Inside the inn, the morning light shone through the window lattice, casting faint rays onto the dusty tabletop.

The group sat around, silently munching on the hard jerky with just water.

Even though they are all highly skilled individuals, there are many talented and extraordinary people in the world, so it's always better to be cautious.

"Junior Sister," Jiang Wuyai swallowed the dry, hard jerky in his mouth and couldn't help but speak.

"Aren't you at all worried that the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang might suddenly turn against us and try to scheme against us?"

Qin Zhaoyue didn't even raise her eyes, her voice flat:

"Mobilize thousands of troops to form a charging and attacking force."

"Can't you sense the soaring aura of war and the thunderous roar of galloping hooves?"

Jiang Wuyai was taken aback. "Uh... of course not."

"Now that you've sensed it, with your and my abilities, can't outrun those galloping horses?"

Jiang Wuyai was speechless for a moment, and said no more. He understood.

Even a powerful second-grade Grandmaster, if truly caught in the midst of a massive army prepared for battle and fighting to the death, and constantly bombarded by the concentrated, fierce aura of war, could indeed find himself mired in trouble.

If the other side is truly willing to fight to the death at any cost, theoretically, we can wear them down until they are exhausted.

But it's just theory.

In reality, they have no reason to fight to the death, nor any need to engage in a deadly struggle.

If you see that the situation is really bad, you should just run away. How can thousands of troops stop a second-grade cultivator who is determined to leave?

...

Meanwhile, inside the rebels' main tent.

"General." The guard's voice, tinged with barely perceptible urgency, roused the general from his slumber on the bed.

His name was Gao Huan, a deputy general under the Southern General. He was ordered to lead 15,000 White Tiger Army soldiers to garrison this place.

"What time is it?" Gao Huan's voice was hoarse from just waking up.

"Just past the hour of Yin."

When Gao Huan woke up, his brows furrowed involuntarily. Being woken up at this hour was no ordinary occurrence.

"What is it?"

"The four heads of the four great families, along with the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang, are all waiting at the Yunlai Inn in Furong Town."

He said there was an extremely urgent matter that required immediate consultation with the general.

Gao Huan's brows furrowed even deeper, and his sleepiness was instantly dispelled.

"It didn't specify what it was about?"

"He didn't say it outright, but judging from his expression, it must be something urgent."

It must be an urgent matter, otherwise why would it be at this hour, with the four family heads and the Holy Maiden personally arriving together?

Gao Huan suppressed the growing unease in his heart and asked again in a deep voice:

"Are there any unusual troop movements in the other two major camps?"

"No large-scale troop movements were observed."

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan felt somewhat relieved.

Indeed, we are all in the same boat now, and if one of us suffers, we all suffer. He must be overthinking it.

He quickly found a reasonable explanation for himself:

The founding of the nation was originally scheduled to be announced today at the Baiyue Protectorate. Could it be that the plan has changed and the ceremony has been moved to the front lines?

This is indeed a good way to boost morale and strengthen military prestige, after all, there have been many rumors circulating in the army recently, and people's hearts are unsettled.

Thinking deeper, could it be that they wanted to take advantage of the momentum of the founding of the nation to march north with their army?

This is a double-edged sword.

The autumn harvest taxes have not yet been fully deposited into the imperial treasury. Advancing at this time may allow us to seize the initiative and gain considerable advantages.

However, this also means a sharp increase in logistical pressure, and the consequences of any setback would be unimaginable.

Without further hesitation, he quickly washed up and put on his heavy armor.

Out of caution, he gathered two hundred personal guards, mounted his horse, and headed straight for Furong Town.

Yunlai Inn is the largest in Furong Town, and it has long been requisitioned.

When Gao Huan arrived, he found a few soldiers scattered around outside the inn.

The clothing varied, coming from both aristocratic families and the southern border regions.

The number was small, less than a hundred in total, which was less than the number of his personal guards.

He felt a little more at ease, dismounted, and selected two personal guard captains whose cultivation had reached the fourth rank to follow him as he strode into the inn.

The inn's lobby was empty, except for two tables in the center occupied by people.

One table was occupied by the four heads of the four great families, while the other table was occupied by the five tribal leaders of Southern Xinjiang and the Holy Maiden Ayado.

The two sides were clearly divided, creating a subtle atmosphere.

Gao Huan clasped his hands in a fist and was about to speak when he said, "Everyone..."

Before the greeting could be finished, something unexpected happened!

As if by prior arrangement, the five leaders of the Southern Frontier at the table on the left suddenly launched an attack.

His figure moved like lightning, rushing straight at Gao Huan and his personal guards!

In the blink of an eye, Gao Huan only had time to retreat hastily, filled with shock and anger:

"What are you doing!?"

The two fourth-rank guards behind him didn't even have time to draw their swords before they were swiftly subdued by the leaders, headed by Yan Meng.

At the same time, dark green mist emanated from Ayado's body.

It quickly enveloped the area in front of the inn, completely isolating all sounds and movements inside.

Gao Huan himself was only at the fourth-grade level, and with Ayaduo, a third-grade saintess, suppressing him, he couldn't cause any trouble at all.

In just a few breaths, he was firmly restrained and unable to move.

"Ayado! Are you from Southern Xinjiang going to break the alliance and betray the Allied Forces?!"

He shouted his questions, but no one answered.

When he caught a glimpse of the four great families sitting at the next table, seemingly oblivious to the sudden turn of events, a jumble of chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind.

Could it be that the aristocratic families are secretly colluding with the tribes of the Southern Frontier to kick the White Tiger Army out of the game? How could that be!

Although he only brought 15,000 troops to this location, the main force of the White Tiger Army was located at the southern border camp. How dare they do this?

Just then, the door to the top room in the center of the second floor of the inn creaked open.

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