“Big brother!” Wei Shuye raised his eyebrows and shouted, spurring his horse forward.

There was a sharp whistling sound as a crossbow bolt came flying through the air like a shooting star, flashing with a chilling gleam. It struck the head of Wei Shuye’s warhorse with terrifying precision, entering through the left eye and exiting through the right. Blood splattered and brain matter burst forth as an agonizing wail rose to the heavens. Wei Shuye, with nimble movements, jumped down from his horse and stood somewhat disheveled amidst the swirling snow.

The child crouched on the ground, left hand holding a knife against Wei Shuyou’s neck, right hand holding a crossbow slightly bent and pressed against their shoulder blade. Tilting their head, the child bit out an arrow from the small quiver on their back, and using only their mouth and arm in coordination, quickly loaded the arrow. Raising an eyebrow, they looked coldly at Commander Shuye and slowly said: “That shot was to repay you for your support at Purple Pavilion Square. The next shot won’t just hit a horse. I advise you not to come any closer.”

Everyone’s gaze became momentarily stunned as if frozen by the deadly weather. Over a thousand True Imperial City’s most elite soldiers, princes and nobles from great families, and excellent commanders from the Empire’s military hall all frowned as they looked at the child who wasn’t even three feet tall. The child wore soft leather armor that was too large, with a green leather collar protecting their thin little face. Their face wasn’t even as big as an adult’s palm, with large clear eyes, a small upturned nose, and slightly pouting lips. Their arms were slender, looking as if they could snap with the slightest force. Everything about them exuded an undeniable softness and youthfulness.

Yet it was this child who looked as if they could be blown away by a gust of wind, this child who stood not even as high as an adult’s waist, who had broken through the blockade of the Wei family’s elite forces. Using the enemy’s carelessness and their superior intellect, at this moment, they crouched there without fear, defying over a thousand soldiers, defying the Elder Council’s decision, defying the master of Golden Palace, defying the entire Great Xia Empire. With a cold expression, they held the enemy’s leader hostage, threatening everyone.

This was Chu Qiao’s first open rebellion against the Great Xia Dynasty’s rule, showing contempt for the imperial authority. Her thinking was simple—she wanted to escape, taking Yan Xun with her.

“Put down your weapons, open the gates, and don’t make me say it twice.” The child’s voice was low as her gaze slowly swept through the crowd. As she turned her body, the crossbow bolt pressed against her shoulder blade turned with her, like a bloodthirsty eye, slowly sliding over the fluctuating hearts of those around her.

“Attack!” Wei Shuyou suddenly shouted harshly. The pampered noble prince of the imperial dynasty could not tolerate the humiliation of being threatened by a commoner. He raised his head stubbornly, showing no fear of the knife cutting into the skin of his neck, and angrily said: “Capture them!”

With a swift “swoosh,” before Wei Shuyou could finish speaking, two of his fingers were instantly cut off by the child. A piercing scream rose to the sky as the youngest magistrate in True Imperial City’s history groaned, blood gushing from his severed fingers and splashing all over the ground.

“Mountains cannot hide it, the great river flows east, and the wise adapt to circumstances. Lord Wei, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.”

The child looked up at Wei’s guards, smiled coldly, and said slowly: “Did you not understand my words, or are you deliberately defying me? Or perhaps you’re following the orders of another commander?” The child’s gaze moved to Wei Shuye, making a small circle, as she smiled coldly: “With your biggest competitor dead, some people can rightfully ascend to the position of the family head. Commander Shuye, who else but you for the position of Imperial Elder?”

“Lowborn trash!” Wei Shuyou gritted his teeth and said hatefully: “We brothers are close; you needn’t try to sow discord.”

“Whether you are truly close brothers remains to be seen.” The child smiled faintly, her eyes meeting Wei Shuye’s. She made a feigned cut at Wei Shuyou’s neck with her knife, her smile mischievous, not at all like that of an eight-year-old child.

She quickly tied up Wei Shuyou. Though she was small in stature and not very strong, her binding technique and the way she tied the knots were remarkably clever. Even with Wei Shuyou’s strength, he found it difficult to break free.

“Mount up,” the child snorted coldly. “I must trouble Lord Wei to escort us.”

Thick clouds covered the sky, without a glimpse of starlight. Even the cold moonlight was concealed.

The child did not ride the same warhorse as Wei Shuyou, but rather confidently and boldly sat on another warhorse, following two horse-lengths behind him. Holding a small crossbow, her eyes fixed firmly on the bound man in front of her, ready to deliver a fatal blow when necessary.

“Yan Xun, let’s go.”

Without turning her head, her voice echoed coldly through the air. Yan Xun narrowed his eyes, and then the corners of his mouth turned upward as he smiled happily. He lazily climbed onto horseback and led his subordinates straight ahead, completely disregarding the enemy soldiers at his side. Chu Qiao rode at the front. She looked so small, but the cold aura emanating from her tiny body could not be ignored. Wherever she went, the mass of True Imperial guards made way, like a receding flood.

The west gate opened with a creaking sound, torches burning fiercely, casting a red glow over everything. The northern beacon fires of the empire still had not been extinguished. The flames of war had affected tens of thousands of Great Xia civilians, blood staining every inch of land on the Shangzhen Plateau. At this moment, in the heart of the empire, Yan Xun, son of the Prince of Yan and deemed the leader of the rebellion by the empire, openly walked out through the northwest triumphal gate of True Imperial City. The most elite troops of the Great Xia Dynasty could only watch helplessly, unable to take any action to salvage the situation.

History changed at this moment. A tiger cub was released from its cage, and no one knew if it would become a fierce dragon dominating the northwest.

Zhuge Huai’s lips curved slightly in an almost imperceptible smile.

For the Zhuge family, whether the Yan Bei heir could return to Yan Bei was not important. What mattered was that the Golden Palace had given this task to the Wei family, and they had failed to complete it.

“There could be no more pleasing news than this,” Zhuge Huai thought to himself and said to the attendant at his side: “Go notify the Fourth Young Master to return to the mansion immediately. I have matters to discuss with him.”

Zhu Yong stepped forward and bowed: “The Fourth Young Master has left the city.”

“What?” Zhuge Huai was startled and asked in a deep voice: “Left the city?”

“He just went out through the north gate, saying he was… saying he was capturing an escaped slave from the mansion.”

“Escaped slave?” Zhuge Huai frowned and said: “What escaped slave would require him to go personally?”

“This servant is not clear about the details. I will go investigate immediately.”

Zhuge Huai raised his head, his eyes half-closed as he gazed at the pitch-black night sky, murmuring: “I hope he doesn’t ruin things.”

Snow fell heavily. Half an hour later, on the desolate ancient plank road, Yan Xun, dressed in white fur, ordered his men to untie Wei Shuyou’s ropes and said coldly: “Since I promised to release you, I won’t go back on my word. You may go.”

Wei Shuyou gave Yan Xun and the child behind him a fierce look, then turned around and headed in the direction of True Imperial City.

“You shouldn’t have released him,” the child’s cold voice sounded from behind. “Didn’t you see the look in his eyes? Keeping him alive will eventually become a major problem.”

Yan Xun shook his head, watching Wei Shuyou’s gradually disappearing figure, and said slowly: “If I killed him, Yan Bei would truly be guilty of rebellion. I cannot take that risk.”

After speaking, the young man turned to look at the child and said: “What are your plans? The Zhuge family won’t let you go. Come back to Yan Bei with me.”

The child looked up and smiled lightly, saying: “Thank you for your kindness, but I still have matters to attend to.”

Yan Xun frowned and said in a deep voice: “What business could a small child like you have?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows as she looked at Yan Xun: “After all this time, what part of me still makes you think I’m a child?”

Yan Xun was stunned, at a loss for words to argue, but thinking about it, she indeed didn’t resemble a child in any way. The Prince of Yan furrowed his brows, thought for a while, then defiantly grabbed Chu Qiao’s hand and stubbornly said: “I think you look like a child in every way. Look at this hand, small arms, small legs, small head, small stature—a child. Even if you are ruthless, you’re still a child.”

Chu Qiao shook off Yan Xun’s hand, frowning and muttering: “Nonsense.”

“Hey!” Yan Xun spurred his horse forward, blocking Chu Qiao’s path. “Are you leaving?”

“I must go.”

“What matter is so important that you must handle it? Can’t I find someone to do it for you?” The young prince asked loudly, embarrassed and angry.

Chu Qiao turned her head to look at the young man’s clear eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a heavy voice: “Yan Xun, you and I are not the same kind of people. We’ve traveled together for this stretch of road, and that is enough.”

Yan Xun sat on horseback, silent.

“We have shared this journey, but the future is uncertain. Take care of yourself.” The child said this in a low tone, like an elder, then turned her horse around and rode away with a flick of her whip.

Without stars or moonlight, amidst the swirling snow, the child rode alone, gradually disappearing into the storm. Yan Xun suddenly came to his senses and spurred his horse forward a few steps, but it was in vain. The young man in white fur sat on horseback, calling loudly to the child who had vanished into the snow: “Hey! If you ever need anything in the future, come find me in Yan Bei!”

His voice penetrated the snowstorm, echoing through the vast darkness. The night was far from over, pitch black and bone-chillingly cold.