Deep in the mountains perpetually shrouded in clouds and mist, direct sunlight was rarely seen even during daytime. Thus, in Western Ling where most places were quite dry, these mountains were a rare pocket of dampness and verdant green.

At the entrance of a small courtyard, a delicate and pale young woman was stopped before she could reach the door. “Who goes there?”

Yang Xianya was startled, responding anxiously, “I… I want to check on Lin’s injuries…” The guard at the courtyard gate remained expressionless, seemingly unmoved by the fragile young woman before him. “The young master instructed that the miss should rest well in the courtyard. That Guard Lin will come to see the miss once his injuries have healed.”

Yang Xianya bit her lip lightly, saying softly, “But… I’m very worried. I… I don’t know anyone here. He’s the only one… Please, let me see him.” Seeing the young woman crying so pitifully, the two guards began to waver. After all, she was an honored guest whom the young master had brought back and ordered them to take good care of…

“Miss, please wait while we report to the young master,” the guard finally compromised.

“What’s the matter?” Just as Yang Xianya was about to express her gratitude, Zhu Ling’s voice came from outside. The guards hurriedly bowed and relayed Yang Xianya’s request to see her guard. Zhu Ling raised an eyebrow as he looked at the pale, timid young woman before him, lost in thought. Yang Xianya carefully asked, “Young Master Zhu… how are Lin’s injuries? When can we set out for the capital? I humbly request Young Master Zhu to send people to escort us, master and servant, back to the capital. Once we return to the capital, both I and the Ling family will be grateful to you.”

Zhu Ling’s eyes flickered slightly, and his expression grew gentler as he looked at Yang Xianya. He smiled faintly and said, “Miss Yang need not worry. Once you’ve both recovered, I’ll have people escort you back to the capital. However, Guard Lin is indeed seriously injured and will likely need to rest for some time.” Yang Xianya let out a sigh of relief and nodded, “Thank you so much, Young Master Zhu. I’m glad Lin is alright. May… may I see him?”

Zhu Ling smiled, “Miss Yang can look from the doorway. It’s best not to get too close to his wounds. I’ve already sent someone on horseback to the capital to inform Young Master Ling. Perhaps Young Master Ling will come personally to escort Miss Yang before long.” Hearing this, Yang Xianya showed signs of joy and relief, “That’s wonderful, thank you, Young Master Zhu. You truly are a good person…”

Zhu Ling smiled faintly, “Not at all. Miss Yang is from a family of loyal martyrs; these are but small gestures on my part.”

After reassuring the worried Yang Xianya and sending her back to her room, Zhu Ling left the inner courtyard for the outer one. Though this compound built among the mountain forests was notably simpler than those in the city, it still had inner and outer courtyards, with the study located in a corner of the outer courtyard. Once inside the study, the guard who had followed behind finally spoke: “Young Master, it seems Miss Yang is indeed General Tiger’s daughter. When you mentioned Young Master Ling was coming, she showed no unusual reaction.”

Zhu Ling nodded and sat down behind his desk, saying somewhat wearily, “These are extraordinary times; it’s always better to be cautious. Has that guard Lin woken up?”

The guard nodded, “He just woke up not long ago. His injuries are severe. The sword wound on his back nearly took his life. His account matches Miss Yang’s story. When the Mo family army first entered Lizhi City, General Yang arranged for over a dozen people to escort Miss Yang back to the capital to seek refuge with the Ling family. They didn’t expect the Mo family army to take the city so quickly – Lizhi City fell shortly after they left. They were disguised as ordinary people when passing through the small county occupied by Zhang Qilan, but accidentally revealed their identities and were pursued by the Mo family army.”

Zhu Ling furrowed his brow and nodded, “It seems this Lin is indeed loyal. Tell the physician to use the best medicine and heal his injuries as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Any news from Grandfather?” Changing the subject, Zhu Ling inquired about more pressing matters. The guard’s expression also showed traces of worry as he shook his head, “No since Bian City was surrounded by the Mo family army, there’s been no news from the Old General. Zhang Qilan is guarding the county town, strictly examining everyone passing through. The Old General probably couldn’t send a message even if he wanted to. Young Master, are we just going to hide here? Let Zhang Qilan occupy the key route to Bian City. Though Bian City is well-stocked, being under siege for a month or two would still be difficult.”

Zhu Ling pondered for a moment before shaking his head, “No, Mo Xiuyao won’t do that. He’s in more of a hurry than we are. If this drags on for a month or two, reinforcements from all over Western Ling will have time to reach Bian City. By then, even if his forty thousand troops are elite forces, they’ll be like a dragon in shallow waters or a tiger on level ground.”

“Young Master means…”

Zhu Ling frowned, “Mo Xiuyao doesn’t have many troops to begin with, yet at this time he can still spare several thousand troops to occupy a small county. I suspect… he already knows of our existence.” The guard was startled, “Prince Ding stationed Zhang Qilan at Bian City to prevent us from reinforcing it and catching him in a pincer movement?”

Zhu Ling pressed his brow with his hand, “I’m more inclined to think he wants Zhang Qilan to annihilate us.”

“How is that possible?” The guard snorted coldly, disbelievingly, “Not only are we more familiar with the terrain than the Mo family army, but Zhang Qilan’s mere few thousand troops are no match for us in terms of numbers.” Zhu Ling shook his head and sighed, “Mo Xiuyao doesn’t do anything pointless. Send someone down the mountain to gather more information about Bian City and the Mo family army.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Two days later, Zhu Ling was sitting in the study playing chess with Yang Xianya. After several days of interaction, the young woman had finally shed her initial fear and anxiety. Especially after learning that Zhu Ling was Old General Zhu Yan’s grandson, she completely put her mind at ease. Though she was young and had never met Old General Zhu Yan, she had heard her grandfather and uncles mention him. The Zhu family and Ling family also had quite a connection. Having shed her fear and anxiety, the young woman gradually became more cheerful. Zhu Ling then discovered that the young woman was unlike typical Western Ling women who weren’t skilled in the four arts. On the contrary, she was quite accomplished in calligraphy and painting, and though he hadn’t heard her play music, her chess skills were quite impressive – not at all like the supposed daughter of a military family. But thinking about how General Yang’s wife was the daughter of Western Ling’s former Grand Tutor, from one of Western Ling’s top scholarly families, it all made sense.

Though Zhu Ling was born into a military family, he grew up in a place like Bian City. The Longshan Academy, one of the world’s three great academies, was located in Bian City, and Zhu Ling had been educated by famous scholars since childhood. However, for many reasons, he could only stay in these mountains year-round, keeping company with illiterate soldiers. Now, having finally met someone of considerable talent, even if she was a woman, it was enough for the two to converse pleasantly.

“Reporting to Young Master, your subordinate has matters to report,” someone announced loudly from outside.

Zhu Ling glanced at the young woman across from him who was concentrating on the chess game, and said calmly, “Come in.”

The person who entered hesitated slightly upon seeing Yang Xianya. Yang Xianya very tactfully stood up and said, “If Young Master has matters to attend to, Xianya will take her leave. We can continue the chess game another day. I’ll go check on Lin.” Zhu Ling’s gaze was gentle as he nodded, “That would be good. Guard Lin will be able to leave his bed in a few days, you need not worry.”

“I understand, thank you, Young Master.” Yang Xianya thanked Zhu Ling again before taking her leave.

Watching the young woman’s slender figure disappear at the doorway, Zhu Ling lowered his head and gazed at the unfinished chess game before him, lost in thought.

“Young Master?” The guard before him called out in confusion, and Zhu Ling finally came back to his senses, asking, “What happened?”

The guard reported, “These past days, the Mo family army has surrounded Bian City but hasn’t launched any large-scale attacks. Instead, they only send a few minor generals to shout insults below the city walls each day, fighting casually before withdrawing to camp. None of the capable generals under Mo Xiuyao have appeared. Additionally, during yesterday’s battle, the Old General led seventy thousand troops out of the city, heading in our direction. He likely plans to deal with Zhang Qilan first.”

Zhu Ling was startled, his brows knitting tightly as he said, “None of the main generals under Mo Xiuyao have appeared on the battlefield? But… there’s only Zhang Qilan here. Where did the others go?”

The guard said, “The Mo family army has secretly withdrawn troops from their camp. The Old General suspects they’ve known about our existence for some time and plan to concentrate most of their forces against us while maintaining the appearance of besieging Bian City. The Old General must have been worried and came to help us.”

Zhu Ling closed his eyes briefly, “Who’s defending Bian City?”

“General Long Yang is also in Bian City.”

“That’s good… no, that’s not right. Mo Xiuyao doesn’t want to deal with us – he wants to lure Grandfather out of the city!” Suddenly realizing something, Zhu Ling’s expression changed dramatically as he stood up abruptly, “Mo Xiuyao hasn’t appeared in the Mo family army camp, nor is he with Zhang Qilan. He must be hidden elsewhere! With his limited troops, he couldn’t find us if we didn’t show ourselves. He wants to lure Grandfather out of the city and then slowly wear down Bian City’s forces!”

The guard’s expression also changed upon hearing this, “Then… Young Master, what should we do?”

Zhu Ling said gravely, “Send orders to attack Zhang Qilan’s forces! We must take the county town before tomorrow morning to support Grandfather!”

“Your subordinate will go at once!”

Deep in the night, the usually quiet mountain range seemed particularly silent tonight. From the compound hidden in the darkness, a slender figure slipped out nimbly. Avoiding the night patrol guards, the figure moved skillfully and swiftly into the secluded study located in a corner of the front courtyard.

Even tonight, when most of the soldiers had left the mountain forest, the study was still heavily guarded. The shadow approached silently, moving as swiftly as a phantom. By the time the four guards outside the door realized what was happening, three of them had already fallen to the ground.

“It’s you!? You…”

“Whoosh—” A dagger flew out, embedding itself in the last person’s heart.

“Lin Han?” the shadow whispered. From under the adjacent eaves, a tall, straight figure descended silently and walked over to look at the four corpses on the ground, his eyes showing not the slightest ripple, “Your Highness.” The newcomer was none other than Guard Lin from the Tiger Might General’s mansion, who should have still been bedridden and unable to move.

“Are your injuries alright?” Yang Xianya—Ye Li—asked softly.

Lin Han replied quietly, “The vital points were avoided, so it’s not serious anymore. It just looks severe.” Ye Li nodded, “That’s good. Watch over me while I go in to take a look.”

“Yes.”

Ye Li entered the study and emerged shortly after. Soon, the two figures disappeared into the compound. Not long after, a brilliant and dazzling firework broke through layers of mist and darkness, blooming in the night sky above the mountains…

As dawn approached, the battle for the small county town officially began. This small town was far less fortified than cities like Bian City, with walls much lower and thinner. Some places didn’t even have walls at all. Defending such a small town was far more difficult than attacking it. Thus, Zhu Ling and his forces encountered little resistance entering the town, engaging in fierce combat with the Mo family army generals inside.

In a hidden corner of the town, Zhang Qilan stood with his subordinates at a high point, looking down at the fighting below. A subordinate quietly reminded him, “General, the enemy has nearly a hundred thousand troops. We should withdraw.”

Zhang Qilan shook his head, “No, according to the Princess Consort’s information, they have at least one hundred and eighty thousand troops.”

“But this county town is too small—over a hundred thousand troops couldn’t possibly maneuver here. The enemy couldn’t have brought all their forces,” the lieutenant reminded in a low voice. Zhang Qilan shot him an annoyed glance, “Of course, I know that can’t you see it’s already crowded with less than a hundred thousand? Tell those outer units to quietly withdraw, but those who’ve already engaged—tell them to fight! Hold them off, we must hold until Zhu Yan’s forces arrive.”

Hearing this, the lieutenant said with a bitter expression, “If that happens, we’ll truly have no way out.” With over a hundred thousand troops already more than they could handle, adding several tens of thousands more plus a battle-hardened old general—how could they survive? Zhang Qilan smiled and patted his subordinate’s shoulder, “Are you afraid? Don’t be, I’m here with you all. Even if there’s no way out, we can at least take a famous Western Ling general with us as a company—not a bad deal.”

The lieutenant’s eyes widened as he shouted, “Who’s afraid? I don’t want to die with Zhu Yan! I still want to help His Highness conquer the world!” Zhang Qilan laughed, “That’s the spirit, I like your attitude. Haha…”

As they were speaking, flames appeared to the east of the city. Zhang Qilan took a deep breath and said, “They’re here…”

Zhu Yan arrived extremely quickly—they had barely spotted the torches when he was already at the city gates. The small town’s gates were no match for an assault, and the Mo family army didn’t have enough troops to defend the towers and walls. Soon, the eastern gate was breached by Western Ling soldiers. The Mo family troops found themselves caught between enemies from both east and west. Zhang Qilan looked at the brightening sky and said with some regret, “Time to withdraw!” At the sound of the gong, the Mo family army retreated cleanly without any hesitation. The Western Ling soldiers, who had been feeling frustrated these past days, wanted to pursue when they saw the Mo family army fleeing in disarray. However, they were stopped by Zhu Yan.

“Don’t pursue, there might be traps ahead,” Zhu Ling said.

Zhu Yan nodded, “Indeed, though the Mo family army’s retreat appears chaotic, there’s order within the chaos—it’s not yet the sign of a major defeat. This maneuver is likely meant to lure us in.”

After ordering his subordinates to clean up the battlefield, Zhu Ling and Zhu Yan finally had time to talk privately. Due to Zhu Yan’s position and Zhu Ling’s heavy responsibilities keeping him in the deep mountains year-round, grandfather and grandson often went a year or more without seeing each other. This time it had been half a year since their last meeting. Looking at his grandson’s straight posture and determined expression before him, Zhu Yan nodded with satisfaction. At the same time, he felt immense guilt toward his grandson in his heart. It was to help him command this army that his grandson had to stay in the deep mountains year-round, away from the light of day. This child was his only relative and his most beloved descendant. Sometimes Zhu Yan would wonder if everything he had insisted on back then was worth it.

“Good child, you’ve worked hard,” after looking at Zhu Ling for a long while, Zhu Yan finally said softly.

Zhu Ling smiled faintly, “Grandfather, you’re too kind. This is all that a grandson should do. By the way, why did you lead troops out of the city? The defense of Bian City…” Zhu Yan waved his hand, “I know Mo Xiuyao’s move was meant to draw me out. But with Long Yang in Bian City, my presence or absence doesn’t matter much. However, your situation here… somehow I’ve been feeling uneasy. Especially these past two days, whenever I think about it, my heart jumps with anxiety. Has anything happened on your end?”

Zhu Ling shook his head, “Everything is fine with grandson, Grandfather must be worrying too much. Grandson will be careful in everything.” He wouldn’t dismiss his grandfather’s concerns lightly—this wasn’t the ordinary paranoia of an elderly person, but rather a veteran general’s instinctive sense of danger. “Now that Grandfather has come out, there are advantages. We can station ourselves here and coordinate with General Long Yang, restraining the Mo family army’s attack speed. Moreover… our combined forces exceed six hundred thousand—surely we’re not afraid of Mo Xiuyao’s less than four hundred thousand troops?”

Zhu Yan patted his grandson’s shoulder approvingly, “Good child, you’ve grown up.” Even someone as composed as Zhu Ling couldn’t help but smile happily at his grandfather’s praise. The grandfather and grandson sat down to exchange views on the current military situation, with Zhu Yan particularly pleased by his grandson’s growth. When Zhu Ling mentioned saving Yang Xianya, Zhu Yan frowned and said, “You say she’s the late Tiger Might General’s daughter? Are you sure?”

Zhu Ling started, “Of course I’m sure. She has all the proper tokens, and her guard’s waist tablet is authentic. Additionally, I asked her many questions about Tiger Might General and the Ling family, and found no discrepancies.” A bad feeling suddenly arose in his heart, and Zhu Ling’s expression changed slightly as he looked uneasily at Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan frowned, “What you say is correct—that girl’s temperament and appearance do somewhat resemble the Tiger Might General’s daughter. However… two years ago, when Tiger Might General took his wife and daughter to Lizhi City, they visited me in Bian City. The Yang family’s daughter was pampered from childhood, and her temperament took after Tiger Might General—she had no interest in the four arts. Apart from needlework being passable and knowing a few characters, that was all. As for chess, she didn’t understand it at all.”

“Then…” Zhu Ling’s expression immediately turned ugly. Although he had initially been wary of Yang Xianya, and even now hadn’t let her know any important matters, after several tests he had truly accepted her identity. Now suddenly learning that her identity was completely fabricated, his anger was understandable.

“Grandfather… I must return immediately, I’m afraid…”

Zhu Yan’s expression also grew serious—how could one not feel uneasy about the sudden appearance of a mysterious woman claiming to be Tiger Might General’s daughter at such a time? After thinking for a moment, Zhu Yan nodded, “Very well, go. Be extremely careful.”

“Yes, and Grandfather, you also…”

“Old General, Young Master! We’re surrounded by the Mo family army!” A soldier hurriedly came in to report. Even without his report, Zhu Yan and Zhu Ling already knew—before he finished speaking, thunderous war drums sounded from outside the city. The two hurriedly went out and climbed the city wall, only to see banners fluttering below, Mo family army soldiers holding weapons in formation, their ranks solemn and disciplined, showing no trace of the chaotic retreat from an hour ago.

Before the army, Zhang Qilan sat astride his horse with his blade drawn and called out loudly, “Old General Zhu! I, Zhang Qilan, Commander of the Mo family army’s Eagle Forces, have long admired Old General’s reputation. Please favor me with your guidance!”

Zhu Yan looked out to see the Mo family forces stretching as far as the eye could see, at least a hundred thousand strong. Zhang Qilan was no inexperienced young commander like Yun Ting or Chen Yun—at the wave of his black battle flag, the Mo family soldiers dispersed in all directions. Though seemingly scattered, careful observation would reveal the brilliance within. If an ordinary commander rashly inserted troops into this celestial formation, they wouldn’t be able to break out again without committing a considerable number of forces.

Zhu Ling’s expression changed slightly, clearly also seeing the formation’s ingenuity. He said to Zhu Yan, “Grandfather, let grandson try.”

Zhu Yan nodded and instructed, “Zhang Qilan is a veteran Mo family general—be extremely careful.”

“Grandson understands.”

The city gates opened and Western Ling soldiers charged out. The youth in moon-white robes hadn’t had time to change into battle gear, instead leaping directly from the city wall onto a fine horse at the gate. Spurring his mount, he charged toward the Mo family army. With Zhu Ling leading the charge, the Western Ling soldiers crashed through the Mo family forces like a mighty dragon, unstoppable. However, they still couldn’t break out of the black net of the Mo family army’s encirclement. From behind, Zhang Qilan sat on horseback watching the battle, stroking his chin and smiling eagerly, “This young man is interesting.”

Behind him, a subordinate reminded him, “General, you’re not his match.”

Zhang Qilan’s face immediately darkened. He wasn’t a fool either. Commanding troops and individual combat were two different things. Having grown up in military camps, Zhang Qilan naturally knew there were always those stronger than oneself—it wasn’t shameful to be unable to defeat someone younger, but having his subordinate state it so plainly was rather unpleasant. He glared at his subordinate in annoyance, “You talk too much!”

The subordinate rolled his eyes helplessly—wasn’t it His Highness who told me to remind you in case you got excited and charged forward? How did I get dragged into this? It’s hard being a subordinate these days, and even harder being a subordinate who looks out for their superior!

“General? How about it? Should we capture this young man?”

Zhang Qilan turned to look at him, “Who’ll go? You?”

The lieutenant waved his hand, pointing to someone watching the battle nearby.

Zhang Qilan looked at the expressionless Qin person and immediately frowned, “Commander Qin, are you ever going to tell me where the Princess Consort went? You know that if anything happens to Her Highness, neither of us will escape punishment!”

Qin Feng glanced at him and smiled, “Don’t worry, General. I’ve already sent people to assist the Princess Consort—there won’t be any problems.”