The bedraggled mbers of the Fire Order Squad and all of Zhu Ping’s followers clambered up from the ground, their faces alight with the joy of having survived a catastrophe. Ju Nanyi approached Master Qin Liang.
"Thank you—" Ju Nanyi’s voice wasn’t loud, and perhaps to everyone else it seed only natural for Master Qin Liang to lend a hand, but Ju Nanyi knew what such a magic artifact ant to Qin Liang, and that he might never encounter one of such high rank again in his lifeti.
"It’s what I should do," Master Qin Liang finally noticed Ju Nanyi and started to feel sowhat uneasy, "That was originally Master Ling Yi’s property. When we return to Qiandao Temple, please, Lord Ju..."
"Certainly—" Ju Nanyi interrupted before the other could finish, his response imdiate and without hesitation, but before he could say more, a chorus of horrified cries arose from behind him. The ease that had settled over the camp following their recent brush with death vanished in an instant. Ju Nanyi turned around imdiately, his heart sinking as he saw not a re dozen, but a whole horde of dark figures slowly approaching.
Silence fell over the camp, so profound that no sound could be heard. The appearance of this group of black shadows had blanked the minds of all present, as if the road to death itself had unfolded before their eyes.
General Ling stepped forward. This man, who had faced countless battles without so much as furrowing his brow, whose tall stature could bolster the morale of all the Northwest Border’s soldiers, was now silent, his thoughts occupied only by his n from the Northwest Border.
Ju Nanyi stood motionless, realizing for the first ti that in his past life, when he had reached the half-way point and encountered the remnants of the Northwest Border, the few words describing the heavy setback and the General’s misfortune now bore an imnse weight.
For the first ti, Ju Nanyi felt the lives of the tens of thousands of Northwest Border soldiers behind him in the camp, not just the few thousand survivors he had gradually taken charge of, nor the additional few thousand who had escaped back from beyond the borders.
Moreover, these n had almost all beco his loyal followers in the days to co.
"To all soldiers—heed my command," General Ling began slowly, his words carrying across the icy expanse, as every gaze turned to him. "The First and Second Battalions stay in the camp. The Third Battalion, move out imdiately to et the forces beyond the borders and recall all soldiers."
"Yes—" ca a uniform response. The Fourth and Fifth Battalions, which had not been nad, grew anxious, wondering what their role would be. Why hadn’t the General given them an assignnt?
Suddenly, General Ling turned and walked towards Ju Nanyi.
"Lord Ju, you will take the Fourth and Fifth Battalions along with the mages and leave from the rear," General Ling said. Although their acquaintance was brief, he had recognized an extraordinary calmness in Ju Nanyi.
Ju Nanyi did not imdiately agree. The soldiers he had received from the Northwest Border had been from the Fourth and Fifth Battalions, n of exceptional quality who could tackle ten foes each. And with Zhu Ping’s forces, as well as a portion of the Imperial Forest Guard, incorporated into these battalions, their departure would an...
General Ling suddenly stepped forward and spoke.
"When the Northwest Border was divided into battalions, those who were the only sons and without heirs were grouped into the Fourth and Fifth Battalions. Lord Ju, they are in your hands now." Ju Nanyi trembled, looking straight at General Ling.
Without turning back, General Ling continued to address Ju Nanyi, but now in a voice that wasn’t ant for just the two of them.
"Lord Ju, the lives of all the Northwest Border’s soldiers are now in your hands. Only with you leading the Fourth and Fifth Battalions to find reinforcents can our n of the Northwest Border be safe."
"General, we won’t leave—" Zhu Ping stepped forward, insisting he couldn’t abandon them at such a ti. Of all those in the Northwest Border, only his n could face the Ghoul Ravine.
General Ling cast a cold glance at Zhu Ping.
"You stay behind, but your soldiers must ensure Lord Ju’s safe departure. Only if Lord Ju safely reaches the Crown Prince can we be saved."
Zhu Ping, confused, saw the General gesture to the dark figures slowly encroaching in the distance.
Looking over, Zhu Ping realized sothing terrifying, for they were not solely people from the Ghoul Ravine; or rather—more accurately—not just them, but also forces of the Marquis of Zhenbei.
"The Marquis of Zhenbei?" Zhu Ping blurted out.
"It’s the soldiers from the Northern Border—" Bao Xing also blurted out at the sa ti, because the grand flag of the Marquis of Zhenbei had already erged from the mist, clearly appearing in everyone’s line of sight.
"It’s the Northern Border—"
"They—" Soone had just uttered two words and imdiately clamped their mouth shut. In the dead of night, first, there was the sudden attack by the Ghoul Ravine, followed by the encirclent by the people from the Northern Border, naturally, it was nothing good.
"Lord Ju—" General Ling looked towards Ju Nanyi at this mont, waiting for the man’s response.
Upon seeing this, Ju Nanyi nodded firmly.
"Zhu Ping—" Yu Yuan took a step forward, faintly guessing General Ling’s intent. You silly boy, follow us..., you’re not originally from the Northwest Border.
Zhu Ping’s expression was resolute, giving Yu Yuan a firm look, the aning was self-evident.
"Fourth Battalion, Fifth Battalion on my command." Imdiately, hundreds of soldiers took a uniform step forward, eyes straight ahead.
"Your duty is to escort Lord Ju back to Zheng Capital, report our current situation to the Crown Prince, and ensure Lord Ju’s safety at all costs, following his commands."
"Yes—" The voices answered in unison.
Ju Nanyi decisively led his n towards the rear camp, yet the footsteps of the hundreds were strikingly light. Under the cover of the night, they directly retreated to the rear.
General Ling cast a glance at his trusted aide, Bao Xing nodded, his gaze fearless, and the soldiers lined up behind him, quietly waiting for this mont to arrive.
As the Black Shadow drew near, the leading figure of the Marquis of Zhenbei entered everyone’s vision.
General Ling let out a cold laugh and took a step forward, his solitary figure seemingly possessing the might of a thousand.
"Marquis—"
The Marquis of Zhenbei, suddenly coming across General Ling, showed a hint of surprise, his gaze involuntarily scanning his surroundings.
General Ling knew his suspicions were more or less confird, yet his face remained composed.
"What is the Marquis looking for? Those from Ghoul Ravine who have been burned to ashes?" General Ling extended his hand and pointed. Not far away, where black smoke still lingered, the burnt corpses of the Ghoul Ravine’s ghosts and Black Shadow People could be vaguely seen.
The Marquis of Zhenbei coldly watched General Ling; he too saw the bodies of the soldiers from the Northwest Border lying on the ground. It seed like a fierce battle had taken place. Although he found the General’s survival against the Ghost Shadows of Ghoul Ravine surprising, he thought that General Ling indeed had so skills. But, what of that?
"General Ling, you must have guessed by now," the Marquis of Zhenbei said bluntly. "Emperor Jingzhi has passed away. I’m giving you a chance to surrender now. The Fourth Prince is the Child of Heavenly Selection and will eventually take the throne."
"Marquis of Zhenbei, that’s the most hilarious joke I’ve heard in my life," General Ling imdiately burst out laughing, and his laughter quickly spread, filling the entire camp with it.
Seeing this reaction, the Marquis of Zhenbei looked sternly at the man before him.
"If that is so, General Ling, it seems you’d rather face the punishnt than honor the toast." He had intended to spare the General’s life, yet the man was set on courting death.
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