The sky darkened rapidly, and by the time they had crossed the Cangtou River lying ahead, the sun had already set, and the entire grassland was suddenly shrouded in the dimness of night.

But soon, countless lights flickered ahead.

Thousands of bonfires instantly illuminated the vast grassland, and from afar, one could see many figures moving about. As they drew closer, those people also noticed their arrival, and immediately a group of cavalry came forward, leading the army behind Ashina Zhuxie to the other side, while he personally rode into the dazzling light with Shang Ruyi and a few trusted soldiers.

The river they had just crossed was called the Cangtou River, and the vast, flat grassland in front was the Cangtou River Valley. Because it backed onto mountains and faced the river, rich in water and grass, the Western Turks’ temporary Yatai was stationed here.

It wasn’t until they approached that Shang Ruyi could fully see the whole Yatai.

The Western Turks had built barriers of large stones half the height of a person on both sides of the valley. Within the camp, using a large straight path in the center as the axis, countless tents were scattered across the broad grasslands on both sides. The sky had already darkened, and bonfires burned brightly in front of each tent, illuminating half the sky; while directly ahead, the two mountains already blended into the night, must be the Dragon and Tiger Mountains her father had told her about in the past. Near the mountain’s base a high platform built with huge stones stood, atop which a massive King’s Tent dominated like a palace, overlooking its subjects with an aura as majestic as it was fierce.

Shang Ruyi could not help but hold her breath.

The memories of her childhood travels to the Turks were very distant now; for a long time, she had almost forgotten this part of her life, but when the sharp, biting wind sliced across her cheeks, the dense earthy fragrance and grassy scent in the wind instantly drowned her back into those ocean-like memories.

She vaguely remembered being not even as tall as her father’s thigh, yet stumbling and following him as he didn’t mind her trouble, letting her trail like a little tail between these tents. Thus, she watched him speak Turkic one moment, Han another, at times amiable, at times stern, navigating between different people.

At that time, she had no idea what he was doing.

"Father..."

A wave of emotion swept through her heart.

At this moment, a sudden roar came from ahead!

In such a silent night, even though countless Western Turk soldiers occupied the tents around them, they were quiet and made no loud noises, the roar, however, burst like a voice of heaven, startling everyone in the Yatai.

Everybody around also showed a shocked expression, raising their heads to look ahead.

Shang Ruyi quickly snapped to her senses, looking forward. The roar seemed to come from a person, and the direction it came from appeared to be from the Yatai on the high platform.

Whose voice was it?

As Shang Ruyi was puzzled, a whisper came from beside her.

Turning her head, she saw Ashina Zhuxie softly speaking to Baqi, evidently a trusted deputy general who was always by his side. That person took orders, immediately dismounted, and ran forward.

His direction seemed to be a large tent at the side below the high platform, slightly smaller than the King’s Tent.

That place is—

Shang Ruyi gazed afar, and saw a group of people approaching along the wide straight path ahead.

It was a squad of Western Turkic soldiers, each wearing leather armor, tall and powerful. The two soldiers walking in the front held torches, illuminating the leading figure.

Shang Ruyi focused her eyes, seeing that the person was around thirty years old, slight in stature, and despite wearing a thick long robe, he appeared much narrower than the soldiers beside him. His face was sharp, with small round eyes gleaming with cunning, combined with a pair of slightly comical mustaches on his lips, making him resemble an old rat turned into a spirit.

He stepped forward, grinning as he saluted Ashina Zhuxie: "Prince."

"Lord An Yi."

Ashina Zhuxie looked at him and smiled: "I didn’t expect you to personally welcome me."

An Yi?

Shi Shu An Yi, a favored minister by Shali Khan of the Western Turks.

It is said that Ashina Shali listens to him in every matter, not just because this person is eloquent, cunning, and adept at sycophancy, but also because of his father Shi Shu Huxi—this man served two generations of Turkic Khans, constantly stirring conflict between the Turks and the Da Ye Dynasty, nearly sparking border wars multiple times; later, Shang Ruohong and Princess Qiancheng conspired to eliminate this man, along with a series of strategies, finally successfully splitting the Eastern and Western Turks.