Now let us speak of Qin Zhonghai’s confrontation with Sha Jin. In their contest of internal energy, Qin Zhonghai was immediately outmatched. Seeing Qin Zhonghai collapse on the ground, powerless to continue fighting, Sha Jin burst into laughter and declared, “You shameless court dog, treacherous minister! Today I’ll offer your life as sacrifice to the Grand Commander.” With that, he raised his blade and struck down fiercely. Qin Zhonghai wanted to dodge but lacked the strength to rise, so he could only close his eyes and await death.

Sha Jin turned his head toward the great tree and laughed loudly, “Grand Commander’s heroic spirit above, receive this dog official’s life!” The blade flew down to strike Qin Zhonghai’s back – this court general’s life hung by a thread!

“BOOM!”

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed through the air, followed by violent trembling of the earth. As the powerful tremor struck, Sha Jin suddenly lost his footing, causing his blade to veer off course. Instead of killing Qin Zhonghai, he merely tore the clothing on his back, exposing a stretch of bare skin.

Sha Jin gazed across the wilderness and saw the earth churning, with red light flashing at the horizon as if gods and Buddhas were descending.

Sha Jin was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter again, “An earthquake! Heaven produces strange omens – it seems Heaven intends to spare your life. But let me tell you, as long as you’re a court dog official, Heaven may spare you, but I will not!”

With a wild howl, he raised his blade and struck down fiercely again!

Under the heaven and earth’s trembling, all things changed color, yet only the Princess remained completely unaware. She had cried until her eyes were red and slowly stood up, walking toward the highland wilderness in a dazed state, not knowing where to go for the moment. Should she return to Lord He? But what would be the point? Return to the Central Plains? Just go back alone like this? Suddenly her foot caught on something and she tumbled to the ground, tripped by scattered rocks. Princess Yinchuan lay on the ground and could no longer hold back her tears, crying aloud, “Staff Officer Lu! Why did you have to die!” Under the moonlight, her delicate figure lay prostrate on the desolate highland, her mournful sobs immediately carrying far into the distance.

Princess Yinchuan was born into the imperial family and had whatever she wanted from childhood, yet she lacked one thing that young women most yearned for – that was earthly love. In the deep palace, apart from the Emperor, eunuchs, palace maids and concubines, she had never seen a real man. In her youth, she had experienced the awakening of love and often imagined her future beloved, but as years passed, she gradually came to know this was foolish fantasy. As a court princess, her future would either be marriage to high ministers or distant marriage to foreign lands – she could never have a true soulmate. Only at this life-threatening moment did she have her first beloved, but at this very moment, noble as she was, she had also lost her heart’s love, never to see him again in this life.

Luo Moshi and his men descended from the peak and had traveled for a while when they heard the mournful crying in the distance. Everyone was already in a foul mood, and hearing those heart-wrenching sobs made them even more disturbed. One barbarian monk cursed, “Damn it, what demon or ghost is wailing here in the middle of the night?” Another said, “Sounds like a female – let me go see and give her a quick end with my blade.”

Luo Moshi quickly said, “Silence! That voice might be Princess Yinchuan – don’t scare her away.” He then ordered everyone to hide behind the sand dunes. Before long, they indeed saw a young woman walking toward them, crying and appearing lost in grief. The woman was exceptionally beautiful, with a noble bearing in her features – who else could it be but the Princess?

Luo Moshi was overjoyed and thought to himself, “This pampered woman doesn’t even know to hide herself, still wandering around this bloody battlefield. Hehe, that Lu fellow died for nothing – this is truly wealth falling from heaven, obtained without effort! Haha! Haha!” He spurred his horse forward, growing more pleased as he thought about it, then burst into laughter and called out, “Your Highness, I’ve come again!”

The Princess seemed unaware, only muttering to herself and walking forward with downcast head. Luo Moshi rode up beside her and shouted loudly, “Your Highness, I have come to guide you and take you to see the Fourth Prince – please mount my horse!”

The Princess raised her head to look at him, her expression quite bewildered. Luo Moshi laughed heartily, pulled her onto his horse with one motion, then spurred his mount toward Jade Gate Pass.

Luo Moshi laughed, “I told you to surrender earlier, but you refused. Now aren’t you obediently following me just the same, and I’ve even spared one of your subordinates’ lives. Tell me, isn’t this quite foolish? Haha! Haha!”

He sat in front but heard no sound from the Princess. Luo Moshi felt smug and wanted to see the Princess’s frightened expression. He lowered his head to look, only to see the Princess with downcast phoenix eyes, tears streaming down her face.

Now let us speak of Lu Yun falling through the air, seemingly near death. Looking down, he saw his body was already close to the ground – under the moonlight, the snowy earth gleamed silver, quite beautiful, rushing toward him at tremendous speed. The landscape below had originally been just tiny dots, but now grew larger and clearer – in a moment he would crash into the snow, breaking bones and dying.

Just then, rumbling explosions suddenly echoed from the distance. Fire sparks flew from beside the Heavenly Mountains, and blood-red magma suddenly erupted, particularly striking in the dark night – he wondered what had happened. Lu Yun knew he was about to die and thought, “They say after death there’s King Yama’s hell with ox-headed and horse-faced demons – at this moment heaven produces strange omens, could hell’s gates truly be opening to welcome me?”

He kept his eyes wide open, afraid to miss his final moment.

Suddenly his vision blurred, and the landscape below shot backward at incredible speed, no longer rushing toward him. Lu Yun was greatly shocked, not knowing what had happened, when suddenly his back ached as countless large and small stones struck his back – he didn’t know where they came from.

While still puzzled, an extremely strong airflow suddenly swept up from behind, carrying him into the air. Lu Yun floated upward while countless stones crashed violently against the cliff face below, creating thunderous noise amid swirling dust.

Lu Yun stared in amazement and thought, “What on earth is happening? Could Heaven really be unwilling to see me die and has come to my rescue?”

While spinning in the air, he suddenly saw the distant Heavenly Mountains unusually bright, with countless streams of magma and sulfur shooting out from one location amid the red glow filling the sky – it was precisely the valley he had visited with Qin Zhonghai that day. Lu Yun was startled and his mind immediately cleared: “What incredible luck – it’s a volcanic eruption, and this airflow has swept me up!”

Just then, he saw a pine tree growing from the cliff face above. Lu Yun was delighted, knowing he could be saved, and quickly reached out to grab it. But his body was flying upward rapidly, and only his little finger touched the branch. He activated his “Wujue Heart Method,” using a sticky force to grip the branch. With a crack, the branch nearly snapped, but his upward momentum slowed. Lu Yun exerted his strength to grasp the tree trunk, but the rushing airflow from behind remained fierce, causing his body to be swept sideways, his face and body feeling as if cut by knives – extremely painful.

After a long while, the airflow gradually subsided. Lu Yun was amazed, then recalled what Xiao Tu’er and the others had said: “In the year of Wuchen’s end, the Dragon Emperor stirs, heaven’s mysteries remain true, spirits and ghosts act freely.” His heart sank slightly as he pondered, “That day I calculated the time – tonight there must be major strange omens. I didn’t expect a volcanic eruption to actually occur. It seems these lines definitely contain some major secret and are definitely not randomly fabricated.”

Hanging from the branch, he slowly climbed toward the cliff face, thinking again, “The Princess should have left the highland by now – how can I go to assist her?” Remembering the Princess’s expression when she looked at him before his fall, knowing she cared greatly for him, he wanted to return quickly to reunite with her.

Lu Yun climbed down along the cliff face. This time climbing the rocks, no one obstructed him, and he wasn’t carrying anyone on his back, so before long he stepped onto solid ground.

As soon as Lu Yun stood on level ground, he felt pain throughout his body, his muscles and bones seeming scattered. Earlier, Luo Moshi had kicked him in the abdomen, causing his internal organs to churn painfully – he must have suffered internal injuries. Besides this, he had countless external wounds all over his body. He was covered in blood and already utterly exhausted.

Lu Yun was overwhelmed with fatigue and lay down on the ground, gazing up at the starry sky. Thinking that the Princess had ultimately escaped great danger, his heart was quite joyful, and he fell into deep sleep.

He slept for about an hour until the third watch, when he suddenly heard someone’s laughter in the distance – extremely arrogant. Lu Yun’s heart stirred – the laughter sounded like Luo Moshi’s. He quickly headed toward the source of the sound. Drawing near, he saw a young woman with a face full of sorrow had been captured by Luo Moshi on horseback. Lu Yun was greatly alarmed and thought, “How could this be? I went to such trouble to save her life – how has she fallen into that barbarian monk’s evil hands again?”

He felt both regret and pain, thinking the Princess must have descended the mountain alone and thus fallen into Luo Moshi’s ambush. He reflected, “If I had known this, I should have told her to remain on the highland and not wander about casually. Alas, how could I be so careless?” Actually, when he sacrificed himself to save his master, he was already unable to consider anything else – this self-blame was excessive.

Lu Yun knew that with his current injuries, if he tried to forcibly rescue the Princess, he would likely be killed in two or three moves. After much deliberation, he recalled that the Fourth Prince intended to invade the Central Plains, and at that time the Princess would be his hostage – her life should be safe for the moment.

He pondered back and forth for a rescue plan, thinking, “The current strategy is to first rendezvous with General Qin, then make plans.” He followed Luo Moshi’s mounted troops from a distance, knowing this demon monk had finally captured the Princess and must be going to find the Fourth Prince to claim credit. If he could find the Fourth Prince, he would surely encounter their own army as well. With this thought, he continued following.

After traveling several li, he suddenly saw a mass of dark cavalry ahead, approaching Luo Moshi and his men – it appeared the Fourth Prince’s troops had already caught up to provide support. Lu Yun sighed in his heart – with these two demonic forces joining together, rescuing the Princess would be extremely difficult.

When that cavalry saw Luo Moshi, they stopped, and a general shouted, “National Preceptor, why were you gone so long? Did you capture the Princess?” Luo Moshi laughed, “By heaven’s blessing, I finally brought her back!” Everyone was delighted upon hearing this, and all burst into wild laughter. Soon the two forces merged and headed rapidly eastward.

Lu Yun sighed and could only follow behind. After traveling several more li, he suddenly saw a fine mountain valley ahead, with treacherous high mountains all around – it seemed an excellent place to station troops. Outside the valley stood countless tents, which must be the Fourth Prince’s encampment, but looking now, only a small portion remained to guard the camp – the main army was nowhere to be seen. Lu Yun grew suspicious and quickly found a large tree to climb for a better view.

Climbing high to look into the distance, Lu Yun immediately gasped in amazement. He saw smoke and mist filling the valley entrance in the distance, with countless soldiers gathered there in fierce battle. Cavalry on one side kept charging inward – these were the Fourth Prince’s main forces. It appeared Qin Zhonghai and the barbarian king’s troops must be defending the valley, relying on the treacherous terrain to barely hold off the enemy’s assault.

After watching for a while, Luo Moshi’s group had disappeared into the Fourth Prince’s camp. Lu Yun was anxious to rescue the Princess and eager to meet with Qin Zhonghai. Seeing the fierce fighting at the valley entrance made direct approach impossible, so he circled around to climb into the valley from the left flank.

After climbing for over two hours, he reached the ridge. Lu Yun looked down into the valley and saw the army’s camps scattered in complete disarray – some here, some there, with no organization whatsoever. Compared to the Fourth Prince’s orderly encampment outside, this was like heaven and earth apart. The barbarian king Daber’er Han’s followers had even set up their own separate camp, keeping far from the others. Lu Yun frowned – he had spent months with Qin Zhonghai and had never seen him command troops in such disorder. He didn’t know what major incident had occurred in the army, for otherwise, with Qin Zhonghai’s strict military discipline, how could such a situation arise? Worried, he quickly climbed down into the valley, eager to understand the situation.

After a while of climbing, Lu Yun reached the valley floor. As he walked along, passing more than ten camps, not a single person came to question him. The soldiers sat scattered on the ground resting in chaos, their expressions panicked and bewildered. Lu Yun thought, “Looking at their appearance, could something have happened to the commanding general?” The more he thought, the more frightened he became, deeply afraid something had gone wrong with Qin Zhonghai, so he hurried toward the commander’s tent.

Approaching the commander’s tent, Lu Yun could already hear arguing voices inside. He heard Lord He saying, “This won’t work – we should surrender!” The prime minister Abu Qihan cried out in alarm, “Absolutely not! If we surrender, it will surely harm my master. Sir, this course of action is definitely unacceptable.” The barbarian king Daber’er Han said in a low voice, “Moer Han is my younger brother and has no real grudge against me – he just wants to be Khan. I might as well abdicate and give him the throne!” Everyone urged anxiously upon hearing this, “You absolutely cannot! If the Fourth Prince obtains the imperial position, he will definitely find opportunities to eliminate you – you cannot trust him lightly.”

Xue Nu’er laughed heartily and shook her head, “This won’t work, that won’t work either – we can’t defeat them in battle now, so what exactly do you want to do?” The arguing voices mixed with the translator’s gurgling speech made everything even more chaotic and directionless.

Lu Yun listened for a long time but heard no word from Qin Zhonghai. Puzzled, he walked into the commander’s tent. Everyone was talking when they suddenly saw him return – all were startled. Lord He said joyfully, “You’ve returned! Where is the Princess?” Lu Yun replied, “I had already rescued the Princess, but later in the chaos of war, with the enemy having superior numbers, the Princess still fell into barbarian hands.”

Xue Nu’er angrily said, “Nonsense! Since the Princess is lost, you should commit suicide in penance! What are you doing back here?”

Lu Yun shook his head, “I already did my utmost, but being alone against many, there was truly no way.” Xue Nu’er continued her angry scolding and loud cursing. Actually, when Lu Yun fell from the cliff, if not for the fortuitous volcanic eruption, he would already be dead – how could he be standing here for Xue Nu’er to berate? But he was straightforward by nature and felt guilty in his heart, so he didn’t mention how he had risked his life for the Princess or how he had offered his life in exchange for hers. He simply lowered his head and silently endured Xue Nu’er’s accusations.

After listening to Xue Nu’er’s repetitive scolding for a while, seeing she could produce no new variations, Lu Yun asked Lord He, “Where is General Qin? Why don’t I see him?” Lord He was about to answer when Xue Nu’er jumped up again angrily, “Speaking of him makes me furious! He said he would go provide rear guard support – who knows where he went to provide rear guard! That fellow must have fled to save his own life! No wonder he didn’t want my help!”

Lu Yun was startled and quickly asked, “General Qin went to provide rear guard? How many troops did he take with him?” This question stumped everyone in the commander’s tent – upon inquiry, no one knew.

Lu Yun couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh, knowing these people were all officials by fate but not one could truly handle affairs. He stopped paying attention to them and went to find Qin Zhonghai’s deputy general.

The deputy general was surnamed Li, and everyone called him Deputy Li. He had followed Qin Zhonghai for two years. Soon Lu Yun found him, and before he could speak, Deputy Li was already greatly pleased, “Staff Officer Lu, you’ve finally returned! Now finally someone can take charge of the situation.”

Lu Yun was puzzled and said, “Has General Qin been away for a long time? Where exactly did he go?” Deputy Li sighed and choked up, “General Qin single-handedly led a hundred axe-wielding soldiers to ambush the Fourth Prince’s main army – I fear the prospects are grim.”

Lu Yun was shocked and stammered, “General Qin took only a hundred men to intercept an army of fifty thousand – this… didn’t anyone advise him against it?”

While the two were talking, suddenly shouts of battle arose outside the valley as countless cavalry swept in to attack. Several hundred soldiers at the valley entrance had low morale, only shooting arrows without anyone willing to advance and resist. For a moment, there was no one commanding, and Lu Yun exclaimed, “How is everything so chaotic? Deputy Li, why aren’t you going to command?”

Deputy Li gestured with his mouth for Lu Yun to look aside, and he saw Xue Nu’er shouting wildly at the front lines, occasionally leaping out from the formation to kill one or two barbarian soldiers before retreating again. Seeing his bizarre and disorganized command, the soldiers at the front were unwilling to follow his orders and shot arrows to resist the enemy on their own – it was complete chaos with everyone acting independently.

Lord He didn’t dare go into battle and tried to command the overall situation from his position. He sat in the commander’s tent with the appearance of winning victories from a thousand li away, constantly ordering his subordinates to resist the enemy. Numerous messengers ran back and forth between him and Xue Nu’er, exhausted to the extreme. The barbarian king and prime minister, seeing their strange behavior, organized their own troops into separate formations, not coordinating with the Chinese army – the situation became even more confused and absurd.

Seeing this, Lu Yun understood why Deputy Li was unwilling to step forward to command. These people with high ranks and great learning would surely curse him bloody after just a few words. Watching the enemy army about to break through the camp and surge into the valley, what use was Xue Nu’er’s superior martial arts on the battlefield?

Lu Yun sighed and murmured to himself, “General Qin! We’re about to suffer total defeat, but where are you?”

Now let us speak of Sha Jin bringing down his blade to split Qin Zhonghai dead on the ground. The blade descended with unstoppable force. Qin Zhonghai knew he couldn’t possibly resist and simply closed his eyes to await death.

Lying on the ground, Qin Zhonghai waited for a long time, but Sha Jin’s curved blade never fell, as if he were deliberately toying with him. Qin Zhonghai turned his head and angrily shouted, “If you’re going to kill me, then kill me! How dare you toy with your grandfather!”

With a “clang,” Sha Jin’s hands actually trembled, and his curved blade fell to the ground. Given his martial arts, unless his heart was extremely shaken, he would never have such a panicked reaction.

Qin Zhonghai made a sound of surprise. Earlier during the continuous earthquakes, this man paid no attention, so why was he now acting frightened and sparing his life? He couldn’t help but ask strangely, “What are you doing? Having a stroke?”

He heard Sha Jin say in a trembling voice, “You… where did you get this tattoo?”

Qin Zhonghai glanced over his shoulder at his own back and thought, “This old fellow is really strange – at this moment of life-and-death battle between two countries, why bring up such an irrelevant matter?”

Under the moonlight, he could see tattooed on his back a fierce tiger with two wings, ferocious in appearance with bared fangs and claws, flying toward heaven. Beside it were written the words: “If one day I achieve my soaring ambitions, I dare laugh that Huang Chao was no real man.”

This tattoo had been on Qin Zhonghai’s back since childhood. After more than thirty years, he was naturally very familiar with it. He snorted and said, “I’ve had this tattoo since I was small – what business is it of yours?”

Sha Jin’s body trembled as he said in a shaking voice, “You’ve had this tattoo since childhood? Good heavens… could your surname be Qin?”

Qin Zhonghai saw his strange expression and was naturally puzzled, thinking, “When I came down the mountain, my master repeatedly warned me never to let anyone see this tattoo. This Sha Jin is acting so strangely – it seems my tattoo really has some mysterious significance.” But he himself didn’t know the origin of this tattoo and was quite perplexed for the moment. He simply grunted and replied, “You’re not entirely ignorant – you know your grandfather’s honored surname. Let me tell you plainly: I never change my name when walking or sitting – I am Qin Zhonghai, Guerrilla Commander of Liaodong.”

Sha Jin’s throat moved as he said hoarsely, “What relation are you to the Nine Provinces Sword King?” Qin Zhonghai was startled, not expecting him to know his background. Although his master didn’t like others knowing his lineage, since the man had already recognized it, there was no point in continued concealment. He said proudly, “You have good eyes – the Nine Provinces Sword King is none other than my master.” Then he added, “Let me tell you! My defeat at your hands today is definitely not due to my master’s martial arts being inadequate – it’s entirely because I haven’t learned well enough. You should understand this!”

Sha Jin cried out “Ah!” and pointed at Qin Zhonghai, saying in a trembling voice, “It’s you… so it’s you!” Qin Zhonghai saw his extremely strange behavior and sneered, “Nonsense – of course I’m me. Could I be your ancestor? If you’re going to kill me, then kill me – what’s all this chatter for?”

Suddenly he saw Sha Jin kneel on the ground, then burst into loud weeping, his state most pitiful. Qin Zhonghai was greatly amazed and thought, “This old dog has gone mad.” He secretly crawled up, ready to flee at any moment. Sha Jin made no move to stop him, only continued weeping like rain, prostrating and bowing toward the great tree continuously, his manner extremely agitated.

Qin Zhonghai thought, “This monster kills without blinking – how did he first spare my life and then burst into wailing? Could I actually be his father, and after searching thousands of miles for his parent, he’s finally found me?” Sha Jin was nearly sixty – he certainly couldn’t be his father. But this man’s behavior was truly too strange, and he really couldn’t figure out the reason, so he also stopped moving, wanting to see clearly what this person intended.

After a long time, Sha Jin stopped crying and slowly rose, then sighed deeply and said, “Heaven’s will, heaven’s will.”

Qin Zhonghai laughed dryly, “What heaven’s will? Were you destined to have a stroke?”

Hearing his mocking words, Sha Jin didn’t get angry but only sighed and said, “Heaven has eyes and didn’t let me harm you. But… since you’re Master Fang’s disciple, the ‘Nine Provinces Sword King,’ how did you become a court official? I nearly killed the wrong person…”

Qin Zhonghai saw he had implied meanings and couldn’t help but snort, “What? According to you, the Nine Provinces Sword King’s disciple can’t become an official?”

Hearing these words, Sha Jin immediately grunted and nodded, “It seems your master hasn’t told you about past events – you really don’t know who you are.” He turned to look at the great tree and suddenly sighed, “Forget it – your master must have his reasons. This is also good, this is also good.” As he spoke, he picked up Qin Zhonghai’s steel blade from the ground and handed it to him.

Qin Zhonghai reached out to take the steel blade and couldn’t help but wonder, “What are you doing? Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn around and give you a few cuts?” Earlier their fierce battle had been so intense, yet now Sha Jin inexplicably returned his steel blade. Having gained such a tremendous advantage, Qin Zhonghai felt uneasy and spoke up to ask.

Sha Jin gazed up at the sky, lost in thought, apparently not hearing his question. Qin Zhonghai saw he was completely unguarded and was delighted, thinking, “If I give you one cut now, I guarantee you’ll die a rotten death on the spot.” He secretly gathered his strength and was about to strike when he heard Sha Jin say, “I want to ask you about something – please answer truthfully.” Qin Zhonghai’s face reddened as he quickly lowered his steel blade and laughed dryly, “What do you want to know? Our court’s troop deployments?”

He had decided that if Sha Jin asked about confidential military intelligence, he would make up nonsense and absolutely not let him know court secrets.

Sha Jin took a deep breath and suddenly said, “Tell me – where is that sheepskin now?” Qin Zhonghai was startled. He had thought the man would ask about some important military affairs and never expected him to inquire about that piece of sheepskin.

In his surprise, Qin Zhonghai asked back, “Why are you asking about this?” Sha Jin lowered his head as if bearing infinite pain, saying in a low voice, “A year ago I obtained this sheepskin and, following an old friend’s instructions, entrusted it to an escort agency in the Western Frontier, asking them to deliver it to Beijing. I don’t know if it arrived safely.”

Qin Zhonghai said in a trembling voice, “So that sheepskin was… you sent it to Yanling Escort Agency!” Seeing Sha Jin nod slightly, Qin Zhonghai was even more amazed. He had heard Wu Dingyuan recount the Yanling Escort Agency case and knew the person who commissioned the escort was of unknown origin, having entrusted Qi Runxiang with a hundred thousand taels of silver – he never imagined it was actually this barbarian general before him.

After staring blankly for a moment, he said strangely, “Brother, you’re also odd – this matter is purely Chinese affairs. Why would you, a foreigner, stick your nose into this business like a dog catching mice?” Sha Jin said darkly, “All for the sake of an old friend… sigh… speaking of this matter, I also feel guilty. If not for Liang Zhiyi’s son wandering to the Western Frontier and finding me with this item, even now I wouldn’t have been able to complete my old friend’s instructions, and could only let the sheepskin be lost…” As he spoke, he looked toward Qin Zhonghai again, his eyes full of apology as if he had wronged him.

Qin Zhonghai was completely baffled by his gaze and couldn’t help saying, “Don’t worry! That sheepskin is in my colleague’s hands, quite safe – you needn’t worry at all.” Sha Jin breathed a sigh of relief, seeming much more at ease. He sighed and put away his weapons, saying, “Young friend, forgive my presumption – let me advise you to be extremely careful in court in the future, and be especially wary in all matters. Above all, don’t let anyone see the tattoo on your back. Do you understand?” His words were gentle and kind, as if caring for a junior.

Qin Zhonghai was startled and quickly said, “Wait a moment – what do you mean by these words?” But Sha Jin didn’t answer, only sighed deeply. His form swayed and in an instant he had drifted several zhang away.

Qin Zhonghai saw his extremely strange behavior and immediately pursued him, calling out, “Damn it, don’t say only half your words – explain clearly before leaving!” From the distance came only Sha Jin’s voice: “Young friend, take good care of yourself – we’ll meet again on the battlefield shortly.” As he spoke, his figure flashed and disappeared into the darkness.

Qin Zhonghai gathered his energy and rushed out, but Sha Jin had already disappeared like a winged creature, vanishing without a trace. Qin Zhonghai was puzzled and walked slowly, thinking, “What was that old fellow up to just now? How could he not bring himself to strike upon seeing the tattoo on my back? Could he have gone mad, or what?” He immediately resolved that once this major affair was concluded, he would seek out his master and ask him to explain clearly the origin of this tattoo.

Lost in thought, he had traveled several li when suddenly a bloody smell wafted from the distance. Qin Zhonghai’s heart tightened as he remembered that Lord He and the barbarian king were still trapped in Gourd Valley. Having been entangled with Sha Jin for so long, they might have been captured and killed by enemy forces. He immediately rushed urgently toward the valley.

Reaching the valley entrance after traveling for over two hours, the sky gradually brightened – it was already dawn. Suddenly he heard the sounds of great armies clashing in the distance. He saw the Fourth Prince’s main army charging into Gourd Valley with fierce momentum, while his own subordinates were scattered in defense. It seemed that before long, the Fourth Prince would break through their defenses and surge into the valley.

In the distance, he saw Xue Nu’er still jumping and cursing, berating his subordinates with stern expression, but no one heeded his commands. His futile rage and anger were of no help whatsoever. Qin Zhonghai was secretly anxious, fearing total defeat at any moment, but with enemy forces massed before him, how could he charge through? His heart burned with worry, yet he was helpless.

In his anxiety, suddenly the valley entrance was breached. Enemy troops seized the opportunity and poured in, several thousand surging through in an instant. Seeing the defense broken, Qin Zhonghai’s legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground, thinking, “This is terrible! The Princess and Brother Lu’s whereabouts are unknown, I’ve suffered a great defeat – what can I use to face the Marquis when I return?”

Just as he was thinking, suddenly a long whistle echoed from the valley entrance. Hearing this whistle’s magnificent force, Qin Zhonghai’s heart trembled as he thought, “This person’s internal energy is formidable – but who has arrived?” If it were Xue Nu’er, this voice was deep and resonant, completely different from a eunuch’s sharp tone. While still puzzled, he suddenly saw countless falling rocks and arrows rain down from the mountains, instantly blocking the valley entrance. The several thousand barbarian soldiers who had charged in earlier saw the ambush and quickly tried to retreat, but killing sounds erupted at the valley entrance as countless Chinese soldiers surged up to firmly guard the exit, cutting the enemy army in two.

Seeing his forces separated, the Fourth Prince immediately led his army in frantic attacks, wanting to rescue his trapped troops. But the valley entrance was easy to defend and hard to attack. The army outside charged repeatedly but never broke through the defenses. Before long, corpses piled higher and higher at the valley entrance like small hills, while the killing sounds inside the valley gradually subsided – apparently those several thousand enemy troops had been completely slaughtered.

Seeing the sudden reversal, Qin Zhonghai was overjoyed and thought secretly, “Who is commanding this? How could they execute such an excellent strategy of catching turtles in a jar?” He quickly climbed a tree to get a clear view of the situation.

Looking far into the distance, indeed very few enemy troops remained in the valley – they had all been slaughtered by court forces. Seeing the situation reversed, the Fourth Prince led his army in retreat. Just then, the valley entrance suddenly opened again, and a young general charged out at the head, directly attacking the Fourth Prince’s main army. Seeing this person’s face, Qin Zhonghai immediately burst into laughter and actually fell from the tree, laughing, “No wonder! So it’s him, so it’s him!” This person had refined features and gentle appearance – it was Lu Yun!

He displayed heroic courage, single-handedly charging into enemy ranks, his long spear stabbing and thrusting with tremendous force. Wherever he passed, blood flowed like rivers. The enemy army was retreating when his charge threw their formation into complete chaos.

Seeing the enemy take advantage to launch a surprise attack, the Fourth Prince was furious and shouted, “Audacious thief! How dare you attack by surprise!” He immediately led his forces back to fight. Seeing the enemy’s superior numbers, Lu Yun retreated back into the valley. The Fourth Prince angrily said, “Thief! Let’s see where you can run!” His main army then pursued into the valley.

Watching from afar, Qin Zhonghai knew Lu Yun had another ambush and couldn’t help laughing, “This Fourth Prince is going to suffer a great loss.” As the Fourth Prince led his army charging into the valley, suddenly a cannon blast sounded. Two elite forces surged out from both sides of the valley entrance, cutting off the Fourth Prince’s troops. Then Lu Yun led his army to turn back and attack the Fourth Prince with full force. Seeing another ambush, the Fourth Prince’s expression changed dramatically. He quickly turned around and fled rapidly to the rear. Just then, countless barbarian soldiers climbed out from above the valley entrance, holding bows and arrows and shooting downward – these were Daber’er Han’s subordinates.

Seeing ambushes everywhere inside and outside the valley, the Fourth Prince was both shocked and terrified, wanting only to hurry back to camp for defense. He repeatedly shouted retreat orders, his manner even more frantic, but the more anxious he became, the less his troops could withdraw calmly. In the blink of an eye, several thousand men were killed on the spot.

Qin Zhonghai was laughing heartily when suddenly he heard continuous rumbling sounds. Lying on the tree, he looked carefully and saw tens of thousands of defeated troops retreating toward him like a tide. Qin Zhonghai was greatly alarmed, only now realizing he was in a dangerous position – when this chaotic army surged up, he would have nowhere to hide. He quickly jumped down from the tree and tried to flee, but it was already too late – the rebel army had reached near the tree.

An enemy general saw Qin Zhonghai and recognized him, immediately shouting, “It’s this fellow again! Let’s quickly kill him!” Qin Zhonghai cursed back, “Damn you! Speaking nothing but barbarian language – who can understand!” While cursing, his steel blade wasn’t idle either. One strike immediately split that general from his horse. Then he leaped onto the horse. Surrounding rebel troops cried out and all attacked him. With nowhere to escape, Qin Zhonghai raised his blade and swung left and right. The first several men were already cut down by him, but the rebel army numbered in the tens of thousands. Soon his hands grew tired from killing, yet he remained surrounded at the center, unable to move.

Qin Zhonghai struggled left and right in extremely critical circumstances. Seeing Lu Yun leading his army in pursuit, he raised his voice and called, “Brother Lu! I’m here – quickly come to assist!” Hearing the shout, Lu Yun naturally noticed him and immediately called back, “General Qin, don’t panic! Lu Yun is coming!” He led a thousand brave warriors in a frantic cavalry charge to provide support.

Seeing Lu Yun leading his army forward, Qin Zhonghai gave a long whistle and spurred his horse frantically toward Lu Yun’s direction. Several people tried to block him, but Qin Zhonghai cut them all in half with one strike each.

Just as the two were about to rendezvous, suddenly a figure darted through the chaotic army and intercepted Lu Yun. This person was bare-handed but still had strength to spare against Lu Yun’s spear attacks. He had a shaved head and monk’s robes – it was Luo Moshi, the National Preceptor of the Timurid Khanate.

Ever since capturing Princess Yinchuan, this man had stayed beside the Fourth Prince to protect him. Seeing Lu Yun charge forward as if no one else existed, how could he tolerate such insolence? He immediately stepped forward from the crowd to block him.

Luo Moshi sneered coldly, “Well, you nine-lived cat! You clearly died in the Heavenly Mountains – how have you come here again to cause trouble?” Remembering this man’s sinister cruelty, Lu Yun was angry and roared, “How could Lu die before killing you, demon monk, to vent my anger?” He raised his spear and thrust toward Luo Moshi’s throat. Luo Moshi reached out to deflect it. The two fought like lightning for several exchanges, locked in combat.

Qin Zhonghai had been about to rendezvous with Lu Yun, but Luo Moshi’s interference separated them again. Seeing the Fourth Prince’s troops continuously surging forward, Qin Zhonghai could only retreat repeatedly. He charged left and right trying to break through, but how could he alone match so many enemies? He was immediately forced into a corner by enemy troops – the situation became extremely critical.

Seeing Lu Yun blocked, the Fourth Prince deployed ten thousand archers to secure their position, then had ten thousand infantry run forward with heavy shields, establishing their formation. Seeing the Fourth Prince’s excellent deployment putting them in an undefeatable position, Luo Moshi laughed heartily, “Little brat, I’ll experience your excellent skills again later!” With that, he spurred his horse back to camp.

Lu Yun and his men couldn’t see Qin Zhonghai and knew he was still trapped among enemy forces. They led their army in charges, but the enemy’s arrows were too fierce to approach – they could only worry helplessly.

The Fourth Prince formed ranks and established camp, firmly holding their position, trapping Qin Zhonghai inside – he was truly surrounded on all sides. Qin Zhonghai was determined to fight his way out, but facing countless enemies, several charges were all repelled by arrows. Soon arrows struck his shoulders and back repeatedly – the situation became extremely critical.

Seeing Qin Zhonghai surrounded yet still fighting like a cornered beast, the Fourth Prince raised his whip and laughed loudly, “Whoever can capture this man alive will be rewarded with a city and appointed as Three Passes General!” Though Qin Zhonghai had repeatedly tried to kill him, this man’s martial arts were superb and military tactics excellent. If he died in the chaotic army, it would be quite a waste. The Fourth Prince, confident in his great talent and strategy, wanted to recruit him as a subordinate.

Hearing this, the generals were delighted and loudly agreed. Several rash fellows immediately stepped forward to attack. Qin Zhonghai gave a great shout and exerted all his strength in combat. Using his “Fire Greed Single Blade” technique, though facing many opponents, he momentarily didn’t fall into disadvantage.

The Fourth Prince laughed heartily and ordered someone to bring a precious chair. He sat down with two great generals standing before him – Luo Moshi on the left and Sha Jin on the right. Several subordinates brought wine and water to serve him as he drank and watched the fight – truly leisurely and comfortable, laughing as he possessed the world.

Qin Zhonghai kicked down several men. Seeing no one else stepping forward, he lowered his head to catch his breath, thinking, “Damn it! A fallen tiger bullied by dogs – if I’m really captured by these bastards, I might as well commit suicide!” Just as he was planning his escape, suddenly blade wind struck fiercely from behind – a barbarian general was launching a sneak attack from the rear. Qin Zhonghai cursed, “Want to take advantage?” He raised his blade and swung. Fire flashed, immediately cutting that man in two.

Qin Zhonghai raised his blade and shouted, “Anyone with guts, come again! Let grandfather teach you a lesson!”

Though the Fourth Prince’s subordinates included many brave warriors, everyone had personally witnessed Qin Zhonghai’s single strike killing Wuli Kehan – how dare they step forward to challenge? For a moment, everyone showed fearful expressions, and no one dared approach.

The Fourth Prince sighed, “They all say our nation’s warriors are invincible under heaven. Today, seeing this Chinese general’s methods, I know there are people beyond people, heaven beyond heaven.”

Hearing the Prince’s provocative words, one general couldn’t bear it. He shouted loudly, “Your Majesty, why say such things? Watch me capture this man alive!” He drew his blade and charged toward Qin Zhonghai. Qin Zhonghai also gave a sharp shout: “Well done!” They spurred their horses at high speed. As the two riders crossed, blade light flashed, and that general tumbled from his horse – another head fell to the ground. Seeing his extraordinary ferocity, all the generals cried out together and raised their weapons. Over a hundred riders simultaneously attacked Qin Zhonghai – no matter how high his martial arts, he couldn’t resist so many attackers.

The Fourth Prince shouted, “Don’t kill him! Everyone surround him – we must capture this man alive!”

Hearing this order, everyone could only reluctantly stop their attack. Each deployed troops to form a circle, surrounding Qin Zhonghai at the center and firmly targeting him with arrows. No matter how high Qin Zhonghai’s martial arts, he couldn’t break through and escape.

Seeing the situation settled, Luo Moshi stepped forward and said in a low voice, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the auspicious time has arrived – please ascend the throne!” Hearing these words, the Fourth Prince was immediately delighted: “The time has come?” Luo Moshi knelt on the ground respectfully, “Indeed. Heaven favors the Fourth Prince and intends for Your Majesty to inherit the great lineage and rebuild the Khanate’s prestige. Please ascend the throne to avoid complications.”

The Fourth Prince’s heart was excited. He slowly rose from his precious chair and looked around, seeing his troops strong and spirited with high morale. He couldn’t help but look up to heaven and laugh loudly, “Heroes all! Today this king will be crowned emperor – are you happy?”

Tens of thousands of rebel troops dismounted and knelt on the ground, shouting loudly, “Long live! Long live! Ten thousand years!” Ten thousand people shouting together with tremendous momentum – the sound made Qin Zhonghai’s ears ring. In the distance, hearing his intention to proclaim himself emperor, Daber’er Han couldn’t help but rage and immediately led twenty thousand subordinates in shouting together, “Traitor! Traitor!”

Seeing his elder brother still making trouble, the Fourth Prince sneered, “Useless thing – can’t even watch his own wife, yet dares to shout there? Men! Bring Princess Yinchuan out for me! Today I’ll strip her naked for everyone to see what kind of beauty has made Daber’er Han lose his ambition!” With that, he laughed wildly with extremely arrogant manner.

Daber’er Han’s face turned purple as he gritted his teeth, “That little thief is purely trying to humiliate me – it’s truly detestable!”

Actually, the Fourth Prince had long calculated this strategy. Half the reason for his rebellion was opposing the marriage alliance with China. Soon he would find an excuse to greatly humiliate the Princess. First, to break down Daber’er Han’s fighting spirit; second, to blunt China’s edge and display his imperial ascension’s momentum.

Lord He and other ministers heard the Princess would be brought out and were all greatly alarmed. This time the Princess came west by imperial decree for the marriage alliance – a mission of great importance that could be said to represent the Celestial Court’s prestige. If the Princess were humiliated by barbarians, not only would the court lose all face, but all the escort ministers would face capital punishment.

Lord He was greatly anxious and called to Lu Yun and other military generals, “You all have superior martial arts – quickly think of a way to save her!” Without waiting for his orders, Lu Yun had already deployed troops, wanting to charge forward, but by now enemy forces had established firm positions. Several volleys of return arrows caused heavy casualties among their own forces – how could they break through? Everyone was on pins and needles, only able to watch helplessly as the situation developed.

The Fourth Prince’s face was full of cold smiles, just waiting for the Princess to be dragged out so he could thoroughly toy with and humiliate her, making Daber’er Han lose all face.

Just as he was feeling smug, suddenly the rebel army fell silent, then parted to both sides, clearing a path. Seeing this momentum, the Fourth Prince couldn’t help but be startled, thinking, “Who has come? Why is everyone so afraid? Could… could Father Khan have escaped?” Thinking of the Khan’s methods, cold sweat involuntarily poured down his entire body. In his panic, he quickly stood up.

With tens of thousands of troops holding their breath, one person slowly walked forward. Where was this the Khan? It was a beautiful and elegant woman. The Fourth Prince focused his gaze and saw this woman’s bearing was dignified and graceful. When her starry eyes glanced sideways, her natural beauty made one dare not have any improper thoughts.

Though the rebel soldiers were cruel and fierce, seeing this woman, they were also shocked by her noble demeanor. For a moment, they all made way, no one daring any disrespectful behavior.

Seeing her beauty, the Fourth Prince’s throat also went dry as he said hoarsely, “Is this Princess Yinchuan?”

Beside him, Luo Moshi responded, “Indeed. She is Yinchuan, eldest daughter of the Chinese Emperor.”

The Fourth Prince stared blankly at the Princess. Originally he had planned to thoroughly humiliate this woman, but upon personally witnessing her appearance, he vaguely felt compassion and was somewhat reluctant to act.

The Princess entered the arena and curtsied to the Fourth Prince, “Yinchuan greets Prince Boer Chi.”

Tens of thousands of barbarian troops heard her clear voice and fluent speech and were even more amazed.

The Fourth Prince saw her dignified and noble bearing. Though in enemy hands, her words remained composed without any sign of panic or weeping. He couldn’t help but take a deep breath and nod, “Good – this woman truly has backbone, not ordinary.” Seeing him dumbfounded, Luo Moshi immediately said, “This woman is called the first beauty of the Chinese imperial family, gentle by nature and absolutely beautiful. If the Khan wishes to favor her, there’s no harm.”

The Fourth Prince had seen countless beautiful women in his life, yet had never encountered one with Princess Yinchuan’s courage. Seeing this woman’s composed manner, his heart filled with great love. He thought, “They say this woman has beauty that could topple cities and nations – I didn’t expect she could have such courage too. With Yinchuan’s natural bearing, she could grace the world as my Khanate’s empress. Hehe, to humiliate her now would be wasteful. Since ancient times heroes match beauties – I might as well take her by force and have our wedding chamber tonight!” Thinking of his satisfaction, he immediately burst into laughter.

Lu Yun stood in the distance at this time. Seeing the Princess emerge safely, he couldn’t help feeling mixed emotions of sorrow and joy. Joy that the Princess was intact and unharmed; sorrow that the Princess had fallen into enemy hands and her life might be in danger. After watching for a while, he also saw the Princess’s face was pale, much more haggard than when they parted that day, making his heart even more sorrowful.

Lord He grabbed Xue Nu’er’s arm and called, “Eunuch Xue, quickly think of something!”

Xue Nu’er’s old face was deathly pale. Though his martial arts were high, facing such a stern situation, he couldn’t say half a word.

The Fourth Prince looked at the Princess and beckoned with his hand, smiling, “Yinchuan, come here and let me look at you!” His words were quite frivolous.

Hearing these words, the Princess didn’t move a step. The Fourth Prince was somewhat displeased and said sternly, “I want you to come here – how dare you not comply?”

The Princess curtsied lightly and said calmly, “Yinchuan received the Son of Heaven’s command to marry Your Majesty’s elder brother as wife. Speaking of it, I could be considered the Prince’s sister-in-law. If the Prince respects propriety and law, he should know that sister-in-law is like elder sister and absolutely cannot be toyed with.”

Hearing these words, the Fourth Prince couldn’t help but be startled. Luo Moshi stepped forward and said, “Princess Yinchuan, do you know the Fourth Prince has already ascended to the throne as emperor?”

The Princess shook her head, “Yinchuan doesn’t know.”

Luo Moshi declared loudly, “By Heaven’s mandate, our Khanate’s Fourth Prince Moer Han has inherited the great lineage and is our dynasty’s eighth generation Khan. You envoys, military, and civilians, meeting the imperial presence must perform the kowtow ceremony.” Then he first knelt down and bowed to the Fourth Prince. Countless soldiers in the arena simultaneously dismounted and knelt, shouting loudly, “Our Emperor, long live, long live, ten thousand years!” The sound was like thunder, carrying far into the distance.

Standing mounted before the formation, Daber’er Han saw the Fourth Prince proclaim himself orthodox and immediately flew into rage. He struck his horse whip forcefully on the ground and shouted, “Treacherous rebel! Is there no law anymore?” Beside him, the Prime Minister and others understood the situation – with the Khan already fallen into the Fourth Prince’s hands and him controlling the Khanate’s military and political power, resistance was truly impossible. They could only shake their heads and sigh.

Watching the rebel army kneel across the field, only two people remained standing tall: one holding a steel blade with fierce expression – this was Qin Zhonghai; the other with delicate beauty – this was Princess Yinchuan. The wind and sand blew, making her clothes flutter in the breeze, displaying an otherworldly air. Except for these two, tens of thousands in the arena all called “Our Emperor” and knelt in worship.

Seeing the Princess showed no intention of bowing, Luo Moshi stepped forward to persuade, “Your Highness, the Chinese Emperor commanded you to come west for marriage alliance with the intention of stopping warfare and mediating the conflict between our two nations. Now the Fourth Prince holds military and political power and has inherited the Khan’s legitimate succession – why do you still not pay respects? Could you wish to provoke conflict between our two nations?”

The Princess shook her head gently, “Yinchuan came west this time only following Father Emperor’s command to marry the honorable nation’s Prince Karachi as wife, with no intention of interfering in your nation’s disputes. Except for your nation’s sovereign, Mulicha Khan, this palace cannot arbitrarily bow to others.”

These words immediately enraged the Fourth Prince beyond measure. He shouted loudly, “How audacious! I now hold the Khanate’s military and political power and am the nation’s ruler – do you not fear being killed for not recognizing me?”

The Princess said calmly, “When two nations are at war, envoys are not killed, much less sister-in-law? Though Yinchuan has not yet crossed the threshold, I still count as the Fourth Prince’s elder. If the Fourth Prince insists on killing this palace, there’s nothing to say.”

Hearing her speak eloquently, showing no fear even under the Fourth Prince’s great anger, all rebel troops admired her greatly. Though Qin Zhonghai didn’t understand barbarian speech, he also secretly praised her, thinking, “Yinchuan truly deserves to be His Majesty’s eldest daughter – she can indeed handle great occasions.”

Hearing her say this, the Fourth Prince was somewhat hesitant. This Princess’s status was important – if he killed her rashly, it would inevitably start war with China prematurely. With his throne not yet stable and the eastern border already a scorched wasteland, it would cause court ministers to gossip, bringing him a hundred harms with no benefit. Moreover, this woman’s beauty was absolute – he had long intended to take her as favored consort. The Fourth Prince snorted and pondered for a moment, then said, “Forget it – this woman doesn’t know what’s good for her. I am magnanimous and won’t bother with her. First take her back to the brocade tent – I’ll see her again later!”

Luo Moshi nodded and was about to agree when suddenly a great shout came from the enemy formation – it was Daber’er Han’s voice. He called, “Moer Han, listen to me! If you dare touch one hair of my bride, I’ll definitely chop you into meat paste to avenge her! Do you hear me!” This Daber’er Han, seeing his bride fall into his brother’s hands, was already panicked beyond measure. Seeing Moer Han’s lecherous cold smile, he could restrain himself no longer and began shouting loudly.

Hearing the Crown Prince’s threats, the Fourth Prince’s face immediately turned iron blue. Luo Moshi’s heart jumped in alarm, deeply afraid the Fourth Prince would rage. He quickly glanced at the Princess and said, “Men, quickly take the Princess away.” Attendants on both sides hurriedly stepped forward to escort the Princess down.

Seeing the Fourth Prince had no intention of killing the Princess, Daber’er Han became even more smug, thinking he had frightened him. He shouted loudly, “So you’re afraid now? Fourth Brother! I advise you to quickly release your sister-in-law, or I’ll make sure you die without a burial place!”

Daber’er Han was about to continue his tirade when suddenly the Fourth Prince’s eyes rolled back like an evil wolf looking toward Princess Yinchuan, then he slapped his thigh heavily, his eyes full of killing intent. Luo Moshi’s heart turned bleak as he thought, “It’s over – Princess Yinchuan is doomed.”

While Daber’er Han was still acting mighty, both Qin Zhonghai in the arena and Lu Yun outside were greatly alarmed. Lord He was already beating his chest and weeping bitterly. Daber’er Han said bewildered, “What are you doing? I’m trying to save her!”

Prime Minister Abu Qihan covered his face and sighed, thinking, “This fool – more than useless, he ruins everything. Our Princess is doomed.”

Xue Nu’er was furious beyond measure. He suddenly rushed forward and slapped Daber’er Han. Nearby attendants quickly intervened, all drawing swords to point at Xue Nu’er. Daber’er Han touched his cheek angrily, “You madman, what do you want?”

Abu Qihan looked at him and shook his head, sighing, “Your Highness, Your Highness – don’t you understand your younger brother? With those words, you’ve forced him into a corner with no way out.”

Daber’er Han was both shocked and angry, about to open his mouth to inquire, when suddenly the Fourth Prince burst into laughter and shouted loudly, “Excellent, Daber’er Han! You want to chop me into rotten meat to avenge your bride? Let me tell you plainly – if I don’t kill this woman today, others will think I’m afraid of you!” With that, he raised his voice and commanded, “Men! Bind Yinchuan!” Daber’er Han was startled and collapsed to the ground, only now knowing what everyone said was true.

Both enemy and allied sides understood clearly – a new king ascending the throne absolutely would not tolerate insults from others. With Daber’er Han’s threatening words, how could the Fourth Prince endure such humiliation? If he yielded now, wouldn’t it show cowardice and fear of Daber’er Han’s revenge? Except for burning Princess Yinchuan to death, there was no other way to save face. Daber’er Han’s good intentions had actually caused the Princess’s death.

The Fourth Prince left his seat and stood up, staring coldly at the Princess, “Yinchuan! It’s not that I want to kill you – it’s your own husband who caused your death!” Hearing these words, the Princess remained silent and didn’t beg for mercy. The Fourth Prince waved his hand and commanded, “Build a wooden platform! If I don’t burn this woman with fire today, I cannot teach treacherous rebels to know my power!” Hearing the order, personal guards immediately began constructing a high platform.

Daber’er Han screamed miserably and began crying and wailing, calling, “Don’t kill her!”

Xue Nu’er angrily said, “Fool! This is all your doing, and you still dare cry!” In his great anger, he seized a horse and actually charged single-handedly toward the enemy camp. Seeing him attack recklessly, rebel generals quickly ordered arrows fired. Instantly ten thousand arrows shot toward him like rain.

Lu Yun was greatly alarmed and quickly rushed forward to pull Xue Nu’er from his horse. Hearing continuous swishing sounds, Xue Nu’er’s mount had been shot full of arrows like a hedgehog and died miserably on the spot.

Seeing Xue Nu’er cursing furiously and ready to charge forward at any moment, Lu Yun quickly held him back, “Deputy Commander Xue, don’t be rash! You’ll throw away your life for nothing!”

Xue Nu’er angrily said, “You still dare speak! Are we just going to watch the Princess burn alive like this?”

While the two argued, several barbarian monks had already bound the Princess to a wooden stake and lifted her onto the high platform, waiting only for the command to burn the gentle and beautiful Princess to ashes.

Lu Yun looked into the distance and saw the Princess gazing far toward the horizon, her face bearing light sorrow, seemingly unconcerned with life and death. In the distance, Lord He cried, “It’s over, all over! My Princess!”

With the western marriage mission ending like this, not only would Lord He and Xue Nu’er lose their positions, but even Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun would be implicated in the crime. At least half the Chinese soldiers present would be imprisoned. Everyone was full of anxiety, all thinking of ways to save her.

Though Qin Zhonghai and Lu Yun were separated by distance, at this moment both had only one thought in their hearts.

“What can we do?”

Both looked up at the Princess and simultaneously sighed.