799 A Gif (1/2)

Azheba didn't know that he had just had a narrow brush with death. He was very surprised when someone led him into another tent and became even more surprised when he saw Prince Duodun.

”Who's this other person?” Duodun asked while struggling to subdue his anger. When the two were close enough to him, Duodun finally clearly saw that the one who had just taken off his hood was an old man who didn't resemble the Dragon King at all.

”This is Doctor Sun from Jade City. After hearing that many Norland soldiers were failing to acclimate themselves to the new environment and were falling sick, the Dragon King has sent Doctor Sun here to help us.” Azheba was concerned about the situation here and had had a premonition of disaster, which was soon verified when he saw the gagged Liman.

Doctor Sun was a little nervous. If the patient were Prince Duodun, he would've acted arrogantly, as not only did that satisfy his own sense of vanity, but it was also an effective means of stabilizing the patient's mood. However, the prince seemed vigorous, angry, and difficult to please, so he instead chose to be respectful. ”This humble subject of yours pays his respect to you, Your Highness. My name is Sun Zhihao.”

All of Duodun's companions pointed at Doctor Sun and yelled out, ”The Dragon King's capable of disguising himself. He must be a fake doctor!”

Doctor Sun was confused and asked, ”Why would the Dragon King disguise himself as me? I'm just an old man who barely has any hair left.”

Duodun's sullen face instantly lit up as he laughed out loud. ”A doctor's come to us. This is a favor from God. Someone find the doctor a decent room and take good care of him. He will treat our troops when he's rested.”

The moment Doctor Sun left, Duodun's demeanor changed again. There were a lot of people he had to punish, but the most pressing issue was to find the enemy. ”Where's the Dragon King?”

Azheba glanced sideways at Liman, who was shaking his head at him. Ye Chuo walked over and blocked Liman from Azheba's sight.

”The Dragon King left the city and didn't tell me where he was going.”

”How many men did he take with him?”

”There were five of them, including the Dragon King himself.”

Azheba had answered honestly, but Duodun was a little distrustful of his answers. However, the prince soon understood what had happened. Even as he thought about the situation, he ordered, ”Here's what you're going to do, Ye Chuo.”

Ye Chuo's tactic didn't work and he was starting to panic. Upon hearing Duodun's words, he walked forward hurriedly and knelt down before Duodun. ”At your service, Your Highness.”

”Take 500 archers and hunt down the Dragon King. I want a head, either his or yours.”

Ye Chuo was astounded. He replied ”Yes,” stood up immediately, and was just about to leave when Duodun stopped him. ”Don't run around like a headless chicken. Go check whether the Flame Foal's still here. If the Dragon King took it, then there's no need for you to go after him.”

”Yes, Your Highness,” Ye Chuo answered as his body was covered in cold sweat.

”The Dragon King must be heading south towards Shang Liao's army camp. You know the direction, don't you?”

”Yes, Your Highness,” Ye Chuo was unable to say any other words, but the prince still didn't indicate that he could leave.

Duodun turned around and faced Azheba once more. ”You're my most trusted man as well as a top-notch archer. Go with Ye Chuo and help him finish the job.”

”Me?” Azheba didn't expect that this task would be assigned to him. Yet the light of understanding soon dawned on him and he realized that this was a test of his loyalty. Liman's ”betrayal” had made the prince suspicious of his own men. ”Yes, Your Highness.”

The two companions accepted Duodun's assignments to them and left. Duodun finally flew into a rage as he shouted, ”Get me the herald and the scouts! They must have lost their eyeballs. If not, then why didn't any of them identify the fake Dragon King?”

Duodun's soldiers had seen Azheba and then made the mistake of assuming that the man walking side by side with Azheba could be nobody else besides the Dragon King. The distance was a little far so none of the soldiers had clearly seen the old face under the hood.

Gu Shenwei was heading south with Long Fanyun, Chu Nanping, Han Fen, and Shangguan Yun. His destination was precisely where Duodun had speculated he would go – the Restoration Army Camp of the Shule Kingdom.

Han Fen had volunteered to come because she needed ”a distraction,” while Shangguan Yun had been forced into coming. He reminded the Dragon King, ”Once we pass though Heaven's Pass, we'll be in the Western Regions, which means that the alliance between us will be over.”

”I'd like to give it a try,” Gu Shenwei replied.

After leaving the city, Shangguan Yun looked towards the east where Golden Roc Castle was located before saying, ”We don't necessarily have to be enemies just because we're no longer allies, Dragon King. How about I stop working for the Unique King and just sit on the fence?”

Long Fanyun snorted disdainfully. He would never forget how much harm this Third Young Master of Golden Roc Castle had done to the Dragon Army at Wu Mountain.

Gu Shenwei replied blandly with a single word. ”Okay.”

Han Fen rode forward and yelled happily, ”I want to sit on the fence as well!”

Everyone ignored her, but she didn't care and just pranced around in front of the others.

There were still some medium-sized checkpoints ahead of them, and Long Fanyun handled all the crossing procedures. He told those soldiers that he was the General of the Right as well as the envoy of the Shule prince, and they passed through all the checkpoints without any issues.

It was nearly dusk when the other group caught up to them. Long Fanyun was the first one to notice the sounds from behind them. He turned his horse and quickly glanced behind him before riding up to the Dragon King and reporting, ”It's Norland Cavalry, about 500 to 600 men.”

There was a small isolated hill ahead. Gu Shenwei had been here before and he still had a vague memory of the surrounding terrain. ”Go there and send them a signal.”

Long Fanyun grunted, ”Um,” and then glanced over his shoulder at the Norland Cavalry that were approaching rapidly one more time. He was concerned, but refrained from saying anything. He immediately spurred his horse on and rode towards the top of the hill.

Chu Nanping stayed by the Dragon King's side silently. But Han Fen asked in confusion, ”What should a person who sits on the fence do at this moment?”

Shangguan Yun had been staring at Long Fanyun's receding figure, believing that the Norland cavalrymen would undoubtedly arrive first. Even if Long Fanyun managed to miraculously conjure up reinforcements, they would never make it here in time. So, even as he bitterly smiled, he said to Han Fen, ”If you are sitting on the fence, then you don't have to do anything. If you want to stay, stay; if you want to flee, flee. Right, Dragon King?”