Chu Qing followed Branduo's tribesmen and headed west along the Ritu River towards Mount Kazé.
However, as they walked, Chu Qing couldn't help but feel that something was amiss.
Logically speaking, if it was just a matter of stalling for a while, Batu'er should have caught up with them by now.
But so far, there seemed to be no movement behind them.
Could it be...
Something had gone wrong?
Chu Qing frowned. Instinctively, she felt that she needed to go back.
Looking at the old people, women, and children in front, Chu Qing decided that she couldn't let that young man get into trouble.
After feeling that there was no discomfort in her lower abdomen, she was even more determined to go back. If she really encountered danger, she should be able to escape.
With that in mind, Chu Qing called Lvluo to her side and whispered instructions, "I'll go back to check. You go ahead with them."
"Your Ladyship!" Lvluo was shocked, "This is out of the question! If Your Ladyship is going back, this servant will follow you to the death! Otherwise, if anything happens to you... this servant... how can this servant face the Prince of Ning!"
Lvluo knew that her mistress valued the Prince of Ning very much.
In Chu Qing's eyes, there was an unwavering determination, "Be good. You'll only hold me back if you follow. I know martial arts. Without any concerns, I can definitely escape. But if you insist on following, it will be harder for me to get away."
"But Your Ladyship..."
"This is an order," Chu Qing continued in a solemn voice.
Seeing this, Lvluo's eyes turned red, and she nodded in agreement.
Seeing that Lvluo obediently closed her mouth, Chu Qing was satisfied. She stroked her head, then whipped her horse. The horse immediately turned around and carried her back.
On the vast grassland, if she followed this river back, there should be no problems.
...
Batu'er watched the battle not far away and came up with an idea.
The snipe and the clam fight while the fisherman catches both. He had read this in a military book from the Central Plains.
Since the two sides were already fighting, he might as well conserve his strength. After they both suffered heavy losses, he could come and reap the benefits.
However...
He seemed to have underestimated the speed of the battle...
It seemed that Aqitu's people were no match for that other group. They quickly fell into a disadvantage. Before Batu'er could react, those men in black, with Aqitu's people as captives, were coming towards his direction.
???
Was the battle over so soon?
Batu'er frowned. It seemed that these men in black were not the people of Wumushan or Baharnao.
Then... if they weren't...
Could it be...
The Black Cloud Army? The Prince of Ning?
According to the rumors, wherever the Black Cloud Army went, it was like dark clouds pressing down on the border. And these people were wearing neat black armors...
The Prince of Ning... he was here?!
The excitement instantly showed on Batu'er's face. He gave a shout and immediately rode his horse towards them.
Sure enough, at the front of the group opposite, there was a man sitting majestically on a black horse. The sharp look on his face could make one's heart tremble even from such a distance.
...
Wei Ying originally thought that he would see Chu Qing soon. Instead, he saw a group of sneaky people who seemed to be about to launch an attack.
Judging from their clothes, they should be from the Aqitu tribe.
Humph, Aqitu?
For some reason, he found the Aqitu people extremely annoying.
Without hesitation, Wei Ying directly ordered an attack.
Undoubtedly, this Aqitu team was beaten without any power to fight back and could only beg for mercy.
After the battle, when Wei Ying was about to continue on his way, he found another team galloping towards them.
The one leading the way... seemed to be a young man?
Oh? A young man?
The Branduo tribe?
Humph, he finally found them! They even dared to come?
"Attack for this King," Wei Ying curled his lips and coldly issued the military order.
Batu'er galloped towards the Prince of Ning excitedly. Who would have thought that the other side suddenly accelerated? The black army rushed towards him like a black tide without any explanation.
No way?!
The smile on Batu'er's face instantly froze.
Right!
Batu'er slapped his head hard. He was such a fool!
The Prince of Ning didn't know his purpose of "kidnapping" the Princess of Ning... He might think that the Princess of Ning had suffered a lot in his hands...
Ah!!!
Batu'er wanted to wail to the sky, but now was not the time for him to be distracted and think about so many things.
The Black Cloud Army had already reached him. Those people with cold faces stabbed their long spears at him without saying a word.
Fortunately, Batu'er was very agile. He bent down on his horse and managed to avoid the attack.
"Your Highness, the Prince of Ning! It's a misunderstanding!" Batu'er tried to get close to the Prince of Ning while dodging the attacks.
Wei Ying naturally heard the other person's voice. Although the coldness in his eyes didn't fade, he still loudly gave the order to stop.
Without the attacks from others, Batu'er let out a sigh of relief. Then he rode his horse to the side of the Prince of Ning.
Wei Ying looked up at the young man and coldly said, "What misunderstanding?"
"We're not enemies! It's all a misunderstanding! The Princess of Ning is now safe and sound with my tribesmen in a safe place! It's hard to explain everything clearly in a short time. If Your Highness trusts me, I'll take you to find her now!" Batu'er immediately replied concisely.
First of all, he needed to tell the Prince of Ning that he wasn't an enemy!!!
As for the rest... maybe he should let the Princess of Ning explain...
After all, he was just a nobody...
Wei Ying still had a cold face and said seriously, "If you dare to deceive this King, this King will surely make your tribe disappear from this grassland."
"..." Batu'er paused. Instantly, a surge of anger welled up in him. But it only lasted... for an instant.
Angry as he was, he knew that the Prince of Ning's words were not an empty threat.
"If I deceive you, may I be buried deep underground for a thousand years after I die," Batu'er said seriously.
All the tribes on the grassland had a common belief.
That was that after death, people should be given a sky burial and return to the embrace of the sky. If they were buried deep underground, they would never be reincarnated. Only those who were unforgivable would be buried underground.
This oath was one of the most solemn oaths for the grassland people.
Wei Ying knew a thing or two about this. So when he saw the young man swear so seriously, his expression finally softened.
"Lead the way."
...
Because Chu Qing was pregnant, she didn't ride her horse too fast. But because she was in a hurry, she could already feel a tightening sensation in her lower abdomen.
Holding the reins with one hand and supporting her lower abdomen with the other, Chu Qing instinctively slowed down.
"Little one, you have to hold on," Chu Qing murmured in a low voice.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, she heard the sound of horse hooves not far away.
Chu Qing frowned and looked into the distance. When she saw the black army opposite, the frown on her face gradually relaxed.
"Little one, look at that young man at the front. Does he look like your dashing father!"