The Young Swordsman of Dalu

Shangguan Xingyun stayed on the northeastern border for several days, and Pingcheng was occupied by the Western Regions army.

Shangguan Xingyun wanted to find the garrison commander of Pingcheng, thinking that the garrison of the Great Lu Kingdom couldn't have been completely wiped out.

Just when Shangguan Xingyun was at her wit's end, she heard about the Lu Kingdom army's surprise attack on the Western Regions army. She felt hopeful again and decided to find the Lu Kingdom army.

On this day, Shangguan Xingyun came to the valley. She put her horse in a secluded place and walked into the valley. She observed the situation around the valley. She walked to the depths of the valley and found firewood ash used by someone to cook and warm themselves. She walked further in and suddenly a figure came out from the side.

"Move again and I'll kill you!"

Shangguan Xingyun stood there motionless and calmly said, "I want to see your leader."

"Who are you?" the man asked.

“People of the Great Lu Kingdom!” Shangguan Xingyun said.

"Go!" the man commanded.

Shangguan Xingyun was taken to a secluded cave, where Yin Shuo was sitting on a stone bench.

"Who is she?" Yin Shuo asked.

She said she was from the State of Lu.

"Are you General Yin Shuo?" Shangguan Xingyun asked.

"You know me?" Yin Shuo asked.

“These past few days, news of your heroic deeds has spread throughout the journey to Pingcheng. I also admire General Yin Shuo’s courage,” Shangguan Xingyun said.

“Pingcheng has been occupied by the Western Regions army, I am a sinner!” The loss of Pingcheng was a pain in Yin Shuo’s heart.

"General Yin, there's no need to worry. We should discuss this further," Shangguan Xingyun said.

"There's chaos and turmoil outside. What brings you here at this hour, young lady?" Yin Shuo asked.

"To be honest, General Yin, I am Shangguan Xingyun, the daughter of Shangguan Chenxing, the commander of the Northern Border Garrison. I was sent to the Northern Desert by Li Chaoyang, the head of Wenxian Pavilion," Shangguan Xingyun said.

"So you are General Shangguan's beloved daughter. I have long admired your reputation and heard that you defeated the Feng siblings. Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed a woman who is just as capable as any man!" Yin Shuo praised.

"General Yin, you flatter me! As a citizen of the Great Lu Kingdom, it is my duty to serve my country," Shangguan Xingyun said.

"Miss Shangguan, please tell us about the situation outside," Yin Shuo said.

"I came all the way from the south, and when I entered Handan, I saw many refugees. I also heard that the imperial army will soon arrive outside Pingcheng, and the imperial court has ordered General Chai Gu to lead the expedition," Shangguan Xingyun said.

"General Chai Gu has come out of seclusion! That's wonderful! Now we're just waiting for the imperial army to arrive so we can drive the Western Regions army out of our Pingcheng and stop our people from being displaced," Yin Shuo said.

"What is General Yin going to do next?" Shangguan Xingyun asked.

"As you can see, this is all our border troops. We can't fight big battles, so we rely on raids on the Western Regions army. It's like tickling them, but they won't have any peace!" Yin Shuo said.

"I heard that the vanguard commander of this army is General Wei Qiao and General Yin. Before General Wei arrives, you should refrain from taking any further action," Shangguan Xingyun said, looking at the remaining hundred or so men.

“We were thinking of doing one more operation tonight, then we’d stop and wait for reinforcements to arrive before making any further moves,” Yin Shuo said.

"General Yin, are you confident you can bring all these brothers back alive this time?" Shangguan Xingyun asked.

"There will be sacrifices in war!" Yin Shuo said painfully.

"Let's cancel tonight's operation, General Yin!" Shangguan Xingyun said.

“We’ve already scouted the area. The Western Regions army is rotating troops today, and we’ve heard they have a new leader. We’re going to create some tension for them, so they won’t feel comfortable using the things they’ve plundered,” Yin Shuo said.

“If you really want to go, I’ll go with you!” Shangguan Xingyun said.

"It's too dangerous! I would be in grave danger if anything happened to me!" Yin Shuo said.

“The soldiers are sons and daughters of the Great Lu Kingdom, and so am I. They can give their lives for the country, and so can I. The more people there are, the more strength there is!” Shangguan Xingyun said.

“Good! The soldiers of our Great Lu Kingdom are all brave and courageous men, we are not afraid to die!” Yin Shuo said.

"For the Great Lu Kingdom! We are not afraid to die!" the soldiers shouted, raising their arms in unison.

Shangguan Xingyun was moved by the scene before her. She believed that as long as the Great Lu Kingdom had such outstanding sons and daughters, it would not perish.

Wenfei and Li Wei walked across the grassland from night until dawn without finding a single person.

"Where exactly is the royal court?" Li Wei asked.

“That General Hulun went to the royal court. I wonder if he’s returned yet?” Wenfei said.

“These are extraordinary times. The Khan is also afraid of being captured alive by the northern tribes. Do you think he might be hiding among ordinary herders?” Li Wei said.

“What you said makes a lot of sense. This time, the northern tribes of the Gobi Desert came with great force, leaving the various tribes of the Western Regions powerless to resist. Who knows, maybe Bulu Khan is mixed in with the herdsmen? Hey! You have a good brain!” Wenfei praised with a smile.

"It's not too late to praise me after you find the person," Li Wei said, patting Wen Fei on the shoulder.

"Look! There are many herders grazing their livestock over there. Let's go take a look," Wenfei said, pointing into the distance.

When Wenfei and his group arrived at the herders' tents, they saw that the herders were very nervous, looking at Wenfei and Li Weishi as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

Wenfei said to Li Wei with a sense of unease, "You might be right, we've encountered the Khan."

Li Wei also noticed that these herders were not like ordinary herders; they were more vigilant, as if they were guarding against being ambushed.

"Uncle! We've traveled a long way and are a bit thirsty. Could you give us some milk tea?" Wenfei said to the man on horseback.

"Wait here!" The man dismounted from his horse, went into the tent, and soon came out with two bowls of milk tea.

"Thank you, Uncle!" Wenfei and Li Wei accepted the milk tea.

Wenfei leisurely sipped his milk tea while observing his surroundings. He noticed that there were guards outside the tents, indicating that the people living inside were not ordinary people.

“Uncle! You’re still herding livestock here. Haven’t you thought about heading south? The northern tribes are about to attack this area,” Wenfei said.

“Our ancestors lived on the grasslands, how can we leave here? You said the northern tribes are about to attack us, is that news accurate?” the man asked.

“We were chased all the way here by the Northern Desert Army, and they will arrive here in no more than two days,” Wen Fei said deliberately.

The man looked anxious. He returned to the tent before Wenfei and the others could finish their milk tea.

A moment later, the man came out of the tent. Wenfei and Liwei returned the bowl to him and were about to say goodbye: "Thank you for the milk tea, Uncle. We have to get going!"

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen, come in!" The man bowed politely and gestured with his right hand.

Wenfei and Li Wei exchanged a glance before entering the tent.

The two entered the tent and saw a majestic figure sitting inside, with General Hulun sitting beside him.