The siege began at nightfall and continued until dawn, with both sides fighting fiercely.
The shouts of battle, the sound of war drums, and the clanging of metal mingled together, creating a deafening roar.
Finally, as the sun rose in the east, Jiang Wenyu abandoned the siege and led his army in a slow retreat.
The ground outside Tianyang Pass was littered with corpses, and the blood-stained battlefield looked particularly desolate in the morning light.
Hidden in the woods, Chen Zhennan and Song Yunyang witnessed the entire night's siege and defense of Yunzhou City. The brutality of the battle had taken away the smiles from their faces.
"Yunyang, we should set off now. Your brother and Dong Ning are in charge here, so there should be no worries."
Song Yunyang nodded, but was still somewhat worried: "Wouldn't it be too dangerous for us 60,000 people to hide in the mountains?"
Chen Zhennan reassured him, "Don't worry, the terrain there is treacherous and close to the Great Zhou territory, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Nothing will happen."
...
At noon, the two arrived in Qingzhou, the second closest city to the border within the Great Wall.
Chen Zhennan remained calm, reached into his sleeve, took something out, and covered his face with it.
"A mask? I didn't know you had one. When I rescued you and took you to Da Yan, I checked your entire body."
Chen Zhennan stopped abruptly and turned to look at Song Yunyang with a somewhat malicious expression.
"You checked my whole body? How's my physique?"
Song Yunyang was taken aback, then put on a sullen expression, her cheeks visibly turning red.
"You're so irresponsible. Let's get down to business. Why do you insist on going to Qingzhou City? If we continue on our way, we can escape Song Xuan's army before dark."
Chen Zhennan adjusted his mask and pointed to his face.
"So, can you still tell?"
Song Yunyang shook her head slightly: "I can't tell. What an amazing mask, it fits perfectly. How did you make it?"
"Made of human skin."
"Human skin?"
Song Yunyang was full of surprise. Although she was a veteran of many battles, the thought of a human skin mask still terrified her.
"What's so strange about that? Let's go into town and head to the Datong Escort Agency."
With that, the two mounted their horses and easily passed through the city's defenses, entering the city smoothly.
Although Qingzhou City is not far from Tianyang Pass, they are completely different places.
The streets were bustling with noise, the cries of vendors filled the air, and many had set up stalls to do business, making it incredibly lively.
"So all the people of Tianyang Pass have come here. No wonder you were able to turn Tianyang Pass into a ghost town."
Chen Zhennan smiled faintly and explained in a low voice, "I'm worried that Tianyang Pass will become a meat grinder. How could I let the people there be plunged into the flames of war? Besides, I paid for it."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the city center, where the signboard of Datong Escort Agency came into view.
Two guards stood in front of the security agency, dressed in black robes and riding breeches, with leggings and wrist guards, and long swords hanging from their belts—typical attire for security guards.
The two dismounted and led their horses to the entrance of the security company.
"Please stop here, gentlemen. Our escort agency has stopped providing bodyguard services. If you wish to have bodyguards, please go to another escort agency."
Chen Zhennan drew a dagger from his waist, its silver light flashing. The bodyguards at the door tensed up upon seeing this and hurriedly drew their own swords, ready for battle.
"Don't be nervous, I'm not here to cause trouble." Chen Zhennan smiled slightly, his tone relaxed, and tossed the dagger to one of the bodyguards.
"Please take this in and give it to your boss."
The two bodyguards exchanged a glance, looking at each other with suspicion. Although they were puzzled, they saw that Chen Zhennan was calm and composed, and seemed to have no hostility.
After a moment's thought, one of the bodyguards shrugged, told Chen Zhennan to wait a moment, and then turned and went into the escort agency with his dagger.
Outside the door, Chen Zhennan said casually to Song Yunyang, "Wait a moment, and we'll be able to go in and have a good meal and rest."
Looking at Chen Zhennan's confident demeanor, Song Yunyang secretly guessed that this might be one of his secret hideouts, so she didn't ask any more questions and just waited quietly.
Not long after, the gate of the security escort agency slowly opened, and a beautiful woman dressed in a black robe walked out.
Her temperament was like a lotus emerging from the water, pure and refined, yet her eyes gleamed with a sharp light, like a cheetah ready to pounce.
She held the dagger in her hand, her eyes sweeping over Chen Zhennan and Song Yunyang, her expression a mixture of authority and curiosity.
"Who brought this dagger?" The woman's voice was like a gentle spring breeze, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.
Chen Zhennan pointed slightly to himself and walked forward with a smile.
"I brought these things. Prepare the food, drinks, and rooms. We're going to rest here today."
"Prepare food and drinks? Do you think this is your home?" The woman sneered, her steps swift as the wind, closing in instantly.
Chen Zhennan was taken aback, then dodged the woman's attack with ease.
Seeing that her attack had missed, the woman immediately steadied herself and casually drew her dagger.
The dagger gleamed coldly in the sunlight, aimed directly at Chen Zhennan, and launched a frenzied attack on him with the swiftness of a venomous snake.
Song Yunyang stood to the side, her right hand already gripping the sword at her waist, a hint of mockery in her eyes. It was as if she were saying, "Beg me quickly!" preparing to help Chen Zhennan only when he cried for help.
Faced with the woman's advances, Chen Zhennan had no time to explain and could only keep dodging.
However, as the battle progressed, his interest was piqued.
"Yunyang, lend me your sword!"
Song Yunyang was delighted and tossed her sword to Chen Zhennan.
The moment Chen Zhennan got his hands on the sword, his aura changed instantly. He switched from defense to offense, moving with incredible speed as he relentlessly attacked the woman.
His swordsmanship is sharp and precise, and every movement is full of power and beauty.
Sweat beaded on the woman's forehead; she had never encountered such a formidable opponent.
She gritted her teeth, shouted, and prepared to attack again. At this moment, Chen Zhennan called out "Zirou". When the woman heard that the other party knew her name, she curiously put down her dagger.
Chen Zhennan coughed, and the woman realized that the person opposite her was Chen Zhennan. She quickly knelt on one knee and held the dagger with both hands.
"General, I didn't know it was you. I'm so sorry for the offense. I thought someone had stolen your dagger."
Chen Zhennan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright, get up, Zirou."
Turning to Song Yunyang, he introduced her: "She is Feng Zirou, the female head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of Datong镖局 (Datong Escort Agency)."
With that, Chen Zhennan returned the sword to Song Yunyang.
"General, two of the items you requested are still outside the city and haven't been brought in yet," Feng Zirou said in a low voice.
"Two things? You mean gunpowder, right? It's alright, I'll rest today, and we'll go to Cuiming Mountain tomorrow."
Feng Zirou was slightly taken aback, "Cuiming Mountain?"
"That's right, I'm going to build an arms factory right under Song Xuan's nose!"
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