Very soon, Soldier Number Thirteen, galloping at full speed, met an approaching army.
It was a mighty and formidable army. It stretched along the road to the horizon, with no end in sight. The numbers... no fewer than several tens of thousands!
Military banners fluttered in the wind, and on each of them, the character '玉' (Yu) stood out brightly.
Soldier Number Thirteen did not stop. He bypassed the vanguard and headed straight to the center of the army, to the commander.
After his report, he was immediately led to the young general. This man sat atop a warhorse. He looked no older than twenty. His face was handsome, and his body was adorned with gleaming chainmail armor.
Seeing the messenger arrive, one of the officers beside the general gave a slight nod. At that very second, a bugler raised a horn to his lips and gave the signal to halt the troops. The prolonged sound rang through the valley. It was immediately answered by responsive signals, one after another, echoing throughout the army.
As soon as the sounds faded, the entire gigantic army came to a halt. Their movements were precise and coordinated, demonstrating the army's iron discipline.
When everyone stood still, the young general finally spoke: "Report. What's the matter?"
Soldier Number Thirteen leaped from his horse, knelt on one knee, and placed a fist over his chest. "Lord General! A girl has been found unconscious up ahead."
"A girl?" The general raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That's correct! She's wearing our army's military underclothes, but a sword from the Seilian army was lying next to her!"
The general frowned. This was indeed strange.
Military quartermaster items—uniforms, armor, and weapons—were kept under the strictest control in all countries. No one could simply acquire them. Even after battles... The defeated were left crushed and dead. The victors would clear the battlefield, taking all the gear from the fallen. Bodies were either burned or buried, and the armor and weapons were melted down.
No peasant could simply get their hands on a military uniform! And even if they did, they would never wear it. Because if he were caught, he would face immediate execution!
But now...
This scout was reporting about a woman lying unconscious, wearing their army's uniform, and holding an enemy's weapon.
How was that possible?!
The general pondered. Then, narrowing his eyes slightly, he spoke in a calm voice: "Let me see the sword."
"Understood!"
Soldier Number Thirteen quickly took the weapon from the saddle and handed it to the general.
The young commander turned the saber over in his hands, examining the blade and hilt. Then, without a word, he passed it to another man.
This was a middle-aged man who, unlike the others, wore no armor. His clothes looked more like a scholar's robe than a military uniform. But his posture and expression clearly showed that this man was far from simple.
The middle-aged man, just like the young general, turned the blade over and examined it from all sides.
"Mr. Li, what do you say?" the young general inquired.
"It is indeed a weapon of the Seilian army!" replied the man called Mr. Li.
But he understood perfectly that the general was not asking about the sword at all. There was no doubt about its origin—any soldier would instantly recognize an enemy blade, especially with the distinctive markings clearly visible on it.
No, the general was interested in the girl.
Mr. Li handed the sword to an officer standing nearby, then looked carefully at Ye Qing, who was lying on the back of the horse.
"Is that the girl?"
"That's correct, Mr. Li!" replied Soldier Number Thirteen.
Mr. Li assessed the unconscious body one more time, then frowned. "This situation is not as simple as it seems."
"Oh?" The young general squinted slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Lord General, pay attention." Mr. Li pointed the tip of his riding crop at Ye Qing's body. "It looks like she's been poisoned, which is why she lost consciousness."
"What?" Only now did the young general truly look at the girl.
On the exposed parts of her skin, thin greenish-blue lines were barely visible.
"You're right!"
"It seems she's in danger. We must immediately take her to the military physician," said Mr. Li.
"Very well, let's do that!"
The general made his decision, and one of the soldiers immediately led the horse toward the medical tent.
Watching the girl go, Mr. Li pondered for a moment. "Judging by where she came from, she most likely came from the border."
The border was in chaos right now due to recent fighting, but she survived.
"If this girl was able to stay alive under such conditions... perhaps she knows martial arts."
The young general nodded: "Your reasoning is quite logical."
Mr. Li was silent for a moment, then said: "Furthermore... I believe she may know something."
The young general glanced at the sun. Noon was approaching.
"In that case, it's time for a rest. Have the troops halt and set up camp!"
The order was given, and soon officers relayed it throughout the army.
Inside the medical tent, the military physician finished examining Ye Qing, who was still unconscious.
"Lord General!" he addressed the young commander.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Her condition is quite complicated. She is indeed poisoned—it's a very cold snake venom."
"But... there is another cold energy in her body. It is counteracting the poison, preventing it from spreading. That is why the girl is still alive."
The young general looked intently at the physician. "So, there's a chance she can be saved?"
"Yes." The physician nodded and said, "Overall, the situation is not too complex. The main thing is to get rid of the snake venom. If we use a force of an extreme Yang nature to suppress and expel the poison, the remaining cold energy in her body will subside on its own. In that case, the girl's life will be out of danger, and if she undergoes a good course of recovery, she will be able to get well."
"However, we must act immediately! It's currently noon, and the sun is at its zenith. Under the scorching rays of the red sun, the snake venom is weakened and cannot display its full power. But if we delay, if we wait for sunset and the rising of the moon... When day turns to night, the world will be filled with cold energy—and then this snake venom will erupt in all its might! At that moment, not even an immortal Daoist could save her!"
"A power of extreme Yang?"
The young general smirked. "Isn't that precisely what I possess? It seems fate itself has decided that it's not this girl's time to die!"
"Lord General, this is unwise!" Mr. Li hurried to object. "The army is currently on the march; a battle could begin at any moment! If you are weakened by the loss of your internal energy, what will we do then?!"
"Don't exaggerate. It's not that dangerous." The general replied reassuringly. "If not me, then who? Where will you find another person with the right internal strength?"
"That..."
Mr. Li fell silent.
If they were in the city right now, they might find a few warriors with Yang internal energy among the general's personal guard. But the army was currently on the march. There were enough ordinary soldiers, but finding a person with the powerful energy of extreme Yang among them was a virtually impossible task.
In fact, only one person here met those conditions.
And that was General Cheng Yu-hou himself.
"Well, what did I tell you?" Cheng Yu-hou smirked. "So there's no choice. Otherwise, this girl will die, and all the information we could have gotten will vanish with her."
According to army regulations, there should be no women in the army. But this time, the situation was different. They could get crucial information from the girl. Which meant the regulation could be bypassed.
"Very well, if you've decided!" Mr. Li bowed his head in respect. "Lord General, please be careful! Qi Cheng and I will stand guard outside."
"Relax!" The general waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not that fragile."
Mr. Li bowed and left.
Meanwhile, Cheng Yu-hou questioned the physician in detail about the girl's condition. He needed to know the proper order of action and what to focus on first. The physician gave careful instructions but did not leave the room, staying by the bed in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Cheng Yu-hou paid no mind to this. Taking off his shoes, he climbed onto the bed and, with the physician's help, carefully straightened Ye Qing's body, placing her in a posture for meditation and regulating internal energy.
She was still wearing her worn-out undershirt, but since there were no women in the military camp and everyone around was a man, no one dared to change her clothes, so as not to tarnish the girl's honor.
However, even in this state, because of the torn fabric, her clothes poorly concealed her body, and every movement inevitably revealed patches of her delicate skin.
Accidentally touching her, Cheng Yu-hou felt how cold and smooth her skin was—like ice. It seemed extraordinarily delicate, yet pierced by a biting cold. It was unclear if this was due to the cold snake venom or if her body naturally emitted a chilling cold.
Cheng Yu-hou had seen many beauties, as his status meant he was surrounded by women of rare beauty. But this girl could hardly be called a beauty. Her facial features were neat but not particularly striking, and her skin looked dark, as if she had been sunbathing on purpose.
Once he had her comfortably seated, he sat behind her, straightening his back. Smoothly activating his internal energy, he raised his palms, and in that same instant, his internal flame filled them, turning them a rich scarlet.
Bringing his energy level to a third of his full strength, he carefully pressed both palms against her back.
The same instant, a hissing sound erupted, as if a red-hot iron had touched water. White steam burst from her back and rose into the air in plumes.
"Lord General, reduce the flow of energy by another level!" the physician exclaimed with alarm.
Cheng Yu-hou couldn't answer, as he was completely focused on the process, but he heard the physician's words and slightly reduced the flow of his power. Indeed, the amount of rising steam significantly decreased.
After a while, convinced that the color of her face remained normal and there were no alarming signs, he finally said: "Lord General, you may increase the flow of energy, but don't rush! Increase it gradually. When you reach seventy percent, stop!"
Cheng Yu-hou followed the advice and slowly increased the flow of his internal strength. A reddish tint gradually appeared on his face, as if reflecting the setting sun.
A light white steam began to rise from Cheng Yu-hou's body, and a mist also appeared over Ye Qing's body. However, while his was a hot evaporation, hers was a cold emanation. A crust of ice slowly began to spread out beneath her, making a light, crisp sound of freezing water.
In the quiet, spacious tent, that sound was particularly distinct. The physician watched in silence. Alternating his gaze between Ye Qing's face and Cheng Yu-hou's condition, he carefully monitored the process.
The procedure progressed smoothly. According to the plan, Cheng Yu-hou's extremely powerful solar energy gradually forced the snake venom out of Ye Qing's body, gathering it in the index finger of her right hand.
When the venom began to concentrate, the finger gradually turned a dark green color and started to exude a frosty mist. Seeing that the process had reached the right stage, the physician pulled out a silver needle and precisely pricked the tip of the finger.
From the wound, a thin green stream shot out. It traveled for two or three meters, fell to the floor, and immediately began to give off an icy steam. However, a moment later, it dried up, like melted snow.
Cheng Yu-hou continued to draw out the venom. The green droplets scattered sometimes further, sometimes closer, and the physician kept a focused watch on their behavior, ready to prevent any unexpected turn.
The treatment, performed to expel the venom from Ye Qing's body, undoubtedly benefited him. However, neither Cheng Yu-hou nor the physician knew that, although the snake venom was removed, the former's intervention in the treatment process accelerated Ye Qing's body's absorption of the cold energy. This process was imperceptible but relentless, leading to unpredictable changes in his body. What would it become in the end? To what extent would this transformation progress? No one could say.
The treatment was a success. Cheng Yu-hou did not suffer excessive energy expenditure, and after a short meditation, he had fully recovered his strength. Getting off the bed, he looked around the tent—only he and the unconscious girl were inside. The physician had already left to prepare a medicinal decoction. Although the cold energy within her body was suppressed, the destructive influence of the snake venom, mixed with this cold force, could not be eliminated at once. For a swift recovery, she needed medicinal concoctions that would restore the balance in her body.
Cheng Yu-hou silently watched the sleeping Ye Qing. His face was dirty; his long hair was matted; his facial features, though refined, were without special beauty; his skin was slightly tanned—in the modern world, it would be called the shade of "golden wheat." However, her skin was astonishingly smooth and delicate, which didn't at all fit the image of a commoner. Could she be from a noble family?
But if that was the case, how could he explain that she knew martial arts, wore army clothes, was armed with an enemy's blade, was poisoned with snake venom, and was found—unconscious by the road?
Besides, this place was near the border of the Great Jade Dynasty and the Seilian state. The enemy had invaded very recently, and the northern army had gone to intercept them. But what was their status now? There had been no news yet. Cheng Yu-hou didn't rule out the worst: perhaps the troops had fallen into a trap and were surrounded. If so, the situation was extremely dire. This was precisely why he had ordered this mysterious girl brought to the camp and personally taken on her treatment. Otherwise, she would have simply been sent to the nearest fortified city.
He watched her intently until his hand instinctively reached for her face. Running his fingers across her cheek, he wiped away some dirt—underneath was soft, cool skin, smooth as water.
"Who are you, really?" he murmured, shaking his head. Then he turned and left the tent. As a supreme commander, he had already stayed here too long. And many urgent matters were waiting for him back in the camp.
After Cheng Yu-hou left, Ye Qing still hadn't come to his senses. Evening fell. During that time, Mr. Li and Officer Qi Cheng had dropped by. Convinced that he was still unconscious, they left with a hint of vexation, forced to wait for him to wake up.
The camp couldn't stay in one place for more than a day.
An unknown amount of time passed before Ye Qing finally began to come to his senses. His mind was still foggy, but his consciousness slowly cleared. His gaze fixed on the dome-shaped ceiling of the tent. That familiar silhouette caused a jolt of alarm to flash in his mind. He sat up abruptly and quickly looked around. There was no one in the tent.
But where was he? By its appearance, it was a military camp—ordinary people wouldn't use tents like these. And if he remembered the circumstances before he lost consciousness...
At that moment, he was at the border between the Seilian and the Great Jade Dynasty. The Seilian troops had already launched their offensive. And then the northern army had been ambushed...
Could they have been surrounded and crushed so quickly?
And if that was the case...
Wasn't he in the enemy's camp right now?