In the camp, the lights blazed bright, and several battle-hardened generals stood before Jun Beiyue, trembling with unease. Among the entire White Tiger army, only the three great generals had ever had the chance to stand so close to Prince Yao!
As deputy commanders and ordinary officers, none of them had ever had such an opportunity before — and yet now, though they kept their heads bowed, their eyes kept drifting, unmistakably, to his now-empty index finger.
Though Princess Yao had wielded the prince’s authority before the Seventh Prince with tremendous force, the scorpion-shaped ring was no small matter. To Prince Yao, it held the same weight as the imperial seal held for Emperor Tianhui himself. Had they not seen it with their own eyes — seen Prince Yao’s finger now bare — they truly wouldn’t have believed it.
Suddenly, a guard came rushing in to report. “My lord, the Princess is nowhere to be found anywhere in the camp. This subordinate has already sent men to search everywhere — should we… should we search the Seventh Prince’s camp as well?”
“No need,” Jun Beiyue said coldly. Still dressed in his black combat attire, not even having had time to change, he’d rushed straight here. Knowing how dark, how ruthless Jun Beiyao’s heart truly was, he couldn’t help but worry for Ziqing.
The moment he stepped out of the tent, he covered his face with a veil, intending to search for her himself. Not since that incident at the Court of Judicial Review’s prison cell had he appeared before that woman again as the man in black.
Such a deep, bitter grudge — and that case at the Court of Judicial Review had made no real progress since. He had no idea whether that woman still carried that matter in her heart.
But just as Jun Beiyue was about to leave, the guard came hurrying back again. “My lord, this cannot wait — the front lines have suffered defeat! Our forces have fully retreated to hold the Second River City! Western Chu’s cavalry pursues relentlessly. The Red Tiger General has sent an urgent plea for reinforcements, warning that Western Chu is certain to bring reinforcements of their own!”
North of the Three Realms lay three closely spaced cities — moving north from the Three Realms, in order: First River City, Second River City, and Third River City. Jun Beiyue’s two White Tiger armies had faced the enemy head-on and taken the first two, and just days ago had been pressing their assault on the third. Yet in the span of only a few days, they had retreated all the way back to the second city — the situation had completely reversed. Western Chu’s forces had always been fierce as wolves and tigers; once their internal chaos settled and morale stabilized, for Da Zhou to press so deep, seizing city after city, was clearly no longer the wise course of action.
Jun Beiyue hesitated. Yingzi still intended to go in his stead, but with the shadow guards already committed to the front and the situation as dire as it was, it seemed he had no choice but to go himself.
Just as Jun Beiyue hesitated, the guard urged him anxiously once more. “My lord, these two cities of Western Chu, hard-won as they were, are the finest natural barrier north of the Three Realms. If we lose them now, such a heaven-sent opportunity to retake them may never come again!”
Jun Beiyue hesitated no longer. “Prepare the horses. The entire army rides with this prince at once!”
That very night, a thousand elite troops broke camp and departed, moving with such speed and precision that the soldiers atop the opposite hill camp only realized something was wrong long after the fact — by the time they noticed, everyone was already gone, and they hurried to send word to the Seventh Prince.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Jun Beiyao and Ziqing were both breathing hard, still locked in their standoff.
Ziqing’s hand had already scabbed over, the bleeding stopped. She lay sprawled on the ground in exhaustion, one hand still gripping her last ten silver needles, glaring coldly at Jun Beiyao. He too lay sprawled on the ground, sword still gripped tightly in hand. Their eyes met, both burning with mutual resentment, yet neither dared move first.
Whoever struck first, if it failed to finish the other, would surely be the one to fail.
“Han Ziqing, that night of pleasure was truly something unforgettable, wasn’t it?” Jun Beiyao said with a brazen laugh — provocation, humiliation, and a test, all at once!
Ziqing’s fury made her fists clench at once, blood welling fresh from her palm — but that small pain was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.
Though she was a mercenary, she had always guarded her chastity fiercely. Beneath her stubborn exterior, like every woman in this world, however hardened the shell, there beat a fragile heart within. From childhood onward, through every storm, every hardship, every tangled complication she had endured, no matter how weary, how bitter it grew, one belief had always kept her standing.
That someday, there would be a man who would calmly smooth away every wound, every complication, and carry her home before dawn broke.
The one clean, untouched part of herself — she had meant to save it for that man.
But now?
Her once-clear eyes had turned bloodshot, fixed unblinking on Jun Beiyao. Though she said nothing, that gaze alone carried more force than any sharp word could.
Yet within that bloodshot glare, a faint glimmer of tears lingered, held back with stubborn will, as she glared at Jun Beiyao coldly — so stubborn it stirred an unexpected pang of pity in anyone who saw it.
Meeting that gaze, Jun Beiyao’s heart gave an inexplicable, sudden jolt, as though bitten by something cold and unseen — and, to his own surprise, it actually ached.
He had always lived by the creed that a man looks out only for himself — when had he ever felt pity for anyone?
He’d expected this woman to curse him, to humiliate him in turn. But she didn’t.
She simply looked at him — and that look alone left him unsettled.
But just as Jun Beiyao’s mind wandered, the sound of footsteps suddenly approached from not far off — guards from the camp, searching for him!
Jun Beiyao snapped back to himself and rose at once on one leg. He’d committed himself now — this rare opportunity, he had to kill this woman, no matter what! He had to bury this humiliation forever!
“Someone!”
He shouted loudly, drawing the guards’ attention at once. But in that same instant, Ziqing’s ten remaining silver needles flew out together, splitting into two directions, striking from both sides at once, leaving Jun Beiyao no time to react — and she seized the chance to flee, vanishing into the dense forest in moments. A man as vile as Jun Beiyao — why would she ever engage him in some so-called fair, one-on-one duel?
No matter how furious she was, she had to preserve her life to fulfill her vow.
The guards soon arrived. Seeing Jun Beiyao’s leg wound, they didn’t bother asking questions, hurrying to report at once. “Seventh Prince, the Second River City is in danger — Princess Yao has rushed a thousand elite troops there through the night to reinforce it!”
Jun Beiyao was struck with shock, whipping his head around to look at the opposite hilltop — only to find it completely empty. A thousand elite troops, vanished as though into thin air!
“When did this happen!” he said coldly. He distinctly remembered the camp had still been there when he’d left.
“This subordinate is at fault — I don’t know. It must have happened not long ago!” the guard reported urgently. The entire army had assumed the two elite forces wouldn’t turn on each other — who would have thought to watch that direction through the night?
“A bunch of useless fools! At this speed, Han Ziqing couldn’t have managed this on her own — this must be Prince Yao’s doing!” Jun Beiyao said coldly, not even bothering to pursue Ziqing further, his malevolent eyes churning with complicated thoughts.
Han Ziqing had come to settle scores with him, and Jun Beiyue had led his troops away — it seemed the husband and wife hadn’t crossed paths at all. And that matter of that night — how far had Jun Beiyue’s investigation into it actually gone?
Everyone believed Han Ziqing had been violated by young master Chen, and that young master Chen had been killed by the man in black. But Han Ziqing’s own words and actions made it plain — both her violation and Chen’s murder had been the work of that very same man in black!
As it stood now, Jun Beiyue clearly had no idea that the man in black who had violated Han Ziqing was, in fact, himself. Otherwise, given his temperament, even if Han Ziqing were merely a woman he kept around for her usefulness rather than his true wife, he would never have tolerated that man in black’s continued existence.
“Seventh Prince, Prince Yao has come in person — what should we… what should we do now?” the guard asked anxiously.
But Jun Beiyao’s mind was entirely consumed by that matter of that night, his brow knitting tight in thought. If Jun Beiyue ever learned that the one who had violated Han Ziqing was that very man in black, would the case at the Court of Judicial Review erupt into chaos all over again?
At that thought, a cold, sinister smile crept, unbidden, across his lips.