Isolated town in northern border region

Tie Muyun squatted on a rock on the opposite side of the cliff, watching the torches flickering in the distant mountains and forests.

Peng Xuan's men were still searching, and torches moved slowly along the ridgeline.

Xiao Lie leaned against the stone wall next to her, breathing lightly, his gaze fixed on the firelight.

"Iron Girl".

He spoke.

"Can you still run?"

Tie Muyun turned to look at him.

"What does Your Highness wish to say?"

Xiao Lie did not answer, but took out the token of the Northern Frontier King from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Put this token on Peng Xuan's likely path, and leave a few footprints leading towards the cave."

Tie Muyun took it and glanced down at the token engraved with "King of the Northern Frontier".

"Your Highness, is this a case of using one tiger to devour another?"

"But didn't you say that Mo Shu had already pledged allegiance to the Chu Emperor?"

"Why would they fight?"

"Mo Shu and the Chu Emperor joined forces because of me."

Xiao Lie looked at her.

"But the Emperor of Chu would never allow anyone who knew he had murdered his brother to seize the throne to live!"

"Therefore, the order given to Peng Xuan by the Chu Emperor was absolutely to kill him without mercy."

"Go ahead, I'll be waiting for you at the cave entrance with Bisu."

Tie Muyun gripped the token, stood up, and without asking any further questions, turned around and ran back the way he came.

After Tie Muyun left, Xiao Lie used all his strength to support himself against the stone wall and stood up, waving to Bi Su.

"Girl, come here."

Bisu ran over and supported his arm.

"Your Highness, slow down, let me help you!"

Xiao Lie gestured with his chin toward the cave entrance.

"Let's go, you'll have to dig a hole for me later."

Bisu helped him walk back step by step.

"It's not hard work! Back in Qingzhou, I learned how to bury pots from Brother Leduo, so I can dig really fast!"

Bisu walked quickly, her hands firmly supporting Xiao Lie's arms. Despite being a girl from a modest family, she managed to support Xiao Lie, a man nearly eight feet tall.

The entrance to the cave was pitch black; Tie Muyun had left no torches behind when he left.

Bisu helped Xiao Lieshen stumble around the cave entrance, searching for a hiding place.

Finally, a natural cavity was discovered above the cave entrance, allowing direct access into the cave.

Xiao Lie leaned back there.

"That's it! Pile up all the scorched earth around here, and it'll be enough to hide three people."

Bisu was stunned for a moment.

"Isn't it too dangerous that it's right above the cave?"

Xiao Lie pointed to the moss under his feet.

"It's alright, Peng Xuan doesn't have that kind of brain."

"When a normal person discovers a cave, they will only focus on the inside of the cave; who would care about what's above their head?"

Bisu nodded, and she piled up all the loose soil around her, gradually covering the hole tightly.

Xiao Lie used the stone wall to move into the pit and lay down.

Bisu covered the loose soil back up, making sure it was completely covered, leaving only a thin gap for him to breathe.

After she finished doing all this, she curled up into a small ball and lay down next to Xiao Lie.

Just then, footsteps could be heard from below.

Tie Muyun is back.

She ran into the cave entrance with great speed, glancing back at her as she went.

Bisu sat up.

"Iron Girl, come on up quickly!"

Tie Muyun followed the sound out of the cave and saw Bisu's dirty little face.

"Hide quickly! They're coming soon!"

Without saying much, she turned and ran to the edge of the underground river, pushing the small boat into the water.

The small boat slid silently into the depths of the underground river. Tie Muyun withdrew from the cave entrance, climbed to the top, and huddled together with Bisu.

Footsteps sounded outside the cave entrance.

When Peng Xuan led his soldiers into the cave, the torches illuminated the entire cave.

Someone shouted.

"There's water here!"

Torches gathered by the underground river, and some people squatted down to examine the ground.

"There are drag marks! A boat has been launched!"

Peng Xuan walked over quickly, squatted down to touch the drag mark, and then stood up.

"They escaped down the underground river! Search! Search along the riverbank!"

Tie Muyun huddled in the shadows, holding his breath.

Peng Xuan's men did not head towards the stone wall; their attention was entirely drawn to the underground river.

Just as Peng Xuan was about to order a pursuit, an even more intense splashing sound came from the other entrance of the cave.

Torches poured in from another direction.

Mo Shu arrived with the Panlong Guard soldiers.

The soldiers had empty eyes and mechanical movements. They stood silently in formation behind Mo Shu, like a group of puppets being led by strings.

Peng Xuan saw Mo Shu and immediately drew his sword.

"Panlong Guards! Take them down!"

Mo Shu reached out her hand.

"Wait! Governor Peng, I have already reached an agreement with His Majesty..."

Peng Xuan sneered.

"His Majesty has ordered that any member of the Panlong Guard be killed on sight! What 'cooperation' do you have to offer?"

Mo Shu frowned.

"I already know Xiao Lie's whereabouts—"

Peng Xuan no longer believes it.

His command was just one word—kill!

He pointed his knife forward.

"Kill them!"

The two groups clashed in the cave, the sounds of their weapons clashing echoing through the cave.

Under the cover of several trusted confidants, Mo Shu retreated to the edge of the underground river.

"Get on board!"

He jumped onto the small boat that Tie Muyun had just pushed back to the shore, untied the rope, and paddled out along the underground river.

When Peng Xuan reached the water's edge, the boat was already far away. He stamped his foot in frustration.

"Chase them! They're down the mountain cutting down trees to build boats!"

The captains accepted the order and left.

Just as chaos erupted at the cave entrance, Tie Muyun silently rose from the shadows.

As she crouched down and dug through the scorched earth, Xiao Lie opened his eyes.

"Don't miss this opportunity, hurry up!"

Tie Muyun helped him up, and Bisu also knelt down. The two of them supported Xiao Lie on either side and slid over the stone wall.

No one noticed that a hole had suddenly appeared in the rock wall above them.

After leaving the cave, Tie Muyun leaned Xiao Lie against a rock and whispered something.

"A group of Peng Xuan's men are preparing to go down the mountain to cut down trees."

"This subordinate will intercept them!"

Xiao Lie looked at her.

"There are at least a dozen of them, and they're making too much noise. Go find the wounded soldiers."

"No one will suspect anything if wounded soldiers don't return to camp in a short period of time."

Tie Muyun gripped the short knife tightly.

"This subordinate obeys!"

"Bisu, take good care of the Prince!"

Without waiting for Bisu's reply, she had already followed the ridgeline.

Half an incense stick later, a series of short shouts and the sound of clashing swords came from the foot of the mountain.

Tie Muyun dragged three sets of military uniforms back with him.

She tossed the clothes in her hand to Bisu.

"Change into it right away!"

Bisu hurriedly put on the military uniform, and then helped Xiao Lie put on another one.

Xiao Lie leaned against a rock, unable to fasten the brass buttons on his front. Tie Muyun squatted down and quickly fastened them for him, then grabbed a handful of ash from the ground and smeared it on his face.

"Don't look up, walk slowly."

The three of them walked back along the foot of the mountain.

Xiao Lie lowered his head and walked slowly, like an ordinary wounded soldier, but when he reached out and touched his belt, he shuddered.

Bisu asked hurriedly.

"Your Highness, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Xiao Lie shook his head.

"It's alright, hurry up. The uniform that Iron Girl snatched must belong to a junior officer who was transporting wounded soldiers."

"These captains are going back to camp for roll call. It probably won't be long before Peng Xuan finds out."

Tie Muyun frowned.

"Your Highness and Miss Bisu, please proceed first. This humble general will hold off the pursuers here!"

Xiao Lie took a few breaths and pointed at Tie Muyun.

"With your personality, you have to sit at the same table as Luo Daniu even when you're eating!"

"What are you blocking? Nobody's even noticed yet! Are we just waiting to die if we don't run?"

Tie Muyun and Bisu supported him on either side, desperately quickening their pace.

As they walked through a scorched forest, a low, urgent horn sounded from the mountain.

Then someone shouted.

"Someone ambushed our men down the mountain! Their clothes were stripped off! There must be a spy who slipped out!"

Footsteps rushed down the hillside like a rolling stone, rapidly approaching their direction.

Tie Muyun cursed under his breath.

"Damn it!"

"Your Highness! You..."

Just as Tie Muyun was about to act recklessly, Xiao Lie immediately stopped him.

"Stop talking nonsense! Let's go!"

Tie Muyun said "Oh," then put one of Xiao Lie's arms on his shoulder and practically dragged him forward.

Bisu gritted her teeth and followed behind.

Ahead lay a wide-open valley, devoid of trees, rocks, and any place to hide.

The footsteps grew closer, and the torchlight flickered on the hillside behind them.

Tie Muyun felt her throat tighten. She didn't say anything, but simply pulled Xiao Lie closer to her shoulder and took even faster steps.

Just then, a shout came from the haystack ahead.

"Is it Your Highness?"

The voice was hoarse and hurried, carrying a sense of excited urgency.

Tie Muyun suddenly looked up.

At the foot of the mountain stood a dozen or so figures of varying heights and builds. Some held machetes, some carried iron bars, and some were empty-handed but had a row of throwing knives clipped to their belts.

The leader was a dark-faced man with a short knife at his waist.

Xiao Lie recognized that face...

A knife in the waves, a horse of high value!

The people around him were probably friends from the martial arts world whom he had gathered using Xu De's pawns.

Ma Gui rushed over, glanced at Xiao Lie's ashen face, and then turned to shout behind him.

"It's the Prince! Quickly!"

A dozen people swarmed around him. Some supported Xiao Lie, some reached out to help Tie Muyun, and some pulled Bi Su behind them.

Ma Gui squatted down, threw Xiao Lie onto his back, stood up, and ran down the mountain. The rest of the people immediately scattered and disappeared into the forest in a few moments.

Tie Muyun ran behind them, panting, while Bi Su was even more breathless.

Xiao Lie felt nauseous from being jolted by Ma Gui.

"How did you find this place?"

Ma Gui answered as he ran.

"A few days ago, Doctor Xu asked a friend in the northern frontier to pass on a message that the prince is still in Langgu Mountain."

"Dr. Xu told us to keep an eye on the hills around here."

"Peng Xuan and a group of people made a huge commotion earlier, and they were even shouting about building a ship. We thought something had happened, so when we came over, we saw you guys."

He ran a few steps and added another sentence.

"Doctor Xu said that if we find the prince, we should send him back to the northern frontier first, and we can deal with the rest later."

…………

Da Chu, Kyoto.

Emperor Chu sat in his study, and after reading the secret letter from Mo Shu, he slammed his seven-year-old purple clay teapot to the ground, scattering shards of porcelain everywhere.

He stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, his boots making a soft, clattering sound as they stepped over the broken porcelain.

live!

Xiao Lie is still alive!

Poisoned, surrounded by the new army, and burned down Langgu Mountain...

Ke Moshu said he was still alive!

Is he really that hard to kill?!

The Emperor of Chu suddenly stopped and waved to the eunuch.

"deliver an imperial order."

The eunuch got up.

"Have the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince seen that fake Xiao Lie in the Northern Frontier?"

The eunuch answered.

"Your Majesty, the two princes have repeatedly expressed their intention to visit, but have all politely declined."

The Chu Emperor nodded.

"A polite refusal? Hmph!"

"I will issue the decree myself; let's see how he refuses!"

"Draft an imperial edict! Order the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince to meet with the King of the Northern Frontier on behalf of the Emperor."

He paused.

"Tell them! It must be done in full public view!"

"We must expose the fake Xiao Lie's identity in front of everyone!"

The eunuch carefully withdrew.

The Chu Emperor did not turn around. He stood there looking out the window at the darkening sky to the north, his voice so soft it was as if he were talking to himself.

"If it weren't you sitting in the main hall of the Northern Frontier, I could rightfully avenge my good nephew!"

………………

At the foot of Wolf-Looking Mountain, Xiao Lie lay on Ma Gui's back, his internal organs churning from the jolting.

He hadn't been this disheveled in a long time.

Ma Gui ran for a while and then stopped to catch his breath under a big tree.

"Your Highness, follow the road on the left ahead, head north, take the official road back to the Northern Frontier, and you'll arrive in five days."

"Your Highness, rest assured, I, Ma Gui, keep my word and will ensure your safe arrival in the Northern Frontier!"

Xiao Lie leaned against the tree trunk and remained silent for a moment.

"I'm not going back to northern Xinjiang!"

"Go to Bingzhou City and find Du Ming!"

Ma Gui hesitated for a moment: "Your Highness, wouldn't it be safer to return to the Northern Frontier? The Northern Frontier is your territory..."

Xiao Lie shook his head.

"It's too late! If my good uncle finds out that the one in the Northern Frontier is an imposter, he'll definitely use this as an excuse to make trouble!"

He paused for a moment.

"If we go back now, either I will be used as a substitute, or our brothers in the Northern Frontier will be seen as traitors who murdered the prince!"

"Moreover, I even lost the token of the Northern Frontier King on the mountain just now."

"However, I still need to trouble Brother Ma to pass on a message, asking Xu De to come to Bingzhou as soon as possible to treat me."

Ma Gui nodded, whistled, and several martial arts practitioners gathered around.

"Brothers, who's the fastest runner? Go to the northern frontier and deliver a message to Doctor Xu!"

At this moment, a thin, short man patted his chest and responded.

"Me? I, Liu Yun, am known as the 'Thousand-Mile Grasshopper,' who else could compare to me?"

"Okay! I'll leave it to you, bro!"

After making the arrangements, Ma Gui bent down and carried Xiao Lie on his back again.

"Your Highness, let's change our route to Bingzhou!"

Tie Muyun stood up and followed behind him. After a few steps, he suddenly quickened his pace and walked to Xiao Lie's side.

"Your Highness, I have a request."

As she spoke, she knelt down on one knee.

"The brothers of the Panlong Guard are still under Mo Shu's control... The poison from the Soldier's Powder has not been cured, so they will be puppets for life."

"And my godfather... I'm afraid he's probably..."

Her voice began to tremble.

"This humble general knows that I am not qualified to ask Your Highness for forgiveness regarding the debts of Qingzhou."

"But those brothers in the Panlong Guard... they did nothing wrong, they were just deceived by Mo Shu!"

"Your Highness, I beg you, if there is a way to save them, I am willing to give my life to pay the debt for the people of Qingzhou and atone for the sins of the Panlong Guard."

Xiao Lie didn't even have the strength to turn his head, so he could only lie on Ma Gui's back and answer softly.

"Rest assured, my change of route to Bingzhou this time is solely for the purpose of rescuing people!"