Shan Yidao said he would charge the mountain, and he did — without any warning whatsoever. What’s more, the force behind that charge was absolutely real, and his speed was formidable.

Among the ranks of the Longqi new recruits, half of them simply could not react in time.

By the time they did react, he had nearly slammed into the mountain wall.

Feng Jiu’er wanted to go stop him, but the moment she moved, a sharp stabbing pain shot through her chest. She opened her mouth, and a mouthful of fresh blood surged out — her footing grew unsteady.

That palm strike Qiao Mu had landed on her earlier had been absolutely real, with nothing held back.

That palm had made her vomit blood on the spot, and her blood and qi were still in turmoil even now.

By the time she went to give chase, it was already too late.

Huo Yan also tried to stop him, but it was equally too late.

From within the carriage, a surge of palm wind was released. Despite the considerable distance, it still managed to send Shan Yidao’s tall frame flying diagonally through the air.

Most remarkably, his control over his true qi was masterful — he sent Shan Yidao’s body flying without injuring him in the slightest.

Such inner strength was simply terrifying.

When Shan Yidao was on the verge of slamming into the mountain wall, Qiao Mu’s figure shifted — her speed was several times faster than Huo Yan’s — and she gave chase.

She simply had not anticipated that the palm strike released from the carriage would be so devastatingly powerful.

So it turned out the Ninth Prince was actually a peerless martial arts master, and his inner strength was absolutely beyond hers.

She had not imagined that the Ninth Prince she had grown fond of would be perfect to such an incomparable, flawless degree.

Grabbing hold of Shan Yidao by the back of his collar, she hauled him back in one swift motion and tossed him onto the ground.

Qiao Mu’s gaze still could not help but drift toward the direction of the carriage. Though daylight had already arrived, the curtains blocked her view, and she could not make out the person inside clearly.

Still, that silhouette, that faint glimpse of features — compared to the Ninth Prince she had encountered before, there was truly no difference.

The Ninth Prince remained silent throughout. Qiao Mu had no choice but to pull her gaze away. After tossing Shan Yidao onto the ground, she turned to look at Feng Jiu’er.

“This brother of yours did not lie. He truly did not betray any of you.”

No one responded to those words. The crux of the matter was that they had, in fact, fired two signal arrows in rapid succession earlier.

If there had been no betrayal, why would those two signal arrows have been fired together?

General Feng’s arrangement — aside from Shan Yidao, everyone else had only learned of it upon arriving at the mountain gorge.

Even Huo Yan had only known for a short while, which meant there was no possibility that anyone had gone to tip them off.

Unless that person was Feng Jiu’er herself.

But that was impossible. General Feng had just risked her own life to save everyone.

“I truly did not betray everyone.” Shan Yidao lay where he had been tossed, his face utterly blank.

“Yidao, get up. I believe you.” Feng Jiu’er wiped the blood from the corner of her lips.

Xiao Yingtao rushed over as well, saying urgently: “How could we possibly not believe you? Shan Yidao, you foolish blockhead — why go seeking your own death like that for no good reason?”

“But they…” They knew about the two signal arrows being fired simultaneously — that, he could not explain.

Feng Jiu’er looked at Qiao Mu, her tone measured: “I believe Chieftain Qiao can provide everyone with an answer.”

“What is so difficult about that?” Qiao Mu’s figure suddenly shifted, and she seized Xiao Yingtao.

“What are you doing?” Xiao Yingtao was startled, and instinctively slapped a palm toward Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu dodged with ease, but while Xiao Yingtao glared at her, she suddenly let the color of her eyes deepen.

She was channeling her true qi. Feng Jiu’er and Huo Yan, along with Shan Yidao who had just picked himself up, immediately put themselves on guard.