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With a slightly embarrassed blush on her face, Feng Xinglie broke free from Ling Yuxiang's hand, took Ta Yan's hand, and jumped up. Her beautiful eyes swept across the battlefield, and in the blink of an eye, she had regained the arrogant demeanor befitting the Great Qin Wind King. She looked at Ling Yuxiang with a clear gaze, as if to say something pointedly: "Your reinforcements arrived at just the right time... Let's use facts to explain what I didn't finish saying."

Ling Yuxiang frowned slightly, his mood suddenly becoming much heavier.

Feng Xinglie raised his voice, clear and loud, his inner strength carrying his words far and wide. Amidst the shouts of the people, his words were like a thunderclap, clear and unmistakable: "Feng Xinglie hereby thanks Prince Ling for everything he has done for the people of Great Qin. At this moment, settling them down is the first priority. All surrendered soldiers will follow the Lie Army; someone has prepared rations for you. As for the details of our gains and losses with Prince Ling, we will discuss them in detail tomorrow at noon."

The refugees' shouts paused for a moment, then rose again with even greater enthusiasm. What they lacked was nothing more than food. For these people who always focused on practical benefits, a steamed bun was far more useful than a hundred profound words of wisdom. Ling Yuxiang had to praise Feng Xinglie's shrewdness for this move.

Before she finished speaking, she had already spurred her horse, mounted her divine steed, and galloped away, leading the Blazing Cavalry. In no time, they had disappeared without a trace.

Ye Piao and Ling Yuxiang's followers were naturally extremely disappointed that they did not get to see the true face of the Great Qin Wind King.

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[Border Storm: Chapter Twenty-Five - Where Should We Step?]

When Ye Piao and the others met up with Ling Yuxiang, they were shocked. Looking at the two dark circles on the face of their prince, who had never looked so disheveled, they felt extremely strange.

On the battlefield, isn't it all about open combat and swordplay? Who would be foolish enough to use their fists against a master like Ling Yuxiang? Besides, Ling Yuxiang wasn't injured at all; swords and spears couldn't even touch him. Whose fists were so powerful that they managed to beat him up like this? Such a handsome face, ruined on the battlefield. If word got out, how many young girls' hearts would be shattered!

Seeing the endless confusion in everyone's eyes as they stared intently at him, Ling Yuxiang could only manage a dry laugh.

"Marshal Feng accidentally hit it during the chaotic battle. It's a minor matter, you shouldn't take it to heart."

Zi Mo shook her head, expressing serious doubt about his explanation: "Feng Shuai's martial arts seem to be no less than the Prince's. Zi Mo's martial arts are not even as good as the Prince's. In the chaos just now, he didn't indiscriminately attack anyone he saw. Besides, wasn't Feng Shuai using a broadsword? Why did he abandon the sword and use his fists to fight the Prince? This doesn't seem like an unintentional mistake, does it?"

Upon hearing Zi Mo's words, the other guards also voiced their opinions, earnestly demanding further explanation from Ling Yuxiang. Many of them had blazing anger in their eyes. They were joking; their prince had been inexplicably beaten! If they could swallow this insult, where would the face of the Great Ling War God be? So what if he was the War God Feng Xinglie? Did he think he could just lay a hand on their prince?

Ling Yuxiang stammered, his words incoherent, his head throbbing. He recalled the meaningful look in Feng Xinglie's eyes as he left, yet knew he couldn't reveal her identity so easily. Finally, he couldn't help but slap his horse's back, adopting the airs of a prince: "What else is there to ask! Just remember, you absolutely must not harbor hostility towards Commander Feng! And even more so, you must not harbor any thoughts of revenge against Commander Feng, otherwise, if I find out… hmph!"

Although no one dared to ask further, the questions in the air grew heavier. The guards exchanged glances, silently offering their opinions: What on earth was wrong with the Prince? He was siding with outsiders far too much! Although Feng Xinglie had helped them a great deal, it wasn't exactly as a friend! The appearance of Lie Jun had led away 200,000 refugees, showing that they had their own agenda and might not have had any good intentions. What was the Prince's purpose in protecting Feng Xinglie like this?

At this moment, Ling Yuxiang had no idea what his subordinates were thinking. He touched his eyes and rubbed his still somewhat cold hands, a silly smile spreading across his lips.

This strange smile sent chills down the spines of Ye Piao and the other guards who were closest to him.

It took the entire afternoon for the refugee army to withdraw. The more than 10,000 light cavalry of the Lie Army were busy distributing the dry rations for the next few days to the more than 200,000 refugees and reorganizing them. They were so busy that they were dizzy and couldn't spare the time to deal with Ling Yuxiang. In order to settle these people, Feng Xinglie had to postpone the date for their reunion and detailed discussion for a few more days.

Because they were all too busy, Xi Suifeng and the others didn't have time to get to the bottom of Ling Yuxiang's matter.

In four full days, the reorganized refugee army had taken initial shape. Xi Suifeng was very skilled at training troops, and he had arranged their living and training for them. Those who wanted to join the army could stay, while those who did not could take three days' worth of rations and find their own way to survive. However, almost none of them were willing to leave. In time, they would no longer be a ragtag army.

Suddenly, there were over 200,000 more mouths to feed, and Feng Xinglie in the large tent felt his head was about to explode.

The development of Liecheng is still unstable. It's such a small town, and due to the face of Qin, trade and communication with the outside world have not yet been implemented. It's practically a military city! The money was all stolen by Xi Suifeng when he was suppressing bandits and robbers. However, with war and chaos everywhere, which bandit has any money to offer? They should be grateful if they can support themselves! Moreover, most of them turned to serve the Lie army after their defeat. The number of people is increasing, but the money on hand is decreasing. If it weren't for that moment when Youlan Youyou secretly sent a sum of money from Qin and Qing, Xi Suifeng probably wouldn't have been able to support the situation to this point on his own.

In reality, Feng Xinglie is not short of money; if you were to say she is the richest person in the world, probably no one could refute it. The Dark Moon Gate is not just an intelligence station; its true scale is almost unknown to anyone except the Netherworld Guards and Feng Xinglie herself. Even Xi Suifeng and the other members of the Blazing Flame Riders have not had an in-depth understanding of it.

Where in the world doesn't the Dark Moon Sect have commercial establishments? Brothels, restaurants, banks, inns, trading companies, assassination agencies, intelligence brokerage—they'll open anything that makes money. Overt or covert, they'll use whatever means are effective! The most important quality of the Ten Guardians of the Netherworld isn't superior martial arts, but a broad vision and a knack for business and intelligence gathering.

These industries are not connected, and their deployment is extremely secretive. At first glance, the owners are people who have absolutely no connection with them. For example, the Dark Fragrance Pavilion in the capital of Ling Kingdom, who would know that it is a secret base of the Dark Moon Sect?

If you run a small business, you have to be mindful of others' attitudes; if you run a large business, others have to be mindful of your attitudes.

If the world were unified under a single, supreme emperor, business development would indeed face numerous obstacles. If the emperor were in a bad mood one day, he could discover your hideout and wipe you out, leaving you with nowhere to turn. However, this is a chaotic world, the realm is not yet settled, and everyone controls their own territory. If you take down one, I'll take down another. What right do you have to interfere with other countries? It's not that no country has suspicions or interest in the Dark Moon Sect, but they fear its deep involvement and, to avoid serious damage, have to turn a blind eye.

Even the most powerful nations have Netherworld Guards stationed in their capitals. In the event of any sudden change, Feng Xinglie can find them as quickly as possible, just like the Shadow Guards lurking in the capital of Ling Kingdom. How extensive and far-reaching is this business network? Although Feng Xinglie has no ambition, it's safe to say that with the influence of this network alone, she could control more than half of the economy of many countries.

For example, the current chaos and instability in the Qin state is largely due to Youlan's meddling.

But if Dark Moon Sect has money, that's Dark Moon Sect. Where will the Fierce Army get its money from?

Feng Xinglie couldn't very well openly announce to the world that Dark Moon Sect was her business, could she? That would be outrageous! Her title as a War Goddess was already prestigious enough; if she were to add a massive and terrifying business intelligence network, wouldn't the emperors of those countries be afraid to unite and fight to the death to uproot those businesses? Between nations, there are no permanent enemies; when interests are at stake, what wouldn't they do?

However, without a stable income and development, such a large number of people can be supported, but they cannot settle down.

Do you think refugees are really stupid? Right now, hunger is taking up all their time to think, but once they're fed, they'll have plenty of time to think. Just a little thought will tell you that the Liejun army doesn't have a stable source of income; what will they rely on to make a living?

Tens of thousands of people could temporarily settle in the towns occupied by Xi Suifeng, but hundreds of thousands of people seemed far from enough.

It's not that we haven't considered these issues, but when they come into close focus, they seem rushed.

In chaotic times, one must rely on oneself to survive without depending on others! But that means rising to prominence, establishing independence, and taking on responsibilities that cannot be easily relinquished. Even a warlord represents a vast territory! But who will shoulder this responsibility?

Which way should we go? Where should we take this step?

One wrong move and the whole game is lost. If she makes a mistake, will she suffer a crushing defeat like last time?

Feng Xinglie closed his eyes slightly and calmed himself down, but unexpectedly a fiery red and handsome figure popped into his mind.

Do you remember those days when Ling Yuxiang sat by her bedside, his arm around her shoulder, holding her hand, looking into her eyes, coaxing her to take her medicine, forcing her to detoxify, gazing at her with the gentlest eyes, and embracing her with the warmest body heat? He said with utmost seriousness, "Leave anything to me in the future," and with utmost sincerity, "I will definitely help you share your burdens and solve your problems."

At the time, she laughed it off and didn't think much of it. But perhaps Ling Yuxiang wasn't joking. Perhaps he had already foreseen that their situation would eventually develop like this? Ha, weren't they kindred spirits? Couldn't they be called soulmates?

confidant……

Suddenly, I recalled that clear, gentle voice, cold yet powerful.

"Xinglie, hesitate. This thing should not belong to you."

A gentle, graceful woman with smiling eyes, a woman among women, embodying all beauty and charm, the eternal dream of countless men. Yet, just like her, she possesses an incredibly resilient character, never compromising with anyone.

She once jokingly asked, "You are water, and I am fire, so why can we understand each other so well?"

She smiled gently and gracefully: "Water and fire are the same at their core."

Lianji, you're right. How could someone as hesitant and timid as me be worthy of the name "Feng Xinglie"?

With a sudden realization, Feng Xinglie stood up decisively, already having made up his mind. Judging by the time, the Ling army's forces had probably relaxed; it was time.

He immediately summoned a soldier outside the door, wrote a letter, and instructed him: "Send this to General Ling's camp and tell him that Feng Xinglie has invited him out to discuss the aftermath."

After this explanation, Feng Xinglie couldn't help but smile knowingly.

How could we not have a tacit understanding? That battle, with coordinated efforts from both sides, could not have been fought without such a tacit understanding. How could we have dared to fight it? Neither you nor I are the kind of people who like to take risks. If that person hadn't been me, if that person hadn't been you, I believe we probably wouldn't have made that choice.

Believing Qin Han was forcing myself to believe, but believing you was...

You can't help but believe me!

[Border Storm: Chapter Twenty-Six - The Princess's Visit]

With the situation on the border largely settled, Ling Yuxiang's army remained stationed at Tianping Mountain for several days. Although the three-way allied forces were completely annihilated, the southern rebel army he had intended to deal with had vanished without a trace. The encirclement and suppression measures had been in place for several days, but still had no effect.

Ling Yuxiang summoned his trusted soldiers to his tent every day and berated them one by one.

"So many days have passed, and there's still no news. That rebel army must number at least several thousand. How could they be so quiet when they're supposed to be moving? If you can't even handle this small matter, don't ever say that I, Ling Yuxiang, led this group out when you go out in the future!"

Everyone couldn't help but chuckle. The prince's joking manner didn't sound like a reprimand at all; it sounded more like he was venting his resentment.

Zi Mo said in a serious tone, "Your Highness, we are not familiar with the terrain of the Southern Frontier. It is not impossible for them to hide tens of thousands of people in the mountains and forests without us discovering them. Your Highness is never in a hurry when marching. But Your Highness, you have been acting resentfully lately, as if possessed by a ghost. What is going on?"

He glared at her angrily and scolded, "Nonsense! Believing in such strange and superstitious things!"

Ye Piao, with a blank, expressionless face, chimed in with a dissenting voice: "If it weren't for being possessed by ghosts or spirits, why would Your Highness be so restless all day long? Even after learning of the Princess's death, Your Highness wouldn't be so disorganized and reckless!"

"Could it be that His Highness is afraid of Feng Xinglie?"

"Why does Your Highness keep glancing towards the Lie Army?"

"Your Highness, count for yourself how many times you've gone around in circles in just this short time."

"Your Highness is always confident in battle. This group of troops is not a formidable enemy. Even if you are prepared, there is no need for such panic."

“Every time military intelligence arrives, Your Highness, you stare anxiously at the messenger. But if it’s not from the Lie Army, your eyes look completely different, dimming many times over!”

"Do you think we're blind and can't see the truth? How can we follow Your Highness like this? This is exactly how Your Highness was when you were worried about the Princess!"

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, each offering their own opinion, working in unison to leave Ling Yuxiang speechless. He possessed immense charisma; though his authority on the battlefield was unmatched and his orders unchallenged, his confidants all knew that joking with him was no big deal in private.

"Is it that obvious?" His tone was full of doubt, clearly indicating that Ling Yuxiang, the perpetrator, was completely unaware. Had they all figured it out? Their eyes seemed to know the situation perfectly well, but that couldn't be right; they hadn't seen Feng Xinglie that day. Could it be that these subordinates were all quick-witted and had already suspected some kind of special relationship between him and Feng Xinglie?

Good heavens! Judging from the situation, it seems to be a consensus reached after discussion. I wonder if it has spread throughout the army. The thought of everyone looking him up and down with those peculiar, ambiguous gazes sent a chill down Ling Yuxiang's spine, even though he wasn't overly concerned. He was both embarrassed and furious: "What are you thinking!"

Veteran Hong Qi stepped forward, patted Ling Yuxiang on the shoulder, and gave him a knowing smile. Everyone else looked at Ling Yuxiang with an understanding expression.

"I think Your Highness should stop hiding it. It's just that you've taken a liking to Miss Lianji! Although the Princess Consort was wonderful, she's gone now. You still have to get married and have children to carry on the family line. Now that Your Highness likes Lianji, don't worry about Feng Xinglie. Men are all about tactics! If Feng Xinglie doesn't tell you where Miss Lianji is, won't Your Highness go find her yourself? Although Feng Xinglie is outstanding, Your Highness is also a peerless hero. Who knows, Miss Lianji might fall in love with Your Highness at first sight?"

Ling Yuxiang was utterly dumbfounded, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. These bastards, their imaginations were truly boundless! Why weren't they this perceptive during the war? Lian Ji? They actually brought her up! What "most beautiful woman in the world"? Nobody had ever seen Feng Xinglie's true face! In his eyes, a thousand Lian Jis wouldn't be worth one Feng Xinglie!

Upon seeing Ling Yuxiang's speechless silence, everyone assumed he had tacitly agreed, and the entire camp burst into laughter.

"Report!" A discordant voice suddenly came from outside the door. Ling Yuxiang frowned and let the voice in.

"Your Highness, the Lie Army has sent a letter requesting that Your Highness come over to discuss the aftermath."

Ling Yuxiang was overjoyed and eagerly took the letter, opening it quickly. He read it all in a flash, his expression brightening considerably. He turned and hurriedly ordered, "Commander Lie has asked me to go alone. You all stay in the camp. Do not act on your own before I return!" Before he finished speaking, he was already outside the tent, leaving in a great hurry!

"There's no need to rush..." Zi Mo shook her head, her eyes wide.

"Your Highness is even more nervous than I was when I was looking for a wife." Han Ruo, this big guy, grinned foolishly, and Hong Qi and the others couldn't help but burst into laughter again.

Ye Piao was somewhat numb. It was good that the prince had found new motivation, but secretly she felt sorry for the princess. The prince shouldn't be the kind of man who was promiscuous. She could only hope that the girl Lian Ji was truly an extraordinary woman as rumored. In Ye Piao's heart, she had never really thought much of Lian Ji either. At least after meeting the princess, Lian Ji couldn't compare to her at all.

After Ling Yuxiang left, in less than a quarter of an hour, everyone lost their mood for chatting and laughing. Just as they were about to disperse, a soldier who rushed into the tent to report almost bumped into Han Ruo.

"General..."

"What's wrong?" Ye Piao raised an eyebrow when she saw his anxious expression. "What happened?"

"The prince had barely left when a handsome young man dressed in black, as dashing as a god, arrived, saying he was from the Lie Army and wanted to discuss something with the prince. I came to inform the generals, but he arrogantly frowned and accused us of being disrespectful. Without a word, he attacked and knocked down several of the guards. There were over twenty of us trying to stop him, but he just waved his folding fan, and we couldn't stop him no matter what we did. Recently, the prince has transferred everyone to training, and before leaving, he repeatedly instructed us not to attack the Lie Army. We don't know what to do. That man strolled over leisurely, but he was very fast. He'll be here soon!" The soldier hurriedly and hastily gave a rough account, which already caused everyone in the tent to turn pale with fright.

"What kind of Liejun is this! This is outrageous!" Without thinking, Ling Ke jumped up and was about to rush outside.

But then a very clear and bright laugh was heard, which made everyone in the tent stop moving in an instant.

"I'm just here to visit this tent, and you've made such a big show of welcoming me. I must have quite the influence!"

Ye Piao and Zi Mo were shocked, exchanging a surprised glance. This... this incredibly arrogant tone, this familiar voice, how could it sound so much like...

Ling Ke and the other three were also completely stunned. Although they hadn't spent much time with Feng Xinglie, they had firmly remembered the meeting between Ling Yuxiang and Feng Xinglie that day. Their princess's natural arrogance and sarcastic tone were something that others probably couldn't imitate. Who was this person?

The curtain was gently lifted by a corner of a folding fan, and then, the stunningly handsome young man, dressed in magnificent black robes and with a red ribbon tied in his hair, suddenly appeared in everyone's sight with a smile in his eyes.

An eerie silence enveloped the area!

No mistake! The Princess! Damn it! This…this is the Princess! Ye Piao and Zi Mo's eyes practically lit up, but then they thought again and realized there was something strange about this. The Princess wasn't dead? The Princess even claimed to be a member of the Lie Army? The Princess…

As soon as he stood still, a sharp and sinister gust of wind swept towards him with a "whoosh!" The gleaming dagger was covered in a sinister green, undoubtedly coated with a deadly poison that would kill on contact with blood! Even the slightest scratch would be fatal, and even a celestial being couldn't save him!

"Feng Xinglie! Die!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Xinglie's melodious cold laugh froze in the air. He suddenly opened his folding fan and easily blocked the unexpected sneak attack with a deflection and a parry: "What a disappointment. He and I both hoped that this situation would not occur. Unfortunately, there are ghosts in this camp, and they will surface sooner or later."

With a swift snap of the fan, several extremely powerful bursts of internal energy were unleashed, instantly sending the person in front of him spitting blood and tumbling back to the center of the tent.

"General Hong!" Han Ruo stared in disbelief as the newcomer beat his respected old general to the point of vomiting blood in just a few moves. His anger reached its peak. Ma Zhiyun, who had never seen Feng Xinglie before, also roared and charged at him upon seeing their man suffer. (Wow, Xiao Xiang, come quick! Your men are doing something inappropriate to Xiao Lie!)

With a faint smile, Feng Xinglie dodged, his folding fan drawing an arc in the air. With a skillful deft touch, he deflected the two burly men, sending them spun around several times before regaining their balance.