At the foot of Dragon Tooth Mountain, the thick fog had not yet dispersed, and the night wind howled.
Figures shifted among the woods and torches flickered as a team of over twenty people quietly assembled at the mountain trail entrance.
Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye arrived first, their cloaks fluttering in the wind with steady steps.
All around, the mountain forest felt oppressive and a biting chill surged in secret, carrying the unmistakable aura of a fierce battle right to their faces.
In a clearing among the trees, Shen Qingyan, Jiang Yuan, and the others had been waiting for a long time.
Li Hongye called out with a slight smile:
"Sister Qingyan, Brother Jiang."
Shen Qingyan turned around, dressed in a purple-patterned arrester's robe with a calm gaze, and nodded slightly:
"Chang'an, Hongye, you're here."
Jiang Yuan had a tall build, with a long-handled War Saber strapped to his back. A trace of fatigue lingered between his brows, yet his spirit remained high:
"You've come just in time. A moment later and you probably would have missed the excitement."
Gu Chang'an asked directly:
"What's the current situation?"
Jiang Yuan frowned and lowered his voice:
"Our men have already arrived, and the Commandery Soldiers are gathering at East Ridge. But Lord Lu Zhao has yet to show his face, and we're currently awaiting the Director's final orders."
Just then, a sound of steady footsteps echoed through the woods. A group of Martial Guard Division soldiers wearing black protective armor walked out from the trees, their armor neat and their expressions stern.
At the very front, the leading figure was tall with a rigid expression—yet it was not Lu Zhao.
It was Lu Kai.
He wore a cold look, swept his gaze over the crowd, and spoke in a voice like