Bai Qingyan’s gaze looked toward the direction of the Western Liang military camp across the river. In a moment when Xiao Ruojiang returned, she would have her milk brother go to Meng City to find A’Jue. A’Jue was clever and would certainly leave behind markers—Xiao Ruojiang could simply follow the markers to find him.

Xiao Rongyan’s guard mounted his horse and was just preparing to leave when he happened to encounter Bai Jinzhi returning from horse training.

Seeing Bai Qingyan right at the entrance of the main camp, Bai Jinzhi waved enthusiastically at her with a beaming smile: “Elder Sister! Elder Sister… I got Ping’an to recognize me as a master!”

Xiao Rongyan’s guard was startled and brushed past Bai Jinzhi…

Wasn’t that the precious horse their master had given to Miss Bai? Could it be… in the letter their master sent to Miss Bai last time, he had expressed his feelings for the fourth miss of the Bai family, so Miss Bai gave the horse to Fourth Miss?!

Bai Qingyan looked at the jubilant Bai Jinzhi with a smile, her expression gentle and peaceful, completely devoid of any killing intent.

The matter of A’Jue still being alive—she should wait until after this great battle in Nan Jiang was won before telling Xiao Si!

Xiao Ruojiang, holding the head packed in a brocade box, took a team of guards to the Western Liang military camp.

Cloud General Yun Poxing was in his command tent contemplating how to launch a surprise attack on the Jin army camp tonight when someone outside reported that Bai Qingyan had sent someone to see him, bringing him a gift.

Yun Poxing thought for a moment and had the person brought in.

Upon seeing that the visitor was the man beside Bai Qingyan who had severed his son’s head, Yun Poxing clenched his teeth to suppress his killing intent.

In Yun Poxing’s command tent, the Western Liang generals all wore expressions of resentful hatred, the atmosphere tense and ready to explode, as if they would tear Xiao Ruojiang apart the moment Yun Poxing gave the order.

Xiao Ruojiang maintained a calm expression, taking the box from the Jin soldier behind him and respectfully presenting it to Yun Poxing: “My young General Bai says that since Western Liang’s capital is in turmoil and General Yun is preparing to withdraw troops to return home and quell the rebellion, she will give General Yun a gift before his departure, lest… General Yun became desperate and threw himself into our Jin army camp to snatch it.”

Yun Poxing’s hand gripping the table tightened as he stared intently at that red wooden box, knowing it contained his son’s head. His eyes were bloodshot with fury… filled with overwhelming hatred, he stared fixedly at the composed Xiao Ruojiang, guessing that Xiao Ruojiang had come to test him on Bai Qingyan’s behalf.

His tightly clenched fist slowly loosened as he said through gritted teeth: “Give my thanks to your young General Bai. Tell her… not to forget our three-year agreement! In three years… this general will certainly return to take her head!”

Xiao Ruojiang narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining motionless while putting on an expression of scrutinizing Yun Poxing. The generals in Yun Poxing’s tent drew their swords, their eyes blood-red: “Jin dog, why don’t you get lost?!”

Only then did Xiao Ruojiang withdraw his gaze and leave with the Jin soldiers.

Yun Poxing’s voice was hoarse as he ordered someone to bring his son’s head before him. He lacked the courage to open the box, choking back tears as he raised his hand to press forcefully against the brocade box. Looking up, his eyes were filled with killing intent, trembling all over with rage as he declared: “Tonight, whoever can take Bai Qingyan’s head shall be rewarded with ten thousand gold!”

The Western Liang’s fierce generals knelt on one knee, gritting their teeth: “Rest assured, Commander! We will certainly avenge the young master and little young master!”

After the Western Liang army had eaten their fill, while the sun had not yet set, several generals led half the forces in withdrawal.

Soon after, Western Liang scouts reported that the main Jin army forces had also begun withdrawing toward Feng City.

Yun Poxing’s hate-filled eyes burned like fire, his blazing bright gaze fixed on the Jin military camp across the river: “Bai Weiting’s granddaughter, compared to her grandfather, still lacks caution! She thinks that one military drill and one defeat could shatter my courage?! Thinking she can test whether my retreat is real or fake by sending just anyone, so confidently allowing the Jin army to withdraw…”

At nightfall, using the sound of rushing water as cover, General Wei Zhaonian and General Shi Panshan led their troops to silently surround the Western Liang camp from left and right, quietly awaiting orders.

The Jin army camp was brightly lit throughout. Yun Poxing sat in his command tent quietly waiting for movement from across the river.

“Report…” A Western Liang soldier knelt outside the command tent and said to Yun Poxing: “Small groups of Jin troops have left their camp across the river heading west, cause unknown!”

Hearing this, Yun Poxing felt his right eyelid twitching inexplicably: “Go investigate! See what they’re doing!”

“Report…” Another Western Liang soldier knelt outside the command tent: “Small groups of Jin troops have left their camp across the river heading west, cause unknown!”

Yun Poxing remained silent for a long while, feeling his eye twitching even more violently: “Go investigate!”

Within just a few incense sticks’ time, several scouts had reported… several waves of small units of thirty-plus men had successively emerged from the Jin army camp.

Yun Poxing felt uneasy in his heart. That fear of Bai Qingyan silently crept up from the soles of his feet to his calves, cold dread rapidly shooting up his spine. He asked through clenched teeth: “Have the scouts who went to investigate what the Jin army left camp to do returned yet?!”

“Reporting to the Commander! Not yet!”

Yun Poxing immediately felt his heart pounding with alarm. Before he could figure out why he felt so alarmed, outside the command tent, a sheet of red light came straight toward the Western Liang military camp.

The sentries saw the sky on the right side of the Western Liang camp suddenly light up in the black night. Before they could react… the first fire-bearing arrow struck with a dull thud into the wooden pillar of the sentry tower, its fletching quivering, azure flames spreading downward…

It was a rain of fire arrows! It was fire oil!

“This is bad! Enemy attack! The arrows carry fire!”

Just as the sentry finished speaking, a sharp arrow pierced through his clothing and ignited. He screamed while patting at the flames on his body and fell from the high platform.

Yun Poxing sat in his tent, hearing countless arrows whistling through the air outside, falling densely from the sky in rapid succession, piercing through the large and small tents throughout the Western Liang military camp.

They had fallen into a trap!

Yun Poxing’s entire body went numb, his throat feeling as if gripped by a large hand, unable to make any sound.

An arrow shaft pierced through Yun Poxing’s command tent. Above the tent, tiny flames almost invisible to the naked eye gradually licked the hole pierced by the arrow larger and larger.

“Commander! The enemy is using fire attacks! Their forces are considerable! They come with fierce momentum—we must escort the Commander to withdraw first!” Several generals rushed into the command tent.

Yun Poxing snapped back to his senses and shouted: “Don’t engage in prolonged battle! Immediately withdraw toward Chuanling Mountain! Quickly!”

“Yes!”

Yun Poxing was helped out of the tent by his guards, who used shields to block the arrow rain as he mounted his horse… He rode toward the distance where torches created a sea of red, then looked at the Jin army charging into the camp from outside, his heart filled with great alarm.

Something was wrong! The Jin army’s troop numbers were wrong!

The Jin army forces appeared to be at most twenty thousand! Then, where had those who withdrew from the Jin army camp today gone?!

Yun Poxing’s throat constricted, feeling completely at a loss. He thought of the large forces that had withdrawn from the Jin army camp this evening—could they be waiting for him at Chuanling Mountain right now?!

After the first round of fire attacks, the Western Liang camp was ablaze with towering flames everywhere. The Jin army that had waded across the river was unhurried and composed, raising black banners with white pythons. The flags fluttered as they charged into the Western Liang camp in formation, their battle cries shaking heaven and earth.