Chapter 233

Chapter 233: Heartless and Ruthless

Qi Shu Xian swiftly spun his horse around, grabbing the reins of a captured steed. He called to his soldiers and pursued the small group fleeing ahead.

The one leading the enemy seemed very young, closely guarded by his men.

Qi Shu Xian’s heart stirred with suspicion—[Could it be Northern Di’s First Prince, Lu Yang?]

He quickly urged his soldiers forward, determined to catch the enemy commander.

Most of his troops had already moved ahead to support the main battle, but if he could capture the Northern Di prince, he would gain leverage—even if he failed to rescue Governor Xu’s family.

He snapped his whip, urging his horse to run faster.

The enemy ahead glanced back and clearly noticed Qi Shu Xian, yet surprisingly didn’t change course. Had Qi Shu Xian not already ridden through that area himself, he might have thought it a trap.

Nevertheless, he cautiously instructed his men to remain alert.

At that moment, the enemy leader shouted in broken Sheng language, “I know you’re from Sheng Kingdom, trying to save Xu Qi Shan’s family! His family is trapped inside one of these burning barracks! Let me pass, and I’ll tell you exactly where they are. Save them and claim your reward. Otherwise, they’ll be burned alive!”

Qi Shu Xian sneered and continued his pursuit, dismissing the enemy’s words as lies.

Seeing that Qi Shu Xian wouldn’t yield, the enemy leader made a bold move, charging straight toward the burning barracks. After he leaped across, his men swiftly set more fires behind them, blocking Qi Shu Xian’s path.

Qi Shu Xian halted at the fiery barrier.

“Deputy General Qi! What now?” Li Ming An asked urgently.

Qi Shu Xian scanned the surroundings, then pointed firmly, “Circle around that way!”

They rushed onward, eventually cornering the enemy squad near another burning barrack. Long spears pointed sharply at the enemies, and Qi Shu Xian wore an icy expression.

Yet the enemy commander’s gaze remained locked on the flames behind Qi Shu Xian.

“Move aside!” he shouted fiercely, eyes burning red. “Let me pass, and I’ll tell you exactly where Xu Qi Shan’s family is. Any later, and they’ll surely perish!”

Qi Shu Xian stood unyielding. “Impossible—unless you surrender.”

Neither would budge. The enemy leader whipped his horse forward, charging directly at Qi Shu Xian. Qi Shu Xian raised his spear, swiftly parrying the blow.

Instantly, the battle erupted.

Qi Shu Xian’s martial prowess was exceptional, yet the enemy’s strength numbed his hands briefly. They exchanged fierce blows, dozens in mere moments, until Qi Shu Xian finally triumphed, knocking his foe from the horse. He leveled his spear at the man’s throat.

“Remove your helmet!” Qi Shu Xian ordered.

The fallen enemy merely laughed defiantly. Li Ming An quickly stepped forward, yanking off his helmet, revealing a surprisingly ordinary face.

Qi Shu Xian frowned deeply—according to rumor, all four Northern Di princes were exceptionally handsome. [This man… wasn’t Lu Yang?]

“You’re not Lu Yang?”

The man laughed louder, eyes bitter and mocking. “Of course I’m not the First Prince! You Sheng Kingdom people truly are heartless! Knowing your own people are held captive, yet you set fire to the barracks. For uncertain glory, you abandoned them! Ha, hahaha…”

He pointed dramatically to one burning structure. “See that barrack? Xu Qi Shan’s family is right there. Open it now, and you’ll find them—but they’ve probably burned to death by now!”

His laughter echoed harshly.

Li Ming An stared at the blazing barracks, swallowing hard. Indeed, it was one of those they hadn’t yet searched.

The rest of the Northern Di soldiers were already subdued, leaving only flames roaring. Qi Shu Xian ordered Li Ming An to quickly investigate.

As Li Ming An prodded the wreckage, he suddenly froze.

Inside lay two bodies, one larger covering a smaller one, seemingly trying to shield the child from the fire. Beneath them, he found a jade token, hot to the touch.

Qi Shu Xian took the token, the engraved character ‘Xu’ burning painfully into his eyes. His grip tightened around it as he turned sharply toward the prisoner.

“Who exactly are you?”

“Me?” The prisoner laughed bitterly. “Just a dead Northern Di soldier.”

Without hesitation, he rose suddenly, ignoring Qi Shu Xian’s spear, and lunged into the flames, embracing another burning corpse.

“Sister! I’ve come to take you home!” His voice, tinged with sorrow, echoed hauntingly through the inferno.

Though Li Ming An and the others couldn’t understand Northern Di speech, they stood frozen, deeply shaken.

Qi Shu Xian recalled Governor Xu’s words: that Northern Di concubine had lived secretly as a spy since childhood. Indeed, the enemy leader was no nobleman—he was just a soldier desperate to reclaim his sister’s body. For this, he had even betrayed Governor Xu’s family.

Realization struck Qi Shu Xian harshly, leaving no time for regret. “Withdraw!” he commanded sharply. “They deliberately sent this man to delay us!”