Bai Yin’s gaze was unfocused, staring at the ground.

Clearly he had suffered an enormous blow.

The two sat like this for a long while without speaking.

A gust of wind rose in the forest, making both men more alert.

Jingrong looked at him and said in a low voice, “I’ve already given you the answer you wanted. The facts prove that when faced with a choice between gratitude and power, Huhe Hao chose to sacrifice you.”

Reminding him!

Bai Yin said nothing.

But his hands were tightly clenched together.

“Bai Yin, no one can force you to take any side, and no one can force you to choose. Whatever you want to decide, you can.”

“Do I still have a choice?” He turned to look at Jingrong, his eyes moist. “All these years, I risked my life for him, conquered the entire western grasslands for him. I thought he treated me as a brother, that when my life hung by a thread he would save me. But I never imagined that when I stood at the edge of a cliff, the person who would reach out to push me would be him.”

Speaking to this point, he laughed.

Extremely bitter.

Also carrying a trace of self-mockery.

Jingrong didn’t need to comfort him excessively, because anyone with thoughts and judgment could figure it out.

He patted Bai Yin’s shoulder. “Think it over carefully yourself. I’ll say it again—whatever you decide to do is fine. No one will force you.”

Bai Yin lowered his eyes slightly.

Jingrong got up to leave—

“Thank you.”

A word of thanks came from behind.

The corners of Jingrong’s lips curved upward. “It should be me thanking you.”

“…”

“Back when we competed in the Yue Dan military camp, you actually deliberately lost to me.”

Uh!

Bai Yin looked up slightly surprised. He thought he had lost without leaving a trace, but it turned out Jingrong had known all along.

Indeed, he had deliberately lost at that time.

Just hoping Huhe Hao would let them go.

Jingrong returned to the fire and sat down.

Wuli Han asked, “Young Master Jing, what did he say?”

Jingrong said expressionlessly, “Let him decide for himself. Whether he wants to join us in fighting Yue Dan or stay out of it, it’s up to him.”

Wuli Han nodded.

But a Hou Liao soldier nearby said, “Huhe Hao wanted his life. Of course he should follow us to fight Yue Dan together and twist Huhe Hao’s head off.”

Someone echoed, “They say the Yue Dan people are ambitious and ruthless—it’s absolutely true.”

Wuli Han glanced at them, signaling them to stop talking.

But he said worriedly, “This time we cut off their reinforcements and destroyed almost half their grain and fodder. If we’ve pushed those Yue Dan people too far, I’m afraid they’ll retaliate in kind.”

Muruo spoke up, “This grassland is full of Hou Liao camps everywhere. Even if Huhe Hao sends people to burn, they can burn the east but not the west.”

“I’m just afraid of unexpected developments!” Jingrong said, looking at the fire before him.

Hmm?

“What does Young Master Jing mean?”

He said, “Once a person is pushed to desperation, they’ll become like a cornered dog jumping over a wall. However clever Huhe Hao tries to be, at the end of the day he’s still a brute who likes to see real skill through fists and feet. With reinforcements blocked and grain and fodder burned, they naturally won’t wait any longer. They’re bound to send out troops. This battle won’t be long in coming.”

A soldier said, “Going to battle would be good. It would avoid dragging things out. We could eliminate the malignant tumor of Yue Dan early and restore peace to our Western Frontier grasslands.”

But—

Jingrong didn’t think so. He still had concerns.

Others couldn’t tell, but Muruo could tell. After all, the two had grown up together since they wore split-bottom pants. They were too familiar with each other’s thoughts.

He leaned in to ask, “What are you worried about?”

Jingrong let out a heavy breath and couldn’t help but pick up a tree branch from the ground to poke at the roaring flames before him.

He said, “For Huhe Hao to have conquered the western grasslands in just a few short years, he must have exceptional qualities. With his reinforcements intercepted and grain and fodder burned, if he fights a hard battle his chances of victory aren’t great. A person who demands complete certainty in everything would absolutely never place himself in a difficult position.”

“You mean… he might very well withdraw his troops back to the west?”

“Since he brought troops here, there’s no possibility of turning back. With reinforcements blocked and grain and fodder destroyed, then he must have other preparations to ensure he will definitely win!”

“…”

What did that mean?

Suddenly—

Bai Yin walked over toward them, saying as he came, “Before Huhe Hao brought his troops here, I learned that he planted an inside agent among you Hou Liao people.”

Everyone was shocked!

They all looked toward him.

“You’re saying an inside agent?”

Bai Yin nodded. “That’s right. That was his final contingency plan, just in case.”

“Who is it?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. You all saw—Huhe Hao could even sacrifice me, so how would he tell me? But I can confirm that in your Hou Liao military camp… there’s a traitor. Moreover, that traitor must control a unit of troops.”

On the other side.

Third Master led his troops to rendezvous with Mu Zha’er and the other nobles’ forces, setting up camp several hundred li away from the Yue Dan military camp.

Mu Zha’er summoned people into the main tent to discuss strategy for attacking Yue Dan.

He also sent a declaration of war to Yue Dan.

In three days, the decisive battle.

Mu Zha’er indeed looked extremely imposing. Just sitting there he had great威懾力. From everyone’s eyes you could see they all deeply respected him. And Mu Zha’er was also a very good leader. He practiced democracy—the capable held positions. But anyone who endangered Hou Liao, he would definitely eliminate without mercy. Unlike Huhe Hao, he had less ambition, lacking the grand aspiration to contend for the Central Plains. He preferred to guard this grassland, protect his Hou Liao people, and live in peace.

This was also why over hundreds of years, Great Lin had destroyed many small nations but never attacked Hou Liao.

After the discussion concluded.

Mu Zha’er looked at the various leaders seated on both sides and said, “In attacking Yue Dan this time, we must eliminate them in one stroke.”

“Leader, rest assured. Those Yue Dan people dare to come to our territory—they’re asking for death.” The speaker was Geta. He was also one of Hou Liao’s major nobles, controlling a piece of land and raising tens of thousands of troops. This man had been a fierce general in his youth, conquering many tribes. But later a wolf bit his hand, shattering the bone and crippling it. Yet even with one hand disabled, it didn’t diminish his imposing aura in the slightest. It’s said that he later sought revenge on those wild wolves, carrying a great blade and single-handedly cutting down dozens of fierce wild wolves. This exploit was still talked about with relish among the Hou Liao people to this day.

Mu Zha’er looked at him and nodded, saying, “With Yue Dan having lost their reinforcements, it’s like having both wings cut off. No matter how much they try to fly, they’ll only become prey in our grasp.”

Everyone’s morale was high!

Coming out from the tent.

Third Master was called over by Geta.

“Hechi Anda.”

When Third Master came to Hou Liao, he took a Hou Liao name for himself—Hechi.

“Does Geta Anda have business?”

“I heard that Mu Zha’er agreed to send troops to eliminate Yue Dan this time all because of you—because you predicted that Yue Dan was waiting for reinforcements from other tribes, so you intercepted them, and that’s why Mu Zha’er agreed to send troops.”