Regardless of whether the Xiao Rongyan before him was real or fake, since he had bought him, this debt of gratitude must be repaid to Xiao Rongyan. However… he absolutely could not involve the Bai family in this matter.

Born into a prominent family, protecting the family’s interests and dignity was more important than life itself to people like Bai Qingjue. Therefore, no member of the Bai family would drag the entire clan into repaying a personal debt of gratitude simply because they had received someone’s favor.

Xiao Rongyan was quite surprised. He smiled and did not take the cup of tea, asking, “How does the young master plan to repay this debt?”

Bai Qingjue’s voice was resolute: “The money you spent to redeem me, I will repay tenfold! I am willing to serve you for three tasks… After those three tasks, I will naturally leave.”

The Bai family had their own backbone and integrity. The principle of repaying kindness with gratitude was something Xiao Rongyan had already experienced from Bai Qingyan.

Even so, Xiao Rongyan did not force the matter. He raised his hand to accept the teacup from Bai Qingjue’s hands, thus agreeing to the arrangement, and asked with a smile, “Then… how should I address the young master?”

“Wang Qijue,” Bai Qingjue replied.

Bai Qingjue ranked seventh in the Bai family, and his mother’s surname was Wang, so he took the name Wang Qijue. Once he had repaid his debt to Xiao Rongyan with this name… There would be no further relationship between them.

“Very well. From today onwards, Young Master Qijue will serve as my guard. After completing the three tasks and repaying the silver, Young Master Qijue may leave on his own.”

With that, Xiao Rongyan drained the tea in his cup and had someone take Bai Qingjue to rest.

Given the complex situation in Jin State, it was better for this young master of the Bai family not to return for now. If the Crown Prince or Emperor of the Jin State learned of this, it might be detrimental to the Bai family’s widows.

However, it would be good to at least send word to Bai Qingyan to put her mind at ease.

After Bai Qingjue left, Xiao Rongyan summoned Wang Jiuzhou and asked him to find a physician to examine Bai Qingjue.

Wang Jiuzhou understood that his master valued this young master, so he quickly nodded in agreement. Then he mentioned another matter: “Master, when that young master followed me here, he left markers along the way. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t notice, but our hidden guards discovered them.”

Xiao Rongyan raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded to show he understood.

“Master, should we erase the markers?” Wang Jiuzhou asked.

“No need… it doesn’t matter,” Xiao Rongyan said.

No wonder he wasn’t in a hurry to return to Jin State. This young master of the Bai family was probably hesitant to return rashly because he couldn’t assess the situation in Jin State, and secondly, he had left markers waiting for people from the Bai family to find him. Truly an extremely clever person who could keep his composure.

At about sixteen years of age, although Xiao Rongyan couldn’t determine which young master of the Bai family this was, he was certain this was undoubtedly a Bai family descendant. If Bai Qingyan knew about this, she would surely be very happy.

Xiao Rongyan placed a piece on the chessboard, a faint smile curving his lips. He put all the remaining chess pieces into the chess box, rose and walked to his writing desk, spread out letter paper, and with his left hand slowly wrote with the brush. After blowing the ink dry, he sealed it in an envelope and called for the guard who had previously delivered horses to Bai Qingyan, instructing him to ride swiftly and deliver the letter to Bai Qingyan.

The next day, just as dawn broke, morning light penetrated the faintly rolling sea of clouds, casting slanted rays upon the distant, vast, and majestic mountain silhouettes. As the sun rose higher, the light followed the turbulent westward-flowing Jing River toward the Jin army camp and Xiliang military camp, gradually dispelling the darkness.

The Xiliang camp on the south bank of the Jing River, which had been quiet for several days, suddenly sent out a group of riders heading straight for the river’s edge, calling out to see Bai Qingyan. Leading them on horseback was Yun Poxing.

Yun Poxing’s kneecaps had been shattered, and he could no longer stand, but his legs still had feeling, so others couldn’t detect the flaw when he rode.

Yun Poxing gazed at his son’s head hanging high in the Jin army camp, gritting his teeth tightly, his eyes reddening. But in just a moment, the surging emotions were suppressed as if doused by a basin of cold water.

As they say… the wheel of fate turns, and retribution is never absent.

He had killed Bai Weiting and hung Bai Weiting’s son’s head in his camp to boost the morale of the Xiliang warriors. He never expected… that fortune would turn, and Bai Weiting’s granddaughter would kill his son and grandson, hanging his son’s head high in the Jin army camp.

Yun Poxing closed his eyes, his eyelids trembling, as if hot tears were flowing down the weathered furrows of his face.

Sitting in her command tent, Bai Qingyan heard that Yun Poxing wanted to see her. After pondering for a moment, she laughed softly: “I suppose Xiliang’s grain supplies will arrive today, which is why… Yun Poxing dares to come negotiate with me.”

Enemy forces outnumbering their own was Bai Qingyan’s greatest weakness; burned grain supplies insufficient to support military action was Yun Poxing’s weakness.

Therefore, Yun Poxing raised the no-battle flag, and Bai Qingyan also refrained from action, facing off with the Xiliang army across the river.

Previously, Yun Poxing dared not negotiate with Bai Qingyan because only after Xiliang’s grain supplies arrived would Yun Poxing have the confidence to fight if negotiations failed.

But Bai Qingyan had long ago sent Shen Liangyu with the Huying Battalion to watch the Xiliang camp. Apart from messengers coming from Xiliang’s direction, no grain supplies were seen entering the camp.

Moreover, after Xiliang’s grain supplies were burned, only one wisp of cooking smoke was seen rising from the camp each day, so the food shortage had certainly reached a critical point.

Bai Qingyan could be certain that Xiliang’s grain supplies would arrive today.

She walked quickly to the sand table, carefully examining the nearby mountain terrain map.

Previously, she had sent people to ambush Xiliang’s grain supplies at Tuofeng Canyon, but at that time, the Xiliang army was at Tianmen Pass, so the fastest route for grain supplies was through Tuofeng Canyon.

Now that the Xiliang army had retreated to the opposite bank of the Jing River, for Xiliang to transport grain supplies quickly, they could only take the Chuanling Mountain route, which was where her grandfather had perished.

Her fist unconsciously tightened, and she spoke: “Bai Jinzhi, order Shen Liangyu to take the Huying Battalion to ambush at Chuanling Mountain and burn all of Xiliang’s grain supplies! You go with Shen Liangyu!”

Bai Jinzhi had originally wanted to stay and protect her elder sister’s safety, but thinking that with a river between her elder sister and Yun Poxing, there should be no great danger, she accepted the order and left the camp.

Without grain supplies, unless Yun Poxing could conjure food from thin air, soldiers who couldn’t eat their fill… could not fight victorious battles.

Before long, Bai Qingyan mounted her horse and led a contingent out of the Jin army camp, heading straight for the Jing River.

Seeing Bai Qingyan, Yun Poxing immediately thought of his dead son and grandson, unable to suppress his grief and fury. But then, thinking that Bai Qingyan’s grandfather, father, uncle, and brothers had all died by his hand, he felt a measure of satisfaction.

Yun Poxing turned his head to a soldier beside him and said, “Send someone to cross the river and tell Bai Qingyan that I wish to meet with her face to face. She can choose the location.”

A Xiliang soldier received the order and alone poled a raft across the river.

Xiao Ruojiang raised his hand, and the archers immediately positioned themselves in front of Bai Qingyan, drawing their bows and aiming at the approaching Xiliang soldier.

“No need for such measures. It’s only one Xiliang soldier. Does Uncle fear that this Xiliang soldier possesses some heavenly abilities?” Bai Qingyan’s gaze was fixed on Yun Poxing, her voice extremely calm.