Xiao Ruohai gripped the reins tightly, steadied himself, and asked Yun Lingzhi with a smile.

“They are all descendants of our Yun family. To speak frankly… this is an army assembled in imitation of the Bai family army’s Huying Battalion. If the lord is interested in the trainer, I can introduce you later.”

The Bai family guards nearly cursed out loud – this was the Huying Battalion’s training method. Could those good-for-nothing weaklings of the Yun family train such brave and fierce generals?!

Xiao Ruohai turned to give the Bai family guards a meaningful look, and they nodded in understanding.

As soon as the group entered the military camp, the Bai family guards scattered in all directions. Yun Lingzhi was about to stop them when he heard Xiao Ruohai say: “What we Great Zhou envoys told the Xiliang Empress was that we would walk around and search in this camp. If we find nothing… We’ll return! Since we’re here, Lord Yun should let us feel at ease.”

Yun Lingzhi, thinking his father must have already made proper arrangements, smiled and agreed: “Naturally!”

Xiao Ruohai didn’t dismount, saying to Yun Lingzhi: “Then, Lord Yun… call over all the Yun family descendants who train your Huying Battalion, so I can get to know them.”

The Bai family guards who had retired from the Huying Battalion had a very clear objective, heading toward the cliff. Being former soldiers, once they arrived at the training ground… who was the training general was obvious at a glance.

The Bai family guards had a clear target and rode straight for the training ground under the watchful eyes of the Huoyun Army soldiers.

The golden crow was about to set, and night fell with particular swiftness. So quickly that in a moment of unpreparedness, the cliff face that had been reflected in warm orange tones faded to the dull color of tea stains. Only the very top of the cliff retained a hint of twilight purple, while the surrounding dense forest could no longer be distinguished by color. The distant mountains and trees were nothing but patches of dark shadows.

The Bai family guard on horseback saw in the distance a figure in white training clothes, using a bamboo sword to correct the postures of a row of soldiers holding bamboo swords with both hands. Those soldiers faced the fierce troops swooping down from the cliff, ready at any moment to fight to the death with them. Standing there was a man in black training clothes, gripping his bamboo sword hilt with both hands, using the sword to support himself as he stood – the general in charge of this training session.

“General Guan!” The Bai family guard, seeing the person, felt his eyes grow hot and shouted hoarsely, “Quickly report – it’s General Guan!”

The general standing with bamboo sword in hand heard the call and looked up. Seeing the Bai family guard galloping toward him on horseback, he raised his hand and pointed at the guard with his bamboo sword, scolding with full authority: “Dismount! Who gave you permission to gallop wildly through the military camp!”

“General Guan!” The Bai family guard leaped down before his horse had fully stopped, his eyes reddening as he looked at Guan Zhangning. “General Guan, we’ve come on Third Young Master’s orders… to take you home!”

Guan Zhangning looked at the several Bai family guards who had dismounted and stood not far from him, their eyes red with emotion. Beyond his initial shock, he showed a bewildered expression: “Who are you people?”

The Bai family guards cupped their fists and saluted Guan Zhangning: “We are all Bai family guard troops who retired from the Bai family army. I retired from the Huying Battalion.”

Soon, Xiao Ruohai, having heard the news, galloped over and leaped down from his horse. Upon seeing Guan Zhangning, his eyes immediately reddened.

Before coming, Xiao Ruohai had held hope… hoping that the one training the Huying Battalion here would be the Bai family’s young general. Now, seeing Guan Zhangning, though somewhat disappointed, being able to find General Guan Zhangning was still good news for both the Bai family army and the Bai family.

“General Guan!” Xiao Ruohai dismounted and tearfully bowed to Guan Zhangning. “I am Xiao Ruohai, who once served under the Bai family army’s deputy commander. Does General Guan remember me?”

Xiao Ruohai looked up and saw Guan Zhangning casting a puzzled gaze toward Yun Lingzhi, who had followed him. His heart filled with suspicion, he looked at Yun Lingzhi with probing eyes.

Yun Lingzhi stared deeply at Guan Zhangning, his expression very ugly, not knowing why his father hadn’t had Yun Lan transferred away.

“Second Brother?” Guan Zhangning called out to Yun Lingzhi with a puzzled expression.

Xiao Ruohai’s brow furrowed as he turned to look at Yun Lingzhi, who had also dismounted.

Yun Lingzhi’s hands clenched behind his back. He could only explain to Xiao Ruohai: “This… is a clan brother that our Yun family’s clan uncle brought back last year, saying he was rescued from outside. Feeling a bond, he adopted him as his son, so he’s also considered a Yun family descendant.”

“Second Brother? What are you talking about?” Guan Zhangning frowned deeply, casually sticking his bamboo sword into the ground beside him. “I am father and mother’s biological child, brought back by my father after being wounded in battle. How did I become an adopted son?”

“Lord Yun…” Xiao Ruohai called out softly.

Yun Lingzhi’s palms tightened as he looked at Guan Zhangning, immediately showing an embarrassed expression.

“General, after recovering from your injuries, do you not remember past events?” Xiao Ruohai asked the question that puzzled him.

Guan Zhangning regarded Xiao Ruohai with wary eyes, pressing his lips together in silence.

“General Guan, you’ve been deceived by Xiliang…” Xiao Ruohai spoke mercilessly to Guan Zhangning in front of Yun Lingzhi, his voice calm. “Xiliang must have wanted to use you to train troops for them, which is why they told you that you were a Yun family member. You are not from the Yun family. Your surname is Guan… your home is in Feng County. You joined the Bai family army specifically to resist the Xiliang people, and General Guan’s wife and children died under Xiliang blades!”

Guan Zhangning’s face, originally darkened and reddened by the sun, turned deathly pale. He looked at Yun Lingzhi again: “Second Brother?!”

Yun Lingzhi looked at Guan Zhangning and nodded.

Guan Zhangning stood frozen in place, unable to move, as if this news struck like a bolt from the blue.

“General Guan!” Xiao Ruohai stepped forward, tentatively reaching out to support Guan Zhangning. “Young Marshal Bai has already ascended the throne as emperor! Jin has now become Great Zhou, and Young Marshal Bai sent Third Young Master… to take you home!”

Yun Lingzhi looked deeply at Guan Zhangning for a moment, then lowered his eyes and stepped aside, no longer intending to obstruct.

“General Guan, let’s go home…” Xiao Ruohai supported Guan Zhangning, his voice solemn.

Guan Zhangning pulled his arm free from Xiao Ruohai’s grasp, saying: “I want to return to the Yun family to ask for clarification.”

“Yun Lan… there’s no need to ask!” Yun Lingzhi looked at Guan Zhangning and said, “Haven’t you ever wondered why your name is different from us brothers in the Yun family? We all have the surname Yun… with the character ‘Ling’, but you… They are called Yun Lan.”

A gentle breeze passed through the forest, making the leaves rustle. The golden crow had set, and black clouds drifted slowly from the east, bringing scattered stardust.

Guan Zhangning’s lips were tightly pressed together, his expression hidden in the darkness.

He heard Yun Lingzhi say, “Go back! Now that Xiliang cannot resist the Great Zhou, so… we can only let you go! And thank you for training this Huoyun Army for Xiliang.”

“General Guan, let’s go!”

That night, Xiao Ruohai rode swiftly with Guan Zhangning toward Qiushan Pass.

That night, the Xiliang Empress Dowager fell gravely ill, and an imperial edict summoned the leaders of the eight great families to the palace to entrust them with posthumous affairs.

That night, eight granaries outside Yun Capital simultaneously caught fire, and within the imperial palace of Yun Capital, rivers of blood flowed.