"Even if you kill me, so what? I outnumber you, and none of you will escape."

“If I really kill you, the tribe will be leaderless. Barbarians cannot be without a ruler.” An Shangning said coldly.

As soon as she finished speaking, countless guards suddenly emerged from the shadows, hostilely surrounding the people behind Mingemu.

And those were all An Shangning's people.

An Shangning was slightly taken aback upon seeing this, quite surprised, "You..."

She came to save Zhidamu, but this was her own business. She wouldn't implicate the people her father had left her, because she didn't know if what she was doing was right or wrong.

But……

An Shangning looked around.

Where is Shang Yu?

"Fourth Miss, it was Ninth Miss who sent us. She lost a bet with Miss Lingqin."

"You lost the bet?"

In such a serious and perilous moment, An Shangning was somewhat dazed, but now was not the time to think about such things.

In the blink of an eye, with An Shangning's help and the assistance of her people, Zhuidamu has turned adversity into prosperity.

However, if we continue fighting, even if we win, we certainly won't gain anything.

After all, the barbarians are now bloodthirsty.

All around was a scene of devastation. Although thousands of people held long swords and had grim expressions, it suddenly became so quiet that you could clearly hear a few drops of blood falling in the wind.

Zhuidamu is considering it.

Mingemu was also weighing the options.

It seems like it could explode at any moment.

...

In the mountains and forests, a chill permeated the air, and the wind seemed to penetrate everywhere.

"Cough cough..."

Xie Lingqin coughed a few times, covering her mouth, looking at the chessboard in front of her, and then at An Shangyu, whose brows were furrowed in worry.

"You lost again."

Xie Lingqin said.

"I know." An Shangyu is ten years old, but only a few months have passed. The whole family has changed, and he has been traveling with An Shangning all the way. He has seen too much bloodshed. The entanglement between his brows has long been etched with the marks of time and experience. His clear eyes are filled with a faint sorrow.

“I know.” An Shangyu looked at the chessboard in front of him and silently raised his hand to make a move.

It seems we've fallen even deeper into a dead end.

Xie Lingqin didn't speak, but looked at An Shangyu with a very calm expression, "I can give you a chance to back out."

Upon hearing this, An Shangyu slowly raised her head and looked at Xie Lingqin with some disbelief. Her eyes darted around, and there was a hint of unease in her delicate features. "I understand. You saw through what I was thinking and deliberately made a bet with me. If I lose, these people will follow Fourth Sister to help Zhuidamu. If I win, they will obey my orders and not leave this place."

Xie Lingqin pursed her lips and nodded slightly. "That's right."

"you……"

An Shangyu said two words and then awkwardly stopped.

"You wanted to help, but you were torn about whether it was the right thing to do or not. I just gave you a choice. Of course, you also wanted to lose, didn't you?"

An Shangyu lowered her head slightly, her hair disheveled by the wind, but she remained silent, clearly acquiescing.

Xie Lingqin raised her hand to smooth her hair and said, "You are the ninth legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Anping's mansion. When you speak, those people will listen to you. Now I'm giving you a chance to back out. Choose quickly, there's still time."

An Shangyu looked up at Xie Lingqin.

Is there enough time?!

Yes, all she has to do now is speed up, run over there, and give the order, and those people will come back. She can also bring her fourth sister back and let the barbarians fight each other to the death.

But……

“I know that Prince Zhidamu could have killed me, or he could have kept a closer watch on me. He deliberately let me go.”

After a short while, An Shangning said, pursing her lips in refusal, and suddenly raised her hand and pushed the chessboard away, "See? It's all messed up now, and there's no going back."

“You are more decisive than An Shangning.”

Xie Lingqin exhaled and coughed heavily a few times. The sound of her coughing made even a stranger feel a pang of sympathy for her.

“You weren’t like this before.” An Shangning looked at Xie Lingqin with her clear eyes, then suddenly raised her hand and patted Xie Lingqin’s back.

What I used to be like.

Xie Lingqin suddenly smiled.

Her starry eyes seemed to carry a chill in the cold wind, and her smile was devoid of warmth.

An Shangning was half a head shorter than Xie Lingqin. He looked away and gazed at the foot of the mountain. Through the dense forest, he could still see flickering flames, and he could almost imagine what a fierce battle had taken place there.

"You used to be very timid and dared not offend anyone. Later, you became very powerful and no one dared to offend you. You were confident and radiant. Even though my fourth sister and I were far away on the border, we could hear your reputation and know how much women in the world envied you and how well you and the Crown Prince were matched."

"Then what?"

Xie Lingqin found that thinking of the Crown Prince no longer hurt as much. Her heart seemed to have become numb and without feeling. She squinted and looked into the distance, then took a deep breath, as if the world was still vast and she was still alive.

"Now, you are so cold, without feelings or emotions. When you speak, I feel your breath is icy cold. Just standing next to you makes me feel cold."

An Shangyu spoke frankly, and after a moment, seeing that Xie Lingqin remained silent, he looked into the distance and asked, "Who do you think will win?"

"Let's call it a draw."

...

"Let's call it a draw."

At this moment, in the silence of the main camp of the barbarians, An Shangning spoke.

As he spoke, the dagger pressed down slightly against Mingemu's neck, and a thin line of blood suddenly appeared.

A draw?

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