I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

The firelight flickered in the mountain god temple, reflecting on Princess Yuezhuo's determined face and Xiao Jingshi's deep, still eyes.

"it is good."

The moment those words left his lips, Yue Zhuo's face blossomed into a smile, like the most vibrant flower on the grassland. She knew that no man could refuse her offer, especially one as desperate as him.

"A wise choice." She nodded in satisfaction and waved to the guards behind her. "Prepare his horse; we're heading back to camp."

Xiao Jingshi did not resist and silently followed the guards out of the mountain god temple. He glanced back at the steed named "Black Wind," which seemed to sense the atmosphere of parting and snorted uneasily.

"Princess, this horse..." a guard asked.

"Let him ride it himself." Yue Zhuo glanced at Xiao Jingshi, her tone carrying a hint of condescension. "My man, Yue Zhuo's man, should naturally ride the best horse."

The word "man" she uttered felt like a tiny needle pricking Xiao Jingshi's heart. But his face remained expressionless; he simply mounted his horse with swift, decisive movements.

The group once again stepped into the vast night, but this time, Xiao Jingshi was no longer a fugitive on the run, but a "prisoner" with an awkward status.

Back at the Black Wolf tribe's camp, Moonburn gave him no chance to catch his breath.

She led Xiao Jingshi directly to her large tent, where several huge torches had been lit, and dozens of the tribe's most elite warriors stood in formation, each with a scrutinizing and unfriendly gaze on their face.

They had all heard that the princess had personally led a rendezvous with the fleeing man from the Central Plains. How could a man who had caused the princess such humiliation possibly return alive?

"From today onwards, he is no longer a prisoner." Yue Zhuo stood before the crowd, his voice clear and domineering, echoing throughout the small square. "He is my personal bodyguard, my 'Azure Wolf'."

Gray Wolf?

Upon hearing the name, Xiao Jingshi's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. A wolf—cunning, fierce, and adept at lying in wait. This woman certainly knows how to choose names.

"Princess!" From the crowd, a burly man, as imposing as an iron tower, stepped forward. He was Batu, the captain of Yue Zhuo's guards. "We warriors of the Black Wolf tribe never associate with the people of the Central Plains! Especially not with a coward who ran away! To have him as your guard is an insult to us!"

"Yes! Captain Batu is right!"

"Send him back to the Central Plains!"

The crowd erupted in a clamor, filled with hostility.

Yue Zhuo's face darkened. "What? You have a problem with my decision?"

Batu, his neck stiff with refusal to back down, declared, "Princess, your safety is of paramount importance! We do not trust this man from the Central Plains!"

Yue Zhu sneered. She knew that if she didn't win over these unruly guys, this "Azure Wolf" would have a hard time getting anywhere in the tribe.

When she turned to look at Xiao Jing, a hint of provocation flashed in her eyes: "Canglang, they look down on you. Prove to them that you deserve this name, that you deserve to stand beside me."

Xiao Jingshi raised his eyes and calmly swept his gaze over the burly man named Batu.

He knew this was the first hurdle he had to overcome. Only by establishing his authority here could he gain the most basic space to survive and have the opportunity to investigate the information he wanted.

"How can you prove it?" he asked, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"We grassland people believe in the strong," Batu grinned maliciously, clenching his fist, which was as big as a cooking pot, the knuckles cracking. "You, fight me. If you can last ten moves against me, then I'll acknowledge you as worthy to be the princess's guard!"

Ten moves?

The surrounding barbarian warriors burst into laughter. Batu was the strongest warrior in their tribe besides the chief, and he had once fought a fully grown giant bear with his bare hands. Let alone a Central Plains man who looked like a pretty boy, even the other warriors in the tribe could not last ten moves against him.

This wasn't a competition at all; it was a one-sided beating.

Xiao Jingshi remained unmoved. He didn't care about these people's opinions; he only cared about the outcome. He needed an outcome, an outcome that would allow him to gain a foothold here.

He ignored the jeers around him, calmly looking at Yue Zhuo: "Sure. But what if I win?"

"Win?" Batu laughed so hard he almost fell over, as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. "If you can beat me, I, Batu, will lead your horse for you from now on! My life is yours!"

"I have no interest in your life," Xiao Jingshi said calmly, turning his gaze to Yue Zhuo. "If I win, I want my own tent, I want the right to move freely within the camp, I can go anywhere except your main tent."

These were conditions he had already considered. He needed freedom to observe and seek opportunities.

Yuezhuo's eyes lit up. This man always managed to surprise her. He wasn't begging for mercy; he was negotiating.

"Fine! I promise you!" she announced loudly. "Batu, if you lose, you'd better remember what you said today!"

Batu's face turned a deep purplish-red; he felt humiliated by this man from the Central Plains.

"Alright! Kid, you asked for this! Today I'll show you what the power of the grasslands is!"

He roared, ripped off his leather armor, revealing a bronze-colored, muscular upper body, and charged at Xiao Jingshi like an enraged bull!