The 20,000 Dragon Army troops departed that very night, and they caught up with Shulitu's main force, who had already departed, the following morning. At this time, the cavalry of Heaven's Pass was still nowhere to be seen.
The soldiers of the Western Regions had plenty of fight in them and barely showed any signs of fatigue, which was very different from the previous image that the Norland army had.
Dugu Xian arrived even earlier, with no attendants except for the single bodyguard, Tie Linglong. He was wearing a Norland-style short coat and had an unkempt beard and terribly red eyes; he looked no different from a common refugee. So in the beginning, barely anybody noticed this one-armed general who was travel-worn and weary.
The large army kept marching on staunchly. After a quick wash and shave, Dugu Xian changed into a general's uniform and then stood beside the Dragon King, talking with the counselor and the others as they walked.