Chapter 6: Meeting Again

    When speaking of a skilled general, everyone inevitably thinks of Li Xuanlong, the Prince of Li Region, a masterful tactician and a warrior whose prowess shakes the land. But now, he is facing a new challenge.

    "Yan Sanqi has led his troops to appear in front of the camp again."

    Throughout the afternoon and into dusk, frontline soldiers continually sent in reports, their faces filled with panic and confusion. Li Xuanlong, trying to control his emotions, closed his eyes and then commanded,

    "Pay no attention to them; they are playing psychological warfare. Order the troops to rest. A guard of five hundred will suffice."

    Li Xuanlong was irritated by such elementary tactics. He hadn't expected the beast Yan Sanqi to resort to such adorable tricks—ordering three thousand soldiers to shout and scream in front of the camp then retreat. His soldiers took time to settle down after the false alarm. During a quiet moment, Yan Sanqi would then make a bold show of riding back and forth, bringing out three troops of soldiers to shout and wave the swords, causing the soldiers to scatter in fear. This had a significant effect on their morale. When Li Xuanlong opened the camp gates to confront them, they would retreat again, appearing and disappearing like moles, causing his soldiers to become completely unnerved.

    "Reporting to the prince, Deputy General Zhu Zi has returned."

    "Send him to see me immediately." In the field outside his tent, the tall, muscular figure was slowly practicing swordplay with his shirt off, slow yet powerful, precise in every move, full of danger. His muscles were tight and hot as an iron burned in fire. He continued practicing a few more movements until sweat formed, Li Xuanlong was unbothered by the snowflakes falling on his head.

    "Is there a problem? Did you engage with the enemy?" Li Xuanlong raised an eyebrow as if to ask Zhu Zi who stepped into the command tent, the expression on Zhu Zi's face uneasy and troubled.

    "No, Your Highness, but there is something odd..."

    "What is it?"

    The reason Deputy General Zhu Zi did not advance to Mount Liang, a strategic point, was that it had already been seized. "Yan troops have already occupied it, setting up their camp on Mount Liang far from the battlefield. I'm not sure if it was a misplacement or intentional. I feared it was a trap, so I retreated."

    The black-armored soldiers under Li Xuanlong are known as the best horsemen and the fastest on the land. It didn't take them long to reach their target along the ridge, aiming to seize the advantage. However, when Zhu Zi led the forces to that area, they had to retreat without gaining anything.

    "Who is in charge of that position? To the extent that a seasoned deputy general like you had to retreat without engaging?"

    Zhu Zi, facing the cold expression of the prince, felt a chill down his spine. Though he was reluctant to report, he had to fulfill his duty, "The new Deputy General of Yan Sanqi, Your Highness. It's his first battle."

    "You're telling me you were chased back by a novice?" Li Xuanlong stopped his swordplay and slumped into a camp chair, tapping his fingers slowly on his position helmet, his eyes flickering with displeasure. "What's the name?"

    "Yang Gao."

    "Yang Gao? The lamb?"

    "Yes, Your Highness. His flag uses a lamb symbol." Hearing the name, his usual emotionless, sharp-featured face instantly turned fiery. This damn deputy general had deliberately chosen this name to mock his wolf troops. Quite intriguing indeed.

    "Since that area is not ours and Mount Liang is too risky, traverse along the ridge and observe his camp from a higher position."

    "Understood, Your Highness."

    Li Xuanlong himself, along with a small unit of soldiers, went to scout Yang Gao. Reaching Mount Liang, which was far from the battlefield, he, a man of the plains, read the mountain paths with precision. Upon arriving at a vantage point that overlooked Yang Gao's camp, the young man slowed his horse to observe Yang Gao's camp setup. His sharp eyes gleamed with excitement at discovering a formidable opponent in this war. The entrance to Mount Liang was wide, but the exit was narrow, if any troops wandered in, they would be shot from a higher position.

    "This person seems quite capable."

    "It's just that they set up camp first. I don't see any particular skill in that, Your Highness."

    Zhu Zi shrugged, unable to see what Li Xuanlong was talking about. He knew well that a capable general excels at maneuvering in valleys, understanding complex terrain just by looking at the ridges ahead. In his ten years on the battlefield, Li Xuanlong had encountered only a few who could read valley paths like this.

    "The camp setup seems amateurish. They haven't placed guards where they should. Your Highness, please spare me fifty men to handle it, that should suffice."

    The front of Yang Gao's camp was loosely lined with bamboo spears and used rocks as fortifications. The expected guard was absent, and inside the camp, soldiers were lounging around.

    Strange... very strange.

    This Deputy General Yang Gao was an oddity, with an unorthodox camp layout that seemed vulnerable but every position potentially a trap, causing Li Xuanlong to retreat without being able to make any move.

    Then he looked up and saw her.

    Chen Taohua, as Deputy General Yang Gao, stood imposingly on an elevated slope above the hill, accompanied by a contingent of armed soldiers and archers who was aiming their arrows. Behind her, the setting sun cast a huge shadow over her large armor, creating a daunting and eerie silhouette. The ugly mask she wore added to the strangeness, greatly intriguing the young man.

    In Chen Taohua's hand was a drawn bow.

    "Fire."

    At her command, arrows and crossbows flew toward the targets below. Li Xuanlong's expression remained unchanged. The tall figure deftly dodged on horseback, flipping acrobatically to evade the sharp arrows attempting to pierce him.

    "Fire!" Shen Tao saw that letting Li Xuanlong escape would be dangerous for Yan's troops, so he yelled to repeat the order. Another volley of arrows rained down like a storm. Li Xuanlong, with a smirk, drew his sword, swinging it quickly and accurately, resembling a shimmering silver sphere filled with lethal rays. Every arrow was cleaved in mid-air, not a single one reaching his body. The archers, recognizing his skill, intensified their barrage.

    And in that moment, Chen Taohua felt a sharp pain in her chest. Looking down, she found an arrow had pierced through her armor, the impact knocking her backward to the ground.

    As Chen Taohua fell, the royal guards on both side of her were also struck by arrows in the head. The high-status man acted with lightning speed, living up to his reputation without needing to boast. He eliminated several hidden archers behind the rocks before retreating due to the small number of troops following him.

    He came and left like a God of Death.

    "Your... ah, Deputy General, are you alright?" Su Jian almost screamed but caught herself in time and rushed from her hiding spot to check on Princess Yong'an. But Chen Taohua gestured that she was unharmed, just unable to stand up due to the heavy armor. Fortunately, the armor was loose since it belonged to her older brother, so the arrow did not reach her body.

    "Haha... that was close. Good thing I wore another layer of soft armor. His tactics have become much fiercer."

    It was impressive indeed. The force of his arrows could penetrate the renowned steel armor of Yan, known for its advanced metallurgy and high-quality steel when compared to others. Chen Taohua locked eyes with him for a split second, but she memorized every detail. The sharp features of his face, powerful and valiant, no longer belonged to that impulsive young man. This man had grown into a formidable figure, broad-shouldered and robust, much more powerful than before.

    Chen Taohua, who lay on the ground, blinked slowly before laughing out loud. She had never met anyone with such a powerful gaze before—it was as fiery as flames and sending sensual waves, shooting straight through the crowd to strike her heart with precision, just like his archery skill.

    "Deputy General, are you seriously hurt?"

    "I'm fine. And there's no need to report this to the general. I can't be bothered to listen to him complain."

    "Even if it's not reported, the general will surely find out."

    Battalion Commander Shen Tao and the soldiers observed their Deputy General, struck by Li Xuanlong's deadly arrow, still managing to laugh. They all sighed with relief and grew immensely respectful.

    "The Deputy General predicted accurately that Li Xuanlong would come here himself. It's a pity we couldn't deal with him."

    "If it were easy, he wouldn't be Li Xuanlong. Now the real challenge begins."

    Chen Taohua pulled out the arrow that was still embedded in her, and what was more intriguing was discovering not just one, but another arrow that had pierced through her helmet, narrowly missing the princess’ head, and another stuck in her stomach. Each strike was aimed at lethal points—truly ruthless.