*Warning: The scene in this chapter might not be comfortable for readers below the age of 14 because of mild gore and violence described here*

"How are you today, Liu Ying?"

It has been four days since the time they left the temple. Yang Xian was still arranging the soldiers for their work and position, so the number of the soldiers have reduced. The wolves were still around Wei Liuying and only left occasionally when they wanted to hunt. It was as if Wei Liuying had become their mother, so they were unwilling to leave her.

Wei Liuying raised her head and noticed Yang Xian coming to the tent. She smiled. "I'm better than yesterday."

"That's good."

"When will we head to the Capital City?"

Yang Xian noticed Wei Liuying's eyes and sighed. "I do want us to head there faster so that we can finish as soon as possible. However, I can't do it without you fully heal. The risk of danger is simply too big."

Wei Liuying pursed her lips. The small wounds were no longer seen, but the areas that got shot by arrows were still hurting. It was already quite a miracle that she was still alive even after got hit several times. What they felt most relieved was the fact that there was no poison mixed on the arrow's head.

If there was poison, it was unknown whether Wei Liuying would be able to recover or not.

"I'll be fine soon. Are you ready?"

"There's no need to worry, I have already sent the necessary messages and prepared what we need," Yang Xian replied with a smile. He raised his hand and lightly caressed Wei Liuying's head.

Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "What are you doing, Strategist Yang?"

"I'm checking your wound."

"I'm not wounded at my head, though?" Wei Liuying glared suspiciously at the annoying strategist before her. Sometimes, she felt that there was something missing from his brain because his action was unusual.

Yang Xian chuckled. "I know, but I think that I still need to check if there's any wound."

"If you're worrying that my intelligence is affected by this incident, you don't have to worry. I'm perfectly sure that I can handle everything properly."

"Is that so?"

The tone that Yang Xian used sounded a bit odd. Wei Liuying couldn't put her fingers into it, but she felt that this strategist was behaving in unusual way today.

"What happened?"

"There's nothing."

"Are those people from the tribes saying something that bothers you?"

Yang Xian locked his gaze to Wei Liuying. Two pairs of dark irises were looking at each other before he broke the stalemate. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

Hearing that question, Wei Liuying merely pursed her lips. She might not do anything but recuperating here, but it didn't mean that her brain stopped working. She knew that Yang Xian had been going back and forth to one of the huts in the village.

From what she heard from the soldiers, it was an abandoned hut that they used to take care of prisoners from the battle previously.

"Is there something important?"

"The advisor said that this is not only their plan. There might be other tribes that had already entered Han Shi Kingdom's land." Yang Xian's eyes glinted with anger. The thought of those tribes trying to harm the people close to him made him feel angry. He didn't want it to happen in the slightest bit.

Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Have you asked the general and other commanders about the groups that they allowed to pass recently?"

"I have, but there's no answer yet."

"I see."

No wonder Yang Xian seemed anxious. If there were more tribes who were trying to attack Han Shi Kingdom from inside, there was no doubt that they might be facing wars. Not to mention, the damage would be big.

"Do you know the name of the tribes?"

"He didn't want to speak."

Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Bring me there."

"You?" Yang Xian asked in doubtful tone. If he was not wrong, Wei Liuying had never interrogated anyone before. In the past, the task of interrogating was always handed to someone who had gotten used with it. Wei Liuying would stay at the back.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? The sight is not nice to see."

Wei Liuying let out a laugh. "When I see the underground prison back then, do I look bothered with it?"

In the past, Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng had brought Wei Liuying to their secret underground prison. In that place, Wei Liuying had seen how cruel the treatment to the prisoners could be. They also didn't hide the torture that they used to extract information from the prisoners.

Yang Xian opened his mouth then nodded. "Fine. Come with me."

"Thank you. But before that, can you tell me who the man is?"

"He's the advisor…." Yang Xian proceeded to tell everything he knew regarding the man's identity to Wei Liuying. There was not as much information they had regarding the advisor since Tu Tribe was located at the east.

However, they still managed to find out some matters.

Wei Liuying walked behind Yang Xian with the large wolf behind her. Some soldiers were looking at her with curiosity, but they didn't dare to come close. Aside from the fact that the wolf looked scary, they didn't wish to hinder Wei Liuying's recovery after such a hard battle.

The house was located outside the village. It used to be the place of a hunter who loved to stay outside, but the hunter had died many years ago due to some reasons. Since then, the hut was left empty.

There were several soldiers that Yang Xian had placed in front of the door to guard the man inside.

"I'm going in," Yang Xian said.

The soldiers nodded and opened the door. Even though their eyes landed on Wei Liuying for a split second, they didn't ask anything.

As the door opened, the putrid smell along with metallic tang of blood assaulted their senses. Wei Liuying's eyes were calm as she scanned the small room. There were only some hunting materials there that was left behind.

Her eyes moved to the middle where a man was tied to the chair. There was a pool of blood below him at the location of his legs. Just one glance was more than enough for Wei Liuying to see that the man had lost all of his nails. Probably, Yang Xian had plucked them off when the man didn't want to tell the truth.

There were several other scars on the man's body, but Wei Liuying didn't pay much attention. If she was not wrong, Yang Xian must have destroyed the man's martial arts and also dislocated his arms.

He looked pitiful right now.

"Liu Ying…" Yang Xian called out, worrying about her reaction.

Wei Liuying turned her head to look at Yang Xian. The calm gaze within her eyes hadn't changed in the slightest bit. It was as if she was not seeing a gory sight but rather a normal scenery one could find anywhere.

"What's your name?" Wei Liuying turned her head around and asked.

The man jolted awake. He raised his head, which showed that his face was deformed a bit. It might be the result of Yang Xian punching him due to impatience or it might be part of his attempt to extract information not long ago.

"A child?" The man asked in hoarse tone. "Have you gone insane in asking a child to come here, Yang Xian?"

Yang Xian didn't like looking at this man, but he stayed silent and leaned back on the wall. His dark eyes were looking in their direction without any hint of interest.

It was as if he was only a spectator.

"You haven't answered," Wei Liuying replied back unhurriedly. Her eyes were scanning the man's appearance and clothing. Based on the material of the clothing, he should have been someone of high rank before.

'Advisor is respected in Tu Tribe.'

"Why should I answer the question of a brat like you?" The man snapped and roared. Afterwards, he had a coughing fit because his throat was dry.

Wei Liuying kept her composure and didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest bit. She paced around the room, looking at the advisor in the middle while analyzing his actions properly.

"Tu Tribe only send half of their men here. I wonder what they're going to say if we send forces to eliminate the rest."

The man was stunned for a moment, but then he laughed. Tribes at the north were living nomadic lifestyle. It would be impossible for them to be captured so easily.

"You're talking nonsense. There's no way…"

"Near Yi Tu Hill, there's a long river. While it is frozen almost all the time, everyone needs water to live. Tu Tribe will not be able to stray far away from the small river."