The head slowly rose up, holding a lit explosive pack in hand.
"?"
Xu Jin suspected that he was dying and hallucinating, but who would have expected that when he looked closer...
"!!!"
It really was his grandson!
Qu Dubian flew down silently from the city tower. He threw an explosive pack to the left, another to the right, and the last one he ruthlessly smashed toward the backs of the heads of the Left and Right Wise Kings.
The Right Wise King suddenly felt a chill down his spine and abruptly turned his head. "A sneak attack! Dodge, quickly—"
Boom!
The compressed explosive packs blasted directly into the herds of the Northern Frontier cavalry on both the left and right sides.
The terrified neighing of warhorses echoed endlessly.
Stepping on the rising blast wave of the explosives, Qu Dubian borrowed the momentum to fly and land in front of Xu Jin. With a taut face, he directly hoisted Xu Jin onto his shoulder and roared at the dumbfounded soldiers around them, "Run! As many of you as possible, run!!"
He was alone at this moment, deep within the enemy's three-sided encirclement. Unable to look after his own soldiers, he could only sprint at full speed with his exhausted grandfather toward the direction where Lang Qing was.
Qu Dubian felt as if his legs were about to split apart; he had never run this fast in his entire life.
The young man's toes stepped lightly on the grass. Carrying a heavily armored old man who was twice his size, he practically flew over the grass, darting far away in the blink of an eye.
"...Little One?" Xu Jin's voice was as hoarse as a wild beast. "Why are you..."
Qu Dubian's ears twitched. Hearing the residual wheezing from Xu Jin's lungs when he spoke, he thought to himself, 'Oh no, what kind of injury did Grandfather suffer?'
"Don't..."
Whoosh—!
A cold arrow was suddenly shot from behind.
Qu Dubian's expression instantly turned cold. He leaped continuously, dodging swiftly.
He cast a glance backward.
Even though the three explosive packs had been externally compressed by Qu Dubian, the proportion of gunpowder ingredients was fixed, so their power was only average.
The Left and Right Wise Kings suffered minor injuries, their faces blasted with a layer of black ash. After recovering their wits, they led their men to encircle, pursue, and intercept them.
The cavalrymen held bows and arrows in their hands, aiming to kill the two people fleeing ahead.
The blood flowing from Xu Jin seeped into Qu Dubian's shoulder. He glanced at the path that Lang Qing had cleared. The roadside was littered with the corpses of soldiers from both sides; this was the only hope of escape that had been forcibly carved out.
He coughed stifledly, "Put Grandfather down. I am the only one they want to kill. If you run away by yourself, you can still escape."
Qu Dubian did not even listen, only saying, "I am sorry, Grandfather, we found out too late. But at most... in another quarter of an hour, Liuliu will bring people here."
"A quarter of an hour?"
Qu Dubian: "He will definitely come. I believe him. Grandfather, please believe me too, okay? We can make it to the Second City alive!"
Xu Jin's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. It was unclear if he was simply silent or falling into a coma. After a moment, he forced himself to pinch his wound, making his mind clear up a bit. He flipped his body with effort, wanting to climb onto Qu Dubian's back.
"Carry Grandfather on your back, don't hoist me on your shoulder. It's uncomfortable for Grandfather."
Qu Dubian clamped down on Xu Jin, the veins on the back of his hands faintly visible. He forcefully stopped him and gritted his teeth, saying, "Just like this, don't move around!"
Trying to use himself as a human shield to block the arrows for him with his back? No way in hell.
He had promised his grandmother that he would bring his grandfather back safely so the two of them could enjoy their old age together. That promise absolutely could not become a death flag. He would not allow it.
The Left Wise King felt it was truly bizarre.
Damn it, who was the guy that snatched Xu Jin away? Darting so fast!
"He gave up all his bodily defenses and concentrated all his internal energy in his feet. This kind of speed won't last long," the Right Wise King said. "Pincer attack from both sides, tighten the net. We cannot let them converge with Lang Qing."
"That kid has no defenses around his body. Don't shoot Xu Jin, shoot him!"
A dense rain of arrows blotted out the sky. Qu Dubian's evasive maneuvers increased, and his running speed noticeably slowed down.
A chilling, barbed flash of an arrow shot out from the Left Wise King's hand, aiming straight at the center of Qu Dubian's back. Qu Dubian dodged violently, avoiding a fatal spot, but was struck in the left shoulder.
Blood instantly blossomed.
Qu Dubian surprisingly only felt a little pain. He thanked his adrenaline and ran even faster.
Seeing the arrow in Qu Dubian's shoulder, Xu Jin was intensely provoked. The blood in his entire body surged backward to the top of his head. With bloodshot eyes, he spat out a mouthful of blood and unexpectedly mustered up a bit more strength. He viciously hurled the short dagger from his waist, blinding the Left Wise King's horse.
The warhorse neighed and forcefully threw the Left Wise King off. He was nearly trampled flat by the soldiers behind him. After steadying his footing, he roared furiously, "Xu Jin!"
The tightening net around them grew smaller and smaller.
There was no more arrow shooting; the cavalry's scimitars were almost slashing the corners of Qu Dubian's clothes.
With this extreme, frantic sprinting, his internal energy was being depleted at a crazy rate, and his meridians were faintly throbbing with pain.
"You're not bad, kid. With this level of internal energy, if we let you grow up to be a general, you would be a formidable enemy to the Northern Frontier," the Right Wise King said sincerely, looking at the young man's running back ahead.
Damn it, Qu Dubian thought to himself. He was already a general, a fourth-rank one at that!
Xu Jin looked at him covered in blood, his eyes stinging and his heart trembling. "Little One, put Grandfather... down."
"Grandfather, be good, think of Grandmother."
Qu Dubian coaxed.
His forehead was covered in cold sweat, but his eyes were completely calm. He looked up to estimate the distance he had run and the distance to the Second City, guessing how far Uncle Lang Qing was from them—
It shouldn't be far now.
Even if he couldn't hold on, he had to.
He took a slash to the side of his waist.
Qu Dubian let out a muffled grunt.
Right at this moment, the simulator popped up a notification:
[Yi Shier is 300 meters away from the host.]
[Yi Shier is 220 meters away from the host.]
[Yi Shier is 100 meters away from the host.]
Qu Dubian's eyes instantly lit up. He leaped forward another dozen meters and shouted loudly:
"Liuliu, bring the great luck!"
Dressed all in black, Yi Shier stepped on the heads of the Northern Frontier cavalry and flew over to land in front of Qu Dubian. The flexible sword at his waist swept out, and the violent internal energy he had suppressed all the way instantly burst forth!
More than a dozen pursuers behind Qu Dubian were instantly knocked off their feet, men and horses tumbling.
"Why didn't you call for me?!"
A spear came from the east!
A silver spear, taller than a man, pierced through the air and stabbed viciously into the ground right in front of the Right Wise King's horse!
The Right Wise King's pupils shrank abruptly. He reined in his horse to a sudden stop, then whipped his head around. "Xia Fuyang!"
It was the reinforcements from the Eastern Garrison. Why had they come so fast?! And why was there no warning?!
Xia Fuyang galloped over on his horse, with a reinforcement army of fifty thousand troops closely following behind him. With roars and battle cries that shook the heavens, they crashed directly into the eastern encirclement of the Northern Frontier.
Xia Fuyang leaped into the air. Right in front of the Right Wise King, he forcefully snatched back his own spear. Turning around, he landed in front of Qu Dubian to protect him. With a flick of his spear and his brows furrowed low, he shouted, "Who dares to step forward!"
Yi Shier did not make a sound. He quietly took a step forward, flicked his wrist, and his flexible sword straightened out.
Only at this moment did Qu Dubian finally have the confidence to dare to stop.
He asked, "Liuliu, where is the Western Garrison?"
Yi Shier: "In the back, they will be here right away."
However, the Western Garrison originally had fewer soldiers than the Eastern Garrison. After leaving enough men to defend the city, a total of thirty thousand came.
But the first to arrive was not the Western Garrison, but Lang Qing.
Lang Qing was in a very sorry state. Behind him were only a few thousand soldiers; the main forces of the Second City were all engaged in preventing the encirclement from forming. His face was flushed with blood, and his eyes immediately locked onto the old man being carried on Qu Dubian's right shoulder.
"Marquis!"
The West Garrison had also arrived.
Ye Lianyang rode at the forefront, shouting, "Boss!"
At this point, the East and West Garrisons, along with the reinforcements from the Second City, had all arrived.
The Right Wise King's expression turned ugly.
Why? This was so far off from the earliest time they had anticipated the reinforcements to arrive.
Xia Fuyang turned his head: "Xiao Qi, take the Marquis and Uncle Lang Qing and leave together. Retreat and defend the Second City."
His gaze lingered for a moment on the arrowhead in Qu Dubian's shoulder and his waist, and he frowned. Then, looking at the carried Xu Jin, his heart sank even further.
Lang Qing dismounted, quickly came to Qu Dubian's side, and took Xu Jin from him.
Xu Jin shook his head and looked around. The worry in his heart for his grandson slowly dissipated. As the breath he had been holding in scattered, he instantly fell into a coma.
"Grandfather!" He reached out to check his grandfather's pulse and said in a low voice, "We must leave immediately."
Lang Qing: "I'll take the Marquis. Your Highness, what about your injuries?"
Qu Dubian tore off two strips from the hem of his clothes and tied them around his waist to stem the bleeding. "I'm fine. I can ride a horse myself."
Hearing this, Lang Qing said no more. He placed Xu Jin on the horse, sat behind him to secure him, and quickly rode away under the cover of the soldiers.
Xia Fuyang waved his hand, and his deputy general led three squads of the East Garrison to follow and escort them.
Qu Dubian stayed behind. He picked up a sword from the ground, weighed it in his hand, and found it somewhat suitable.
He walked to Xia Fuyang's side and looked at the Right Wise King. "I've actually never seriously killed anyone with my own hands."
Even during the bandit suppression, apart from the final executions, when he pursued the bandits, he only injured them but did not kill.
Perhaps it was a ridiculous insistence, but he still wanted the day he had to kill someone with his own hands to come a little later.
"But I really want to kill you myself. Take one more half-step forward, and today will be your end."
The Right Wise King: "A callow youth with no reputation at all, and you want to kill me?"
He didn't know Qu Dubian's identity, nor did he recognize him. He just thought he was an ordinary general with slightly better lightness skills.
Woooo—
A desolate horn sounded.
It was the Northern Frontier's retreat horn.
The Right Wise King clicked his tongue lightly. It was a pity; he still couldn't kill Xu Jin with his own hands, nor could he see him breathe his last with his own eyes.
However, with such heavy injuries, the possibility of death was much greater than of living.
Raising his hand, the Northern Frontier soldiers slowly retreated.
The East and West Garrisons did not pursue, remaining cautious and vigilant.
They could intercept the Northern Frontier's encirclement, but the First Middle City had been breached, and the main Northern Frontier army behind had not retreated. Charging forward would bring no advantage.
Only when the Northern Frontier temporarily retreated did Xia Fuyang's tense muscles slowly relax.
He grabbed Qu Dubian's right arm. "The wound on your shoulder needs treating. Is it poisoned? Do you feel unwell?"
"It's not poisoned, it's fine, just bleeding a bit," Qu Dubian looked at them. "Fortunately, you two came, otherwise I would have probably died here today."
Ye Lianyang: "Boss, there's me too, I was fast as well!" Just not as fast as the personal guard Liuliu.
Yi Shier looked at the injuries on his body, pursed his lips, and said, "Let's go back first."
Xia Fuyang nodded: "Let's go."
The East and West Garrisons slowly merged and retreated to the Second City.
The Second City.
The military doctor's tent.
Qu Dubian's hair was swept to the right side of his neck, his upper body bare, as the military doctor pulled the arrow from his left shoulder.
Transitioning from an extremely dangerous situation to a relatively safe environment, adrenaline was no longer working, and Qu Dubian belatedly felt the pain.
Xia Fuyang and Liuliu were already worried enough. In order not to let his face look too awful due to the pain, he converted the injury into a simulation, leaving only ten percent of the pain value.
An external wound wouldn't instantly heal because of the simulation; after all, it was visible to the naked eye.
If the wound was severe one second and healed the next, he would probably be seen as a monster in the eyes of others.
The arrowhead had barbs, so it had to be pushed completely through the shoulder before being cut off.
Yi Shier watched the whole process, his gaze falling on the copper basin full of bloody water, the blood-stained bandages, the hideous wound, and Qu Dubian's pale, frowning profile.
"Your Highness, I'm pulling the arrow now. Bear with the pain."
Qu Dubian nodded.
At the exact moment it was pulled, he adjusted the pain sensation to zero, as if he had been given anesthesia.
The military doctor applied medicine to his wound and then wrapped another layer of bandages, taking the opportunity to bandage the wound on his waist as well.
"Done, Your Highness," the military doctor advised. "One penetrating wound, one knife wound. Although they are both external injuries, you still need to rest and recuperate well."
"The medicine has just been applied. Before it seeps into the wound, it's best not to make any large movements. As soon as there's news about the Marquis, I will come and tell you."
Qu Dubian murmured an acknowledgment and reached for his clothes.
His original outfit was long torn beyond wear; these clothes were freshly bought from a ready-to-wear shop in the city.
Yi Shier brought his inner garment and draped it over his shoulders. "You're injured, don't move recklessly."
Qu Dubian looked up: "I still want to go keep watch over my grandfather."
"Your..."
Yi Shier suddenly paused and reached for the spherical pendant hanging around his neck. Inside was a small bug-like object that was vibrating silently.
This was a method he imitated from the royal secret guard division to contact each other. As long as someone blew a whistle within a certain distance, the little thing inside the pendant would vibrate.
It was not easy to make, and since it was an imitation, currently only a few people had the whistles used for contact.
He said seriously: "Your Highness, it should be someone from Princess Zhiyi's side coming to pass a message."
Qu Dubian's heart skipped a beat. He took out his token, "Go find them and bring them over."
Yi Shier didn't move.
Qu Dubian: "I won't leave, nor will I move recklessly. I'll just wait for the news here."
Only then did Yi Shier leave.
About a quarter of an hour later, he brought a person dressed as a Northern Frontier soldier into the military doctor's tent.
The newcomer had the deep-set facial features typical of a Northern Frontier person. Looking at Qu Dubian, he said, "My name is Ahanli, Princess Axiang is my mother."
Qu Dubian: "You are my aunt's son?" He pondered, "You seem to be following Agumudo, right? Why are you the one passing the message? How is my older sister?"
Ahanli's expression was very cold, even a bit disgusted.
"Agumudo is alive. Sister Zhiyi saved him. They and the Shepherd just found a suitable place to settle and are barely safe."
Relying on his appearance, he had infiltrated the pro-war faction of the Northern Frontier army, played dead for half a day, and only sneaked over after the troops retreated. He was almost trampled to death by horses; the hardship of the process went without saying.
Qu Dubian felt relieved this time.
Although they couldn't get out, it was good that his sister was fine.
Qu Dubian: "Uncle Lang Qing and Uncle Er Sen should both know you. The outside is full of Northern Frontier troops; it's better for you to stay."
Ahanli sneered: "So concerned about a mixed-blood, superfluous person like me, why didn't you take better care of my mother back then? There are truly too many people from the Great Zhou who are high-sounding, ruthless, and heartless."
Qu Dubian was genuinely puzzled hearing this: "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean, what is wrong?" Ahanli tried to hold his temper back, but his anger flared up anyway. "Mother exhausted her heart and soul for the Great Zhou. Her very last letter before she passed away even detailed the current situation in the Northern Frontier. She wanted to return to the Great Zhou so much. She pleaded so earnestly in that letter, begging your Emperor of the Great Zhou to bring her back. Why did you not bring her home?"
"Mother held on for so many days, but right up until her death, she never received a single word from the Great Zhou. She closed her eyes for the last time, full of regret."
Qu Dubian furrowed his brows deeply. "A letter asking to come home? But as I recall, the Great Zhou never received any letter from Aunt Axiang requesting to return."
Given the circumstances at the time, if such a letter had existed, it would have been impossible for the imperial court to not know about it.
Ahanli looked stunned. "But Mother clearly wrote one!"
The two exchanged a glance, their expressions turning solemn.
"Let us compare what we know," Qu Dubian said, "and see exactly where things went wrong."