After five long days of traveling, Shad and his troops were getting very close to Ozuna City, the biggest city in the south and also the territory of the Tulip family. They were almost a day away from the city.

The sun rose up into the sky in the morning. The sky was cloudless. Everyone packed their things including Shad after a long night of rest in order to continue their journey to Ozuna city. They only chose to pass the night within the forest as they've been traveling for two days non-stop.

After Shad had handled everything within the royal capital of the Mulan Kingdom, he had decided that it was time to leave for the south. He didn't take Roman with him as he had left him to take care of things within the capital, especially the Andres family.

Shad always felt uneasy about this family as though there was something off with them, but no matter what he did, he could not find any dirt on them. Even though the queen, as well as the prince, was from that family, Shad couldn't execute them for their crimes. Not only that, it seemed that this family had seeped deep into the Mulan kingdom, Whether it was agriculture, government, military, or commerce, this family had a hand on all of them. They were like a jack of all trades. Because of that, Shad didn't make a move on them and let them be while keeping a tab on them through Roman as well Monalisa who has many connections.

It's already been five days since Shad had left the capital. It had passed through many cities and small towns before he was in his current location. He had spent the night in each of those cities with his troops. However, after leaving on the 3rd day, he had never encountered any cities or town which was why they have decided to made camp within the forest in the middle of the night before they continued their journey.

In the first city that they have arrived, Shad was very surprised by the warm welcome that he had received. The most interesting thing was, him leaving the royal capital was not made public. However, in the first city that he had arrived, he had met a neatly arranged army in front of the city gate. The army was armed with shields and swords and was neatly dressed.

Nevertheless, the army wasn't there to fight him but to welcome him. There was a huge banner in front of the army. It was at least fifteen meters wide and hundreds of meters long.

A message was written on it: We welcome the 4th imperial prince to our humble city."

It was like a festival in every city he had visited. Shad clearly knew the reason for that. News of the events that happened within the royal capital has spread throughout the whole kingdom which frightened every single noble within the kingdom, especially those who were doing some shady business.

After knowing that the 4th imperial prince was going to Ozuna city, they all had straightened themselves and cleaned out their cities because they knew that he had to pass through their cities or town in order to get to Ozuna city.

Especially the shady nobles, Shad was like a little devil to them, they just wanted to show goodwill towards him and their best side. Every city that he passed his night in, the nobles within that city made sure that the city was very clean with no beggars on the streets. they even lowered the prices on everything, just to show that their city was a very nice and affordable place to live in. They all pretended to harmonious with one another. Once he left, they celebrated and reverted back to their previous selves. It was the same scenarios in every city and town.

" Young master, we will be crossing the valley of death in a while. I suggested you let some of the soldiers scouted the area to see if there was an ambush before we crossed." Asked Monalisa who was sitting inside the carriage while Shad's head laid on her laps as though they were his pillow.

According to some information they got from Roman, The valley of death was like a gate to Ozuna city, once you crossed that valley, you will officially make it to the south. However, just like the named suggested it, it was a valley of death.

One of the largest group of bandits had made their base there, the mountain tigers. The mountain tigers were one of the biggest and most powerful bandits' group of the south. They have chosen to make their base into this valley because it was the only path to the south from the Mulan kingdom and also the only path to the other cities and town from the south.

Anyone who wanted to go to Ozuna city or any other places in the south had to cross that valley and it was the same for the people of the south. this group of bandits had made a fortune by making the merchants as well as regular citizens to pay a fee so they could cross that valley otherwise they would kill them and seize their belongings.

These groups of bandits were smarts because they knew who to extort and who not to anger. They also did not go too overboard. It was because of them that the citizens of the nearby towns and cities named that valley, the valley of death because of the number of unlucky people that had lost their lives over there and how likely one might die by crossing that valley without following the rules of the mountain tigers.

The Royal family had made many attempts to eradicate this group of bandits, but no matter how many times they killed them, they've respawned like weeds after a small amount of time.

" No need, If I am not wrong, the mountain tigers were not a regular group of bandits. They must be the 3rd prince's people from Nicholas Empire disguised as bandits to disrupt the peace of the Mulan Kingdom as well as weakened the prestige of the Djage empire." Shad already knew that how ambitious and cunning the 3rd prince was. If he wanted to become the future emperor of the Nicholas empire, conquering the Mulan kingdom was a must. He must do so without provoking a large scale war between the two empires which was a little difficult as the Mulan kingdom was like a border between the two empires.

It was one of the reasons why he was using all kinds of schemes to turn all the dukes and nobles against the royal family as well as using a group of bandits to make the lives of the citizens a living hell. If all the nobles turned against the royal family and defected to the Nicholas empire's side, The Djage empire couldn't just kill them off without raising the anger of the various kingdoms under its rule, which could plant a seed of rebellion in their hearts.

If all the kingdoms wanted to rebels, it would be a mess and the empire could not do anything about it as the other empires would support them in secret to swallow the Djage empire, as such, they have to tread carefully when resolving those kinds of issues.

" If that case, I am afraid we won't stand a chance against them with our hundred of soldiers. Even though that they are all warriors who can use battle qi while the enemies have mostly fighters and a handful of warriors, they still have a geographical advantage, not to mention we don't know their numbers. If they are really the people from the Nicholas empire disguised as bandits, I am pretty sure they have some goods weapons and skills people otherwise they wouldn't have been able to control that valley for the last five years. We should have taken some of the soldiers from the Mulan kigdom to increase our numbers when the King offered it." Answered Monalisa with a worried look on her face.

" Hehehe, you still don't understand why that old man gave me a hundred soldiers to go into the Mulan kingdom to drive out those sneaky bastards from the Nicholas Empire."

" The Old man already knew that I have no interest for the throne or any part of the government, as such he planned on turning me into a sword, a sword that would chop of off the heads of anyone who dares to threaten the Djage empire, and executioner that would execute the traitors."

" The hundreds of soldiers that came with me, as well as the four imperial knights, weren't just there to protect me. They were also chosen by that old man to be my eyes and ears, to be a part of the execution forces. These people were meant to be my personal force and I was supposed to be their sole commander. Not only that, they have been hiding their strengths all along. None of them are real soldiers, but a group of assassins and some well-trained warriors. I am pretty sure Mark knew the plan of that old man all along ."

" Right Mark," He said as he tilted his head out of the window with a faint smile on his face while looking at Mark who was listening to their conversation.