Relic nodded kindly to the group, then chuckled and said, "Hehe~ No need for such formalities! I wonder how you've been settling in with my army these past few days?"

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Relic. We are all well!"

The middle-aged man at the head of the group looked flattered and quickly said respectfully.

The middle-aged man was named Han Qing. He was a powerful figure in Xuzhou. Because he had evaded taxes, Zhang Jian confiscated his property and exiled his entire family to Youzhou, where they were incorporated into a suicide squad.

Therefore, it can be said that he hated Zhang Jian and the Han Dynasty to the core.

Being in the suicide squad usually meant certain death, but he didn't want to die, so he secretly plotted how to escape and survive. During this time, Han Qing also constantly recruited other members of the suicide squad, secretly forming a small organization.

Little did he know that his actions, which he thought were very discreet, had already been seen by Lu Zhi, Huangfu Song, and others.

When Li Ru was first brought to the suicide squad, Han Qing noticed this taciturn young man with a sinister gaze. He noticed that when Li Ru looked south, a hint of hatred always flashed in his eyes.

After a long period of observation and investigation, Han Qing finally learned that Li Ru had been framed by powerful families in order to deal with the emperor, which led to his disgrace.

In order to balance the power of the various factions, the emperor had no choice but to sacrifice him as a pawn.

After confirming several times that Li Ru was alright, Han Qing took the opportunity to bring Li Ru into his team.

Soon after, Han Qing and his men joined Huangfu Song's troops to support the Southern Wuhuan.

They were sent to the battlefield as a reserve for the second suicide squad to fight against the Northern Wuhuan people. When they saw that none of the first five hundred suicide squad members had survived, their determination to escape was further strengthened.

During a small-scale conflict, Han Qing and others mutinied and helped the Northern Wuhuan people win. As a result, Han Qing and Li Ru were taken to the Northern Wuhuan camp.