The Commander-in-Chief

Xiaowan Kingdom's twenty thousand Dragon Army troops set out through the night. By noon the next day, they had caught up with Shulitu's main force, which had already broken camp. The cavalry from Tongtian Pass was still nowhere in sight.

The Western Regions soldiers were full of fighting spirit and showed no sign of fatigue, a far cry from what the Northern Court soldiers had expected.

Dugu Xian arrived even earlier. Aside from Tie Linglong, who had escorted him, he had brought no attendants. He wore a Northern Court-style short jacket, his beard was unkempt, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked no different from an ordinary refugee. At first, almost no one paid any attention to the weary, one-armed general.

As the army continued onward, Dugu Xian quickly washed and shaved, then changed into a general's uniform. From then on, he stayed by the Dragon King's side, talking as they walked with the strategist and the others.

From that moment on, Dugu Xian drew attention. Rumors spread, and by the time the army made camp that evening, many soldiers already knew his name. They were more accustomed to calling him "the One-armed man."

"Did you see how the Dragon King spoke to him? I've never seen the Dragon King be so polite to anyone."

"How many times have you seen the Dragon King?"

"I've seen the Dragon King kill someone."

His Highness the young prince seemed to know this One-armed man. They were laughing and chatting together.

"Yeah, I heard he used to be an officer in the Northern Court army. Then he joined the Dragon King and won a lot of battles."

The battle at Xiaoyao Sea had shaken the Western Regions, but ordinary Northern Court soldiers knew little about it. Now it was being brought up again.