The Hebei camp wore no white mourning clothes, but a solemn silence pervaded the military encampment of tens of thousands. They quietly collected the dead and tended to the wounded…

Everyone was immersed in grief and suppressed anger. At this moment, none were happier than Zhao Ling. Such a great merit would surely be attributed to him in part. The Hebei camp had never won such a victory before, but as soon as he arrived, a triumphant report was suddenly sent back. What did this mean? Once he returned to Bianjing, he would be promoted by at least several ranks!

To avoid giving others any ammunition against him, he couldn’t stay in Hejian Prefecture any longer!

Having made his decision, Zhao Ling immediately ordered his belongings packed and set out for the Hebei camp by carriage.

An Jiu and her companions naturally followed.

“Pah!” Gao Dazhuang spat, cursing at Zhao Ling’s behavior, “Despicable!”

Upon reaching the Hebei camp, Zhao Ling instantly wiped the smile from his face, adjusted his clothes, and entered with a solemn expression after alighting from the carriage.

After being announced, Zhao Ling headed straight for the general’s tent.

Inside the large tent, Ling Ziyue had removed his armor and wore only his undergarments with a dark blue robe draped over his shoulders. His stern face looked weathered, and his shoulder and entire left arm were heavily bandaged, having sustained severe injuries.

“General Ling,” Zhao Ling clasped his hands in greeting, surprised to see Ling Ziyue’s condition. “You’re injured, General?”

“Injuries in battle are commonplace. Supervising Secretary Zhao seems overly concerned,” Ling Ziyue said flatly, glancing at him. His heavy mood made him disinclined to feign politeness. “What brings the Supervising Secretary here?”

Seeing Ling Ziyue’s cold demeanor, Zhao Ling swallowed the congratulations he had been about to offer on the great victory. Instead, he said, “My condolences, General. I’ve been feeling unwell lately, so I’ve been staying in Hejian Prefecture. It wasn’t an issue before, but now that the Liao army has launched a major offensive, how could I stand idly by? I’ve especially moved back to the main camp today.”

“Guards,” Ling Ziyue called out.

A soldier entered, and Ling Ziyue ordered, “Arrange a tent for Supervising Secretary Zhao.”

“Yes, sir!” The man accepted the order and left.

Zhao Ling was somewhat surprised. He thought to himself that although Ling Ziyue had always been polite to him on the surface, he actually harbored great resentment and often gave him the cold shoulder. He shouldn’t be this accommodating!

As Zhao Ling hesitated internally, he heard Ling Ziyue say, “According to our scouts, a Liao force of 150,000 is currently assembling. The attack six days ago was merely a small skirmish. Supervising Secretary Zhao, rest well and prepare to face the enemy alongside me.”

“Of course,” Zhao Ling replied with a forced smile. Now that he had come and Ling Ziyue had agreed to let him stay, there was no turning back, at least not immediately.

He could only stay for now and then find an excuse to leave before the battle began! Having made up his mind, Zhao Ling’s expression became more natural. He stood up and said, “I’ll go pay my respects to the fallen first.”

“As you wish,” Ling Ziyue replied.

Ignoring Ling Ziyue’s coldness and indifference, Zhao Ling left on his own.

Ling Ziyue looked around and asked, “Is the young lady here?”

Hidden in the shadows, everyone was surprised by Ling Ziyue’s powerful spiritual energy, which allowed him to sense their presence. They were all somewhat shocked. The “young lady” he referred to was likely An Jiu, who had come to deliver a message a few days ago. But should they answer? They all looked towards Gao Dazhuang.

Gao Dazhuang rolled his eyes, his expression clearly saying, “I’m not a young lady.”

“If the young lady is here and unoccupied, please make a sound,” Ling Ziyue said.

That day, he had seen with his own eyes An Jiu disappear into the dazzling white light. After all, it was the first time a young woman had risked her life to save him on the battlefield. He acknowledged this debt of gratitude and also wanted to ask An Jiu if she knew anything about the blue light arrow.