As thirty thousand troops moved simultaneously, the winding mountain road resembled a lion’s roar, shaking the earth and mountains in an instant.
To draw fire away from Huo Xian and buy more time, they did not hide their movements. The commotion underfoot echoed through the forest, and they did not split into smaller groups. Instead, they formed a long spear-shaped formation, heading straight for another mountain peak, attempting to concentrate their firepower to break through the weakest defensive checkpoint.
Approaching the watchtower, the sound of horns blew.
Beacon fires were lit, and the enemy camp responded swiftly, quickly forming a battle array with spears pointed forward, showing no fear.
They appeared to be no more than ten thousand soldiers, seemingly weak in the face of the thirty thousand-strong imperial army. But this was a strategic pass with treacherous terrain, where victory couldn’t be secured by numbers alone.
The soldiers dared not slack off and were ready to attack when suddenly, the mountain trembled.
In the distance, a mass of dark shadows rushed forward, swiftly cutting off their retreat. The leader, holding a large knife, had an indistinct face in the night. He didn’t move, only staring fixedly at Ji Yuluo on horseback.
It was Xiao Cheng, who shouldn’t have been there!
He sneered, “A bunch of young lads, overestimating themselves!”
He had no more than three thousand men behind him, yet they formed a pincer attack with the camp soldiers, trapping the imperial army in the middle, worsening their already disadvantaged position.
Shen Qingli ordered to split the “spear” formation into two, one facing the camp and the other facing Xiao Cheng.
His heart pounded as he glanced at Ji Yuluo’s tensing hand, gripping her curved blade. The way she looked at Xiao Cheng was the same as how she had looked at Zhao Yong before—filled with growing hatred, ready to charge at any moment.
Through gritted teeth, Shen Qingli squeezed out a reminder from his throat, “Hey, don’t be impulsive, don’t be impulsive.”
Ji Yuluo did not make another move. She met Xiao Cheng’s gaze directly. It was her first time confronting him face-to-face.
He was the true culprit behind the massacre of the Qiao family, who had been hiding in the shadows and evading justice for years.
After a long silence, neither side attacked first.
They observed each other until Ji Yuluo’s expression suddenly changed. She lifted her chin slightly, a hint of disdainful sneer surfacing beneath her indifferent facade.
Xiao Cheng squinted his eyes, watching her raise her curved blade high and then suddenly slash down. The blade cut through the air with a beautiful silver arc, and with a “whoosh,” arrows shot out from the dark forest.
The tranquil scene shattered abruptly, causing chaos in the mountains.
Xiao Cheng’s pupils contracted, and his horse, startled, bolted in all directions, throwing his orderly ranks into disarray.
He looked back in disbelief.
Like a mantis stalking a cicada, the mountain trembled once more as another batch of troops rushed from behind, blocking their retreat!
Good!
Xiao Cheng’s face darkened, uncertain whether Huo Xian or Zhao Yong knew the other better.
As he swung his blade with a roar, the scene turned bloody and chaotic.
Several heads rolled at Ji Yuluo’s feet. She gripped the reins tightly, taking in everything. She recalled Huo Xian’s words on the eve of their departure: “Zhao Yong is sharp. If I suddenly persuade Xiao Cheng to deal with Prince Ning, he will be on guard. He knows me too well and might play along, leading Xiao Cheng away to weaken your vigilance. Once they lure you to their camp, they could flank you from behind, putting you in a difficult position.”
Indeed, Huo Xian was right once again.
He always seemed to be one step ahead.
While the beacon fires raged, the inner camp remained as usual.
Soldiers practiced and patrolled without any sign of laxity. They seemed undisturbed by the chaos outside, or perhaps they were too confident, believing this attack was not worth their concern, continuing with their duties as usual.
Only the former guests, now tightly bound to chairs, indicated that something significant was happening.
Huo Xian did not struggle; he appeared quite relaxed, leaning back in his chair.
When he set Xiao Yuanjing’s body on fire, luring the enemy to attack, and saw no movement from the inner camp, he knew things were as he had predicted. At that moment, Zhao Yong must have been strategically concealed at the rear, as if everything was under his control.
The inner camp remained orderly despite the enemy attack, and even the outer camp was well-organized. Huo Xian lost the chance to escape in the chaos, so he decided not to run. The soldiers searched the camp thoroughly, only to find Huo Xian obediently staying in his tent, having even enjoyed a full meal.
The eunuch’s mouth twitched as he said, “Take him over.”
The soldiers untied Huo Xian.
Huo Xian cooperated fully, rising on his own and walking briskly, even faster than the soldiers. The eunuch, with much shorter legs, had to trot to keep up. He sneered, “Master Huo, you must be fearless because you hold Young Master Xiao as a hostage, but you should know that the young master has already escaped. You should now worry about your own fate.”
He scrutinized Huo Xian’s face for any hint of fear or anxiety, but Huo Xian’s lowered eyes revealed nothing. After a moment, Huo Xian chuckled, “You’re very concerned about me, thank you for the reminder.”
The eunuch, disappointed, stiffened his mouth, “Such nonsense!”
Zhao Yong’s tent was just ahead. He had left less than half an hour ago, and the chess pieces on the board had not yet been cleared.
The tea in the cup where Huo Xian had sat was still warm.
It was as if Zhao Yong had expected him to return.
Ironically, he and Zhao Yong had called each other father and son for four or five years, constantly trying to outguess each other. In some ways, they knew each other better than anyone else in the world and were indeed remarkably similar.
Because of this similarity, there was one thing Zhao Yong couldn’t understand.
He slowly stood up, staring at Huo Xian as if trying to see through him, and asked, “What exactly did the new emperor offer you?”
Huo Xian looked at him and suddenly began to laugh softly.
His features were strikingly handsome, and his smile was extraordinarily flamboyant, especially in this setting and under these circumstances, making him look like a madman with nothing to lose.
The eunuch shouted, “Insolence!”
In the past, no one in the palace dared to speak to him so harshly. But now, with the situation clear, the eunuch, seeing that Zhao Yong did not intervene, boldly pressed down on Huo Xian’s shoulder. However, he couldn’t make Huo Xian kneel because Huo Xian was too tall and sturdy, with a body full of hard bones. He had to resort to kicking Huo Xian’s legs.
“Kneel, and the Director may leave your body intact!”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud “bang.” Huo Xian suddenly turned and delivered a heavy kick!
The eunuch screamed in agony and flew a great distance, crashing into a table, his throat burning with pain, feeling as if his internal organs were about to rupture.
Lying on the ground, he angrily said, “Director…”
Zhao Yong did not speak, his eyebrows subtly lowered, his gaze still fixed on Huo Xian.
It was a probing, scrutinizing look, seemingly still puzzled.
Huo Xian’s smile gradually faded, and he said each word clearly, “Even if I might not live, you will certainly die. Godfather, you have lost every time.”
Every time!
Arrogant, proud, and absolutely certain!
For a moment, Zhao Yong’s pupils dilated, showing hesitation and fear. In these more than four years of battling wits and courage with Huo Xian, he had never felt he had lost; it was always Huo Xian who lost.
But Huo Xian’s current conviction caused him a moment of doubt.
Victory and defeat are relative, depending on what one seeks. Thus, attitudes towards winning and losing also differ greatly, so…
What did Huo Xian seek?
The cries of battle continued incessantly, ensuring that tonight would be sleepless.
Huo Xian, blindfolded, was taken to a dungeon, bound hand and foot. He could only rely on his sense of smell to recognize that he was likely in a cave, surrounded by the rotting smell of animal fur and bones, and far from the camp because he couldn’t hear the sounds of fighting.
He found a rock to lean against and used the sharp edge of the earthen wall to fray the ropes binding his wrists.
Xiao Yuanting had already been rescued by them. Without a hostage in his hands, Zhao Yong could kill him at any time.
But Zhao Yong did not, merely keeping him under guard.
Because Zhao Yong had a vague worry about whether Xiao Chen could repel the imperial troops. If not, he could turn Huo Xian into a hostage to secure his last chance of survival.
Staying here meant waiting for death, so Huo Xian’s movements quickened.
Suddenly, it seemed someone tugged at the chains, and the sound of rustling came from the cell door.
Huo Xian glanced sideways. “Who?”
“It’s me,” someone whispered, looking around nervously to avoid alerting the guards. “Zhou Baihu. Brother, we’ve met before!”
Huo Xian was taken aback, clearly remembering him. “How did you get in here?”
Zhou Baihu was picking the lock, making a lot of noise with the lock. He replied, “How else? I dug tunnels for days! Let me tell you, the mountain path is tough to dig through, with huge rocks everywhere blocking the way. Almost broke my old back!”
He seemed to have opened up a floodgate of conversation, sitting cross-legged while fiddling with the lock. “I was wondering where our lady found such a handsome strategist who knows military tactics and formations. Turns out you’re that damn Jinyiwei Commander! And you know, you really do look like Marquis Xuanping. How did I not see it back then?”
“Hey, you and our lady, were you forced, or was it voluntary?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of patrolling soldiers came from a distance. Zhou Baihu quickly darted into the bushes, waiting for them to pass before returning.
With that interruption, he didn’t dare talk more and focused on his task, soon opening the lock.
He swiftly cut the ropes on Huo Xian’s hands. “Quick, let’s go.”
Huo Xian removed the cloth from his eyes but did not immediately follow. He hesitated, looking at Zhou Baihu. “This is a court operation. Cuixue Tower won’t benefit from this. Why did you risk infiltrating the enemy camp?”
Zhou Baihu got annoyed, glaring at him. “What do you mean? Who are you looking down on? We in the martial world value righteousness first. Don’t judge us with your dirty official thoughts!”
But Huo Xian had already seen through Zhou Baihu back in Shunde. He wasn’t exactly a bad person, but his arrogance from his achievements made him tolerate his subordinates’ crimes. He temporarily followed Ji Yuluo because he couldn’t follow Xie Subai’s righteous path.
He’s a man who never acts without benefit. Why would he risk his life to save him now?
Given the situation, Huo Xian couldn’t trust him easily.
Under Huo Xian’s intense gaze, Zhou Baihu’s righteous demeanor slowly crumbled. He took a deep breath, waving his hand dismissively. “Alright, alright. It was Marquis Xuanping. He said if I could get you out safely, he’d let me join him and make me a commander.”
After speaking, Zhou Baihu nodded to himself. “You can’t die. I went through hell and high water for a proper military position!”
TL: Almost finish with this one!
