The horse beneath Lu Qingwan was flying, and she shouted back, "How long will it take to deal with those thousand Imperial Guards?"
"At least two hours. The Red Robe Cult Master personally led the troops. They must have started by now!"
The whistling wind distorted the voices, and Lu Qingwan chuckled, "That's perfect. Let's go help Xue Hongyi and finish this quickly!"
Lu Qingwan knew that leading troops in battle was not her strong suit, so she hadn't planned to stop King Jizhou from entering Zhongzhou through conventional means from the start.
Whether King Jizhou wanted to rebel and become emperor himself, or seize the throne for his good son Si Fengchi, it made no difference to Lu Qingwan as long as King Jizhou died within Donghuang Pass.
Therefore, from the moment she left Ziyang Pass and headed straight for Donghuang Pass, she was aiming for King Jizhou's life.
Hearing that King Jizhou had a thousand Imperial Guards protecting him, she was slightly annoyed. She hadn't expected Xue Hongyi, that scoundrel, to be so bloodthirsty, and Feng Xiwu to appear with the Black Armored Army from who knows where.
It was as if they had coordinated, leaving her no chance to act.
As she galloped to Donghuang Pass and saw the Black Armored Army and the Wei Wu soldiers fighting, Lu Qingwan was dumbfounded.
"Where did these people come from?"
Ying Shi was also stunned, "Mistress, they look like the Black Armored Army?"
"Of course, I know they're the Black Armored Army. I'm asking where they came from!"
Lu Qingwan stared blankly at the familiar armor and banners, almost questioning if she was dreaming.
Even in a different location, the Black Armored Army fought the enemy without mercy.
Listening to the passionate shouts of the Black Armored Army soldiers, Ying Shi quietly reminded Lu Qingwan, "Wangfei, weren't we here for King Jizhou? Isn't this an opportunity?"
Lu Qingwan snapped back to reality, "Find King Jizhou immediately. Remember, King Jizhou can only die within Donghuang Pass!"
"Mistress, please rest assured. Judging by the situation, King Jizhou won't be able to escape the pass!"
As Ying Shi spoke, she blew a bamboo whistle, and a similar whistle responded from not far away.
Without needing her to say anything, Lu Qingwan already saw that familiar figure, and then that graceful figure landed steadily in front of Lu Qingwan.
"Xue Hongyi?!"
Lu Qingwan gasped in surprise, "Why did you change your clothes? I almost didn't recognize you!"
Xue Hongyi touched his nose uncomfortably, "Do I need to report to you about what I like to wear?"
That was the same annoying tone.
Lu Qingwan didn't banter with him, "Since you're here, it means you're the one Ru Yue sent to deal with the Great Qin Imperial Guards, right? Have you dealt with King Jizhou's thousand Imperial Guards?"
"Still dealing with them!"
In the middle of the night, Xue Hongyi didn't bother fanning himself. He stood with his hands behind his back, his chin slightly pointing in the direction of King Jizhou.
"Those thousand Imperial Guards are not a problem, but I must remind you, the two thousand Imperial Guards scattered throughout Great Qin are the most troublesome. Whether they are skilled or not is another matter, but they hold evidence of crimes committed by all the civil and military officials. Even for the upright officials who haven't committed any crimes, they have fabricated numerous excuses to control them, just in case those people keep silent when Prince Rui's identity is exposed one day. If you don't find these things in time, even if King Jizhou's treason has irrefutable evidence, that group of old fogeys in the imperial court will risk their lives to save him."
Lu Qingwan was slightly startled, then understood. Since King Jizhou and Empress Lan dared to cuckold Emperor Gengshi so thoroughly, they would not be without defenses. However, "Where is King Jizhou?"
"There, on the rampart."
Xue Hongyi pointed and sneered, "He's quite clever. Seeing your man arrive, he ran towards the outside of Donghuang Pass. Unfortunately, my people intercepted him. You should thank me. If your man had pursued him out of Donghuang Pass, then there would be more than just King Jizhou to be accused of treason."
Donghuang Pass was like a throne placed in the open. It could be left unused, but others could not sit on it. Whoever sat on it would die, or at least be given an undeniable death sentence. King Jizhou knew this, which was why he deliberately ran towards the outside of Donghuang Pass, wanting to drag Feng Xiwu down with him.
Lu Qingwan didn't say another word. She leaped into the air, stepping on the shoulders and heads of numerous soldiers, and sped towards King Jizhou.
Xue Hongyi was stunned, "It's only been a year, and you've learned my sect's Cloud Sparrow Shadow. Amazing!"
As he spoke, he lightly tapped his toes and immediately gave chase. His lightness skill was identical to Lu Qingwan's, who had left earlier, and even more steady and graceful.
Donghuang Pass, due to its special significance bestowed by the Great Qin's founding emperor, was not as magnificent as Ziyang Pass. In fact, to facilitate troop movements, the area inside and outside Donghuang Pass was flat, meaning there weren't many places for King Jizhou to hide near Donghuang Pass. He was also not a master like Lu Qingwan and Feng Xiwu, lacking the courage to leap from the rampart. He could only play hide-and-seek with Xue Hongyi's men under the rampart, protected by the Imperial Guards and Wei Wu soldiers.
However, such a tedious game was meaningless when encountering someone as unorthodox as Lu Qingwan. Snatching a rope from a small soldier's shoulder, she tied a large knot and threw it from a distance. The dignified King Jizhou was caught by the neck like a horse. With a pull and a tug, the Imperial Guards were hesitant, and the Wei Wu soldiers were powerless. They watched helplessly as King Jizhou was dragged out of their protective circle by a rope. Xue Hongyi was also startled by Lu Qingwan's brilliant maneuver. Once he reacted, he rushed forward to intercept those Imperial Guards who intended to recapture King Jizhou.
The members of the Reincarnation Hall quickly adjusted their strategy, prioritizing Lu Qingwan's protection while killing the Imperial Guards. Lu Qingwan, however, paid no mind and dragged King Jizhou onto the rampart. The rampart had already been occupied by the Black Armored Army. Seeing Lu Qingwan, the soldiers saluted her one by one. Lu Qingwan didn't stand on ceremony, "Find me a quiet place."
The closest young soldier pointed to a concealed bunker used for cover, "Wangfei, there's a bunker inside. It's absolutely quiet."
"Lead the way." Lu Qingwan, dragging King Jizhou, walked directly towards the bunker. The young soldier, realizing what was happening, quickly followed and led Lu Qingwan into the bunker. Li Qing and Jia Ping Shuang Yue, who had belatedly followed, rushed in and saw Lu Qingwan break King Jizhou's ankles with a few quick movements. With every move Lu Qingwan made, the leading young soldier's small body trembled.
Li Qing, seeing this, found it both amusing and helpless, "Are the soldiers of the Black Armored Army afraid of this?"
The young soldier silently shook his head and said nothing. Li Qing stood in front of him, "Alright, you can go out now. If the Prince sends someone to look for us, tell them the Wangfei is busy." The young soldier scrambled out as if he would be neck-snapped by Lu Qingwan if he was a moment slower.