Chapter 118 - 104: Xirong Raids the Border

Chapter 118: Chapter 104: Xirong Raids the Border

Meanwhile, inside the Icefield Fortress, Zhou Hongling was preparing to rest.

BANG! BANG!

A series of violent knocks echoed.

Then, a voice came from outside the door. "Eldest Miss, a message just arrived from the Patriarch. The Xirong grand army is attacking the border. The Imperial Court has ordered troops to be levied from all regions and sent to the Western Territory.

Our Northern Border must also dispatch troops. The Marquis requests that you proceed to Yanzhou City immediately for a council."

"Yes, I understand," Zhou Hongling replied, throwing on some clothes.

The person outside withdrew.

Inside the room, Zhou Hongling’s brow furrowed.

The Xirong Imperial Dynasty was even more powerful than the forces of the Northern Border. It was no exaggeration to say they were stronger than the Dayong Empire itself.

’Now that war has broken out, there’s no telling how many will die.’

With this thought, all desire for sleep vanished. She sat up, pulled out a map, and began to study it.

Meanwhile, after staying at Celestial King Stronghold for a night, Lu Yuan left with Zhou He the next day. They made sure to visit a few villages and towns along the way.

Otherwise, he would have had nothing to report upon his return.

「Five days later」, long after nightfall, he finally rushed back to Icefield Pass. The moment he entered the city, he was summoned to the General’s Mansion by Zhou Hongling.

As Lu Yuan entered the main hall...

...he saw a table laden with fine food.

There was also a jar of wine.

An unshakeable sorrow clouded Zhou Hongling’s eyes, and when she saw Lu Yuan, a flicker of guilt appeared in their depths.

"Did something happen?" Lu Yuan asked quietly as he sat down.

Zhou Hongling nodded. "The Xirong are attacking the border; they’ve declared all-out war on our Dayong. I went to Yanzhou City two days ago and just returned today.

The Imperial Court intends to transfer a contingent from the Northern Border to the Western Border. I recommended others to the Marquis, but he has his sights set on you.

He insists on sending you to bring glory to the Northern Border, and I couldn’t stop him."

Lu Yuan gave a wry smile, poured himself a cup of wine, and said, "Alright, I’ll go. When do I leave?"

"The day after tomorrow at the latest. The situation on the Western Border is critical. Our Dayong has always been at a disadvantage there. The terrain is complex—full of hills and mountains, unsuitable for cavalry charges.

So be prepared for infantry combat.

Don’t worry about anything else for now. The most important thing is to protect yourself. Survive."

Zhou Hongling advised, her eyes filled with worry.

She knew that as Lu Yuan’s strength and position grew, she wouldn’t be able to keep him by her side forever.

But she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon, or so abruptly.

The strength of the Xirong Imperial Dynasty was no laughing matter.

"Don’t worry, My Lady. I will be careful."

"Good. Remember to write after you get there. You don’t need to worry about your mother; I’ll look after her for you," Zhou Hongling instructed.

Lu Yuan nodded repeatedly, knowing she meant well.

At the same time, he sighed inwardly. ’I was planning on dealing with the Zhao Family’s people in the buffer zone after my next breakthrough. So much for that.’

’Now I’m heading off to the Western Border.’

’Who knows what the situation will be like over there.’

Zhou Hongling looked at him and continued, "This time, the Imperial Court is also dispatching the Imperial Guard. Zhang Zhe might be among them. You must be careful of him.

No matter what, he is now a Commandery Prince Consort."

"Mm."

A warmth rose in Lu Yuan’s heart as he listened to Zhou Hongling’s repeated admonitions.

After the meal, it was already late. Lu Yuan returned to his room and resumed his cultivation.

The impending journey to the Western Border battlefield filled him with a sense of urgency.

’The battlefields of the Northern Border were treacherous enough—I was almost betrayed there.’

’And the people of Xirong are said to be born with immense physical strength and a preference for infantry combat. In their battles with Dayong, we have suffered far more losses than victories.’

’That’s why, every so often, a princess is sent out for a marriage alliance to avoid conflict.’

’For some reason, the Xirong have decided to start another war this time.’

But who could ever say for sure about these things? On this continent, peace between nations was never a lasting state.

The night passed without incident. The next day, Lu Yuan began to muster his men.

First, he would be taking all three thousand of the City Guard Army soldiers under his command. The defense of Icefield Pass would fall to Zhou Hongling.

He had only one day to get his troops in order.

Organizing provisions and assigning personnel kept him so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

It was already evening by the time he had arranged everything, and he headed to the Lu Clan’s courtyard to say his goodbyes.

As soon as he entered the house, he saw his mother and An Niang waiting for him with a meal already prepared.

Before Lu Yuan could even speak, his mother saw him enter and asked softly, "Are you preparing to march out?"

"How did you know, Mother?" Lu Yuan asked, surprised.

"This Captain’s Mansion of yours has had soldiers and horses coming and going all day. I’m neither deaf nor blind; of course I noticed," his mother said slowly.

She motioned for Lu Yuan to sit down before continuing, "If you must go to war, then go. You’re a Captain now, after all. You can’t avoid these duties, and your mother supports you.

But don’t be so oblivious all the time. That girl, Hongling, never tells you when something is wrong. You need to pay more attention to her; you can’t always be the one being taken care of."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan’s brow furrowed. "Did something happen to her?"

"It’s not about her personally, but it seems there’s some trouble with the Zhou Family. I went over to their place for a meal two days ago and heard that someone contacted the Zhou Family, telling them to withdraw from the buffer zone.

The one who delivered the message was a Marquis. As the saying goes, a higher rank can crush you. That girl Hongling poured her heart and soul into that buffer zone, and now someone wants to take it all away with a single order.