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

"clang--!!!"

A deafening clang of metal resounded throughout the entire Wolf Valley!

Sparks flew!

Ye Qingyue felt a sharp pain in her tiger's mouth, and her entire right arm went numb instantly.

The gun flew out of his hand and crashed with a loud thud onto a rock ten paces away, its shaft bending into a bow shape!

She was thrown backward by a tremendous force, tumbling twice in the air before crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the person who had suddenly appeared behind Su Chuang.

That was a giant man who stood nine feet tall.

He wore a tattered leather coat, which was open to reveal his bronze chest, his muscles bulging like old tree roots.

His hair was disheveled and his face was covered in dirt, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.

He held a massive blade as wide as a door panel in his hand; the blade was dark, but the edge gleamed with a cold light.

It was this very knife that just knocked Ye Qingyue's spear away with a single strike.

"you......"

Ye Qingyue tried to get up by supporting herself on the ground, but found that her right arm was fractured in at least three places and she couldn't put any strength into it.

The giant didn't even glance at her, turned to look at Su Chuang, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth:

"My lord, am I not late?"

The sound was rough and harsh, like sandpaper grinding against a stone.

Su Chuang was also stunned.

He stared at the giant for three breaths, and at that moment, a system notification sounded in his mind:

Li Cunxiao has arrived at the battlefield.

[Identity Confirmed: Ranger "Li Shisan"]

Su Chuang's lips twitched.

Li Shisan? What a casual name...

"It's not too late."

He grimaced, pulling at the wound on his face, wincing in pain.

"Perfect timing, any later and you'd be collecting my corpse."

Li Cunxiao chuckled and turned to look around.

His gaze swept over Ye Qingyue's five hundred Divine Might soldiers, over Wanyan Honglie's three thousand Xiongnu cavalry, and finally landed on the bright silver spear bent into a bow shape.

"That's it?" He curled his lip. "You call that a gun?"

Ye Qingyue's face turned ashen: "Who are you?! How dare you interfere in the affairs of the imperial court's military!"

"Me?"

Li Cunxiao scratched his head.

"I was just passing by. I didn't like seeing so many of you bullying three people."

He paused, then added, "Oh, now there are four."

Yue Xinyang jumped up and down in the distance: "Bullshit! You're clearly Su Chuang's accomplice!"

"Accomplices?" Li Cunxiao's eyes widened. "Say that again?"

He took a step forward.

Just one step.

The ground shook violently, sending dust flying.

Yue Xinyang was so frightened that he shrank back and almost fell off his horse.

Li Cunxiao ignored him and turned to Wanyan Honglie: "Hey you over there in the fur coat, what are you looking at?"

Wanyan Honglie's face was grim.

He had clearly seen that the giant's strike had at least a thousand catties of force!

He knew Ye Qingyue's strength; to be able to knock her weapon away with a single spear thrust, this person's martial prowess...

You probably couldn't find more than a handful on the entire grassland.

"Your Mightiness."

Wanyan Honglie took a deep breath. "This is a matter between our Great Xiongnu and the Great Qian Dynasty. Please..."

"Invite my ass."

Li Cunxiao interrupted him, slamming the giant blade into the ground with a loud crash, creating a crater.

"I'm just asking you, are you going to fight or not?"

He grinned, a smile that exuded a reckless energy, yet his eyes were frighteningly calm.

"If you're not going to fight, then get out of the way. I'm taking my lord with me."

Wanyan Honglie's face turned pale and then red.

beat?

Three thousand against four... oh no, now it's five.

But the sheer size of this giant was more intimidating than a thousand troops.

Do not hit?

The dignified second prince of the Xiongnu was scared off by one person; if word got out, he wouldn't be able to live in the grasslands anymore.

Just as he was hesitating, Li Cunxiao suddenly moved.

They weren't rushing towards Wanyan Honglie, but towards Ye Qingyue!

fast!

As fast as a shadow!

Ye Qingyue didn't even see how he moved; she only felt a tightening around her neck before she was lifted up.

Li Cunxiao lifted her up with one hand, like carrying a chick, and turned to look at Yue Xinyang: "Hey, the one with the scar on her face."

Yue Xinyang shuddered in fright: "W-What are you doing?"

"Is this your boss?" Li Cunxiao waved Ye Qingyue in his hand.

Ye Qingyue was being strangled and could hardly breathe. The silver armor was digging painfully into her. She tried to struggle, but her right arm was completely useless.

"Yes, yes..." Yue Xinyang nodded.

"Alright then."

Li Cunxiao grinned, "Now that your leader is in my hands, if anyone dares to make a move, I'll crush her neck."

He spoke calmly, as if he were talking about what to eat today.

But no one dared to doubt it.

Ye Qingyue's face had begun to turn purple.

"Release, release General Ye!"

Yue Xinyang said urgently.

"Release?" Li Cunxiao raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

He turned to Su Chuang: "My lord, what should we do with this woman?"

Su Chuang was leaning against Xu Mengran, panting. The arrow was still stuck in his thigh, and blood was flowing down his trouser leg.

He looked up at Ye Qingyue and grinned.

"Keep it for now," he said, panting. "It's valuable."

Li Cunxiao nodded: "Okay."

Wanyan Honglie watched from a distance, his mind racing with calculations.

With Ye Qingyue captured, the Shenwei Army hesitated to act, fearing the consequences.

This giant's martial prowess is unfathomable. If we fight head-on, even if we win, most of our three thousand cavalry will be lost.

Moreover... Su Chuang's side also has Zhao Yun and Xu Mengran.

Not to mention there are ambushes on the other side of the narrow pass.

The scouts just reported that the valley entrance is blocked by the Mo Dao Guards, and if they try to force their way in, at least five hundred people will die.

deficit.

That's a huge loss.

He took a deep breath and suddenly smiled: "Duke Su, today's matter is a misunderstanding."

Su Chuang turned to look at him: "A misunderstanding?"

"Yes, it's a misunderstanding."

Wanyan Honglie nodded, "I did not know that Princess Ruxue was coerced. I thought she came to marry willingly."

He said without batting an eye, "Since the princess is unwilling, then this marriage alliance is off."

Lin Ruxue, nestled in Xu Mengran's arms, looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen: "You...you're serious?"

"nature."

Wanyan Honglie laughed.

"Although our Great Xiongnu are located in a wild and uncivilized region, we still understand etiquette. We would never commit forced marriage."

Su Chuang sneered inwardly.

Can't make it?

Why didn't you say that when those fifty bows were pointed at me?

However, he didn't expose it.

Although the situation has turned around, it is not completely safe yet.

"So, Prince Wanyan... is letting us go?" Su Chuang asked.

"Of course." Wanyan Honglie waved his hand. "Make way!"

The Xiongnu cavalry parted to the sides like a tide, making way for a passage.

Li Cunxiao, carrying Ye Qingyue, walked to Su Chuang's side and asked in a low voice, "My lord, shall we go?"

"Let's go." Su Chuang nodded, then added, "But before we leave, we need to collect some interest."

He looked up at Wanyan Honglie and grinned, "Prince Wanyan, look at my injuries... and the money my brothers paid for their hard work..."

Wanyan Honglie's eye twitched: "What does Duke Su want?"

"not much."

Su Chuang counted on his fingers.

"Five thousand bushels of refined rice, one thousand head of cattle and sheep, five hundred warhorses, and one hundred thousand taels of silver."

"Oh, right."

He paused.

"And medicinal herbs, hemostatic, wound-healing, and qi-tonifying herbs, one hundred catties of each."

Wanyan Honglie's face turned green: "Duke Su, what are you doing...?"

"This is money to buy your life."

Su Chuang interrupted him, his smile fading.

"Prince Wanyan, you don't think this is all over tonight, do you?"

He stared at Wanyan Honglie, his eyes icy: "Those fifty bows you used just now almost turned me into a sieve."

"I'm the kind of person who holds grudges."

Wanyan Honglie remained silent.

After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! I'll give it to you!"

"readily."

Su Chuang smiled again.

"Deliver it to Wangbeitai within three days. If a pound of rice is missing, I'll chop off one of Ye Qingyue's fingers."

Ye Qingyue, being held by Li Cunxiao, struggled upon hearing this: "Su Chuang! How dare you!"

"Do you think I dare?"

Su Chuang turned to look at her, grinned, and said, "General Ye, you are a prisoner now, and a prisoner should be aware of his or her duties."

Ye Qingyue was trembling with anger, but Li Cunxiao was still choking her, making it difficult for her to speak.

Yue Xinyang was so anxious he was jumping up and down, but he dared not move.

Li Cunxiao's giant blade was pressed against Ye Qingyue's neck, the blade already cutting through her flesh and drawing blood.

"Let's go." Su Chuang waved his hand.

Li Cunxiao carried Ye Qingyue, Zhao Yun protected her on the left, and Xu Mengran supported Lin Ruxue on the right. The five of them slowly retreated towards the valley entrance.

Shenwei Army wanted to follow, but Yue Xinyang stopped them.

"The general is still in their hands!"

He gritted his teeth, "Let's retreat first! We'll talk again once the general is safe!"

The five hundred Divine Might Army soldiers retreated like a receding tide.

Wanyan Honglie watched as Su Chuang and the others disappeared into the shadows at the valley entrance, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

"prince......"

A centurion leaned over and asked, "Are you just going to let them go like that?"

"Otherwise what?"

Wanyan Honglie said coldly, "You're going to fight that giant?"

The centurion shrank back, not daring to speak.

"Send someone to keep an eye on it."

Wanyan Honglie turned and went back to his tent.

"In addition, send a message to Father Khan, saying that... a formidable man has emerged in the Great Qian Dynasty, and we may have to ask the 'Number One Warrior of the Grasslands' to come out of seclusion."

A narrow sliver of sky.

Yue Fei led three hundred Mo Dao Guards to block the valley entrance, and they had already formed a battle formation.

Seeing Su Chuang and the others come out, he hurriedly went to greet them: "My lord! Are you badly injured?"

"I won't die." Su Chuang waved his hand. "Let's go back to Wangbeitai first."

"That Ye Qingyue..."

Su Chuang turned his head and glanced at the woman being carried by Li Cunxiao, grinning, "Take her back and 'treat' her properly."

Looking at Beitai, Tsuchiya.

Ye Qingyue was thrown onto the earthen bed. Her silver armor was torn, her hair was disheveled, and her face was covered in mud and ash. She looked utterly wretched.

But she continued to struggle, glaring at Su Chuang: "Su Chuang! If you dare touch me, the imperial court will not let you off!"

"The imperial court?" Su Chuang sat opposite him, and Xu Mengran was bandaging the arrow wound on his thigh.

He grimaced in pain, but still retorted, "General Ye, you are a prisoner now, do you understand?"

"I am an official appointed by the imperial court!"

"A fourth-rank general of great prestige!"

Ye Qingyue screamed, "You've detained a high-ranking official of the imperial court! That's a capital offense!"

"capital offense?"

Su Chuang laughed. "Ye Qingyue, have you forgotten who made the first move tonight?"

He paused, his voice turning cold:

"It was you who led five hundred Divine Might soldiers to ambush and kill me in the Xiongnu camp."

"If word gets out, do you think the court will believe you or me?"

Ye Qingyue's face turned pale.

Su Chuang continued:

"Furthermore, Princess Ruxue can testify that you were the one who fired the arrow to kill her first."

"Murdering a princess—that's a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family, isn't it?"

Lin Ruxue, sitting beside her, nodded upon hearing this: "I can testify."

Ye Qingyue's lips trembled, and she couldn't speak.

After bandaging his wound, Su Chuang struggled to his feet, walked to Ye Qingyue, and squatted down.

"Ye Qingyue, let's speak frankly."

He stared into her eyes. "I know perfectly well why you came to Wolf Valley today."

"Isn't their plan to use the Xiongnu to kill me, silence me, and frame me for everything?"

He grinned: "Too bad, you didn't expect I'd have a brother like Li Shisan."

Ye Qingyue gritted her teeth: "What exactly do you want?"

"Simple."

Su Chuang held up two fingers.

"First, compensation. You led troops to surround and kill me tonight, which frightened me. You have to pay for my emotional distress."

"Secondly, I promise. I promise you won't cause me any more trouble."

"Of course, I know you can't guarantee that, so I'll keep some 'evidence'."

He stood up and called out towards the door, "Wenhe!"

Jia Xu walked in silently, holding paper and pen in his hand.

"Have General Ye write a confession."

Su Chuang said.

"Just write that tonight she colluded with the Xiongnu to murder the princess, but I caught her red-handed."

"I voluntarily compensate with 100,000 taels of gold and 5,000 shi of grain to atone for my sins."

Ye Qingyue's eyes widened: "You're dreaming!"

"Not writing?"

Su Chuang raised an eyebrow. "That works too."

"Then I'll strip you naked and tie you up at the gate of Yumen Pass tomorrow."

"Let all the soldiers in the northern frontier see how their General Ye is taken prisoner."