The Allied Armies

The Dragon King had returned. Only Li Man and Han Fen rode behind him; not a single Naihang tribesman was with them, and no hoofbeats sounded in the distance.

The soldiers' disappointment was plain to see. None of them were cowards, but once they had pinned their hopes on the Naihang Tribe's hundred thousand cavalry, not seeing them felt like a tremendous loss.

"Two hundred thousand!" an old soldier shouted.

Gu Shenwei reined in his horse.

"Luoluo is leading an army of two hundred thousand. They'll arrive in another seven or eight days," the old soldier explained. While the Dragon King had been away, more and more accurate reports had come in.

"What do we do?" The soldiers asked one another in a jumble. They had heard that the military adviser and the young prince had persuaded the generals. Everyone was waiting for the Dragon King's decision.

"Fight," Gu Shenwei said, enunciating each word.

The camp gates fell utterly silent. No one objected, but no one cheered, either.

Li Man announced loudly, "The hundred thousand Naihang cavalry have already turned east. If we don't move soon, we'll fall behind them."

"Did the Dragon King bring the Naihang Tribe back?" a soldier asked excitedly.

"The Naihang Tribe will serve as our vanguard and block Luoluo's army," Gu Shenwei said.

Cheers thundered through the camp. Gu Shenwei had not even reached the main tent when the news had spread through almost the entire encampment. It was reduced to a few words: the Naihang Tribe was joining the war.

Shulitu and Fang Wenshi led the way, and all the generals came out to welcome him, gazing eagerly at the Dragon King. Still astride his horse, Gu Shenwei said, "General Zhesu has already led the cavalry toward Qianqi Pass. Shulitu's army will rest for