"Marshal, we're running low on supplies. We can only last three more days at most," the centurion of the cooks reported to Xiao Lanyi.

A month has passed since the last grain delivery. The Xiongnu and the Xiongnu are exhausted. Recently, not only have they not launched any attacks, but the Xiongnu have also been quietly guarding the outer perimeter of the border.

With their supplies running low, Xiao Lanyi had Huo Xiaocheng set off a red firework, signaling that a decision needed to be made within Pingyang County.

This dragging on isn't a solution; if it continues, they'll only suffer losses themselves. The southwestern garrison won't arrive for another month, so they can't afford to wait that long.

Xiao Lanyi didn't believe his men could go a month without food or water. The water supply had been cut off, and now these tens of thousands of Xiongnu were divided into two groups: one group was blocking the border between Pingyang and the garrison, and the other group was blocking the water source, trying to drag him to his death.

After a month of traveling through wind and rain, the members of Zhanchenlou arrived at the entrance of Pingyang County and were astonished to see so many people.

Zhang Bifeng, the son of the leader of the alliance, had been waiting on the mountain for seven or eight days, just waiting for the supplies to arrive before sending a message inside.

"Oh, so the Zhanchen Tower is joining in the fun too?"

"Yes, we're just bored and happy to come and die. We'll focus on surviving, that'll do for you."

Liu Xiaohua's mouth was sharp and unforgiving. Zhang Bifeng waved his hand at them, signaling them not to fight amongst themselves, and then he spoke.

"We've almost all arrived. Almost all the sects and factions that are close to the border city are here. Without further ado, here's the gist: with the country destroyed and families ruined, let's put aside our grudges and feuds. This may be the last time we see each other, everyone."

Everyone knew that their few thousand men were not enough to fight, yet not a single one of them carried any belongings.

Fortunately, the mountains are large enough that we usually cook at the innermost part of the area, so the smoke isn't very noticeable.

Everyone here is skilled in martial arts. Some of them haven't left the tree for the past few days except to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. When asked, they say they don't like to talk to people.

So when a man speaks, he has to cup his hands towards the sky, which means, "Hey, you in the trees, did you hear me?"

"What should we do now? Send a message to the city?"

“We’ve tried it before. Carrier pigeons don’t work; they get shot down before they even reach the city. The Xiongnu also have skilled archers,” Zhang Bifeng said.

"Of course, they grew up on horseback, so their riding and archery skills are much better than ours."

"Tianyang, did you bring your potatoes?" Liu Xiaohua asked the boy next to her.

The boy was a little reluctant to let his playmate go on an adventure, but he nodded anyway.

"They're here."

"Where should we put it?"

A whistle rang out, and a large, all-black bird swooped down from the sky and landed on Jiang Tianyang's arm.

"Give me the letter," Liu Xiaohua said, holding out her hand.

The little boy stroked Potato's head and said...

"You need to fly high, fly the highest, and then go down to find the token in the building, understand?"

"Alright, Potato won't die. He's the most cunning one. Let him go again tonight. With his lustful nature, anyone who can watch him in the middle of the night must have eyes that can see a thousand miles," Jiang Tianxin coaxed her younger brother from the side.

The members of Zhanchenlou found a secluded spot to rest and recuperate. The long march was exhausting, and they didn't know when war would break out, so they decided to take it easy and rest for as long as possible.

Shi Liu was fast asleep when the window frame creaked. The seasoned assassin's alertness made him pull a dagger from under his pillow and get up to approach the window. The moment he opened the window, a falcon stretched its right leg out in front of him.

This smell is definitely from inside the building. No wonder they were able to find me. All the tokens on Zhanchen Tower's people were empty, but they had been filled with a subtle fragrance.

The man opened the bamboo tube, read it quickly in three lines, and went straight to find Huo Xiaolong.

The dark room was lit by candlelight, casting shadows on the surrounding rosewood furniture. The turquoise bed curtains were lifted, and the woman with phoenix eyes sat up, her beautiful hair cascading down her back.

"Mom, the reinforcements from outside the city have arrived. Xiao Lanyi is still waiting for our reply. I don't want to wait any longer," the girl said, standing in Cen Ang's room in her undergarments.

Cen Ang wanted to wait a little longer; more people meant more safety. Perhaps it was because of his age that he was somewhat afraid of dying.

She looked at her daughter, who had once clung to her and cried "Mom," now taller than herself. The woman stood up and stroked her hair.

“My son, if you want to do it, then do it. Mom will always support your choice.”

Hearing the woman's agreement, the girl smiled. This move was very risky, so risky that if she wasn't careful, she could take everyone in the brothel with her to their deaths, since these people would definitely be going to the battlefield with her.

But her mother still believed her.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Everyone has their own destiny," Cen Ang said.

Whether others understand or not, she knows very well that without Long'er, Pingyang County might not have been able to be defended back then, and without Long'er, she might already be a skeleton.

Having lived this long, isn't that enough?

“If we can get through this hurdle, Mom, I’ll take you back to Beijing and invite Aunt Lan back to witness your wedding with Uncle Zhao.”

The woman's eyes were red and brimming with tears. She had just casually said something back then, but she never expected that the child would remember it so vividly.

She nodded, and choked out a sentence.

"good."

The girl then went outside and lit the fireworks.

"I can give you the treasure map, but there are conditions," Da Ni'er said, sitting in front of the Xiongnu dressed as a Central Plains person, tilting her chin up.

"Please speak, Fifth Princess," the man said respectfully, pushing a cup of tea towards her.

The dark-skinned girl glanced at the steaming, murky green tea in front of her without touching it, and said calmly...

"I'm taking my family with me; we'll be leaving the day after tomorrow."

"Yes, as you wish."

"Meet me at the city gate at noon the day after tomorrow. I want everything you need. I don't want you to be like that other person, calling me princess but doing things that are disrespectful to me."

The girl stood up and looked down at the man sitting on the kang. Only then did the man realize that the Fifth Princess had not changed at all. She was still the same person who could casually decide the life and death of others on the grassland.

A person's nature is their nature, and no matter how well they try to disguise it, it will never change.

The man smiled, stood up as well, then knelt down with his right hand placed in front of his chest.

"I would give my life for the princess; I welcome her home."

As the girl walked out, the man asked again.

"Has the princess seen the man from before? I wonder what he is like now..."

Da Ni'er turned around and smiled, then tapped the curved sword at her waist.