Lu Yao Guang was speechless.
"I came to this dragon’s den and tiger’s lair with clear thoughts," Zhou Fei said coolly. "I’ll ask again: do you want to die or retreat? North End King, think carefully before answering, for I am barefoot and fear no shoes."
Cao Ning lowered his eyelids. He had felt the true bandit spirit in this young girl after attacking Fourty-Eight Camp under the guise of suppression. He sighed: "Retreat; order the troops to withdraw."
Lu Yao Guang's face remained tense as he turned away, closely watching Zhou Fei’s actions.
"Thank you," Zhou Fei smiled playfully. Her smile retained a youthful charm, lively and innocent. However, after these days and nights, it carried an eerie hint of bloodshed: "Since that is the case, North End King, please come to my camp as our guest. Do Brother Yang and the elders wish to accompany you?"
Several Foot Traveling Guild men looked at Yang Jin for permission.
The Foot Traveling Guild was ubiquitous; though under the black market, they had connections with Southern Court through "Mysterious Sage" and "White Sage," who had started seeping into Northern Court years ago. Unexpectedly, a nail in the wall managed to successfully penetrate the North End King’s troops, but unfortunately, it was purely by chance that this 'nail' ended up serving as a stable boy under Cao Ning, receiving no vital military information.
This time, the North End King led his forces into Sichuan. A few days ago, a horse close to the general's quarters could not bear its weight and died. No one would have blamed it on the king, so they pinned the blame on a stable boy who had been tasked with taking care of the horses.
Cao Ning’s position as a stable boy was seen as a living sacrifice by Northern Court soldiers; many avoided it, but eventually, Zheng Da got the job.
After following the general for several days, he realized this expedition's target was Fourty-Eight Camp and promptly sent word.
This news had to pass through Diao Shudao in Shaoyang. Although Yang Jin lost to Zhou Fei, he bore no grudge; instead, he harbored admiration for Li Family Southern Saber. Hearing about the matter, he immediately volunteered to intervene.
For some reason, every time he saw Zhou Fei, his interest in Southern Saber diminished.
He felt a primal sense of danger—Southern Saber was a peerless blade, but Zhou Fei might not be a good person.
Yang Jin looked at Zhou Fei with suspicion. She smiled back.
"Let's go," Yang Jin said.
After he spoke, several Foot Traveling Guild members surrounded Zhou Fei and North End King Cao Ning.
Lu Yao Guang and the others hesitated to interfere but followed from a distance as archers withdrew, watching helplessly as this group left the premises.
Xie Yun just managed to shake off his pursuers and turned back. Seeing them, he smiled and greeted Cao Ning: "Second Prince, long time no see."
Cao Ning gave him a deep look, unable to speak due to his collar constraint. Zhou Fei pushed him, forcing him to walk forward with difficulty.
It was not easy to escort Cao Ning; he could barely move for long, struggling as if about to die, stopping frequently to rest. Zhou Fei was worried about the camp and constantly vigilant against this clever and devious fat man's tricks.
From noon until midnight, they finally reached the battlefield.
When Skyvalley Tianxuan heard of their commander’s capture, he quickly withdrew his men outside Fourty-Eight Camp's sentry posts, facing them from afar across the valley.
The once picturesque suspension bridge and forest were now in disarray; smoke and bloodstains covered everything, extending from the outermost sentries to inside—indicating a horrific battle. If Zhou Fei had been just one moment slower, the camp’s three lines of defense would have been destroyed.
Zhou Fei tightened her grip on her blade. Cao Ning grunted: "Miss, be careful."
Zhou Fei lowered her voice: "Don't worry; you'll meet your end someday—get out of my way and move!"