"A Record of Loss and Chaos" (Complete) Author: Shenzhen Teppanyaki

*The Chronicle of Chaos*
by Shenzhen Teppanyaki
Part One: The Cloud Piercing Manual

Chapter One: A Demoness in a Desolate Village, Wrapped in Veil, Strangers and Comrades Enjoy Wine

March of the first year of Shaoxing, Shaanxi Road.

A gentle breeze, new buds turning green, winter snow gradually melting—it was early spring in the Northwest. On a rugged path a hundred miles
northeast , a burly man in his thirties hurried along.
A deep scar ran vertically from his forehead to his chin, cutting across his entire right side; his thick coat was tattered,
dust and dried blood obscuring its original appearance, leaving only faint traces of ochre
; the cavalry shield he carried was chipped, the marks of swords and axes almost piercing through it, as if it might
shatter at any moment. The man's expression was somewhat anxious, frequently glancing back at the road he had come from, seemingly ready to leap into
the low bushes beside the road to hide.

The man hadn't gone far when he heard the rapid sound of hooves behind him. He sighed impatiently,
listened , raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then darted into the roadside bushes, slowly drawing his broadsword from his back.

A tall, moon-white horse emerged from the bend in the road. The rider's face was ashen,
blood trickled , and the two fox tails hanging from his hat brim were torn to shreds by branches, leaving only short sections.
The man in the bushes, though even more surprised, still arched his back and straightened his legs, ready to strike and kill his enemy.

The rider and rider approached. The man drew his sword, ready to pounce, but the rider tumbled head over heels, kicking up a spray of
snow. Startled, the man half-sat up and cautiously scanned his surroundings. Although there was no movement within his sight,
he waited until the stray horse disappeared at the end of the road before
slowly .

Upon closer inspection, the man discovered that the knight's back was soaked in blood, with only the fletching
of an arrow remaining in the center of the bloodstain. The man turned the knight over and saw a bulge in his chest, seemingly stuffed with something. Reaching in
, he found a bronze seal and a piece of yellow silk.

"Could this Golden Dog be an official? How did he end up alone here?" the man wondered as he tugged at
the silk . The bronze seal rolled away, but the silk seemed caught on something, tearing as he pulled. He
reached into the corpse's bosom and found that what was holding the silk was a section of arrow shaft protruding from the body. The knight must have broken the arrow shaft
after being , creating a rough, jagged end that caught the silk.

"What strength! What a strong bowstring!" The man removed the silk and felt the arrow pierce the knight's chest, severing
his ribs. The arrow was so powerful that the broken bone had created a lump at the point of impact.

"To be able to wield such a strong bow, he must be a fine man of the Zhe family in the Western Army! Luring the Zhe family into pursuit,
the two items in Jin Gou's arms must be important. I just wonder how far the
horse 's getting late, and Jin Gou's scattered troops are numerous; we can't wait here for him. Fine, fine, I'll put the silk seal away for now. If
the archer comes looking for me, I'll give it to him; I'll even have to befriend him. If he doesn't come, I'll find General Yang or
Captain Yang and hand it over." The man had made up his mind. He tucked the yellow silk seal into his pocket, ignoring the
disheveled corpse on the ground, and turned to leave.

He hadn't gone far when it was completely dark. The man happened to pass through a village. What should have been a peaceful and tranquil village was now deserted. The retreating Song army had no discipline, and the Jin people, after occupying Song territory, had continuously sent scattered cavalry to plunder
the countryside ; the villagers had long since fled without a trace.
Besides looting, the Jurchens also burned down some flammable houses
. The village was now a desolate wasteland of broken walls, charred trees, and crows. The man entered the village from one end, hoping to
find a sheltered corner to spend the night, but unexpectedly discovered
a flickering fire in a relatively intact house at the village entrance.

"This place is abandoned, how could someone start a fire? Could it be a demon?" The man frowned, then
relaxed . His doubts were not yet gone, but his heroic spirit had already risen: "What do we, as warriors, fear of demons? Let's go and see. If it really is a demon,
I'll chop it down for my drink. If it's a Jurchen dog, we'll just have another fight and chop off a few more dog heads."

He crept forward for a while, and then the aroma of roasting meat wafted over, followed by
the laughter of men speaking with a local accent. The man, already starving, and knowing the room was inhabited by humans, not demons, felt his appetite whetted. Just as he was about
to rush over for some food, a woman's seductive moan drifted from the room.

"Hmm...you rascal, don't just stare, come on over!"

The man was startled by the sound, but the laughter from the men inside grew louder. As he crept to the window,
the woman's voice suddenly trembled, rising several octaves: "My dear husband, your thing is so thick,
I can't handle it...it's going to...ah..."

The man peered through the broken windowpane and saw a campfire burning in the center of the room, a small animal roasting on
it dripping with oil and half-charred, its aroma filling the air. But in the sheltered corner by the fire, a scene of vibrant color and enticing aroma lingered,
even more tempting than the food itself. A woman with exquisite features and snow-white skin lay naked on all fours on a wolf skin
, her hair disheveled, cheeks flushed, and breasts heaving. Three men, their lower bodies bare, knelt beside her.
One a penis in her hand, another in her mouth, and the third thrust back and forth between her thighs, causing
her round buttocks to tremble.

As the man behind her intensified his movements, the woman released the penis from her mouth, swallowing it and panting softly, "Brother,
faster ... um... I want you... I want you!"

Encouraged, the man behind her thrust even faster. Their genitals mingled, making a soft, splashing
sound. As the sound grew louder, a faint red glow seemed to swell at their point of contact,
almost imperceptible. The man, who had been moving rapidly, suddenly cried out, his entire body arching backward, only his genitals pressed
tightly against the woman's. He then collapsed backward with a thud, the red light from their union disappearing into the woman's body
with a whoosh. The man whose penis was in the woman's mouth, following her lead, replaced the fallen man,
adjusting slightly before continuing his thrusting. Between moans, the woman flirted and joked with the two men, who
responded with equal gusto, showing no reaction to the man who had just collapsed.
The new man seemed weaker than the previous one. Although he fought valiantly in the woman's moist paradise until
he was drenched in sweat, the woman no longer moaned and cried out as before. Instead, she had the strength to take her alluring lips into her mouth.
She kissed the penis. She sucked for a short while, then released her mouth and began licking it with her small, delicate tongue,
quickly making it glisten with juices. The man, enjoying the pleasure in the woman's mouth, thrust forward with all his might, his face
a picture of ecstasy. Each time the woman's tongue glided across the tip of his penis, he frowned and opened his mouth, seemingly thoroughly enjoying himself.

The man behind the woman, though unable to bring her to ecstasy, was himself experiencing intense pleasure, his face contorted with
rage as he thrust violently. Gradually, a red light seemed to gather at the point of their union.

The man outside the window, witnessing the whole thing, felt his heart pounding with anxiety. Although the red light was extremely faint,
and even less visible in the flickering firelight, the strange appearance of the fallen man and the subsequent resurgence of the red light
were undeniably real. His hand gripped the hilt of his knife, then slowly released it; he gripped it again, then released it again, ultimately his
fear prevailing, and he prepared to retreat stealthily. Just then, his stomach rumbled loudly, much to
his dismay. The room fell silent for a moment, then two screams rang out.

The man was terrified, hastily retreating while drawing his knife. He had only taken a few steps when the window he had just been standing on was shattered
, paper scraps and wood chips raining down, and a red shadow, like a ghost, darted out of the window and flew straight towards him.
The man roared, raising his left hand to block with his bent arm, his right hand poised to strike with his knife. Suddenly, a powerful force struck
the shield, numbing half his body; the chipped shield shattered into pieces, scattering on the ground. He gritted his teeth,
summoning the ferocity he had gained in life-or-death battles, and swept his broadsword horizontally in the attack. Unexpectedly, the opponent's force suddenly
shifted from a single point to a broad mass, pressing down like a wall, preventing the knife from advancing an inch. Just then, the wind blew, the clouds shifted,
and the moon and stars shone brightly. By the moonlight, the man saw that his knife had been barely blocked by a white, jade-like foot.
Though the blade was sharp, it couldn't penetrate flesh even a little. He heard a giggle from the
other woman, followed by a tightness in his chest, a sweet taste in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward.

The man struggled to his feet, the tip of his knife on the ground, kneeling on one knee, completely ignoring the blood from his split hand and the corner of his mouth.
He slightly hunched his back, gathering his strength, staring intently at the red figure not far away, his eyes filled with intense fighting spirit.

The cold moonlight shone on the dilapidated village, like a layer of silver frost. The woman who had been naked inside the house
stood barefoot on a section of earthen wall, draped only in a red veil. The thin red gauze barely concealed her shapely figure, revealing her exquisite curves
. Light and shadow intertwined, and with a gentle breeze,
glimpses
of crimson at her breasts and the soft pubic hair between her thighs were faintly visible. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, falling loosely to her waist. Bathed in moonlight, her snow-white skin seemed even whiter than the last vestiges of snow.

Seeing the man staring intently at her, the woman covered her mouth and chuckled, "Aren't you afraid?"

The man, surprised that the woman would speak to him, hesitated before replying, "If you were a ghost, I would be afraid. But you
stand under the moon, clearly casting a shadow. Since you are human, what is there to fear? My skills are inferior; death would be the end. Back then,
I fought alongside my husband in Taiyuan, and Fuping was a sea of corpses; I thought I was dead. To be alive now is already a blessing."

Hearing this, the woman's eyes sparkled, and she smiled again, her expression undeniably charming: "You're quite carefree, man."

The man's tone softened considerably as he spoke, his eyes gazing at the woman's beautiful face, taking in
her truly stunning and unparalleled beauty. When the woman spoke again and turned her gaze towards him, he felt a pang of unease and
blurted out, "I'm not married yet, I have no ties, so I'm naturally carefree."

The woman smiled again, her eyes alluring, her cheeks flushed: "Since you're so carefree, why don't you rest here for
a ? How about I be your wife for the night?"

The man, after the woman's three smiles, seemed dazed. He woodenly dropped his knife and stood up, saying, "Wife?"

The woman beckoned, saying, "Exactly! Come with me to the room, and let's experience the pleasures of the bedchamber."

The man, captivated by her beauty, swallowed hard, and stepped forward. The woman turned, landed gracefully,
turned back shyly, her red veil fluttering away, and she led the man naked into the house. Just as they were about to enter,
the aroma of flesh wafted from inside. The man grunted and stopped, as if sensing something. The woman turned back, her brow
furrowed said, "Seeing your unwavering resolve and strong will despite your allure, I intended to use you as a vessel. But it seems you can find
other desires even within my charms. Therefore, I have no choice but to end you to prevent future calamities for my Meng Clan."

As she spoke, she raised her hand to strike the man's chest. Still dazed, the man made no attempt to dodge, and his
death seemed imminent. Suddenly, the woman's expression changed drastically, and she leaped forward. In the blink of an eye,
an arrow, whistling through the air, grazed the man's ear, pierced the spot where the woman had just stood, and embedded itself firmly
in the wall. Stone chips and dirt flew everywhere, the arrow's fletching still trembling.

The man's ear stung from the force of the arrow, jolting him awake from his daze. His right hand tightened,
but he held no knife. He ducked and rolled away, looking around. He saw the woman had already darted off in the direction the arrow had come from
, her smooth figure disappearing instantly into the moonlight and shadows of the trees. He panted for a few moments,
then spotted his broadsword nearby and rushed over. With the sword in hand, he felt a little more at ease. He glanced back
at the arrow stuck in the wall, thinking, "This person shot an arrow to save me, but I wonder how good she is at close combat? A true man
repays kindness. Although I am no match for this vixen, I must go and help her, to repay her kindness."

The man's hand was already split open, and fearing he might lose his grip on the sword, he tore strips of cloth from his clothes and tightly bound his hands to the hilt of the sword.
Just as he was about to follow the woman's path, a crouching figure suddenly popped out from behind the wall beside him.
The man was startled and swung his sword to strike, but the newcomer stood up and said, "Don't be alarmed, I'm
the one who shot the arrow to save you."

The man was grateful, but the strange events of the night made him hesitant to trust the man too easily in this dark, deserted village. He simply
held his sword horizontally across his chest, observing the newcomer. The man held a strong bow, had a pale face,
appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, dressed in a brown, close-fitting outfit, with a turban tied around his head and two dark blue silk ribbons tied around his left arm. He carried three quivers on his back,
one full and two empty. Even just standing there with the bow in hand, he exuded an aura of unwavering strength.

Seeing the bow in the man's hand, the man was seven-tenths convinced. When he saw that the feathers on the man's back were the same red feathers as the arrow shot against the wall
, he slowly lowered his sword. Just as he was about to speak, the archer said, "
That demoness is more formidable than the one I encountered before. You should quickly flee with me. This is no place for fools. We
are comrades in the Western Army; we can talk later."

Although the Western Army was already at its last gasp, it was still common for fathers, sons, brothers, cousins, and relatives to be in the army.
It was not uncommon for men to enlist together. Therefore, in the Northwest, hearing the words "comrades-in-arms in the Western Army" was almost like meeting a family member.
The man was overjoyed upon hearing the words of the newcomer and was about to retreat with the archer. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard a
clear . Before the whistle had faded, the naked woman who had just chased after them appeared at the end of the village. The archer pulled the man back and
shouted, "You don't know any lightness skills, you can't possibly dodge this vixen. Go behind the earthen wall for now, and leave your life to fate!"
With that, he took out a feathered arrow from his back, drew the bow to its full extent, and shot an arrow straight at the woman.

The woman giggled and, with a slight flick of her jade hand, deflected the arrow, which was flying like a meteor, as if shooing away a flying insect.
The archer remained unmoved, took the arrow, and fired again; the woman, as before, flicked the arrow away. The archer fired again, and the woman flicked it away again. Within moments of firing three arrows
, the woman was already not far from the archer, smiling as she looked him up and down, completely
unconcerned about exposing her body to the world and before the man.

The archer's expression turned grim. He suppressed his lustful thoughts towards the exquisitely beautiful body before him and slowly drew
his short sword, preparing for a final stand. At that moment, a figure flashed beside him, and a man stood
beside him, knife in hand, poised to pounce on the naked woman.

The archer felt grateful, but knew it wasn't the time to thank her. So he glanced at the man beside him, then
bent over, preparing to join the man in attacking the woman. At this moment, the woman's gaze settled on the archer's left arm
. A hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, and she asked, her smile fading, "Who tied those two silk ribbons to your arm?"

The archer had already witnessed the woman's extraordinary agility twice and knew he was doomed today. Unexpectedly
, the woman didn't make a move. Instead, she asked about the silk ribbon on his arm. He instantly remembered Lady Yun's instructions when she tied it, and a thought
flashed through his mind as he was about to answer. Suddenly, the man beside him grabbed his arm and said in a deep voice, "Be careful! Don't fall for
the witch's bewitching spell!"

The archer was startled, his eyes darting around, but he finally made up his mind and whispered to the man, "Don't worry, I
know what ." After speaking, he raised his voice to the woman and said, "Thank you for asking, young lady. This silk ribbon
was tied by my general's wife, Lady Yun, before we left the fortress, and she instructed me never to take it off."

The woman frowned slightly, as if talking to herself, or perhaps softly asking, "Zhuge Fortress?"

The archer nodded. The man with the bow replied, "Indeed."

The woman glanced sideways, then pointed her halberd and asked again, "Who is this man? Why did you lend a hand?"

The archer answered without hesitation, "He was originally a soldier serving Lady Yun. He got separated from my general in Fuping
. Lady Yun specifically instructed me to look for him when we went out to the fortress. He's someone I've served well, so it would be
best if I could find him."

The man beside her just stared intently at the archer, waiting for things to go wrong so he could draw his sword and slash at the woman
. Although he found the conversation agreeable, he didn't bother to question it. The archer, however, was already sweating profusely after telling his lies.
He secretly blamed himself for his recklessness: In today's events, being able to protect himself was already a blessing from Lady Yun, and protecting this man was
extremely . He hadn't checked his story with the man beforehand. If the demoness found anything wrong when questioning him, he would lose his life.
If the man were clever, he might have managed to deceive the demoness and save his life by following my advice; otherwise, this desolate village would be his deathbed today
. Fortunately, news of the Jin army's advance has already reached the general, preventing any lapses in preparation. Although I don't know why I'm
so determined to save this scarred man today, the fact that he's Xiao Zhong's husband makes it worth risking my life for him.

While the archer's thoughts raced, the beautiful woman standing nearby was already laughing uncontrollably. Her breasts swayed gently with her
body , a sight to behold. The archer, thinking his lie had been exposed, slowly stepped back with his right foot, preparing
to pounce on the woman. But then he heard her laugh, saying, "Oh dear, how ridiculous! I was just wondering
how I could find such a fine vessel in this desolate village, only to discover it's her lost servant
. Fine, I won't fight her for it. Let's just let this matter rest! It's just a pity about my two doses of medicinal ingredients. You
blue-faced brat, I have something to say to your wife, Lady Yun. Tell her to make a decision quickly and without further hesitation. I'm going
to fetch some clothes from the house. You two can stay here if you dare!"

The woman emphasized the words "servant" with a lewd laugh. The archer, angered by her
disrespect towards his respected Lady Yun, blushed deeply. But the woman, after speaking, vanished in
a few leaps, disappearing from sight without giving him a chance to retort. He gritted his teeth, pondering to himself
: "When my brothers and I left, Madam Yun personally tied two silk ribbons around our necks, repeatedly instructing us not to remove them casually,
much less to untie and re-tie them. I heeded her words, and today I was indeed saved. It seems Madam Yun must know of
the sorceress's activities here. This sorceress's words reveal familiarity with Madam Yun, yet lack respect. Madam Yun
is dignified and composed; how could this woman, so lewd and dissolute, be so familiar with her? The sorceress I encountered a few days ago bowed before
I shot her. Why does this formidable one show absolutely no respect?"

The archer was pondering, unable to find a solution, when the scarred man bowed deeply, saying, "I am Lu Da'an, thank you for
saving my life!"

The archer, regaining his composure, quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying happily, "Brother, you flatter me! We are comrades,
we should support each other. I am Tong Zhong, a retainer of the Zhe family of Fuzhou. Since the whereabouts of the demoness are still unknown, let's find a
safe place to talk later."

Lu Da'an ignored Tong Zhong's help, insisting on kowtowing before rising and laughing loudly, "When the demoness left, she asked
if had the courage. In my opinion, we should rest here. We shouldn't lose our spirit and let the demoness laugh at us."

Hearing Lu Da'an's words, Tong Zhong felt a surge of pride and admiration. Considering
the demoness's actions before leaving, he assumed she wouldn't return, and readily agreed, "Alright, brother, we'll do as you say."

The two entered the house hand in hand, finding it in complete disarray. When Lu Da'an peered over, the man lying on the ground was already
emaciated, while the other two men had their throats ripped open, blood splattering everywhere. Although Lu and Tong were used to seeing dead bodies and weren't surprised,
they secretly sighed at the woman's ruthlessness and were relieved by what had happened that day. The two men placed the three corpses outside, then
pushed down the earthen wall to cover them. Only after returning to the campfire and relaxing did they realize how exhausted they were. The small animal on the fire
was charred on the underside; Lu Da'an took it down, cut off the top side, and tossed it to Tong Zhong, while he himself
happily . Tong Zhong had some strong liquor in his water pouch to warm them up; the two men each drank a few sips, feeling a surge of warmth and
their initial shock subsiding. Lu Da'an wanted to call Tong Zhong his benefactor, but Tong Zhong refused, insisting on being called a brother. So the two men
exchanged ages and then began to chat warmly.

Tong Zhong had overheard Lu Da'an and the woman talking about Taiyuan and Fuping, which was why he fired his arrow to help. Now that
the woman was gone and everything was alright, he inquired with a desire to find out more, "When I heard you talking to that vixen
about Taiyuan and Fuping, about mountains of corpses and seas of blood, I learned that you were a fellow soldier in the Western Army. But I wonder which army you
were fighting on?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Da'an first laughed heartily, then sighed heavily and said, "To be honest, brother, I've only
ever loved spears, clubs, and swords. When I was young, I was naive and impulsively killed a local ruffian in my hometown of Luoyang, then fled home.
I met Master Xiao Zhong in front of the Fengning Army. Because I was from the same hometown, the old man took me under his wing and brought me into his service. During the Jingkang Incident, Master Xiao
Zhong was unable to go to the capital to defend the emperor, so he was ordered by the court to aid Taiyuan." The troops under the command of the governor were already scattered and disorganized by the court, and
orders were often cut off as soon as they were issued to the central army. At that time in Yuci, reinforcements failed to arrive on time, rewards did not come, and the divine arrows were exhausted
. The filthy bastards of the right army vanguard actually collapsed and instead rushed towards the governor's central camp. In the end, only about a hundred men fought to the death
beside . When I last saw the governor, he had been hit by three arrows and a spear, his white beard was stained with blood, and he was about
to die, but he still shouted for his country and kept killing the enemy. The Jin dogs were killed badly by the governor's spear and dared not approach, but only
shot arrows from the outside. The governor just, he just..."

Lu Da'an said, and the seven-foot tall and imposing man was filled with tears, unable to speak. Tong Zhong thought of
the tragic scene , and his heart was also heavy. Patting his shoulders and back, offering words of comfort for a long time, Lu Da'an continued, "I and a few others went to
fight for my husband, but we were trapped by the Jin dogs instead, and we all suffered some sword wounds. One of my seriously wounded brothers
was lifted up by a Jin dog's spear and thrown in front of another Jin dog's horse, who then lifted him up again for his amusement. I rushed to stop him in a rage,
but the Jin dogs outnumbered me, and I was slashed in the face and fell to the ground. When I woke up, I didn't know what time it was,
and the ground was a mess. More than a hundred brothers, most of them had fallen in the same direction. My husband should be over there, but we couldn't
find his body anywhere..."

Lu Da'an shed tears again, and Tong Zhong felt a pang of sorrow, but could find no more words of comfort, so he could only ask:
"And then? How did you get here, brother?"

Lu Da'an closed his eyes and sobbed, "At that time, I couldn't tell which way was which. I just dragged myself along, thinking I was going to die.
But heaven took pity on me and I ended up in a temple on Wujin Mountain. My injuries were too severe, and I was eager to kill the Jin
dogs and avenge my grievances. It took me several years to recover. When I came out of the mountain, I learned that most of the Central Plains had been occupied by the Jin dogs, and even Tokyo
had been captured. I was utterly despondent when I heard about our Western Army..." With Zhang Shumi's help restored,
the thought of slaughtering the Jin dogs and avenging his lord and brothers resurfaced, so he went straight to Binzhou to join the army. On the way, he encountered several
familiar from the vanguard who had been routed in Yuci. Those wretched men and women were actually doing well in the Huanqing army. They tried to persuade me
to join them in eating rations with Zhao Zhe's army in Huanqing, but I gave them a good scolding. Ashamed of their filth, they started to fight, and
I cut down several of them. Just then, General Yang Zheng passed by, asked me what had happened, and had me beaten with twenty strokes of the military rod and tied up. I joined his army.
At first, I was resentful, but after entering his tent, I learned that his father and Lord Xiao Zhong were close friends, and that his previous kidnapping of me was actually to save me.
General Yang asked me what my plans were, and I said I wanted to kill more Jin dogs to avenge Lord Xiao Zhong. General Yang then sent me to serve as a swordsman under his
captain, Yang. I thought this would surely avenge the humiliation at Yuci, but who knew that in Fuping, when we fought to the death, it was once again
those traitors' Huanqing army under Zhao Zhe that collapsed first. I followed Captain Yang to cover the rear and fight to the death, only wanting to sacrifice this hundred-odd jin. "Kill more
Jin dogs, leave this bird-like world ruled by scoundrels, and chase after Master Xiao Zhong." Therefore, when Captain Yang, thinking the odds were stacked against him,
ordered everyone to retreat slowly, I charged forward. I thought there was no chance of survival, but surprisingly, despite being pierced by swords and spears, I still woke up
. Tell me, why did this damned Heaven spare my life? Why spare my life?"

At this point, Lu Da'an was extremely agitated, tearing open his shirt to reveal his strong chest, weeping
and pounding his chest, his face contorted with hideous scars. Seeing his body covered in sores, with hardly any healthy skin, and thinking of the two major battles he had
endured was also filled with sorrow and remained silent for a moment. However, remembering
that he had inexplicably gone against his cautious nature to save him today, only to unexpectedly save such a hero, he felt
a surge of relief and joy.

After a long while, Lu Da'an gradually calmed down and sighed apologetically to Tong Zhong, saying, "Brother, you are a warrior, foolish and
stubborn. I was so angry about this that I couldn't contain myself, which only made you angry with me."

Seeing the seriousness in his voice, Tong Zhong quickly waved his hand and told Lu Da'an what he had been thinking: "Brother, you
are a man of deep feelings and unwavering loyalty to Lord Xiao Zhong, which I greatly admire. But you're treating me like an outsider!
To tell you , I followed my general to assist my second uncle, the Zhe family, in defeating the rebellious Song Jiang, and then traveled to Jiangnan. During the Battle of Taiyuan,
I rushed back to serve my country, but it was too late. Hearing what you just said, I already regret it deeply. But during the Battle of Fuping,
I served with the general in Yang Wuxian's Divine Arrow Battalion, and I didn't even know you were right beside me. I truly regret this
!"

Lu Da'an's expression changed several times as he listened to Tong Zhong's words. First, he nodded heavily, his face beaming with joy; then, he pursed his lips in confusion,
seemingly with a hint of disdain; but upon hearing the words "Divine Arrow Battalion," he seemed to suddenly remember something, abruptly standing up and exclaiming loudly
, "Brother, you're a master archer, and from the Divine Arrow Battalion, and you even mentioned defeating Song Jiang! Could your general be the one who killed Hua Rong with a flurry of
arrows the one with the broken feather?" A battalion commander is merely a commander, far from being called a general. Tong Zhong was unaware that in Lu Da'an's mind, besides knowing the titles of

his immediate superiors, he knew nothing else. Civil officials were naturally called Privy Councilors and Grand Tutors, while military generals were only called Ministers and Generals. Seeing that Lu Da'an naturally addressed him as "General" when he called the commander "General," and with such admiration in his expression, Tong Zhong felt even closer to him. He spoke with arrogance, "Indeed! Back then, my general had just received guidance from Uncle Zhe, and his archery skills were just beginning to develop. Brother, you know my general too?" 　　Lu Da'an chuckled and grabbed Tong Zhong's shoulders, lifting him up tightly, saying, "You're blind! You're blind! Back then , Master Zhong told me that among the Zhe family's sons, only the abandoned son of Duke Zunzheng could be considered a good son. General Yang, Captain Yang, which one of them doesn't praise General Zhe Ling? On the Fuping battlefield, that torrential rain of arrows felled the Jin dogs, truly without a single miss. Wasn't that all due to Zhe Ling's training?" 　　Tong Zhong's shoulders ached from Lu Da'an's large hands, but his words tickled his heart, and he grinned , "It was indeed my General Zhe's training. Loosen your grip a bit, brother, I can't withstand your divine strength." 　　Lu Da'an laughed heartily, then crossed his hands and sighed, "If Yuci had General Zhe, they would surely have repelled the Jin dogs, and that disaster wouldn't have happened!"

Tong Zhong sighed upon hearing this, saying sadly, "On the battlefield, all units must cooperate and fight bravely to defeat the enemy. How could a
single battalion or platoon turn the tide of battle? My Divine Arrow Battalion has five hundred brothers, all heroes, yet after the defeat at Fuping, not even one-tenth survived!"

Lu Da'an stared in astonishment, saying, "When I charged, the arrows were still falling. From what you're saying, brother, could it be that the Divine Arrow Battalion ultimately
... suffered a loss at the hands of the Jin dogs?"

Tong Zhong's eyes reddened again, and he said angrily, "The swordsmen in front of the camp collapsed first, allowing the Jin dogs to reach
the front of my Arrow Battalion. Although General Zhe personally covered the rear, protecting us as we fought and retreated, we are most skilled with bows and arrows, and we are inept at close
combat . The Jin dogs hacked and slashed, and countless men died in the camp. Most of the wounded also died on the way out. Waiting for Yunfu..."
"We were escorted to Zhuge Fortress. Including the general, only thirteen of us remain."

Lu Da'an exclaimed in surprise, "What? Even the Divine Arrow Battalion is like this? Doesn't that mean our Western Army has been completely wiped out?"

Tong Zhong shook his head and chuckled, "How could that be? Those who died were the likes of you and me who fought to the death. Those who retreated were just deserters.
The next day, when the army flag is raised, we will be a large army again. Back when we were suppressing Song Jiang, Uncle Zhe persuaded my general to join the army. I
secretly wondered why the general refused and was unwilling to achieve any feats for men. Now it seems that the general had foresight."

Lu Da'an had spent half his life in the Western Army. Hearing Tong Zhong's sneer, he was filled with resentment. However, thinking of
the routed soldiers and their shameless faces in the two major battles he had experienced, he felt a pang of pain in his heart. Then, thinking that although Tong Zhong had joined the army
a little later, he was also now in the Western Army, he found it difficult to utter the curses he wanted to say and could only sit down dejectedly. A gust of wind blew,
and the flickering firelight cast an unpredictable shadow on his face. Tong Zhong and Lu Da'an exchanged a few words, and Tong Zhong's resentment subsided somewhat.
Seeing Lu Da'an sitting silently, Tong Zhong felt apologetic and tossed him the wine flask, saying, "Brother, have a few more sips, and let's
rest for the night by the embers. Tomorrow morning I'll continue searching westward for a while; if I don't find it, I'll return to the fortress to report. Which way are you
going, brother? Are we going the same way?"

Lu Da'an caught the wine flask, took a large gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "I heard Captain Yang is in Fengxiang; I
'm going with him to kill the Jin dogs again. Brother, are you looking for a person or something? I wonder if I can help?"

Tong Zhong... Zhong Hehe laughed, "Brother, you're lucky you ran into me, otherwise you would have fallen into the arms of the Jin dogs."

Lu Da'an was taken aback and asked, "What?"

Tong Zhong said, "This time I was ordered by the general to come out of the mountains to gather information, and I just came from Fengxiang.
The Jin dogs have already occupied Fengxiang and are looting everywhere. Captain Yang is definitely not in the city. On the road, I saw a small group of Jin
dogs carrying a cart of wealth heading north, so I followed them to take a look. This group of Jin dogs is very alert, and the leader is..." He seemed
to be carrying something important. That night, I drugged him, intending to seize the item, but the lead golden
dog somehow managed to evade the drug by relieving himself. My close-quarters skills were inferior to his, so I kept shooting arrows from a distance. That fellow
was indeed skilled; I finally managed to hit him with an arrow this evening. I chased his horse on foot all day, but my strength
was waning, and thinking he was surely dead, I slowed my pace. But when I finally found his body, I only saw his clothes...
Scattered , it was clear someone had taken things from his clothes. I continued searching for a while and came to this village. I
saw my brother being bewitched by the demoness, and heard him mention Taiyuan and Fuping, so I shot an arrow to save him. I didn't expect this demoness
to be much more deadly than the one I shot a few days ago. Fortunately, Lady Yun's silk ribbon helped us escape with our lives."

When Lu Da'an heard Tong Zhong say that he had shot the golden dog, he already knew that things were really so coincidental, but he just grinned and
didn't say anything. After Tong Zhong looked at him with suspicion and finished telling the story, he laughed heartily, told him about
today's events, reached into his robe and took out the yellow silk copper seal, holding it in both hands and laughing, "This is what you've been looking for
! I was itching to find it, but I made you search so hard."

Tong Zhong was surprised and delighted when he heard this. He took the item from Lu Da'an's hands after a moment of surprise. He slowly unfolded the yellow silk,
examined it from beginning to end, his breathing growing heavier. He examined it again, his face turning pale. Seeing his
condition, Lu Da'an knew something was wrong and quickly stepped forward, patting his shoulder with concern, "Brother, what's wrong?"

Tong Zhong trembled from the pat, the bronze seal slipping from his hand and rolling aside. Lu Da'an bent down to pick it up,
only to hear Tong Zhong tremble, "This...this time, disaster is imminent!"

Chapter Two: Eight Gates Arrow Formation, Heaven's Will, Lone Courage, Sword and Token, Entrusted by a Friend.

Seeing Tong Zhong's panic, Lu Da'an knew the situation was serious and said in a deep voice, "Brother, don't panic. No matter
the dangers , I'll risk my life to go with you!"

Tong Zhong grabbed the wine flask, took a large gulp, and forced a trembling voice, saying, "Brother, this bronze seal is
the general's seal issued by the Golden Dog, and this yellow silk is the appointment decree signed by the Golden Dog Marshal on behalf of the emperor. It clearly states..." "
My Zhe family patriarch... Zhe Keqiu surrendered the three prefectures of Lin, Fu, and Feng to the Jin dogs! For over a year, he
has been meritorious in attacking Shanzhou and procuring provisions, and is therefore specially rewarded. They intend to establish him as the false ruler of the Central Plains! My general's mother, the entire Zhe family, and my younger brother's family are all in Fuzhou
! My general's mother is of a fierce temperament, and my father followed the previous patriarch in battle from a young age. He hates those who betray their ancestors and are immoral to the bone.
Now that the Jin dogs have occupied Fuzhou, I fear... his stubbornness will surely cost him his life."

Tong Zhong's face turned ashen as paper by the end, and his hands, holding the yellow silk, trembled uncontrollably.
Lu Da'an, standing to the side, exclaimed with each sentence, "What?!" "!" Tong Zhong shouted five times until he finished speaking. He then stood up, drew his sword,
and roared, "My father is in enemy hands! Even if I die ten thousand times, I must go to his rescue! I will go with you to Fuzhou to rescue your father and
General Zhe's mother! While we're at it, we'll chop off the head of that damned Jin traitor and throw it in front of the army for our thousands of brothers
to play football with!"

Tong Zhong, already terrified and saddened to learn that his patriarch, whom he considered a celestial being, had surrendered to the Jin,
was further enraged by Lu Da'an's reckless clamor. He threw his wine bag at Lu Da'an... He said, “That’s the tenth lord of the prefecture of my Zhe family!
How dare you disrespect him? It’s just that we were kept in the fortress and news was cut off. The patriarch… General Zhe… Zhe Ke has been begging for surrender to the Jin
for over a year. My father’s spirit is probably long gone. What can you do to save him?”

Lu Da’an had been suffering defeats and routs for several years and was already furious. He suddenly learned that the Zhe family, whom he admired, had surrendered
and that the Tong Zhong family, who had saved his life, was now in danger. He was immediately enraged and wanted
to kill . When Tong Zhong interrupted him with those words, he felt even more ashamed and indignant, and retorted angrily, "I don't care
what kind of bastard the family head is. Anyone who surrenders to the Jin dogs deserves to die. So what if he's disrespectful? He's my own father. If he had even the slightest thought,
he should have risked his life to investigate. Your excuses are unfilial!"

Tong Zhong glared at the burly man with the fierce expression before him, and laughed angrily, "My general is an abandoned son of the Zhe family, but he
has always been proud of his Zhe family bloodline and calls himself the Twenty-Third Son of the Zhe family according to the genealogy. My Tong family has been a Zhe family general for three generations..."
My honor and disgrace are intertwined with the Zhe family; I, Tong Zhong, grew up alongside the General, as close as brothers. Now that our lord has surrendered to the Jin,
how should we conduct ourselves? If we leave the fortress and join Wu Jie's army, will Wu Jie still have any trust in us, his surrendered relatives
? My father taught me from childhood to prioritize the Zhe family, the greater good, and my General, regardless of
anything else . I follow my father's teachings, protecting the General and fighting for the country—that is filial piety. As you say, only death is possible;
what filial piety is there in that?

Lu Da'an, though still indignant, was speechless. He swung his sword, chopping down the grill, and turned away, saying, "I only
know that I regret not being able to return to Luoyang to see my father one last time." He paused, then sat down,
muttering, "My husband once said that those who only know how to fight are just reckless fools like me. But what you just said, I
don't understand."

Tong Zhong, hearing the desolation in his words, felt a pang of guilt. Thinking of his past and his father's
voice and smile , he was overcome with grief and speechless. The wood on the grill, already dried by the fire,
ignited instantly when Lu Da'an chopped it. The long night stretched on, the desolate village silent, save for the crackling of the firewood. The two men sat by the fire, each lost in their own thoughts,
as if trying to warm their inner sorrow with the flames.

After a long silence, Tong Zhong sighed, rose, and bowed to Lu Da'an's retreating figure, saying, "
It is my blessing to have met such a hero on the battlefield as you, brother. Just now
, I was filled with sorrow and spoke rashly; please forgive me. My actions are entirely in the general's hands. I have responsibilities and cannot act as freely as you. I plan to set off now to
my general's place so that he may know of this matter and make a decision as soon as possible. Our friendship remains unchanged; if we meet again in the future,
we will fight and drink together!"

As soon as Tong Zhong spoke, Lu Da'an turned around. Seeing Tong Zhong bow, he did not return the bow. After Tong Zhong finished speaking,
he quickly composed himself and said, "I'm a rough man, and I don't know how to speak properly. I've hurt your feelings, brother.
I'm ashamed of you saying such things! If you don't mind my clumsy hands, I'd like to accompany you as a shield, protecting you
. You saved my life, so these hundred-odd catties are yours."

Seeing his solemn expression and sincere tone, and remembering how rough and uncouth this man was, Tong Zhong's earlier displeasure dissipated
considerably. He waved his hand and said, "What are you saying, brother! We are both straightforward men. How could a small argument warrant
such a reaction from you? It would be my pleasure to have you by my side. But I just heard you mention that you're looking for Captain Yang..."

Lu Da'an was already overjoyed after hearing Tong Zhong's earlier words. When he mentioned seeking General Yang, he laughed and waved his hand
to interrupt, saying, "I seek General Yang only to follow him and kill the Jin dogs again. General Zhe is a
legendary ; he never hesitates to kill the Jin dogs. Wouldn't it be better if I followed him? But now that I'm going with you, I have three questions
for you."

Tong Zhong also smiled and said, "Please speak, brother."

Lu Da'an clasped his hands and said, "If I go with you to seek refuge, will General Zhe accept me?"

Tong Zhong returned the greeting, saying, "Brother, you are unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, and your generosity and straightforwardness will surely please my general. Besides, knowing
that you are a member of the Little Zhong clan..." "How can I not accept your personal attendant, my lord?"

Lu Da'an said solemnly, "If Jin dogs were to appear before us, would General Zhe kill or surrender?"

Tong Zhong's eyes narrowed with fury as he replied, "Kill without mercy, no surrender, only death."

Lu Da'an took two steps forward, grasped Tong Zhong's hands, and said, "As your foot soldier before the general, I will be first in the battle.
Will General Zhe grant my wish?"

Tong Zhong gripped Lu Da'an's hands tightly in return, saying, "If there is a day of death like the battle at Taiyuan, when your sword breaks, I will surely
follow you with my bow!"

The two held hands, feeling their blood boiling, their hearts almost one. With sword and bow,
they said , determined their direction, and set off together under the cover of night.

Tong Zhong led Lu Da'an westward, enduring hunger and thirst, sleeping in the open. They encountered Jin cavalry dozens of times,
fighting or fleeing, attacking or evading, their arrows and swords working seamlessly together, killing and wounding nearly a hundred Jin soldiers. Previously, they had traveled solely on foot,
the melting snow and mud making progress extremely difficult. Later, after killing Jin soldiers and seizing horses, their pace quickened, allowing them to cover over a hundred miles in a day and night.
Ten days later, they emerged from Shaanxi, where the Jin troops dwindled. Tong Zhong could often spot
the secret marks . With direction, their journey became even faster. The two fought side-by-side, their bond deepening daily, and on horseback
they shared stories of their families. Tong Zhong learned of Lu Da'an's father's death, the inability
to
a story that deeply moved him. Lu Da'an also learned of Tong Zhong's father's maiming during the war alongside Zhe Keshi, and how after Keshi's death, Tong Zhong had cared for Zhe Ling's mother and praised Zhe Ling's virtues. The slight lingering awkwardness from their earlier conversation vanished completely.

After another day of travel, they saw majestic mountains in the distance. Tong and Lu circled along the foot of the mountain, abandoning their horses and trudging forward. Occasionally,
small animals would be startled by the sound of their trampling, snapping branches and fleeing into the distance, leaving trails of golden-yellow and tender green on the remaining snow.
Amidst their laughter and conversation, Tong Zhong suddenly stopped. Lu Da'an turned back in surprise, only to see a change in Tong Zhong's expression. Before he could ask a question, Tong Zhong
drew his bow and arrow, exclaiming, "Enemy attack!"

Lu Da'an was startled, drawing his sword and following Tong Zhong's gaze. He saw a somewhat uneven
mark carved on a tree not far away, the last stroke dragging away with the sword, seemingly hastily made, completely different from the marks seen earlier. He gestured for Tong Zhong to stay behind
and use the bow for cover, while he cautiously approached to investigate. Looking along the direction of the dragging sword mark, about two
arrow-lengths away, several figures lay motionless, their forms indistinct.

Lu Da'an beckoned Tong Zhong forward, and together they crept closer. They saw four bodies lying dead—three Jin and one Song—
all wounded in the head and abdomen by arrows, and had been dead for some time. The footprints and signs of struggle around the corpses were faint, and the bloodstains were almost invisible, as if
a snowfall had covered everything after the four men died. Lu Da'an asked Tong Zhong with his eyes, but Tong Zhong shook his head, indicating he didn't recognize any of them. The two
carefully examined the bodies and determined the direction of the departing footprints. Tong Zhong then checked the information with the markings on the map before following the trail.

They hadn't gone far when they saw several more corpses, also a mix of Jin and Song. Nearby, tree trunks were riddled with arrows.
Lu Da'an was eager to help and insisted on advancing, but Tong Zhong remained calm. He recalled that five days ago, when he left Shaanxi, although there hadn't been snow,
there had been gusts of cold wind, and the air was quite damp. He deduced that the fight must have occurred five days prior, so
there was no them. However, their comrades had lost quite a few arrows, and after five days of fighting, they were certainly
running low . So they took Lu Da'an with them, and together they gathered as many scattered arrows as possible before hurrying onward.

After traveling for a while, they found several corpses and collected a dozen or so usable arrows. By nightfall, they had found over
forty and collected more than three hundred arrows. Lu Da'an, confident in his strength, bundled all the arrows together and carried them on his back. Tong Zhong, seeing
the fierce fighting and worried about his comrades, wanted to continue but feared Lu would struggle with the heavy load. He discussed with Lu the possibility of starting a fire to rest temporarily.
Lu Yizhen snapped at him, leaving him far behind.

They walked for half the night, torch in hand. Though the moon was bright and the stars few, they found no more hidden marks,
no more corpses or arrows. Only a jumble of footprints on the snow, like a large group of people all heading in one direction. Following the tracks a short distance,
a strong stench of blood wafted in the wind. Determining the wind direction, they rushed upwind, and soon found a horrific scene of carnage at the mouth of a
valley .

Where they first stepped, blood splattered everywhere, creating dark holes in the white snow. Further in
, corpses lay scattered and crisscrossed in the snow, forming a vast, dark net that obscured most of the snow.
The white snow that should have shone through the mesh was instead pools of deep red, gleaming eerily in the bright moonlight.
Almost every corpse was impaled with one or two feathered arrows, some red and some white,
making the reeds appear like a patch of white and red feathers at first glance. The reeds and the deep red net extended to a few giant trees lying horizontally at the mouth of the valley, where a few
corpses lay on the trees, but their bodies were devoid of red and white feathers. The entire scene was filled with the stench of blood, as if the warmth had just subsided, making one
feel nauseous.

Lu Da'an looked around blankly, his chest heaving violently. The scene of his beloved Xiao Zhong's demise flashed through his mind, leaving him stunned and unable
to move. Tong Zhong, however, moved his feet while trembling and muttering, "White feathers are gone, red feathers emerge, when they emerge they must be given, when they are given
they must be collected. This... this ground is covered with red feathers that have not been collected..." Before he could finish speaking, he cried out "Ouch!" and leaped
behind a giant tree, disappearing from sight.

Startled awake by Tong Zhong's shout, Lu Da'an saw Tong Zhong's figure obscured by the giant tree and
leaped over it. Behind the tree lay corpses, but no red or white feathers were visible; the dead had all been
wounded by swords and knives, making the stench of blood even stronger. Tong Zhong crouched, clutching a severed, thick arm, cradling
a corpse in his arms, shaking his head and weeping. Lu Da'an felt a pang of sorrow and frowned forward, only then noticing
two , identical to those on Tong Zhong's arm. The body in Tong Zhong's arms bore more than ten wounds, with a section of intestine
hanging out, but the limbs were intact; the severed arm must belong to another of Tong Zhong's comrades. Lu Da'an remembered Tong Zhong saying
that after the Battle of Fuping, only thirteen men remained in the Divine Arrow Battalion. The corpse in his arms was completely dead; the severed arm was a right arm,
the cut smooth and clean, the blood vessels drained—the man with the severed arm likely hadn't survived either. Of the heroes of the Divine Arrow Camp, perhaps only
eleven remained.

Remembering the men who had fallen in Tong Zhong's arms amidst the hail of arrows from the Fuping army, Lu Da'an felt a pang of sorrow,
and his anger surged. He strode to Tong Zhong's side, patted his shoulder and took his arm, saying, "Brother, stop your sobs, lead me forward
to find Jin Gou, and together we'll avenge our brothers in the Divine Arrow Camp!"

Tong Zhong gently placed the severed arm beside him, wiping away his tears, and said, "Brother, you don't know this,
although our Divine Arrow Camp uses bows made of mulberry wood, our arrows are divided into two types: white-feathered and red-feathered. White-feathered arrows are made of goose feathers with steel tips; they bend in the wind but are easy to make and
repair. Red-feathered arrows are made of hawk feathers with cold iron tips; they can pierce armor and are not afraid of the wind, but are extremely difficult to make. Therefore, our..." The general strictly ordered:
only use red feathers when the white feathers are exhausted or when the enemy chieftain is shot, and that they must be collected after being shot. After Fuping, many arrows were lost, leaving each man with only
two quiver of red feathers. I saw red feathers scattered all over the ground just now, knowing that all eleven brothers had come here, but the uncollected feathers made
me think they were all dead, which is why I lost my composure. Now, only Lin Tong's corpse and someone's
severed arm ; the others must have escaped. Our plan now is for us to collect as many as possible, as before. " Keep
chasing after him with the arrows. Otherwise, we are all archers, and only you, brother, have a sword. If we have no arrows, even if we catch up, it will be
useless ."

Lu Da'an nodded heavily and said, "In that case, I will go and collect the arrows. Brother, go and bury Brother Lin Tong's body
!"

Tong Zhong laid the body down, stood up, and pointed to the distance, saying, "Brother, please help me take Lin Tong's body and this severed arm to that
mountain hollow and seal it with stones. The body is not yet stiff, and the others will surely leave this place." "Not far. Along the way,
the ground is littered with corpses from both the Jin and Song dynasties, but I don't recognize the Song corpses. This is strange. We should gather as many arrows as possible and
hurry on our way. If we succeed in rescuing them, we can return here for a proper burial. If we die together, then we can give our lives to
this land of the Northwest."

Lu Da'an, knowing he couldn't match Tong Zhong's calmness and intelligence, secretly admired his brother's actions and nodded
in . He then followed Tong Zhong's advice, carrying the corpses to collect arrows. Having just heard Tong Zhong's explanation,
he focused on collecting arrows from areas with many red feathers, occasionally gathering some white ones. When he couldn't carry all the arrows, he tore off pieces of clothing from the Jin people on the ground, bundled them into three large bundles, and
carried them along with the bundle he had already collected. Tong Zhong did the same, carrying two bundles, and after greeting Lu Da'an,
they followed the footprints together.

The arrows were heavy, and the forest grew deeper. Tong and Lu followed the trail, stopping and starting as they went. Just as dawn was breaking,
they discovered a dozen or so bonfires outside a small valley. No one was around the fires, but a dozen Song soldiers and forty Jin soldiers
sat or lay some distance away behind them. Dozens of corpses, riddled with arrows, lay scattered between the bonfires and the valley's entrance. Inside the valley, however, it was
pitch black , completely still, and eerily silent.

The bonfires in front of the valley were strategically placed, illuminating every corner of the valley entrance. Anyone
sneaking out of the valley would be immediately detected. But anyone trying to enter would also be clearly visible, creating a truly
perplexing situation . Tong Zhong lay in the snow for a long time, unable to find the hiding place inside the valley, while Lu Da'an was increasingly anxious, pounding his chest
and sighing repeatedly.

As dawn broke and fewer and fewer people lay dead behind the fire, Lu Da'an slammed his fist on the snow and chuckled,
"Since we can't stealthily advance, why not have a big fight and charge in! If we wait any longer, we'll have mountains of arrows, but no arrows
in the valley —wouldn't that be a waste of our talents?"

Tong Zhong was about to reply when he saw an elderly man dressed in Song Dynasty attire suddenly turn and look in their direction. The old man had white hair
and a long beard, was vigorous, and his eyes were like lightning, almost tangible. Tong Zhong knew something was wrong. His mind raced, and he turned to Lu Da'an
and whispered, "Brother, don't get bogged down in this. Just focus on getting the arrows into the valley. The lives of my brothers in the Divine Arrow Camp are in
your hands!" With that, he left a bundle of arrows on the ground, scattered another bundle, picked out red fletchings, filled his quiver,
and fired an arrow. The arrow flew like a meteor straight towards the old man in Song Dynasty attire and a long beard. The old man, however, was not alarmed. He merely snorted and
dodged to the side. Tong Zhong took three steps to the side, drew his bow to its fullest extent, and fired again. The old man dodged once more, then sighed in disbelief
, his eyes flashing with a sharp light as he leaned back in a somersault. An arrow whizzed past the old man's backward movement
, piercing a pile of bonfire, scattering firewood and sparks everywhere. Seeing that his two arrows had not been
effective, Tong Zhong, without pausing, simultaneously drew three more arrows from his quiver and tossed them into the air; then he took three more and fired them horizontally; and then…
Three more arrows were launched, the technique fluid and seamless. Without even looking at where they landed, he hastily retreated to the side, shouting
, "The broken feathers of the Cloud-Piercing Arrow are here! You will all die!"

Nine arrows landed among the crowd behind the campfire, hitting only two; the rest were deflected.
The old man turned slightly cold, and he beckoned behind him. Six Song men by the fire immediately split up, swords drawn, and approached Tong Zhong
with incredible speed. A leader-like figure among the Jin men also made a series of incoherent shouts, and more than ten Jin men surged
forward.

Tong Zhong laughed heartily, calmly turning back to fire another arrow, killing a Jin man, before galloping away into the dense forest, far from
Lu Da'an . At that moment, a cheer erupted from the valley, and several archers dressed like Tong Zhong appeared
at the valley entrance, firing arrows outwards. The old man with the white beard drew his sword, turned, and deflected the arrows. Those with
bows lay prone in the snow, terrified, too afraid to rise. Chaos erupted.

Lu Da'an, initially confused by Tong Zhong's words, now knew exactly what to do. He picked
up the arrows Tong Zhong had discarded, and without drawing his sword, charged like a bull from the far left campfire towards the valley entrance, roaring
, "I am Tong Zhong's sworn brother! Fire arrows to protect me as I enter the valley!!"

The soldiers around the campfire, having been pulled to the right by Tong Zhong's arrows, and then scattered in pursuit
, were thrown into disarray by the archers inside the valley. With Lu Da'an's charge, only three or four men dared to pursue and stop him. Hearing Lu Da'an's shout, the archers inside the valley
indeed rained down arrows mostly around him. Lu Da'an didn't turn his head, but gritted his teeth and charged towards the valley entrance.
Arrows whizzed past his ears, several of them grazing his legs and passing through the pursuing soldiers behind him—truly a miraculous feat.
Lu Da'an heard screams behind him; although he had been stabbed in the groin, he was on the verge of passing through the encirclement. He was secretly
pleased . At that moment, a long howl sounded behind him, the sound of clothes tearing through the wind was deafening, and it was closing in in an instant.

Lu Da'an knew he was in trouble. Just as he was at a loss for what to do, he heard a sharp shout from the valley entrance: "Fall down!"
Without thinking, he used the momentum of his run to lunge forward. While he was still in the air, seven red-feathered arrows formed
a strange shape in the air and rushed straight towards him from the valley entrance, each arrow at the same distance, like a large net
being cast over . Lu Da'an knew he was going to die. He roared, closed his eyes, tucked his chin, and waited for the arrows to pierce his body. As he
fell , seven arrows grazed his head, shoulders, elbows, and knees with perfect accuracy, heading towards
the pursuers behind him.

The sound of clothes rustling through the air behind him vanished abruptly, replaced by an old man's angry roar. Lu Da'an
heard six clanging sounds behind him, then felt a powerful force pull him several feet backward from his right shoulder,
scraping him on the ground, making him dizzy and disoriented. His life hung by a thread, and he didn't bother to check his right shoulder, struggling to crawl forward.
Just then, he heard Gu Kou roar, "Get up and move forward!"

Lu Da'an had just witnessed the archers' divine marksmanship; how could he disobey this order? Ignoring the pain all over his body, he mustered all his strength
to rise and sprint forward. His legs had barely taken a step when he saw four crimson arrows hurtling towards him, two grazing
his sides and flying backward. Looking up, he saw three crimson arrows falling diagonally from the sky, heading straight for the spot where he had just been lying.

Seven more sharp clangs of clashing arrows rang out behind him. Lu Da'an dared not hesitate, rushing into the valley
like . As he brushed past the archers at the valley entrance, he saw only three men firing another volley of red arrows, while the other four
rapidly approached him. His heart relaxed, his legs gave way, and he stumbled and fell to the ground.

One of the four archers reached out to check Lu Da'an's breath, while the other three removed the arrows from his body. Lu Da'an
slapped away the hand that was checking his breath, panting, "I only took a knife wound, nothing serious! Quickly remove the arrows and drive back the surrounding soldiers,
so we can support Tong Zhongwan."

As Lu Da'an spoke, three archers had already untied several of his bonds, carrying arrows towards the valley entrance to assist in the firing.
The man checking his breath was a little slow, so he went to untie the bundles from Lu's shoulders. As soon as the bindings loosened, there was a clatter, and
dozens of arrowheads fell to the ground. Lu Da'an turned his head in surprise, only to feel a sharp pain in his shoulder. His gaze fell upon
a red-feathered arrow. Looking around, he realized the arrows strapped to his right shoulder were slightly too high. The red feather, which
had brushed past him had severed many arrows and embedded them in the bundle. If it weren't
for the scabbard on his back and the steel blade inside, even more would have been severed.

The man searching for breath was also startled, then, while unloading the arrows, asked, "Brother, how are you? Are you alright?"

Lu Da'an tore a strip of cloth from his front and pushed the man's hand, saying, "It's nothing, nothing at all. It's just a pity
about so many arrows. Go and help with the shooting. I'll bandage this wound and help you too."

The man searching for breath was delighted. Though his face was weary, he couldn't hide his appreciation for Lu. He grinned,
picked up the bundle of arrows, and turned to leave. Lu Da'an was frantically bandaging his wounds when he suddenly heard a low command from Gu Kou
: "Empty!" Several bowstrings twanged, but only two arrows flew through the air.

Lu Da'an drew his sword and advanced, positioning himself behind the seven archers. He saw in the distance that the bearded old man had retreated back into the encirclement.
The seven archers from Gu Kou stood in a row, all crouching, each with a pile of arrows at their feet, but their quivers
were empty. The seven archers drew their bows in perfect unison, but each time only two nocked an arrow and released it,
the other five simply pulling the bowstrings.

The Jin leader, positioned at the far right of the campfire, only saw the rather bulky Lu Da'an charging into the fray,
but didn't see the many arrows he carried. After three or four volleys of bowstrings, the Jin leader's face lit up with joy. After firing
an arrow he gave orders in a foreign tongue. Only about twenty Jin soldiers remained in the encirclement. Upon hearing their leader's command, they all charged towards Gukou,
swords and spears raised, roaring. The few dressed as Song soldiers, however, were restrained by the old man with the white beard and remained still.
Seeing the Jin soldiers fall for their trap, the seven archers at Gukou swiftly drew their bows and arrows, felling six Jin soldiers in one volley, and
killing five more in the next. Seeing the situation was dire, the Jin leader sternly ordered his men to retreat. A hail of arrows followed, and within moments
, only two quick-thinking men, wounded in the arm and thigh, retreated; the rest perished.

Seeing his men almost wiped out, the Jin leader was consumed by rage, his eyes bloodshot. He roared and brandished his sword
, ready to fight to the death. The old man with the white beard, who had been watching him with disdain, saw that he was now in a rage
and did not advance. Instead, he picked up a small piece of charred wood from the ground and flicked it with his finger.

The charred log flew with tremendous force, striking the Jin general squarely in the back of the neck. The Jin general groaned and collapsed to the ground.
The old man made no further move, merely squinting at the seven archers at the valley entrance; the Song soldiers behind him
, following the old man's lead, stood silently as well; the two remaining Jin soldiers, wounded by arrows, glared angrily at the old man, but dared not do anything.
The seven archers at the valley entrance had changed from crouching to standing, arrows nocked, hands slightly hanging down, arrowheads pointing to the ground,
hesitant to release.

A north wind occasionally swept through the forest, like the wailing of ghosts, startling a few crows into flight, their cries echoing. The fire before the valley gradually died down, leaving the ground
a blood-red mess, littered with corpses and strewn with arrows. Lu Da'an stood beside the seven archers, sword across his side, almost ready to pounce, but
felt a subtly balanced aura around him, as if he couldn't move an inch. He abandoned the idea of acting rashly,
even his breathing became much more careful.

Suddenly, a crackling ember in the fire sparked, and the old man with the white beard moved at the sound. He thrust his sword forward, his
toes barely touching the ground, and he charged forward like an arrow. One of the seven archers, a red-faced man,
shouted "Wu Jing!" and the seven men skillfully shifted into three crouching positions and four standing positions, drawing their bows and releasing their arrows. Six arrows were thrown horizontally and then tossed in the air with lightning speed
. The six horizontal arrows formed two inverted triangular patterns, covering the old man's chest on either side. The tossed arrow drew only a
tiny arc before plummeting downwards, reaching the old man's forehead first.

The old man snorted coldly, extending his sword forward with all his might, the tip trembling slightly, deflecting the two arrows closest to his chest
. He then raised his arm overhead, placing the blade vertically in front of him, his body swaying from side to side like a willow branch in the wind. The tossed
arrow arrived just in time, striking the old man's sword with a crisp clang. Two of the remaining four arrows
were deflected by the deflected arrows, while the other two, still inaccurate, were narrowly
avoided by the old man's elusive movements, flying without pause into the dense forest.

Despite the casualties and the loss of one of the eight gates, the red-faced archer hadn't expected the old man to dodge two arrows with his agility alone . He stood there
stunned for a few moments, not giving any orders. The old man, seemingly also surprised that the archer, despite the fierce battle, still possessed such archery prowess, stopped and stood proudly in the center, his sharp eyes scanning the valley entrance. The open space in front of the valley was silent, save for the echo of the arrow striking the old man's sword, like a dragon's roar. 　　The echo faded, and the old man leaped up again. The red-faced archer issued three orders in a deep voice: "No Life," "Release the Three Dus," and "Double Wounds." Upon hearing the orders, the other archers immediately drew their bows and released arrows, their bodies rapidly shifting into various postures suitable for coordinated arrow releases. Sometimes they sat together, sometimes they stood apart, sometimes they were clustered together, their bows and arrows being fired in different ways, both horizontally and in a volley. Some arrows were clearly aimed at empty air, seemingly ineffective, yet the old man blocking them would somehow manage to rush towards the arrows' trajectory within moments, only then using his sword or agility to deflect and dodge. With each volley of arrows fired by the seven archers, the old man would retreat slightly. After three volleys, he had retreated just before the campfire, barely an inch further than when he had entered the fray. However, no matter how skillfully the archers shot, it seemed as if two arrows in each volley could not connect, leaving only the slightest gap. Using this, the old man managed to dodge all the arrows. 　　He pondered by the fire for a while, then turned and whispered a few instructions. Several Song men nearby responded with a roar, scattering to stand widely apart around the campfires. The old man then went out again, but instead of leaping forward, he walked alongside . The group moved with the precision of walking along the ribs of a white paper fan, their steps, though not perfectly synchronized, were nonetheless quite orderly. Seeing this, the seven archers quickly divided their forces: four went to shoot the Song men advancing with the old man, while the remaining three unleashed a barrage of arrows at the old man himself. After only two volleys, the advancing group's pace became uneven. Besides the old man leading the way, two strong men were close behind, while the others, preoccupied with deflecting arrows, made little progress; one of them had already been shot dead from a distance. Seeing this, the seven archers concentrated their arrows on the three who were still steadily moving forward, only occasionally firing to hinder the rest. 　　Lu Da'an, watching from the sidelines, was initially astonished by the archers' exquisite marksmanship and the old man's uncanny movements, fearing that rushing forward to help would only create more chaos. Now, seeing the enemy too far away and no place for him to attack, he could only scratch his head in frustration. Once the advancing force was clearly outmatched by the seven archers' arrows, Lu Da'an finally found his way. He quietly slipped out from one side of the valley entrance, retracing his initial charge, and went after the last few remaining men. 　　Two strong men, focused intently on the incoming arrows, didn't notice Lu Da'an's stealthy escape. The old man with the white beard, though having drawn the most arrows, still had some strength left. Seeing Lu Da'an sneak out, he called out a warning. Lu Da'an laughed at the , scurrying to the nearest man and bringing his sword down fiercely. The man, hearing the whoosh of the blade, turned and swung his sword to parry. The two blades clashed, metal clanging, both deflecting several inches. Lu Da'an didn't hesitate, swinging his sword again, but the man twisted his wrist, slicing the sword along the side of Lu Da'an's blade towards his shoulder and ribs. Lu Da'an's eyes widened, and he increased his strength, his move unchanged, determined to cut the man down even at the cost of injury. The man dodged Lu Da'an's blade with the agility of a snake, and was about to thrust his blade forward before Lu could turn, when a flying crimson feather pierced his neck with a soft thud, and he fell to the ground amidst 　　a spray of blood. Lu Da'an wiped the blood splattered on his face and swung his blade to attack another man. After exchanging , he heard the old man with the white beard let out three long and one short whistles in the distance. As soon as the whistles subsided, the last few men rushed towards Lu Da'an, surrounding him from the front and attacking him with various moves. Lu Da'an was only skilled in battlefield combat; in terms of martial arts techniques, he was far inferior to those of martial artists. In no time, he was overwhelmed, his defenses faltering, and he was stabbed in the arm and back, instantly finding himself in grave danger. 　　After the old man's whistling command, he gathered his energy and flew towards the valley entrance as he had done in the initial attack. The seven archers dared not be careless and, at the command of the red-faced archer, formed another arrow formation. Although they managed to force the old man back slightly after several rounds, they were no longer able to protect Lu Da'an, and the two strong men had advanced far ahead. The archers used their arrows to force the two men back, but the old man advanced again . This repeated itself, and Lu Da'an, in the distance, had already been wounded more than a dozen times and was in imminent danger of dying. 　　The red-faced archer remained calm, but was extremely anxious. He glanced at Lu Da'an again, gritted his teeth, and shouted, " Four-pronged attack to break through the distance, three-pronged attack to capture the single target in a chain!" 　　The archers obeyed the command, and arrows rained down like a sudden downpour. The men surrounding Lu Da'an were caught off guard and fell to the ground, struck by arrows. The two strong men who had been following the bearded old man deflected the arrows and steadily advanced. The old man in the middle leaped forward, dodging the barrage of arrows in mid-air, and was only inches away from the mouth of the valley. 　　Seeing the situation was dire, the red-faced archer, without giving the order, drew his bow and fired an arrow at the old man's chest. The other archers understood and followed suit. In an instant, six arrows flew towards the old man like a cluster of sharp spikes. The old man's face paled, and despite his internal injuries, he accelerated the flow of his inner energy, plummeting . All seven arrows missed their mark, whizzing past the old man's head. The old man landed on one foot, lightly tapping it...

His body leaped forward once more, sword energy crisscrossing, enveloping the seven men from Gukou in a blaze of light.

Four standing archers abandoned their bows and lunged forward, drawing their short swords and thrusting at the old man. The old man coldly snorted,
drawing a large circle in front of him with his sword. The archers' four short swords struck the circle, only to be deflected by the internal force within the sword. The old man swung
his arm, the sword's edge flickering like a snake's tongue, wounding the four sword-wielding archers in the shoulders and arms, sending them staggering backward. At this moment, two of
the three archers fired arrows straight at the old man's eyes, while the red-faced archer drew his sword and thrust fiercely at him, man and sword as one, advancing relentlessly.
Now the distance was close. The old man deflected two arrows with his sword, having no time to parry with his own. He leaned back, kicking
the red-faced archer, sending him flying backward, blood spurting, but the force of the kick sent him staggering back several steps.

The old man had barely landed when the two crouching men fired arrows again. He deflected them with his sword, but was nearly
struck in the eye by two more arrows hidden behind them. He quickly spun around to avoid them, but three more arrows flew towards him. The old man's movements
were exhausted, and his sword was still far from his body; he was about to be struck by the incoming arrows. A series of clanging sounds rang out as the two men
arrived just in time, each deflecting an arrow with their swords. The old man exhaled a breath of stale air and, in an impossible situation, lurched
backward . Although he avoided the last arrow from his head and face, an arrow pierced his hair, scattering his white hair in the wind over
his shoulders and back. At this moment, more arrows came. The old man deflected them with his sword and retreated step by step with the two men.

As they got further away from the valley, the old man no longer needed to deflect the arrows for the two men; he only needed to protect the area in front of him. Just as he was about to
relax and recuperate, he heard the man to his left scream and vomit blood. Upon closer inspection, it was
Lu Da'an, covered in blood, who had silently crept in from behind and stabbed the man with a single, clean gash. The old man
was enraged and wanted to kill Lu Da'an with his sword, but the arrows raining down from the valley entrance intensified, and he could only watch as Lu Da'an scrambled away.

The old man protected the remaining man, retreating to a distance within an arrow's reach, and returned to the area behind the campfire. He instructed the man
to find the men who had pursued Tong Zhong and then immediately began to recuperate. Lu Da'an dragged his leg back into the valley, where he saw the entrance stained with blood.
The arrows that had once piled up like firewood on the ground had been damaged countless times by the old man's sword energy; the usable arrows were nearly exhausted. Of the
four archers still capable of fighting, two remained at the entrance to keep watch, while the others returned to the valley to tend to their wounded comrade. Seeing the bloodied Lu Da'an appear at the entrance, the remaining archers quickly sent another to help him into the valley. 　　After passing several large trees, the entire valley came into view. The valley was only a few dozen feet in circumference, with towering cliffs on all sides, impossible to climb out—a truly formidable defensive position. On one side of the valley lay a man with a missing arm, his fate unknown. The red-faced archer, kicked away by the old man, leaned against the wall beside the missing-armed man, half-conscious and barely breathing. Two of the four archers had attacked the bearded old man with swords were severely wounded in the arms and unable to fire. If the enemy were to launch a strong attack now, the people in the valley would likely be wiped out. 　　Seeing the pitiful state of the valley and worrying about Tong Zhong's safety, Lu Da'an was deeply displeased. The archer who helped Lu Da'an shared his sentiments, merely tearing cloth to bandage his wounds, remaining silent. The people in the valley had endured several days of fierce fighting and desperate defense; everyone was wounded and exhausted, both physically and mentally. Now everyone believed that their chances of survival were almost nil, and they lay or sat with their eyes , waiting for the final battle to fight to the death with the enemy. 　　The archer carefully bandaged Lu Da'an's wounds, but due to the lack of medicine, he could not stop the bleeding. Fortunately, Lu was strong and used to being wounded, so apart from fatigue and cold, he did not find it too unbearable. Just as he was closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, he heard a series of hurried footsteps. He was startled and gripped his sword hilt, trying to jump up, but his legs were weak, and he could only use the sword to support himself as he slowly rose. 　　The footsteps stopped abruptly, and voices came from the other side. The archer guarding the valley entrance turned around and said, "The enemy outside the valley has reinforced their troops greatly. From the distance, it seems they are chasing Tong Zhong and his twenty-odd men. Tong Zhong is probably... I'm afraid he is not good! You and I, brothers, should also prepare to chase after Tong Zhong." 　　Upon hearing this, Lu Da'an felt a pang of sadness and swayed as he walked out of the valley. The archers still capable of killing also proudly drew their bows and left the valley. The two remaining archers, unable to fire, exchanged a glance, then smiled, and drew their short swords to follow. The path leading out of the valley was short, taking only a few breaths. At this moment, the heavy hearts of the group made the journey seem longer. When the large tree disappeared and the valley opened up, there was no sign of the reinforcements the messenger had spoken of. Looking around, they saw only a path paved with blood and corpses stretching from the distant dense forest, at the end of which knelt a disheveled, white-bearded old man. The old man's face was contorted in a grotesque grimace, and blood oozed from between his fingers as he clutched his neck. 　　　　　　　　Chapter Three: White Robe and Green Sword Appear by the Forest, Red-Pink Tiger General Searches in the Fortress. Not far behind the old man, a figure stood with his back turned. His bamboo-green turban sash fluttered, and his light brown round-necked robe was as smooth as snow. His left hand was behind his back, and his right hand held a sword, the tip of which hung low, blood still dripping. He possessed an air of profound mystery. 　　Soon after, the old man breathed his last and collapsed to the ground. The archers suddenly cheered and, ignoring their own injuries, rushed towards the figure with shouts. Hearing the cheers, the man smiled and turned around, saying, "I'm a little late, brothers, how are you ?" 　　Lu Da'an, who was still standing there watching, already knew that this man was a powerful ally, but Tong Zhong was not there, so he did not dare to approach rashly. Therefore, he stared at him closely. He saw that the man had thick eyebrows, bright eyes, a prominent nose distinct earlobes, red lips and white teeth, and a face shaped like the character "申" (Shen). He was dressed like a scholar, yet he faintly revealed a refined and otherworldly air. Although the archers were overjoyed, they only rushed to his side, addressing him as "Young Master" and bowing gratefully. They dared not, like the other archers, put their arms around each other's shoulders and laugh loudly. 　　The man in white sheathed his sword, returned the bows, and asked in astonishment, "Where are the others? Only the six of you?" 　　Upon hearing this, the archers' spirits plummeted, and their joy at escaping their desperate situation vanished without a trace. The man in white glanced around and called to the archer guarding the valley entrance , "Hao Zhi, you speak." 　　Hao Zhi's face fell, and he bowed, saying, "Young Master An, Chen Dan, Xie Bao, Bai Xiaoliu, Gao Song, and I were ordered by General Zhe to set out from Yinping Road and cross the Bailong River to meet our brothers who were gathering information. Not far from Huaxi Gorge, we saw a secret mark and followed it here. In the dense forest ahead, we encountered Lin Duizheng, Gushan, Li Qi, Yan Hu, and Jin Gou fighting together , so we rushed over to help. With our assistance, they had already driven Jin Gou back. But then a group of highly skilled warriors suddenly appeared from behind Jin Gou's formation ..." " The Song soldiers killed so many that my brothers were overwhelmed. We formed a battle array with giant logs, using the eight-gate arrow formation taught by the general, and barely to hold them off. Although many brothers were wounded, we ran out of arrows and had to abandon the logs and retreat." 　　At this point, Hao Zhi's grief turned to hatred. Pointing to the old man's corpse on the ground, he said angrily, "That old thief took advantage of the gap in our arrow formation as we retreated, charged forward, and severed Li Qi's arm with a single sword strike. Lin, who had just been wounded in the groin and was unable to move easily, sacrificed his life to hold off the old thief and cover our retreat. On the way back, Yan Hu wept and told me that Tian Li, who was traveling with him, had been dead for several days."

We were harmed by a vixen. We retreated to this small valley, where the old thief and his men caught up with us. Li Qi fainted, leaving only
the seven of who could fight. Fortunately, Gu Shan was resourceful, repeatedly abandoning one of the eight arrow formations according to the enemy's changes
. With the night already deep, we managed to hold off the enemy's attacks. Seeing that our arrows were running out, Brother Tong Zhong outside the valley pretended to be a general and tricked half of the besieging soldiers away. It was also thanks to the
scarred brother who wielded a knife, who bravely sent arrows into the valley and fought desperately to hold off the enemy, that we were able to see the young master's face.
But Gu Shan was kicked in the heart by that old thief; I'm afraid he's in bad shape. " The enemy soldiers that Brother Tong Zhong tricked away have returned and been killed by the young master,
but he is still nowhere to be found. I wonder if he is..."

Lu Da'an, listening to Hao Zhi's words, felt a pang of sorrow followed by a surge of pride. When he heard the last
words, tinged with sadness, he finally couldn't help but shout, "What's there for Brother Hao to cry about? Why not ask this young master and those of us
who are unharmed to search for him, so we can rescue him as quickly as possible? If... alas! There are no ifs! He is certainly alright!"

The man in white, seeing Lu Da'an's forthright and composed manner... Those who were pulled from the bloody waters usually claimed to be unharmed, and I
secretly admired them. I nodded and clasped my hands, saying, "That's right! Brother, you have done me a great favor to the brothers of the Arrow Camp. I, An Hong, thank you on behalf of
my elder brother and will repay you in the future! I will take care of the matter of finding Tong Zhong myself. Brother, your injuries are not light,
and we cannot stay here for long. Let's return to the fortress and wait together! Hao Zhi, you take the brothers and go ahead. I will find
you at the edge of the forest at the foot of the ridge in five days."

An Hong spoke calmly and made no move. He had already floated away and disappeared. When he finished bowing, he was already several feet
away. His white clothes fluttered, and he turned in mid-air and disappeared into the dense forest. Only
the echo of his last few words lingered in the forest and in everyone's ears. In an instant, everyone felt something flash before their eyes. Another uninjured
archer, Chen Dan, reached out and grabbed a small porcelain bottle. When he opened the lid, a fragrant aroma wafted out. Chen Dan, with a smattering of pharmacology, recognized the medicine as a
miraculous cure upon smelling it. He rushed back to the valley and gave it to the two seriously wounded men.

Lu Da'an, long accustomed to military formations and countless slashing and thrusting attacks, had never witnessed such
skill . His astonishment lessened his worries about Tong Zhong. Led by Hao Zhi, he greeted the archers,
exchanged names, and discussed the discovery of Lin Tong's body hidden in the giant wood formation. The archers thanked him profusely, and several accompanied Lu
to bury Lin Tong before returning to the valley to carry Gu Shan and Li Qi back to the fortress. That evening, the amputated Li Qi
awoke , pale and in excruciating pain, but able to walk with support. Gu Shan, however
, showed no improvement after taking the medicine, remaining weak and unconscious as before.

The group found a secluded ravine where they could keep out of the firelight, lit a campfire, and cooked some food. After settling the wounded,
the archers who were still able to move scattered to patrol. Lu Da'an wanted to go with them, but Hao Zhi insisted that he stay and rest. Seeing that the archers'
camping and patrolling were quite organized, displaying both the discipline of a military unit and their unique skills, Lu couldn't help but ask them a question. Hao Zhi, grateful for
Tong Lu's kindness in delivering arrows to the grain and admiring his bravery and straightforwardness, and having learned of Tong Lu's past during the day's journey, all his doubts vanished.
He smiled and said, "Brother, you may not know this, but although our Divine Arrow Battalion is a battalion within the Western Army in Fuping, many of our
men , besides those transferred from various battalions by Commander Wu, are from the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), so our camp has a strong Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) mentality.
The twelve of us who survived the retreat were long-time followers of the General, having learned only a smattering of his skills,
which is how we escaped with our lives. My General, since childhood, has been rejected by the Zhe family and has always traveled far from the prefecture. Although he has
suffered Only Tong Zhong
accompanied him; when the Red Feather Arrow broke through the thirty-six bandit strongholds of Taihang Mountain, the bandit leaders Chen Dan, Xie Bao, and Li Qi bowed to the
general and voluntarily followed him; when he helped Han Wuye capture the rebel Fang La alive in Bangyuan Stone Cave, he recruited Gu Shan, Gao Song,
Yan Hu, and Bai Xiaoliu; when he fought alongside General Zhe Er to defeat the giant bandit Song Jiang and killed Hua Rong with a string of arrows, he won over the old general's squad leader
Lin Tong; Tian Li and Wei Qing were assigned by Wu Jinglue before the battle of Fuping. All told, except for Tian Li and Wei Qing, the ten of us
have been gathered with the general for nearly seven years. The bloodbath of Fuping was peaceful, but who knew that we would lose our lives here in this remote mountain village, separated by death!

Hao Zhi sighed sadly, then looked up at the sky, slightly turning his face away, hiding his eyes in the shadows of the firelight.
Lu Da'an didn't know how to comfort him, and thinking of Tong Zhong, whose fate was unknown, he was also unhappy. Gao Song and Bai Xiaoliu, whose arms were injured,
sat on the other side, quietly listening to Hao Zhi's explanation to Lu. Bai Xiaoliu, only eighteen or nineteen years old, was a young man with a naturally
humorous nature. Seeing the atmosphere turn somber, he joked, "You, Hao Zhi, always showing off
! You've told us all our stories, but Brother Lu still doesn't know anything about you!"

Hao Zhi, pretending to fan away the smoke from the burning charcoal, quickly wiped his cheek and laughed, "You bunch of scoundrels, you're
either bandits or江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world). Telling Brother Lu is to promote you! I'm just a hunter from the mountains who
happened to meet Madam Yun while selling wild game at the market. I gained her favor..." " I was made a bodyguard. The General and
Master Han celebrated their victory in Jingkou, and the Lady followed the General, which is how I had the honor of serving by his side. To be honest, I'm just a servant
, how can I be compared to you great heroes and chivalrous knights?"

Lu Da'an heard Hao Zhi mention Lady Yun, and seeing the two dark blue silk ribbons still tied to his arm, he
remembered the words of the demoness he had encountered with Tong Zhong in the deserted village. Just as he was hesitating about whether to ask who this Lady Yun was,
Gu Shan, who was lying stiffly by the fire, suddenly groaned a few times. The people gathered around the fire rushed over to check on him, calling out softly, but
he remained unresponsive. Li Qi, who had lost his arm, had been in a deep sleep, but was startled awake by the soft calls, asked for some
water, and then fell asleep again.

After being disturbed for a while, Hao Zhi went to find a patrol archer to relieve him, but unable to resist Lu Da'an's pleas, he
had let him go and find an archer to relieve him so he could rest. Having secured his assignment, Lu Da'an forgot all about Lady Wenyun. He stood guard
until nearly midnight, and upon returning to the campfire, utterly exhausted and weak, he collapsed and fell into a deep, snoring sleep.

They continued their journey for three more days, passing through the thorny, rocky Mumen Pass, and finally reached
Huaxi Gorge, where the Minjiang and Bailongjiang rivers converge. The Minjiang River, like an angry dragon, rushed into the gorge, crashing against the banks and rocks, churning and roaring, making one dizzy at the sight.
Fortunately, a narrow wooden bridge spanned the river, sparing the group the hardship of climbing along the valley. Lu Da'an, who was terrified of water,
clung Hao Zhi's clothes, his face pale with fear. Most of the archers showed fear on their faces, but Hao Zhi remained
calm . Despite carrying the mountain on his back, he still had the leisure to explain to Lu Da'an that the wooden bridge
was built by Deng Ai and his son when they led Wei troops along the Yinping Trail, hence the name Dengdeng Bridge.

Following the Min River southwards, they reached the main road to Yulei Pass, but just as they could see the treacherous cliffs and plank
roads turned off the road, plunging straight into the vast, dense forest. The forest was filled with trees so thick they could barely be embraced.
Intertwined vines formed a dense forest, vast as a sea, with white mist rising year-round. For safety, Hao Zhi
left only a few hidden marks on the trees at the very beginning of the forest, leaving none further in. The forest was covered with fallen leaves,
knee- , leaving no trace of movement. Thus, although there were many archers, only Hao Zhi, a former hunter, knew the way. Soon after entering the forest, Hao Zhi led
the group to a large rock. The rock was smooth as a mirror, its width like a boat on a river, with layers of smoke and fire marks on it.
The archers gathered dry leaves from the trees and built a fire on the rock to rest. Hao Zhi returned to
the hidden to meet An Hong, who was supposed to arrive soon.

An Hong was handsome and dashing, and Lu Da'an admired him from the first sight. With Tong Zhong'an in danger, he couldn't forget him
for a moment . The past few days had been arduous and fraught with danger, and he had put aside all his worries. Having finally found some free time,
and after everything was settled, he pestered the archers for information, only to learn that An Hong was a swordsman from Jiangzuo, possessing truly extraordinary skills.
Because of his carefree and unassuming nature, his reputation in the martial world was not particularly prominent. That day, Zhe Ling had led his group on a tour of Jiangnan when
they encountered An Hong. Seeing the group carrying bows and arrows and their menacing expressions, An Hong assumed they were bandits. Therefore, he challenged Zhe Ling to a fierce duel, agreeing that
the loser would flee Jiangzuo, intending to drive out the bandits and bring peace to his hometown. Seeing An Hong's skill, Zhe Ling, itching to test his own skills,
readily . The two fought for a whole day, their fists, weapons, and internal strength all evenly matched, but ultimately Zhe Ling's archery skills prevailed
. Zhe Ling revealed the truth, and An Hong, filled with shame and respect, felt a deep sense of kinship. That night, the two drank heavily until dawn and became sworn brothers. When Fuping
was defeated, the Jin army swarmed in, and Zhe Ling refused to abandon the remaining forty-odd archers, even as they were all killed. An Hong, having
received a message from Lady Yun, arrived just in time. Wielding his sword, he and Zhe Ling fought their way through, ultimately protecting all twelve. Zhe Ling was
seriously injured, but with Lady Yun's help, An Hong led the group to a secluded fortress, where they finally escaped danger.

The archers spoke of An Hong with both admiration and respect, while Lu Da'an felt a mixture of joy and worry. He was happy
to have recognized such a hero and sent him to find Tong Zhong; he was worried that An Hong's failure to return on time might have caused problems, and Tong Zhong's
safety was a serious concern. Hearing the archers mention Lady Yun, he initially considered asking about the past to resolve his doubts,
but quickly forgot about it, his mind preoccupied with unease.

After a restless day and night, An Hong finally arrived the next morning, accompanied by Hao Zhi, but Tong Zhong
was nowhere to be seen. Lu Da'an darted to An Hong and grabbed his arms urgently, asking, "Where's Tong Zhong?
Why didn't he come with you?"

An Hong's eyes were bloodshot, indicating that he hadn't slept for many nights, and his white robe was stained with mud, but his expression
remained carefree. Knowing Lu Da'an was anxious, he didn't struggle, but only smiled slightly and said, "In the northeast of the dense forest, I saw
the enemy that Tong Zhongyu had killed with an arrow. I followed the footprints, but the trail ended by a stream. I used the stream as my center and searched
the area within a radius of thirty square kilometers, but there was no trace of Tong Zhongyu. Later, I found the stones at the bottom of the stream were disturbed in the shallow water, and deduced that Tong
Zhongyu must have waded away along the river. As I searched downstream, I found that the stream flowed into the Minjiang River. I searched along the banks of the Minjiang River for
fifty square , but there was no more trace."

As An Hong's words came to mind, Lu Da'an's hands unconsciously tightened. When he heard that there was no more trace along the banks of the Minjiang River,
his heart ached, his hands suddenly loosened, and he slumped down. When he was no longer dazed, he realized that An Hong's arms had been like
cast iron , and his fingers and palms had been strained too much, and they were now slightly sore. Just as he felt his mind was in turmoil and he didn't know what to do
, he overheard Hao Zhi and An Hong talking. One of their sentences was, "Gu Shan and the others have discovered something important and are eager to report
to the General
." He suddenly realized that he hadn't yet told anyone about what had happened with Tong Zhong. Tong Zhong's fate was unknown, so he had to relay the news to Zhe Ling himself, otherwise it would jeopardize Tong Zhong's plans. He quickly jumped up and said, "I just remembered that Tong Zhong also discovered
something he wanted to report to General Zhe." Recalling Tong Zhong's panicked expression and solemn words in the deserted village, he added
, "It's a terrible disaster; we can only tell General Zhe, and we must hurry."

Hao Zhi and the other archers all looked at An Hong upon hearing this. An Hong nodded and said, "In that case, there's no time to lose. Hao Zhi,
lead the way, and we'll return to the fortress and report to our elder brother before making further plans."

The archers responded with a roar, extinguished the campfire, and set off. As they progressed, the mountain became increasingly steep; the moss
, damp and slippery, made walking difficult; the fog thickened, making even breathing increasingly challenging. Spending the night in the forest, they found no place to start a fire and
had to subsist on dry rations. The only relief was that Gu Shan, after being healed by An Hong's internal energy throughout the night, gradually regained consciousness.

After another day and night of travel, overcoming numerous obstacles, they finally found a narrow stone path through the mud. A short distance later,
a very simple wooden fence came into view. Several four-colored flags were planted on it, but no one was guarding it.
Climbing further along the path, a thick, high fortress wall, about two hundred feet long, built against the precipitous mountainside, stood before them. The wall,
with a stone base and wooden ramparts, was about two zhang high, lacking any crenellations, corner towers, or gate towers. Aside from the main building
, the wall consisted of only a dozen or so simple fortified towers. A stream, following the contours of the mountain, served as a protective barrier. It was over ten feet wide,
too wide for even a grown man to cross with great effort. Both ends of the wall were high mountains, but the left-hand peak pierced the clouds, its
height unknown; while the right-hand peak was two or three times the height of the fortress wall, its summit level and its four sides smooth as a mirror,
protruding before the wall like a natural watchtower.

The mountain path was steep and the stone slabs slippery; everyone had to hold onto the trees and vines along the way to maintain their balance. Only An
Hong stood lightly and gracefully on a protruding rock peak. Lu Da'an, upon his arrival, was astonished by the
impregnable fortress, a masterpiece of nature and human craftsmanship, when he heard a voice from the fortress wall shout, "Young Master An and the brothers of the Arrow Camp
are back! Open the fortress gate quickly!"

The shout had barely faded when the gate split open to the left and right, and three wooden ladders extended from them, spanning the stream
to serve a bridge. The crowd hurried across the stream using the ladders. The man who had shouted from the wall, seeing two wounded men, quickly led his men down the wall to catch them and
ordered medical assistance to be sought. An Hong stepped forward and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for waiting, Lord Wang. Hao Zhi and this
Brother have important news to discuss with my elder brother and others. Would you mind accompanying me, Lord Wang?"

Lord Wang, a man in his forties with a round, naturally smiling face, tried to appear serious but his smile remained
amiable : "How could that be? What General Zhe knows is military intelligence. I am no worthy to
hear of such things!"

An Hong slightly... Xiao bowed again and said, "What are you saying, Lord Wang? We came here in distress, and were deeply grateful for your kindness in taking us
in . My elder brother has repeatedly told us that once we enter the fortress, everything is a matter for the fortress, and we must all respect the lord
's approval. Today's news is probably of great importance, and we were just about to invite the lord to come and discuss it. Please do not refuse."

Lord Wang was delighted to hear this, and his smiling eyes narrowed into slits: "General Zhe, is that really what you mean? That's truly..."
"How disrespectful! How disrespectful!" After exchanging a few more polite words with An Hong, they walked arm in arm.

Lu Da'an and the archers followed behind, carefully observing the entire mountain stronghold. This stronghold was built against the mountain,
layer upon layer like terraced fields. Due to the steep terrain, each layer was only a flat area of less than a hundred feet in diameter.
The dwellings were all made of wood, and the felled tree stumps were not leveled, but stood there unevenly. The main road through the stronghold was
interspersed among the tree stumps. Over the years, new branches occasionally sprouted from the fallen tree stumps, green and verdant, blocking the way for travelers, but
no one paid them any heed.

After winding and turning, they climbed more than twenty levels before reaching the main platform of the stronghold. On the platform, there was only one brick and stone
building, with a plaque above the gate that read "Council Hall" in seal script. Although this hall
was slightly more magnificent than the other houses in the fortress, it was still not as spacious as the central hall of an ordinary wealthy family in the city. To the left stood three flagpoles, each
bearing a large flag embroidered with "Motianling," "Zhuge Fortress," and "Meng," respectively. To the right was a large
stone, taller than a person, weathered and unremarkable. Looking back, the fortress walls and the lowest levels of buildings were already hidden in the mist, gradually
becoming invisible; the closest level seemed to be trampled underfoot, requiring one to peek out to see it.

An Hong and the fortress chief Wang entered the council hall, leaving the others to wait outside. Lu Da'an, who had fought alongside Lord Xiao Zhong and captured
countless fortresses of the Western bandits, had never seen such a treacherous mountain fortress. Feeling dizzy from looking down,
Lu Da'an was startled when Bai Xiaoliu nudged him with his elbow, causing him to jump back. Bai Xiaoliu pointed and chuckled,
"Why is this warrior afraid of both water and heights? Hey, Brother Lu, let me tell you. There's a divine sign on that big rock over there.
If you pour water on it, the four characters 'Deng Ai Passed Here' will appear. Do you know who Deng Ai is?"

Lu Da'an, startled by the bump, nearly lost his mind. Hearing Bai Xiaoliu's question, he glared at him and said
, "I'm a rough man, barely literate. How would I know who that Deng Ai is? He's the one who built the bridge,
and he's the one who left the inscription. How annoying!"

Seeing Lu Da'an's expression, Bai Xiaoliu knew he was annoyed but didn't mind, continuing to tease him with playful shoving.
Lu Da'an, now far from the steps, felt much calmer and knew that Bai Xiaoliu was trying to ease his
frustration So he smiled and returned the punch. The archers gathered around, laughing and joking, creating a lively atmosphere. Lu Da'an,
having endured the bitterness of losing friends and companions in recent years, found his thoughts drifting back to his beloved Xiao Zhong, wishing this scene could
last .

After several rounds of playful banter, footsteps sounded from the council hall, and a man of about thirty years old strode out. He had
a square, bronze face, a broad jaw, phoenix eyes, and silkworm eyebrows. While not handsome, he possessed a stern and dignified air, exuding an imposing presence. Over nine feet tall, he wore a wide-brimmed Shu brocade cloak, yet it couldn't conceal the heroic spirit
emanating from his slender waist and broad shoulders . 　　Upon seeing him, the archers immediately straightened their robes and bowed, addressing him as "General." Lu Da'an thought to himself that this magnificent man must be a hero, and inwardly cheered, joining the other archers in bowing. Zhe Ling leaped forward and steadied Lu Da'an with both hands, his eyes fixed intently on Lu's. He said in a deep voice, "My second brother has already told me! Brave Lu, you traveled and were very kind to us. Later, you single-handedly braved danger to save my brothers. I, Zhe Ling, am deeply grateful for this kindness! Please , Brave Lu, accept my bow!" 　　Zhe Ling finished speaking, bowed first, then lifted his robe and bowed again. The archers also turned to Lu Da'an, their hearts filled with gratitude for Lu Da'an's rescue and tears for Zhe Ling's kindness. They all solemnly followed suit. Lu Da'an, never expecting this, stood there stunned, his mind repeating only one sentence: "General Zhe treats me so well!" Then he remembered he couldn't accept such a grand gesture, and hurriedly knelt down, his forehead hitting the ground with a loud thud, kowtowing . After days of admiration, words stuck in his throat, leaving him speechless. He could only mutter repeatedly, "No! How can this be!" 　　Seeing Lu Da'an like this, Zhe Ling quickly stepped forward to support him, using a little internal force to lift him up. Lu Da'an felt a gentle, soft force travel from his arm, making him feel as light as if floating in water. Seeing Zhe Ling smiling at him, his eyes filled with clear and sincere emotion, he felt his blood boil. At this moment, he would . Seeing that the usually boisterous Lu Da'an's face was flushed red and his eyes were glistening with tears, Bai Xiaoliu couldn't help but laugh, "Brother Lu, a few days ago you were talking about my general, didn't you say you regretted not having met him? Now that you've met him, you 're just blushing and crying. Could it be that what you consider meeting a hero is like this little sissy?" 　　Before Lu Da'an could feel embarrassed or angry, Zhe Ling had already turned around and glared fiercely at Bai Xiaoliu, saying, "You scoundrel! Lu Da'an is our benefactor, yet you only know how to talk nonsense. Are you asking for a beating? I shot a tiger in the mountains the other day, and last time I gave you a tiger skin. You've already gotten away with this! Go find it in my side room!" After a pause, she feigned anger and added, "I'll settle the score with you later !" 　　Upon hearing this, Bai Xiaoliu made a face and skipped away happily. Hao Zhi, standing to the side, cupped his hands in greeting and said happily, "General, have you shot the tiger? It's been half a month since we last met. Your injuries must be much better now!" 　　Zhe Ling looked around and saw that all the archers were looking at him with concern. He then smiled and nodded, saying, "I fired the bow yesterday and am now fine. Thank you all for your concern ! My second brother has explained the matter of Tong Zhong to me in detail, and the chief of Wangzhai has already sent people out of the mountains to search for him again. How are Gu Shan and Li Qi's injuries? And who killed Lin Tong and Tian Li?" 　　Upon hearing this, the archers' faces all darkened, and they all gave a rough account of Gu Shan and Li Qi's injuries. Zhe Ling inquired carefully and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that their lives were not in danger. He then called for everyone to accompany him to check on the two men. Hao Zhi winked at Zhe Ling and said, "Gu Shan and the others have received some urgent news, and Tong Zhong has also brought important information from Brother Lu . We can't keep Lord Feng waiting. I'll go to the council hall with you first, and then we can check on the two brothers' injuries." 　　Zhe Ling's brows showed a hint of disgust, and his eyebrows furrowed as if he wanted to leave without a word. But then he sighed and said, "That's absolutely right! Yun'er said the same thing to me. Although this scholar is always..." He was courteous and respectful, but having served under Zhang Shumi for so long, he was familiar with court affairs and thus had to be cautious. Now, being in the Western Army, I couldn't enjoy the freedom of the martial world. Very well, we've all been traveling for a long time and must be tired. You and I will go into the council hall to report the news; the rest of you can go and rest! Gao Song, go and prepare a table and a feast. After the meeting, we brothers will drink with Lu Da'an and have a good time together!" 　　Zhe Ling finished speaking, gesturing for Lu Da'an to join him, then took his arm, intending to walk . Lu Da'an refused, his face flushed, shaking his head and waving his hands in refusal, insisting on a subordinate's posture and walking behind Zhe Ling with Hao Zhi. Seeing Lu's genuine fear and respect, Zhe Ling understood his intentions and said nothing more, patting Lu heavily on the shoulder.

Da'an patted his shoulder, said "Good brother," and turned to walk towards the hall.

With Zhe Ling's pat and praise, Lu Da'an's heart surged with excitement. Following behind Zhe Ling, his chest
puffed out more than usual, and his gait became rather unnatural. Under the eaves of the hall stood Wang Zhaizhu and a scholar, who
couldn't help but chuckle at Lu's gait. The scholar, about forty years old, had bright, lively eyes, a jade-like face and red lips, and three long, elegant strands of beard hanging down
his neck . He stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a white silk robe, his appearance refined and extraordinary. The two had originally followed Zhe Ling out of the hall to greet him, but
they couldn't keep up with Zhe Ling's pace. Upon arriving at the hall, they found Zhe Ling and his entourage kneeling in worship, so they waited under the eaves instead. Upon
seeing Zhe Ling approach, the scholar smiled before speaking, cupping his hands and saying, "Congratulations, General Zhe, on gaining another valiant warrior by your side!"

Zhe Ling stopped, returned the greeting, and then looked at Lu Da'an, saying, "Many thanks, Lord Feng! Brother Lu single-handedly charged through the encirclement and into
the Desolate Valley a few days ago, saving all my brothers. He is our benefactor. It is Zhe Ling's good fortune to have him not abandon us, and I dare not not
treat him as a brother!"

Hearing this, the scholar looked Lu Da'an up and down, then bowed slowly and solemnly, saying, "A valiant act of righteousness, Feng Shen deeply admires!"

Lu Da'an was still in the mist, his mind hazy, and he did not know who Feng Shen was. Seeing the slow bow, he simply nodded and
chuckled a few times. Seeing that he was rough and unpretentious, Zhe Ling also laughed heartily, his laughter mostly showing his affection. Hao Zhi, standing to the side ,
was startled. He stared at Feng Shen, secretly thinking, "The paths of civil and military officials
are different. Even Di Wuxiang died in despair . Lu Da'an is ignorant of etiquette and may implicate my general. I'll keep a close eye on him. If Feng Shen's expression turns slightly
unpleasant, I'll remind the general to make amends later. We mustn't repeat the mistake of General Zhe being humiliated by Zhang
Shuye ."

Seeing Lu Da'an's state, Feng Shen was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter, saying, "What a boorish fellow!"
After a few laughs, he, Zhe Ling, and Lord Wang bowed and entered the hall. Lu Da'an, oblivious to everything, just followed along with the silly grin. Seeing that
Feng Shen seemed genuine, Hao Zhi sighed and elbowed Lu Da'an, grabbing him and following him into the hall.

Lu Da'an, jolted awake by Hao Zhi's elbow, quickly composed himself and entered the hall. In the hall, Lord Wang refused to sit in the main seat and was politely deferring to Zhe and Feng
. Lu Da'an took the opportunity to look around. He saw that the facilities in the hall seemed elaborate but were actually simple, exuding a martial spirit. A
wide passageway led straight ahead from the main entrance, and stone locks, stone weights, and weapon racks were scattered on the ground in the east and west wings. Swords and knives
hung on , except for three brocades hanging behind the main seat in the north. In the center was a large character "Meng,"
with "Zhaoyuan" and "Yantao" on the left and right respectively. In front of the brocades was a three-tiered stone platform. On the platform, a tiger-skin chair was placed in the most prestigious position
. Below the platform, there were more than a dozen seats on the left and right sides, but there were no low tables or tea tables. The two chairs at the top and bottom on the left and right were empty. An Hong sat in the second
chair , and a stunningly beautiful woman sat in the second chair on the left. The woman was in the prime of her youth, with cheeks like fresh
lychees, a nose like goose fat, bright almond eyes, and a captivating charm. At first glance, she seemed lively and approachable, but upon closer inspection, she was incomparably dignified and
beautiful . The woman wore a moon-white jacket, its front open, revealing her bodice and a few inches of tender flesh below her neck.
Her hands were clasped together, resting on her waist, her expression absent, lost in thought.

Behind her stood two women who appeared to be maids. One had blonde hair, blue eyes, a high nose, deep-set eyes, and full breasts
and hips. A stiff board wrapped in black velvet seemed to be tied around her waist, tightly constricting her slender
waist and making her breasts appear even more
voluptuous. The clothing and accessories worn by this woman were not those of the Central Plains; the front of her jacket even exposed half of her chest, making her even more daring than the seated woman's attire. The other woman was petite, delicate, and charming. Although dressed as a common maid, she wore a shawl draped over her shoulders, giving
her a unique allure .

Although Lu Da'an was not attracted to women, he was still surprised by the foreign woman's clothing, and his gaze swept over her with a strange expression
. The foreign woman did not avoid his gaze; instead, she faced Lu directly, deliberately thrusting her chest out even
higher. Hao Zhi nudged him again, whispering, "Kestina is Lady Yun's musician, and she's very much in the lady's favor
. Be careful she doesn't ask her to deal with you, you rascal. Quickly shut your thieving eyes."

Lu Da'an, having served Xiao Zhong for so long, wasn't ignorant of etiquette, but this was the first time he'd seen such a strange
woman, which caused him to lose his composure. Before Hao Zhi could finish speaking, he snapped out of his daze and quickly crossed his hands to meditate,
secretly wondering, "Where is this woman from? Not only are her appearance and clothing strange, but even her name is so long and peculiar!"

Seeing his actions, Kestina couldn't help but chuckle, drawing everyone's attention in the hall. Just
then Zhe Ling pressed Wang Zhai to the seat of honor and then offered Feng Shen the seat of honor on his right, before stepping back to his left to sit
next to the stunning woman. Seeing Kristina smile at Lu Da'an, he spoke softly to the beautiful woman, "Yun'er, this is
Brother Lu Da'an, whom my second brother mentioned earlier."

The woman was slightly surprised, covering her lips with her hand, her eyes filled with admiration and gratitude. She slowly rose and curtsied, performing
a deep bow, saying, "The brothers from the fortress have all served the general for a long time. If anything were to happen to them, it would be tantamount to the general losing his own limbs.
Thank you, Mr. Lu, for saving my brothers and sparing my heart from unbearable pain! Please accept Qiaoyun's bow!"

Qiaoyun's voice was soft and melodious, with a touch of languor yet a clear, resonant quality; her tone was sincere and earnest, seemingly
reaching the heart of the listener. Lu Da'an quickly turned to return the bow, repeatedly saying "I dare not," feeling
deeply but speechless. Kristina, who was bowing beside him, couldn't help but chuckle softly at his embarrassment. The pretty
maidservant, however, was disgusted by the ugly scar on his face and only bowed her head in greeting, not daring to look at him.

Seeing Lu Da'an's distress, Zhe Ling gestured to Hao Zhi to help him sit down. After Lu Da'an sat down slightly at the bottom of
the table, Hao Zhi stepped into the hall, stood solemnly, cupped his hands, and announced loudly, "Reporting the order!"

The hall fell silent instantly upon hearing this. Lu Da'an thought to himself, "How can there be women present when reporting the order?" He glanced around
and saw that no one in the hall seemed offended, so he also kept quiet. Hao Zhi knew that his general always
listened to reports and discussed matters with Madam Yun, but this time Wang and Feng were also present. He didn't know what his general was thinking, so
after saying "Reporting the order," he stopped and simply waited with his head down.

Zhe Ling sat at the lower end, hands on her knees, back straight, eyes fixed straight ahead, and said, "Report!"

Hao Zhi saw that Zhe Ling was acting as usual, not only ignoring the fortress master but also Feng Shen sitting opposite her.
He felt uneasy, wanting to remind him but unable to do so. However, there was no time to think it over.
He quickly recounted the events of leaving the fortress to provide support, the battle in the dense forest, and Tong Lu'an's rescue, then paused, unsure
how to proceed.

Everyone in the hall listened intently to Hao Zhi's words. Kestina, behind Qiao Yun, seemed nervous,
choking on her saliva and coughing, turning her head to the side and covering her mouth. The sound elicited different reactions from the people in the hall. The fortress master,
Lu Da'an, and the pretty maid ignored it, Qiao Yun's eyes changed slightly, and Feng Shen looked at Qiao Yun with a playful smile.
Yun, Zhe Ling, and An Hong only frowned slightly. Hao Zhi, who was standing in the hall, hardened his expression, his knuckles turning slightly
white as he clenched his fists. He lowered his head even further and said in a deep voice, "After leaving Huaxi Gorge, the group scattered to gather intelligence. Yan Hu in Chengzhou
and Tian Li in Taozhou saw countless defeated soldiers of our Western Army, who were only concerned with looting the people. The government and military garrisons could only barely maintain
the situation but were powerless to take control. Lin's team infiltrated the Jin Gou camp northeast of Jiezhou at night and spied on Wanyan Zongfu's
orders in the central command tent, discovering that the Jin Gou intended to gather..." "The Northwest is launching a full-scale attack on Shencha Pass and Dasan Pass, intending to enter Shu. Gushan..."

Hao Zhi hesitated slightly, then knelt down with his chest tucked in, raising his clasped hands above his head and said, "General, please forgive me! Gushan
fled into Linzhou City in Linzhou and found General Zhe Si Ketong in the prefectural government office. The old general has been placed under house
arrest by people from Fuzhou and is not free to move. The old general said that Zhe Ketong of Fuzhou has been asking for the surrender of Linzhou, Fuzhou, and Fengzhou to the Jin for about a year, and
has already helped the Jin dogs persuade the prefectures to surrender. " "There are more than ten counties, but the news hasn't spread widely yet..."

Hao Zhi hadn't finished speaking when Zhe Ling suddenly stood up, pointed his halberd, and shouted, "What did you say? Is this true?"

Hao Zhi took out a letter from his bosom, held it above his head, and said, "This is a letter from the old general that Gu Shan brought back; it is indeed
true. In the recent battle with the Jin dogs outside Huaxi Gorge, there were quite a few Song people among them, whose martial arts were superb. Gu Shan and Li Qi were injured
by , and Captain Lin even lost his life while saving us." "Yellow Springs. Your subordinate is dull-witted, but I have a thought. This fortress is located over
seven hundred miles away, in a place of high mountains and steep ridges, with treacherous roads. Even the locals rarely know about it. The entrance to Huaxi Gorge is rarely visited. If there were no
one familiar with the geography to guide us, how could enemy sightings be so frequent? If the prefecture and state had not surrendered to the Jin, how could there be so many Song people among the Jin's guards?"

Upon hearing this, Zhe Ling flew into a rage, shouting "Shut up!" He swept his hand and sleeve downwards, and the wooden chair he had just been sitting on was smashed by
the strong wind , with wood shards and splinters flying everywhere. The shockwave rolled around, affecting the surroundings. Qiao Yun, who was sitting nearby, turned pale with fright
and covered her face with her sleeve. Kestina and the pretty maidservant turned around simultaneously, shielding Qiao Yun with their
bodies. The wood shards hit the two women, causing them pain. The pretty maidservant only frowned and endured it, while Kestina cried out repeatedly.
After the wood shards cleared away, she turned back and glared fiercely at Zhe Ling.

Upon hearing this news, Wang Zhaizhu, seated on the tiger-skin chair, leaned forward, his eyes darting around, trying to appear serious
, but a forced smile appeared on his face, making him look rather comical. Feng Shen, at the head of the table, remained upright, squinting and stroking his beard,
deep in thought. An Hong gestured a few moves in front of him, then suddenly waved his hand, saying, "That's not right. None of those Song people used
the sweeping, powerful Northwest style of boxing. That old man with the white beard, though using Huashan swordsmanship, his swordplay was light, graceful, and expansive
, lacking any sense of Huashan's precipitousness; it actually resonated somewhat with the Qingcheng Daoist school. It's a pity I was so eager to save him
that I killed him with a quick sword strike; otherwise, if I had pressed him harder, he would have definitely used his own style."

Zhe Ling was about to ask about the situation when she heard Qiao Yun sigh, so she quickly turned to look. It turned out that
Qiao Yun had been hit on the wrist by a splinter of wood, and after Kristina rubbed it, she cried out in pain, her expression slightly distressed. Seeing this, Zhe
Ling rushed forward and took her hand, asking, "It's all my fault, does it hurt a lot?" His concern was evident.

Qiao Yun blushed, gently patted Zhe Ling's hand, and shook her head at him, saying, "It's nothing, let's discuss the important matters first
." After Zhe Ling understood, he reluctantly stepped back, then said to the two women beside him, "Nana, Xiao Yue, I'm
fine , you two step aside."

Lu Da'an sat by the door, listening to Hao Zhi's order, Zhe Ling's rage, and An Hong's rebuttal. The matter of the desolate village was
suffocating , but the three were talking at length, and he had no chance to interject. At this moment, Zhe Ling was concerned about Qiao Yun, and the hall was silent. So
he suddenly stood up, clasped his hands, and said to Zhe Ling, "General Zhe, I can vouch for what Hao Zhi said!" After speaking, he saw Zhe Ling nod to
him , and was about to recount what Tong Zhong had said in the desolate village, when he heard the sound of a gong coming from afar.
In just a few breaths, it had become a series of sounds, layered and overlapping, coming from afar.

Chapter Four: Deep Affection and Warmth Amidst Mysterious Events Long ago, upon

hearing the sound of a gong, the fortress lord Wang slowly rose, his face filled with disbelief, exclaiming, "A signal gong? Enemy... enemy attacking
the fortress??"

Zhe Ling, already displeased upon hearing the bad news, felt even more annoyed seeing Wang's bewildered expression.
He thought to himself, "This fortress lord is too incompetent! Warning of an enemy attack is the fortress's safety above all else; how can he
hesitate like this?" Though his heart was troubled, his expression remained unchanged. He gestured outwards and called out, "Wei Qing!"

Lu Da'an, hearing Zhe Ling's call, was taken aback. From the moment he saw Zhe Ling until he followed Hao Zhi into the hall to pay his respects, he hadn't noticed
anyone else nearby. Now everyone was seated in the hall; he wondered where the person the general had beckoned to was. He turned and looked around
.

The sun was shining brightly, its light filtering through the cracks in the doors and windows, dappling the blue bricks of the floor. A lean
man in gray robes emerged from the shadows in the corner, responding without a word. He simply stood in the light, clasped his hands in greeting, and bowed, awaiting Zhe
Ling's instructions. Everyone in the hall seemed unfazed, except for Lu Da'an, who showed no surprise.

The fortress commander, Wang, rolled his eyes, then, as if reassured, returned to his seat and said, "Gentlemen, you have been startled!
General Zhe, please sit down! To be honest, Zhuge Fortress is a remote and inaccessible place. Since my father's passing and my
assumption of command twenty years ago, we have never been attacked. Even when hunters accidentally wander in, we simply drive them away. This messenger gong
has never sounded before, hence the astonishment. This must be some young man from the fortress who has just taken his turn on duty and doesn't know..." " It's customary to make a fuss over the sight of hunters in the mountains
." He looked around, chuckled dryly a few times, and continued, "This fortress is incredibly treacherous. Even if
an army of 100,000 were to attack, with my brothers guarding it, they would likely return empty-handed. General Zhe, let
Brother go back and rest! Hehe…haha…"

Hearing the fortress lord's words, Zhe Ling didn't hesitate and nodded, saying, "Wei Qing, wait outside the hall!"

Wei Qing bowed, turned, and left. Zhe Ling glanced at An Hong and smiled slightly. An Hong seemingly casually
turned towards the door, his lips moving as if he were thirsty. Wei Qing didn't linger; he had already
left the hall.

At this moment, the sound of gongs outside gradually subsided and disappeared. The main courtyard was far from the fortress walls, and no noise could be heard. Since
the gong sounded, Feng Shen had been watching Qiao Yun's group with amusement. After Wei Qing left, he smiled leisurely and said, "
Lord Wang is exceptionally brave and skilled in managing his subordinates; General Zhe has been in the martial world for a long time and has many capable and extraordinary men under his command. With the two of you gathered here
and working together, the fortress will surely be as stable as Mount Tai. If they are just mountain hunters, why bother with them! By the way,
this some news to report to General Zhe!"

Lord Wang was overjoyed to hear Feng Shen's words, his smiling face twisting into a frown as he repeatedly said he didn't deserve such praise. Zhe Ling
simply smiled faintly, clasped his hands in a salute to Feng Shen and Lord Wang, and then turned to signal Lu Da'an to deliver the news.

Lu Da'an finally had a chance to speak, and he recounted everything he 　　had seen and heard on the road, the allure of the bewitching woman, Tong Zhong's suspicions, and the yellow silk and copper seal. Knowing his own rough nature, he was afraid of making any mistakes, so
he described every detail in great detail, even his own purpose for coming here, the positions of everyone in the village, and the appearance and figure of the bewitching woman in red gauze
. His booming speech lasted for almost half an hour, his spittle flying everywhere, without caring about the listeners in the hall
.

When Zhe Ling heard that Tong Zhong had seen the yellow silk and copper seal with his own eyes, his face darkened. He knew that Zhe Ke's surrender to the Jin was definitely true, and that
the lives of his mother, Tong Zhong's father, and his loyal friends in the prefecture and state were probably already in danger. His heart ached as if it were being torn apart. When Lu Da'an
continued to say that the silk contained information about Zhe Ke's great merit in raising grain and persuading the surrender, and that he wanted to establish him as a false ruler of the Central Plains,
anger rose in his chest. He almost blurted out a curse, but stopped himself because Lu Da'an was a newcomer. He wanted to exert his strength to ease the
pain, but feared he might injure Qiaoyun beside him as before. Thinking of Qiaoyun, Lu Da'an happened to mention the witch in the deserted village asking about the silk ribbon on Tong Zhong's arm,
and then making lewd remarks that led the two to pass a message to Madam Yun. Thinking of Qiaoyun's strange behavior after entering the fortress, the doubts he had been suppressing resurfaced. Several
afflictions attacked his heart, making it difficult to remain calm. He felt a surge of heat surging and churning in his chest, about to burst forth from his throat. He forced
a breath to suppress it, but finally could not bear the stench, which aggravated the old wounds in his lungs from the war. His tongue tasted slightly sweet, and he swayed and collapsed
onto the stone steps.

Everyone in the hall saw Zhe Ling vomiting blood and collapsing, and they all rushed forward to help him and check on him. Only Hao Zhi suddenly stood up,
his face contorted, but he did not move another step. Zhe Ling felt dizzy, so he used his inner strength to force himself back to clarity.
After vomiting blood, he felt much less agitated, only the stinging pain from his damaged meridians remained. Looking around, Feng Shen and An Hong's
eyes were full of concern, Xiao Yue looked extremely anxious, and Kestina's face was anxious, but her eyes showed no concern, she
just watched coldly. Qiao Yun clung tightly to Zhe Ling's arm, her face pale, her hands sweaty, her body
trembling . Seeing her tightly pursed lips and eyes that seemed to hold both resentment and regret, Zhe Ling's steely resolve softened, he sighed slightly,
stroked her hand, and closed his eyes without speaking. Lu Da'an, fearing that Zhe Ling would faint, used his own body to cushion his embrace.
The Wangzhai chieftain was still shouting for someone to come and get a doctor.

When no one answered his calls, the Wangzhai chieftain rushed out to find someone, and the hall fell silent for a moment. Hao Zhi stood
there panting for a while, then suddenly opened his eyes wide and raised his voice, "General, I still have something to report!"

Zhe Ling used the support to slowly sit up, and then had An Hong help him up on his other arm. He said in a hoarse voice, "Speak!"

Seeing Hao Zhi's appearance, An Hong guessed that this matter was of great importance and feared that Zhe Ling would vomit blood and feel uneasy again if he heard it. Just
as he was about to stop speaking, Hao Zhi, his voice tinged with grief and anger, said, "We have served the General and Madam for a long time, and have always obeyed their
orders without the slightest negligence. Tian Li, since leaving Fuping, has never been as fearful as we are. Therefore
, not long after leaving the valley, he tore off the silk ribbon because it was in the way. When we were gathering information, Yan Hu was traveling with him and encountered
the sorceress . She saw that the silk ribbon only restrained Yan Hu, but used a lewd method to take Tian Li's life. Just now, after hearing what Brother Lu said, I became
suspicious. May I ask the General and Madam: what exactly is this silk ribbon? When we left the fortress, Madam earnestly instructed us not to remove it.
Did you know beforehand that the sorceress would kill? If so, Madam and that sorceress..."

An Hong shouted for him to stop, interrupting Hao Zhi. He first looked deeply at Qiao Yun, then turned his gaze to Zhe
Ling. When Zhe Ling looked back, he glanced at Feng Shen beside him. Zhe Ling merely stared at An Hong for a moment,
then turned to Qiao Yun, gently stroking her temple. Qiao Yun, upon hearing Hao Zhi's words, her eyes darted around,
her pretty face contorted with despair, her body stiffening as if all life had been extinguished. When Zhe Ling's hand reached her,
she could no longer hold back her tears, biting her lip and burying her face behind Zhe Ling, clinging tightly to him and refusing to move.

Feng Shen, seeing An Hong glance at him, was first taken aback, then smiled. He flicked his sleeve, brushing away the
barely visible dust from his clothes, one hand behind his back, the other stroking his beard as he leisurely said, "I, Feng, was originally a clerk in Bianliang. During the
Jingkang Incident, I was separated from my family and forced to flee. By chance, I caught the eye of Grand Councilor Zhang and was chosen as his advisor. I thought Grand
Councilor a man of great talent, capable of leading hundreds of thousands of strong soldiers to fight the enemy, surely able to wipe out the barbarians and return the capital to Bianliang. But at the Battle of Fuping, seeing the vast army before my eyes
, I realized my scholarly ambition was utterly worthless. The archers' superb marksmanship and the Western Army's desperate fighting are vivid in my memory. I am deeply moved that in
times of peace, scholars are educated; in times of chaos, only warriors can truly be the backbone of the Song Dynasty. Therefore, I abandoned the idea of separating the civil and military." "I followed you here amidst the chaos of war
, hoping to offer you a comprehensive plan to fill any gaps in your strategy and devise a viable plan. Today,
I shouldn't be Warrior is too impatient and forced his way into my ears. So be it!
With heroes like General Zhe's Divine Arrow Battalion and valiant warriors like Lu the Warrior, how can we fear the loss of our past humiliations or the destruction of the Jin dynasty? Though I may not achieve my goal,
my heart is at peace! This fortress is a formidable stronghold; I am too weak to even
truss please allow me to come find you again after I'm drunk!"

Feng Shen finished speaking, then walked out of the hall with his hands behind his back, his long robe flowing freely. Zhe Ling and An Hong were
stunned, never expecting this scholar to have such grand ambitions. Reflecting on his actions since entering the fortress, they realized he hadn't displayed the slightest hint of a scholar's disdain for martial arts
; they were filled with emotion. Hao Zhi, upon hearing this, also felt that although he was heartbroken by the loss of his brothers, he had been too reckless, and his anger
subsided slightly replaced by a sense of guilt. Na and Xiao, the two women, focused their attention solely on the silent Qiaoyun, showing no other emotion.
Lu Da'an, however, only understood phrases like "divine archery of the archery battalion," "the Western Army's desperate battle," "the general's heroism," and "the valiant warriors," nodding repeatedly.

Zhe An and An Hong exchanged glances; An Hong's eyes were fervent, and he nodded heavily. Zhe Ling, understanding his sentiments, raised his voice hoarsely and said, "
Sir, please wait a moment while you drink. Later, I have arranged a welcome feast for Brother Lu; I will have my second brother invite you to join us
. In the future, I will still need your advice on military matters; please do not hesitate to teach me."

Feng Shen, who had already reached the door, stopped upon hearing this, turned around, bowed deeply, and said with delight, "The general will no longer call
me 'Sir'! From now on, whatever orders I receive, I will do my utmost, willing to serve like a dog or a horse!" After bowing, he laughed loudly and left,
gradually disappearing into the distance.

After Feng Shen left, the atmosphere in the hall returned to its old, rather awkward state. After a while, An Hong cupped his hands and said, "Brother, when
the gong sounded I sent a message to Wei Qing, instructing him to scout the fortress wall, but I haven't received any reports yet. I went to find him and inquired about
the situation. You just aggravated your old injury, so let your sister-in-law help you to rest! I will also arrange the banquet tonight,
so you don't need to worry about it, just focus on your recovery." After speaking, he beckoned Lu Hao

to leave. Lu Da'an said, "Take care, General," bowed, and followed, but Hao Zhi hesitated to leave. Zhe Ling turned and
embraced Qiao Yun, saying in a deep voice, "Hao Zhi, please entertain Brother Lu well for me! I will definitely give you
an ." Upon hearing this, Hao Zhi bowed deeply with a complex expression and slowly retreated.

Qiaoyun, embraced by Zhe Ling, seemed to finally find support, collapsing limply against him. But hearing Zhe
Ling's words to Hao Zhi, her heart ached again. She tried to pull away and stand alone, but Zhe Ling's arms were tightly wrapped around her, and she
couldn't struggle at all. Qiaoyun was petite, her cheek and ear pressed against Zhe Ling's imposing chest. Listening to her beloved's strong
heartbeat and smelling his unique scent, she felt a little intoxicated, as if she were back in Jingkou on the night they pledged their love.
Thinking of her own actions, fearing that she and Zhe Ling could never return to what they once were, her face paled, and tears soaked her clothes.

A small patch of Zhe Ling's chest was dampened by Qiaoyun's tears, but he seemed oblivious, simply holding
the exquisite beauty in his arms tightly. His eyes were slightly closed, his face showing neither sorrow nor joy, but his heart was in turmoil, churning with conflicting thoughts:
"What Hao Lu said today about the witch's silk ribbons concerns the lives of my brothers in the Arrow Camp. I must get to the bottom of this,
or I will be ashamed before my own brothers! Yun'er's face changed several times upon hearing
this, her expression so panicked, she must be implicated. But looking closely at her eyes, they are filled with sorrow and regret, she must have something she can't say, otherwise she wouldn't hide it from me, forcing her will be useless.
What should I do ?"

He pondered for a long time, still caught in a dilemma. Qiaoyun in his arms stopped her sorrow, tilted her head slightly and looked up at him with her watery eyes
. Her eyes were clear and bright, yet filled with sorrow and tears, her rosy cheeks showing only bitterness and speechlessness, truly a pitiful sight. Zhe Ling bowed her head and
gently wiped away her tears, sighing inwardly, "Enough, enough! Ever since Yun'er and my second brother rescued me and brought me to this fortress,
everything I've experienced has been strange! Judging from Yun'er's actions, she seems more like the master of this fortress. I can bear to
ask about all of this, why force Yun'er into a difficult position now! Although today's matter is of great importance, firstly, Yun'er tied the silk ribbon to protect
the lives of the brothers, and secondly, Yun'er has always been sensible and reasonable. Give her some time, and she will surely explain everything to me. Let's relieve
her worries first, so that she can calm down."

Having made up her mind, she was no longer as hesitant as before, but the heavy sorrow in her heart was still hard to bear. She could only
force a smile and say to Qiaoyun, "I haven't drunk the sour soup you made today! My beloved's fair hands are used to make the soup, the scene is beautiful,
I am already intoxicated before I even drink it! Before coming to this village, I never thought that ordinary fruit could be made into
such a delicious dish by Yun'er's hands. It is truly worth the nickname we gave it!"

Qiaoyun stopped her sorrow and was still uneasy, but when she heard the words "golden lantern", her cheeks turned red and her pretty eyes were shy.
She glanced at Kristina, who was lost in thought, and gently tapped her fist, whispering, "Your injury hasn't healed yet,
and you're already making these jokes! This is the council hall, and Nana is still here. It would be so embarrassing if she heard this! I
'll help you back to your room to rest first, and then I'll get you some drinks. Don't even think about hanging the golden lantern until your injury is fully healed!"

Zhe Ling forced a smile and said, "Whatever you say!"

Qiao Yun smiled back without saying a word, and took Zhe Ling's arm as they walked out. Once her face was out of Zhe Ling's sight, her smile
vanished, and she leaned her head against Zhe Ling's shoulder. The pretty maid Xiao Yue, listening to the general and her young mistress joking around, remembered what
the two had done when they hung the golden lantern, and her face flushed and her heart pounded. She thought that the two of them were still
happy because of what had happened in the hall, but then she caught a glimpse of her mistress's smile fading, and she became sullen again. Biting her lip, she pulled the absent-minded Christina awake
and followed Qiaoyun out of the council hall.

The four hadn't gone far from the door when the fortress lord, accompanied by the fortress's human-beast medic, hurried over. Seeing
Zhe Ling unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief, waved the medic away, gave a few words of assurance that the fortress was safe , and
headed towards the council hall. Not far from their meeting, a fortress guard came running up the platform, panting, shouting, "Fortress lord! Fortress lord
! Were those fox-tailed barbarians we slain thrown to the back cliff like the hunters who raided the fortress before?"

Hearing the guard's report, Zhe Ling stopped abruptly. Xiaoyue, unable to stop in time, bumped into Zhe Ling's
back , nearly falling over, but Christina caught her. Christina mumbled a few words in barbarian language,
then glared at Zhe Ling's retreating figure. Enraged by the words of the fortress guard, the fortress chieftain Wang kicked the guard in the chest and cursed, "
You scoundrel ! Are you blinded by greed? Weren't hunters all driven away with kind words? Did your mother teach you to
call diseased dead pigs and sheep hunters? If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll sacrifice you to the fortress rules! Where are those dead barbarians?
Take me to see them!" With that, he smiled, cupped his hands to Zhe Ling Qiaoyun, and then kicked the guard down the slope.

Zhe Ling smiled bitterly, "The Jin dogs are truly omnipresent! Even the Song people rarely know about this Yinping path, yet they
managed to scout this far! It seems the Jin dogs have already gained their advantage!"

Qiao Yun, hearing this, knew Zhe Ling was concerned about the war situation, so she gently advised, "It must be that the main roads of Dasanguan and Yuleiguan are heavily guarded
. The Jin people have suffered heavy losses and are anxious to get through, so they want to use other means to scout around."

Zhe Ling nodded, took a few steps, and snorted angrily, "They killed the hunters who strayed in and threw them off the cliff! I, Zhe Ling, have been reduced
to living with such bandits!"

Qiao Yun lowered her head and remained silent. As soon as Zhe Ling spoke, she realized it was inappropriate, so she also remained silent. The four of them
walked slowly to a row of houses in the middle of the plain. Kristina took her leave and returned to her residence. Qiao Yun and Xiao Yue helped Zhe Ling into the main
room and sat him down at the foot of the bed.

Qiaoyun crushed the sour berries she had picked that morning as before, and used the brazier to make a warm drink for Zhe Ling.
Zhe Ling tested it; it wasn't too hot. He drank it all in one gulp, then handed the cup to Xiaoyue, saying, "Mother said that when Father was alive, he couldn't stand those
civil officials who couldn't drink much, yet always made some sour and sweet drinks. Now that my injury is lingering, I've developed
the habits . If Father saw my behavior now, he would definitely scold me!"

Hearing Zhe Ling mention his deceased father, whom he had rarely seen, Qiaoyun knew he was still deeply troubled by the Zhe family's surrender to the Jin
dynasty. Fearing he might have trouble breathing, she sat beside him and gently patted his back, saying, "Twenty-third Brother, the Zhe family has produced generations of heroes who
defended the western borders of the Song Dynasty, sharing the fate of the nation with unwavering loyalty..." "Yong Tian is a testament to this. If the Zhe family had surrendered, the court and the public would have been shaken .
How could they have remained oblivious for over a year? The Battle of Fuping was only nine months ago. During the battle, my lord met with Privy Councilor Zhang and served
under General Wu. From what my lord has said, the two officials treated him with great kindness. If the Zhe family had already rebelled by then, how could the two officials
have allowed my lord to remain by their side?"

Zhe Ling frowned in thought, then nodded, and after a moment shook his head, saying, "But what Lu Da'an said—the yellow silk, the copper seal, and my fourth
uncle's handwritten letter—is absolutely genuine. My uncle and Tong Zhong would never deceive me!"

Zhe Ling's heart was filled with turmoil, and his voice grew louder. He felt a surge of heat in his lungs and couldn't help but cough repeatedly.
Qiaoyun hurriedly called Xiaoyue over to help him pat his chest and back, then settled him in a half-reclined position on the bed. She softly complained, "Your injuries
weren't fully healed, yet you insisted on shooting that tiger! And today in the council hall..." She paused, realizing her mistake, and seeing that
the broken feather on his face was unharmed, continued, "Your anger aggravated your old injury. What should we do?"

Zhe Ling was filled with grief and anger today. He had been forcing himself to endure his injuries both in the hall and on the way. Once inside, he
relaxed, and after drinking the hot soup Qiao Yun had prepared, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as he lay down on the bed,
becoming drowsy . Hearing Qiao Yun's soft words in his ear, he felt his head and eyes grow heavy. He lazily took Qiao Yun's soft hand and said, "With
your health unwell, the morale of the army is low. I'm truly worried about the battle situation. If I weren't forcing myself,
I wouldn't even let them go out of the fort to gather information. It was originally a wound from swords and spears, but somehow it damaged my lungs, and it's lingering and difficult to heal. How long will it take to recover?"

Qiao Yun comforted him with a few words. Seeing his low spirits, she skillfully helped him lie down, tucked him in
, and sat by the bed, staring blankly at his face. Soon, Zhe Ling began to snore softly. Qiao Yun reached under the covers and grasped his
large hand, silently shedding tears. Seeing this, Xiaoyue, who was standing nearby, quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe Qiaoyun's tears. Qiaoyun was
startled hand, taking the handkerchief back herself, saying, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

Xiaoyue looked concerned and made several hand gestures. Qiaoyun replied after seeing them, "I know that Ershisanlang
is healthy and will definitely get better. It's just that he has been awake from his coma for more than three months, and this matter can no longer be kept from me.
The more he dotes on me and keeps quiet about it, the more tormented I feel."

Xiaoyue blinked and made some more hand gestures. Qiaoyun sighed softly and wanted to invite Xiaoyue to sit down by the bed, but
Xiaoyue hesitated and refused. Qiaoyun had no choice but to take her hand, turning back to Zheling and saying, "If you were me, what would you choose
? I wish I were just a commoner girl from a humble family, so I could wholeheartedly spend my life with this nemesis,
far better than this dilemma."

Xiaoyue seemed quite agitated upon hearing this, shaking her head like a rattle-drum, the pendants on her earlobes jingling.
Her small hands moved rapidly in front of her chest. Qiaoyun looked at her, first startled, then smiled, then her expression
turned ashamed, saying, "I've been in a brothel since I left Shu at fourteen, but I was still a virgin when I decided to give myself to the general. At that time, although he
didn't care about my virginity, he was still overjoyed. What I meant by a commoner girl from a humble family has nothing to do with this. Everyone in Jingkou knows
the famous courtesan Xizhu Niangzi, who is known for her early success. Xizhu, Xizhu, aside from any impure connotations, isn't it just about extinguishing candles? Whenever a guest
enters the room, I always coax them to extinguish the candles first." "Candle, someone will perform the rites of Zhou Gong for me, but I've kept it from you. Alas, deception! Since I can remember
, my life has been filled with lies. I've kept it from you, from Sister Hongyu, from Twenty-Three, and even from myself.
I don't like those who know the truth about me, and I can't tell the truth to those I like, hehe...hehe..."

Hearing Qiaoyun's bitter laugh and seeing the sourness on her face, Xiaoyue involuntarily tilted her head, her brows furrowing into a beautiful
"川" character. After a long while, she hesitated and gestured a few more times. Qiaoyun nodded and said, "You're only now realizing that the people
around are all strange? Silly girl! This Lord Wang is no longer my former benefactor, and Zhuge Fortress is no ordinary
bandit. You can see through such lies, let alone Twenty-Three and his brothers? Then..."

As Qiaoyun was speaking, something struck the window, making a sudden, soft sound. Qiaoyun's expression changed, and she stopped speaking.
She hastily wiped away the remaining tears on her face, instructed Xiaoyue to look after Zheling, and then stepped out the door.

Seeing no one around, Qiaoyun wasn't surprised. She straightened her clothes, turned left, and walked straight ahead. Passing the side room, she turned back, and
a desolate path appeared amidst the weeds and short trees. Qiaoyun knew the path very well; though her movements were slow and graceful,
she walked without any hesitation or hesitation. After a hundred or so steps, the path became intermittent due to lack of footsteps, but Qiaoyun always managed to find her
way and follow it directly. After walking for a while, she turned past several large trees, and a small patch of low grass covered with wildflowers
came into view. To the left and right of the patch were towering trees, and behind it was a sheer cliff. In the center of the patch stood a figure holding a flower,
her golden hair flowing, her breasts surging, her nose high and her eyes deep—it was Kristina.

When Kristina saw Qiaoyun arrive, she neither bowed nor turned around. Instead, she brought the wildflower to her nose and took a deep sniff, saying
, "How fragrant!" Her voice was clear and crisp, with no trace of foreign accent.

Qiaoyun stopped three steps away from her and said coldly, "What do you want now?"

Kestina chuckled and glanced at her disdainfully, "Isn't Madam Yun asking a question she already knows the answer to? It's naturally about the cooperation between my
Ming Cult and your esteemed family! The Jurchens have arrived at the fortress today. With your intelligence, Madam, you must have already made a decision, right?"

Qiaoyun's body trembled slightly, but her expression remained cold and stern. She turned her head and said, "That was just the Jurchens blocking our way from afar. They must
have only managed to scout this place by chance. Wanyan Zongfu has not yet sent a message. To act now is premature!"

Kestina covered her lips with her hand and yawned, "Hmph~ Premature? Madam Yun, considering our
long-standing friendship, I must give you some advice. Your family's century-long ambition hinges on this one move; Madam, your situation
is like an arrow on a bowstring. Do not let personal feelings ruin your great cause!"

Qiaoyun clasped her hands tightly against her chest, lowered her eyelids, and remained silent.

Kristina glanced at Qiaoyun's state and sneered, "I wonder what it was about Zheling that captivated you,
Madam, that made you so bewitched? That man is vulgar, utterly lacking in tenderness and understanding of romance, and besides, he's a disgraced and fallen noble
. In my Frankish or Persian religious circles, he'd only be fit to be a lowly servant. Madam's taste is truly beneath
my !"

Qiaoyun was furious upon hearing this and snapped, "Shut up!"

Kristina seemed not to hear her and continued, "If you ask me, there's only one explanation. That Zheling must have a
large, thick penis, like a horse or a donkey, making you feel like you're in heaven in bed, and that's why you can't bear to part with him!"

Qiaoyun was ashamed and angry, her face flushed crimson, and she gritted her teeth, raised her hand, and suddenly lunged forward,
aiming straight for Kristina's shoulder and chest. Kristina giggled, twisting her body and transforming her palm into a knife, slashing diagonally at Qiaoyun's
wrist. Qiaoyun, filled with resentment, attacked, unprepared for her opponent's move. Seeing that Kristina was prepared, she was terrified and changed her tactics
. Taking advantage of the moment before her finger was fully extended, she lunged forward,
wrapping her arm around Kristina's pulse point. Kristina's smile remained unchanged. She swiftly retreated with her palm, narrowly avoiding Qiaoyun's fingers, and then flicked her wrist outward, striking the back of Qiaoyun's hand. Qiaoyun's hand touched
Kristina's palm, but before it could fully contact hers, it slid away like a fish, moving along Kristina's forearm to grab the Quchi acupoint. Kristina then raised her
elbow high overhead, and Qiaoyun, unable to stop
in time, managed to grab Kristina's armpit. Kristina crouched down and advanced, taking advantage of the opening in Qiaoyun's defenses, forcefully grabbing her breast with her other hand, then turning her claw into a palm and
thrusting a soft moan, clutching her chest and staggering back, standing a few steps away, her face flushed with shame and anger.

The two exchanged blows in a flash, from Qiaoyun's sudden attack to her retreating in shame and pain, it was all over in an instant. Qiaoyun's movements
were like a dance, graceful and alluring, but unfortunately, her internal strength was insufficient; moreover, Kristina's moves were strange and unorthodox, not from the Central Plains, and she ultimately suffered a defeat.
"I've suffered a great loss." Kristina held the slender hand that had gripped Qiaoyun's breasts under her nose, sniffing it like a wildflower , and
said with a playful, teasing look, "I've only ever seen you, Madam, charming your patrons and hearing your wanton cries in bed,
but I never imagined your martial arts skills were as licentious as a demon's dance. A descendant of Hua
Rui and this delicate body, what kind of man couldn't you have? Why must you cling to this 'club' Zhe Ling!"

Seeing Kristina's ease and knowing she couldn't defeat her, Qiaoyun, hearing her lewd insults, stopped attacking and only rubbed
her breasts . She said bitterly, "The family's Hibiscus Capturing Hand technique is exquisite and beautiful, but it's my own lack of skill. How could you, a barbarian, possibly understand?
Twenty-Three Lang is both scholarly and martial, a genius of unparalleled talent, a hero of the world. How could you, a barbarian woman, possibly know such things?"

Upon hearing this, Kristina's expression changed, and she glared at Qiaoyun, also saying bitterly, "A hero? Someone who only knows how to buy traitors, launch sneak attacks, and
shoot arrows in the dark can be called a hero? What a ridiculous joke! If it weren't for Dead Feather and Po Han Wu attacking
Bangyuan Stone Cave with such shameless methods, how could my Ming Cult have been defeated in Chun'an? It's a pity that Thirteen Lang, a hero of his generation, was ruined by villains!"

Qiaoyun Yun Mianlu asked in surprise, "You call Fang La 'Thirteenth Brother'? You and him..."

Kristina, realizing she had misspoke, didn't care and instead proudly puffed out her breasts, saying, "Exactly! What about it?"

Qiaoyun composed herself, suppressing her astonishment, and said disdainfully, "How dare you be so arrogant! The Ming Cult and our sect swore an oath to conquer
the world , dividing and ruling. But who knew that Fang La, after gaining power, wouldn't think of protecting the people and the land, but instead relentlessly slaughtered officials, probed their hearts,
and subjected them to all kinds of torture to settle old grudges. In Hangzhou, he even set fire to the city for six days, leaving the dead and the waters of West Lake turning red with blood.
The people's hearts changed, and rebellion erupted, ruining everything..." "Planning great things. You call such a cruel and ignorant scoundrel a hero?"

Kristina retorted, displeased. "Calling himself a Holy Duke, establishing six ranks of subordinate officials, controlling six prefectures and fifty-two counties,
commanding tens of thousands of elite troops—how can he not be a hero?"

Qiaoyun stared at her seriously. "A hero should be chivalrous and compassionate, serving the country and the people with unparalleled wisdom and courage. Twenty-Three Brother and
Fifth Brother Han risked their lives to rid the people of evil; such are true heroes! Fang La was merely a demon king; he deserved to die, yet he still managed
to relieve the people's suffering!"

Kristina's eyebrows furrowed, and without another word, she leaped forward and kicked at Qiaoyun. Qiaoyun dodged,
then spun sideways, not wanting to entangle with her. Kristina sneered and followed Qiaoyun like a shadow, engaging her
in combat. Qiaoyun's skills were inferior; initially, she could defend and counterattack, but after a dozen or so exchanges, she was already struggling and
in grave danger . After a few more exchanges, Qiaoyun was caught off guard and kicked in the Yin Gu and Liang Qiu acupoints by Kristina's toe. Her left leg went
numb, and she collapsed to the ground. Kristina bent down and pressed several acupoints on her, raising her hand to slap her,
but then and lowered her hand. She found a stick in the grass and began to beat Qiaoyun's back and buttocks.

After beating her for a while, Kristina stopped and said, "Your short-lived master, who was killed by An Hong,
was procuring . You, you wretched woman, were gathering information for my Thirteenth Brother during the first month. I was by your side then, and I never heard
you speak ill of him. Now that my Ming Cult has failed and Thirteenth Brother is dead, and you've even raised that traitor Zhe Ling in your own
fortress , you come here to fabricate evil words to insult him!"

Qiaoyun, who had been gritting her teeth and enduring the pain without uttering a sound, couldn't help but burst into tears when she heard Kristina's words.
"What nonsense are you spouting? My Fourth Master is perfectly fine, how could he be dead?"

Kristina sneered. "Perfect fine? You shameless woman, you not only lie to others, but you're also quite good at deceiving yourself! An Hong and
the others said that if that old man wasn't your Fourth Master, why couldn't you help but sigh in front of everyone in the council hall? If I hadn't been
quick-witted and covered up the bruises on your body, you would have revealed the truth to everyone! Your sect has failed my Ming Cult, and you
shameless woman have failed me too!" With that, she raised her hand to strike again. Suddenly, she heard a gust of wind behind her ear, and quickly dodged.
A tiger's head grazed past her shoulder with tremendous force.

Kristina turned around, using her wooden stick as a sword, forming a hand seal but holding back her attack, and looked towards where the tiger's head had come from. She saw a
man in brown clothes with blood on his front, holding a bull-ear-shaped dagger, standing not far away. It was Bai
Xiaoliu, whom Zhe Ling had ordered to the side room to skin the tiger. Bai Xiaoliu saw Qiaoyun walking along the deserted path through the back window of the side room. Half worried and half curious, he
followed her, only to overhear this secret. He was stunned and barely recovered when he saw Kristina beating
Qiaoyun . Still remembering the kindness of his former mistress, he disregarded the shock he had just heard and
threw the tiger head he had forgotten in the room at her to relieve her distress. Seeing Kristina pointing her staff, Bai Xiaoliu also raised his dagger and pointed, saying,
"You wicked barbarian slave, don't you dare harm my... my lady!"

Kristina's face was ashen as she asked, "How much did you hear?"

Bai Xiaoliu's face showed hesitation, but his voice was resolute: "Whether what you say is true or not is still unknown. I
never saw you, this barbarian slave, at Fang La's place. I will report this matter to the general, and he will make his own decision then. Right now, I only know that you abused
my lady, so I will fight you to the death!"

Upon hearing this, Kristina coldly snorted, "So, another traitorous villain serving under Thirteen Lang!" As soon as she finished speaking
, she moved with her voice, leaping several feet in the blink of an eye, the tip of her staff pointing directly at Bai Xiaoliu's chest. Bai Xiaoliu ducked forward
and rolled, dodging the staff and closing in on Kristina, stabbing her in the abdomen with a steady, ruthless thrust. Kristina
, caught off guard, remained calm and composed. With a swift, serpentine twist of her waist, she narrowly dodged the attack,
then retaliated with a swift thrust of her staff, engaging Bai Xiaoliu in combat.

Qiaoyun, slumped to the side, listened to Bai Xiaoliu's words and watched the two exchange blows, her mind in turmoil, the pain
far exceeding the stings on her body. One moment she hoped Bai Xiaoliu would kill Kristina with a single blow, freeing her from his torment
; the next, she hoped Kristina would subdue Bai Xiaoliu, preventing their conversation from reaching
Zheling's ears. Unable to find a solution, she could only hope this fight would never end, a
stalemate that would last until the world crumbled.

Qiaoyun lay prone on the ground, Kristina and Bai Xiaoliu fighting behind her. She heard shouts and the clanging of metal, but
knew not the outcome. Fortunately, Kristina had held back some force when striking her pressure points, and her numb body could now
move slightly. Before long, her limbs recovered somewhat, and she could move them slowly, even turning her neck slightly. She wanted to turn back to look,
but a heavy weight pressed down on her heart, preventing her from moving an inch.

A few breaths later, Qiaoyun heard Bai Xiaoliu groan behind her, followed by Kristina's giggles. Then, the
sound of clothes rustling grew louder as a body flew through the air and landed not far from the cliff edge. Qiaoyun struggled
to turn her head and saw Bai Xiaoliu lying there, eyes closed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, seemingly unconscious.

Qiaoyun was heartbroken and struggled to crawl towards Bai Xiaoliu. Seeing her condition, Kristina leaped to her side...
Beside her, hands clasped behind her back, she followed, teasingly saying, "What? Heartbroken? Not satisfied with raising Zhe Ling? Missing
the days of having countless patrons? Is this traitor also your lover?"

Qiaoyun was furious, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent. Seeing her silence, Kristina also stopped talking, only
chuckling to herself. Seeing that Qiaoyun was about to touch Bai Xiaoliu, she rushed forward and kicked Bai Xiaoliu several feet away,
then kicked him several feet away again. After three such repetitions, Bai Xiaoliu was lying on the edge of the precipice, slightly conscious from the fall.
Although his eyes were still closed, he was groaning.

Hearing Bai Xiaoliu's groans, Qiaoyun knew he wasn't dead and was overjoyed; but seeing his danger again, she became angry and turned her head,
glaring at him asking, "What do you intend to do?"

Kristina laughed loudly at this, her breasts trembling, before finally stopping her laughter. She took a few steps forward, flicked her toe, and
said leisurely, "Those who betray their master die!"

Bai Xiaoliu, caught off guard by her toe, tumbled down the cliff. Qiaoyun cried out in pain and leaped forward with all
her , grabbing Bai Xiaoliu by the front of his clothes. Bai Xiaoliu was strong and heavy. Qiaoyun's acupoints
were still not active, and she was weak and powerless. The two of them, still attached, slowly slid down the cliff, the earth and rocks falling in a flurry, disappearing into
the mist. Fortunately, there was a protruding rock on the cliff edge, which Qiaoyun hooked with her foot, preventing them from falling like the earth and rocks. Even
so, it was only a stalemate; getting back up the cliff was impossible.

Qiaoyun gritted her teeth and struggled to hold on, but ultimately couldn't escape. Helpless, she turned back and pleaded in a trembling voice, "Nana, help me pull him
up . What you said, I... I promise!"

Kristina chuckled upon hearing this, kneeling on the edge of the cliff, and whispered in Qiaoyun's ear, "Why pull him up?
To have him tell Zhe Ling our secret? If Madam really intends to, then I'll
tell him about how Madam poisoned Zhe Ling, causing him to be bedridden for months, and ask him to tell him as well, okay?"

Qiaoyun was horrified upon hearing this, her heart pounding. Her grip loosened, and when she regained her senses and tried to grab again, there was nothing there. Although it was only a moment,
Bai Xiaoliu had already plummeted rapidly, disappearing into the clouds. Qiaoyun stared blankly at the thick fog between the cliffs, her eyes lifeless, her lips devoid of color,
her hands trembling, and tears streaming down her face.

Seeing this, Kristina sighed in feigned surprise, "Oh dear, why did you let go? Do you have something to hide?
This is the third archer brother you've killed! Madam, what do you think Zhe Ling will do to you if he finds out?"

Enraged, Qiaoyun leaped up with her remaining strength, throwing a punch at Kristina's face. Kristina had anticipated
this, and she and Qiaoyun leaped up together, dodging the attack. Qiaoyun, weak in the groin, lost her balance and was propelled
straight down . Before Kristina could finish spinning, she used her left hand to grab Qiaoyun's sleeve and pull her
back from the cliff edge, throwing her onto the grass.

Qiaoyun sat there, filled with remorse and helplessness, only able to sob softly. Kristina remained
silent , simply standing aside and coldly watching her.

Qiaoyun, after weeping for a long time, suddenly glared at Kristina and asked, "How did you know I poisoned Twenty-Three?"

Kristina curled her lip in disdain and said arrogantly, "Who can you fool with your little tricks?"

Qiaoyun pressed on, "The herb is hot and bitter. I always add it to the sour juice myself, using its
acidity and coldness to mask the poison. Even if I use it, it's not easy for anyone to detect. Every time I brew it, I pay extra attention to my surroundings; after Twenty-Three falls
asleep after the effects of the medicine take hold, Xiaoyue and I wash the cups and dishes ourselves. You certainly couldn't have found out!"

Kristina rolled her eyes and leaned forward, saying, "You..." "To cooperate with my sect is utterly shameless! When my sect was in power,
we promised to divide the world equally; now that we are losing power, you only offer the state religion as bait to lure us into helping you restore your kingdom. My sect helped you
get on the good side with the Jin emperor Wanyan Sheng, yet you have abandoned my sect and are plotting with the Jin alone. If my sect doesn't plant spies and confidants around you
, how can we guarantee our future position? You shameless scoundrels think you can act secretly, but in my eyes,
you are nothing but clowns!"

Qiaoyun trembled upon hearing this and said to herself, "By your side? Xiaoyue!"

Kestina's eyes flickered, and she smiled without speaking.

Qiaoyun said in a trembling voice, "Is her illiteracy and inability to speak all an act?"

Kestina smiled without speaking.

Qiaoyun, looking dejected, said, "Eleven years ago, on a snowy night, she was freezing and starving to death by the roadside. I persuaded Fourth Master to
take her in... Was it all a lie? She was only eight years old then. How cruel you Ming Cult are!"

Kristina laughed but didn't reply. Instead, she said slowly, "If Zhe Ling doesn't die, the Jin people will find it difficult to replicate Deng Ai's conquest of
Shu . This Zhe Ling... when exactly will you kill him?"

Qiaoyun, filled with bitterness and shock, cried out in sorrow, "Twenty-Three Lang and I are deeply in love and have pledged our lives to each other. How could I... how could I
kill him? I didn't know that your Ming Cult or my Left Envoy had Jin people using this road." " The plan to go to Shu was made, otherwise I would never have brought
him here! I fed him a small amount of poison only so he could stay here and recuperate, ignoring worldly affairs, not to harm him!"

Kristina scoffed, "If Zhe Ling knew that he had been poisoned by his beloved for months, would he still believe you
? He has always hypocritically treated those so-called brothers as his own. If he knew that your Meng Clan killed
two , and that you let go of his help at this cliff today, how would he treat you?"

Qiaoyun, upon hearing this, was stunned and speechless, her face changing several times, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides repeatedly.
Finally, she slowly stood up, sighed, stamped her foot, and shouted, "Fine! I'll go kill him!" As

soon as she finished speaking, a clump of branches and leaves in the bushes behind the large tree on the left suddenly shook violently, rustling. Qiaoyun's
expression changed, and Kristina shouted, "Who's eavesdropping? Come out and face your death!"

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