“Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter…” The sound of iron cavalry suddenly rang out. Within the firelight, countless red-armored horsemen came charging out, arriving in an instant — and in the blink of an eye, many soldiers in black armor and white armor collapsed to the ground.

“Your Highness, this subordinate arrived too late, and has caused Your Highness to be frightened!” A fierce and valiant general dismounted and knelt down.

“Go… General Gongsun!” Langhua recognized the great general before her, drenched from head to toe in blood. “Quickly… quickly rise!”

“Your Highness, please leave this city at once.” Gongsun Bizhong swiftly rose to his feet, then immediately turned his head and instructed Song Can behind him, “Take two hundred elite troops and escort the Princess out of the city!”

“Understood!” Song Can accepted the order.

“No! I… I haven’t driven off the Feng army yet. I… I want to help you all repel the Feng army and defend our Ding City!” Seeing so many Bai Country soldiers, Langhua’s heart steadied somewhat, and she insisted loudly.

“Your Highness, Ding City has already been breached.” Gongsun Bizhong gave a wretched smile, gazing at this little princess before him who had never tasted the bitterness of the world. “Ding City can no longer be held!”

“How… how can that be?” Langhua stared in disbelief, eyes wide. How could Ding City have changed so completely upon waking? “You all…” Her gaze swept to the soldiers. “Aren’t you all still here? Then why do you say it cannot be held? Could it be… Gongsun Bizhong! Could it be that you want to surrender the city?!” A flash of insight struck her, and Langhua cried out sharply.

“Your Highness need not worry — Bizhong would never stoop to such a thing!” Gongsun Bizhong gave a bitter smile, raising his eyes to scan his troops in the firelight — these trusted men who had fought at his side through battles for more than ten years; today, all of them would perhaps perish here. “These… are already our last remaining soldiers! Your Highness, please leave quickly. We… we will live and die together with Ding City!”

“General Gongsun…” Langhua looked at the great general before her, his face etched with deep sorrow and grief, and felt ashamed of the suspicion she had harbored just a moment ago.

Gongsun Bizhong shook his head, looked at Langhua, then gave a deep bow. “Your Highness, please convey this to the King: Gongsun Bizhong has failed the trust placed in him, but has repaid it with his life!”

“Gongsun Bizhong! You worthless coward, you actually tried to run! Get out here fast and fight this general three hundred more rounds!” A rough and booming shout came from the distance — amid all the chaotic sounds of battle, it rang through like a thunderclap, causing every single soldier present to give an involuntary start.

Gongsun Bizhong’s expression changed. He turned his head and bellowed, “Song Can, what are you still standing there for? Quickly escort the Princess away!”

“Understood! Your Highness, please follow your subordinate!” Song Can grabbed Langhua by the arm without any regard for the distinction of rank.

“No!” Yet Langhua threw out a hand and shook off Song Can’s grip. She looked at Gongsun Bizhong and said, “General Gongsun can face this moment — how could I, Bai Langhua, a member of the royal family, abandon all of you and flee?” She drew her blade and raised her voice. “This princess will advance and retreat together with you all!”

“Hahaha! Gongsun Bizhong, I’ve got you now!” A rough and hearty laugh rang out, and in the blink of an eye, the vast white army was already before them — arriving so swiftly, arriving with such lightness and ease, as if conjured forth from within the sea of fire itself, carrying the murderous aura of roaring flames and yet also a cold, piercing killing intent so fierce it could cause even those very flames to yield!

“Cheng Zhi!” Gongsun Bizhong looked at the rider at the head of the force, and his pupils contracted in an instant. His hand moved involuntarily to the hilt of his saber, fingers turning white as he gripped it tightly.

“That’s right, it is this general.” The imposing great general sitting high atop his brown war horse swung the long blade in his hand. “What’s this — were you thinking of running?”

“Never!” Gongsun Bizhong leaped onto his war horse and drew the blade in his hand. “This general will fight you to the death today!”

“Good! Now that’s what a renowned general of a nation should be!” Cheng Zhi let out a great shout, squeezed his legs against the horse’s flanks, and drove the animal forward in an attack. “Let us settle life and death in three strokes!”

“Agreed! Win or lose, for Bizhong to face you, Cheng Zhi, in battle — even in death I would have no regrets!” Gongsun Bizhong swept the blade in his hand and spurred his horse forward.

Blade-light flashed brilliant as snow, stirring a bone-chilling wind, slicing through the fire-clouds hanging in the sky above!

“Your Highness, run now!” Song Can seized the opportunity, grabbed Langhua, and sprinted toward the northern gate.

“No…” Langhua struggled against him, yet her strength was no match for his, and she was half-dragged, half-hauled forward at a run.

But they had not gone even ten zhang when a surge of killing intent swept over them, and countless Feng army soldiers surged into view ahead!

“General Song, engage the enemy! Do not concern yourself with me!” Langhua tightened her grip on the short blade in her hand, her gaze fixed on Song Can with steadfast and burning determination.

Struck by such a look, Song Can slowly released his hold, then paid a solemn and respectful bow. “Your Highness, please take care of yourself!” He raised his hand, and leading all the remaining soldiers, charged toward the enemy forces advancing to meet them.

Those bright red armored figures surged into that dazzling white armor — and were swallowed in an instant, as though strands of vivid crimson silk spilled out from all that gleaming white, flying up into the air, and when they scattered down upon the ground, they transformed into pools of jade-green blood, bearing with them a thread of heroic souls sinking into the bottomless depths of the underworld.

No! She must not tremble! Her hands must not tremble! Her legs must not go weak! Her heart must not pound so wildly! Langhua gripped her blade tight, clutched her bow and arrows tight. She must not be afraid! And she must not flee! I… Bai Langhua was destined to surpass Feng Xiyun — that person who bore the title of the Invincible Phoenix Sovereign — how could I flee without even fighting?

Something fell on the back of her neck — hot, sticky… No! Do not look back! Look ahead… ahead… A single horseman gradually drew near, exceptionally tall, exceptionally resplendent, gleaming with shimmering silver radiance amid the blazing crimson firelight, like a silver sword forged upon a thousand-year peak of eternal snow, carrying a chill that seeped into the bones. As the rider moved, silver light flashed brilliantly, and crimson silk blanketed the ground!

She drew an arrow, nocked it to the bow, drew the string taut, took aim… Closer… closer… The first thing she saw was half a face of surpassing beauty — white and flawless without a single blemish! Whether it was Feng Xiyun or not — Ding City could fall, Bai Langhua could die, but I must defeat you! Take this arrow of mine!

In the instant the arrow left the string, the rider seemed to sense something and turned their head — and that face came around in full. It was a perfect face, yet one savagely rent and torn, beautiful enough to pierce a person’s eyes, split in a way that seemed to tear at a person’s heart.

The arrow was still flying at speed. In that instant, Langhua couldn’t help but lift her hand and press it to her chest. Would this arrow take this person’s life? A thread of pain spread from her chest; her gaze chased after that arrow as though wishing to transform into rope, wishing to pull it back. Vaguely, dimly, she seemed to hope that the arrow would not strike that person — but why? Why should that be?

Sword-light blazed forth; the feathered arrow fell to the ground. Before she could even react, that shaft of sword-light had already slashed toward her through the flames like a stroke of frigid lightning! By pure instinct, Langhua raised her blade to block it.

“Clang!” Her arm convulsed in sharp, searing pain, then went numb and lost all feeling entirely. The short blade tumbled to the ground, broken into two pieces.

In a daze, icy cold crept down from above her head as though she were about to plunge into a frozen abyss at any moment. She looked up — the sword was raised high, carrying a chill radiance like the cold of deep ice, and swung down upon her with absolute finality! In the interplay of sword-light and firelight, she saw a pair of cold, ruthless eyes gazing at her without a trace of mercy — like ice! Does this person want to kill me? Langhua stood there in a trance. In that moment, her heart was filled with a strange, aching pain, and a string of teardrops slid soundlessly down her face — though she did not know why.

In that split second, a figure suddenly lunged forward.

“Watch out!”

Something seemed to flash past before her eyes — white as lightning, then gone — and then the sword-light scattered and dispersed, swallowed into darkness.

She looked down at the person who had fallen into her arms, and a sharp scream rang out: “Pin Lin! Pin Lin!”

Langhua caught Pin Lin as she collapsed against her, and when her hands met her, they touched vivid crimson blood. “Pin Lin…”

“Your Highness…” Pin Lin struggled to lift her head, leaning close to her ear, her voice faint and weak. “Both princes have… have already gone… Your High… Highness, you must flee too!” With these words, as though her strength was spent, her head drooped and she fell limp in Langhua’s arms.

“Pin Lin! Pin Lin!” Langhua shook the maidservant in her arms — and saw that her entire back was soaked in vivid wet red, the stain still spreading larger. “You foolish girl…” Tears fell without stopping. She snapped her head up, and through the blur of her tears fixed a fierce, burning gaze on the person before her. It was this person — it was this person who had killed Pin Lin!

Biting down hard on her lip. She must not cry! She reached down and grabbed for the bow and arrows on the ground. She would avenge Pin Lin!

“Jiurong, you really have no tenderness toward the fair sex — look at you, you’ve frightened the little young lady to tears!” A mocking voice came from behind. Before she could even rise to her feet, a sharp pain struck the back of her neck — and then all sensation slowly, slowly faded away.

“Tsk, tsk… so many gemstones inlaid — must have cost quite a pretty sum, eh? I have to say, it truly takes a special kind of person to try to kill someone with a toy like this…” That mocking voice continued on.

This princess’s things are not toys! Those are a precious blade and precious bow specially crafted for me by Father King, meant to be used to defeat Feng Xiyun! Langhua very much wanted to retort exactly this — but that heavy darkness came surging over her, swallowing her whole.

The fires of Ding City continued to burn on. The sounds of battle were nearly at their end. The ground was covered in red armor and fresh blood, and high in the air above, the White Phoenix already danced amid the firelight.

This sleep seemed to last a very long time.

When Langhua opened her eyes, she felt a sharp stinging pain in her eyelids and couldn’t help but lift a hand to cover them. Once her eyes had adjusted she opened them slowly again, only to find herself in an unfamiliar… hmm… this should be called a military tent, shouldn’t it?

Sunlight poured in from the skylight window, filling the tent with a bright, dazzling brilliance. She swept her gaze around the whole of it and took in everything inside clearly at a single glance: aside from the cot she lay on, there was only a low table with a teapot set atop it.

She sat up — only to find her head swimming with sudden dizziness, her entire body soft and drained of every scrap of energy. What was happening? The Feng army actually hadn’t killed her?

She made herself walk to the tent entrance with some difficulty, pushed aside the tent flap, and beyond it was an entirely different world.

The sky was a clear blue, wisps of gossamer cloud drifting lazily across it. Below, military tents were pitched in neat and orderly rows, and soldiers stood as rigid as spears. In the distance, the faint sounds of shouting and cheering could be heard…

“Little young lady, you’re awake.” A slightly teasing voice came from the left — rather like that voice from that one night that had mocked her precious blade.

She turned her head to look, and saw a group of generals clad in white and dark armor approaching — of varying builds and differing appearances. The one who had spoken was a general of medium build wearing white armor, nearing thirty years of age.

“You…” Her gaze suddenly fell upon a slender figure behind him. In an instant, a surge of force erupted from within her, and Langhua launched herself forward, shooting out a hand toward that person’s throat. “You killed my Pin Lin! You terrible person! I’m going to kill you to avenge Pin Lin!” While seizing at the person’s throat, she snapped her mouth forward without a second thought and bit down.

“You… you…” That person seemed greatly startled, thrusting out a hand to forcefully try to pull off the soft and delicate body hanging from him. “Ouch!” A sharp pain stung his neck — something sharp and pointed had bitten into it — making him immediately twist his neck sideways to dodge.

The other onlookers, witnessing the assault, moved with a very tacit understanding and all stepped back a full zhang, lest they become caught up in the calamity.

“Lin Ji… Lin Ji… you… she…” The person Langhua had seized — Xiu Jiurong — was simultaneously trying to push off the Langhua clinging tightly to him and hoarsely calling out to his colleague, hoping he would lend some assistance.

“I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t hear a thing.” Lin Ji smiled pleasantly and kept saying so repeatedly.

“Cough, cough… Lin… this is all your… cough, cough…” With Langhua’s two hands squeezing tightly around his neck, and sharp teeth seizing every opportunity to sink into him, and a pair of legs kicking and flailing at him besides, poor Jiurong had never been in such a wretched and helpless state in all his life.

“You… if you don’t let go, I… I won’t be polite anymore!” Xiu Jiurong’s face had turned a suffocated shade of crimson.

“You… hmph! Today I will bite you to death, you wicked person! I will avenge Pin Lin!” Langhua said through clenched teeth, and as she spoke she extended her sharp fingernails and raked them viciously toward Jiurong’s neck.

“This is… completely unreasonable!” Xiu Jiurong hastily reached out and seized Langhua’s slashing claws. Langhua’s left hand was caught, and her right hand immediately swung out. But no sooner had it moved than Xiu Jiurong shot out his other hand and caught that one too, then with both hands applied pressure downward, pinning them firmly to her sides. With both her hands restrained, Langhua didn’t stop to think and raised her foot to kick out at him. With no time to deliberate, Jiurong immediately raised his leg and clamped Langhua’s two ceaselessly kicking and flailing legs together between his own — finally subduing this wildly scratching and biting fierce creature!

Only… the two of them might not have been aware of it themselves, but the onlookers watching were all widening their eyes one by one.

“I always thought there might be something wrong with him — after all, he’s always been completely clueless about matters between men and women.” Cheng Zhi’s eyes were open round as saucers as he muttered to himself.

“Hmm, our little younger brother has finally grown up.” Lin Ji wore the expression of someone genuinely gratified.

Xu Yuan shot the two of them a glance of mild disagreement, yet showed not a shred of intention to go and help.

“Hmm, this is actually rather pleasant to look at.” Ren Chuanyu raised his hand and stroked his chin, gave it brief consideration, and landed on this verdict.

The others all nodded in shared sentiment — after all, the scene of this handsome young man holding a beautiful young woman in a close grip with both his arms and legs was rather pleasing to the eye!

“I’ll bite you to death, you scoundrel! I’ll bite you to death! Wuwuwu… I’ll avenge Pin Lin!” Langhua kept talking as she craned her neck out and opened her mouth, lunging toward Xiu Jiurong’s throat for another bite.

“You… you…” Xiu Jiurong’s neck kept arching further and further back, all for the sake of dodging those two rows of sharp teeth.

“Little Rong, just let her give you a kiss.” Lin Ji’s playful voice rang out again.

Indeed, the scene before them, in the eyes of someone who did not know the situation, would look exactly like a beautiful young lady straining with all her might to kiss a handsome young man, while the young man resisted with everything he had!

“He’s going to end up letting her kiss him.” The perpetually silent Xu Yuan finally let out a heavy sigh.

As if in direct response to his words, a moment of imbalance — “thud!” — and amid a burst of flying dust, the two of them toppled to the ground together.

“Ahhh!” A sharp, piercing cry immediately rose up, echoing through the entire camp, marking the moment General Xiu finally received a kiss — ahem, a bite — from Princess Langhua.

“What is all this noise?” A mild and refined voice drifted over gently.

The one who had been doing the biting and the one who had been struggling both involuntarily stopped moving at that voice.

“Hmm? General Xiu?” The newcomer seemed somewhat surprised. “I always thought you were… quite introverted and shy. As it turns out…” The words trailed off, replaced by a long, drawn-out stream of exceedingly clear and gentle laughter.

“Xi… Xi… Wang?!” Xiu Jiurong, lying flat on the ground, craned his head back to see who it was, and immediately began to stammer. “No… no… it’s… I… I…” All the while frantically trying to shove the Langhua sprawled on top of him off his body.

The moment that laughter rang out, a fragrance of refined orchid wafted and spread outward. In that single instant, everything around her receded into the distance. There was a floating, weightless sensation, as if she were surrounded by an ocean of orchids — warm sunlight, cool and gentle breeze, a faint and delicate fragrance… And that laughter, soft and warm as a song… In that moment, Langhua was nearly willing to sink into that sensation and never return.

No! She shook her dizzy, hazy head — she had to find the source of that laughter!

She scrambled upright, and the blazing sun made her dizzy for a moment. She swept her gaze around — there were many black and white shadows about, but none of them were what she was looking for. Her gaze was suddenly caught by one particular figure, and a faint radiance dazzled her eyes into a momentary blur. She shook her head again, rubbed her eyes, and finally saw clearly… Among all the armor-clad figures, only one person was different — standing head and shoulders above the rest, like a crane among chickens. A face of unparalleled, distinguished elegance; a long robe embroidered in dark gold; hair gathered in a white jade crown; a finely crafted ornamental belt around the waist — not particularly lavish or extravagant in any obvious way, yet this person carried an air of nobility and grace so profound it seemed to pour from every pore.

Everyone around her, and everything around her, faded away and ceased to exist. Her eyes could see only this single person. Her nose perceived only that thread of refined orchid fragrance. Her ears heard only that light and shallow laughter echoing repeatedly… When those eyes, dark as ink jade, turned toward her, in the interplay of light and shadow, her entire heart and soul seemed to be pulled inward and swallowed up — so deep, so dark! In a trance, a verse rose up in her mind:

Upon the high terrace, there is a son like jade. Comely of face and radiant of bearing, Whose words are like orchids, whose laughter is like song.

Lanxi looked at the slight young woman before him in her fire-red armor. Dressed as she was, she ought to have looked dashing and heroic — only her helmet was sitting askew upon her head, her face was covered entirely in dust, and the corner of her lip was tinged with a trace of vivid crimson blood. She looked rather… hmm, she had a certain distinctive charm all her own. From those bright, dewy almond-shaped eyes and the small patch of snow-white skin visible below her chin, this appeared to be… hmm… a pretty little cat that had just been using its claws on someone.

He gave a light curl of his lips into a faint smile: “This pretty little young lady is…”

“Boom, boom, boom, boom…” Her heart pounded like a drumbeat, fast and loud, as though about to leap out of her chest entirely — yet that smile continued to bloom as gracefully as an orchid unfolding, carrying a subtle, drifting fragrance.

“My name is Langhua.” Her voice was as faint as a cat’s mew. The world spun around her, and Langhua pitched forward and collapsed face-first to the ground.

Langhua did indeed later leave her name in the historical records and was widely sung of by later generations — but not for any reputation of beauty, talent, martial prowess, or artistry. It was because of Lanxi. The historical records stated: “Xi was comely of face and radiant of bearing; at one smile, Langhua fell.”

“Langhua?” Lanxi gave a slight start, then once again broke into a faint smile. “So it is the Princess Langhua of Bai Country — what a lovely name, it truly does somewhat resemble.” That last phrase was as soft as a murmur.

The other generals, meanwhile, were staring one by one at the person collapsed on the ground, all seeming somewhat unable to believe that the fierce creature who had just a moment ago been scratching and biting at people had now fainted on the spot. Every single gaze promptly turned toward that person who was still nodding with a faint smile, each one privately thinking: worthy indeed of being the Xi Wang whose name shakes the world! To think a single smile could be this devastating?!

“Hmm, it seems she’s famished.” Lanxi studied the little person fallen on the ground for a moment, then delivered this conclusion — and at precisely that moment, the sound of a horn call came from the distance.

“Oh, drill is beginning…” Lanxi’s gaze began to shift toward the assembled generals — only this time, his gaze could not match the speed of everyone’s movements. In no more than the blink of an eye, all the figures that had been standing there an instant ago had vanished entirely — though, to be fair, there was at least one person whose reaction had been somewhat slower than the rest.

That particular gaze landed on him, and Xiu Jiurong’s foot, which had just begun to take a step, rooted itself to the ground.

“How could this king keep Feng Wang waiting? Therefore, General Xiu — you are responsible for making sure she is fed.” With that, Lanxi turned with unhurried elegance and departed, neither rushing nor dawdling.

Left behind, Xiu Jiurong looked down at the person lying on the ground, then raised his hand and felt along his neck — beneath his fingers were the raised, uneven impressions of a row of tooth marks. Then he listened to the horn call growing longer and more drawn out with each passing moment, and for a time he truly did not know what to do.

“Woooo, woooo, woooo… Woooo, woooo, woooo…” From a distance came wave after wave of bugling — and at that moment, a face that had been briefly at a loss suddenly turned calm and composed.

He raised his hand and beckoned a Feng Country soldier over. “Go to the royal tent and find Lady Liuyun — ask her to arrange accommodations for this… Princess Langhua, and to put the injured young woman in the same tent with her.”

“Understood, General.” The soldier acknowledged the order.

Xiu Jiurong immediately turned and strode quickly toward the training grounds.

On the wide and spacious training grounds, countless soldiers stood at attention — dark armor black as ink, silver armor white as snow, a sharp and vivid contrast of black and white, white and black arrayed in clear opposition against each other. In the empty space between the black and white formations, two figures were locked in close combat, difficult to separate and impossible to distinguish the upper hand, entangled in a fierce exchange. Beneath the blazing sun, every single soldier was focused entirely on the two figures in the field, not blinking once, unwilling to miss a single brilliant instant.

The two engaged in the bout were Xu Yuan and Qiao Jin. Both wielded long swords, trading blow for blow, leaping and darting with tremendous speed — they had been fighting for nearly half an hour, yet it remained undecided. But their masterful swordsmanship had every soldier watching with dazzled eyes and surging blood, each one wishing they could be one of those two figures, possessing such supreme martial arts, such vigorous and agile skill.

The two in the field fought with ever-increasing intensity, showing no sign of stopping, their movements growing faster and faster. At times the sword-light was like a bolt of silk unfurling, at times the sword-edge was like a field of sharp thorns — striking, then binding, and binding, then striking. The cold, fierce sword-wind swept outward in all directions; soldiers who had drawn somewhat close couldn’t help but instinctively step back a pace, quietly reaching up to feel the goosebumps rising on their skin.

“Ah!” came a burst of admiring gasps from the field — the two of them had already taken their battle from the ground up into the air.

Only see: the two figures in mid-air now separating, now converging, now alighting on a flag pole, now soaring high into the sky. As their precious swords swept through the air, blazing brilliance flashed and flickered — like two small suns, so dazzling the eyes swam and the mind reeled.

“Come on, General Qiao! Come on, General Qiao!”

“Come on, General Xu! Come on, General Xu!”

At some unknown moment, every single soldier in the field had without prior arrangement begun to cheer and call out their support in unison, and in an instant the atmosphere in the field became exceptionally charged and intense. The two fighting in mid-air were by now wholly oblivious to everything around them — every thread of their hearts and minds was connected to the other person, and to the single sword in the other person’s hand.

“Ha!”

With two great battle cries, the sword-light in mid-air suddenly blazed and intensified — two rays of fierce light, like twin blazing rainbows, carrying dazzling and resplendent radiance, bearing a magnificent momentum that split the heavens, driving straight forward! This was their final strike. It was not merely a matter of their personal honor or disgrace, not merely the question of victory or defeat between the Fengyun Cavalry and the Mo Yu Cavalry — it was that an opponent such as this compelled them to pour everything into this ultimate sword strike!

Those two fierce rainbows flew toward each other at tremendous speed. In mid-air they were about to connect… In that moment, the soldiers who had been so passionately cheering all involuntarily fell silent. They held their breath, tense and wide-eyed, watching those two brilliant, savage sword-lights in the air… In that moment, every mind went blank. In the entirety of each person’s heart and soul, there were only those two blazes of sword-light.

When Langhua arrived, this was the fierce and breathless scene that greeted her. Despite the blinding glare of the blazing sun, she couldn’t help but open her eyes wide regardless, locking them onto those sword-lights without blinking, gripping both fists tightly. Dimly, a thought surfaced in her mind… after such a savage and absolute final sword strike, what would become of those two people?

Before the soldiers in the field had even had time to let this thought form, something seemed to flash across the scene in an instant. Before anyone could react, a blazing rainbow split the sky and descended — “Boom!” — a tremendous crash that set every person’s eardrums ringing.

Moments later, everyone’s minds slowly returned to them. Before their eyes, dust and dirt flew in great clouds. Every blaze of light, every flash of sword-radiance had entirely vanished. When they could see clearly again, every person gave an involuntary start — the great boulder that had stood tall on the training grounds had been pulverized to rubble, and the ground beneath the shattered stone looked as though struck by lightning, with a deep, long gouge running through it.

While everyone was still trying to make sense of what had happened, two sounds as light as falling leaves rang out, and Qiao Jin and Xu Yuan landed side by side, safe and sound. Their arms were still extended straight out before them, and their hands still gripped their long swords — but the tips of the blades were wound tightly together by a white silk ribbon, binding the two swords into one. Then a white figure, light as a single feather, descended to the ground with absolute soundlessness, and the long white silk ribbon drifted quietly down.

The training grounds fell into utter silence. Though there were thousands upon thousands of people, not a single sound could be heard.

“When two swords are joined as one, there is nothing they cannot cleave, no enemy they cannot overcome! But when two swords are turned against each other, the only outcome is that both are defeated and broken!” On that utterly still training ground, a clear and crisp voice passed through like a gentle wind.

When two armies are united in heart and purpose, nothing under heaven can stand against them. When two armies are divided in heart and turn on each other, even jade and stone alike will be ground to dust.

The training grounds remained in silence. Every single soldier was quietly savoring those words of Feng Wang’s — only the banners whipping in the wind made any sound, snapping and rustling.

Then came the sound of armor in motion, and every single soldier — whether of the Fengyun Cavalry or the Mo Yu Cavalry — as one lowered their heads and knelt down. Immediately after, “Long live Feng Wang!” The sound of that jubilant cry shook the entire training grounds; even the mountains seemed to be moved by it, sending back wave upon wave of echoing sound.

“Is this… the ‘Phoenix Sovereign’ Feng Xiyun?” Outside the training grounds, Langhua gazed in a daze at that white figure at the center of the field. Thousands upon thousands of people knelt with bowed heads upon the ground, and she simply stood quietly with her hands at her sides — yet it was as though every single ray of the blazing sun shone upon her alone, her entire form overflowing with radiant brilliance, like a phoenix descending from the highest heavens, proud and absolutely peerless in all the world.

“Heavenly grace and phoenix bearing… heavenly grace and phoenix bearing… so this is what it means!” Langhua murmured softly to herself.

“To think the world contains a woman like this!” Pin Lin, standing behind Langhua, also murmured to herself. So beyond the adorable princess, beyond her own wretched self, there could be a woman who stood at the highest place in the world, before whom all of heaven bowed its head.

“What a formidable woman!” On the observation platform outside the training grounds, Ren Chuanyu couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. “In a bout like this — if the Fengyun Cavalry won, the Mo Yu Cavalry would be dissatisfied; if the Mo Yu Cavalry won, the Fengyun Cavalry would be dissatisfied. Even a draw would likely leave both sides nursing hidden resentment. Yet she accomplished it all with just a light, effortless gesture and a casual few words — and has made every single person of the Fengyun Cavalry and the Mo Yu Cavalry bow in reverence!”

“How else would she be worthy of being called Phoenix Sovereign!” Beside him, He Qishu also gave a sincere and quiet word of praise.

“All those supposedly infallible schemes of yours — in front of her, they appear to have been entirely ineffective!” Duanmu Wensheng’s gaze was also fixed on that lone figure at the center of the training grounds, yet he didn’t forget to take a jab at the person beside him who had such a high opinion of his own intelligence.

“I simply hadn’t anticipated that you lot would prove unable to win a complete victory over the four Fengyun generals.” Ren Chuanyu shrugged, sweeping his gaze across the three beside him with an expression of considerable disappointment. “Chuanyun and Lin Ji — one with a long spear, one with a divine bow, each excelling in their own domain, ending in a draw. Duanmu beat Cheng Zhi. But in the formation match, Qishu lost to Xiu Jiurong. And in this final bout, Elder Brother Qiao and this Xu Yuan can only be counted as a draw as well. So whether the Fengyun Cavalry or the Mo Yu Cavalry is the foremost cavalry in the world — well, that’s still an open question!”

“That final sword strike just now… if it had been a mutual loss…” He Qishu glanced toward Ren Chuanyu, faint mockery in his tone. “What would you have done then?”

“A mutual loss…” Ren Chuanyu raised his hand and stroked his chin. “That would mean both of them had no life left… hmm… a miscalculation… a miscalculation… it’s all because I overestimated your abilities.” He said this while shaking his head, without a shred of genuine self-reflection.

Hearing this, He Qishu rolled his eyes at him, then turned his head and ignored him entirely.

Duanmu Wensheng’s brows furrowed slightly, and he raised a hand to point toward the training grounds. “Two armies united in heart and purpose — is that not a good thing? I truly cannot make heads or tails of those strange thoughts in your head.”

“Of course I also hope to see the two armies united in heart and purpose. It’s only that…” Ren Chuanyu’s gaze drifted toward that white figure in the field. “It’s only that that phoenix…” The voice that followed was extremely low — even the three people standing right beside him could not make it out clearly.

“Brother, this Feng Wang is unlike anyone you have encountered before!” Ren Chuanyun offered his elder brother a word of caution. “She is also unlike anyone who has ever been at the King’s side!”

“I know.” Ren Chuanyu gave a quiet nod, his gaze carrying a deeply pensive quality as it settled on Lanxi, seated in dignified composure upon the elevated royal seat — still as elegantly handsome as always, still as graceful and unfathomable as always. Only… that mountainous chorus of bowing prostration hadn’t caused even a flicker of vigilance in him? Hmm — someone capable of making millions bow their heads: is that the kind of person who would stand behind another? A faint smile played at the corner of his mouth — cunning and self-satisfied. Who could say he had gained nothing? Was this not precisely what he had gained?

The black and white formations, neat and vivid in their contrast, filed past in orderly columns at his side. Remarkably, every single person passed with eyes fixed straight ahead, not a single one stealing so much as a sideways glance at the two pretty young women standing outside the grounds. That self-disciplined bearing, those uniform and consistent steps, that soaring and rainbow-like momentum, those sharp and blade-like eyes… none of these had ever been seen among the soldiers of Bai Country. Was this what made them worthy of being called the foremost cavalry in the world?

When all the soldiers had passed, those two figures — one dark, one white — walked side by side toward them, surrounded by their assembled generals. Yet the most dazzling presence was not those generals in their gleaming armor, but those two people in their unhurried and flowing robes. Their steps were light and graceful, their bearing composed and at ease; behind them banners and standards fluttered in the wind, their generals following close at their heels. Those two people seemed to walk out of a myth from ancient times — noble and transcendent beyond the mortal world. The crescent jade ornaments glowing above their brows radiated a shimmering luster, and in the sunlight their radiance flowed together, converging into a luminous circle of dark brilliance and snow-white gleam dancing and turning in tandem, gently encircling those two people — as sharply contrasted as black and white yet as harmonious as a painting of white mountains and black waters.

“This is the Princess Langhua of Bai Country — you haven’t met her yet, have you?” She heard the distinguished and elegant dark-robed man — Xi Wang — say with a smile to the elegant, pure, and peerlessly beautiful woman in white — Feng Wang.

“Langhua?” Feng Wang softly repeated the name, then broke into a faint smile. That smile was like heaven and earth opening up, like all things coming back to life. Those clear eyes, as pure as snow-fed water in a heavenly lake, swept gently over her, still carrying a trace of meaningful, mischievous delight. “Langhua — truly a beauty!” In the moment those words fell, she saw the two of them exchange a glance, as though passing between them a message only they could understand.

Hearing such praise, Langhua felt her face grow faintly warm — and then the words blurted out before she could stop them: “I am Bai Langhua! I… I… I am going to defeat you!”

The moment they were out, she clapped her hands over her mouth. What on earth had she just said? She was supposed to — supposed to gracefully and composedly offer a bow to both of them, then with gentle and measured words, in a manner both noble and dignified, reply: “This princess is Bai Country’s princess, Bai Langhua!” In that moment, Langhua didn’t need to look in a mirror to know her face was burning as though on fire. She lowered her head, not daring to look at the two people before her — then suddenly thought: I haven’t done anything wrong! Why should I bow my head as though I’m admitting fault? No sooner had that thought turned in her mind than she immediately lifted her head — and lifting her head, she tumbled straight into a pair of eyes with a hint of surprise in them, yet overflowing with delighted laughter, like clear, beautiful lakes. In a dreamy daze she thought: so the world really does contain eyes this beautiful that seem to speak.