In the dead of night, a group of agile figures dressed in black silently infiltrated the Mo Family Army’s camp. Though this wasn’t the main command post where Prince Ding personally stationed himself, it was only about twenty li away and served as a strategic cornerstone. Moreover, this was where the bulk of their provisions were stored – essentially the frontline supply depot of the Mo Family Army. The security was naturally tight. Yet these people managed to slip in without alerting anyone, demonstrating their exceptional abilities.

In the quiet camp, all soldiers except the patrolling guards had retired for the night. In the darkness, only occasional crow calls broke the silence, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

The leader raised his hand to stop those behind him, vigilantly scanning the surroundings before urgently whispering, “We’ve been discovered – retreat!”

The others were startled, but before they could react, a rain of silver arrows pierced through the night sky.

“Retreat!” The black-clad infiltrators, all highly skilled, scattered simultaneously. The camp suddenly blazed with light. A man in black emerged from the darkness, a cold smile playing on his lips as he commanded, “Since you’re here, don’t leave. Pursue them!”

Countless black shadows emerged from various hiding spots in the camp, chasing after the fleeing infiltrators.

Instead of escaping directly, the infiltrators scattered in different directions, with many heading toward the supply storage areas. Their intention was clearly to destroy the bulk of Mo Family Army’s provisions. After all, in warfare, supplies move before armies. In this era, besides combat prowess and military strategy, battles were won through logistics. Without supplies, even the world’s strongest army would simply starve to death.

Their plan seemed sound, but how could the Mo Family Army, with its centuries of history, not have considered this possibility? As soon as they entered the storage areas, they were surrounded by equally mysterious figures in black. Both sides engaged in combat without a word.

On a hidden high ground not far from the camp, Xu Qingfeng stood at the cliff edge in black attire, watching the camp below with an impassive expression. Beside him stood the typically unrestrained Han Mingxi and the refined Han Mingyue brothers, with more black-clad figures behind them, all intently watching the flickering lights of the camp below.

“What a perfect spot,” Han Mingxi said to Xu Qingfeng with a grin. He and Han Mingyue had been ordered to escort supplies, but they hadn’t expected to witness such a show.

Han Mingyue pondered thoughtfully, saying quietly, “These people’s methods seem similar to Qilin’s.”

Xu Qingfeng replied proudly, “They’re merely imitating others. Drawing a tiger is easy, but capturing its spirit is hard. The Northern Rong people have done well to reach this level. Since they’ve provoked us first, it would be remiss not to teach them a lesson. Come forward.”

“Commander,” a black-clad figure stepped forward and bowed, awaiting orders.

Xu Qingfeng said, “There’s a Northern Rong camp sixty li from here. Why don’t you go have some fun there as well?”

“Yes, sir!” The black-clad figure responded clearly, waving to lead several dozen others into the night.

The others remained silent, watching the camp below from their vantage point. Though seemingly ordinary, this spot offered a perfect view of the entire camp. Thus, no matter how skilled the Northern Rong infiltrators were, they couldn’t escape Qilin’s eyes.

“They’re retreating.” The Northern Rong forces knew their mission was compromised. They were sent to probe defenses – burning the Mo Family Army’s supplies would have been a bonus, but failure was acceptable. Seeing they couldn’t gain the upper hand, they prepared to withdraw.

Xu Qingfeng stroked his chin, smiling, “Since they were sent to probe us, let’s send one back. Kill the rest.” Standing beside him, Han Mingxi’s mouth twitched. Letting just one return was more humiliating than killing them all. It was clearly saying to the Northern Rong: You want to probe our defenses? Fine, I’ll let one return to report – we’re not afraid of your reconnaissance. He had thought Xu Qingfeng was the most kindhearted among his brothers, but apparently, he wasn’t much better.

As the Northern Rong forces attempted to escape, the Qilin members deliberately let them out, shifting the battlefield outside the camp. The original twenty-some black-clad infiltrators were quickly separated and forced into individual battles. Within half an hour, the previously illuminated camp returned to silence.

In the darkness, three black-clad figures frantically ran toward the Northern Rong camp. On this moonless night, the starlight barely illuminated their path. The three ran through the forest in panic, losing their way.

They stopped to look back, and seeing no pursuers, finally caught their breath. One couldn’t help saying, “I never expected these Central Plains people to be so formidable!” They were elite warriors trained by He Lianzhen and He Lianpeng over several years, far superior to ordinary Northern Rong soldiers. In Northern Rong culture, status was determined by martial prowess, and these Yazi Army warriors often looked down on common Northern Rong soldiers, let alone the supposedly weak Central Plains people. Yet tonight, in Yazi’s first battle, they couldn’t gain any advantage even in one-on-one combat and were subtly at a disadvantage.

“That was just Central Plains people being crafty, setting up ambushes beforehand!” Another refused to admit defeat. His skills were superior among them, and he hadn’t been disadvantaged in combat with the Mo Family Army – they only retreated due to being outnumbered. He naturally wouldn’t admit defeat now.

The remaining person frowned, saying, “We seem to be lost. We should hurry back to camp.”

The other two nodded in agreement – they had been running through the forest for over an hour without finding their way out, clearly lost.

“The elite Yazi of Northern Rong, getting lost – how laughable!” A hearty laugh echoed through the forest, its source impossible to pinpoint as it seemed to come from everywhere at once.

The three paled simultaneously. “Who goes there?!”

“How do you know about Yazi?!” Yazi was He Lianzhen’s secret trump card – even the Northern Rong King and Yelv Ye didn’t know about it beforehand. Yet the speaker had immediately identified them.

The voice laughed, “How could the Mo Family Army not know about any barbarians who dare enter the Central Plains?”

“Qilin?!” The three exclaimed in unison, their eyes warily scanning the darkness around them.

“Indeed, it is Qilin. Didn’t you want to experience Qilin’s capabilities? Why are you leaving now?” The voice in the darkness asked.

The leading black-clad figure shouted harshly, “If you have the ability, come out and fight! Do you Central Plains people only know how to skulk and hide?”

The man in the darkness sneered, “I’ll teach you a lesson!” A black shadow shot forth like a stream of light. Before the three Northern Rong men could see the attacker’s appearance, their leader felt a chill at his neck. An ice-cold hand gripped his throat, and with a slight force, the Northern Rong warrior made a choking sound before falling lifeless to the ground.

The remaining two Northern Rong men roared and lunged at the shadow. The shadow snorted softly, and a cold light flashed – a gleaming flexible sword danced in the night, forming dazzling patterns. In moments, another man fell. The last Northern Rong warrior was nearly scared out of his wits. All humans fear death. Though Northern Rong people were generally braver than Central Plains people, it didn’t mean they feared death less. Perhaps on the battlefield, in army-to-army combat, they could disregard life and death, but now in this pitch-black night, facing this mysterious shadow with two dead comrades beside him, after more than an hour of fleeing, the Northern Rong warrior finally broke. With a roar, he abandoned all technique and desperately charged at the shadow. The shadow laughed coldly, spinning to appear behind the Northern Rong warrior, striking his neck with one palm. The frenzied Northern Rong warrior immediately collapsed, and the forest returned to silence.

The black-clad man sheathed his flexible sword and walked out of the forest. Outside, Xu Qingfeng, Han Mingxi, and others were already waiting. Emerging from the dark forest into the starlight revealed a handsome face – who else but Zhuo Jing?

Han Mingxi leaned against a tree, yawning boredly, “Was it necessary for Princess Ding’s most capable confidant to personally handle three fleeing small-time thieves? Making a mountain out of a molehill.”

Zhuo Jing ignored Han Mingxi’s mockery, saying calmly, “The Princess just wanted to know these people’s true capabilities.”

Xu Qingfeng asked curiously, “So how were they?” They had observed the entire night’s events and could see these warriors’ abilities weren’t far below Qilin’s. They were indeed worthy of He Lianzhen’s years of careful training and countless resources.

Zhuo Jing smiled, “Their martial skills are decent, but they’re far behind in other aspects.” While individual combat ability was certainly important in Qilin’s training, it wasn’t absolute. Some Qilin members were only slightly better than ordinary soldiers in combat but possessed other exceptional specialties. Moreover, Qilin excelled at coordinated team operations. If they surrounded someone, even a top-tier master would find it difficult to escape. Additionally, they had various specialized skill training – things like getting lost in the forest would never happen to Qilin members.

Furthermore, these Northern Rong warriors’ psychological qualities were far inferior to Qilin members. In recent years, under Qin Feng and others’ leadership, Qilin developed a standardized system. Every formally selected member had emerged from various desperate situations. They only grew stronger when facing powerful opponents, becoming calmer in dangerous situations rather than meaninglessly panicking.

Xu Qingfeng nodded, “That’s good. Let’s head back.”

Early the next morning, as dawn broke, He Lianpeng and Yelv Ye sat in the main tent awaiting news. Yelv Ye’s sword-like eyebrows furrowed, his heart somewhat uneasy. Since beginning the war with the Mo Family Army, he had been quietly worried about Ye Li’s Qilin. Though Qilin had remained inactive, their reputation for never missing a strike always cast an anxious shadow in his heart. If He Lianpeng’s Yazi could counter Qilin, his military operations would naturally face fewer concerns.

Looking at the pre-dawn sky outside, Yelv Ye sighed disappointedly, “It seems it didn’t work.”

He Lianpeng’s face showed no anxiety, saying calmly, “Your Highness need not worry. Their failure was expected. If the Mo Family Army couldn’t handle such a small surprise, they would be too weak. I merely wanted to gauge Qilin’s true strength.”

Hearing He Lianpeng’s words, Yelv Ye relaxed, saying, “As long as you have a plan. Though Ye Li is a woman, she’s no easier to deal with than Mo Xiuyao. He Lian, be very careful.”

“Oh?” He Lianpeng looked at Yelv Ye with surprise, unexpected by his high regard for Ye Li. Even without Yelv Ye’s warning, he absolutely wouldn’t underestimate Ye Li.

Yelv Ye smiled bitterly, shaking his head, “I only figured it out these past few days. Ren Qining’s defeat at Ye Li’s hands… she likely began planning as soon as Ren Qining arrived in Li City. These were matters Mo Xiuyao and Xu Qingchen couldn’t interfere with. And when Ye Li greatly defeated Lei Zhenting in the Northwest years ago, many called it luck. But they have a saying in the Central Plains that fits well – when too many coincidences stack up, it’s no longer coincidence but premeditation.”

He Lianpeng nodded in agreement, “Your Highness speaks true. These past two years, I’ve carefully studied the details of Ye Li’s great victory over Lei Zhenting. She feigned weakness deliberately, luring Lei Zhenting’s army into the heartland, and then cutting off his supply lines from behind. She even sacrificed Xinyang City to annihilate the most elite forces of the Xiling army. Lei Zhenting’s defeat was well-earned. Though Princess Ding is a mere woman, she lacks nothing in vision, strategy, decisiveness, or courage. Were it not for the limitations of her gender, she might well have been another contender for domination of the Central Plains.”

Both fell silent, reflecting on the current situation and sighing that the Central Plains truly produced exceptional talents – Northern Rong’s path to conquering it would indeed be difficult.

“Reporting to the Prince and General He Lian, the forces sent out last night have returned,” someone announced outside the tent.

Yelv Ye stood up, asking, “How many returned?”

The guard outside hesitated before answering, “Your Highness, only one person.”

“One person?” Not just Yelv Ye, but even He Lianpeng was shocked. Though they had discussed Yazi’s inevitable defeat tonight as a lesson for their proud subordinates, even He Lianpeng hadn’t expected only one person to return alive. He had thought that even if they couldn’t match the Mo Family Army and failed their mission, at least more would escape back.

“Bring him in!” He Lianpeng commanded gravely.

Soon after, a black-clad man entered in disheveled condition, his expression dim. He knelt before Yelv Ye and He Lianpeng, “Your servant greets the Prince and General.”

He Lianpeng frowned, asking sternly, “What happened?”

The black-clad man detailed the previous night’s events. It turned out he was the one Zhuo Jing had knocked unconscious in the forest. Zhuo Jing hadn’t struck too hard, so he recovered before long. Stumbling out of the forest, he reached the Northern Rong camp as dawn was breaking.

He Lianpeng and Yelv Ye’s expressions grew darker – this wasn’t a case of one person escaping back, but rather the Mo Family Army deliberately letting him return to report. After the black-clad man finished speaking, He Lianpeng stood and swiftly drew his blade across the man’s throat. The black-clad man’s eyes widened in shock as he fell, dying with eyes wide open. He hadn’t died at enemy hands but at those of the man who had trained him.

He Lianpeng wiped the blood from his blade, saying coldly, “Since you’re the only one left, there’s no need to go back.” Though he had intended to temper these men’s arrogance last night, such a crushing defeat wasn’t just a lesson but would destroy their morale. If they returned to Yazi and word spread, it would inevitably create an innate fear of the Mo Family Army and Qilin among Yazi’s ranks, which would be very disadvantageous for the war effort. The Central Plains people had a good saying – ignorance breeds courage.

“Reporting to Your Highness, General Ye He sends word that his camp was raided last night. Two granaries were burned!” a soldier rushed in to report.

Yelv Ye’s face darkened as he ground out through clenched teeth, “Qilin!”

He Lianpeng lowered his eyes, saying gravely, “Returning the favor so quickly – truly worthy of the Mo Family Army.”

Yelv Ye said coldly, “He Lian, I don’t care what methods you use, you must deal with Qilin quickly for me! Otherwise, they’ll become a constant thorn in my side!” Compared to the Mo Family Army, supplies were even more crucial for the Northern Rong forces. Even without supplies, the Mo Family Army could find ways to gather more from elsewhere. The territory now controlled by Prince Ding’s mansion spanned the original territories of Great Chu and Xiling. The area wasn’t much smaller than Great Chu’s original territory, and though it didn’t include regions like Jiangnan, known as Great Chu’s granary, gathering supplies for a few hundred thousand troops was still effortless. But looking at the Northern Rong army, the Northern Rong court was thousands of li from Great Chu, and Northern Rong itself didn’t produce grain. They could only plunder from civilians within the passes, but they had killed most of the northern civilians when they first entered, and after these two years barely one in ten remained – where could they find enough grain to plunder? Though they had only lost two small granaries, it still enraged Yelv Ye to the point of fury.

He Lianpeng responded, “Seventh Prince, please rest assured.”

“I hope you won’t disappoint me,” Yelv Ye said gravely.

In the Mo Family Army camp, Ye Li smiled after hearing Zhuo Jing’s report, saying, “This He Lianpeng is quite interesting.”

Mo Xiuyao snorted disapprovingly, “What’s interesting about him? If I had the time he spent on those things that only copy form without understanding essence, I could have trained tens of thousands of elite troops.” This era had no concept of special operations, and besides Ye Li, no one could formulate independent combat directions, battle theories, practices, and training methods. In Mo Xiuyao’s view, He Lianpeng’s so-called Yazi might not even match the Prince’s original secret guards. Most importantly, He Lianpeng had no clear idea what Yazi was actually for. Now it seemed they existed purely to oppose Qilin, but they weren’t even a match for Qilin – meaning He Lianzhen and He Lianpeng had wasted their efforts.

Ye Li smiled gently, “Since He Lianpeng has such intentions, he’s targeting me. Leave this new Northern Rong general to me.”

Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment before nodding, “Very well. When He Su arrives, let him continue following you. Also, Yun Ting, and Chen Yun, you two follow the Princess as well.”

“Yes, my lord,” Yun Ting and Chen Yun stepped forward and bowed in acknowledgment. Yun Ting had originally been brought back to the Mo Family Army by Ye Li from Murong Shen’s command in Yonglin, and Chen Yun also greatly admired this young Princess. With Mo Xiuyao’s orders, both happily agreed.

Ye Li nodded in acceptance. Below, the gathered commanders exchanged glances, gaining a deeper understanding of Ye Li’s position. He Su was originally the Princess’s secret guard and now commanded three hundred thousand troops, no less than other veteran generals of the Prince’s mansion. After helping the Princess pacify the northern borders, the Prince still having He Su follow the Princess meant giving her full control over He Su and his troops, becoming the Princess’s true personal army. What was most important in these times? Naturally, military power. If the Prince could share military power with the Princess, what couldn’t he give her?

Now the Prince’s forces and Northern Rong were in full-scale war, with the battlefield stretching from outside Feilong Pass all the way to near the Chu capital. The entire front line covered more than half of Great Chu’s original northern territory, naturally impossible to concentrate in one place. The Mo Family Army was also divided into left, center, and right routes. The right army was commanded by Ye Li, stationed at Mount Lingxiao near Feilong Pass. The left army was led by Lü Jinxian, occupying Liangcheng a hundred li from the Chu capital. Mo Xiuyao commanded the center, guarding the Mo Family Army’s central camp. So Ye Li, having just returned from the northern borders, had to leave again after only a few days’ rest.

If Ye Li wished, she could naturally stay in the main camp with Mo Xiuyao. Even if she did nothing from then on, no one in the Mo Family Army would have any complaints about the Princess. But Ye Li didn’t want this – originally she took to the battlefield not to gain the Mo Family Army’s recognition, but because she enjoyed it. Even after another life, her martial spirit from her military family background had never been diminished. So everyone thought that while the Princess appeared to be a scholarly lady, her actions were more like those of a military family’s descendant.

Outside the Mo Family Army camp, Zhuo Jing, Qin Feng, and others stood far away, looking at the sky and ground – anywhere but at their mighty, world-commanding Prince Ding not far away.

Lin Han looked at the sky, rubbed his nose, and gestured to Qin Feng with his eyes: Are we going or not? It’s almost dark.

Qin Feng rubbed his nose and rolled his eyes: How should I know?

Zhuo Jing kept his eyes forward: If we can’t leave today, we’ll leave tomorrow. The Prince and Princess aren’t in a hurry, why should we be?

Nearby, Feng Zhiyao, who had come to see them off, looked somewhat awkwardly at a certain person, decisively determining that his relationship with Qin Feng and the others was better than with Princess Ding, so he should see them off instead. The four looked at each other expressionlessly, all internally complaining: What sin did we commit in our past lives to be enslaved by such a person for most of this life? If outsiders saw this, we’d lose all face.

On the other side, Ye Li looked helplessly at someone staring at her eagerly, sighing, “Xiuyao, I should go.”

Mo Xiuyao said somewhat resentfully, “Ari just returned, couldn’t you stay with me in the central army? Couldn’t I send Marquis Nan to Mount Lingxiao instead?”

Ye Li said softly, “We already agreed on this.”

“Agreements can be broken. I’m breaking it,” Mo Xiuyao said righteously. “I’ll order Marquis Nan and his son to go to Mount Lingxiao immediately.”

Ye Li rolled her eyes at the sky – what was with this habit of acting spoiled at random? He never acted this abnormally in front of others. “Are you the same age as Mo Xiaobao? Even Mo Xiaobao doesn’t go back on his word like this. Be good… once we defeat the Northern Rong people it’ll all be fine.”

Mo Xiuyao held her in his arms, saying sullenly, “Ari is deceiving me. After the Northern Rong people, there’s still Lei Zhenting, and maybe Mo Jingli. Why won’t they just die!” A flash of crimson darkness passed through his eyes buried in Ye Li’s shoulder as Mo Xiuyao spoke gloomily. Ye Li sighed softly, “They will die. Stop fussing, I need to go.”

After much persuasion, Mo Xiuyao finally released Ye Li. He watched darkly as she mounted her horse and rode away. Standing nearby, Feng Zhiyao couldn’t help but laugh quietly, “My lord, it’s not like this is the Princess’s first time going out, is there a need for such reluctance to part?” Most importantly, casually overturning your image like this – forget subordinates, even I, your childhood friend, find it hard to accept.

“Hmph! Instead of joking around, why don’t you hurry up and kill Yelv Ye for me!” Mo Xiuyao glanced coldly at Feng Zhiyao before sweeping away with a snort. There wasn’t a trace of his earlier harmless demeanor from when he was with Ye Li.

Feng Zhiyao grunted, holding his chest and shaking his head with a bitter smile. Such favoritism – there was no need to take out his anger on an innocent bystander like him. If you didn’t want the Princess to leave, you shouldn’t have agreed in the first place. Feng Zhiyao complained internally but could only helplessly follow along. Who told him to be unlucky enough to choose his friends poorly?

Ye Li’s group left the Mo Family Army main camp, riding quickly toward Mount Lingxiao camp. This was not only the closest location to Feilong Pass but also the nearest to the area controlled by Lei Zhenting. Lei Zhenting had tens of thousands of troops at the border, and though Xiling was currently busy itself, no one could say for certain whether Lei Zhenting would take advantage when the Mo Family Army and Northern Rong were fighting most intensely. The reason for having Ye Li personally guard this location was also to be prepared for any unexpected situations.

Mount Lingxiao was over two hundred li from the Mo Family Army’s central camp – even riding at full speed, Ye Li’s group wouldn’t arrive until evening. However, with people stationed at the camp and old General Yuan Pei at Feilong Pass, Ye Li and her group weren’t in a hurry.

The group rode at a steady pace toward Mount Lingxiao. When they reached a mountain ravine, Qin Feng pulled his reins first. His galloping steed neighed as it was suddenly restrained, rearing up on its hind legs and turning a few circles before stopping. Ye Li and the others behind him naturally stopped as well.

“Friends ahead, please show yourselves,” Qin Feng called out, his voice echoing strangely in the ravine.

“Haha… Princess Ding, I’ve long admired your reputation. Meeting you today proves it’s well-deserved.” From the mountain path ahead emerged a young man in battle robes, holding a long blade with a fierce bearing, who laughed and cupped his hands in respect to Ye Li. Ye Li slightly furrowed her brows, rode forward, and smiled calmly, “General He Lian, pleased to meet you.”

He Lianpeng’s smile diminished slightly, “The Princess has good eyes.”

Ye Li smiled faintly, “Who else but General He Lian would dare to block the path with troops in Mo Family Army-controlled territory? Did General He Lian bring your Yazi today as well?” Hearing Ye Li’s words, He Lianpeng’s eye muscles twitched. Last time he had underestimated the Mo Family Army’s strength, leading to the total annihilation of his sent forces. Though it was just a few dozen men sent to probe, having a probe mission end in complete defeat was hardly a glorious record. He said gravely, “I did indeed bring Yazi, but it seems the Princess didn’t bring Qilin. How disappointing. Does the Princess think that because this is Mo Family Army territory, there’s no danger to move about freely?”

“How dare I think such thoughts? Trouble can find you even at home. But I can’t stay inside forever because of that, can I? Wouldn’t that be letting fear rule my actions?” Ye Li smiled.

He Lianpeng thoughtfully observed the white-clad woman before him. Compared to Northern Rong women, Central Plains women typically aged slower. In Northern Rong, Ye Li would look only seventeen or eighteen. Wearing simple snow-white clothes, her black hair casually pinned up, with her snow-white clothes flowing and hair dancing in the breeze, she looked like a snow mountain holy maiden from ancient legends.

“Since I’m here, I’d like to invite the Princess to be a guest in the Northern Rong camp today. Please honor us with your presence,” He Lianpeng said gravely.

Hearing this, Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing, and the others’ gazes toward He Lianpeng grew darker and fiercer. They spurred their horses forward to block in front of Ye Li. He Lianpeng didn’t mind, laughing and waving his hand as a group of black-clad figures emerged from the mountain path – at a glance, there were over a hundred. He Lianpeng looked at Ye Li, saying seriously, “Please honor us with your presence, Princess.”

Qin Feng coldly laughed, “Thinking you can take the Princess with just these few people. You’re too arrogant.”

“Oh?” He Lianpeng raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over Qin Feng and the others, “And who might you be?” He could naturally see that Qin Feng and the others’ bearing was far from ordinary guards. Unfortunately, Northern Rong’s intelligence was far less precise than the Mo Family Army’s – they couldn’t even recognize Ye Li’s most trusted people.

Qin Feng said flatly, “Nobodies not worth General He Lian’s attention. However, if General He Lian wishes to invite the Princess as a guest, you’ll have to get past us first.”

He Lianpeng grinned, saying, “Is that so? In that case… attack!”

At his command, the black-clad men behind him immediately moved to surround Ye Li’s group. Qin Feng, Lin Han, and others charged forward, while Zhuo Jing retreated to Ye Li’s side without engaging. Ye Li’s traveling party, including Qin Feng, Yun Ting, Chen Yun, and others, totaled only around ten people. Facing over a hundred of He Lianpeng’s men naturally put them at a disadvantage. However, these were elite among elites, chosen one in a hundred, and they managed to hold their own against such numbers without falling behind.

Seeing this, even He Lianpeng couldn’t help but change his expression slightly. He wondered whether these people were specially assigned by Mo Xiuyao to protect Ye Li or if all Mo Family Army troops were this formidable. If the latter, the Northern Rong army’s outcome was worrisome.

“Truly worthy of being Mo Family Army elites, such exceptional skill,” He Lianpeng praised loudly. “Princess, no matter how skilled your people are, they surely can’t hold off so many of my men? Why let your subordinates sacrifice themselves needlessly? I sincerely invite the Princess to visit Northern Rong – why not give me a face?” He Lianpeng’s features weren’t particularly handsome, but he carried a fierce bearing rare among Central Plains men. Yet speaking such formal words created a strangely discordant feeling.

Ye Li smiled faintly, “General He Lian seems very interested in my Qilin?”

He Lianpeng raised an eyebrow and smiled, “To be honest, I am indeed very interested. The Princess has trained such a mysterious force, with combat ability even surpassing the Mo Family Army’s elite Black Cloud Cavalry – how could I not be utterly impressed? I’d like to learn from the Princess.”

Ye Li nodded, “In that case, I’ll show you how Qilin… should be used.” Before her words finished, Ye Li raised her delicate hand. With a whoosh, a sharp whistle pierced the air as a flash of emerald light shot skyward, instantly blooming into jade-colored fireworks. Moments later, two more locations in the distance also launched jade-colored fireworks.

He Lianpeng’s expression darkened as he said coldly, “How can Qilin be here? Did the Princess calculate that I would be waiting here?” Those two fireworks were Mo Family Army members responding to Ye Li’s signal, and those using such methods were likely Qilin.

Ye Li shook her head and smiled, “Does the General think I can predict the future? The use of Qilin is: anywhere, anytime, omnipresent. This is still a battlefield – how could they not be here?”

He Lianpeng laughed coldly. Compared to Qilin, his Yazi was indeed somewhat lacking. But no matter… “Then let the Princess see if they can arrive in time to save you!” With that, He Lianpeng leaped forward, charging toward Ye Li. Surprisingly, He Lianpeng wasn’t like typical Northern Rong people who only valued external martial arts – on the contrary, he had also studied Central Plain’s internal energy cultivation, and his skill seemed considerable. At least to Ye Li’s eye, she couldn’t gauge his true level.

Zhuo Jing by Ye Li’s side leaped up to meet him. The two engaged in combat mid-air, exchanging over ten moves before both landed. Zhuo Jing’s expression was grave – He Lianpeng’s martial arts were beyond his expectations. Usually, working with Qin Feng and Lin Han might give him a chance at victory, but that wasn’t possible now.

He Lianpeng was quite confident in his martial arts. In previous encounters with the Mo Family Army, he hadn’t met his match, though Mo Xiuyao hadn’t personally fought. Yet he hadn’t expected to be blocked by an unremarkable guard. He laughed coldly and praised, “Good skills.”

Zhuo Jing remained silent, watching He Lianpeng intently.

He Lianpeng snorted lightly, smiling, “But still not quite enough.” With that, he ignored Zhuo Jing and leaped toward Ye Li again. How could Zhuo Jing let him succeed? He flew up to intercept. Meanwhile, Ye Li also jumped from her horse, her short blade flashing as she thrust it toward He Lianpeng’s chest. He Lianpeng made a surprised sound and raised his hand to grab Ye Li’s wrist. But Ye Li’s wrist turned, sweeping the blade toward his wrist instead. In an instant, He Lianpeng saw Ye Li’s short blade. Unlike a typical dagger, it was triangular like a sharp awl with blood grooves – even a single wound would mean death or at least half a life lost.

He Lianpeng retreated and smiled, “The Princess has a ruthless hand.”

Though Ye Li was a woman, in close combat she feared no one. She had only started internal energy cultivation late, so she couldn’t fully master it. But in close-quarters combat, internal energy wasn’t as crucial. Though He Lianpeng was formidable, he was far from mastering complete control.

Zhuo Jing naturally wouldn’t let Ye Li fight alone, flying in with his long sword displaying fierce sword energy. The two coordinated perfectly at different ranges, temporarily preventing He Lianpeng from gaining an advantage.

He Lianpeng knew that to capture Ye Li, he had to deal with Zhuo Jing first, but with Ye Li present he couldn’t spare attention to handle Zhuo Jing, who wasn’t someone he could casually defeat. So he turned to focus entirely on attacking Ye Li – if he could wound her first, he could then deal with Zhuo Jing.

Having made his decision, He Lianpeng drew his long blade, swinging it to create distance from Ye Li. The blade instantly danced with fierce energy, coming straight at Ye Li. Knowing her strength was far inferior to He Lianpeng’s, Ye Li didn’t meet it head-on but leaped backward. Zhuo Jing rushed forward to block He Lianpeng’s blade as Ye Li appeared behind him, her short blade stabbing toward He Lianpeng. This was what He Lianpeng had been waiting for – he swung his blade with full force, the powerful blade energy shocking even Zhuo Jing back. However, Ye Li, who should have been hurt worse than Zhuo Jing, seemed to ignore the blade energy and charged straight at He Lianpeng.

Ye Li moved extremely fast – in an instant, her short blade had pierced He Lianpeng’s body. Before He Lianpeng could be surprised at how Ye Li had withstood his force, the intense pain contorted his features. Zhuo Jing, who had retreated to the side, swung his whip to pull Ye Li back.

He Lianpeng steadied himself and looked at his wound, drawing in a sharp breath. Though he had dodged quickly enough to avoid the worst, the blade had still pierced his arm. He could expect that arm to be useless for two or three months. If it had struck his body, even if not a vital spot, no matter how strong his internal energy was, death would have been the only outcome.

“The Princess has excellent techniques,” He Lianpeng stared at Ye Li with changing expressions.

Ye Li remained composed, saying calmly, “General He Lian is too kind. Your martial arts are quite rare among Northern Rong people.”

He Lianpeng didn’t hide it, smiling, “Indeed, my martial arts were taught by a Central Plains master.” He tore off a strip of cloth to bandage his continuously bleeding wound while speaking.

“I wonder which master – I know several Central Plains experts.”

He Lianpeng smiled, “To be honest, my master… happened to die at Prince Ding’s hands.”

Ye Li slightly furrowed her brows, pondering for a moment, “Murong Xiong.” Dying at Mo Xiuyao’s hands, someone who could train such a skilled fighter – it could only be Murong Xiong. Moreover, He Lianpeng’s martial arts style did bear some similarity to Murong Xiong’s.

He Lianpeng smiled without speaking, neither confirming nor denying.

Ye Li didn’t mind, saying flatly, “General He Lian had better return quickly – arm bleeding can also be fatal.”

Though He Lianpeng had bandaged his arm wound, it clearly couldn’t stop the bleeding. Soon, the entire cloth was dyed blood-red. He Lianpeng smiled bitterly and raised his hand to press several acupoints. Just as he was about to speak, several cold flashes came from the distant forest as arrows shot toward them. Several nearby black-clad men fell after being hit. He Lianpeng’s expression changed, “They came so fast! Retreat!”