The Call of Heifeng Ridge

As she stepped out of the tent, Bai Pingting, Lu Yi, and others emerged one after another, hastily donning their garments while running, gathering behind Xuan Yue. Their expressions bore a hint of tension, yet they remained composed. 

Although they had gone to bed late the previous night and were abruptly awakened, they appeared lively, showing no signs of fatigue. 

"What has happened?" 

The moon hung low in the west, and the sun had yet to rise. Had it not been for the torches lit upon the mountain, the surroundings would have been engulfed in complete darkness. Standing on the flat ground of the slope, Xuan Yue and her companions were uncertain about the situation below in the night. 

"Who are they? How many soldiers do they have? Who is leading them? What is the current situation?" 

Xuan Yue fired off four questions in quick succession and waved her hand, prompting someone holding a torch to approach. 

This was not the territory of Bai Chu, where verdant trees could be seen year-round; at this moment, the mountaintop was barren. With the flickering light of the fire in the wind, Xuan Yue, blessed with keen eyesight, could vaguely discern a line of soldiers standing ahead. 

"By their appearance, they must be the army of Xuanyuan." 

The Xuanyuan warriors were tall and robust, easily recognizable even without uniforms. 

Xuan Yue was not surprised by this answer. At such a time, when both Yan Kingdom and Bai Chu were embroiled in their own struggles and the Zhou Dynasty lay in ruins, reduced to a vassal of Xuanyuan, who else would dare to encircle her, Feng Xuan Yue's forces? 

They had intercepted her mid-journey; they were on the mountain, and the enemy surrounded them below, leaving them at a distinct disadvantage. 

"What should we do now, Princess?" 

Lu Yi inquired cautiously. They were situated in the heart of the tent; if they were entirely surrounded by the Xuanyuan army, escape would be impossible. 

"What is there to fear? For every one that comes, I will slay one; for every two, I will take down a pair." 

Lu Zhu raised her chin, brimming with audacity. 

"Feng Wang, you and your forces are surrounded by our men. To avoid unnecessary casualties, you should surrender!" 

In the stillness of the night, a powerful voice rang out from below the mountain, echoing through the air like the sound of a war horn. 

"Surrender!" 

"Surrender!" 

The booming shouts crashed down like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf the mountain. Those who listened felt their hearts tremble, and the raised spears seemed to illuminate the entire sky. 

The resonant voice hung in the air, and suddenly, a bloodied female soldier stumbled up the slope, collapsing before Xuan Yue. 

"Xiang Xiu Jie Jie!" 

Ya'er exclaimed in shock, rushing to embrace the blood-soaked Xiang Xiu. 

"What happened?" 

Xuan Yue knelt down, gently wiping the blood from Xiang Xiu's face. 

"I, along with a few other sisters on night watch, sensed something amiss and rushed to inform the princess. As we came up, we were suddenly ambushed. Hong Ying and the others… they are all dead." 

Xiang Xiu buried her face in Ya'er's embrace, weeping as she spoke. The others silently shed tears in response. 

"Lu Yi, take her down to tend to her wounds." 

Lu Yi accepted the command, gathering a few others to escort Xiang Xiu back to the tent. 

"Damn those bastards! Princess, Lu Zhu requests to fight." 

Kneeling on the ground, Lu Zhu gritted her teeth, her eyes ablaze with hatred. 

"Yi Lan requests the same." 

The rest followed suit, kneeling and pledging to battle. 

Since joining Xuan Yue's female army, they had grown close, their bonds deeper than those of blood sisters. Having spent years together in the jungles behind the Feng Kingdom's imperial tombs, they had only recently arrived in Lan Kingdom, with new members constantly joining. Now, suddenly losing a few sisters stirred a deep sense of anger and an overwhelming desire for vengeance against the Xuanyuan army. 

"Yue Ying, take a few people to scout who is leading the charge. Time is of the essence; act swiftly and exercise caution." 

Xuan Yue turned, pointing to several torchbearers behind her. "Return the items to their original positions." Then, she faced the dark expanse of the mountain below. "Ya'er, find someone to prepare breakfast." 

Xuan Yue instructed calmly, her composure unwavering, which helped to ease the tension among the others. 

Ya'er gazed at Xuan Yue's back, paralyzed into inaction. Being so young, in such a dire situation, she had little inclination to prepare breakfast. 

"After a night of fatigue, if we don't eat enough, how will we frail women muster the strength to battle the Xuanyuan army?" 

Xuan Yue chuckled lightly. 

She stretched, covering her yawning mouth with her hand. "I'm utterly exhausted; how dare they disturb my sleep? Such despicable creatures! They shall be taught a lesson." 

With a smile, Xuan Yue turned to Lu Zhu, Yi Lan, and the others, then retreated into the tent, with Bai Pingting and the others following closely behind her. 

"Princess, are you truly untroubled?"

For months, the Xuanyuan army had surged like a tidal wave, conquering vast swathes of territory. Now, their most formidable adversary lay in Fenglan, who had suddenly found herself encircled at Heifeng Ridge, forcing her to tread carefully. 

"Only when Yueying brings back news will we know," 

Xianyue closed her eyes and rested her head on the table. "You all should get some rest and replenish your energy." 

Seeing that Xianyue seemed disinclined to speak further, Bai Pingting and the others who had followed her inside asked no more questions. They obeyed Xianyue's instructions, finding a place to sit and closing their eyes to regain their strength. 

They had faith in their princess. 

Though Xianyue lay on the table with her eyes closed, she was not truly asleep, and neither were the others. 

This place was neither Feng Country nor Lan Country, nor any of the areas they considered safe. Although they had scouted the terrain before setting up camp, the unfamiliar surroundings necessitated heightened vigilance; it was truly remarkable that anyone could fall into a peaceful slumber. 

As seconds ticked away, a silence prevailed outside, and Xianyue lifted her eyelashes, squinting slightly as her heart gradually settled. 

Being aware of their encirclement did not come without fear or worry, yet under such circumstances, she could not allow herself to succumb to panic. Without Lan Yixuan by her side, there was no one to share the burden with her. If she, the commander, lost her composure, the entire unit would falter alongside her. 

Just yesterday evening, before setting up camp, everything had seemed fine; there had been no signs of unrest. Green Garb, ever meticulous, had trained her soldiers well enough to avoid such carelessness. In just a matter of hours, how could so many Xuanyuan troops have suddenly appeared at Heifeng Ridge? At this time of year, no matter the location, concealment was impractical. They must have been prepared well in advance, waiting for her arrival. 

If indeed there were hundreds of thousands of soldiers, no matter how cautious they were, it would be impossible to remain completely unaware. 

The ink-like blackness gradually faded, revealing a dim sky shrouded in heavy mist, obscuring everything in a veil that made visibility difficult. 

In the silent tent, even the sound of their breathing could be heard. 

After a prolonged pause, Xianyue pushed herself upright, resting her hands on the table. The slightest movement stirred the others who were seated on the ground, prompting them to open their eyes and gaze at her. 

Xianyue stood and lifted the curtain slightly, only to feel a gust of wind carry a chill and dampness past her. Lowering her gaze, she saw Yueying bent over, her body and hands glistening with dew, shimmering like crystal and exuding a frosty vapor that sent a shiver down one's spine. Her breath was visibly rapid. 

"Take a moment to catch your breath, then stand and speak slowly," 

Xianyue replied, her tone calm and steady, while Yilan and the others rose from the ground, brushing off their clothes and positioning themselves behind her. 

"Who is leading the troops? How many are they?" 

Yilan patted her chest, taking a deep breath to steady herself. 

"The leader is General Cen Can from Xuanyuan, with Fang He as his deputy. As for the number of troops, I am afraid I do not know." 

She had intended to investigate further but had been instructed by the princess to return quickly with news due to the urgency of the situation, thus she had learned of the commanding officer from a few Xuanyuan soldiers before hastily returning. 

"Is that so?" Xianyue passed by Yueying and patted her shoulder. "You've worked hard; go back and get some proper rest." 

Suddenly, Xianyue chuckled. 

"Princess!" At that moment, it seemed unfathomable that the princess could still find reason to laugh. 

"Yueying, select a few people to closely monitor the movements of the Xuanyuan army. If there's any sign of activity, do not return to report; just send a signal." 

"Sister Pingting, it appears we will have to stay at Heifeng Ridge for a few more days." 

Xianyue's lips curled into a confident smile as she turned to return to the tent to rest. Yet upon seeing the worried expressions on their faces, she felt compelled to clarify. 

"I believe they are merely trying to test us." 

Though it was a conjecture, Xianyue spoke with conviction. 

"If Xuanyuan Hao truly sought our demise, with his caution, he would likely take matters into his own hands. He is simply trying to gauge your abilities." 

This army of fifty thousand had yet to engage in any battle; their capabilities were an enigma to each soldier. In warfare, knowledge of both oneself and one's opponent is essential for victory; to face an adversary whose strength is unknown is intolerable for any commander. 

Thus, she surmised that even if Xuanyuan Hao was aware that Heifeng Ridge was her essential route, and had prepared thoroughly, it would be imprudent to launch an attack without knowledge of the opponent's capabilities. 

"When General Cheng's forces arrive—" 

At the thought of her sisters who had been slain, Green Garb was consumed with righteous indignation, eager to dismantle their enemies piece by piece. 

"We may not live to see that day." 

Cen Can and Fang He were no fools; they would not simply wait to be outflanked. 

Xianyue raised her hand, opening her palm toward the hazy, egg-white sky, raising an eyebrow with a slight smirk: "I wonder how long this fog will linger?"