Meanwhile, a thousand li south of Shu State Prefecture City, deep within a dense forest.

A clearing a hundred zhang wide had been carved out of the woods. Some trees were cut down to stumps, others were uprooted completely, and the ground had been leveled.

The area was illuminated by surrounding bonfires.

Within the clearing, dozens of temporary wooden huts stood in neat rows.

Hanging on the outer wooden fence were the red banners of the Xiao Family and wolf-head carvings of the Wumeng Mountain Race.

Several of the Xiao Family’s Personal Guard, clad in black armor, were patrolling the perimeter.

It was late at night, but Xiao Jinghong was not resting.

She was at her desk handling official business, her eyes beneath the half-armor mask as calm as still water. The wolf hair brush in her hand would either circle a passage or jot down a few words.

She worked quickly.

Lately, she had been overseeing the survey and design plans for the Mutual Market, which meant she could only handle the Dingyuan Army’s affairs late at night.

Fortunately, Su Zhenyue was there to help, organizing the documents by urgency ahead of time so that Xiao Jinghong could manage everything.

Otherwise, delaying these matters for even a few days would be detrimental to both the Mutual Market and the Dingyuan Army.

After an hour of work, Xiao Jinghong finished all the official documents. She checked them one last time to ensure nothing was missed before finally standing up and calling out,

"Zhenyue."

Outside, Su Zhenyue, who had also been writing at a desk, heard the call and hurried in.

Xiao Jinghong pointed to four stacks of booklets on her desk and gave her instructions.

"These four are about the summer harvest. Take them to Yan Hong and have him deliver them to the Capital Commandery tonight, without fail."

"As for the training of the New Army in the Profound Armor, Iron Wall, and Cang Lang Three Towns, a carrier pigeon will suffice. Tell them not to slack off, and that I will inspect them personally once I’m finished here..." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Su Zhenyue noted everything down, then gathered the booklets from the desk and hurried out.

After she left, Xiao Jinghong sat back down at her desk. She picked up a cold, hard pastry and ate it in small bites, washing it down with tea.

Though her expression was calm, her mind was still swirling with various matters.

Most of her thoughts were on building the Mutual Market with the Mountain Race, a smaller portion on the Dingyuan Army, and the rest on the Xiao Family.

The site for the Mutual Market had been chosen, and the contract with the Mountain Race was settled. Once the blueprints were drawn up, construction could begin in earnest.

With the combined strength of the Dingyuan Army and the Mountain Race, it would take less than half a year to attract merchants from all over Shu State, and even from the prosperous Jiangnan and Capital Prefectures of the Great Wei Dynasty.

By then, the Dingyuan Army would no longer need to worry about funds and provisions.

As for the Xiao Family...

Xiao Jinghong put the last piece of pastry in her mouth. After chewing it slowly, she took two letters from her robes.

One was signed "Chen Yi," the other "Chen Qingzhou."

She spread the two letters out on her desk. The one on the left was the first letter Chen Yi had sent her, which contained a poem titled "Thoughts of a Summer Night."

The one on the right, she had received just a few days ago.

It also contained a poem, this one titled "Two Thoughts on a Summer Night."

"Last night, the stars; last night, the wind. West of the Painted Tower, east of the Cassia Hall. We have no rainbow-phoenix wings to fly as one, yet our hearts are linked in perfect understanding."

Xiao Jinghong gazed at the elegant, glowing script of "Two Thoughts on a Summer Night," and the weariness that had settled in her mind over the past days began to ease.

Still, she found Chen Yi’s casual approach to naming his poems somewhat amusing.

’Since this one is "Two Thoughts," why wasn’t the previous one "One Thought"?’

’My husband was probably just being lazy.’

Xiao Jinghong had guessed correctly. When Chen Yi named the poem, he had indeed been too lazy to think of a new title.

But even so, she didn’t mind.

’In any case, the feeling of this poem is beautiful.’

’Our hearts are linked in perfect understanding...’

Xiao Jinghong sighed softly. Right now, her mind was completely focused on the Dingyuan Army, so when it came to Chen Yi...

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted. Her eyes turned cold as she looked outside the hut.

"You have come three times. What is your business?"

Her voice was soft, not disturbing the rest of the camp, yet it carried ten li to the ears of a Wandering Martial Artist with a long blade hanging at his waist.

It was none other than the "Sword Madman," Liu Lang.

At that moment, he gazed at the fire-lit camp in the distance, his expression no longer casual as it had been in Shu State Prefecture City, but solemn.

"Forgive me, General Jinghong."

Liu Lang spoke in a serious tone. "Although I have come three times, I had not made up my mind until just a moment ago."

In fact, he had found Xiao Jinghong five days ago.

He had intended to challenge her directly.

But the first time he saw her, the mere sight of her eyes—as tranquil as an old well—made him lose his nerve.

At that moment, a voice echoed in his mind— ’Don’t attack her. You’ll die!’

’You will definitely die!’

Liu Lang believed it without a doubt.

He trusted his intuition; it was the secret to how he had run rampant across the Northern Desert for so long.

So, that first time, he had retreated without saying a word.

But after two days of deep thought, Liu Lang couldn’t accept leaving without making a single move.

So he came a second time.

Again, he only took one look.

Again, his body trembled uncontrollably.

Having no other choice, Liu Lang retreated once more.

Until this very moment.

When Xiao Jinghong finally spoke to him, Liu Lang still couldn’t suppress the fear in his heart.

He couldn’t help but find himself ridiculous.

He was called the "Sword Madman," yet when faced with an opponent he truly could not defeat, even his blade grew fearful.

As he thought this, he gritted his teeth and continued, "General Jinghong, will... will you accept my..."

...challenge!

But no matter how hard he tried, that final word felt like a great mountain pressing down on him, impossible to speak.

Just then, Xiao Jinghong’s voice echoed around him. "You wish to challenge me?"

Liu Lang felt his tension ease, and he prepared to nod and say yes.

But the result left him dejected—his own body refused to let him nod, refused to let him speak.

A long silence followed.

Liu Lang gave up. Just as he was about to retreat, a figure appeared before him.

It was Xiao Jinghong, dressed in snow-white robes and wearing her mask!

Liu Lang froze. "You... you..."

Xiao Jinghong stood atop a tree branch, holding neither a sword nor a long spear, and simply watched him calmly.

After looking him up and down, she said lightly, "I’ll give you one chance. Draw your blade."

Liu Lang opened his mouth. "I... I..."

His hand moved toward the long blade at his waist, as slow as that of a withered old man.

But veins bulged on the back of his hand, and the True Essence within him circulated madly as he tried to gather his strength.

Without even realizing it, his goal had shifted from challenging Xiao Jinghong to simply drawing his blade.

’Just one strike! That would be enough!’

Steeling his resolve, Liu Lang’s face twisted into a crazed snarl as he roared.

"AHH!!"

His hand finally closed around the hilt, and he drew the blade with a fierce tug.

A single strike, one that condensed his life’s work and contained all his strength, was finally unleashed—

A flash of blade light, like a bolt of white silk, shot out a hundred zhang.

Its Sword Intent shone like moonlight, illuminating the entire area.

The wrinkled bark of the trees and their tender green leaves became clearly visible.

Anything in the path of the blade’s edge was cleaved in two.

But in the next moment—

"CRACK!"

A crisp sound echoed.

Xiao Jinghong had caught the long blade between two fingers, easily snapping it and holding the broken piece steady.

"Is that all?"

"I..."

Before Liu Lang could finish, Xiao Jinghong flicked her finger. The shard of the broken blade arced like a crescent moon, grazing his chest before sinking into the earth below.

In an instant, the storm in the forest seemed to cease.

No wind, no rain, no sound.

Xiao Jinghong glanced at him and said calmly, "This cut is the price for your insubordination."

"Get lost."

With that, Xiao Jinghong turned and headed back to her camp.

She was a General of Great Wei, not one of the Jianghu People.

If Liu Lang hadn’t spoiled her mood, she wouldn’t have even bothered to strike back.

"Wait, wait..."

Just then, Liu Lang seemed to snap back to his senses. He looked at the broken blade on the ground, then at the blood seeping from his chest, and said,

"You... you’re not going to kill me?"

"I... I robbed your Xiao Family, their medicinal herbs..."

Xiao Jinghong paused.

After a moment of silence, she said without turning back, "Next time you see your master, send him my regards."

"Ma-master?"

Liu Lang’s eyes widened as if he had realized something. "You... you..."

Xiao Jinghong ignored him, her figure flickering away into the night.

Liu Lang opened his mouth but said nothing more. He simply stared blankly at the treetop where she had stood, letting the blood flow freely from his chest.

Rain began to patter down through the forest, and gusts of mountain wind howled.

He stood there, stunned, for a long time.

Liu Lang’s gaze fell upon the distant camp, and he suddenly shouted.

"General Jinghong, Liu Lang will one day repay the mercy you’ve shown me with this strike!"

"And another thing! The ones who sent me to steal the medicinal herbs were the Liu Family of Jing State!"

"They’re planning to move against the Xiao Family Medicine Hall soon!"

A single word drifted back from the distance: "Understood..."