"It's easy to make people misunderstand."

Yang Xian laughed. He didn't try to correct Wei Liuying as he continued to lead the journey with normal pace. The weather that day was quite nice. Even though they still have a lot of things to do, there was no need for him to hurry so much.

The soldiers were following behind them towards Dong Shan City. The journey alone would take several days because of the distance, so they knew that they would have to spend their time in this area for now.

Time passed swiftly.

"The air is tense."

The sudden statement paused Wei Liuying's movement. She looked at Yang Xian with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about?"

Yang Xian didn't reply. They have been walking for a day by now and had been quite a distance away from the capital city. However, there was a faint unease within his heart that he couldn't shake. After thinking about what those tribes might do, his mind was filled with countless conjectures.

His eyes were looking to the west. Some of the tribes that the Tu Advisor mentioned were not staying at the northeast. Instead, they were from northwest.

As for how they managed to contact each other…

Yang Xian truly didn't know.

But with the tribes usually living nomadic lives, it was no that weird that they would be moving from one place to another. During that time, they might meet others from other tribes that originally located far away from them.

"Yang Xian?"

"There's smoke."

Turning her head to the west, Wei Liuying could see the smoke that Yang Xian mentioned from a distance. Her eyes widened when she saw the color of the smoke. Unlike usual smoke that was usually grey to black, the smoke looked like glaring fire with its fiery red color.

"That's…"

"This is bad. Men, we need to head to the West towards An You City!" Yang Xian shouted. He controlled his horse and began to pace it.

Wei Liuying swiftly followed behind Yang Xian. While she didn't understand how to make that red smoke or what it implied, she knew that it must have been something serious. Thinking about the tribes that came to Han Shi Kingdom's territory, Wei Liuying's eyes grew cold.

"Is that distress signal?" Wei Liuying asked while pacing her horse as fast as possible. The pressure coming from the soldiers behind her made her felt as if she had returned back to the battlefield. At this point, there was not even an option to stop because those at the front might even get trampled by those behind them.

Of course, these elite soldiers would not make such mistake. Only those who came to the battlefield for the first time would ever make a mistake like that.

"Yes." Yang Xian's face was solemn. "It's Yan."

Shi Yan?!

The thought that something might happen to her friend caused Wei Liuying's heart to drop. She didn't want it to happen at all. Clenching her grip on the reins, Wei Liuying focused her attention to the front. She had to focus now!

The terrain in this area was mostly filled with forest. While there were several hills and some other types of places that they have to pass, there were still the crudely made road for them to pass. Still, the thought that these terrains would hinder their path frustrated Wei Liuying greatly.

"We'll make it," Yang Xian muttered. His tone made it uncertain whether he was convincing himself or was certain about it or was just trying to reassure Wei Liuying beside him. After all, the distance towards An You City was quite far.

They would take at least half an incense stick of time if their path was not hindered and during that period of time, anything could happen.

"Yes."

Wei Liuying's eyes scanned her surroundings carefully. They were charging to this area without prior scouting and so on. There might be traps lying down around, waiting for them to fall for it.

"Watch out!"

The two shouted at the same time, urging the soldiers to form defensive formation. Several men appeared from behind the bushes.

Clang!

Using her sword to block the attack, Wei Liuying pulled the rein and switched the horse's direction for a moment. Afterwards, she swung her sword and killed the person who attacked her.

Thud!

The soldiers were also facing several other men who ambushed them. From their clothing, Wei Liuying could guess that they were local gangs who used to be refugee from flood. They changed jobs because there was nothing else that they had.

'This is bad.'

"Maintain formation!" Yang Xian shouted. "Heavy infantry….shit."

The heavy infantry was lagging behind because Yang Xian was leading them at such speed. In this situation, only the cavalry soldiers were present while the infantry was lagging behind and couldn't catch up at all.

In the first place, they didn't have that many soldiers coming with them because they had to return back to the north in order to protect the border. They couldn't possibly leave behind so many.

Who would have thought that Yang Xian had to go towards An You City before returning back?

Clang!

"Captain Hu and Captain Tang stay here with me along with their soldiers while the rest follow Strategist Yang to An You City!" Wei Liuying gave her order.

"You're not in the right position to lead!" Yang Xian protested. Wei Liuying's wounds were mostly healed, but she was still not allowed to fight yet if it was unnecessary.

Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian. "Go."

"But you…"

"If something happens to Shi Yan because you're delayed here, I won't be able to forgive myself for not being able to do anything," Wei Liuying said coldly.

Yang Xian narrowed his eyes. He was still worried about Wei Liuying's condition, but he knew that they couldn't waste any time. Turning his body around, Yang Xian's eyes focused on the direction of An You City. There was a faint glint as if he wished that he could tear off that city in this very moment.

"Don't die."