Fu Yu stayed close to Sima Qing, but Jiu Yue did not.
After making her presence known among the soldiers in the camp, Jiu Yue led her horse away to wander—this was the task Sima Qing had assigned her.
Jiu Yue herself was utterly baffled.
If not for the travel supplies Fu Yu had packed still hanging from her horse, she might have suspected Sima Qing had exiled her.
Turning back, she saw Sima Qing meet with an elderly man clad in armor. Their joy was unmistakable, and soon the armored man warmly slung an arm around Sima Qing’s shoulders, leading him into the tent.
Jiu Yue pursed her lips and looked away.
That wretched Sima Qing, taking Fu Yu to feast while banishing her to walk the horse outside.
Muttering complaints under her breath, Jiu Yue climbed onto the horse’s back and sprawled across it, rummaging through the dry provisions sack until she fished out a stiff, dry flatbread. One bite took five minutes to chew.
Summer had arrived, and the sparse vegetation left the ground mostly rocky and barren. Even the horse, with little grass to graze on, stopped after a few steps, refusing to go further.
Sympathetically patting the horse’s neck, Jiu Yue dismounted before the bread could choke her to death, deciding to find something for her hardworking companion to nibble on.
Ahead lay a hillside with faint traces of greenery. Leading the horse there, she let it occupy itself before lying down on the slope.
The incline was perfect, and before her stretched the sunset, its golden-orange light painting the desolate land in a breathtakingly majestic scene.
Closing her eyes, Jiu Yue began thinking about Prince Ping.
If Prince Ping returned to the capital, Sima Qing would surely find a way to deal with him—perhaps even assign her a mission related to it.
Their encounter at Yunjiang had confirmed one thing: Prince Ping likely had never seen her true face.
Otherwise, even with two clumps of mud smeared on her cheeks, he would have recognized her… yet he hadn’t.
Not only that, but at Mingzhi Mountain, he had even hired ten martial artists to retaliate against Sima Qing—mere humiliation, leaving Sima Qing with only minor scrapes and bruises. Clearly, Prince Ping blamed Sima Qing for what happened that night at Yunjiang.
So once Prince Ping returned to the capital, the two would inevitably clash.
And she… could take advantage of the chaos.
Smirking at her own brilliance, Jiu Yue was interrupted by the wind carrying fragmented shouts…
Shouts? Who was yelling?
Suspicious, she opened her eyes—only for a chestnut-red blur to streak past her like an arrow.
Instinctively rolling to her feet, Jiu Yue squinted and saw it was a panicked horse, its rider a teetering… child.
Jiu Yue: "…"
Impressive. Truly a child of the frontier—so young, yet so daring.
Swiftly grabbing her own leisurely grazing horse, Jiu Yue gave chase.
Daring or not, the kid was about to get himself killed.
Fortunately, the chestnut horse wasn’t fully grown, and Jiu Yue’s mount quickly closed the gap. Up close, the child looked on the verge of shattering into tears.
As she drew nearer, Jiu Yue’s peripheral vision caught the hillside’s abrupt end—a sheer cliff!
Her expression darkened. This reckless brat was playing with death.
Seeing the child barely clinging to the reins, Jiu Yue acted. Timing it perfectly as the horses drew close, she reached out and seized the chestnut horse’s reins.
In a flash, she pushed off with her feet, vaulting from her saddle to land behind the child.
The added weight further agitated the already frenzied horse. It shrieked, galloping wildly and nearly throwing Jiu Yue off.
She reacted fast, gripping the mane to steady herself. The child, stunned by her sudden appearance, stopped screaming.
"Don’t be afraid. I’ll handle the horse—just hold on tight," Jiu Yue said sternly, her voice oddly reassuring. The child, not even wiping his tears, clutched the mane with both hands.
During the chase, Jiu Yue hadn’t spotted any injuries on the horse. Yet its frenzy showed no signs of easing—either it was hurt somewhere subtle, like its hooves, or its feed had been tampered with.
Still, the horse’s small size worked in her favor. Within the bounds of her control, she gritted her teeth and yanked the reins left, forcing a sharp turn.
Though the horse still bucked, its trajectory shifted.
"Hyah!" she barked, pulling so hard the horse reared, its head twisting midair. Its belly squeezed, it whinnied and bolted forward—now uphill.
Uphill was better than downhill.
Jiu Yue exhaled but stayed alert, wary of the horse veering downward again. As they neared the camp, the horse abruptly collapsed.
Startled, Jiu Yue grabbed the child by the collar and leaped clear.
The horse’s labored breathing suggested exhaustion.
Jiu Yue: "…"
Her eye twitching, she turned to send the child for help—only to find spears encircling them.
"Audacious thief! How dare you kidnap our young master!" A soldier thrust a torch toward her face.
Jiu Yue: "?"
The child, silent until now, rebooted with a wail so loud it shook the heavens, then buried himself in Jiu Yue’s arms.
Jiu Yue: "…"
Meeting the commander’s stunned gaze, she shrugged helplessly.
"Not kidnapping," she clarified with a polite smile. "Your young master came to me. Unless your eyes are broken, you all saw that, right?"
Commander: "…"
Soldiers: "…"
Spotting Sima Qing emerging from the tent, Jiu Yue’s heart sank. Without another word, she plopped the child onto the commander and effortlessly slipped through the crowd, sprinting downhill to reclaim her horse.
Disaster. Sima Qing had ordered her to stay low-key, and now this spectacle would cost her wages.
Sighing, she reached the slope to find her horse still grazing peacefully. After a moment’s silence, she sprawled across its back in despair.
Meanwhile, atop the hill, Xiao Chi wept at his grandson’s safe return.
"Grandfather, it's my fault... wu wu..." The little boy was clearly terrified, but still managed to admit his mistake. "I just wanted to practice one more time, but I don’t know why Ping’an suddenly wouldn’t listen to me... wu wu... Grandfather, I’m sorry..."
"It’s alright now, don’t be afraid." Xiao Chi comforted the child with a gentle pat on the head, but his expression darkened when he noticed the bloodstains on the boy’s collar. His gaze shifted to Sima Qing, his voice laced with relief.
"Wen Ye, this time... we owe it all to you." Xiao Chi couldn’t help but say.
Sima Qing hadn’t expected such an accident either... Yet as he glanced down at the reins soaked in blood, he fell into a brief silence.
"As long as the child is unharmed... That horse is no ordinary one, General. It would be wise to investigate thoroughly," Sima Qing murmured, his tone cryptic. "After all, we can’t guarantee there’ll always be someone nearby to save him in time, can we?"
Xiao Chi’s face turned grim.
