She knew who this person was. Despite having met only a few times, despite their brief interactions, she somehow knew his identity.
She could vaguely sense that between them existed some mysterious connection unknown to her.
On this battlefield drenched in blood and slaughter, his powerful arms held her shoulders tightly, forcing her cheek to press firmly against his neck.
So tight, so powerful—in that moment, Li Shuang inexplicably felt a strange sense of security, as if she were being possessed and protected.
But this wouldn’t do! She was a general, shouldering the lives of countless soldiers. Behind her lay Lu City and its citizens. How could she indulge in this momentary comfort?
Li Shuang reached out, intending to push away the person before her forcefully. But before she could raise her hand, he seemed to read her mind and quietly released her shoulders.
What surprised Li Shuang was that at this moment, as her gaze emerged from his embrace, she saw all the surrounding Xi Rong soldiers standing motionless, though their hands still gripped their swords.
These fierce warriors from the northern tribes all stared wide-eyed at a single point.
Following their gaze upward, Li Shuang saw that in the black-masked man’s other raised hand was the head of a Xi Rong warrior.
With a bearded jaw and wearing a tiger-skin cap, it was none other than their Xi Rong commander—Ashina Du.
He… he had killed the Xi Rong general and taken his head…
When had this happened? Wasn’t he just on the city wall, about to take Li Zhang Yi’s head?
The man’s speed… Li Shuang dared not contemplate it further.
From where they stood, like ripples spreading across a lake, an eerie silence swept across the entire battlefield.
The black-armored man tossed Ashina Du’s head to the ground as if discarding trash:
“Get lost.”
As his cold voice rang out, accompanied by thunderous drum beats from the Xi Rong army camp behind them, the Xi Rong forces began to retreat as if following his command, eventually withdrawing to a distance of ten li away.
Ashina Du’s head was carried back by a Xi Rong soldier.
The battlefield, which had moments ago echoed with battle cries, now lay in desolate ruins.
The Long Feng Camp soldiers around them were still dazed by this sudden retreat. In truth, not just them—even Li Shuang hadn’t fully processed what had happened.
She stared at the black-masked man before her, asking in a daze: “Who exactly are you?”
His demonic crimson eyes held her reflection as he raised his hand to gently touch her blood-stained cheek: “I am here to protect you.”
Li Shuang stood stunned, then heard him continue: “Today I came wearing clothes, so I’m no longer a shameless wretch. Will you marry me now?”
…Huh?
That conversation turns… was far too abrupt!
“You…” Li Shuang began, but to her surprise, she burst out laughing. Shaking her head, she said with mixed amusement and exasperation, “You can capture their king, yet you ask such questions at a time like this… just who…”
“General.” Before Li Shuang could finish, Qin Lan and Luo Teng’s voices came from behind.
The black-armored man glanced at them, as if remembering something, then looked up at Li Zhang Yi, who still stood dumbfounded on the city wall: “Do you still wish to enter the city?”
Li Shuang stated: “Of course, we must…”
“Good.”
He responded, casually picking up a bow and arrow from the ground. Drawing the bow, he aimed at Li Zhang Yi on the wall, though at such a distance, no one knew what he intended.
With a “thunk,” the arrow left the string, cutting through the air. They were too far away to hear any sound from the city wall, but following the arrow’s trajectory, Li Shuang turned to see the corpulent Li Zhang Yi stagger two steps before plummeting headfirst from the wall.
His skull split open, death was instant—as casual as a child throwing a stone at a stray dog.
Li Shuang was dumbfounded.
Qin Lan and Luo Teng, who had rushed over, were equally astounded.
Those trained in martial arts knew that this seemingly effortless shot represented an insurmountable gap in skill level.
The black-armored man touched Li Shuang’s cheek again, wiping away the blood stains. His voice carried a wooden loyalty with barely perceptible tenderness as he said:
“As long as you wish it, I will clear away all obstacles for you, whatever they may be.”
Li Shuang looked up at him, gazing into his crimson eyes. On this vast battlefield still thick with the smell of blood and sweat, she lost the composure and adaptability a general should possess.
“Why?” Li Shuang finally regained some of her senses in the bitter wind. “Why do you help and save me like this? Who exactly are you…” She reached out to remove the man’s mask, but he slightly tilted his head back, easily avoiding her movement.
Seeing him dodge, Qin Lan behind her suddenly moved, flashing forward to try to capture the black-armored man. But after just two exchanges, a cold wind blew past, and he used Qin Lan’s palm force to disappear into the night like the northern gale.
Just like last time, he vanished without a word, leaving behind an unfathomable mystery.
Li Shuang stared blankly in that direction until Qin Lan’s call of “General” made her blink and return to her senses. She coughed lightly and surveyed her surroundings.
The Long Feng Camp soldiers all stood holding their swords and weapons, regarding her with expressions different from usual.
Of course… how could they not be curious?
A masked man of unknown identity, possessing extraordinary martial arts and ruthless methods, had single-handedly penetrated deep into the Xi Rong camp in an instant, taken their commander’s head, and forced the Xi Rong to temporarily retreat.
This mysterious man had saved her on the battlefield, embraced her, and asked her to marry him.
Not just the soldiers present, but even Li Shuang herself was intensely curious.
How and why had she attracted such a person? Had her memory truly failed her somehow? Had she, like characters in those stories, forgotten some past she shouldn’t have?
“General.” Qin Lan’s voice again brought Li Shuang back to reality. He said, “We should enter the city.”
“Oh, right.” Li Shuang ordered the advance into the city.
No one had expected the first battle with Xi Rong to end so absurdly… and at this moment, none of them knew that even more absurd events lay ahead…