At the time when locusts covered the sky and descended, Zeng Yue was far from both Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan, on another part of the battlefield. He didn’t know their situation. But thinking carefully, with their abilities, escaping shouldn’t be difficult. It was just that he had only brought out this few men, which was truly shameful. So he said, “Let’s go. We’ll return to the battlefield to search again. At the time, the battle line was stretched too long. No matter how capable the Commander is, she couldn’t have gathered all the soldiers. If we return with only two hundred men, that would be too embarrassing.”

Everyone thought about it and agreed, so they all followed Zeng Yue to run back. However, after running for a stretch, they still stopped.

The sky was too dark, making it difficult to tell direction. It was better to stop for the night and speak again when dawn came.

Zhao Hanzhang held up a torch as she moved, always going among the stopped people to search for her men. Soon someone noticed her. Someone immediately approached and, before getting close, called out in a low voice, “Commander!”

Zhao Hanzhang turned her head. Her gaze swept over his single garment. Without hesitation, she immediately went forward and reached out to pat his shoulder, comforting him before asking, “Where’s your armor?”

The soldier was both moved and ashamed. “This humble one became separated. My armor and weapons were all taken.”

Zhao Hanzhang sighed and comforted him, “It’s alright. As long as you preserved your life, that’s good.”

Thus she gained one loyal soldier, who formed a team with those behind. Seeing Shi Lei bound together with Shi Hongtu, then seeing the two soldiers beside them who were clearly Jie people, the small soldier was somewhat dazed. “This, this…”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Now this is our General Shi.”

Shi Lei could also bend and stretch. He immediately said to the small soldier, “Now we are comrades.”

The small soldier’s face flushed red, his head buzzing. What comrades? They were comrades just like that?

Not long ago they were still fighting to the death.

The small soldier hurriedly looked toward Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang’s face bore a smile, but her gaze was slightly cold as she nodded. “That’s right. General Shi has led the Shi Army in surrender.”

The small soldier was startled and lowered his head. “Yes.”

He turned and called out to Shi Lei, “General Shi.”

After they had walked a dozen or so steps, Zhao Hanzhang inquired about information from him. “Did you see other people? Also Shi soldiers?”

“No. But before the refugees rushed through, this humble one saw at the road junction that General Zeng led a group of people fleeing east. Oh, and there were about a hundred Shi soldiers who left in the same direction as them.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded. After walking less than a hundred meters, they encountered five or six people wearing armor. Zhao Hanzhang looked closely and recognized them as refugees.

The single garments soldiers wore and those of refugees had some differences, as did their shoes. If one couldn’t determine from the armor whether the other party was a scattered soldier, then look at their single garments and shoes.

It seemed everyone had been robbed.

At this time, quite a few people were staring at the armor on Zhao Hanzhang and Shi Lei’s bodies. They felt their armor looked very good.

Among the newly seated crowd, a young man took off the armor that hadn’t yet warmed and covered a middle-aged woman with it. Then he stood up and walked toward Zhao Hanzhang.

Seeing this, the brothers behind him who were playing with the looted armor also stood up and followed him together.

They numbered over a dozen. On Zhao Hanzhang’s side, aside from Zhao Hanzhang who still looked passable on the surface, the other six all looked quite miserable. Shi Hongtu and Ding Fang had black eyes and swollen faces. Shi Lei had black eyes, swollen face, plus pale lips and bound hands, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.

The remaining three newly gathered scattered soldiers also bore injuries to varying degrees. One had been robbed down to just his single garment.

Whether measuring by numbers or by the martial prowess visible to the eye, the young man had a complete advantage over them.

So the young man directly blocked Zhao Hanzhang’s path, then pointed at the armor on her body and said, “This lady, my mother has taken a liking to your armor. Take it off.”

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her head to look at her own armor, then looked at the middle-aged woman sitting in the distance. The other party just glanced at her once before shifting her gaze away, clearly having no intention of stopping her son.

Zhao Hanzhang lightly moved her wrist and smiled at the young man. “This is my armor. I won’t give it.”

“If you say you won’t give it, then you…” The young man looked at the blade tip pressed against his neck and stammered, changing his words. “Then don’t give it.”

The brothers behind him also widened their eyes and all stepped forward together. Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze swept over them. She felt they were exceptionally robust and thus asked, “Where are you from?”

Seeing they didn’t answer, Zhao Hanzhang pressed down. The blade tip pierced the flesh on his neck. A slight sting, and Zhao Hanzhang smiled with ill intent. “You’re bleeding.”

The young man trembled and hurriedly replied, “I, we’re from Wusui County.”

Zhao Hanzhang frowned in thought. “Wusui County? That’s under the governance of Anping State?”

The young man carefully swallowed. “Yes, under Anping State’s governance.”

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “The Han State is still at war with Jin State, right? Did General Beigong attack into Anping State?”

The young man looked completely confused. “General Beigong was originally in Anping State, wasn’t he? I don’t know if they fought their way in. Anyway, when we left, we encountered Jin troops. They didn’t stop us.”

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Why are you fleeing as refugees?”

The young man said, “A new emperor was established. The county office demanded we pay contributions. This year already had drought with poor harvest. Then recently the locust plague passed through with total crop failure. The contribution was too high—we couldn’t afford it. Plus the court wanted to conscript soldiers, so we came out.”

He looked at Zhao Hanzhang with strange eyes. “Lady, you look strong and seem to have considerable family wealth. How did you also become a refugee like us?”

He thought the armor on Zhao Hanzhang’s body was robbed from scattered soldiers just like his, and seeing her posture with the blade, she was clearly a female warrior, so she had the capability for this.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I’m not a refugee. Bring a set of armor for me.”

“This…” The young man was somewhat unwilling.

Zhao Hanzhang’s blade pressed down. The middle-aged woman who had been held back all along could no longer endure it. She immediately called out loudly, “I’ll give it, I’ll give it!”

Speaking thus, she hurriedly took off the armor on her body and brought it over to give to Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t move but indicated with her eyes to the small soldier.

The small soldier immediately stepped forward to receive it. He compared it and found this armor was a bit small, but by stretching it, it could work. So he put it on.

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang withdraw her blade. After sizing up the young man from top to bottom, she said, “You’re quite a fine young fellow. How can you be a bandit? I see you have great prospects. If you want to have some achievement, come find me up ahead.”

After speaking, she led her people away.

As soon as she left, the brothers behind him immediately surrounded him, saying repeatedly, “Awei, don’t be deceived by her. Anyone can tell she’s tricking you.”

The young man, however, fell into thought. “But she moved with skill. You can tell at a glance she has real ability.” Most importantly, she said he was a fine young fellow.

The brothers said, “Your sisters-in-law in the village are also all skillful when quarreling and fighting. Do you think they’re people with great abilities?”

The young man said, “But her clothing was refined, her speech was refined. You can tell at a glance she comes from wealth. Plus she said she’s not a refugee.” She also said he had great prospects.

Zhao Hanzhang was robbing armor when Professor Fu was being robbed. Oh, that is, Master Fu and his servant were being robbed.