BOOM—!!!
A deep, thunderous crash, like a meteor slamming into the earth, exploded without warning in front of the army's formation!
A violent blast of air mixed with dust burst outward, blowing so hard no one could open their eyes. Warhorses neighed in panic, and the ranks instantly fell into chaos.
"Wh-what's going on?!" Kiana hurriedly reined in her startled white horse and stared uncertainly toward the dust-choked front. "An earthquake? Or have the strange beasts come again?"
Jackal was startled too. She instinctively pressed a hand to the weapon at her waist, her gaze locked tightly on the swirling dust ahead.
As the dust settled slightly, a figure could be seen standing leisurely at the edge of a shallow crater, patting nonexistent dust from his hands. It was Mo Wang.
He looked with great interest over the dark mass of troops before him. His gaze swept across them and quickly fixed on the girl in Tang attire riding the white horse, and the black-robed masked figure beside her.
"Halt!" Though shocked, Jackal did not lose her composure. She reacted first and shouted sternly, "Who goes there! How dare you obstruct His Highness the Second Prince's royal army and disturb our formation? Are you an accomplice of the traitor Kongming?!"
When Mo Wang heard that, not only was he unafraid, he burst into loud laughter. His laugh was bright and even a little arrogant. "Me? I never change my name, standing or sitting. I am Lord Kongming's number one run—cough, number one general, Mo Wang!" He deliberately paused, correcting the words "running dog" that had nearly slipped out, then planted his hands on his hips and lifted his chin slightly. "I heard you blind fools came here to make trouble for my Haji Stelle?"
As he spoke, his gaze moved