“Why would it be any trouble?” Feng Jiu’er blinked and went back to packing her things.

Huo Baixue came to stand beside her, said nothing more, and bent down to help tidy things up.

In less than half an hour, under the cover of darkness, the column pressed onward.

The carriage was not large — there was a seat running lengthways toward the back and one on either side.

Jian Yi had been arranged to sit in the specially crafted chair prepared for him; so long as there were no particularly severe jolts, it did not cause him much difficulty.

After the central seat had been modified, the two facing positions along the sides became somewhat narrower.

But with Feng Jiu’er seated in one of them, there was still plenty of room.

Huo Baixue sat across from her, equally comfortable.

By the faint moonlight filtering in through the windows on both sides, Feng Jiu’er and Huo Baixue talked at length.

They covered various battle strategies and troop deployments, and the two of them spoke as freely as old friends who had known each other for years, with no awkwardness whatsoever.

Feng Jiu’er’s actual combat experience fell far short of Huo Baixue’s, but her breadth of knowledge was greater, allowing her to think of approaches that Huo Baixue hadn’t considered.

For well over an hour, the sound of conversation inside the carriage barely paused.

The two each took up their water flasks and drank.

Feng Jiu’er set her own flask down, picked up another, and leaned forward to offer it to Jian Yi.

“Jian Yi, have some water.”

“Mm.” Jian Yi inclined his head and took the flask from Feng Jiu’er.

Watching the two of them, Huo Baixue’s lips curved into a soft smile.

“Having the two of you together like this, Jiu’er and Jian Yi — it’s truly a fine thing.”

Feng Jiu’er had been leaning against the padded cushion beside Jian Yi and found herself rather reluctant to sit up.

She stretched lazily and looked at Huo Baixue.

“Baixue, what do you mean by that?”

She had a sense that ever since what had happened that morning, the way Baixue looked at her and Jian Yi had been a little different.

Huo Baixue looked at Feng Jiu’er, then at Jian Yi, then let her gaze settle back on Feng Jiu’er.

“Jiu’er, are you and Jian Yi perhaps…”

The sun had not yet risen, but outside, the sky had begun to take on the faintest tinge of white.

Feng Jiu’er could clearly make out the particular smile playing at the corners of Huo Baixue’s lips.

“You think Jian Yi and I are a couple?” She looked at Huo Baixue and asked with a smile.

“Are you not?” Huo Baixue raised an eyebrow. “The two of you are so well-matched — both in appearance and in character. Anyone would envy you.”

“Of course not.” Feng Jiu’er shook her head and glanced back at Jian Yi. “Jian Yi and I are friends. We are brothers-in-arms. We are family.”

Hearing Feng Jiu’er’s words, something in Jian Yi’s bearing quietly lifted.

He had always assumed they were master and servant. Even if the girl never carried herself with the airs of a mistress, the fact remained — she was his employer.

“Baixue, don’t misunderstand. Our Jian Yi doesn’t have a partner yet. If you take a liking to him, you’re welcome to get to know him better.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice came again.

Huo Baixue looked at the two of them, her smile full of warmth.

“A man like Jian Yi — not only is his martial skill extraordinary, but he is strikingly handsome as well. How could someone like me ever aspire to his level?”

“Jiu’er is different. You are stunningly beautiful, formidable in battle, and your medical skill is unmatched. You and Jian Yi truly are a perfect match.”

Feng Jiu’er turned to glance at Jian Yi, then let her gaze fall back on Huo Baixue.

“A perfect match, you say?” she asked with a smile.

“Truly a perfect match.” Huo Baixue gave a nod.

Feng Jiu’er had no intention of sitting up properly — leaning against him like this was simply too comfortable.

“Jian Yi and I are only friends — please don’t misread things. And Baixue, you are a remarkable person. Whoever is fortunate enough to have you would be a lucky man indeed.”

“I never say things I don’t mean. If you don’t believe me, ask Jian Yi yourself.” Feng Jiu’er turned her head again to meet Jian Yi’s gaze.

“Jian Yi, what do you think of Baixue? Is she beautiful?”

“Beautiful.” Jian Yi’s lips curved slightly as he gave a nod.

Yet he was not looking at Huo Baixue at all. His gaze had remained on Feng Jiu’er the entire time.

Anyone who did not know him well might have thought he was calling Feng Jiu’er beautiful.

Truth be told, Jian Yi didn’t have particularly strong opinions on the matter — especially after everything they had been through. Whatever Feng Jiu’er said, he simply did not argue.

Feng Jiu’er was quite satisfied with Jian Yi’s answer and gave a nod.

“And do you like Baixue?”

“Jiu’er, stop joking around.” Before Jian Yi could say anything, Huo Baixue’s voice rang out.

“I’m not joking.” Feng Jiu’er sat up at last, reached over, and put Jian Yi’s water flask away.

“Jian Yi truly is missing a good wife. If he had one, he wouldn’t have ended up so severely injured this time.”

“This man — he’s just missing that one thing. If there were a good woman by his side to support him, he would accomplish extraordinary things.”

“Oh?” Huo Baixue furrowed her brow slightly.

“I’ve always found it strange. Jian Yi’s martial skill clearly isn’t ordinary — there should be very few people in this world capable of wounding him.”

“Jiu’er, what exactly happened?”

“When it comes to that matter, I really…” Feng Jiu’er let out a quiet sigh and shook her head. “Baixue, you don’t know what this man is like. He…”

The carriage had barely fallen quiet before the voices of two young women once again filled it.

Their voices were not loud — those outside could not catch the words clearly — but just hearing their voices, the brothers on the march found their steps growing livelier and stronger.

The column crossed mountains and forded rivers, traversed open plains, and pressed through forests until, at last, before nightfall of the second day, they could make out in the distance the western gate of Yamu City.

Huo Baixue, who had at some point moved back to the head of the column and was riding on horseback, now turned her horse and rode toward the carriage carrying Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi.

The column had just come to a halt when Feng Jiu’er appeared at the front of the carriage and lifted the curtain aside.

“Jiu’er.” The approaching Huo Baixue called softly.

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together, drew a deep breath, and lifted her gaze from the characters “Western City Gate” in the distance.

“Finally back.”

Finally, she had brought Jian Yi back.

She stepped out of the carriage and stood, meeting Huo Baixue’s eyes.

“It looks as though the two enemy forces have already joined up. We should…”

“Report!” Suddenly, a brother came galloping back at full speed and pulled up before Huo Baixue and Feng Jiu’er.

“General Huo, General Feng — very few enemy soldiers have been spotted on the city gate.”

Huo Baixue raised her spyglass and looked toward the distant city wall, then turned and passed the spyglass to Feng Jiu’er.

Feng Jiu’er took it at once, raised it to her eye, and surveyed the distance.

“As expected — those are the Crown Prince’s men.” She studied the soldiers on the wall, a slight frown creasing her brow.

“It seems that simply returning to my own territory still requires their permission.”

“Jiu’er, what do we do now?” Huo Baixue looked back and asked softly.

“Yuezhou’s column can’t be far now. We’ll make camp here and wait for his troops to arrive before deciding on our next move.”

Feng Jiu’er lowered the spyglass and withdrew her gaze.

“This way, they won’t be able to press south toward the city’s southern district — which is also good news for us.”

The moment she finished speaking, she drew a small whistle from her sleeve and gave it a soft blow.

Before long, a strikingly beautiful bird came flying out from the forest and landed on Feng Jiu’er’s shoulder.