On the battlefield, watching Zhu Ling’s unstoppable advance, the Mohist army’s soldiers grew restless. Though Zhang Qilan knew he was no match for Zhu Ling, he was unwilling to watch the opponent display such arrogance before him.

“What’s this youngster’s background?” Zhang Qilan asked with furrowed brows.

Beside him, Qin Feng smiled and said, “He should be Zhu Yan’s descendant, probably a grandson. I heard Zhu Yan had a grandson who was sickly from childhood and hadn’t been seen since he was about ten years old. Many assumed he had died young. Looking at him now, this must be the one.” Zhang Qilan nodded, “No wonder. The grandson of General Jing Tian is truly remarkable. Commander Qin, I’ll trouble you.” The leader of the Qilin unit had insisted on coming to defend the city – wasn’t this exactly what he was meant for?

Qin Feng offered a rare smile, pulled his reins, and his well-trained warhorse neighed as it charged toward the man in moon-white clothing on the battlefield. Amid the battle, Zhu Ling had already noticed someone charging toward him. He swept aside nearby enemies and turned to face the threat, meeting Qin Feng face to face. Qin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly, his long sword slashing out directly at Zhu Ling’s face. Zhu Ling dodged sideways on his horse while raising his sword to counterattack. The two began exchanging blows on horseback.

However, both were using swords, and even the longest sword has its limits. Fighting on horseback was inconvenient, so after dozens of exchanges, they simultaneously leaped from their horses onto the battlefield. Zhu Ling’s sword trembled as he pointed it at Qin Feng’s face, “Who comes? State your name!”

Qin Feng smiled and said, “Qin Feng, under the command of the Prince Consort’s Princess. And who might you be?”

Zhu Ling frowned slightly – the other’s introduction was as good as saying nothing. Nevertheless, he coldly replied, “Zhu Ling, Commander of Western Ling’s Jing Guo Army.”

Qin Feng smiled, “So you truly are General Zhu’s descendant? A pleasure!” Zhu Ling gave a light snort, and they ceased talking, resuming their combat.

From the rear, Zhang Qilan saw Zhu Ling engaged with Qin Feng and his mood improved greatly. He nodded repeatedly, “The Princess was right to have Qin Feng stay behind. Her foresight far surpasses mine.” Without Qin Feng, Zhu Ling would have been quite troublesome to deal with. These martial arts experts interfering on the battlefield were the most annoying. Ignoring them wasn’t an option – their killing power far exceeded that of ordinary soldiers by several or even dozens of times. But sending commanders to engage them risked losing valuable military leaders to a single martial expert. Zhang Qilan decided that in future battles, he would always borrow a few Qilin members from the Princess to maintain control.

While Zhang Qilan was pleased, Zhu Yan on the city walls could not share in the joy. As soon as Zhu Ling was engaged, the Western Ling soldiers’ formation fell into chaos. The Mohist army seized the opportunity to strike decisively, and in just moments, the Western Ling forces had suffered heavy losses. Qin Feng and Zhu Ling fought with great intensity. Though the Prince Consort’s manor had many experts, they were all familiar faces, making fights less interesting. Qin Feng didn’t yet dare to challenge experts of the Prince’s level. So encountering an unfamiliar expert like Zhu Ling naturally excited him, and he eagerly engaged in the fight. His opponent Zhu Ling, however, was internally lamenting. He hadn’t expected that with his skills, he would be tied down for so long by a young, nameless Mohist army commander. He had originally intended to quickly kill Qin Feng to establish his authority, but now this duel showed no signs of ending, and he was trapped – he couldn’t unilaterally end the fight unless Qin Feng stopped first.

This exchange had shown him that Qin Feng’s skills were no less than his own. If they continued fighting, both would likely be injured. While Qin Feng could afford injuries, Zhu Ling could not. He was the commander of the Jing Guo Army, and his grandfather Zhu Yan was too old to lead troops into battle. As a result, Zhu Ling’s anxiety affected his movements, making them less steady, and he nearly suffered serious injury when Qin Feng seized an opening for a fierce attack.

On the city walls, Zhu Yan watched Zhu Ling’s engagement with Qin Feng and frowned. He signaled the soldiers beside him to sound the gong for retreat.

As soon as the signal sounded, the Western Ling soldiers quickly retreated behind the city gates. Zhang Qilan didn’t order pursuit – while the small city’s gates were easy to breach, the nearly two hundred thousand Western Ling troops inside were not so easily dealt with. If they entered the city and engaged in urban warfare, the casualties would be too high for the Mohist army to accept.

Qin Feng didn’t press the attack either, graciously retreating some distance to let Zhu Ling return to the city before mounting his horse and returning to the Mohist ranks.

“How was it?” Zhang Qilan asked.

Qin Feng looked satisfied, nodding in praise, “An expert. General Zhang would do well not to rashly engage him.” Zhang Qilan pursed his lips and grumbled dissatisfiedly, “I know that I’m not tired of living yet. You little… now can you tell me? Where did the Princess go?” Don’t think that just because Zhang Qilan had a straightforward personality, he was simple-minded. The Princess who was supposedly coming to support them hadn’t shown her face at all, how could Zhang Qilan not be anxious? Looking at the situation, it seemed even the Prince didn’t know where the Princess had gone. If the Prince found out, wouldn’t he skin him alive?

“General Zhang, please be patient,” Qin Feng reassured, “Didn’t I say I’ve already sent people to assist the Princess?”

Zhang Qilan gave him an annoyed look – you might as well have not said anything. If things had reached the point of needing assistance, clearly the Princess had gone somewhere unsafe. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Qilan suppressed the urge to throw this person out, “What can we do?” Qin Feng thought for a moment and said, “Wait for the Princess’s signal, then join with the Third Young Master Feng to surround and annihilate the enemy forces?”

“Isn’t Feng San in the main camp?! Where did he pop up from?” Zhang Qilan roared.

Qin Feng maintained his composure, “Some secrets cannot be revealed, you understand, General?”

Understand your sister!

Less than a quarter-hour after both armies withdrew, thick smoke suddenly rose from the mountains to the southwest. Thanks to today’s good weather with clear skies, even the usual mountain mists had largely dispersed. Even from dozens of li away, they could see clearly. Seeing this, Zhu Ling and Zhu Yan were greatly alarmed. “Grandfather! In the mountains…” In the mountains lay not just over a hundred thousand elite troops, but also supplies sufficient to feed two hundred thousand troops for a year. Zhu Yan naturally knew this, his aged face dark with anger, “Take your troops back!”

“But Grandfather, here…” Zhu Ling said anxiously.

Zhu Yan cut him off, “No need to say more. If the Mohist army takes our base, our hundred thousand men will be trapped in an isolated city, with food lasting only a few days.” This small city was not like Bian City – even if the Mohist army couldn’t take it immediately, they could easily maintain a siege for three to five months. A hundred thousand troops would exhaust the city’s food stores in three to five days. By then, they would only be able to wait hungrily for the Mohist army to deal with them.

“The Mohist army can’t have that many men – the forces there absolutely won’t exceed thirty thousand. Take your troops back, you must stabilize that position no matter what!” Zhu Yan ordered.

“Grandfather…”

Zhu Yan sighed softly, patting his grandson’s shoulder, “Go. Your grandfather will cover your retreat.”

Zhu Ling bit his lip, his eyes reddening as he nodded, “Grandson understands. Take care, Grandfather!”

“Go!”

Zhu Ling led his hundred thousand troops back toward the mountains they had occupied for over a decade, while behind him in the small city, the over-seventy-year-old Zhu Yan remained with less than fifty thousand Western Ling soldiers to defend this lonely county seat. They faced over a hundred thousand battle-hardened Mohist troops thirsting for blood. Mounted on his horse, Zhu Ling took one last look at the small city in the night, seeing only his grandfather’s lonely aged figure standing on the city tower watching his direction. His heart trembled as Zhu Ling fought back the stinging in his eyes, whipped his mount, and galloped forward.

The small city wasn’t far from the mountains where the Jing Guo Army was stationed – twenty to thirty li was only about an hour’s march for an army. But after entering the mountains, they had to slow their pace. Even though this was territory they had lived in and knew intimately for over a decade, what now lurked here was no longer their comrades and kin, but more likely enemies hidden in the darkness.

“Young Master, the scouts reporting from ahead say there’s no activity in front,” a guard rode up to Zhu Ling and reported quietly.

Zhu Ling said gravely, “The lack of activity is precisely what’s concerning. I fear… those we left behind are already gone.” He had left thirty thousand troops to guard the mountains when he departed – if they were still here, how could there be no activity upon their return? Now, looking at the dark, silent mountains before him, Zhu Ling extinguished the last glimmer of hope in his heart.

“Young Master, that Miss Yang truly…” the guard couldn’t continue. Though they had only known each other for a few days, he had also taken a liking to Miss Yang. Similarly, he could see that his young master felt differently about that lady. They had lived in the deep mountains for years, rarely interacting with outsiders. If the young master and Miss Yang could have come together, it would have been a joyous thing. But now…

Thinking of that gentle, delicate young woman, Zhu Ling’s face darkened. He had never imagined he would be deceived by a woman, and even now… even now he still held a thread of hope, wishing this was all a misunderstanding. But his reason also told him, how could there be such a coincidental misunderstanding in this world?

Seeing his young master’s gloomy expression in the darkness, the guard quickly changed the subject, “Young Master, we’re almost at our camp once we pass this mountain hollow.”

“Tell the men in front to be careful,” Zhu Ling nodded and said solemnly.

But sometimes no amount of caution is enough. The mountain path was narrow, and the soldiers in front had passed through safely without incident. Just as everyone was about to relax, a thunderous sound echoed through the mountains. People watched in shock as a huge boulder was pushed from the mountaintop and came rolling down. Then rumbling sounds erupted all around as countless rocks rolled down both sides of the slope, quickly blocking both advance and retreat. Not to mention the wails and cries for help from countless soldiers crushed by the falling rocks, which instantly filled the entire forest.

Soon, countless torches were lit on both slopes, instantly illuminating the dark forest with two dazzling dragons of light.

Among the Western Ling soldiers trapped in the valley, some cried out in panic, while others had already begun to fight back. However, the enemy held the high ground, and the Mohist army’s archery was renowned throughout all nations. In an instant, the valley was filled with the thick smell of blood.

Zhu Ling stood silently amidst the chaos, loyal guards beside him deflecting stray arrows that came near. His handsome features, flickering in the intermittent firelight, were filled with gloom and fury, yet he was powerless against the rain of arrows pouring down from above. Over a decade of effort, his grandfather’s twenty years of careful cultivation – was it all to be destroyed before he could even react? What was being destroyed today in this small mountain valley was not just the Jing Guo Army’s hundred thousand troops. It was also his decade of painstaking effort, a decade of patient waiting, and his cherished ambitions.

Still too young, what Zhu Ling didn’t understand was that while the ancient saying goes that troubled times produce heroes, a troubled era only ever produces a handful of heroes, while most become merely cannon fodder for those heroes. And in this world, there are no rules dictating that whoever pays the most effort must become the hero of troubled times.

“Young Master, quickly go!” The guard behind him pushed him, bringing him back to his senses. Only then did Zhu Ling notice that the few guards around him were all wounded, yet still desperately holding formation around him. However, their position was extremely disadvantageous, and the Mohist army’s divine archers were not easy to defend against – they had reached the end of the road.

Zhu Ling smiled bitterly, “Go? Where can I go?”

“Anywhere is fine – where there are green mountains, there will be firewood. Young Master, hurry!” the guard called urgently, unable to help to push Zhu Ling again, warning sharply, “Young Master, don’t forget the old general is still waiting for you!” Zhu Ling started as if truly coming to his senses for the first time. Looking around, the valley was a scene of devastation, with less than twenty percent of the soldiers still able to stand.

“Protect the Young Master! Breakthrough!” those around him shouted softly. Soon, the loyal guards and Zhu family retainers all rushed over, supporting Zhu Ling as they charged forward. Having lived in these mountains for over twenty years, they naturally knew better which routes offered the best chance of escape. The remaining soldiers seemed to understand they had reached their final moments, roaring as they charged up both slopes, seeking to die together with the enemy. But most were shot back down. The few who managed to reach the peak could not escape the sharp blades of the Mohist soldiers waiting there.

Those protecting Zhu Ling were all martial experts, but of those who finally broke out of the valley, only seven or eight remained. Once they escaped the encirclement and entered the forest, this would be their domain. No matter how formidable the Mohist army was, finding them in such mountains would be extremely difficult. However, the scene that greeted them upon breaking out of the valley still shocked them. Even in the night, the dim moonlight revealed corpses strewn everywhere and the thick smell of blood permeating the air. These were the soldiers who had broken out earlier – unfortunately, while they had escaped death from the arrows in the valley, they still couldn’t escape the ambush set outside by enemy forces.

“Young Master, let’s go!” A guard covered in wounds pulled at Zhu Ling, his voice hoarse.

“Go!” Zhu Ling’s voice was equally hoarse.

“Young Master Zhu.” A clear, graceful voice rang out in the blood-filled forest. Zhu Ling’s heart trembled as he looked up. On the mountain path not far away stood a white-clothed young woman. In the dim moonlight, her features showed a crystalline luster, her graceful and beautiful eyes carrying a faint gleam. Her sudden appearance in this dark and bloody battlefield made her seem like a forest spirit.

“Who exactly are you?” Zhu Ling’s voice was dry and pale as he stared at the young woman before him, asking with difficulty.

The white-clothed young woman looked at him with a faint smile, saying somewhat apologetically, “My name is Ye Li.”

Ye Li! Such ordinary characters, such a plain name. But these two characters struck Zhu Ling’s ears like heavenly thunder, deafening him. After a long while, Zhu Ling slowly began to laugh, “Ye Li? Ye Li… Princess Consort Ye Li of Ding State… Haha…” As if hearing something hilarious, Zhu Ling’s laughter grew louder and louder, until he seemed about to lose his breath, “You’re the Princess Consort?!”

Ye Li nodded, “I am the Princess Consort.”

“You deceived me,” Zhu Ling said through gritted teeth.

Ye Li nodded, “I deceived you.” Her beautiful eyes held some regret and helplessness, but no remorse or guilt. In war between armies, there is no good or evil, no right or wrong – only positions. Different positions make enemies, and against enemies… using any means necessary was a principle Ye Li accepted in both her past and present lives.

“Well played, Princess Consort…” Zhu Ling murmured: “I heard that years ago, Lei Zhenting’s hundreds of thousands of troops were nearly annihilated under the Princess Consort’s hand. Today Zhu Ling’s defeat at the Princess Consort’s hands is not so shameful. To have made the Princess go to such lengths – truly my fortune across three lifetimes.” Ye Li smiled faintly with some helplessness: “Though Young Master Zhu’s hundred thousand troops aren’t many, unfortunately, our forces are currently short of troops. If we had let you break out suddenly, it would likely have caused considerable trouble for the Mohist army. In extraordinary times, we must use extraordinary measures. If there was any offense, I hope Young Master will forgive me.”

“You targeted the Jing Guo Army from the beginning?” Zhu Ling asked.

Ye Li smiled faintly, not denying it.

“Old General Zhu quietly hid over a hundred thousand troops near Bian City, surely with considerable supplies as well. To be honest, we were initially more interested in the supplies sustaining these troops than the troops themselves.” Not far away, Feng Zhiyao approached in crimson brocade robes, his sword held downward with fresh blood still dripping along its length.

Ye Li smiled helplessly, looking at Feng Zhiyao and asking, “Why did you come?”

Feng Zhiyao smiled and said, “With the Princess personally risking danger, how could I face the Prince if I didn’t come?”

Ye Li frowned, looking coldly at Feng Zhiyao. You didn’t have to tell him!

Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow. Did the Princess think it could be kept secret?

Watching the exchange of glances between the two, Zhu Ling’s expression darkened as he sighed lightly, calmly looking at the white-clothed young woman before him, “What does the Princess wish?”

Ye Li was silent for a moment before saying quietly, “Please come back with us, Young Master.”

Zhu Ling remained silent, then after a moment threw back his head in laughter. Pointing at Ye Li, he declared loudly, “I, Zhu Ling, have achieved nothing in life, but as a member of the Zhu family, I will never become a prisoner. Nor will I give you the chance to threaten my grandfather!” Ye Li sighed regretfully, “Then, what does Young Master wish?”

Zhu Ling took a sword from a guard beside him, pointing it at the Black Cloud Cavalry behind Feng Zhiyao, and said gravely, “I seek only to die in battle!”

The perpetual smile on Feng Zhiyao’s face slowly faded, replaced by solemnity. The Zhu Ling before him still seemed somewhat immature in his view – given a few more years, his achievements would certainly have surpassed his own. As a fellow commander, even though the other was now a defeated general, he respected and was willing to grant his wish. Casually lifting a corner of his clothes, he cut it off and wiped the blood from his sword. Feng Zhiyao nodded, “Young Master Zhu, please.”

“Wait.” Ye Li’s voice came from the side. Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow and withdrew his sword, looking at Ye Li. Ye Li raised her hand to stop Lin Han behind her, walking forward to directly face the blood-stained young man before her. Her clear voice rang out, “I wish to duel with Young Master.”

“Princess!” Feng Zhiyao and the others were startled, hurrying to try to stop her. Though Zhu Ling’s army was now defeated, Zhu Ling himself was still an expert. The blood staining him now wasn’t his own – in fact, Zhu Ling had barely fought tonight. Ye Li waved to stop Feng Zhiyao and the others from continuing their protests, slowly walking up to Zhu Ling, “I wish to duel with Young Master, would that be acceptable?”

“I’ve heard the Princess Consort is also a great expert. It would be my honor. Please!”

In the not-so-vast forest, corpses lay everywhere with blood flowing like rivers.

On the battlefield strewn with scattered corpses of Western Ling soldiers, the moon-white-robed man and white-clothed young woman stood calmly facing each other. If not for the corpses everywhere and the bloodied swords, it would have been a beautiful scene. Not far away, people silently watched them.

Zhu Ling’s sword trembled, weaving two silver sword flowers. Ye Li smiled faintly at him, a snow-colored dagger flashing between her fingertips. After what seemed like just a moment’s pause, the two figures rushed at each other with extreme speed, their forms crossing and then becoming entangled. Zhu Ling’s sword qi swept in all directions, while Ye Li’s dagger flashed with cold killing intent.

Soon, Zhu Ling discovered that in close combat with this woman, he couldn’t gain any advantage – in fact, it greatly restricted his swordplay. So he quickly tried to create distance from Ye Li. But how could she give him this chance? Her frost-emanating dagger passed by his clothes again and again like a persistent parasite, raising goosebumps on the skin beneath.

As the long sword met the short blade, Ye Li’s hand holding the dagger trembled slightly. After all, a woman’s strength could hardly match a man’s. Frowning slightly, her dagger slid up along the sword blade directly toward Zhu Ling’s wrist, forcing him to quickly avoid it.

“The Princess’s skills are excellent!”

“Young Master Zhu flatters me.”

Outside the battlefield, Feng Zhiyao watched the two combatants with furrowed brows. However, he had to admit that the Princess had improved extremely quickly these past few years – even facing a rare expert like Zhu Ling, she wasn’t at any disadvantage. Lin Han appeared beside him at some point, also watching the fight intently while asking, “Why did Third Young Master Feng come? General Zhang’s side…” Feng Zhiyao said, “Qin Feng is enough there, and even if not, he can buy time until we return. I was worried about the Princess risking danger alone. But you – how’s your wound?”

Lin Han touched his back and shook his head. The sword wound looked fierce and dangerous, but the person who inflicted it had carefully calculated to avoid vital areas. It could only be considered a flesh wound.

Feng Zhiyao raised his eyebrows with a smile, “I think it should be fine – it was inflicted by me. I calculated it well, didn’t I?”

“Thank you for showing mercy, Third Young Master Feng,” Lin Han said through gritted teeth. Though it was voluntary, no one could be happy about being cut for no reason. Especially seeing the culprit smugly taking credit. Lin Han deeply felt this Third Young Master Feng needed to be taught a lesson.

“Princess, watch out!” Feng Zhiyao, who had been laughing cheerfully, caught a flash of silver and called out sharply in a warning. On the other side, one of Zhu Ling’s guards, seeing Ye Li matching Zhu Ling evenly, had a fierce glint flash through his eyes. In the moment Ye Li and Zhu Ling separated, a silver-gleaming projectile shot out.

Hearing Feng Zhiyao’s warning, Ye Li also heard the sound of the projectile cutting through the air behind her. Without looking back, she moved her dagger to block the incoming projectile, but suddenly saw Zhu Ling leap toward her. Ye Li frowned slightly, about to strike out with her palm when she saw Zhu Ling push her aside as the projectile struck his chest unimpeded.

“Young Master!” the guard cried out sharply, but before he could react further, Mohist arrows had already pierced their chests.

Ye Li steadied herself, turning to look at the fallen man, her beautiful features showing a flash of surprise. Feng Zhiyao, seeing the Princess was unharmed, finally relaxed, quickly leading people forward to check if any of the group were still alive, to prevent more sudden projectile attacks like before.

The projectile was a common willow-leaf dart. The entire dart had embedded in Zhu Ling’s chest, with only a bit of the bluish-gleaming head visible outside. Feng Zhiyao’s expression changed slightly as he said, “The dart is poisoned.” Lin Han looked at the fallen Zhu Ling and said quietly, “Even if he hadn’t blocked it, the dart wouldn’t have reached the Princess.” Originally, Ye Li’s dagger could have knocked away the dart, but she had been pushed aside by Zhu Ling.

On the blood-stained ground, Zhu Ling lay there, his upper body resting on a long-dead soldier. His dimming eyes gazed at Ye Li before him, his lips moving but unable to speak. Ye Li looked down at him and said quietly, “What was the point of this?”

The handsome young man struggled to smile, saying, “I lost… my entire life, to end like this…”

Ye Li calmly replied, “Victory and defeat are common in war. Only by living can one turn the tables – in death, there is nothing.” Zhu Ling stared briefly, then quickly shook his head and smiled at her, “What meaning do such words have now? I never imagined… never imagined I would be defeated so thoroughly… just as I never imagined you would be… would be the Princess Consort of Ding State…”

Ye Li remained silent. Zhu Ling smiled faintly, “You don’t need… don’t need to feel sorry. I’m tired too… so tired…” The poison on the willow-leaf dart was no ordinary toxin. In moments, black blood seeped from Zhu Ling’s lips as he slowly closed his eyes.

Ye Li gazed at the scene of corpses strewn before her, at the young man in moon-white robes now stained with patches of blood, peacefully closing his eyes. Suddenly feeling a bone-deep chill, she couldn’t help but wrap her arms around herself.

“Princess, he didn’t want to live anyway – it wasn’t your fault,” Lin Han said softly. Even if Zhu Ling hadn’t blocked the dart, the Princess would have been fine. They could see clearly from this distance, and Zhu Ling, standing right there, surely saw it too. From the moment he drew his sword and asked for battle, he had already resolved to die. Such a proud young man, tasting such bitter defeat in his first battle – he had no reason to let himself live on.

“I know,” Ye Li nodded. “Clean up the battlefield, then go reinforce General Zhang!”

“Yes, Princess,” Feng Zhiyao responded.

Dozens of li away in the small city, Zhu Yan stood sleepless on the city wall in the deep night, gazing into the distance. Suddenly, an inexplicable trembling of heart and soul made him pause. He stared toward the southwest, his lips moving as two lines of tears slowly rolled down his wrinkled face.

“Ling’er…”

The Western Ling garrison in the small city suddenly launched an attack on the fourth watch. Though the Mohist army remained vigilant, the fourth watch was when most soldiers were in their deepest sleep. The sudden attack did cause some small confusion in the Mohist ranks. However, being battle-hardened veterans, the Mohist army quickly responded and engaged Zhu Yan’s Western Ling forces.

“What’s going on? Why would Zhu Yan suddenly launch a sneak attack?” Behind the main force, Zhang Qilan watched the battlefield and asked gravely. With his lifetime of military experience, he could easily see that the spirit of these Western Ling defenders was completely different from before. They had resolved to die, seeking mutual destruction with the Mohist army. Looking up at the elderly figure standing straight on the distant city wall, Zhang Qilan felt something had happened that he didn’t know about. Given Zhu Yan’s battle experience and ability, he would never make such a rash decision to attack.

Beside him, Qin Feng maintained his usual expression, saying calmly, “Perhaps the Princess’s side succeeded. Though… we haven’t received the news yet, how did Zhu Yan get the news?”

“Succeeded?” Zhang Qilan turned and grabbed Qin Feng’s collar, “You still haven’t told me what the Princess went to do!” Qin Feng methodically removed the hand from his collar, saying, “The Princess went to investigate where Zhu Ling’s hundred thousand troops were based. Also… there should be large quantities of supplies there. This way, we won’t have to worry about supplies and military needs for a while.”

“What?” Zhang Qilan was shocked, “The Princess went…” Qin Feng smiled, “Otherwise, why does the General think we’ve been guarding this useless county seat these past few days? If they stayed hidden in the deep mountains refusing to come out, even sending three or four hundred thousand troops in might not be able to deal with them. Now haven’t they come out on their own? Once they came out, we could take advantage to capture that place. The hundred thousand troops that returned last night are probably gone too. Otherwise, Zhu Yan wouldn’t be acting so crazy.”

Zhang Qilan took several deep breaths, feeling he had nearly been scared half to death by this sudden news. But this… was good news, wasn’t it? Even if Zhu Yan wanted to go crazy, fighting in this darkness wasn’t necessarily something to fear – the forces on both sides were similar, and victory was still uncertain.

In the chaos of battle between the two armies, thunderous hoofbeats approached from the distance. Mohist soldiers familiar with the sound showed expressions of joy.

“It’s the Black Cloud Cavalry! The Black Cloud Cavalry has arrived!” From the southwest, a force of black cavalry swept in like a fierce wind. They quickly charged into the battlefield, and soon the previously even battle turned decisively one-sided. Behind the black cavalry, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao rode their steeds one after another, quickly joining the Mohist ranks.

Seeing Ye Li return from afar, Zhang Qilan hurriedly led people to meet her, “Princess!”

Ye Li swept her gaze across the battlefield, naturally also seeing the lonely elderly figure on the city tower. After a pause, she said, “General Zhang, no need for formalities. How is the battle situation?” Zhang Qilan smiled, “Please rest assured, Princess. With the Black Cloud Cavalry joining us, we’ll defeat the Western Ling garrison before dawn.” Seeing Ye Li return in person, Zhang Qilan finally completely relaxed. Days ago, the Princess had arrived with Qin Feng and others, saying she was under the Prince’s orders to assist in defending the city. But since the Princess’s arrival, he hadn’t seen her again. Only now did he learn what the Princess had gone to do. It had scared him so much his heart was still trembling. If anything had happened to the Princess, how could they face the Prince?

“Congratulations, Princess, for effortlessly sweeping away over a hundred thousand Jing Guo troops,” Zhang Qilan smiled.

Ye Li smiled faintly and shook her head, “If not for the General holding position here, it wouldn’t have been so easy.”

The fighting continued until dawn broke when the Western Ling garrison finally couldn’t hold on and retreated in defeat into the city. The small city’s gates and walls could hardly provide any defense – the Mohist army and Black Cloud Cavalry took less than an hour to break through the gates, charging once more into this small county seat. There weren’t many Western Ling defenders left in the small city, with only occasional sounds of sporadic fighting coming from some streets and alleys. As Ye Li’s group entered the city, soldiers who had entered first came to report, “General Zhu Yan is still on the city tower.”

The group exchanged glances, and Ye Li said softly, “Let’s go see.”

Naturally, no one objected, following behind Ye Li as they climbed the city tower. In one corner of the tower, Zhu Yan stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a somewhat old battle robe, gazing toward Bian City in the distance. He seemed not to hear even when Ye Li’s group came up. Ye Li wasn’t in a hurry either, just calmly observing this old man’s back.

After who knows how long, Zhu Yan slowly turned to examine the group, finally resting his gaze on the white-clad Ye Li. He asked gravely, “This… lady is Miss Yang? Or the Princess Consort of Ding State?” Ye Li cupped her hands and smiled faintly, respectfully saying, “Junior Ye Li greets Elder General Zhu.”

Zhu Yan nodded, smiling, “So you are indeed the Princess Consort? So young… truly a young talent. The Prince’s manor is fortunate…”

Ye Li said softly, “The elder overpraises me.”

Zhu Yan looked at her, his eyes carrying an indescribable strange meaning. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “My unworthy grandson, how has the Princess dealt with him?” Ye Li sighed slightly, saying quietly, “Young Master Zhu has… died in battle. I hope the elder will find solace.”

Zhu Yan’s body trembled slightly, his hand gripping his spear also shaking. Finally, he only threw back his head and let out a long sigh, saying, “Died in battle… so be it… I ruined him, originally he could have…” His only grandson, intelligent and talented from childhood, brilliant in every way. If not for him, not for the Jing Guo Army, he could have lived freely with both fame and fortune. But because of him, for his wishes and ambitions, Zhu Ling had hidden in the deep mountains from the age of twelve or thirteen, unseen by outsiders. Even dying on the battlefield, no one would know his name, and he would never receive the status and glory he deserved.

“General…” Ye Li sighed, “Young Master Zhu has died in battle, please find solace. If his spirit in heaven is aware, he surely wouldn’t want the General to grieve for him.”

Zhu Yan shook his head, “Princess, you need not console this old man. I am nearly seventy, I have lived long enough. Today, being defeated to this point, this old man has nothing more to say.” Feng Zhiyao frowned slightly, declaring, “Why must Elder General Zhu be like this? The Mohist army is not one to pursue total annihilation.”

Zhu Yan looked at Feng Zhiyao, and couldn’t help but laugh. He smiled, “Does this General mean the Mohist army wants to persuade me to surrender? This old man has no use for the Mohist army anymore. Moreover… this old man has fought for Western Ling all his life, to end by failing to maintain integrity to the end would be laughable.”

Ye Li lowered her eyes, saying quietly, “The General misunderstands. The Mohist army wouldn’t dare try to make someone of the elder’s noble character surrender. Now victory and defeat between our sides is decided, and the elder had already retired from military service. Please, elder, take your leave from here – the Prince’s manor will not make things difficult.” Zhu Yan examined Ye Li, asking, “Aren’t you afraid this old man will return after leaving, to oppose the Mohist army again?”

Ye Li shook her head, “This junior believes in the elder’s character.”

The city tower was silent for a long while. Finally, Zhu Yan burst into loud laughter, shaking his head, “Thanks for the Princess’s kindness. But… Zhu Yan lived as Western Ling’s General Jing Tian, and will die as Western Ling’s General Jing Tian! Today Zhu Yan is defeated in battle, has no face to see Western Ling’s people and the late emperor – this life, might as well end it!”

“Elder General…”

Zhu Yan calmly gazed at the white-clad woman before him, his eyes carrying faint regret and helplessness, “Only, what a pity…” He had raised his grandson himself – how could he not understand? When Ling’er mentioned that girl called Yang Xian’ya, he knew that girl was somehow different in his eyes. Now he had finally seen the woman who could catch his grandson’s special attention, but sadly… fate was cruel…

“Elder General Zhu?!” Under everyone’s shocked gazes, the nearly seventy-year-old man suddenly leaped from the top of the city wall. Ye Li stepped forward, her sleeve moving slightly before finally stopping. Everyone walked forward to stand on the wall and look down. At the city gate, the old man lay quietly, blood slowly flowing out beneath him, staining the ground and his white hair red.

Ye Li silently gazed at the lifeless old man below the city wall, her eyes dim.

“Princess…” Feng Zhiyao asked with some concern.

Ye Li turned calmly, saying, “Collect his body and give him an honorable burial.”

“Yes, Princess.”