A’mu Lang was Huhe Hao’s trusted confidant. He had followed him for many years—in fact, the two had grown up together since childhood. Throughout his path of killing and conquest, A’mu Lang had always followed him. One could say A’mu Lang was his right-hand man. Now that he was dead, it was like having one of his arms cut off.

How could he not be angry?

Huhe Hao’s brows furrowed tightly. Looking at A’mu Lang lying on the ground, his hand at his side clenched into a fist, veins visible.

The people who came in afterward were all shocked as well.

Someone went forward to check A’mu Lang’s breathing. His hand trembled as he said, “Dead… he’s dead.” The person then noticed the broken bowl to the side. He reached out to touch it and brought it to his nose to smell. There was a strong medicinal smell, as well as an extremely intense poison odor. He quickly wiped the medicine on his hand onto his clothes, his face cautious and fearful. Then he pried open A’mu Lang’s mouth to examine it—there was still medicine residue inside.

“Leader, there’s poison in this medicine. It was probably Bai Yin who poisoned it and forced A’mu Lang to drink it.”

Huhe Hao had secretly ordered A’mu Lang to kill Bai Yin. His subordinates didn’t know this, so they naturally assumed the poison was administered by Bai Yin. Of course, Huhe Hao couldn’t be bothered to explain.

A flash of murderous intent crossed his fierce face.

His eyes tightened. Ba Tu was beside him, leaning close to his ear and speaking softly, “It seems Bai Yin really did betray us. He knew we wanted to kill him, so he was prepared early on. Moreover, those who set the fire must have been those Hou Liao people. They could accurately find the location of our granary and shoot arrows into the camp from outside. This must also have been told to them by Bai Yin. Leader, we absolutely cannot let Bai Yin live anymore. He killed A’mu Lang and brought people to set fires. We must kill him.”

Fanning the flames.

Extremely ruthless!

Huhe Hao’s eyes blazed with scorching fury!

He crouched down, looking at A’mu Lang’s wide-open eyes, and reached out to close them.

“Don’t worry. I’ll use the blood of the Hou Liao people to repay this debt for you.”

After speaking, he got up and went out.

Outside, the great fire at the granary had already been extinguished.

But half the grain and fodder had been burned. The remaining amount would be good if it could sustain them for three months.

A military camp’s lifeline wasn’t just its soldiers, but also its food.

Both were indispensable! Now that half the grain and fodder was burned, if they couldn’t quickly make up the shortage, it meant they’d already lost half the battle. If this war dragged on, they definitely wouldn’t be able to hold out. Even if they lasted a few months, by the time grain and fodder were sent from the west, many Yue Dan soldiers would probably have already starved to death. How could thin, weak, remnant soldiers possibly withstand the Hou Liao troops? Then naturally this battle would be considered lost.

“Leader, what should we do?” someone at his side asked.

Huhe Hao burned with fury, as if someone had slapped him in the face.

Stepped on him underfoot.

Lost all face.

He had fought so many wars over the years, destroyed so many tribes, but had never been force-fed a mouthful of dirt like this before the battle even began.

He ordered, “Go capture Bai Yin and those Hou Liao people for me. If you can’t catch them alive, leave none behind.”

His voice boomed like a great bell!

Yue Dan sent out several units of soldiers to pursue in different directions, but only brought two hundred men, because they worried that if too many went chasing, and the Hou Liao people used a diversion tactic to bring troops to attack their main camp, wouldn’t that make them willing victims?

After Bai Yin escaped from the Yue Dan military camp, he reunited with Jingrong and the others waiting outside. They had long arranged an escape route and had calculated the route those Hou Liao pursuers would take. Thus they hid in the forest in the opposite direction. After traveling a distance, they stopped. The forest was heavy with moisture, so they quickly lit a fire, boiled some hot water, added a few slices of ginger to drink, to drive away the cold.

This time, the Yue Dan military camp had suffered a devastating blow. It was truly gratifying.

Someone said, “This time we destroyed Huhe Hao’s grain and fodder. Let’s see how long they can last.”

“Without grain and fodder, they’ve already lost half the battle.”

“Let’s see how much longer those Yue Dan people can be arrogant.”

“This time serves as a lesson to them. They really think that after destroying a few tribes they can become overlords of the Western Frontier grasslands—delusional fantasy.”

…

A burst of laughter!

Muruo took a sip of hot ginger water, looked at those several archers, and praised with a smile, “You few are really something. Hidden depths indeed. When we went hunting in the mountains, we didn’t realize your archery was so excellent. These two times have really opened my eyes. Last time you could accurately shoot arrows into their Yue Dan military camp without injuring Young Master Jing and the others—I thought that was luck. But this time, I truly admire you.”

The few men were modest.

“It’s what we eat our rice for, nothing special. If we weren’t worried that their Yue Dan troops would chase out and discover our tracks, we could have burned down their entire camp.”

So much for being modest?

Muruo smiled and lightly bumped Jingrong, his gaze pointing toward Bai Yin in the distance.

He said, “Aren’t you going to comfort your big brother-in-law?”

When he said “big brother-in-law,” it drew stifled smiles from everyone.

Everyone now knew about Bai Yin’s identity!

Jingrong glared at him.

Said nothing!

Muruo continued teasing, “He’s your big brother-in-law now. At the end of the day, from now on you’ll have to call him ‘brother’ just like Miss Ji does. His heart has been wounded now. You should at least go comfort him.”

“…”

“But when you think about it, who knows if he’ll settle scores with you?” Muruo put on a deliberately worried expression. “If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have been so seriously injured and nearly died. From now on you’re family. He’ll probably hold a grudge. If I were you, I’d immediately go curry favor with him, so he won’t settle scores with you later and put Miss Ji in a difficult position.”

Muruo’s gift of gab was truly something!

Jingrong listened until his ears felt like they were developing calluses, his brow furrowing lightly a few times.

His face remained expressionless throughout.

He glanced at him, “If you don’t speak, no one will take you for a mute.”

“What? I’m reminding you. Don’t be like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a good heart!”

So innocent.

Jingrong was speechless.

He looked toward Bai Yin, who was sitting on the ground in the distance, leaning against a large tree.

Then—

He ladled out a bowl of ginger water and walked over carrying it to Bai Yin’s side.

He handed it to him.

Bai Yin looked at the bowl of ginger water before him. His fingers moved slightly, but he remained silent.

“The forest is cold. Your wound hasn’t healed yet. You can’t not drink this.” Jingrong’s tone seemed persuasive, yet carried a somewhat firm flavor.

Bai Yin had long been ready to die. This time, with Huhe Hao treating him this way, his heart was even more dead as ash. Where would he still care about any wound?

Death might be for the best.

He still didn’t take it after a long while.

Jingrong’s eyes sharpened, “Listen to me. I’m the one who brought you here, so I have to bring you back safely. It’s not for your sake—it’s for Yun Shu. If something happens to you, I can’t answer to her.”

He brought Ji Yun Shu directly into it.

Bai Yin’s eyes trembled. After hesitating a moment, he took the bowl of ginger water.

Drank it all in one go!

Not a drop left!

Then he tossed the bowl behind him.

It was caught by Muruo by the fire.

Steady and sure!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head.

Seeing him finish drinking, Jingrong was also relieved. Otherwise, if something happened to this kid, his wife would definitely slaughter him.