Mountain Pass.

"The rebels are descending the mountain, brothers, get ready." The Qin Army camp was in chaos. A large force had already entered the mountains, leaving only some old and weak soldiers behind to guard the camp. However, they had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, so they were not panicked, just a bit disordered. Shangguan Jian and his followers moved quickly, almost reaching the mountain pass in the blink of an eye, while the remaining Qin Army had just finished assembling.

"Don’t stop, just charge ahead, kill." Leading the charge, Shangguan Jian was at the forefront, wielding a sword in his right hand and a spear in his left. The Qin Army was numerous, and naturally required more time to form up, which played right into Shangguan Jian’s hands.

"Release the arrows."

Three rows of arrows shot out, instantly hitting several cavalrymen. Shangguan Jian swung his sword, deflecting the arrows. Archers were the nemesis of cavalry; a barrage of arrows, with cavalrymen being large targets, meant those hit and falling off their horses were likely trampled by rear cavalry even if they survived.

"Don’t stop, blindfold the horses, charge through." Shangguan Jian shouted loudly. With their eyes covered, the warhorses had no apprehension and charged directly at the shield formation of the army.

Bang.

The horse’s chest slammed into the shield, pushing it back, and the horse immediately lost its balance. Shangguan Jian, with his skilled horsemanship, forcefully twisted the horse’s head back to maintain balance. The cavalry behind him surged through the gap in the formation like a spear, piercing through this "shield" of the army formation.

"Break."

With just a single impact, Shangguan Jian and his guard directly "penetrated" the Qin Army formation, breaking through the front and charging out.

There was no moon tonight, the night was dark, perfectly providing Shangguan Jian the opportunity to flee. A hundred riders dashed into the darkness, disappearing without a trace.

"Brothers, head south; stop only at safe areas."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Southern County.

In two days, Ye Shikai led his team southward, encountering numerous Qin Army blockades along the way, mostly numbering in the hundreds or thousands. These were likely garrison troops from various counties. Though Ye Shikai continuously lost men, the spirit of this "ragtag army" remained. As long as Ye Shikai, the figurehead, was there, their combat strength should not be underestimated. These garrison troops from a few counties could not resist them. It seemed that though Nanyang County had received news of Ye Shikai’s uprising, they hadn’t had time to gather a large army. By the time they reacted, Ye Shikai had already led his team to Southern County.

"We finally arrived." Ye Shikai couldn’t help but sigh. Here was the border between the rebel and Qin Army territory. They were safe upon reaching here.

"Brothers, we have arrived at Southern County."

"What, we made it."

"Indeed, we’ve arrived."

"Yes, we made it."

The exhausted soldiers, eyes dull, faces grimy, appeared somewhat disheveled. But upon hearing Ye Shikai’s words, a trace of vitality appeared on their faces, followed by heartfelt excitement. Over these few days, they hadn’t slept for more than a few hours and faced constant blockades by the Qin Army, making it a true "hellish journey."

"Finally arrived." Ye Shikai dismounted. Arriving at Southern County meant there were no Qin Army pursuits, allowing them to find a place to settle, treat the wounded, and let the soldiers enjoy a full meal.

However, Ye Shikai wasn’t able to relax for long before a sense of heaviness gripped his heart. First, there was no news from Shangguan Jian and his guard; second, he didn’t know if He Linghan had safely reached Southern County.

"General, what do we do now?" Man Cang stepped forward to ask.

"We have no way to contact Hua Liandie, so we’re uncertain where to go. But since Southern County is already rebel territory, I think we should be able to find our way." Ye Shikai said lightly. In this era without telephones, finding someone wasn’t just a matter of convenience.

"But one good thing is that at least we’re safe now. I see a village ahead; why don’t we settle there and see if we can get some farmer’s meals." Ye Shikai pointed ahead. They had consumed countless rations over the past days, and the brothers were eager for some hot rice.

"Alright, let’s set off now."

Ye Shikai carefully observed the large village ahead. The surrounding terrain was flat, with many fields, appearing lively.

"This village should have over ten thousand people." Shangguan Jian analyzed; it was almost more like a settlement, perhaps several villages combined. In these troubled times, villagers naturally gathered for warmth, selecting young and strong men to form a militia to resist bandit attacks.

"More or less a large village."

Though the village was large, excluding the elderly, women and children, there were at most a few thousand young and strong men, and Ye Shikai’s troops numbered four to five thousand. A single village certainly couldn’t "support" them. Ye Shikai didn’t wish to disturb the populace, so he had the army camp outside the village, only asking the Three Elders to find some vacant houses for the wounded. They also requested village doctors to treat their injuries.

"Three Elders, my brothers are seriously injured. Thank you for your village’s help; for saving lives, Ye expresses gratitude on their behalf." Ye Shikai said, offering some gold and silver.

"No need to be formal, General, also, I’ve gathered some living supplies for you all. As newcomers, you’ll surely need them. Unfortunately, the village lacks many empty houses, so not all soldiers can lodge inside."

"The kindness of the Three Elders and villagers, Ye will surely repay in the future." Ye Shikai left the Iron Armor Army under Man Cang to guard the village, while he remained outside with others. The Three Elders provided them with some cooking utensils essential for their needs.

"Wan Qi Yuan, what’s the state of the cavalry?" Inside the camp, Ye Shikai was checking overall military status, finding losses more severe than anticipated.

"Not bad; over twelve hundred remain in the camp. However, many horses are injured, and after days of rapid travel, even the horses are worn out."

"Alright, we’ve finally found a settlement. Let the brothers take this chance to rest." Ye Shikai sighed. The cavalry was his "direct lineage." When under Han Hao, he commanded the cavalry, which grew to nearly three thousand. Now, less than half remained, and his heart ached.

"Yes."

"Additionally, we can’t secure supplies here, so our remaining food will soon be depleted. We must quickly find Hua Liandie. Deploy cavalry to gather intelligence. Also, being newcomers, we need to understand local forces. Conduct multiple recon missions; this task falls on you."