Chen Ji and the archer gazed at each other across the distance, an invisible thread seeming to connect their mutual killing intent.

The archer stood on the rooftop, solemn and cold.

He drew another arrow from his quiver, strung it, and pulled the bow to full draw!

A whistling arrow flew over a hundred paces, its sound shrill and piercing.

On the long street, two armored cavalrymen of the Heavenly Policy Army, guided by the whistling arrow, galloped towards Chen Ji, dragging iron chains to ensnare him. Their hooves kicked up yellow dust, and their armor clanked loudly.

When the chains reached him, Chen Ji did not dodge. He gripped them with both hands and pulled with all his might, forcefully dragging the two heavily armored cavalrymen from their horses. The warhorses, now riderless, galloped away.

The two cavalrymen, unfazed after being pulled from their horses, immediately released the chains. In a single fluid motion, they drew their waist knives, sprang to their feet, and attacked Chen Ji from left and right.

The battle-hardened veterans of the Heavenly Policy Army feared no death; wherever a whistling arrow landed, death followed without exception.

Chen Ji flicked his wrist, and the ends of the iron chains in his hands struck both Heavenly Policy Army helmets simultaneously, like venomous snakes with eyes. The iron helmets dented inwards, and the two cavalrymen were knocked to the ground, unable to rise.

Seeing the cavalry’s encirclement fail, the archer immediately fired an iron-tipped arrow. Its timing was cunning, striking precisely when Chen Ji had yet to recover his strength.

Chen Ji watched as the iron-tipped arrow rapidly approached, preparing to cleave it with his sword seed. However, a flash of blade appeared from the corner of the wall; Wuyun, hidden from the archer’s sight, sliced the iron-tipped arrow down.

Wuyun meowed, “The Jing Dynasty archer is quite troublesome. Should I sneak over and kill him?”

Chen Ji whispered, “Don’t go, it’s too far!”

Wuyun replied with a soft “Oh.”

At this moment, the archer decisively switched to three whistling arrows and fired them all towards their location.

A sharp whistling sound filled the air, and the hundred-plus cavalrymen who had been slaughtering the city nearby soberly halted, silently watching the three whistling arrows arc across the sky.

The next moment, all hundred-plus cavalrymen simultaneously reined in their horses, turning them towards where the whistling arrows had fallen.

Hearing the rumbling hooves, Chen Ji immediately swung his iron chain, throwing it around the neck of a warhorse galloping away. The chain looped around the horse, and Chen Ji held on, letting it drag him northward.

As he passed a corner, he bent down, scooped up Wuyun, and tucked him into his embrace.

Chen Ji pulled hard on the iron chain with both hands, launching himself into the air and landing lightly on the warhorse’s back.

The warhorse, realizing it wasn’t its master, shook its body restlessly. But Chen Ji simply pressed his hand onto its spine, and the molten energy within his markings instantly surged, causing the warhorse beneath him to tremble and calm down, obedient to his command.

Chen Ji leaned low, riding his horse. Along the way, he circled through alley after alley, witnessing the widespread warfare and suffering in Guyuan City.

The common people, driven by the flames and thick smoke, instinctively fled from danger, stampeding northward.

Cries.

Shouts.

“Run, don’t worry about your belongings!”

“Father! Mother!”

“Where are you?!”

Chen Ji silently watched this living hell, momentarily lost in a daze.

Wuyun, nestled in his arms, suddenly said, “Cat slaves don’t kill cat slaves. Even if they’re angry, a good beating is enough to let off steam.”

Chen Ji softly said, “Wuyun, humans are the cruelest animals in this world.”

Wuyun looked up at him, “Should we save people?”

Chen Ji was silent for a long time. “We can only save ourselves right now.”

At Dragon Gate Inn, the Crown Prince, Li Xuan, and Qi Zhenzhuo stood together in the Heaven-ranked room on the third floor, silent.

The Crown Prince stood by the window, gazing into the distance. He saw a man, holding a child in his left arm and his wife’s hand in his right, running frantically, only to be overtaken and stabbed to death by the Heavenly Policy Army cavalry.

His wife fell to the ground and, in a panic, scrambled forward a few steps on all fours, shielding her fallen child beneath her. The Heavenly Policy Army cavalry rode over her back, trampling her and the child in her arms to death.

On the street, several men with knives glared with rage. Seeing that the Heavenly Policy Army spared no children, they cursed and charged forward with their blades. But before they could engage the cavalry, an iron-tipped arrow shot from a distance, piercing two men with a single shaft, their blood splattering on the spot.

Ruined walls, rivers of blood.

A few streets away, the border army, hastily re-donning their rattan armor, erected barricades along the Duohun Street and Qiemo Street line, establishing a defense to shore up the heavily damaged Guyuan.

However, this defensive line held for only the time it takes an incense stick to burn, before being breached by the Heavenly Policy Army.

The armored border soldiers could only fight and retreat, then in the rear, in Xumei Lane, they hastily pulled tables, chairs, and benches from civilian homes to block the road, impeding the Jing Dynasty cavalry’s advance.

But this was only temporary; it was only a matter of time before the Jing Dynasty slaughtered the entire city.

Li Xuan said gravely, “I’m afraid Mister Liao hasn’t even reached Xianyang Prefecture yet. It’s too late.”

The Crown Prince suddenly sighed, “Being the Crown Prince of this vast Ning Dynasty is the most difficult role. A son who isn’t quite a son, a father who isn’t quite a father. One cannot perform too well, nor too poorly; even in dreams, I ponder how to maintain this delicate balance… Perhaps death is a release.”

Li Xuan’s expression changed. “Your Highness, mind your words!”

The Crown Prince smiled. “Why be so cautious when death is imminent? It’s just a pity. After hundreds of years of war between our two dynasties, I had hoped to negotiate peace, to establish Guyuan as a border market, and to secure a moment of respite for the people of Ning. But I can no longer do that.”

Li Xuan hesitated for a moment. “If you were to leave through the secret passage, there might still be hope.”

The Crown Prince shook his head. “There’s no need to persuade me, Sir Li. If I weren’t the Crown Prince, I might have left long ago. But I am, and I cannot leave. I can employ tactics in other matters, but the integrity of the Ning Dynasty cannot be broken by me.”

Li Xuan cupped his fists. “Your Highness, I request permission to lead the Imperial Forest Army to block the Heavenly Policy Army in Xumei Lane!”

The Crown Prince turned his head and looked at him silently, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Li Xuan was startled. “Your Highness…”

Qi Zhenzhuo grabbed Li Xuan, anxiously saying, “Brother-in-law, these four hundred-plus Imperial Forest soldiers cannot stop the Heavenly Policy Army. Look at the city gate; more cavalry are pouring in. Before, it was just the vanguard, but now the main force of the central army has arrived. The Imperial Forest Army would be like trying to put out a blazing carriage with a cup of water!”

Li Xuan waved his arm, shaking off Qi Zhenzhuo, and said grimly, “My Li family has served the Myriad Ages Army for generations, risking our lives. How could there be a coward among us? As the commander of the Imperial Forest Army, how could I stand by and watch the common people be slaughtered? Guyuan has fallen; everyone will die. I, Li Xuan, choose to die on the battlefield!”

Qi Zhenzhuo hastily said, “Brother-in-law, you are of the Imperial Forest Army; your duty is to protect His Highness!”

Li Xuan looked at the Crown Prince. “Your Highness, you once said that one’s life may be lost, but one’s integrity must never be compromised.”

The Crown Prince said gently, “Since Sir Li has the ambition to die on the frontier, his body wrapped in horsehide, how can I not fulfill it? Go, kill as many as you can.”

Li Xuan was moved. An ordinary official or noble would have panicked long ago, but he had never seen the Crown Prince panic; he seemed to have long ago disregarded his own life. “Your Highness…”

The Crown Prince smiled. “Go.”

Li Xuan knelt on one knee after a long silence. “Your Highness, take care!”

With that, he rose and walked out.

Qi Zhenzhuo grabbed Li Xuan again, lowering his voice. “Brother-in-law, what will happen to me if you leave? When we left the capital, you promised my sister you’d keep me safe!”

Li Xuan grabbed his collar and growled, “Stop your damn whining! Normally, I humor you out of respect for the Qi family, but now, at a critical moment of life and death, I don’t have time for you. You keep talking about competing with Chen Ji, about charging into battle to kill enemies? Are you worthy?!”

Qi Zhenzhuo froze, as Li Xuan had never spoken such harsh words to him. “Brother-in-law, you…”

Li Xuan said with a sneer, “My Li family earned its reputation through battle. If it weren’t for your Qi family’s relentless pressure, why would I have joined the Imperial Forest Army to play games with you? Remember this: in your next life, be a good-for-nothing playboy!”

With that, he pushed Qi Zhenzhuo aside and, with a hand on the long sword at his waist, walked downstairs. “Imperial Forest Army, where are you?”

The Imperial Forest Army downstairs responded in unison, “Here!”

“Those with courage, follow me to fight the enemy!”

The Imperial Forest Army left dozens of men to guard the inn, while the rest filed out of the inn’s main entrance and rode towards Xumei Lane to provide reinforcement.

Qi Zhenzhuo stood motionless in the room, taking a long time to recover his senses.

The Crown Prince patted his shoulder. “It’s time to wake up.”

At this moment, Chen Ji was riding his horse into Kuqa Street. Seeing Li Xuan leading hundreds of Imperial Forest Army soldiers out, he immediately reined in his horse and asked, “Sir Li, where are you going?”

Li Xuan cupped his fists. “It is my duty as a general to lead troops to fight the enemy. Right Commander, His Highness is still in the inn; I entrust his safety to you.”

Chen Ji was puzzled. “Sir Li, you…”

Li Xuan patted the long sword at his waist. “After more than a decade of living under others’ roofs, today I live for myself for one day!”

Chen Ji watched Li Xuan lead the Imperial Forest Army out of Kuqa Street, then dismounted and hurried to the third floor of the inn.

He pushed open the door, raised his Whale Blade, and urgently told Zhang Xia, “You all leave through the secret passage behind the counter. That secret passage should be real!”

With that, he went to the next room.

Qi Zhenzhuo, seeing him rush in frantically, immediately asked in confusion, “You… you’re insane!”

Qi Zhenzhuo watched with wide eyes as Chen Ji approached the Crown Prince, delivered a single chop with his hand to knock the Crown Prince unconscious, and then hoisted him onto his shoulder to leave. He quickly stepped forward to block him.

But Chen Ji kicked him in the hip, sending him sprawling to the ground. “If you want to live, come with me.”

The group hurried downstairs. As they passed the second floor, Chen Ji rushed into the Earth-ranked room, grabbed Chen Wenzong, and pulled him along, leaving Chen Liqin, Madame Liang, and Wang Gui looking bewildered.

Chen Liqin angrily asked, “Chen Ji, what are you doing? Put the Crown Prince down!”

Chen Ji paid him no mind.

Chen Wenzong tried to break free from Chen Ji’s grip but couldn’t. “Where are we going? Father and Mother are still in the room!”

Chen Ji silently descended the stairs, but he suddenly stopped halfway down, his gaze fixed on the inn’s main hall.

Everyone followed his gaze and saw the wooden panel behind the counter being lifted from underneath. Immediately after, black-armored Heavenly Policy Army soldiers burst out from within!

“Capture the Ning Dynasty Crown Prince alive!”

It’s over.