But deep in his eyes, an unyielding flame still burned.
"I shall take my leave."
With that, Liu Shan boarded his carriage and returned to Ning'an City.
The members of the Left Prime Minister Faction followed with worried faces, including the Eagle-Soaring Army officers who had come from Jade Sun Pass.
Fang Yun gazed southward, watching the Eagle-Soaring Army's ranks dwindle into the distance. He let out a soft breath of relief, then turned and entered his carriage.
Jade Sun Pass held a position of vital importance, linking Ning'an to the capital. If it fell, Jing Kingdom would become the country in the history of the Ten Kingdoms whose capital had been surrounded by the Barbarian Race, leaving its name to stink for ten thousand years.
The carriage wheels rumbled over the ground as Fang Yun sank into thought.
The Barbarian Race could reach the city walls by tomorrow. What followed would be a battle comparable to the Battle of Bi and Shen, perhaps even surpassing it in certain respects. After all, the Great Demon Kings and Emperor Realm combatants in the Battle of Bi and Shen had not personally entered the fray.
Before long, Zhang Poyue sent a message.
"I just had a word with Tong Luan. Do you know why he did this?" Zhang Poyue asked.
"Let's hear it," Fang Yun replied.
"Oh! Now that you've risen so high, you can't even bring yourself to say 'I don't know' or 'please enlighten me'!"
"Mm."
Fang Yun's mind was entirely on the coming battle. He had no attention to spare for jokes, and that single syllable nearly made Zhang Poyue roll his eyes in exasperation.
"Forget it. I won't hold it against you. He said his grandson had died, but he couldn't seek revenge against you. He couldn't let