The 198th day of the Great Turmoil.

Amidst the snow-covered fields, Tuoba Han led twenty thousand troops, stopping just a mile outside Ao County before dividing his forces to guard each intersection, readying strong crossbows, and poised to strike.

Donning black battle armor and holding a long spear, Tuoba Han surveyed the small snow-covered town in the distance and said to his subordinate beside him:

"You stay here and guard this area. Stop anyone suspicious. This General will take men into the town to search. Zhao Qianyi must be captured alive."

The reason Tuoba Han needed so many troops to deal with an injured Zhao Qianyi was to completely seal off Ao County and prevent Zhao Qianyi from escaping again.

Because if Zhao Qianyi escaped from him again, he wouldn’t be able to explain himself to the king.

This force of twenty thousand was his elite.

The subordinate nodded.

Tuoba Han’s Deputy General, with a black eagle perched on his arm, pointed toward the depths of the town and said to Tuoba Han:

"General, our eagle circled this area several times just now and confirmed seeing someone resembling Zhao Qianyi entering Ao County. Since the town can only be entered or exited from the east and west sides, if Zhao Qianyi notices the commotion and tries to escape, it will surely be from these two sides, so they need to be heavily guarded."

Tuoba Han nodded, then instructed those around him: "As you approach Ao County, Tuoba Zhi, take the cavalry and quickly surround the back. Anyone who charges through the checkpoint, shoot without asking for identity. The rest, follow me into town to search. Remember, do not injure Zhao Qianyi.

The one who captures Zhao Qianyi alive shall be rewarded with a hundred thousand taels and promoted three levels."

After speaking, Tuoba Han waved his hand, and a group of soldiers quickly dispersed. The remaining Loulan army escorted nearly a hundred residents of Taohua Village swiftly towards Ao County.

Due to Ao County being small and sparsely populated, Loulan did not deploy troops to occupy it.

Quietly dealing with the guards on the city walls, the army surged directly into Ao County, searching house to house.

"Bang." A Loulan squad burst into a tavern. The soldiers snatched from anyone they saw, took any valuable items, and if they saw a fair lady, they would abduct her outright. If met with resistance, they would cut the person down on the spot.

The squad leader, remembering his task, pulled out a portrait from his coat, placed his knife against the shopkeeper’s neck, and asked, "Have you seen this person in the portrait?"

"No... I haven’t." The shopkeeper was almost scared to wet himself, carefully staring at the portrait but finding it unfamiliar.

"Really haven’t?"

"No."

"Slash..." Without further words, the squad leader slit the shopkeeper’s throat, then grabbed the cowering shop assistant from the ground, asking him the same question.

The shop assistant naturally didn’t know either. The squad leader swiftly dealt with him with a single strike, then turned his gaze to others.

In no time, the entire tavern was awash with blood.

Within the city, cries of agony, screams, pleas for mercy, and sounds of fighting and cursing filled the air.

In less than half an hour, the once-peaceful little town had become a living hell.

"No, I’m here, stop it, I command you to stop!"

"Ah... splat..."

From the east side of the town came a tumultuous noise; a squad of Loulan soldiers was slain by a woman.

The woman’s voice was filled with fury.

The woman was Zhao Qianyi.

After leaving Taohua Village, Zhao Qianyi followed the river and headed south, reaching Ao County, her sole intent being to take a brief rest and regain some strength, knowing she couldn’t stay long in Ao County.

But she never expected to be pursued so quickly after sitting down.

They searched the town for her relentlessly, and when questioning yielded no results, they began a massacre.

Seeing so many innocent people suffer because of her, Zhao Qianyi became enraged and took action.

She survived not only because of fortune but also because she wanted to rescue Wei Ying and avenge the fallen Celestial Dragon Army and the people at Hulao Pass.

Yet, her being alive had implicated so many, plunging Zhao Qianyi into deep remorse. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

She could not leave any longer.

As she revealed her identity, a massive number of Loulan soldiers surrounded her.

Zhao Qianyi turned into a God of Slaughter, with countless Loulan soldiers dying by her spear.

But, due to her injuries and unwillingness to leave, she was soon besieged.

The killing intent emanating from her body caused some Loulan soldiers to shiver as they launched hidden arrows at her.

Without sufficient True Qi, Zhao Qianyi lacked True Qi Defense on her body surface, so these hidden arrows penetrated her body directly.

"Stop, who permitted you to shoot?" By the time Tuoba Han arrived, Zhao Qianyi was already pierced by several arrows, one even lodged in her chest, startling Tuoba Han.

The king wanted her alive, and if he took back a corpse, Tuoba Han couldn’t explain himself.

On hearing this, the soldiers looked at each other, none daring to advance.

Because as soon as anyone got close, they would be slain by Zhao Qianyi.

Even a sick tiger is not to be trifled with by ants.

The villagers of Taohua Village proved useful.

Tuoba Han had the nearly one hundred captured villagers of Taohua Village brought forward and said, "General Zhao, please stop, or else I cannot guarantee the safety of these people’s lives."

Tuoba Han grabbed Cai Laohan by the collar and placed his knife against his neck.

Zhao Qianyi, who was in the midst of slaughter, paused, gazing at Cai Laohan with flickering eyes: "En... benefactor?"

"Release him," Zhao Qianyi shouted sternly, the spear tip directly pointing at Tuoba Han.

"I’ll naturally release him, but General Zhao needs to agree to one condition of mine," Tuoba Han said.

"What condition?"

"The condition is simple. Our Queen of Loulan greatly admires General Zhao. As long as General Zhao will submit and come with us obediently, I’ll release everyone."

"Your lies wouldn’t fool even a three-year-old child," Zhao Qianyi worried that even if she surrendered, Cai Laohan and the others would still die.

"It’s not up to you to believe or not, General Zhao. You have no choice if you don’t want to see them die," Tuoba Han applied slightly more pressure, leaving a bloody mark on Cai Laohan’s throat’s surface; a little more force, and the knife would slash his throat.

"Release him, and I’ll go with you," Zhao Qianyi couldn’t stand by and watch her life’s benefactor die in front of her.

"Very well. General Zhao, you’ve made a wise choice." Tuoba Han put down the knife and said, "General Zhao, I’ll have my Deputy General come over to seal your cultivation, and I hope you cooperate obediently."

Zhao Qianyi had no choice but to comply, then threatened with her own life, "If you dare harm them, I assure you, your Majesty the Queen will never see me alive."