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"Yes, the shape of the scar on his face was caused by the cross knife commonly used by the Xiyu People. The cross knife is famous worldwide and is a unique mark of Xiyu. This scorpion tattoo is also the exclusive symbol of the Xiyu Imperial Guard, so this person is from the Imperial Guard."
"The Imperial Guard is one of the royal armies of Xiyu, under the jurisdiction of King Huai and Jun Moyu. Could it be that King Huai has come to Fenghua?"
Upon analyzing this, He Xin's expression suddenly darkened, filled with worry.
If that were true, then Fenghua would definitely no longer be safe!
Yin Luo furrowed her brows, her gaze deepening: "If that is the case, from the perspective of this epidemic, it is very likely that the Xiyu People have already infiltrated various regions of Fenghua."
Thinking of this, Yin Luo raised her eyes and said: "Immediately seal off the news and do not disclose it to anyone. We have already found out about the source of the illness. If the Xiyu People learn that their plan has been thwarted, they might take advantage of this moment when Fenghua is vulnerable and people's hearts are unsettled to infiltrate and attack us unexpectedly!"
The more she thought about it, the more dangerous it seemed; the more she thought about it, the more she felt that Fenghua City was in peril!
After a moment's thought, she stood up and said: "You go prepare the horses. We will head to the border defense army camp tonight. If there are any Imperial Guards mixed into Fenghua City, they must be few in number. A large army infiltrating would be too conspicuous; they certainly wouldn't take that risk. The only solution for now is to ensure that the border defense takes precautions, and then we will capture all the Xiyu People from within!"
He Xin's eyes lit up at once as he replied: "Yes, I will prepare the horses right away!"
The horses were soon ready. Yin Luo mounted her horse; her leg was clearly in great pain. Although she had applied medicine, after all the back-and-forth movement, her wound had reopened. Now faced with such a major issue, riding was the fastest option; she had no choice but to endure.
Fortunately, the military camp was not far from Fenghua City’s town center; they arrived on horseback in half a day.
By dawn, they had just reached the military camp.
The person who came to greet them was a general named Li, who was robust with dark skin and a serious expression. Even when faced with a stunning beauty like Yin Luo, he merely paused for a moment before kneeling to pay his respects without any excessive reaction.
Yin Luo gave him a perfect score in her heart, stepped forward to support him lightly, and said, "General Li, please rise. I have urgent matters to discuss with you, so let's skip the formalities."
Upon hearing the words "urgent matters," Li Rui's expression immediately turned serious. He stood up and stepped back, gesturing towards the main tent, "Princess Jin, please."
Yin Luo nodded and, along with He Xin, entered the large tent.
Li Rui glanced at Yin Luo and then at He Xin, saying, "I wonder if the prince has instructed you on something? It would have sufficed for someone else to come; there was no need for the princess to make this trip personally!"
"The epidemic in Fenghua has caused widespread panic. The prince is currently unable to leave, and given the urgency of the situation, sending someone else might not assure you, General Li. That's why I came personally to put your mind at ease."
As Yin Luo spoke these words, He Xin couldn't help but glance at her. She appeared calm and composed, as if nothing had ever happened to Mu Changqing.
Yin Luo looked towards He Xin, who understood and quickly unfolded a map for Li Rui to see.
Li Rui recognized it at a glance and asked in surprise, "Is this the Feathered Forest Guard of Xiyu?"
"Correct." Yin Luo signaled for He Xin to put away the scroll. She stepped forward and looked directly at Li Rui. "This was discovered by the prince from the safe zone in Fenghua. We found that the source of the epidemic was caused by the Xiyu people meddling. That night, we gathered information indicating that many Xiyu people had infiltrated Fenghua City over a month ago. The exact number is still unknown, but given the level of panic created, it must be significant!"
"The prince had previously issued orders for everyone at the border to be on high alert. However, it seems that things may be more serious than initially anticipated. If I am not mistaken, there are already Xiyu troops stationed offshore, waiting for news from here. Once their plan succeeds, they will launch an attack before we can react!"
"That’s impossible! If there were troops at sea, we would know about it."
Yin Luo raised an eyebrow. "Considering the distance between Xiyu and Exiled Nation's waters, even if war breaks out, Xiyu would need two days to reach us at full speed. Two days is enough time for Fenghua to gather reinforcements from nearby. In that case, Xiyu would lose their advantage and be unable to launch a surprise attack; they wouldn't be able to breach Exiled Nation's defenses. They may not be as strong as Exiled Nation, but in military strategy, timing is crucial. Even with fewer troops, they could still win by taking advantage of our unpreparedness. General Li has long been on the battlefield; you surely understand these matters far better than I do as a sheltered young woman."
Li Rui was uncertain; he truly found it hard to believe that Xiyu had made any moves without their knowledge. However, based on Yin Luo's account, if Xiyu were indeed planning something, there was only one way: a surprise attack!
"Alright then! Since the princess says so, to verify your claims are true, I will personally investigate!"
That afternoon, Li Rui returned from the sea, his expression grave and his eyes dull.
He never expected that everything was true. The army of Xiyu was amassed on the sea, watching closely, yet none of their men came to report. Was it negligence or treason?
Li Rui immediately dealt with a dozen people according to military law and then consulted Yin Luo, "What should we do now?"
Yin Luo pondered for a long time and said, "We have received news about the source of the illness. Even if we suppress it now, it won't hold for long. Once those who are not in the safe zone realize they have lost contact with their people, they will surely become suspicious. Perhaps even now, the news has reached the Xiyu military camp."
"The only solution is for General Li to quickly notify Gan Lin to mobilize ten thousand troops from there to temporarily resist Xiyu's invasion. The court's reinforcements are already being handled by the prince and will arrive soon. Therefore, General Li must hold off Xiyu's army for as long as possible!"
Li Rui's expression changed as he replied, "I will not fail in my mission!"
Yin Luo felt relieved and set off with He Xin back to Fenghua that same day.
By the time they returned to Fenghua, it was night. He Ren brought news that the two princes had gone missing in the western suburbs. There was a dense forest there known locally as Ghost Valley, where one could enter but not exit.
Given Mu Changqing and Mu Li's abilities and skills, it was nearly impossible for them to disappear so silently if something had happened. However, if they were safe, they should have returned by now; they couldn't possibly be unaware that the people of Fenghua needed them!
Therefore, it seemed very likely that they were trapped in the dense forest!
"He Xin, you stay here to manage the situation in Fenghua. He Ren will come with me; we need to take a few people into the forest." If Mu Changqing could come out and issue orders, Fenghua would surely turn danger into safety.
Thus, the urgent task was to rescue him and Mu Li!
"No," He Xin firmly refused. "Princess, with the prince missing, you are now the backbone of Fenghua. If anything were to happen to you, what would happen to Fenghua?"
"Now that matters in Fenghua are settled, if Xiyu truly advances, you can arrange for the evacuation of the people. As a woman, if I stay behind to handle such matters, it would only waste time. You are a trusted confidant of the prince; everyone trusts you because you represent him. Moreover, having been by his side for so many years, your ability far exceeds mine. So it is most appropriate for you to stay."
"As for Ghost Valley, with He Ren protecting me, there shouldn't be any major issues. If something does happen, you can submit a request to the court in the name of the Prince for support. That's a plan for later, in case we don't all make it back."
He Xin wanted to say something else, but Yin Luo's expression had already darkened as she said, "He Xin, this is an order!"
He Xin dared not defy her any longer and could only respond, "I will follow your orders."
Yin Luo then turned to He Ren and said, "You have scouted the route and are familiar with the area. Tomorrow morning, you will lead the way. Now, go prepare some necessary supplies. We may need to stay in the forest for several days, so bring extra rations and Fire Starters, and wear more layers."
He Ren acknowledged her instructions one by one, saying, "Rest assured, Princess. I will make proper arrangements."
Yin Luo nodded. He Xin and He Ren then withdrew.
After sending someone to fetch some medicinal supplies from the doctor, Yin Luo returned to her inner chamber.
Blood was seeping from her thigh, and despite the pain, Yin Luo applied the medicine and bandaged herself. By the time she finished wrapping it up, she was already drenched in sweat.
Lying on the bed, she felt a bit dazed. She had intended to think about matters unrelated to herself, but unexpectedly, after taking charge, all responsibilities had fallen upon her shoulders. The words Common People weighed heavier than ever before, more burdensome than any mission from her past life, making it hard for her to breathe.
She also hadn't anticipated that the countless lives she had taken would lead her to exert herself so much just to save someone.
Her thoughts didn't wander far; after days of busyness and having not slept for two days and nights, she was already exhausted. As soon as she lay down on the bed, sleep quickly overtook her.
The next day at dawn, she woke up. After washing up and coming out, He Ren had everything prepared. Moreover, there was more than just He Ren standing in the hall; besides those accompanying him, there was someone she was not unfamiliar with: the Guard Qin Liu Yan whom she had brought from the Moon Cherry Dynasty.
"Liu Yan?" Yin Luo was somewhat surprised.
Qin Liu Yan stepped forward and clasped his fists together as he said, "Princess, I have completed all that you instructed. Fearing for your safety here, I rushed over overnight to provide assistance."
Yin Luo glanced at He Ren and then said, "Do you mind if one more person joins us on the journey?"
He Ren looked at Qin Liu Yan beside him and lowered his gaze. "It's entirely up to the princess."
The Ghost Valley was dangerous, and having one more person along would increase their chances of success.
The group arrived at the entrance of the Ghost Valley, where they saw swirling mist in the forest. It was no wonder that such a place appeared mysterious, causing fear in others.
"This is a pill that can counteract damp poison. One for each person will give us a better chance," Qin Liu Yan said as she took out a vial and poured out eight pills.
Upon hearing this, Yin Luo took one first. Seeing her swallow it, the others naturally did not hesitate and each took one as well.
Yin Luo touched the whip at her waist. Entering such a place, she couldn't allow herself to become a burden to others, so she had prepared some weapons in advance.
Everyone had taken sufficient precautions. To prevent getting separated, they each carried their own fire starters and food. Yin Luo had prepared a dagger, commonly used medicine, her whip, star-shaped shurikens, and almost everything else she might need for battle.
"Let's go."
After confirming that everyone was ready, she spoke and stepped into the misty forest first, beginning their search.
The others followed closely behind.
Aside from the swirling mist, everything in the forest seemed normal, with no signs of anything unusual.
However, as the group ventured deeper into the woods, they gradually began to realize that they were going in circles.
"It seems we are lost."
Yin Luo looked around. Getting lost in the forest required calmness. She raised her head to observe the lush leaves above; this place was commonly known as Ghost Valley, but it wasn't really a valley—just a plain. In such situations, one could use the sun to determine direction.
After making her decision, she led the group in a specific direction.
Sure enough, they easily left the area where they had been going in circles. Yin Luo continued to scout ahead, and the group was filled with joy.
As they moved forward, Yin Luo suddenly discovered a place where signs of human presence were evident.
It was a thicket, but there were clear traces of passage; she approached and carefully examined the branches and leaves, all freshly broken—likely within the last couple of days.
She pondered for a moment, and a plan formed in her mind. Just as she turned back to inform the others, she realized that there was no one behind her.
All seven people had vanished, including He Ren and Qin Liu Yan.
How could this happen?
Yin Luo furrowed her brow; she had not heard any sounds from behind at all. Yet, all seven people had simply disappeared without a trace, silently and completely.
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