36、第 36 章 Smoke ...
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Chapter 37 — Smoke Beyond the Border
The western road had disappeared beneath a cloud of dust, from the watchtower, the soldiers could see smoke rising from several points beyond the ridge. It was not the thick black smoke of a large army. It came in scattered columns, appearing here and there before vanishing into the wind. Whoever was attacking knew exactly what they were doing, they weren't trying to conquer the border but they were testing it. Xie Zheng rode toward the nearest settlement with twenty soldiers behind him. The farther they went, the more signs they found—broken carts, abandoned supplies, and fresh hoof prints cutting across the dry ground.
Then they found the first wounded messenger. He was lying beside the road, still conscious but barely able to speak. "Sir..." he whispered.
Xie Zheng dismounted and crouched beside him. "Who attacked you?"
The man shook his head. "I don't know."
"You must have seen them."
"They covered their faces."
Xie Zheng's eyes hardened.
"How many?"
"Not many. Maybe thirty."
Thirty men attacking several border settlements should not have been enough to cause this much confusion. Unless they weren't trying to fight bu they were looking for something. Xie Zheng stood. "Search the area."
The soldiers spread out , one returned several moments later carrying a broken arrow. "General."
Xie Zheng took it, the arrowhead was unfamiliar it's not Younis not Kharun or any weapon used by the tribes near the border. He turned it over in his hand. "Keep this." Another soldier came running. "General! We found their tracks."
"Where?"
The soldier pointed toward the hills. "They split into three groups."
Xie Zheng looked toward the horizon. Three groups,one had attacked the settlement,the second had drawn the border patrol away and the third—
His expression changed. "Where does the third trail lead?" The soldier hesitated. "Toward the old mountain road."
Xie Zheng immediately mounted his horse.
"Go."
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Back at the barracks, Suyuan was supposed to be resting buy she wasn't. She had wandered into the kitchen.
Ayao found her standing beside a pot, staring suspiciously at the cooks. "What are you doing?"
"I'm hungry."
Ayao stared at her.
"You could have asked me."
"I did."
"When?"
"Yesterday."
Ayao sighed.
"You're impossible."
Suyuan quietly took a piece of flatbread, then she noticed something. The cooks were preparing extra food.
"Why?"
Ayao looked around before whispered "For the soldiers returning from the western border."
Suyuan's expression became thoughtful.
"How many?"
"Several dozen, I think."
"Several dozen?"
Ayao nodded.
Suyuan slowly put the bread down."If only a small group attacked the villages, why would they need so many soldiers?" Ayao blinked. "I don't know." Suyuan looked toward the open doorway, the barracks suddenly felt different. There's too many soldiers were moving, too many horses were being prepared and the western watchtower had sounded the alarm twice. She had spent most of her life surviving by noticing things other people ignored. This felt wrong...
"Princess Suyuan."
She turned.
A young soldier stood at the doorway.
"General Su ordered you to return to the infirmary."
Suyuan frowned then, she looked toward Ayao.
Ayao immediately understood.
"That means you should probably listen."
Suyuan ignored her and walked toward the soldier. "What happened at the western settlements?"
The soldier hesitated. "Nothing serious."
Suyuan's eyes narrowed. "You just said that too quickly."
The soldier went silent while , Ayao covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Suyuan stepped closer.
"Tell me."
The soldier finally sighed. "Some unknown raiders attacked the settlements. General Su went to investigate."
Suyuan's expression changed. "Unknown?"
"Yes."
"Not Younis?"
Suyuan looked toward the western road again, something was bothering her. She couldn't explain why.
Then she remembered the black feather the messenger had brought, the same strange symbol that had appeared on her mother's map. Her fingers slowly tightened, perhaps the people attacking the border weren't searching for territory. Perhaps they were searching for something her mother had discovered.
And if that was true...
The map might not have been evidence left behind after the conspiracy. It might have been the reason the conspiracy was still alive. Far away, beyond the western ridge, Xie Zheng stopped his horse, his twenty riders had reached the old mountain road.
There were no enemies.
No abandoned camp.
No bodies.
Nothing.
Except a single wooden marker standing beside the road. Xie Zheng dismounted. The marker looked ordinary until he noticed the symbol carved into its surface. A black feather.
His hand slowly moved toward his sword, behind him, one of the soldiers whispered,"General..."
Xie Zheng didn't answer.
Because beneath the feather was another carving.
Three words.
THE PRINCESS LIVES!
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第36章 第 36 章
