Chapter 527: First Volume, Chapter 527: When the Willows Darken and the Flowers Brighten

First Volume, Chapter 527: When the Willows Darken and the Flowers Brighten

The general clasped both hands on Qin Feng's shoulders, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Qin Feng's face, weathered by wind and sun, was dark and rough, yet his fingers remained slender—not the thick, calloused hands of a seasoned warrior, but clearly those of a scholar.

"You're… Qin Feng?!" the general asked tentatively.

With nothing left to hide, Qin Feng nodded decisively.

Confirming Qin Feng's identity, the general was overjoyed; he immediately bowed with a fist, voice trembling with excitement: "Your humble servant, Xiao Zhuo, Gate General of the Second Brigade of Gaoshan Country's National Guard, pays homage to Commander Qin."

As he introduced himself, the general performed a solemn bow.

Seeing Qin Feng and his guards severely dehydrated, Xiao Zhuo immediately ordered his troops to distribute their reserve water bags to the guards.

The guards, parched for days, looked like starving roughnecks spotting a maiden—despairing, numb eyes ignited with boundless light; they seized the water bags and drank greedily.

Qin Feng accepted the water bag from Xiao Zhuo, swallowed several times, his nose stinging—he never imagined that a man who had feasted on delicacies would one day crave such plain water so desperately.

Overcome with emotion, his hands trembled slightly.

The water, stored in the bags for too long, was sour and bitter; even livestock refused to drink it.

Yet to Qin Feng, it tasted sweeter than nectar; as the liquid flooded his mouth, it felt as if endless strength flowed into his body.

After draining the bag in one gulp, he reluctantly returned it to Xiao Zhuo and said wistfully: "General Xiao, do you have more water? I'll pay you one hundred tael… no, one thousand liang of silver—for another flask."

Obsessed with wealth, Qin Feng finally understood: in utter desperation, money was useless; for a single sip of water, he would gladly spend a fortune.

Ning Hu fared no better—he tore open the water bag with brute force and licked every last drop clean, then his greedy eyes kept darting toward the enemy warhorses, his thirst laid bare.

Xiao Zhuo smiled apologetically: "Commander Qin, our troops have consumed much water en route—we have none left to spare."

Hearing this, Qin Feng felt disappointment, but was immediately filled with confusion.

"General Xiao, how did you end up inside Beidi territory—and deep into this region?!"

Qin Feng couldn't fathom it; it made no sense.

Unbeknownst to him, Xiao Zhuo was equally astonished—he never expected to actually find Qin Feng.

"Commander Qin, you're unaware: from the moment you were besieged on Qingyu Mountain, our King of Gaoshan received word from Beixi County—sent by Qin Third Miss, via the Brocade Uniform Guards—who instructed us to patrol this area as a precaution."

"Besides us, three other cavalry units are searching day and night within a four-hundred-li radius for your whereabouts."

Qin Feng was stunned: "What?! Third Sister?!"

Xiao Zhuo nodded, silently marveling at Qin Third Miss's foresight, his eyes filled with admiration: "In her military dispatch, she wrote that Commander Qin was trapped on Qingyu Mountain; once your location was exposed, Beidi would spare no effort to send troops to crush you. Yet you would naturally fight your way out and escape Qingyu Mountain."

"With the Liang-Beidi border sealed and Beidi issuing nationwide manhunts, Commander Qin had only one option: risk crossing the Wuren District."

At this, Xiao Zhuo felt a surge of respect—crossing the Wuren District without proper preparation and insufficient water was like dreaming of daylight.

Though Qin Feng had failed, surviving nine hundred li to reach this place was nothing short of miraculous.

Most crucially, you still had over eighty men with you!

At that moment, Qin Feng's heart swelled with mixed emotions—he nearly wept.

"Third Sister… Third Sister…"

Qin Feng never imagined Li Xiaolan had laid a path of escape for him.

Throughout his life, Qin Feng had always viewed Li Xiaolan as cunning and ruthless—hence, among his four sisters, he feared her most.

Yet who could have guessed that the one who saved him at the last moment was this very cunning sister?

"Wait—I clearly remember Third Sister was helping the Chariot and Cavalry General fortify the DefensiveLine. How could she…?"

Before Qin Feng could finish, Xiao Zhuo answered bluntly: "From the moment news reached Beixi County, and the Brocade Uniform Guards delivered it to Qin Third Miss, it took two to three days. Qin Third Miss must have made her judgment immediately and dispatched the Brocade Uniform Guards to Gaoshan Country."

Qin Feng finally understood: Li Xiaolan wasn't prophetic—she had simply calculated every possible scenario, then thrown every resource at every possibility, regardless of cost, ensuring at least one plan would succeed.

Qin Feng was deeply moved, silently vowing: once back, he would repay Third Sister.

At that moment, Qin Feng noticed the soldiers behind Xiao Zhuo were staring at him strangely. Before he could react, the troops erupted in shouts.

"Commander Qin, you're divine! With so few men, besieged on Qingyu Mountain, you not only escaped, but raced here—only four hundred li from the Border! Anyone else would've been dead eight hundred times over!"

"The news has spread everywhere—even our Gaoshan Country knows of your glorious deeds! Ha ha! Even our Monarch says you're an unparalleled general!"

"Commander Qin, now that you're in Gaoshan Country, could you stay longer? Let us see how you train troops!"

"With only four hundred men, you first annihilated the Beidi Eagle Brigade Garrison Commander, then endured an ambush by Night Owls, retreated to Qingyu Mountain with two hundred, faced ten thousand enemy troops, slaughtered eight thousand, and still escaped with so many men—you're truly divine!"

Not just the common soldiers—even Xiao Zhuo's gaze burned with fervor as he looked at Qin Feng.

Beidi's two legendary generals: Zhong Ling was directly killed by Qin Feng; Chen Si was mired in defeat, constantly suppressed by Qin Feng—and now, with today's feats…

Xiao Zhuo sighed inwardly: as a mere Gate General, merely meeting Qin Feng made his life worthwhile.

Qin Feng, who had been clinging to life, never imagined his little exploits had become front-page news.

"How… does everyone know?!"

Xiao Zhuo clenched his fists, ecstatic: "Know? It's all anyone's talking about in Gaoshan Country—from ministers and generals to commoners—all are waiting for you, just waiting for Heroes' Welcome!"