Within the three great commanderies of Zhuang Guo, both Hualin and Daishan shared borders with the realm of Mo.

The Xuanjia warriors of Nine Rivers, having withdrawn from the Zhuang-Mo frontline, would, by all reason, find it more convenient to return directly to Daishan via the overland route.

However, Zhuang Ting was currently undertaking a military reorganization. All armies rotating from the front lines were required to complete their regrouping and redeployment in Hualin.

Thus, Du Yehu and his comrades were necessitated to first retreat to Hualin, then proceed to Qinghe, and follow the Qing River westward back to the Nine Rivers city domain in Daishan.

The Nine Rivers Xuanjia had undergone an expansion this year, growing from a thousand strong to three thousand. Originally, beneath the main general, there were only four vice-generals, each commanding two hundred soldiers.

Now, an additional vice-general position had been created, and the number of soldiers under each vice-general had been directly increased to five hundred.

To the surprise of many, the Nine Rivers Xuanjia’s main general, Duan Li, defied popular opinion by appointing Du Yehu, who possessed only a cultivation at the peak of the Soaring Dragon realm, as the fifth vice-general of the Nine Rivers Xuanjia.

One must understand, the vice-generals of the Nine Rivers Xuanjia had always held cultivation in the Inner Mansion realm as a baseline. Sent forth, they could directly assume the role of a city lord. With such a foundation of strength, Nine Rivers City was even subtly referred to as a county within a county, once holding the reputation of being the fourth county of Zhuang Guo.

And now, with the number of soldiers under their command doubled, and their actual power expanded, the sudden ascent of a Soaring Dragon realm cultivator like Du Yehu inevitably sparked discontent in some hearts.

But once the army was deployed to the battlefield, all fell silent.

Du Yehu might not have been the strongest vice-general of the Nine Rivers Xuanjia, but he was undoubtedly the most desperate, the most fearless of death. He simply treated the battlefield as his own home, living on the frontline without descending, charging first in every battle. Naturally, he also reaped the most war merits.

In the army, things were simple: if you could fight and win battles, if you could take heads, everyone would submit to you. Everything else was empty talk.

Jiang Wang was unaware of Du Yehu’s current circumstances. He had never inquired about Du Yehu, for he had long decided to bear everything alone, and inquiry itself was a form of tracing.

He had no intention of informing Du Yehu of the truth.

With Du Yehu’s personality, if he were to learn the truth of the Fenglin city domain, he would fundamentally disregard the disparity in strength and the consequences, and would undoubtedly rush to Xin’an City at the first opportunity – that would be a sure path to death.

And Jiang Wang was absolutely unwilling for that scene to unfold. Enough people had already perished in the Fenglin city domain; Du Yehu had to live, no matter how painful his life might be, he had to live.

He now… simply wished to see Du Yehu with his own eyes. To see how this anxious, impulsive old Tiger brother was living.

Having visited the old domain of Fenglin and seen the familiar lands, he yearned even more for the old friends.

Jiang Wang boarded a passenger ship, traveling westward along the Qing River via the waterway.

As he truly sailed on the Qing River, he increasingly sensed the difference in Zhuang Guo’s current state.

Previously, it would have been impossible for so many ships to traverse the waters of the Qing River. Occasionally, one might see patrolling soldiers of the Water Mansion, who were very polite to passing merchants.

In the past, this eight-hundred-li stretch of the Qing River was essentially the private domain of the Qing River Water Mansion. Exchanges between the human and water races were scarce. Barriers and contradictions existed, but both sides basically acknowledged the foundational alliance and treated each other as allies.

This current appearance… he knew not if it was good or bad.

Yet…

Jiang Wang inexplicably recalled the young woman named Bei whom he had once saved on the banks of the Qing River. If… if there were still those within Zhuang Ting secretly abducting water race individuals and extracting their Dao veins, what would be the attitude of the Qing River Water Mansion now?

Could the lord of the eight-hundred-li Qing River, Song Hengjiang, still slap Ji Xingsi Sishou in the face? Could he still firmly say “no” to Zhuang Gaoxian?

And likewise on the banks of the Qing River, he had risked his life at the hands of Ji Xuan, the Ji Xingsi Sishou of Qinghe Commandery, to save Bai Lian. That woman… was she still in the White Bone Sect, or was she brewing some other conspiracy?

Jiang Wang shifted his thoughts, again recalling Jiang An’an’s playmate, the little braided girl named Song Qingzhi, and that “Old Gui.”

At that time, he had urgently sought help for Fenglin City, yet had been simply refused.

Did the Qing River Water Mansion refuse to support Fenglin City because of existing contradictions with Zhuang Ting at the time, or because they had, from the beginning, seen through Zhuang Gaoxian’s intentions?

At that time, he had angrily declared that if the water race did not help the human race, the human race would always help the human race. Subsequently, he had learned the news of Sanshan City’s sealed gates.

At that time, he had felt that Zhuang Ting seemed to have been universally abandoned, but after nearly a year’s return, the entirety of Zhuang Guo was unprecedentedly stable.

Look at the scene before him of harmonious coexistence between the water and human races.

Were people’s hearts so easily deceived? Did no one care what the powerful truly did?

Or was it that the so-called truth could forever only be held in the hands of true power?

Jiang Wang had experienced much, but the more he experienced, the more he failed to understand this world.

He entered Daishan Commandery very low-key.

Upon arriving at the Nine Rivers city domain, it became almost impossible to sneak in.

Because the entire Nine Rivers city domain was Zhuang Guo’s largest den of ferocious beasts.

The Nine Rivers Xuanjia fought here every day, and thus maintained a strong fighting force even in times of peace when war had not erupted.

Besides ferocious beasts, there were only the soldiers of the Nine Rivers Xuanjia here. There were fundamentally no outsiders.

Jiang Wang could only sneak in.

The strongest person in the entire Nine Rivers Xuanjia was undoubtedly the main general, Duan Li, a peak Outer Tower realm cultivator.

Jiang Wang had heard of his illustrious and fearsome reputation back when he was still in the Path of Achievement Courtyard.

From the scattered war records, it was clear that Duan Li was absolutely more powerful than Hai Zongming, and should be on the same level as a strong individual from the Underworld’s Ten Palaces, like Yan Luo.

Although Jiang Wang had personally slain Hai Zongming and seized his Captive Dragon Rope, he was very clear that his own strength was fundamentally incomparable to Hai Zongming’s. His ability to kill him was purely a result of deliberate calculation against an unsuspecting opponent, sufficient preparation, and various restraints.

Against Duan Li, there would be absolutely no opportunity.

Therefore, here, he needed to be extra cautious.

The Nine Rivers city domain, as the largest city domain in Daishan Commandery and the largest den of ferocious beasts, once subtly held the title of the fourth county of Zhuang Guo. After Jiang Wang sneaked in, he discovered that the defenses were indeed first-class stringent.

The entire Nine Rivers city domain was a massive military camp.

For safety, Jiang Wang simply gave up his amateur sneaking skills and directly donned his concealing clothes, walking for a while, stopping for a while.

After entering the Nine Rivers Xuanjia’s encampment, the sky had already darkened.

This was better; darkness meant everyone had to remain in the camp.

When Du Yehu had initially sent people back to Fenglin City to boast, he had bragged about being a Xiao Wei.

Later, he was revealed by Zhao Rucheng to be only a Dui Zheng.

Based on Jiang Wang’s understanding of Du Yehu, he followed the path of the ancient military family’s Qi and Blood Rushing Meridians. This Dao path was perilous, yet very powerful. It was a rare cultivation method that was not heavily dependent on resources.

Du Yehu’s current strength should be between the Sky Accessing realm and the Soaring Dragon realm. His corresponding duty should be that of a Xiao Wei or a Fu Jiang.

Thus, Jiang Wang specifically sought out the tents of those Fu Jiang and Xiao Wei.

But he found one by one, only to be disappointed each time. He searched for half the night, yet still did not see Du Yehu’s figure.

He began to feel some anxiety.

Was Old Man Du not in the Nine Rivers Xuanjia anymore? Or… had something happened?

Just at this moment, he heard a voice—

“Zhao Erting, come over! General Du is looking for you!”

Jiang Wang’s spirit lifted; he remembered this name.

Under Du Yehu, there was a young soldier named Zhao Erting. He had once delivered a message for Du Yehu to Fenglin City and was somewhat honest and simple.

He should know where Du Yehu was now.

Thinking this, Jiang Wang followed the sound and moved closer.