to a standstill.

The masked person wielded their curved blade with remarkable skill, their strikes ruthlessly targeting Huo Yan’s chest. As Huo Yan was forced back step by step, she suddenly stopped, the abrupt halt kicking up snow at her feet. Looking back, she saw a chasm behind her.

“Discovered?” The person laughed, “Why didn’t you fall for it?”

“Because your technique is too clumsy,” Huo Yan said coldly. Then, planting her staff on the ground, she used it to vault forward, landing behind the masked person. Without pause, she swung the staff hard at their head—

The strike missed as they dodged sideways, but the staff struck their shoulder instead. Even this was enough – Huo Yan’s daily stone lock training had made her far stronger than when she first joined the Liangzhou Guard. Even someone of Huang Xiong’s build would suffer from such a blow, let alone this person.

The masked person cried out in pain from Huo Yan’s strike, nearly dropping their curved blade. Their right arm had lost strength, temporarily unable to wield the weapon.

“How’s that?” Huo Yan sneered.

They didn’t respond, turning to flee instead. Huo Yan frowned and pursued closely. With her incredible stamina, strength, and speed, the masked person couldn’t shake her off.

If she could catch them and remove their mask, she’d know their identity. With both witness and evidence, being caught dressed like this on the mountain in the dead of night – if it was Hu Yuanzhong, Shen Han could torture a confession about their plans out of him.

Just then, the person ahead suddenly stopped and shouted at Huo Yan, “Here’s a gift for you!” They threw the curved blade at her chest. Huo Yan instinctively caught it by the handle and then saw someone roll out from the forest.

In the darkness, this person wore the red training uniform of Liangzhou Guard’s recruits.

The mountain path was a long slope – if the recruit kept rolling, they would fall into a bottomless chasm. Huo Yan watched the masked person laugh and disappear into the deep forest. Gritting her teeth, she turned to chase after the falling recruit.

The recruit in red uniform rolled faster and faster without making a sound. Huo Yan’s heart sank as she leaped forward, intercepting them midway down the slope, catching them in her arms as they both rolled to the side, finally stopping against a tree.

The body in her arms still held some warmth but made no sound. Huo Yan looked down, and in the starlight, a young face was revealed.

She froze for a moment.

Among Liangzhou Guard’s tens of thousands of recruits, she couldn’t remember every name, only recognizing some familiar faces. She remembered this face – Wang Xiaohan, the timid one she’d met coming down White Moon Mountain after the flag competition.

The youth who had thanked her with a blushing face just days ago now had no color in his face at all. His eyes were wide open, seemingly filled with terror before death. His red uniform was soaking wet against his chest. Huo Yan looked at her hands, covered in blood. Trembling, she opened the youth’s clothes to find a huge bloody hole in his chest, with flesh torn away, leaving it somewhat hollow.

He had died by the curved blade.

No matter how many times she had faced death, Huo Yan could never remain unmoved when confronting the death of someone close. She closed her eyes, anger welling up inside as she muttered, “Beast!”

He was so young, hadn’t even been to a real battlefield, yet died in the desolate night on White Moon Mountain. If Huo Yan hadn’t pursued the masked person tonight, his death would have gone unnoticed until his fellow guards discovered someone missing the next day.

Missing… someone?

Why drag this youth up the mountain to kill him? Had he witnessed something and been silenced, or was there another reason?

No, no!

Huo Yan’s grip on the youth tightened – she had fallen into a trap!

Just as this thought struck her, she heard rustling and voices approaching: “Did you see anyone? Where are they?”

Suddenly, the bushes in front parted to reveal a recruit’s face, holding a torch, and making direct eye contact with Huo Yan.

The scene before them needed no explanation to appear horrific.

She held a bloody curved blade, her hands covered in blood, and in her arms lay a Liangzhou recruit, eyes open in death, with a gruesome bloody hole in his chest.

“F-found them!” The recruit cried out in panic, scrambling backward, “Murder! Huo Yan has committed murder!”

More people quickly arrived, including Shen Han, Liang Ping, and other instructors. They stared at Huo Yan with suspicious gazes, and Du Mao shouted, “Huo Yan, you killed someone?”

The murder weapon was in her hands, the corpse at her feet, sneaking up the mountain in the dead of night – suspicious behavior from every angle. She appeared to be a spy with ulterior motives, silencing witnesses.

This was the masked person’s true gift to her.