No title, no marriage? Do you think I'm some kind of lapdog?

Before the wolf carcass had even cooled down, Su Chuang had already collapsed in the carriage, pretending to be dead.

"That scared me to death..."

He clung to Xu Mengran's arm, refusing to let go, his sleeve soaked with snot and tears.

Xu Mengran tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't, so she had to let him hold her while she wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with her other hand.

"Where's the force with which you threw the knife?"

She was annoyed.

"That...that was when he got really desperate..." Su Chuang shrank back, "My legs are still weak..."

The convoy rested for a night.

When they set off the next day, everyone's face showed signs of exhaustion, as if they had survived a disaster.

The Mo Dao Guards remained silent, but the blood on their armor, even after being washed three times, still smelled foul.

Su Chuang settled down in the car to do the accounting.

The golden knife was retrieved; the red glow on its blade had faded, but it was still warm to the touch.

He touched the Xiongnu character on the hilt of his sword, pondering:

The shaman is dead, the wolf pack has scattered, but this matter is not over.

Shamans who could drive away wolves held a high position among the Xiongnu tribes. Who could persuade them to do so?

The Second Prince? Ye Qingyue? Or... those people hiding in the shadows of the Northern Frontier?

"My lord."

Yue Fei's voice came from outside the car window.

Su Chuang lifted the curtain.

Yue Fei sat on his horse, his spear hanging from the side of the saddle, his face smeared with bloodstains that hadn't been wiped off.

"The scouts ahead report that we will reach Yumen Pass in three more days."

"Hmm..." Su Chuang nodded, then added, "Be careful on the road."

"Here you are."

Yue Fei turned his horse around and continued to inspect the convoy.

Su Chuang lowered the curtain and leaned back against the carriage wall.

Xu Mengran sat opposite her, wiping her sword with her head down.

Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the car window, illuminating her profile and casting a small shadow on her eyelashes.

"What are you looking at?" she asked without looking up.

"You look good." Su Chuang grinned.

"You're such a chatterbox." Xu Mengran rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

The carriage fell silent, with only the crunching sound of the wheels rolling over gravel.

We traveled for another two days.

The terrain became flatter and the wind grew stronger, carrying sand and gravel that pelted the vehicle with a crackling sound.

The outline of Yumen Pass could already be seen in the distance, and the banners fluttered in the wind.

"arrive."

Xu Mengran said softly.

Su Chuang peered out the car window.

Large camps were pitched on the open ground in front of the pass, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.

A cavalry squad patrolled in the distance, their hooves kicking up dust.

Just as the convoy approached Guanqian Sanli, a cloud of dust suddenly rose up ahead.

A troop of cavalry charged forward, numbering about a hundred, all clad in silver armor and red cloaks, their horses moving at great speed, and in the blink of an eye, they blocked the road.

The leader was a woman.

Clad in silver armor, with her long hair tied up high, and a gleaming silver spear hanging beside her saddle—it was Ye Qingyue.

She was followed by dozens of mounted guards, each with a fierce look in their eyes.

Yue Xinyang was among them, dressed in a captain's armor. The scar on his face, inflicted by Zhao Yun, hadn't fully healed, and he grinned sinisterly.

Su Chuang sneered inwardly.

coming.

He pushed open the car door and got out, trembling.

"Oh... General Ye..."

He rubbed his hands together, a fawning smile plastered on his face, "What a coincidence..."

Ye Qingyue, mounted on her horse, looked down at him with eyes that seemed to regard him as a lump of mud.

"Su Chuang".

She spoke, her voice as cold as ice.

"This general is ordered to guard Yumen Pass. All those who enter the pass must obey my military orders."

She paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"You are no exception."

Su Chuang exclaimed "Ah!" and blinked blankly, "H-Handle orders? What orders?"

"Playing dumb?"

"General Ye is now your superior!"

Yue Xinyang urged his horse forward, his whip pointing directly at Su Chuang's nose.

"If I tell you to go east, you can't go west! If I tell you to kneel, you can't stand! Understand?!"

"I thought we were in the capital?"

"Are you putting on airs like a duke?"

"Let me tell you, in the northern borderlands, if you're a dragon, you have to coil up; if you're a tiger, you have to lie low!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, spitting everywhere.

"I...I'm not a dragon or a tiger...I'm just someone who's trying to make a living..."

Su Chuang shrank back and muttered to himself.

"Just trying to get by?" Yue Xinyang sneered. "You think you deserve to eat? Even dogs wouldn't be fed a piece of trash like you in the northern frontier!"

The more he cursed, the uglier the words became.

Xu Mengran's face darkened, and she drew her sword, ready to step forward.

Su Chuang quietly tugged at her sleeve.

"Commander Yue..."

"Let's talk this out... How about I treat you to a drink? It's some good wine I brought from the capital..."

Su Chuang smiled ingratiatingly.

"Drink your mother's ass!"

Yue Xinyang spat.

"I feel disgusted just looking at your face!"

"If General Ye hadn't stopped me, I would have chopped you up with one blow long ago!"

He was cursing vehemently, but he didn't notice that Su Chuang's hand, hanging by his side, had his fingers slightly curled.

That was a secret signal for Zhao Yun.

next second.

"Whoosh—!"

A flash of silver light!

Zhao Yun had somehow emerged from the caravan, his gleaming silver spear flashing like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, aimed straight for Yue Xinyang's throat!

fast!

too fast!

Before Yue Xinyang could even react, the tip of the spear was already in front of him!

He was so frightened that he instinctively leaned back.

"clang--!!!"

A large sword slashed down from the sky, precisely blocking the gleaming silver spear!

Sparks flew everywhere!

Zhao Yun paused, then looked up.

The one who stopped the gun was a general in black armor.

He was in his thirties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and fierce eyes. In his hand was a heavy sword as wide as a door panel, the blade dark and the edge gleaming coldly.

He rode on a chestnut horse, a horse as big as a small mountain.

"Zhao Zilong".

The black-armored general spoke, his voice deep and resonant.

"I've heard so much about you."

Zhao Yun sheathed his spear, holding it horizontally in front of him, his eyes narrowing slightly: "And who are you, sir?"

"Zhang, Zhang Liao."

The moment those three words were uttered, the entire room fell silent.

Zhang Liao?!

Su Chuang's heart skipped a beat.

The "military general surnamed Zhang" that the system warned about was actually waiting here!

Zhang Liao didn't even glance at Su Chuang; his eyes were fixed solely on Zhao Yun.

"Brother Zilong's martial arts are superb; I admire him greatly."

He said slowly.

"But they followed the wrong master."

Zhao Yun frowned.

Zhang Liao continued:

"Su Chuang is a spoiled and incompetent playboy who is greedy for money and lustful. He is already a laughing stock in the capital."

"Now that I've been exiled to the northern frontier, I'm nothing more than a criminal."

He paused, then raised his voice:

"And you, with all your skills, why waste your time with such a useless person?"

"Why not serve General Ye?"

"With your talent, you're sure to achieve great things in the northern frontier, earning titles and ranks. Wouldn't that be better than following a coward?"

That's a very straightforward statement.

Everyone looked at Zhao Yun.

Ye Qingyue smiled.

Yue Xinyang grinned, waiting to see what would happen.

Su Chuang huddled behind Xu Mengran, looking terrified, but his fingers secretly reached for the golden knife in his pocket.

Zhao Yun remained silent for three breaths.

"Are you done talking?"

He looked up at Zhang Liao.

"I'm done talking..."

Zhang Liao was taken aback.

"Fight if you want."

"You talk too much nonsense."

Zhao Yun raised the tip of his spear, pointing it at his face.

"No... I'm trying to persuade you to surrender!"

"I'm not going to fight you!"