Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 363 - 362. Night Exploration, the Entire Army was Annihilated

Chapter 363: 362. Night Exploration, the Entire Army was Annihilated

362. A Night Investigation, Full-Force Annihilation

Deep into the night, a group of agile men clad in black stealthily infiltrated the Mo Family Army camp. Although this was not the main commander’s base where Prince Ding would station himself, it was only about twenty miles away from the main base, forming a strategic pincer formation, deeply connected. This was also where the majority of the food provisions were stored, acting as a supply depot for the frontline Mo Family Army. The strictness of its defense was naturally self-evident. However, these individuals managed to infiltrate without alerting anyone, a testament to their exceptional abilities.

Inside the silent camp, all the soldiers had already fallen asleep, except for the patrolling soldiers moving back and forth. In the darkness of the night, only the occasional cawing of night ravens could be heard, creating a subtle sense of unease.

The leader of the group raised his hand to stop those behind him from proceeding further. After a vigilant look around, he hurriedly whispered, "We’ve been discovered, withdraw!"

The others in the group were taken aback. Before they could respond, a silver rain of arrows pierced the air.

"Withdraw!" The men in black were also highly skilled and scattered in all directions almost simultaneously. The military camp immediately blazed with light. A man in black walked out from the darkness, a cold sneer playing on his lips. "Since you’ve come, don’t bother leaving. Pursue!"

From various hidden locations within the vast camp, countless black figures flashed past, pursuing the fleeing men in black.

These infiltrating men in black did not flee directly. Instead, they scattered in all directions, with many heading towards the area where military supplies were stored. Clearly, their intention was to destroy a significant portion of the Mo Family Army’s supplies. It is well known that before the three armies move, provisions and fodder go first. In this era, when two armies clashed, besides combat strength and the Art of War, they competed in terms of provisions. Without provisions, even the most formidable army in the world would only end up starving to death.

Their calculations were well-laid, but how could the Mo Family Army, established for centuries, not have considered this problem? Just as they charged into the area where provisions were stored, they were surrounded by a group of equally mysterious men in black. Both sides engaged in combat without a word.

Not far from the camp, on a hidden highland, Xu Qingfeng, dressed in black, stood by the cliff’s edge, his face as grim as water as he gazed at the camp below. Standing beside him were the usually unrestrained Han Mingxi and the elegant Han Mingyue brothers. Behind them stood a group of men in black, also watching the distant, fire-lit camp with predatory eyes.

"This is quite a place," Han Mingxi said to Xu Qingfeng with a grin. He and Han Mingyue had been ordered to escort provisions here and hadn’t expected to witness such a good show.

Han Mingyue, seemingly lost in thought, said faintly, "These people... their methods seem somewhat similar to Qilin’s."

Xu Qingfeng said arrogantly, "They are merely picking up scraps of others’ wisdom. It’s easy to draw a tiger’s skin but hard to draw its bones. For the Beirong people to achieve this much is quite commendable. Since they initiated the provocation, it seems unreasonable not to teach them a lesson. Men!"

"Commander." A man in black stepped forward from behind, bowing to receive orders.

Xu Qingfeng said, "There is a Beirong military camp sixty miles from here. You might as well go and have some fun."

"Your subordinate obeys!" the man in black replied clearly. With a wave of his hand, he led several dozen men in black, disappearing into the night.

The others said no more, looking down from their high vantage point at the camp below. This place looked unremarkable, but standing on the cliff, one could take in the entire camp at a glance. Thus, no matter how capable those Beirong men were, how could they escape the eyes of Qilin?

"They are about to withdraw." The Beirong men below clearly knew the situation was untenable, and they were originally sent to probe. Burning the Mo Family Army’s provisions would naturally be good; if not, it didn’t matter. Seeing they couldn’t gain the upper hand, they immediately prepared to withdraw.

Xu Qingfeng stroked his chin and smiled, "Since they were sent to probe us, letting one go back is enough. Kill all the others." Han Mingxi, standing to one side, couldn’t help but twitch his lips. Letting one go back was more humiliating for the Beirong people than letting none return. It was clearly telling the Beirong people: You sent men to scout us out? I’ll let one return to report. We are not afraid of your scouting. He had originally thought that among the Xu brothers, this Xu Qingfeng was the kindest at heart. He hadn’t expected him to be no good sort either.

As the Beirong men tried to flee, Qilin members strategically let them out. However, they didn’t just let them go; instead, they moved the battlefield outside the main camp. The more than twenty men in black were soon split up, each fighting alone. In less than one hour, the brightly lit camp returned to tranquility.

In the darkness, three men in black frantically fled towards the Beirong main camp. On such a moonless night, though there was some starlight, it was insufficient to light the path ahead. The three ran through the forest, choosing their path recklessly in their panic, and inadvertently lost their way.

Stopping to look back, they only breathed a slight sigh of relief when it seemed no pursuers were following. One of them couldn’t help but say, "I didn’t expect these Central Plains people to be so formidable!" They had been meticulously trained by Helian Zhen and Helian Peng over several years, making them far more elite and robust than ordinary Beirong soldiers. Beirong people respected strength, and these warriors of the Yazi Army usually looked down on common-born Beirong soldiers, let alone the Central Plains people, whom they had always considered weak. Yet, they hadn’t expected that in tonight’s first battle for the Yazi, forget about one against several, even one-on-one they couldn’t gain much advantage and were even slightly suppressed.

"That’s just the Central Plains people being cunning and setting up an ambush beforehand!" another man retorted, refusing to admit defeat. His skills were superior to the others, and he hadn’t suffered a disadvantage when fighting the Mo Family Army earlier. It was merely that their side had fewer men, forcing them to flee. Naturally, he refused to admit defeat.

The remaining man couldn’t help frowning. "I think we’re lost. It’s better to return to camp quickly."

The other two nodded in agreement. They had been running in this forest for over two hours yet still hadn’t found a way out; they were clearly lost in the forest.

"The dignified elite Yazi of Beirong, actually getting lost? Truly laughable!" In the forest, a hearty laugh emanated from the darkness, yet it was elusive, making it impossible to pinpoint the source of the voice.

The three men’s expressions changed simultaneously. "Who’s there?!"

"How do you know about the Yazi?!" The Yazi was Helian Zhen’s secret trump card. Not to mention outsiders, even the King of Beirong and Yelv Ye were unaware of it beforehand. They hadn’t expected the other party to reveal their identity with a single sentence.

The person laughed. "Any barbarian who dares to set foot in the Central Plains, how could my Mo Family Army not know of them?"

"Qilin?!" the three exclaimed in unison, their eyes vigilantly staring into the empty darkness.

"Precisely Qilin. Weren’t you all eager to witness the prowess of our Qilin? Why are you leaving now?" the figure in the darkness chuckled.

The leading man in black said sharply, "If you have the guts, come out and fight! Do you Central Plains people only know how to sneak around and hide?"

The man in the darkness sneered coldly. "Just about to deal with you!" A black shadow shot out like a streak of light. Before the three Beirong men could clearly see the attacker’s appearance, the leading man felt a chill on his neck. An icy hand was gripping his throat. With a slight exertion of force, the Beirong man’s throat made a gurgling sound, and he fell to the ground, lifeless.

The remaining two Beirong men roared in anger and lunged at the black shadow. The black shadow snorted lightly. A cold light flashed, and a gleaming soft sword danced dazzling patterns in the night. In but a moment, another man fell to the ground, motionless. The last remaining Beirong man was almost scared out of his wits. Anyone who is human fears death. Even if Beirong people are more valiant than Central Plains people, it doesn’t mean they are necessarily less afraid of death. On a battlefield, during a clash between two armies, perhaps life and death could be disregarded. But at this moment, in the pitch-black night, facing this mysterious and unfathomable black shadow, with the bodies of his two comrades lying beside him, the Beirong man, who had already been fleeing for over two hours, finally had a mental breakdown. He roared in rage, disregarding tactics or the disparity in strength, and simply lunged madly at the black shadow. The black shadow sneered coldly, spun around to appear behind the Beirong man, and struck his nape with a palm. The frenzied Beirong man immediately crumpled to the ground. The forest returned to silence.

The man in black sheathed his soft sword and walked out of the forest. Outside the forest, Xu Qingfeng, Han Mingxi, and the others were already waiting. Emerging from the dark forest, a handsome and resolute face was revealed under the starlight. Who else could it be but Zhuo Jing?

Han Mingxi leaned against a tree trunk, yawned lazily, and said, "Just three little runaway thieves. Was it necessary for Princess Consort Ding’s most capable and trusted aide to personally take action? Making a mountain out of a molehill."

Zhuo Jing ignored Han Mingxi’s sarcasm and said indifferently, "The Princess Consort merely wanted to know the true strength of these individuals."

Xu Qingfeng asked with some curiosity, "And how was it?" They had observed the entire battle from beginning to end tonight and could naturally see that the individual strength of these men was not far inferior to Qilin’s. They were indeed worthy of being trained by Helian Zhen over several years with countless efforts.

Zhuo Jing smiled. "Their skills are decent, but they are far lacking in other aspects. In Qilin’s training, individual skill is naturally very important, but it’s not absolute. There are also some in Qilin whose skills are only slightly better than ordinary soldiers, but they possess specialties that others cannot match. Moreover, Qilin excels in coordinated team operations. If surrounded by them, even a top-tier master in the world would likely find it difficult to escape. Additionally, there is training in various practical skills. Something like the Beirong men getting lost in the forest tonight would absolutely never happen to a member of Qilin."

Furthermore, the psychological resilience of these Beirong men was far inferior to the outstanding quality of Qilin members. In recent years, under the leadership of Qin Feng and others, Qilin has gradually developed a standardized system. Every officially selected member is one who has distinguished themselves from various desperate situations. They only become stronger when facing stronger opponents, and remain even calmer in perilous situations rather than succumbing to pointless frenzy.

Xu Qingfeng nodded. "That’s good. Let’s head back too."

「Early morning, as the sky began to lighten.」

Helian Peng and Yelv Ye sat in the main tent, awaiting news. Yelv Ye’s sword-like brows were slightly furrowed, a hint of apprehension in his heart. Ever since the war with the Mo Family Army began, he had always been vaguely worried about Ye Li’s Qilin. Although Qilin had made no moves, their reputation for striking true and never failing always cast a shadow of unease in his heart. If Helian Peng’s Yazi could restrain Qilin, his apprehensions when conducting military campaigns would naturally be much lessened.

Looking at the sky outside, which was brightening but not yet fully lit, Yelv Ye sighed with some disappointment. "It seems it’s not going to work."

Helian Peng’s face, however, showed no anxiety. He said calmly, "Your Highness need not worry. That these men would fail was within expectations. If the Mo Family Army couldn’t even handle such a small incident, they would be far too vulnerable. This time, your subordinate merely wanted to ascertain the true strength of the Mo Family Army’s Qilin."

Hearing Helian Peng say this, Yelv Ye also relaxed, saying, "It’s good that you have a plan in mind, Helian. Though Ye Li is a woman, she is no easier to deal with than Mo Xiuyao. Helian, you must be extremely careful."

"Oh?" Helian Peng looked at Yelv Ye with some surprise, quite taken aback that Yelv Ye placed such importance on Ye Li. Although, even if Yelv Ye hadn’t said anything, he would never have underestimated Ye Li.

Yelv Ye smiled somewhat bitterly and shook his head. "I only figured it out these past two days. Ren Qining’s defeat at Ye Li’s hands... I’m afraid Ye Li had already begun scheming when Ren Qining first arrived in Licheng. These were matters Mo Xiuyao and Xu Qingchen could not interfere with. And back then, when Ye Li defeated Lei Zhenting in the Northwest, many said it was an accident. But as a saying in their Central Plains goes, many accidents piled together are likely no longer accidents, but premeditated."

Helian Peng nodded in agreement. "Your Highness is correct. In the past two years, your subordinate has also carefully studied the beginning and end of the battle where Ye Li defeated Lei Zhenting. It was clear that Ye Li deliberately feigned weakness, luring Lei Zhenting’s army deep into her territory, then cut off his supply lines from behind. She even sacrificed Xinyang City to annihilate the most elite forces of the Xiling army. Lei Zhenting’s defeat was indeed not unjust. Princess Consort Ding, a mere woman, lacks nothing in vision, cunning, decisiveness, or courage. If not for being constrained by her gender, there would likely be another contender for supremacy in the Central Plains."

Both fell silent for a moment. Thinking about the current situation, they couldn’t help but lament that the Central Plains was truly a land of outstanding talents. For Beirong to conquer the Central Plains, the road ahead was indeed difficult.

"Reporting to the Prince, General Helian, the men dispatched last night have returned," a voice reported from outside the tent.

Yelv Ye couldn’t help but stand up and ask, "How many returned?"

The guard outside hesitated for a moment before replying, "Reporting to Your Highness, only one."

"One?" Not only Yelv Ye, but even Helian Peng was somewhat astonished. Although they had discussed that the Yazi would inevitably be defeated tonight, serving as a lesson to these arrogant subordinates. But even Helian Peng hadn’t anticipated that only one would return alive. He had originally thought that even if these men couldn’t defeat the Mo Family Army or complete the mission, they should at least be able to escape back.

"Have him come in!" Helian Peng said in a deep voice.

Shortly after, a man in black, disheveled and with a bleak expression, walked in and knelt before Yelv Ye and Helian Peng. "Your subordinate greets the Prince and the General."

Helian Peng frowned and asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

The man in black recounted the previous night’s events in detail. It turned out this man was the last one knocked unconscious by Zhuo Jing in the forest. Zhuo Jing hadn’t struck him too heavily at the time, so he woke up not long after. He stumbled out of the forest and returned to the Beirong main camp when the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Helian Peng’s and Yelv Ye’s expressions became even uglier. This wasn’t a case of one man escaping back; this last one was clearly let go deliberately by the Mo Family Army to deliver a message. After the man in black finished speaking, Helian Peng stood up, drew his saber, and slashed the man’s neck in a reverse stroke. The man in black’s eyes widened abruptly, and he fell to the ground, dead but with his eyes open. He hadn’t died at the hands of the enemy, but ultimately at the hands of the one who had personally trained him.

Helian Peng casually wiped the blood from his saber and said coldly, "Since you are the only one left, there’s no need for you to go back." Last night, although he had intended to suppress the arrogance and pride of these men, such a crushing defeat was not just a lesson but a complete blow to their morale. If he were allowed to return to the Yazi, and these matters spread, it would inevitably cause the Yazi, from top to bottom, to develop an innate sense of fear towards the Mo Family Army and Qilin, which would be very detrimental to the war effort. A saying from the Central Plains is indeed correct: the ignorant are fearless.

"Reporting to Your Highness, General Ye He sent a messenger to report that his camp was attacked last night. Two granaries were burned!" a soldier hurried in from outside to report.

Yelv Ye’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and spat out, "Qilin!"

Helian Peng lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Returning the favor so quickly? Truly worthy of the Mo Family Army."

Yelv Ye said coldly, "Helian, I don’t care what methods you use, you must eliminate Qilin for me as soon as possible! Otherwise, they will sooner or later become a major affliction for me!" Compared to the Mo Family Army, provisions were even more crucial for the Beirong army. Even if the Mo Family Army’s provisions were gone, they could still manage to gather them from other places. The territory currently controlled by Prince Ding’s Mansion spanned the lands of the former Great Chu and Xiling. Its area was not much smaller than that of the original Great Chu. Even though it didn’t include places like Jiangnan, known as the granary of Great Chu, gathering provisions for a mere few hundred thousand troops was as easy as flipping a hand. But looking at the Beirong army, the Beirong royal court was thousands of miles away from Great Chu, and Beirong itself did not produce grain. They could only plunder from the commoners inside the border pass. However, when they first entered the pass, a large portion of the northern populace was killed by them. After these two years, it could be said that not even one in ten of the northern populace remained. Where would there be so much grain for them to plunder? Although only two small granaries were lost, it still made Yelv Ye furious and enraged.

Helian Peng replied, "Seventh Prince, please rest assured."

"I hope you will not disappoint me," Yelv Ye said in a deep voice.

「At the Mo Family Army camp.」

Upon hearing Zhuo Jing’s report, Ye Li couldn’t help but smile. "This Helian Peng is somewhat interesting."

Mo Xiuyao snorted unhappily. "What’s so interesting about him? If I had the effort he spent on those things that only grasp the form but not the meaning, I could have trained several hundred thousand elite soldiers." In this era, there was no concept of special operations. Apart from Ye Li, naturally, no one could summarize a self-contained operational direction, combat theory, practice, and training methods. In Mo Xiuyao’s opinion, Helian Peng’s so-called Yazi was perhaps even inferior to the original shadow guards of Prince Ding’s Mansion. The most important thing was that Helian Peng had no clear idea what the Yazi was actually for. Now it seemed it was purely to oppose Qilin, but they were no match for Qilin, meaning Helian Zhen and Helian Peng had wasted a great deal of effort.

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Since Helian Peng has such intentions, he is clearly targeting me. Let me deal with this rising star general of Beirong."

Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. When He Su arrives, let him continue to follow you. Also, Yun Ting, Chen Yun, you two will also accompany the Princess Consort."

"Yes, Prince." Yun Ting and Chen Yun stepped out from the crowd and bowed in response. Yun Ting was originally brought back to the Mo Family Army by Ye Li from under Murong Shen in Yonglin. Chen Yun also greatly admired this young Princess Consort. With Mo Xiuyao’s order, both naturally agreed happily.

Ye Li nodded in agreement. The generals below exchanged glances, gaining a deeper understanding of Ye Li’s status. He Su was originally a shadow guard by Princess Consort Ding’s side and now commanded an army of 300,000. He was in no way inferior to the other veteran generals in Prince Ding’s Mansion. This time, he had followed Princess Consort Ding to pacify the Northern Territory, yet the Prince still had He Su follow the Princess Consort, clearly intending to give full authority over He Su and his troops to the Princess Consort, making them Princess Consort Ding’s de facto personal troops. What was the most important thing in this world? Naturally, it was military power. The Prince was willing to share even military power with the Princess Consort; what else would he not give her?

Currently, Prince Ding’s Mansion and Beirong were in a full-scale war. The entire battlefield stretched from outside Feihong Pass to the vicinity of the Capital of Great Chu. The entire front line occupied more than half of the northern part of the former Great Chu and naturally couldn’t be confined to one area. The Mo Family Army was also divided into left, central, and right wings. The right-wing army was commanded by Ye Li, stationed at Lingjiu Mountain near Feihong Pass. The left-wing army was led by Lv Jinxian, occupying Liangcheng City, a hundred miles from the Capital of Great Chu. And Mo Xiuyao was stationed with the Central Army, commanding the Mo Family Army’s central main camp. Therefore, Ye Li, having just returned from the Northern Territory and rested for only a few days, had to depart again.

If Ye Li wished, she could naturally stay with Mo Xiuyao in the main camp. Even if Ye Li did nothing from now on, no one in the Mo Family Army would have any complaints about this Princess Consort. But Ye Li was unwilling to do so. Her desire to command on the battlefield was not originally to gain the approval of the Mo Family Army, but because she herself enjoyed it. Even after living a second life, the heroic spirit ingrained in her bones from her military family background had never faded. So, everyone felt that Princess Consort Ding appeared like a scholarly and talented lady, but her actions were more like those of a descendant of a general’s family.

「Outside the Mo Family Army camp.」

Zhuo Jing, Qin Feng and others stood far away looking at the sky and the ground, but deliberately avoided looking at their brilliant, martial, and world-defying His Highness Prince Ding not far away.

Lin Han looked at the sky, rubbed his nose, and signaled Qin Feng with his eyes: Are we leaving or not? It’s getting dark.

Qin Feng rubbed his nose and rolled his eyes: How would I know?

Zhuo Jing, with eyes on his nose and nose aligned with his heart, thought: If we can’t leave today, we’ll leave tomorrow. Neither the Prince nor the Princess Consort is anxious, so why should we be?

Feng Zhiyao, who had come to see them off, glanced somewhat awkwardly at a certain person nearby. He decisively concluded that his relationship with Qin Feng and the others was better than his relationship with Princess Consort Ding, so it was better to see them off. The four looked at each other, their faces expressionless, but in their hearts, they were all grumbling: What sins did I commit in my past life to be enslaved by such a person for the better part of this one? If outsiders saw this, I’d lose all my face!

Meanwhile, Ye Li looked helplessly at a certain someone staring at her with puppy-dog eyes and sighed, "Xiuyao, I should be going."

Mo Xiuyao said somewhat plaintively, "Ah-Li, you’ve only just returned. Can’t you stay in the Central Army with me? How about I have Marquis South go to Lingjiu Mountain instead?"

Ye Li said softly, "We already agreed on this."

"Agreements can be reneged upon. I regret it now," Mo Xiuyao said brazenly. "I’ll issue an order right now for Marquis South and his son to rush to Lingjiu Mountain immediately."

Ye Li rolled her eyes heavenward. What on earth is with this habit of acting spoiled whenever he feels like it? I’ve never seen him act so abnormally in front of others. "Are you the same age as Mo Xiaobao? Even Mo Xiaobao doesn’t go back on his word like you do. Be good... Once we quickly defeat the Beirong people, everything will be fine."

Mo Xiuyao held her in his arms and said sullenly, "Ah-Li, you’re deceiving me. After finishing off the Beirong people, there’s still Lei Zhenting, and maybe even Mo Jingli. Why don’t they just die!" A scarlet glint flashed in the eyes buried in Ye Li’s shoulder as Mo Xiuyao spoke gloomily.

Ye Li sighed softly. "They will die. Stop fussing, I really should go."

After much coaxing, Mo Xiuyao finally let Ye Li go. His expression was gloomy as he watched her mount her horse and ride off. Feng Zhiyao, standing beside him, couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath. "Prince, it’s not the Princess Consort’s first time leaving. There’s no need for such a sorrowful parting, is there?" The most important thing is, you casually subverting your image like this... forget subordinates, even for a buddy like me who grew up with you, it’s hard to accept!

"Humph! If you have time for jokes, you’d better hurry up and kill Yelv Ye for me!" Mo Xiuyao shot Feng Zhiyao a cool glance, snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and strode away, devoid of the harmless demeanor he had shown before Ye Li.

Feng Zhiyao grunted, clutching his chest, and shook his head with a helpless, bitter smile. Truly a case of prioritizing romance over friendship. If you’re upset, there’s no need to vent it on an innocent bystander like me. If you didn’t want the Princess Consort to leave, you shouldn’t have agreed in the first place! Feng Zhiyao grumbled inwardly but could only follow resignedly. Who asked me to be unlucky and make such a poor choice of friend?

「Ye Li and her party left the Mo Family Army camp and galloped towards the Lingjiu Mountain camp.」

This place was not only the closest to Feihong Pass but also the closest to the region controlled by Lei Zhenting. Lei Zhenting had hundreds of thousands of soldiers deployed on the border. Although Xiling was currently preoccupied with its own affairs, no one could predict whether Lei Zhenting would intervene when the Mo Family Army and Beirong were at the height of their conflict. The reason Ye Li was personally stationed here was to be able to respond to any unexpected developments.

Lingjiu Mountain was over two hundred miles from the Mo Family Army’s Central Army camp. Even if Ye Li’s party rode at full speed, they would only arrive by evening at the earliest. However, with soldiers stationed in the camp and Veteran General Yuan Pei at Feihong Pass, Ye Li and her group were not in a rush.

The group rode onward, heading towards Lingjiu Mountain at a steady pace. Upon reaching a mountain stream, Qin Feng, who was in the lead, suddenly pulled his reins. The galloping steed, abruptly reined in, neighed and reared, its front legs pawing the air. It spun a few times in place before stopping. Naturally, Ye Li and the others following him also stopped.

"Which friend is ahead? Please show yourself," Qin Feng called out, his voice echoing strangely in the mountain ravine.

"HAHA... Princess Consort Ding, I have long admired your great name. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation." From the mountain path ahead, a young man in battle armor, wielding a long saber, and exuding an air of formidable prowess, emerged. He laughed heartily and cupped his hands in salute towards Ye Li.

Ye Li’s brow furrowed slightly. She urged her horse forward and smiled faintly, "General Helian, a pleasure to meet you."

The smile on Helian Peng’s face slightly receded. "Princess Consort Ding has sharp eyes."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Who else but General Helian would dare to lead troops to block the way in territory controlled by my Mo Family Army? Has General Helian brought his Yazi with him today as well?"

Hearing Ye Li’s words, a muscle in the corner of Helian Peng’s eye twitched. Last time, he had underestimated the Mo Family Army’s strength, resulting in the complete annihilation of the men he sent out. Although it was only a few dozen men sent for reconnaissance, being probed to the point of complete annihilation was hardly a glorious battle record. He said in a deep voice, "I have indeed brought the Yazi. However, it seems the Princess Consort has not brought Qilin. Truly regrettable. Does the Princess Consort believe that because this area is controlled by the Mo Family Army, there is no danger whatsoever, and she can travel unhindered?"

"How would this Consort dare to think so? Even when one sits at home, disaster can still come knocking. But this Consort cannot, because of this, never step out of the door again, can I? Wouldn’t that be like giving up eating for fear of choking?" Ye Li laughed.

Helian Peng thoughtfully sized up the woman in white before him. Compared to Beirong women, Central Plains women were known for not showing their age. In Beirong, Ye Li’s appearance would suggest she was merely seventeen or eighteen. Dressed in simple, snow-white attire, her raven-black hair was casually tied up. In the gentle breeze, her white clothes fluttered, and her hair danced lightly, making her resemble the Snow Mountain Saintess from ancient legends.

"Since I have come, today I wish to invite the Princess Consort to be a guest in the Beirong camp. I hope the Princess Consort will grant me the honor," Helian Peng said in a deep voice.

Hearing this, the gazes Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing, and the others directed at Helian Peng grew several shades more somber and fierce. Several of them urged their horses forward, shielding Ye Li. Helian Peng, unfazed by this, laughed heartily. With a wave of his hand, a group of men in black emerged from the mountain path. A quick glance revealed there were at least a hundred of them. Helian Peng looked at Ye Li and said earnestly, "I implore the Princess Consort to grant me the honor."

Qin Feng sneered. "Just with these few people, you wish to take the Princess Consort away? Your Excellency is a bit too arrogant."

"Oh?" Helian Peng raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over Qin Feng and the others. "And who might these gentlemen be?" He could naturally tell from their aura that Qin Feng and the others were definitely not ordinary guards. Unfortunately, the Beirong intelligence was far less accurate than the Mo Family Army’s; they couldn’t even recognize the few most trusted individuals around Ye Li.

Qin Feng said indifferently, "Nameless individuals, not worthy of General Helian’s inquiry. However, if General Helian wishes to invite the Princess Consort as a guest, he will have to get past us first."

Helian Peng grinned. "Is that so? In that case... advance!"

The men in black behind him received the command and immediately moved to encircle Ye Li and her party. Qin Feng, Lin Han, and others charged forward, while Zhuo Jing retreated to Ye Li’s side, not making a move. Ye Li had brought only a little over ten people with her, including Qin Feng, Yun Ting, and Chen Yun. Engaging with Helian Peng’s hundred-plus men was naturally somewhat strenuous. However, these were elites among elites, each one chosen out of a hundred. They surprisingly managed to withstand so many opponents and did not fall into a disadvantageous position.

Seeing this, even Helian Peng couldn’t help his expression changing slightly. He didn’t know if these men were specially dispatched by Mo Xiuyao to protect Ye Li, or if the Mo Family Army’s combat strength was generally this formidable. If it was the latter, then the outlook for the Beirong army was worrisome.

"Truly the elite of the Mo Family Army, their skills are indeed extraordinary," Helian Peng praised loudly. "Princess Consort, even if your men are formidable, I’m afraid they cannot withstand so many of mine. Why let your subordinates sacrifice themselves in vain? I am sincerely inviting the Princess Consort to be a guest in Beirong. Why not grant me this favor?" Helian Peng’s features were not exceptionally handsome, but he possessed a fierce, brave aura rarely seen in Central Plains men. Yet, he spoke such refined words, creating a strangely incongruous feeling.

Ye Li smiled faintly. "General Helian seems very interested in this Consort’s Qilin?"

Helian Peng raised an eyebrow and smiled. "To be honest, I am indeed very interested. The Princess Consort has trained such a mysterious force, whose combat power even surpasses the Mo Family Army’s ace, the Black Cloud Cavalry. How could I not be thoroughly impressed? I truly wish to seek some guidance from the Princess Consort." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Ye Li nodded. "Since that’s the case, this Consort will show you... how Qilin should be used." Before her voice had faded, Ye Li raised her fair hand. SWISH! A sharp whistling sound pierced the air as a streak of green light shot towards the sky, instantly exploding into emerald fireworks. A moment later, emerald fireworks also rose from two other nearby locations simultaneously.

Helian Peng’s expression darkened. He said coldly, "How can Qilin be here? Did the Princess Consort predict beforehand that I would be waiting here?" Those two fireworks were clearly Mo Family Army members responding to Ye Li’s summons; those who used such methods were most likely Qilin.

Ye Li shook her head and smiled. "Does the General think this Consort can truly divine the future? The use of Qilin is to be: anytime, anywhere, omnipresent. This place is still a battlefield; how could they be absent?"

Helian Peng sneered. Compared to Qilin, his Yazi troops were indeed somewhat lacking. But no matter... "Then, Princess Consort, why don’t you see if they can arrive in time to save you!" After speaking, Helian Peng leaped up and lunged towards Ye Li opposite him. Surprisingly, Helian Peng, unlike typical Beirong individuals who only valued external skills, had also cultivated Central Plains internal energy, and it appeared his proficiency was considerable. At least, with Ye Li’s discernment, she couldn’t gauge his depth.

Zhuo Jing, beside Ye Li, leaped up and flew to meet him. The two clashed in mid-air, exchanging over a dozen moves in an instant before both landed. Zhuo Jing’s expression turned slightly grim. Helian Peng’s martial prowess was higher than he had expected. Ordinarily, if he joined forces with Qin Feng and Lin Han, they might not be without a chance of victory, but that was not possible now.

Helian Peng was also quite confident in his own martial arts. He had fought against the Mo Family Army several times before and had not met a match, although Mo Xiuyao had not taken action. Yet, he hadn’t expected to be intercepted by a seemingly inconspicuous guard. With a cold smile, Helian Peng praised, "Good skill."

Zhuo Jing remained silent, his gaze fixed steadily on Helian Peng.

Helian Peng snorted lightly and smiled. "A pity, still a bit lacking." After saying this, he ignored Zhuo Jing and once again lunged towards Ye Li. How could Zhuo Jing let him succeed? He leaped up to intercept. Meanwhile, Ye Li had also leaped off her horse. The short blade in her hand flashed, stabbing towards Helian Peng’s chest.

Helian Peng let out a surprised ’Yi?’ and reached out to grab Ye Li’s wrist. But he saw Ye Li twist her wrist, and the horizontal blade slashed towards his own wrist. In just an instant, Helian Peng clearly saw the short blade in Ye Li’s hand. It wasn’t like an ordinary dagger but was tri-edged, like a sharp awl, and even had a blood groove. If one were stabbed by it, even if not fatally, one would definitely lose half a life.

Helian Peng retreated with a smile. "Princess Consort Ding has a ruthless hand."

Although Ye Li was a woman, when it came to close-quarters combat, she feared no one. It was just that she had started cultivating internal energy too late, so her internal energy couldn’t achieve great mastery. At this moment, in close combat, internal energy was, conversely, not of much use. Even if Helian Peng was formidable, he was still far from being able to control his power with ease.

Zhuo Jing naturally wouldn’t let Ye Li fight alone. He leaped forward, his long sword exuding an incomparably sharp sword qi that swept across. The two, one at a distance and one close, coordinated tacitly. For a time, Helian Peng was unable to do anything to them.

Helian Peng knew well that to capture Ye Li, he must first deal with Zhuo Jing. But with Ye Li present, he simply couldn’t free his hands to deal with Zhuo Jing, and Zhuo Jing was not some weakling he could casually dispatch with a wave of his hand. Thus, he had to turn to attacking Ye Li exclusively. As long as he injured Ye Li first, he would naturally be able to free up his hands to deal with Zhuo Jing.

Having made up his mind, Helian Peng unsheathed his long saber. With a swing, he created distance from Ye Li. The long saber instantly danced with vigorous power, heading straight for Ye Li. Ye Li knew her strength was far inferior to Helian Peng’s, so she didn’t meet it head-on but leaped back to retreat. Zhuo Jing pressed forward to block Helian Peng’s long saber. Behind him, Ye Li reappeared, her short blade stabbing towards Helian Peng. This was the moment Helian Peng was waiting for. He swung his long saber with full force. Even Zhuo Jing was pushed back by his powerful saber energy. However, Ye Li, who should have been more heavily injured than Zhuo Jing, seemed to ignore the saber energy and charged forward undauntedly towards Helian Peng.

Ye Li moved extremely fast; in just a blink, the short blade in her hand had already stabbed Helian Peng’s body. Helian Peng hadn’t had time to be surprised at how Ye Li could withstand his force when his face contorted from the intense pain in his body. Zhuo Jing, who had retreated to the side, flicked his long whip, pulling Ye Li back.

Helian Peng steadied himself. Looking at the wound on his body, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. Although he had dodged quickly and avoided some of it, the short blade had only pierced through his arm. But it was predictable that he wouldn’t be able to move this arm for two or three months. If it had truly pierced his body, even if not a vital spot, he feared that no matter how profound his internal energy was, only death would await him.

"Princess Consort has excellent methods," Helian Peng said, his expression flickering as he stared at Ye Li.

Ye Li’s expression was calm as she said indifferently, "General Helian overpraises me. The General’s martial arts are indeed extremely rare among Beirong people."

Helian Peng didn’t hide it either, smiling as he said, "Correct. My martial arts were indeed taught by a Central Plains master." He casually tore off a long strip of cloth from his attire and, while bandaging his continuously bleeding wound, smiled.

"Which master might that be? This Consort also knows a few Central Plains masters."

Helian Peng smiled. "Speaking of which is embarrassing, my master... happened to die at Prince Ding’s hands."

Ye Li frowned slightly and pondered for a moment. "Murong Xiong." Someone who died at Mo Xiuyao’s hands and could teach such a skilled disciple was likely only Murong Xiong. Moreover, Helian Peng’s martial arts style did indeed bear a two-tenths resemblance to Murong Xiong’s.

Helian Peng smiled without speaking, neither confirming nor denying.

Ye Li didn’t mind and said indifferently, "General Helian, you had best return quickly. One can also die from blood loss."

Although Helian Peng had bandaged his arm, it clearly couldn’t stop the bleeding. In a short while, the entire strip of cloth was dyed blood red. Helian Peng gave a bitter smile, pressed several acupoints, and was just about to speak when he saw several cold glints flash in the distant forest. Several feathered arrows shot swiftly towards them. A few men in black near him were struck by arrows and fell. Helian Peng’s expression changed. "They’re here so quickly! Withdraw!"