To challenge an enemy commander in single combat before the armies—that was a matter where death held no weight.
Had Tian Sheng lost their senses, allowing the Crown Princess to face him, a seasoned general, on the battlefield?
They might as well have branded the word "trap" on their foreheads. How much of a fool would he have to be to charge in alone and fall for such an obvious ploy?
Then again, this Crown Princess of Tian Sheng had courage enough to rival any general. To dare come forth with so few troops, using herself as bait—now that was bold beyond reckoning.
It would be a pity not to seize such a golden opportunity. Would he not be a disgrace to the gods of war if he failed to repay Tian Sheng's generosity?
Dao Tuo's grin vanished. With a sweep of his arm, he bellowed with no regard for military honor, launching a sudden strike.
"All forces, hear My command! Whoever captures the Crown Princess of Tian Sheng alive shall be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver!"
"Kill!"
A hundred thousand troops roared the word like a thunderclap, raising broadswords high as they charged toward Yun Shu.
From atop the city wall, Yun Chuhuan lay sprawled, watching with wide eyes as a black tide of soldiers surged across the field. He then looked down at his Fifth Sister's forces—no more than a thousand soldiers of Ningzhou—and nearly lost his soul from fright.
"Fifth Sister, run! Run!"
Though Yun Chuhuan usually spoke with considerable volume, his voice was swallowed whole by the war cry of a hundred thousand troops, like a droplet vanishing into the sea.
Yun Shu, however, did not hear a word. Sword drawn, she sat upright on horseback at the very front lines, unmoving, unflinching. She looked as though she belonged in the legends of old—an unmatched warrior standing calm amid chaos.
The sight hit Yun Chuhuan with such force that he could hardly process what he was seeing. His first thought was that she must have gone mad from fear, too paralyzed to flee.
In desperation, he leaned so far over the battlements he nearly fell over, shouting again at the top of his lungs.
"Fifth Sister, hurry and run!"
"Your Highness, remain calm!"
The deputy general assigned to keep an eye on Yun Chuhuan looked helpless. With one hand, he seized the back of Yun Chuhuan's robe and pulled him back from the edge.
"Her Highness the Crown Princess acts with deliberate intent…"
"Fifth Sister…"
Yun Chuhuan paid him no mind. The moment he was dragged back, he leaned over the wall again.
Just then, the vanguard of the Pugan army charged into the kill zone—the area Yun Shu had carefully prepared for this exact moment.
Yun Shu's lips curled into a faint smile. With a swift motion, she drew a line through the air with her sword.
From the shadows, the Dragon Shadow Guard, having awaited her signal, pulled their longbows to full draw. Flaming arrows shot through the sky, striking the hidden fuses with precision.
Boom!
A row of buried explosives erupted in a roaring blast, sending a shockwave tearing across the battlefield.
Yun Chuhuan's mouth fell open as he watched smoke billow into the air and slowly disperse, revealing over three thousand Pugan soldiers felled in a single instant.
For a long moment, he was speechless. Then he slapped his thigh with a loud smack.
"No wonder Fifth Sister said yesterday that she was going to personally command the battle today!"
Alone, before an army of a hundred thousand, she had raised her sword—and in one sweep, slain three thousand.
If he had known that all it took was riding out of the city and striking a pose to put on such a show, he would have pestered her until she agreed to bring him along. This was leagues beyond those storybooks about generals he used to read.
It was like a battle between immortals out of a cultivation tale.
No, he had to get down there now. He had to join her in this glorious display.
Yun Chuhuan turned on his heel and bolted for the stairs.
But he only managed two steps before the deputy general seized him once more by the back of his collar and hauled him back into place.
"Forgive me, Sixth Highness. By command of Her Highness the Crown Princess, I must ensure you remain safely here."
"How dare you!"
This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be impressive. If he missed it today, who knew if he would ever get another?
Face flushing with urgency, Yun Chuhuan shouted, "Let this prince go! If Fifth Sister finds fault with you later, I will shield you!"
"I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."
The deputy general stood as steady as an iron tower, unmoved by Yun Chuhuan's struggling.
No matter how much the young prince pushed and shoved, the man did not budge.
While the two of them remained locked in this stalemate, Dao Tuo finally recovered from the shock of the explosion. His eyes bloodshot, he snarled through gritted teeth.
"Take the Crown Princess of Tian Sheng! Dead or alive!"
He did not know how Tian Sheng had pulled off such a devastating maneuver, but he was certain of one thing—such a weapon could not be used again so easily.
If they had more, why would they bother with subterfuge? They would have just bombarded his troops from the start.
He swung his blade in a brutal arc, cutting down a Pugan soldier who had tried to retreat, and roared,
"Any man who falters shall be executed where he stands!"
"Kill!"
Charging forward might mean death, but retreating guaranteed it.
The Pugan soldiers had no path of escape. Though terror clawed at their hearts, they raised their weapons once more and charged forward.
Yun Chuhuan, after wrestling with the deputy general to no avail, finally slumped down against the battlements. He realized he would not be allowed onto the battlefield no matter what he did.
He turned back toward the front, expecting his Fifth Sister to pull off another dazzling move with a flick of her sword, sending enemies scattering.
But the Pugan soldiers had learned their lesson.
After receiving Dao Tuo's brutal command, their archers halted just inside range and raised their bows.
Meanwhile, the Ningzhou soldiers by Yun Shu's side quickly raised their shields, closing ranks to protect her and buy her time to retreat to the city.
Yun Chuhuan: "…"
Well. Perhaps it was a blessing he hadn't made it down there after all.
If he had, instead of posing heroically with a sword while enemies vanished in a puff of smoke, he would have been greeted by a storm of arrows.
He could just imagine himself rushing forward in high spirits, only to scream in panic halfway through and scramble back, tail tucked between his legs.
Not heroic at all. Just pitiful.
All of a sudden, he no longer resented the deputy general standing beside him.
At least the man had helped him save face.
Scratching his head, Yun Chuhuan muttered with some regret, "So it's over already?"
"Keep watching, Your Highness."
The deputy general lifted his chin slightly, his gaze fixed past the chaos below, locking onto Dao Tuo's figure in the distance.
At that moment, Dao Tuo seemed to realize Yun Shu was beginning her retreat.
He raised his broadsword high and spurred his horse toward the city gate.
"They have no more weapons like that! Kill them all!"
"Kill!"
Once more, the battlefield shook with the force of the Pugan army's battle cry.
But this time, the roar did not belong to them alone.
Just as Yun Shu galloped back toward the city, the eighty thousand strong Ningzhou army surged out in formation, pouring from within the walls to meet her.
The two armies were about to clash—
Boom!
A devastating blast erupted from behind the Pugan forces.
The explosion came without warning, sweeping through their ranks like an invisible hurricane.
Caught completely off guard, the Pugan soldiers fell into disarray.
At that precise moment, the two forces met.
On one side: the panicked and disorganized Pugan troops.
On the other: the high-spirited and battle-ready soldiers of Ningzhou.
In a single breath, the tide of war turned completely.