Before departing, Bai Qingyan looked at the map and instructed Xiao Ruojiang: “Send two death warriors to Feng City to fetch Physician Hong and rush to Shaoyang Commandery near Tonggu Mountain to meet the Ninth Young Master!”

“I’ve already sent someone to request Physician Hong, but… I didn’t mention going to Shaoyang Commandery. However, to reach Shaoyang Commandery, we must pass through Youhua Road, so I’ll have someone relay the order at Youhua Road,” Xiao Ruojiang said in a low voice.

She nodded, put away the map, rolled it up, and handed it to Xiao Ruojiang, then leaped onto her horse. Her voice was calm yet resolute: “Bring all the death warriors. Depart!”

“Yes!”

Including Bai Qingyan and Xiao Ruojiang, fewer than a hundred people spurred their horses and galloped away swiftly.

Bai Qingyan rode her swift horse along the mountain path, her heart more urgent than ever before.

She didn’t know how Xiao Jiu’s condition was, and her heart burned with anxiety.

All she could hear was the wind and her heartbeat. Along that road, she didn’t light any torches, relying on the bright moonlight to gallop to Qiushan Pass.

“Faster!” She accelerated, wishing she could sprout wings.

Without needing to think, she knew what kind of cruel torture and humiliation Xiao Jiu, the assassin who had tried to kill the Xiliang Emperor, would endure… what kind of torment and trampling.

Among the nine sons of the Bai family, Bai Qingyun was the one most like a wastrel, arrogant and stubborn as a duck. Over the years, he had knelt in the ancestral hall countless times and been beaten with rattan canes just as often, yet never changed his obstinate temperament.

Once, Bai Qingyun had scoffed at the Bai family’s doctrine of legitimate protecting bastard children, but when real disaster struck… he resolutely protected his elder brother Bai Qingjue, the seventh son born legitimate from the fourth branch of the Bai family, drawing away the pursuers with his own body and penetrating deep into Xiliang’s Yunjing to complete the assassination mission.

She knew that when the great disaster suddenly struck, her ninth brother Bai Qingyun’s decision in the face of blood kinship was almost instinctive – sacrificing himself to protect his brother, sacrificing himself to protect… the continuation of the Bai family’s legitimate bloodline.

This world always talked about the hierarchy between legitimate and bastard children, but to her, this hierarchy of legitimate and bastard was not greater than blood kinship, not greater than her hope that Xiao Jiu could live safely.

The sourness stuck in her throat, but she forced it back down with all her might. She gripped the reins tightly, her dark and profound gaze firm and composed. She must rescue Xiao Jiu, no matter what price she has to pay.

Xiao Ruojiang saw the Xiliang peace negotiation team slowly returning to Qiushan Pass on the wide road below the mountain and called out to Bai Qingyan in a low voice: “Miss! Look!”

Below the mountain, the Xiliang military formation carrying torches wound like a long dragon. These Xiliang soldiers were those Prince Yan Li Zhijie had brought to the peace negotiations, and they were now heading toward Qiushan Pass.

Bai Qingyan stared at the Xiliang army below and gritted her teeth: “Xiao Ruojiang, lead the way ahead. Take the shortcut to Qiushan Pass. We must rescue Xiao Jiu before Li Zhijie’s main force returns to Qiushan Pass!”

“Yes!”

The formation changed. Xiao Ruojiang alone spurred his horse to the front, and the group quickly alternated and formed a single file, following Xiao Ruojiang on the slipperiest, narrowest, yet fastest mountain path on horseback.

In the night with howling wind, all was silent. In the deep, dark forest, black shadows loomed, the path was treacherous and difficult, but the fine horses were strong and swift, their hooves flying.

Wild wind and tree branches whipped past her face, but she seemed oblivious to the pain. Until she saw Xiao Jiu, she couldn’t feel at ease. Her blood surged hotly, her mind was restless, and she only wanted to go faster, ever faster!

Qiushan Pass was situated in the Qiushan Valley, with cliffs rising on both sides. Qiushan Pass was Xiliang’s first natural barrier. Whether going from Youhua Road to Tonggu Mountain or from Tonggu Mountain to Youhua Road, one could not avoid Qiushan Pass.

Below the cliff face of Qiushan Pass’s natural barrier in the direction of Qiushan and Tonggu Mountain… lay the vast Heavenly God Lake. Unless one had wings, it was impossible to travel between Youhua Road and Tonggu Mountain without passing through Qiushan Pass city. Otherwise, one would have to take the time-consuming and laborious route around the entire Qiushan and Qiushan Mountains.

·

Inside Qiushan Pass city, a great fire suddenly erupted in the front courtyard of an inn. On the street, gongs and drums sounded, and from afar, a red expanse could be seen wrapped in black smoke. The fire was fierce, and even the wine house next to the inn was blackened beyond recognition by the smoke.

Common people on the street, still in their undergarments, carried water buckets and basins, frantically pouring water on the fire. But as soon as the flames were suppressed, they suddenly roared up again with a “boom,” even more fiercely than before. The firelight carried a vicious determination to burn through the nine heavens, and the flames followed the water flow chaotically, forcing people to retreat step by step.

The people of Qiushan Pass were shocked.

“Fire oil! It’s fire oil! Water can’t extinguish it! Someone set the fire deliberately!”

“Quickly go to the government office and beat the drum! Someone is committing arson!”

The towering blaze finally alarmed the Qiushan Pass garrison. The garrison general sent troops to fight the fire.

Inside the inn, swords flashed and shadows danced as Huying Battalion elite soldiers and Dong family death warriors fought desperately against Li Zhijie’s men.

Shen Liangyu knew clearly in his heart that once the inn caught fire, they needed to quickly evacuate, otherwise when the Qiushan Pass garrison Xiliang soldiers arrived, none of them would be able to get out alive!

He truly hadn’t expected that among the death warriors raised by Prince Yan of Xiliang, there would be such a wise person who knew how to set fire to attract the attention of Qiushan Pass’s Xiliang garrison.

Seeing the Xiliang death warriors desperately trying to trap them here, Shen Liangyu gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury as he shouted: “Break through quickly!”

Xiao Ruohai, wounded, had a composed gaze. Holding a long sword in one hand and a short blade in the other, he carried the unconscious and blood-covered Bai Qingyun on his back, bound together with rope. Shen Qingzhu, Shen Liangyu, and Bai Jinzhi surrounded Bai Qingyun on Xiao Ruohai’s back, trapped within the protective circle of death warriors and Huying Battalion elite soldiers, unable to move an inch.

Bai Jinzhi’s eyes were red as she held her silver spear behind Bai Qingyun, gritting her teeth and scanning all around to guard against attacks from behind.

Suddenly hearing the whistle of an incoming arrow, Bai Jinzhi’s eyes widened as she pushed aside Shen Qingzhu on her left: “Watch out!”

The cold-gleaming arrow pierced through Bai Jinzhi’s arm before she could pull it back. Bai Jinzhi bit her teeth hard and groaned silently.

“Fourth Miss!” Shen Qingzhu used the long sword in his hand to knock down the feathered arrows flying toward them.

“Southeast corner!” Bai Jinzhi shouted while covering her arm.

Upon hearing this, the Huying Battalion elite soldiers precisely located the crossbow archer on the rooftop. Three men leaped up, and with swift movements… a spray of blood erupted in the moonlight and dissipated as the three Huying Battalion soldiers flipped down.

In close combat, the death warriors raised by the royal family often couldn’t match the truly fierce iron-blooded warriors of the Huying Battalion, who had risked their lives countless times on battlefields. Every move was vicious, every step deadly, with dangers everywhere.

Shen Liangyu, with bloodshot eyes, suddenly raised his head toward the blazing courtyard of the inn. He heard the sound of heavy armored horse hooves and roared: “Don’t linger in battle! Retreat! Quick retreat! Cut a bloody path! Hurry!”

The Dong family death warriors and Huying Battalion received the order, and all gathered around Shen Liangyu’s group, fighting desperately one after another to carve out an escape route.

This was Bai Jinzhi’s first time in such a life-or-death moment. Watching Huying Battalion elite soldiers fall beside her, watching Dong family death warriors use their chests to block blades just to kill a few more enemies and push their group forward a few more steps, Bai Jinzhi felt nothing but the scalding scent of blood in her nostrils. Her scalp tightened, and without thinking, she broke off the arrow tail and guarded all four sides behind Bai Qingyun.