The city guards heard the two words “Li Fuxiang”, and their legs instinctively trembled. They exchanged a glance, and someone immediately led a horse away, rushing back like a fire was lit under their tail to report to the king.
Li Fuxiang brought neither soldiers nor guards with him.
Growing impatient while waiting outside the city, he spurred his horse and leisurely stepped through the city gates.
The guards at the gate surrounded him, but every step he took forward made them retreat one step. None dared to act rashly.
As expected, just as Li Fuxiang had anticipated, the King of Fox Hu lacked the courage.
When the King of Fox Hu received the news, he rushed out from the royal court in a panic and greeted him at the city gates, dropping to his knees and bowing deeply—”Your servant… Your servant pays respects to His Highness Prince Xiang.”
Seated atop his tall horse, Li Fuxiang looked down at the King of Fox Hu beneath his horse’s hooves.
The elderly King of Fox Hu was no longer young. Two years ago, when Li Fuxiang marched into the royal court, the King of Fox Hu had not yet reached fifty. Yet, in a single night, his hair turned white from worry.
Li Fuxiang had pressed a blade to his neck without hesitation, but at that moment, news came from the camp that the Crown Prince of Fox Hu had committed suicide.
The Crown Prince of Fox Hu had been the one advocating for war.
Because of his death, Li Fuxiang had shown mercy and temporarily spared the rest of the Fox Hu royal family.
Today, upon seeing this old man for the first time, Li Fuxiang, still on his horse, asked sharply, “King of Fox Hu, do you wish to avenge your son?”
The King of Fox Hu, still kneeling on the ground, dared not raise his head and replied, “That unfilial son of mine acted recklessly, invading the borders of the Great Xu Dynasty. His death was deserved, and he committed suicide out of guilt… It is my own failing as a father, for I could not properly teach my son. How dare I blame others?”
Li Fuxiang continued, “But I heard that my friend was ambushed and killed on the Hucha Road, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Was this your doing?”
The King of Fox Hu could hardly lift his head, wishing he could press it even lower. Not understanding what had happened, he hastily defended himself, “Your Highness, I know nothing of this matter!”
Li Fuxiang raised his Shenwu saber and tapped the King of Fox Hu’s head with its sheath. “I don’t care whether you know or not… Find my people. You have three days. I want to see them standing before me safe and sound.”
The King of Fox Hu had no choice but to agree.
With that, Li Fuxiang urged his horse forward, heading directly toward the royal court of Fox Hu.
The King of Fox Hu stood up, adjusted his crown, and wiped away the sweat on his head. He grabbed a nearby guard and asked, “Prince Xiang’s people? Did he bring an army?”
The guard looked utterly bewildered. “Your subordinate doesn’t know.”
Li Fuxiang headed straight toward the royal court. When the King of Fox Hu mounted his own horse, he almost fell off, embarrassing himself before his subjects but too pressed to care.
The citizens who had witnessed everything at the city gates were even more terrified than the King of Fox Hu.
—The god of slaughter had returned!
Back when Fox Hu desperately defended its city gates, nearly all the guards on the walls perished in battle. Blood flowed down the dirt ramparts like rivers. Even those hiding in their homes could see the carnage through cracks in their windows.
Although Li Fuxiang spared the civilians after breaking through the gates, the people of Fox Hu could not rest easy. They felt like fish on the chopping block, never knowing when the blade hanging over their heads might fall.
When Li Fuxiang entered the royal court of Fox Hu, it was as if he were stepping into his own home.
Though the King of Fox Hu had aged, two years of relative peace had allowed him to enjoy life. As Li Fuxiang strolled around the small royal court, he noticed a few unfamiliar faces—young and beautiful. Upon inquiry, he learned they were the new concubines the King of Fox Hu had taken this year.
Li Fuxiang declared that he would be staying at the royal court for a few days. He refused to stay in the guest chambers that had been prepared for him, instead demanding that the King of Fox Hu vacate his own bedchamber. Without a word of protest, the King of Fox Hu rolled up his belongings and left. The royal bed was replaced with fresh, soft bedding.
Once Li Fuxiang entered, it was as though he disappeared entirely.
Gao Yuexing had no idea what Li Fuxiang was doing in the King of Fox Hu’s city. All she knew was that the next day, the Fox Hu soldiers politely knocked on the doors of the Song Niang Inn, asking if there had been any sightings of travelers from the Central Plains.
Song Niang dealt with these soldiers with ease. With just a few words, she sent them away, leaving them with one clear message: they had seen the person the soldiers were looking for, but he had gone and not returned.
A flawless response.
The Fox Hu soldiers did not suspect a thing.
The ancient route along the Hucha Sea was sparsely populated, and the soldiers had no one else to ask. Day after day, they returned empty-handed. When Li Fuxiang was in a good mood, everything went smoothly. But if he was in a foul mood, it was inevitable that someone would suffer the consequences.
The King of Fox Hu had no choice but to begin an investigation.
Who, exactly, had acted on this ancient route and caused him such a tremendous problem?
It didn’t take long to uncover the truth. The trail led directly to Xumo’er.
Seeing his goal achieved, Li Fuxiang brushed his hands clean and left, departing in the dead of night without a single word. His silent exit left Fox Hu in endless fear and speculation.
That night, Gao Yuexing heard the sound of horse hooves. Without a second thought, she knew it was him returning.
So, deep into the night, she stepped out of the inn and greeted the dust-covered Li Fuxiang upon his return.
Li Fuxiang tossed his horse’s reins aside.
Gao Yuexing, gathering her sleeves, stepped forward. “How did it go?”
Li Fuxiang replied as he walked, “Align with one and sever from the other; strategy cannot serve two loyalties—conflict is inevitable. We can now sit back and watch the cats fight.”
A few days earlier, Gao Yuexing had cut away the necrotic flesh from the wound of Langdu and cooled it daily with ice. Landu, holding on by sheer will, had waited for Yaonu to arrive. When Yaonu inspected his injury, they wasted no time, immediately hitching a horse to bring Langdu back to the Medicine Valley for treatment.
One day, Gao Yuexing suddenly noticed an increased number of people around her. Upon observing their movements closely, she discerned traces of the Jinyiwei.
Everything indicated that a grand drama was about to unfold.
Four days later, news arrived.
A Fox Hu envoy went to question Xumo’er, only to be executed outside Xumo’er’s tent in broad daylight.
Xumo’er returned the tribute silver sent by Fox Hu completely untouched. When the King of Fox Hu opened the chests for inspection, they were filled entirely with yellow sand.
And there was more.
A niece of the King of Fox Hu, married to Xumo’er, had by chance reunited with her lover from Fox Hu. Overcome by passion, she betrayed her husband, Ru Zilin, with a public scandal.
Several incidents became entangled, growing increasingly chaotic.
Tensions between Fox Hu and Xumo’er began to show signs of erupting into open conflict.
But it wasn’t time yet.
The fire needed to be stoked while it was still hot—it couldn’t be allowed to die out.
At this critical moment, the Jinyiwei came into play.
A fabricated piece of news, prepared by Li Fuxiang long ago, was released. It claimed that His Highness Prince Xiang had already uncovered the truth behind the Medicine Valley ambush on the ancient Hucha route and was preparing to return to the capital to mobilize troops for a continued western campaign against Xumo’er.
Settling the score directly at the enemy’s doorstep was precisely the kind of thing Li Fuxiang would do.
At the same time, Li Fuxiang also sent a letter to Fox Hu, ordering them to be ready at any moment to assist the Great Xu Dynasty’s army in the western campaign against Xumo’er.
Between the Great Xu Dynasty and Xumo’er, there was always the barrier of the Fox Hu King’s city.
No matter who wanted to wage war, they had to first pass through Fox Hu.
Li Fuxiang and Gao Yuexing waited in the scorching desert until the start of autumn.
Finally, Xumo’er decided to crush Fox Hu and seize the critical chokepoint for themselves.
Fox Hu grew terrified.
Only when their lives were at stake did they feel true regret.
The King of Fox Hu sent a message to the Great Xu Dynasty, pleading for aid.
Along with the King of Fox Hu’s plea, another report reached the capital—this one from Li Fuxiang.
Li Fuxiang had obtained evidence of Fox Hu’s secret collusion with Xumo’er, revealing their attempt to betray the Great Xu Dynasty.
The emperor flew into a rage, condemning Fox Hu’s duplicity and declaring that the peace treaty between their two armies was null and void. The emperor refused to send troops to aid Fox Hu, leaving them to struggle on their own.
Gao Yuexing and Li Fuxiang began their journey back to the capital.
In the setting sun of the desert, their figures were bathed in brilliant rays as they headed toward the capital, one man, one horse, slowly making their way.
Gao Yuexing remarked, “I wonder when their war will come to an end.”
Li Fuxiang replied, “It won’t take a year.”
Gao Yuexing asked, “Why do you say that?”
Li Fuxiang explained, “Fox Hu’s defeat two years ago cost them not only 80,000 elite soldiers but also their only competent military commander, the crown prince. Without troops or generals, they’re already in a state of decline. Xumo’er, on the other hand, is thriving. The outcome of their war is already determined.”
Gao Yuexing voiced her concern, “But once Fox Hu is destroyed, there will be nothing standing between our western border and Xumo’er.”
Li Fuxiang said, “I’ve been considering using the natural terrain of Guifeng Corridor to build a fortress there—a stronghold to protect our people and land. But on second thought, if we build Guifeng Pass there, it will certainly make it harder for foreign forces to invade. However, it will also make it much more difficult for us to launch attacks outward.”
Gao Yuexing frowned, “You’re thinking of attacking outward?”
Li Fuxiang looked at her and countered, “Can you rest easy letting Xumo’er take over Fox Hu?”
Gao Yuexing fell silent.
She understood Xumo’er’s wolf-like ambitions better than anyone.
Li Fuxiang continued, “If we wait until they invade our western border, it will be too late. I need to find a way to subdue them first.”
Grinding his teeth, Li Fuxiang added, “They’ll be entangled in their war with Fox Hu for a while. No war leaves its participants unscathed. After the fighting, they’ll need time to recover. That gives us time to prepare. Once we return, I’ll strengthen the defenses on the western front.”
Gao Yuexing pulled a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Li Fuxiang, saying, “Strengthening the defenses is something you might not have time to oversee personally. You’ll have to find another way to arrange it. Here—an imperial decree from the emperor, ordering your immediate return to the capital.”
Li Fuxiang opened the letter. It contained only two scarlet characters: “Return Quickly”.
The emperor’s mood seemed less than pleasant when he wrote it.
Li Fuxiang glanced at the date in the corner.
It had been sent half a month ago.
After receiving the letter, Gao Yuexing held onto it for several days, only presenting it to Li Fuxiang after he had dealt with everything else.
Li Fuxiang asked, “Is he angry?”
Gao Yuexing replied, “Why are you asking me? How would I know?”
Li Fuxiang felt there was something off about Gao Yuexing’s tone, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. He folded the letter and tucked it into his chest, muttering, “Strange, what’s there to be angry about? Such a temper.”
Gao Yuexing glanced at his profile and smiled.
Her smile, bathed in the golden-red hues of the sunset, caught Li Fuxiang’s attention. He couldn’t look away, momentarily stunned.
Raising her riding whip, Gao Yuexing gave a sharp flick to Li Fuxiang’s horse’s flank, spurring it into a gallop. As her horse chased closely behind, she called out, “Let’s go. We’re going home.”