Mingemu squinted. Tonight was such a good opportunity, and he was confident of victory. How could he be willing to give up?

However, he had already suffered heavy casualties, and if the fight continued, he would not gain much advantage.

“Yes, it’s a draw. You step back, and we’ll step back too. When the lord wakes up, we’ll ask him to be fair,” An Shangning said again.

"But if we retreat tonight, won't Zydam take advantage of our unpreparedness and launch a counterattack?"

"You seem to be the lord's son as well, yet you lack so much confidence in yourself?"

An Shangning said this with a hint of sarcasm, effectively trampling on a man's self-esteem.

"Bang--"

Across from him, Zhuidamu suddenly dropped his knife, pushed aside the people in front of him, stepped forward, looked at Mingemu, and said in a firm voice, "I agree. Of course, if you want to fight again, I will certainly oblige."

That hawk-like, cold gaze, piercing through the air, had always been a source of fear for Mingemu.

Weighing the pros and cons, even a fool could tell what the odds of winning were at this point.

silence!

Then, Mingemu, unwilling yet forced to compromise, raised his hand and said, "Retreat."

Only after Mingemu's men retreated several hundred meters did An Shangning flick his wrist, sheath his dagger, and make a move to stand up and dodge away.

However, it happened very quickly.

A flash of ferocity crossed Mingemu's eyes as he raised his hand and delivered a heavy blow to An Shangning's back.

"flutter--"

The bloodline in the air was blocked.

Zhuidamu took An Shangning from his arms and hugged her.

Meanwhile, Mingmu and his men had already retreated hundreds of meters. "Saya, you hurt me, I hurt you, it's fair."

"Fourth Miss..."

"Don't pursue a desperate enemy."

Someone was about to pursue them, but An Shangning stopped them.

Zhuidamu glanced around coldly, then gave a series of orders before carrying An Shangning into a nearby tent. He placed her on the bed and made a move to undress her.

"what you do?"

An Shangning swiftly pressed the dagger in his hand against Zhuidamu's chest.

His face was covered in blood, but he just looked at her intently. "I'll treat your wounds. Mingemu is a despicable person. What if he's poisoned?"

An Shangning pushed Zhuidamu away, "There's no poison, I can feel it. I just suffered internal injuries. Don't touch me."

Zhuidamu's hand froze in mid-air, his face darkening. "You came to save me, but you won't let me touch you."

"I saved you only because you didn't go against your conscience and harm Xiaoyu. Besides, if Mingemu becomes the lord, it won't benefit me either, but it has nothing to do with you touching me."

"But I need to see how badly you're injured."

"Need not."

An Shangning's face turned cold. "Don't touch me with those hands of yours that have been with countless women."

An Shangning forcefully brushed it away, then sat down to regulate his breathing.

Zhuidamu didn't leave; he just stood there watching An Shangning.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Don't we have to clean up the mess outside?"

An Shangning opened his eyes again and stared at Zhuidamu.

Zhuidamu was already tall and muscular; standing there, his deep, sharp eyes flickered, "You..."

"What?" Zhuidamu didn't finish his sentence, and then strode out.

An Shangning breathed a sigh of relief before beginning to regulate her breathing.

An hour later, An Shangning withdrew his hand, breathed a sigh of relief, summoned his guards, and understood the so-called bet.

Zhuidamu was indeed a capable person. In just one hour, he had cleaned the area spotless, and even the smell of blood in the air seemed to have been completely eliminated.

It was as if the previous massacre had never happened at all.

The corpse of the affinity tree was also covered up.

Of course, the lord has not yet woken up.

At this moment, the lord's tent was in the center, with Zhuidamu and Mingemu each holding one side, their black cloths protecting the lord's safety.

Therefore, the situation is still at a critical juncture.

...

The night was deep and the wind was cold.

At this very moment, within the territory of the barbarians, in a simple farmhouse, the lights are dim, and a figure stands out.

"Your Highness, the barbarians have been temporarily pacified."

"And her?"

Yuwen Yao looked at Tingfeng.

Tingfeng knew who the Crown Prince was referring to, and respectfully reported with his head bowed, "I didn't see Miss Lingqin, but judging from the situation, it must have been with her help that the barbarians were able to be pacified."

"Is there any news that her health is improving?"

"Your Highness, it seems that the medicine you secretly gave Miss Lingqin in the Western Xia palace that day was not very effective. She is still coughing badly afterward."

Yuwen Yao remained silent; in the dim lamplight, his jade-like face was lifeless.

Tingfeng looked at the Crown Prince and felt a pang of heartache.

The young master, who was always very particular about cleanliness, had been traveling for days without complaint, and the corners of his robes were already covered in dust, yet he was unaware of it.

“Then she really should return to Southern Qi as soon as possible.” After a long while, Yuwen Yao let out a soft sigh of relief, paused, and then said, “Let’s go.”

"But, Your Highness, the Emperor's intention is for you to subdue the barbarians, otherwise you..."

Tingfeng couldn't continue speaking, and her head drooped lower and lower.

"It's alright. If he wants to live, he has no choice but to endure it."

"However, Prince Yi and Lord Qi are about to arrive at the border. What if Lord Qi tries to obstruct them..."

"Isn't there still Duanmu Rong?" Yuwen Yao's eyes darkened, filled with a layer of coldness. "For so many years, he has always been one step behind me. If there is such a good opportunity for him to know my whereabouts and routes, how could he possibly let it go..."

"Your Highness, are you trying to use yourself as bait to indirectly hinder Lord Qi's progress?" Hearing this, he became anxious.

Yuwen Yao looked at him, but his voice suddenly turned deep, "By the way, Li Qingyu can also die."

Tingfeng was startled, yet also somewhat pleased. "Miss Li is despicable and shameless. That night at the inn, although you did it to prevent Lord Qi from discovering Miss Lingqin and Young Master Xu's whereabouts, you still managed to save her from Lord Qi's bullying. Not only was she ungrateful, but she also stayed in your room all night while you were meditating, causing misunderstandings. And to make matters worse... the Fifth Princess told Miss Lingqin about it."

Yuwen Yao put his hands behind his back, closed his eyes, slightly bent his fingertips, and then relaxed them after a moment. "It's okay, she shouldn't have loved me in the first place."