A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

The morning after the great victory at Yangguan, Huo Qingluan and Liu Jingshuang were taking stock of the battlefield.

"There's a strange body here."

Shang Wanqing squatted in front of the Black Flag Army's central command tent, using an iron hook in her hand to pry open a collapsed piece of felt.

Huo Qingluan had just returned from the battlefield, still wearing her armor, when she heard these words and stopped in her tracks.

"Who?"

She walked over.

Shang Wanqing did not answer immediately, but instead completely lifted the felt cloth.

A person was lying inside the tent.

A golden crown, a black cloak, and crooked shoulder armor; a deep scratch on his left shoulder, a mark left by a heavy crossbow bolt. Huo Qingluan recognized that mark.

That day, three ballistae on the city wall fired simultaneously, and the third arrow grazed the man's shoulder armor.

The person riding the white camel.

The lieutenant took a breath.

"It's him?"

Liu Jingshuang also came in, her body still covered in blood.

She glanced at the corpse on the ground, then her gaze fell on the chest.

A short knife was stuck there.

The handle of the knife faces outwards and penetrates deeply into the flesh.

He wasn't hacked to death by random blows, nor was he trampled to death in the chaos of battle.

He put the knife in there himself.

Huo Qingluan stared at the knife for a long time.

She would rather this person die in the chaos of war.

If you die in the chaos of battle, your fate is simple.

The enemy general was killed, the Black Flag Army suffered a great defeat, and Xinwu defended Yangguan Pass.

But he committed suicide in his tent, and even then, he wore his golden crown properly.

This is not the way a defeated commander should die.

This is a message left behind.

"Is there anything else in the tent?"

Shang Wanqing has already started flipping through it.

She rummaged through things more skillfully than any veteran officer in the army.

She neatly arranged the scabbard, the bronze plaque, the leather bag, and the broken string.

Finally, she pulled a roll of sheepskin from the leather bag on the right side of the body.

"There are words."

Huo Qingluan reached out and took it.

The writing on the sheepskin was unfinished; the edges were stained with blood, and the characters were crooked.

The person writing the letter was probably already at their limit, as they were writing each line very slowly.

Liu Jingshuang stood next to her.

They watched it together.

"If Fang Zhaoru sees this letter—"

Huo Qingluan frowned as soon as she read the first sentence.

The text below is even more messy.

"The map of mountains and rivers need not be returned, but please tell future generations: This map is the route of our ancestors' westward migration. Our White Wolf tribe has been searching for it for three hundred years, only wanting to find the way home."

No one spoke inside the tent.

Outside, some people were moving corpses, some were counting camels, and some were cursing the Black Flag Army for taking up space even though they were dead.

But with these few lines of text in front of her, Huo Qingluan suddenly felt that the sheepskin in her hand was very heavy.

It's not because of guilt.

There aren't many clean tents on the battlefield.

The Black Flag Army killed the caravan, sent their heads to the gates of Yangguan, and still had 30,000 men pressing the pass.

She shot them, and she didn't regret it at all.

But she also had to admit it.

This matter was dirtier and more painful than she had imagined.

They fought for seven days and so many people died, only to find that what they were fighting for was not a divine artifact that could command the world.

It is a road map.

A map showing the way home they had been searching for for three hundred years.

"There's more to come."

Liu Jingshuang spoke.

Huo Qingluan lowered her head and continued reading.

Only two lines remained on the sheepskin, the ink so crooked it was almost illegible.

"My brother hates me deeply."

"If I die, I will surely destroy Yangguan Pass."

Shang Wanqing raised her head.

"younger brother?"

"Bai Tu Kui".

Liu Jingshuang's voice was very low.

She had heard the name mentioned in Nie Yinniang's urgent report.

Fang Zhaoru once said that Bai Tulie was willing to reason, while Bai Tukui only recognized the sword.

The one who was trying to reason with me is dead.

The remaining one will only see Yangguan as the door of an enemy.

Huo Qingluan closed the sheepskin and pressed her finger along the edge.

"They fought for seven days, and more than 20,000 people died, all in an effort to find a map to go home."

She felt a lump in her throat as soon as she said those words.

It's not soft.

It's annoying.

This is so annoying.

If the enemy is only coming to steal food and women, she won't even flinch when she kills them.

If the other side is just trying to test Xinwu, she can peel back their layers one by one.

But now, she knows why the other person came.

I also learned why they wouldn't back down.

"Golden Crown Man knew his brother would come for revenge, but he couldn't stop him."

"Gather the wounded soldiers."

Huo Qingluan turned and walked out.

"Those who can walk should be organized into groups first, and those who cannot walk should be registered. The Black Flag Army's water bags, dry rations, and arrows should all be moved back to Yangguan. Camels that can be led should be led, and those that cannot be led should be killed for meat."

The lieutenant followed behind.

"General, what about the Black Flag Army prisoners?"

Huo Qingluan stopped in her tracks.

"How many are still alive?"

"More than three hundred."

"Separate switches."

Huo Qingluan said, "Find out Bai Tukui's troop strength, the allied forces' flags, and the route to the ancient city. If you can't find out, don't give him water yet."

The lieutenant's throat moved.

"Yes."

Liu Jingshuang followed.

"You want to extract Bai Tu Kui from the prisoners?"

"We have to dig, whether we want to or not."

Huo Qingluan looked northwest.

"He could arrive as early as tomorrow. We don't know how many men he'll bring, which route he'll take, or who in the Allied forces is on whose side."

As she said this, a smirk appeared on her lips.

"This battle was really satisfying. The enemy kept emerging layer by layer, like digging a rotten well, the more you dig, the worse it gets."

Liu Jingshuang glanced at her.

"You didn't use such offensive language before."

"The enemy wasn't this troublesome before."

Huo Qingluan answered quickly.

Liu Jingshuang didn't say anything more.

The two stood side by side at the edge of the camp.

The garrison at Yangguan is cleaning up the battlefield.

Some dragged their comrades out of the pile of corpses, some piled up the Black Flag Army's scimitars, and some sat on the ground, drinking water and falling asleep halfway through.

Huo Qingluan looked at these people, and her heart sank deeper and deeper.

This great victory was won at the cost of lives.

The garrison at Yangguan had been worn down to its limit, and the 20,000 cavalrymen brought by Liu Jingshuang had also been running too fast, resulting in a significant loss of horsepower.

It's not that we can't fight another match if we force it now.

It will look terrible.

But Bai Tu Kui wouldn't give them time to tend horses, repair arrows, or sleep.

He will only come.

They carried hatred, carried knives, and carried the tribal soldiers who had been hanging on the "road home" for three hundred years.

That night, at Yangguan City Tower.

Huo Qingluan unfolded the sheepskin letter again and read it over and over again.

She's not soft-hearted.

She just wanted to memorize every single word.

This letter could very well change Wei Zhao's assessment of the Western Regions.

The new warriors will not only be fighting invading enemies, but may also be fighting a tribe bound by the old dreams of the White Wolf tribe.

Killing can solve some of the problems.

But the obsession that has lasted for three hundred years cannot be eradicated.

But right now, killing is the only way to prevent Yangguan from being breached.

That's fucking ridiculous.

Huo Qingluan rolled up the sheepskin, put it into the wooden box, placed the golden crown on top, and pushed it to Liu Jingshuang.

"Take the wounded soldiers and this letter back to the capital first thing tomorrow morning."

Liu Jingshuang looked up.

Huo Qingluan did not look at her.

"I'll fight the allied forces when they arrive. Some of the cavalry you brought can be saved, but the wounded also need escort. This letter must be delivered to Wei Zhao; it cannot be lost."

Liu Jingshuang did not accept the wooden box.

"I came here to fight."

Huo Qingluan looked up.

Liu Jingshuang looked at her, her face expressionless.

"Tomorrow you'll lead and I'll support. After we finish the fight, we'll go back together."

Huo Qingluan stared at her for a moment.

She wanted to persuade him.

But the words stuck in his throat.