The sun rose, then set, and night fell...
In the small hours of the next morning, the party reached Beining City. Everyone except Zhou Hen exchanged their mounts for two fresh demonblood horses, rested for only a quarter of an hour, and set out again.
Though the road lay far from the Great River Defense Line, they still encountered scattered members of the Demon Race, all of whom Zhou Hen dispatched with casual strokes.
Lü Biao reminded everyone that they should not normally encounter demons here. This meant that more demons had marched south this time than they had imagined.
At noon, the party reached Zhenbei Pass.
They headed to the northern gate of Zhenbei Pass and took a short rest after having their documents stamped with the pass's official seal.
Sitting in a chair, Li Qingxian saw Zhou Hen take out his Communication Talisman Disc, then put it away and quietly give him a few instructions.
A quarter of an hour later, as the party led their horses toward the northern gate, a squad of soldiers suddenly rushed in.
Their leader was a towering, black-bearded man with a face like burnished copper, wearing the elephant-headed bronze breastplate of a Principal Fifth Rank officer. He was a full two sizes bigger than even the tall Zhou Hen, with immensely broad shoulders, a slightly hunched back, and hair that bristled in a thick, wild mass. He looked like a giant bear.
The giant held up a red-copper command token twice the size of a palm and said gruffly, "By order of the River Guard Army's Grand General King, Beichen City urgently requires reinforcements. You are hereby reassigned to Beichen City."
Li Qingxian looked at Zhou Hen, who remained motionless.
Lü Biao hurriedly cupped his hands. "Greetings, Daren. Your subordinate is acting