Return to Camp

The entire military camp was surrounded by the Imperial Guard. Shulitu's thirty thousand troops had shrunk back to the main tent at the center of the camp, facing an enemy several times their strength in trembling terror.

The Imperial Guard stood in formation, fully armed and mounted, half-drawn bows in hand. They welcomed the Dragon King's unexpected return with silence and suspicion.

Gu Shenwei stopped beneath the camp gate. His right hand held the reins while his left hung behind his back, swaying gently. Han Wuxian and the others understood the Dragon King's meaning and slowly retreated. Only Han Fen charged forward without hesitation, and no one had time to stop her.

Han Fen always tried to keep as far away from the hall master as possible.

"Who is the leader?" Gu Shenwei asked loudly, without stopping Han Fen from approaching.

His voice carried far, but not a single soldier stepped forward.

"Who is the leader?" Han Fen repeated. "We're all men. Don't be so coy."

"You deceived us with a fake head." A cold voice came from the crowd. "The Imperial Guard fought for you, yet your reward was to defile the sacred name of the Old Khan King with an ordinary man's corpse."

The corpse and head brought back under Molin's direction had been recognized as fakes. Gu Shenwei knew he had returned a step too late and could only brace himself to meet the challenge. "I never showed the corpse to anyone, nor did I ever claim it was the Old Khan King."

"We've all heard that you planned to trick us with a fake corpse into believing that the Old Khan King was merely flesh and blood, but you hadn't had time to carry it out." A grief-stricken voice shouted.

Gu Shenwei spread his arms. "Let