Although the Western Liang army had superior numbers, they were still beaten into complete disarray and fled from Tianmen Pass.

In the battle at Feng County, with the assistance of the Huying Battalion, the Nanyan army was defeated before dawn and withdrew from Feng County. On their way, hearing that the Western Liang army had been routed and was fleeing Tianmen Pass, having lost their provisions, the Nanyan army immediately fell into panic. The Nanyan commander immediately ordered… to slowly retreat toward Yao Pass to receive the provisions Nanyan was sending, then wait to see what Western Liang planned before making further arrangements.

This battle was historically known as the Battle of Weng Mountain, and was also a legendary battle of that era.

Fifty thousand Jin reinforcements, plus ten thousand remaining Bai Family Army soldiers from Weng City, had defeated the allied forces of Nanyan and Western Liang—supposedly a million-strong army—in a single night.

The battle at Weng Mountain canyon became a classic example of victory by the few against the many.

Later, according to descriptions by civilians who remained in Weng City, the fire in Weng Mountain canyon burned for a full half month without extinguishing, and the smell of charred flesh lingered in the air around Weng City for a long time.

Tianmen Pass was recaptured by the Jin army, and the Jin army’s morale soared.

Bai Qingyan had Yun Poxing’s son’s head hung high above the gate of Tianmen Pass. However the Western Liang army had humiliated her father… humiliated her Bai Family Army, she would repay in kind!

Some suggested pursuing the retreating Western Liang remnants while their momentum was strong and wiping them out completely.

But Bai Qingyan held her forces back, reestablishing defenses at Tianmen Pass and letting the Bai Family Army and Jin soldiers who had fought intensely for a day and night rest well.

The soldiers ate steamed buns and drank meat soup while excitedly discussing this great battle, especially how Bai Qingyan had led two hundred elite soldiers to charge into the Western Liang camp and take the head of Yun Poxing’s son—talking about it made the soldiers’ blood boil!

Perhaps because this battle had been truly exhausting, learning that General Bai was letting them rest and would not fight today, the soldiers hadn’t even finished their steamed buns before leaning against each other and falling asleep.

Although it was already daytime, Bai Qingyan had people light campfires among the soldiers and ordered blankets to be brought to cover the soldiers, preventing them from catching a cold.

Bai Jinzhi’s eyes were bloodshot from staying awake, following behind Bai Qingyan as she patrolled and inspected everywhere. She advised in a low voice: “Elder sister, you’re still injured, rest a bit! Let me handle this!”

“Xiao Si, go rest. You don’t need to follow me…” She turned to tell the exhausted-looking Bai Jinzhi.

Before coming to Nan Jiang with Bai Qingyan, Bai Jinzhi had been a pampered child in the capital. However long Bai Qingyan had gone without sleep, Bai Jinzhi had gone without sleep for the same time. How could a child in her growing years endure this?

“Elder sister should rest together! Otherwise, I won’t go either!” Bai Jinzhi was desperately tired, yet still tugged at her arm insistently.

Xiao Ruojiang, who had been following behind Bai Qingyan the whole time, spoke up: “Fourth Miss should go rest first. First Miss is following the Deputy General’s custom of patrolling the camp after major battles. First Miss will complete the rounds!”

“Go rest!” Bai Qingyan adjusted Bai Jinzhi’s cloak and lowered her voice: “Elder sister now needs you to protect her in close combat. Our battle isn’t finished yet—do you want to collapse?”

Bai Jinzhi shook her head.

“Go! Elder sister will return after patrolling the camp!”

Bai Jinzhi thought about it and really couldn’t hold on any longer, finally nodding. She needed to conserve her energy to protect her elder sister well in future battles!

After watching Bai Jinzhi leave, Bai Qingyan finished touring the entire camp and saw that even the wounded were resting. Only then did she climb up Tianmen Pass to look into the distance…

“Is there any news of Seventh Brother, Ninth Brother, and Shen Qingzhu?” she asked.

After this battle was finished, if there was still no news of them, she planned to personally lead people into Western Liang territory to search!

“Reporting to First Miss, there’s none yet!” Xiao Ruojiang answered hesitantly.

She nodded and said to Xiao Ruojiang, “Milk brother, send someone to guard the camp. The Huying Battalion knows the Bai Family Army is at Tianmen Pass and will come. When the Huying Battalion returns later, have someone tell them to rest well! Milk brother should also go rest quickly!”

“This subordinate will escort First Miss back!” Xiao Ruojiang said.

When Bai Qingyan returned to her quarters, Bai Jinzhi was already asleep. She tucked Bai Jinzhi in properly and lay down beside her, quickly falling into deep sleep.

Perhaps it was thinking by day and dreaming by night—in her dreams at Tianmen Pass, Bai Qingyan was filled with visions of her brothers and the Bai Family Army soldiers.

Some blamed her for not coming earlier, some urged Bai Qingyan to avenge them.

Voices surged from all directions, causing excruciating pain in her chest. She could only close her eyes and cover her ears tightly with both hands, not letting those voices enter.

“A’Bao…”

Hearing her father’s voice, she looked up… everything before her eyes was darkness.

“A’Bao…”

Her heart felt sour and tight. She suddenly stood up, looking around, searching for her father’s voice, shouting: “Father!”

“A’Bao, father is here, don’t be afraid!”

Hearing this, she felt herself being embraced in an extremely broad and warm embrace. Looking up, she could see her father’s refined and handsome features.

“Father!” She could no longer hold back the sourness in her nose and cried out loud in her father’s arms: “I’m sorry, father! A’Bao came too late! I made my father suffer!”

“A’Bao didn’t come late! Father saw everything—how hard my A’Bao worked to pick up the Sun-Shooting Bow. A’Bao is no longer that pampered, complaining little girl from before! However much suffering my A’Bao can endure, that’s how much responsibility she can shoulder! Father is proud of A’Bao! All the Bai family ancestors are proud of A’Bao!”

How could she be worthy of her father’s pride? How could she be worthy of the Bai family ancestors’ pride?

“Elder sister! Elder sister!”

In her deep sleep, Bai Qingyan’s eyelashes trembled as she slowly opened her sore and swollen eyes.

“Elder sister, you scared me to death!” Bai Jinzhi was, after all, just a child and couldn’t help crying out: “Elder sister kept crying in her sleep! Kept crying! No matter how I called, I couldn’t wake you! If my elder sister hadn’t woken up, I would have sent someone back to Weng City to fetch Physician Hong!”

Bai Jinzhi looked terrified, her face pale as a sheet.

“Elder sister… just dreamed of the Bai family people.” She sat up and raised her hand to touch the top of Bai Jinzhi’s head.

Bai Jinzhi’s expression was pained. She lowered her eyes and wiped away tears with her sleeve, choking out: “I dreamed too. I dreamed of my father… my father said to protect my elder sister well! Elder sister… is the person who can support our Bai family!”

Hearing these words, her throat swelled with even more pain. She opened her mouth but couldn’t say a single word, only raising her hand to wipe away the tears on Bai Jinzhi’s face.

“Elder sister, I believe what Father said!” Bai Jinzhi’s tear-filled eyes burned intensely: “Grandfather once said elder sister was a natural-born general! Elder sister could defeat over a hundred thousand Western Liang troops with fifty thousand soldiers—such a strategy is unparalleled! I, Bai Jinzhi, swear… to become someone like my elder sister! To become someone who can carry the banner of our Bai Family Army! Never again will to be willful and throw tantrums like before! To think thrice before acting in all matters!”

Looking at Bai Jinzhi’s resolute and tenacious gaze, she knew… her fourth sister, who should have been protected under someone’s wings, had matured further in mind after experiencing the Nan Jiang battlefield and had become a daughter who could support a corner of the Bai family!

She nodded to Bai Jinzhi: “Elder sister believes in you!”