Regardless of how infatuated this young woman might be, such willful behavior that disregarded her father and brothers while carelessly making enemies was not to Qing Xia’s liking. She released her restraint on her and slowly stood up, her voice quiet but still saying indifferently: “I have no intention of being your enemy, but if you continue to make trouble unreasonably, I certainly won’t be lenient.”

“Qiao’er.” Young Master Xilin jumped onto the platform, helped Xilin Yuqiao up, and asked urgently: “Are you alright?”

Xilin Yuqiao’s face was deathly pale as she looked hatefully at Qing Xia’s retreating figure, remaining silent.

Only then did everyone react, and thunderous cheers immediately erupted. The military was like this – even if their positions differed, they always worshipped strength and ability.

As soon as Qing Xia stepped down from the arena, Madam Zhu Lan walked forward with a smile, speaking with honey on her lips but daggers in her heart: “Miss, you truly have excellent skills. Indeed, you’re not like those pampered daughters with their flowery fists and embroidered legs. May I ask where you studied? How is it that I’ve never heard of you among the black-clad guards before?”

“Do the affairs of the black-clad guards need to be reported to Madam in everything? Madam’s reach seems a bit too long.” Qing Xia raised her eyebrows and smiled coldly, her eyes flashing with sharp light. Her small body suddenly generated tremendous intimidating power from the afterglow of her recent victory. Her phoenix eyes were narrow and her lips cold as she said icily: “Madam is past fifty and should stay home dutifully to support her husband and teach her children. If you want to show your face publicly to do business, then you should manage your subordinate claws properly and not accidentally get dragged down and implicated, losing peace in your old age.”

“How dare you speak to Madam like that!” Commander Li stepped forward and shouted angrily.

“What wouldn’t I dare?” Qing Xia glanced at him sideways and said lightly: “Commander Li is the one who has eaten a bear’s heart and leopard’s gall. In the future, he will surely be another generation’s hero. This humble woman stands here today merely to wish Commander Li wealth, honor, and a bright future.” After speaking, she turned gracefully and walked toward Chu Li.

“Stop!” Madam Zhu Lan’s face darkened as she reached out to block Qing Xia’s path, saying in a deep voice: “What do you mean by those words?”

Qing Xia stopped and raised her eyebrows slightly: “You don’t understand your own affairs and come to ask an outsider – doesn’t Madam think this damages your wise and mighty reputation too much? Moreover, I belong to the black-clad guards and serve the Great Emperor directly. You overstep your authority to question me – don’t you think this is improper?”

Madam Zhu Lan’s breathing gradually grew heavier. She looked up at Chu Li sitting in the distance and saw that although the people in the martial training ground couldn’t hear what they were saying, they were all intentionally or unintentionally looking this way. Meanwhile, the new round of combat on the platform had no one paying attention.

Madam Zhu Lan said in a deep voice: “Even the Great Emperor must give me some face. Today, if you don’t explain clearly, don’t think of leaving.”

Qing Xia saw a group of Liyuan soldiers suddenly surround them, each one tall and burly, instantly blocking the outside view. Through the crowd, Qing Xia saw that Chu Li had already left his seat and was about to walk over. Her heart flared with anger as she said coldly: “Does Madam think that today, this place is under your command?”

Madam Zhu Lan smiled: “But it’s certainly not your turn to command either!”

“Is that so? I’d like to try!” As soon as the words fell, Qing Xia suddenly struck, grabbing a guard’s wrist. With a crack and twist, she dislocated his arm. The man didn’t dare cry out loudly to attract outside attention, so he could only groan while cold sweat streamed down his forehead. How could Qing Xia give them a chance to react? She struck like lightning with incredible speed, her petite body like a nimble fish. In the blink of an eye, she had dislocated the arms of several guards. By the time Madam Zhu Lan reacted, Qing Xia was already standing outside the crowd.

She signaled to Chu Li in the distance, indicating he didn’t need to come down to rescue her. Qing Xia turned back, smiled lightly at Madam Zhu Lan, and raised a silver-white openwork pearl flower ornament in her hand. She deliberately bowed and said loudly: “Thank you for Madam’s generous gift!”

The surrounding gazes instantly focused on the group. Seeing Qing Xia holding Madam Zhu Lan’s pearl flower, they assumed she had merely received a reward.

Madam Zhu Lan’s body trembled slightly as she slowly touched her temples, where her hair was slightly disheveled and the pearl flower that had been inserted there had long disappeared. A chill suddenly surged from her heart – if Qing Xia had just lightly scraped her neck with the sharp pearl flower hairpin, her life would probably already be lost. Her face gradually turned snow white, and she lost even the interest in acting. She turned and left the martial training ground with the Liyuan people.

Qing Xia smiled lightly as she walked onto the high platform, stood behind Chu Li, and maintained her composure, showing no particular expression.

Chu Li frowned slightly, looked her up and down, saw no injuries, and asked in a deep voice: “Did you suffer any losses?”

Qing Xia looked down at Chu Li and suddenly felt he wasn’t as detestable as he had been last night – at least he was still concerned about whether she had suffered any losses.

She smiled and replied: “When have I ever suffered losses from others? But your old flame will probably have trouble sleeping tonight.”

Chu Li’s gaze turned cold as he glared fiercely at Qing Xia’s face, snorted, turned his head away, and spoke no more.

Qing Xia raised her head and felt the sky was blue and clouds white, with a broad view. Everything she could see was open scenery, and her heart immediately broadened. The warfare in the Southern Border had been going on for a long time now – it was time for it to end.

The good show had begun, and she had already set up her formation. Now it remained to see how the other side would move.

Qing Xia smiled at the corners of her mouth, watching the two people fighting on the field with amusement, her heart greatly expanded.

“What are you smiling about so sneakily?” Chu Li snorted coldly and said blandly.

“Hmph!” Qing Xia hummed lightly and said sarcastically: “Seeing Southern Chu’s strong soldiers and horses, I’m happy for you.”

Chu Li naturally knew Qing Xia was speaking ironically. Looking at the people from the great families shouting and acting arrogantly in the field, he couldn’t help but smile coldly and say in a deep voice: “Qing Xia, watch – sooner or later, all of this will be mine.”

Qing Xia was startled and followed Chu Li’s gesture to look. She saw masses of Southern Chu soldiers, covering the entire martial training ground like an overwhelming tide, their scale immense, stretching far into the distance.

After two consecutive days of martial training ground competitions, a large number of martial arts masters had been selected. However, no one knew what Chu Li was thinking. He clearly could take advantage of this opportunity to strike a decisive blow against the Southern Border fierce rebels, but he seemed unaware of the current situation, keeping his forces inactive with no intention of a final battle.

The various forces were gathered in the northern camp. The earlier sense of urgency was gradually worn away, and they spent their days fighting bravely in the martial training ground. After several days, friction continued, and there were several times when they almost caused fatalities.

Qing Xia told Chu Li exactly what she had heard that night, but he showed no particular shock, so Qing Xia finally confirmed her own thoughts. All the underlying currents here were already under Chu Li’s control. He was just waiting for the right moment for a final decisive battle, and obviously, that moment had not yet arrived.

She decisively abandoned her original idea of contacting the head of the Liyuan family. Although things seemed calm on the surface now, apart from a very few people, no one else could fathom the situation inside. With dangers everywhere, she could only choose to trust Chu Li completely and unconditionally. After all, their fates were now tied together – if something happened to Chu Li, she would absolutely not be able to leave Southern Chu alive.

With utmost vigilance, Qing Xia reorganized the black-clad guards’ protective measures, conducting everything according to the security standards for national leaders from her original time. She conducted large-scale inspections and security work on Chu Li’s residence, daily travel routes, the martial training ground, and hunting grounds. An average of one hidden post was set up every ten meters where Chu Li frequented, monitoring all suspicious activities throughout the camp. Secret networks were spread in every corner of Huanchayi, and every evening various intelligence documents would pour in like snowflakes. Qing Xia sat upright on a soft couch, analyzing various materials and intelligence.

Chu Li was greatly shocked to see this. Such security standards were beyond anything he had ever witnessed. They were secret and quiet, not like the previous practice of large groups of people clustering together for every entry and exit, yet they were more comprehensive. Watching Qing Xia methodically coordinating personnel arrangements, Chu Li was greatly surprised, but he didn’t ask much. He gradually handed over the leadership position of the black-clad guards to Qing Xia.

On the day when Chu Li handed over the black-clad guards to Qing Xia in the central military camp, Qing Xia was indeed moved. For Chu Li to completely entrust the black-clad guards to her was basically equivalent to putting his life in someone else’s hands. With Chu Li’s personality, he wouldn’t make such a decision without one hundred percent trust.

Fortunately, several leaders of the black-clad guards knew Qing Xia’s previous identity, and the other soldiers admired her agile skills, so there were no complications. Qing Xia almost effortlessly took over Southern Chu’s premier security team. After several days of training and improvement, Qing Xia was confident she could handle various assassinations and surprise attacks that might exist in this era.

But today, Qing Xia had to admit her oversight. No matter how brave the black-clad guards were, they couldn’t handle large-scale ambushes in the wilderness. Looking at the secret report that Le Song had just handed up, Qing Xia’s expression immediately changed.

The news of Prince Huainan’s sudden appearance among the Southern Border rebels indeed attracted Chu Li’s attention. Qing Xia had learned this news an hour earlier than Chu Li, but at that time she was surveying terrain on the west side of Huanchayi. In her thinking, with Chu Li’s intelligence, he shouldn’t fall into such a shallow trap. But she had indeed underestimated Prince Huainan Chu Zheng’s position in Chu Li’s heart. By the time she returned to the camp, Chu Li had already set out with the elites of the great families to hunt in the drought lands of the central West Black Wasteland, departing exactly one hour ago.

Qing Xia’s head immediately grew a size larger. No matter what Chu Li’s plan was, this trip would involve too great a risk – one careless move could cost his life. Without time for further consideration, she quickly summoned the black-clad guards. Qing Xia donned her green armor and mounted her warhorse.