As I headed north, I kept in touch with Officer Zhao by phone, handing over matters of internal administration and military affairs before preparing to flee to Qinghe Commandery. Of course, the thirty hundred thousand troops in the Outer Pass Commandery could not simply remain idle. Their daily expenses were enormous. If this continued, we would collapse on our own before the emperor's army even came to wipe us out.
Therefore, occupying Qinghe Commandery and developing larger immortal crystal pastures was the only long-term plan. Officer Zhao had no objections to my departure. In fact, this was already one step in everyone's plan. Senior Brother Yan knew a great deal about Qinghe Commandery and could accomplish many things on his own, but in the end, I was still needed to mobilize the entire army. Thus, we planned to scout the way with just the two of us this time.
"We've received quite a few reports about the remnants of Qilin Commandery, and we've made contact with several groups. But I heard that the entire army of Qilin Commandery scattered like a fireball exploding, and no one knows which troops are following whom. However, I heard that a suspected elite unit has begun infiltrating from the north of our Outer Pass Commandery. Their leader's surname is Song. It might even be Song Wanyi. How about that? Pretty big news, right?" Officer Zhao told me.
"What!" I was both shocked and delighted. If the leader's surname was Song, the odds that she was Song Wanyi immediately increased considerably. And if they were elites, then they might very well be my former companions!
"I can't be certain either, but one thing is clear: this unit is large and powerful. The emperor's troops are no match for them at all. I imagine they must