“My lord!”

Song Song’s personal guard immediately cried out, stepping forward to support him. But seeing his eyes glazed over, already without breath, the guard immediately shouted toward outside the tent: “Come quickly!”

Zhahei was shocked speechless by this scene. Seeing the prince stagger back two steps, he immediately stepped forward. “Prince! What are you…”

Su Qile only felt his wrist bone seemed wrapped in icy cold. Even though that sensation of being gripped disappeared, his entire arm still felt stiff.

He shook off Zhahei’s hand, his furious eyes scanning the surroundings. Those two barbarian women, frightened, screamed while lifting the tent curtain to run outside.

Wind and sand from outside surged in. Seeing that personal guard draw his blade, Zhahei first stepped forward several paces and stabbed him to death. Outside the tent, Duan Rong heard the commotion and immediately released a whistling arrow.

“Supervisor Song!”

Shen Tongchuan led people trying to approach the great tent but was blocked by barbarian soldiers. Just then the felt curtain flew up, and through the gaps between the black-armored barbarian soldiers’ arms, he saw Song Song fallen in the tent with a dagger stuck in him. He immediately raised his voice: “Wuluo Su Qile! You actually killed our Yongzhou military supervisor!”

“Come! Surround them all for me!”

Zhahei, holding his blood-stained blade, issued the command in Su Qile’s stead.

The barbarians’ deep horn sounded. The black-armored soldiers who had withdrawn to both sides immediately closed toward the center. Like descending black clouds, they blocked Shen Tongchuan and the others’ path back and rapidly approached.

Before the felt tents, chaos erupted.

“Protect Magistrate!”

Duan Rong drew his sword. At his shout, his subordinate soldiers and Song Song’s personal guards all surrounded Shen Tongchuan in the middle. Duan Rong took the opportunity to push Ni Su into the very center as well.

The barbarian soldiers guarding the felt tent could no longer restrain themselves. Raising their blades, they advanced to hack at these Qi people. Both sides’ swords clashed, while the several thousand elite troops in the outer layers encircled them ever tighter.

“Su Qile! You truly intended to tear up the alliance and destroy relations between our two nations! Is this the meaning of you, a yellow-mouthed child, or the meaning of everyone in your Wuluo royal court?!”

Ni Su was squeezed beside Shen Tongchuan when she suddenly heard him raise his voice. She turned her head—wind and sand blurred her eyes, making it hard to see him clearly.

“You little soldier, move aside—you’re crowding me…” Shen Tongchuan pushed at her arm without looking at her, then shouted toward the felt tent again: “Su Qile! If you dare kill me today, my Yongzhou army will certainly take your life and the lives of all your men!”

Hearing Shen Tongchuan’s voice from outside, Zhahei furrowed his brow tightly, turning back to ask: “Prince! Why did you suddenly kill Song Song?”

“I didn’t want to kill him! Who the hell is playing ghost tricks!”

Su Qile looked at the corpse on the ground, nearly grinding his teeth to dust. He raised his blade and hacked wildly in the tent, causing the felt tent to rapidly collapse. With one slash he tore through the felt tent overhead.

“Prince! Qin Jixun and Wei Dechang are coming from the poplar forest with their men!”

A scout hurriedly reported.

Su Qile raised his head. Amid the smoke and dust, he was already surrounded completely by his vanguard forces. He couldn’t see the distant situation clearly but could vaguely hear the sound of countless horse hooves trampling the plains.

“Su Qile, you dare break the alliance! I will certainly memorialize His Majesty…”

Shen Tongchuan’s rapid-fire shouting reached Su Qile’s ears like extremely irritating clamor. He immediately raised his blade: “Bind him for this prince!”

Su Qile wasn’t foolish enough to kill another Great Qi magistrate at this point. As long as this man was in his hands, he still had a chance to delay with Qin Jixun while waiting for reinforcements from Juhan Pass.

“Alright, Magistrate Shen, that’s enough. Stop provoking him. I’ll find an opportunity in a moment, find a breach…” As Duan Rong spoke, he raised his eyes to look ahead, only to see through the wind and sand that figure dressed in vermillion robes wearing armor, holding a sword, rapidly rushing toward Su Qile.

Su Qile’s deputy general Zhahei reacted extremely quickly, suddenly drawing his blade to block in front of Su Qile and engage in combat.

Shen Tongchuan got a mouthful of sand, his throat feeling uncomfortable, unable to open his eyes wide. Protected by those around him, he retreated to the left.

Ni Su also retreated with them. She forced her eyes open and saw that masked person flip and leap, kicking the burly Zhahei away.

Zhahei was the best Danqiu warrior under Su Qile. Seeing him fall heavily to the ground, Su Qile’s expression darkened considerably in an instant. He turned around, eyes fixed intently on that masked Qi soldier. He blew on his finger joint—the hunting falcon dove down, dust and sand particles striking against that person’s sword edge.

Before the falcon’s sharp beak could touch Xu Hexue’s eyes, it was pierced by a sword. Su Qile took two or three steps forward with his blade raised, hacking at him.

A whistling arrow sounded. Duan Rong looked sideways. “There’s a breach to the west! It must be General Qin’s vanguard arriving! Quickly! Magistrate Shen, you leave here first!”

Song Song was already dead. His personal guards had nothing to rely on and could only desperately protect Shen Tongchuan. Ni Su was also surrounded among them, retreating farther and farther. She could almost no longer see Xu Hexue entangled with Su Qile in the wind and sand.

“Don’t let the Yongzhou magistrate escape!”

Seeing them trying to go west, Zhahei immediately ordered soldiers to surround them. Duan Rong and the others had no choice but to charge forward and fight. The sound of blades entering flesh was unceasing, the thick smoke and dust wrapped in endless blood stench.

Ni Su heard a horse’s neigh. She raised her head to see that white horse tied to a wooden post not far away raising its hooves in struggle. The wounds on its body still bled, its silver-gray mane blown into disarray by the wind.

It cried out, pacing back and forth restlessly, yet unable to break free from its bonds no matter what.

Shen Tongchuan beside her suddenly moved. Ni Su had just turned her face when she saw he had already shot out like an arrow from a bow, heading straight for that white horse.

“Magistrate Shen!” Ni Su cried out. But seeing the surroundings were still within Duan Rong and the others’ protective range, she immediately drew the blade from her body and ran toward Shen Tongchuan.

The rope was tied too tightly—Shen Tongchuan couldn’t undo it. Just as he didn’t know what to do, he saw a blade slash down, cutting through the rope and embedding in the wooden post.

He turned his head, then froze.

“You’re that… young mistress?”

Even though she wore a soldier’s armor with her face painted sallow, Shen Tongchuan still recognized her as the woman who stayed by that Young Master Ni’s side.

She had actually appeared on the battlefield?

“Magistrate Shen! Hurry!” Song Song’s personal guards approached, grabbed his arm, and immediately protected him in the middle, quickly heading west.

“Hey, bring her along too!”

Where did Shen Tongchuan have as much strength as these men? He was practically being carried along. He raised his hand pointing at Ni Su, but Song Song’s personal guards only glanced back, saw it was just a soldier, and had no time to spare.

Duan Rong and the others were still fighting ahead. Seeing Song Song’s personal guards break through, Duan Rong was just breathing a sigh of relief when he heard a horse neigh behind him. Turning back, he saw Ni Su, who should have been with Shen Tongchuan, had actually lost her military cap and was struggling to lead that white horse.

“Young Mistress Ni!”

Duan Rong’s heart shuddered. He wanted to go over but was blocked by suddenly arriving barbarian cavalry. The barbarian soldiers on horseback held golden sabers or long spears, horse hooves trampling chaotically, dust flying.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid…”

Ni Su hugged the white horse’s ears, soothing its restlessness, learning from Xu Hexue to stroke its mane. She wanted to find an opportunity to get closer to Duan Rong, but didn’t guard against a long spear striking from behind, immediately piercing through the chest of the Qi soldier before her.

Warm fresh blood splattered on her face. That soldier who had just broken through heavy encirclement to reach her fell heavily before her.

The white horse fell into frenzy again, raising its neck forward, causing Ni Su holding it to lose her balance and fall to the ground. Countless horse legs were right before her. Ni Su’s shoulder was heavily trampled by hooves from behind, the pain almost like crushed bones.

Blood from the barbarian’s long spear dripped onto her body. Raised hooves quickly fell toward her again. Ni Su couldn’t grip the reins, but the white horse suddenly raised its hind hooves, kicking the barbarian soldier’s horse belly.

At the same time, a figure treading on barbarian cavalry’s shoulders, the long sword piercing through their necks one by one. Fresh blood spurted, several people fell from horseback.

Ni Su was helped up by a pair of hands. Her left shoulder hurt terribly, almost making her thoughts muddled. Wind, sand, smoke and dust filled the air. She half-opened her eyes, making out a fierce mask.

Suddenly, his arms exerted force, tightly embracing her into his chest.

The dust and blood stench were too thick, yet amid his clothing steeped in the scent of accumulated snow and spring flowers, she found a chance to catch her breath.

He held too tightly, his arms almost trembling somewhat.

“I’m fine…”

Ni Su’s throat, choked with dust and sand, was very hoarse.

Xu Hexue didn’t speak. Under the mask’s concealment, that face actually showed no expression either, but he raised his eyes, lifting her from beneath the chaotic hooves.

The white horse exhaled. Under the turbid sky, it met Xu Hexue’s mask and suddenly moved closer to gently sniff his collar.

It neighed again.

But it was a sound of joyful exuberance, yet also like a child’s whimper.

Xu Hexue stroked its mane once, then placed Ni Su on the horse’s back. He mounted the horse, legs clamping the horse’s belly—the white horse raised its hooves and charged fiercely.

Wherever it went, Xu Hexue’s sword left nothing untouched. The approaching cavalry were cut down from their horses one by one. He nearly killed until the barbarian soldiers before the great tent felt fear in their hearts, retreating again and again.

“Prince, the path behind is also blocked! It’s Yang Tianzhe! Yang Tianzhe has come from Mount Ru!” Zhahei, having killed several Qi soldiers, rushed to Su Qile’s side.

Su Qile’s expression changed drastically. He still bore wounds on his body, injuries from that young man wearing the fierce blue-fanged mask. At this moment his heart sank. “Zhahei, they never intended to negotiate!”

Killing Song Song was the key to them seizing the initiative.

The more Su Qile thought about it, the colder his heart became. Ahead were the Yongzhou armies of Qin Jixun and Wei Dechang, behind was Yang Tianzhe’s rebel army.

Shen Tongchuan had already broken through to the west. He had nothing left to rely on.

Now, there was actually no way back.

Su Qile watched the soldiers blocking before him continuously retreat. He couldn’t help but raise his blade forward, shouting sternly:

“Don’t retreat!”

Seeing the beast he had never ridden now so obediently allowing that masked young Qi man to drive it, Su Qile’s face was sinister. “Truly an unfamiliar beast that can’t be tamed!”

Xu Hexue, sword in hand, flew down to entangle with him for several exchanges. Su Qile had just fought him before and bore wounds on his body, his strength insufficient, nearly at the end of his rope.

Xu Hexue suddenly drew out the long whip at his waist. With his sword edge he pierced through his palm—the golden saber rolled into the dust. He immediately bound Su Qile’s hands with the long whip, then mounted the horse again. Gripping the long whip, he dragged Su Qile through the battle formation.

Su Qile had never suffered such humiliation. He raised his head from the dust, only seeing the blazing sunlight, while the sword in that person’s hand on horseback still gleamed with cold light.

The masked young man looked down from above: “No matter how much money, silk, and concessions, couldn’t they also fail to tame you barbarians?”

Qin Jixun’s men had already arrived, fighting with the outer circle of barbarian soldiers. Shouts shook the heavens, horse hooves chaotic.

Yet the wind and sand had diminished considerably at this moment.

“Prince!”

Zhahei turned back to see Su Qile with his arms bound, being dragged along the ground. His eyes split with fury.

“People of Danqiu, listen,”

Wind and smoke all cleared. On horseback, Xu Hexue said coldly: “Your prince is in my hands. If you don’t want him to die, stop immediately!”