The convoy advanced into the wind, and the suffocating pressure of the poisonous gas did indeed begin to clear quickly. Even the ones who had released the gas likely hadn’t anticipated that in a moment like this, the convoy would actually dare to push forward. After all, there were still active skirmishes up ahead — the full extent of the enemy’s ambush was unknown.
The enemy had been certain the convoy would retreat — they had even laid traps behind them in preparation. “Boss — what do we do?” A subordinate ran back to report, his expression frantic.
The man standing on the high peak narrowed his eyes, gaze sweeping down over the convoy below, his line of sight locking immediately onto those two figures on the horse’s back.
He was there.
Such bearing, such presence — even mixed into a crowd, he would stand out at a glance.
But he was… holding a woman?
The man narrowed his eyes once more, his gaze drifting involuntarily to the woman in Zhan Qingcheng’s arms. At this distance, he couldn’t quite make out the young woman’s features — but the one who had just given the order to advance seemed to be her.
“Who is that woman in martial attire?” the man asked in a low voice.
“That — we don’t yet know for certain. But she shouldn’t be difficult to identify.” His subordinate looked down at the chaotic melee below, and at the convoy that was steadily drawing nearer to the thick of the fighting.
A moment later, he added: “We heard before that a young woman used the Ninth Prince’s command token to order the newly formed Longqi Army to leave the city and make for the frontier. Boss — could that be the same woman?”
“Didn’t she leave with a different convoy?”
“That… “
The boss said nothing more — simply stared down at the battle below.
The Ninth Prince’s twelve riders were far more formidable than he had imagined. He had set an ambush of at least a hundred men, and in the blink of an eye, more than half of them had already been wiped out.
The boss clenched his jaw, his voice cold with fury. “Useless trash!”
“Boss — what do we tell the Young Lord about this?” The subordinate’s face was equally anxious. Most urgently, at this rate, their men were clearly no match for the Feilong Shi’er Qi.
Six men — just six — and they had cut down several dozen of their brothers. Their brothers were also supposed to be one in a hundred. One could only say that the Ninth Prince’s twelve riders were truly extraordinary — yet now, what were they to do?
“Boss — the Young Lord didn’t know about this operation. Are you worried he might…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll go back and tell the Young Lord that it was you who acted on your own initiative, hungry for glory, who brought men here to intercept the Ninth Prince’s convoy.” The boss curled his lips in a cold, calculating smile. “And I — I merely came to stop you.”
“Boss — I never — I didn’t—”
With a sharp metallic ring, the boss drew his longsword. The subordinate was about to fight back — but from behind him, another sword thrust through the air with a hiss, plunging straight into his back.
The subordinate crumpled to the ground. The man behind him revealed a face wearing a pleasant smile, withdrew his bloodied sword, and bowed respectfully toward the boss.
“Boss — Yang Ji acted on his own authority, privately leading men to intercept the Ninth Prince’s convoy. He was cut down at the foot of the mountain by the Feilong Shi’er Qi.”
That person smiled lightly, then suddenly delivered a sharp kick to Yang Ji’s corpse.
The body sailed off the mountainside like a kite with a severed string, fell with a heavy impact, and within moments had vanished from sight entirely.
The boss sheathed his sword and laughed aloud, full and satisfied. “Well done — I won’t forget your contribution in stopping him.”
“Not at all — it is entirely thanks to the Boss’s brilliant wisdom and decisive leadership that a major disaster was averted.”
This time, the boss smiled with even greater pleasure. “Good! Have them hear the order — retreat immediately!”
“Yes, Boss!”
……
That night, as dusk gave way to darkness, a tall, slender figure descended beneath the moonlight.
Catching sight of his approaching shadow, the black-robed men waiting in the forest immediately dropped to one knee and said in low, reverent voices: “Greetings, Young Palace Master.”
The man’s voice was deep and pleasing to the ear — yet threaded through it was a cold chill that inspired instinctive dread. “What happened?”
The black-robed man didn’t dare raise his head, and replied with fearful, trembling care: “To report to the Young Palace Master — they… they dispatched men to intercept the Ninth Prince’s convoy on the road, and even… even released poisonous gas, intending to trap the Ninth Prince’s convoy inside the mountain ravine and destroy them — he…”
“What did you say?” In an instant, that tall figure closed the distance.
In the blink of an eye, the black-robed man, kneeling on one knee, found himself seized by the throat, the whole of him slammed against the trunk of a tree.
“Young… Young Palace Master…”
“What is the situation now? Are there any casualties?”
“Our — our brothers, over sixty dead, and the wounded—”
“I’m asking you — are there any casualties among the Ninth Prince’s convoy? Were any women harmed?”
“That — that, this subordinate doesn’t yet know clearly.” The black-robed man had no idea why he had grown so agitated all of a sudden. But with his throat in that grip, the Young Palace Master’s five fingers tightened, and he found he could barely breathe at all.
“Young — Young Palace Master — a carrier pigeon message came — it only said that Yang Ji… acted on his own authority, and was already — already cut down by the Ninth Prince’s Feilong Shi’er Qi — Young Palace… Master…”
He truly could not breathe anymore.
He had no idea when — but the Young Palace Master finally released his grip and let go.
The black-robed man collapsed to the ground, gasping desperately for air. Looking up at the Young Palace Master’s cold, impassive back — terrified, still fighting for breath — he staggered shakily to his feet.
“Young — Young Palace Master — on the Ninth Prince’s convoy’s side — it seems… it seems there were no significant casualties. Once Hall Master Jin arrived, he immediately ordered them to retreat.”
Only then did some color return to the Young Palace Master’s expression — though his entire being had gone as cold as an ice cellar.
“Tell Hall Master Jin — if any of his people dare act on their own authority again in the future, I will hold him personally responsible.”
“Yes — this subordinate humbly receives the Young Palace Master’s command!” The black-robed man was still catching his breath, but the Young Palace Master’s orders had to be received before all else. He had never once seen the Young Palace Master show such fury. In that one instant just now, he had genuinely believed he would not survive.
The Young Palace Master gave a cold, contemptuous grunt. “Is there anything else?”
“Young — Young Palace Master.” The black-robed man steadied his breathing before continuing: “The Palace Master has already left the underground palace. She is now on the road — making her way here.”
“What does she intend to come here for?” The Young Palace Master’s expression shifted subtly — as though this Palace Master held particular significance for him. Enough, at least, to change his countenance.
“The Palace Master says that since the Young Palace Master has been slow to act, she is not at ease, and so… so…” The black-robed man weighed his every word carefully, afraid that what he said would displease the Young Palace Master.
Though displeasure, it seemed, was now unavoidable.
“The Palace Master intends — that if the Young Palace Master will not make his move, then the Palace Master will come and handle it herself.”
“I have my own plans. Go back and tell her — there is no need to come in person. This is a minor matter — I can resolve it myself.”
The Young Palace Master’s expression was genuinely unpleasant. If the Palace Master came — then it would no longer be his call to make.
He turned to leave — but just before he did, he glanced back at the black-robed man still kneeling on one knee on the ground. “Make sure Hall Master Jin understands — for the time being, no one is to touch the Ninth Prince’s convoy. Especially — the women in that convoy.”