She was a beautiful maiden of eighteen or nineteen.
Even from such a distance, it was evident that she possessed a graceful physique and extraordinary skill.
Clad in armor, she cut an imposing figure, and walking beside Feng Yexuan, her demeanor and presence could almost be considered a match for him.
Adjusting the angle of the telescope, Chu Qianli finally managed to get a clear view of the woman's face.
She was… very beautiful.
Chu Qianli finally lowered the telescope.
She should have known long ago that she knew almost nothing of his world.
So, what did it matter to her what kind of woman appeared by his side?
She had already made it perfectly clear, hadn't she?
That night, Chu Qianli and Feng Dingchu stayed at a small inn. Fu Ning arrived with some supplies.
After instructing Fu Ning to take good care of Feng Dingchu, Chu Qianli changed into her night-traveling attire and left the city with Eleven.
The city walls here were much lower than those of the imperial city.
For ordinary people, it would be difficult to leave, but for masters with exceptional lightness skills like themselves, exiting through the city gates was challenging, but scaling the distant walls was quite easy.
It took over an hour to reach Tiger Mountain. Feng Yexuan's army and the Mountain Tiger Gang were still locked in battle.
"Miss."
The man before her, somewhat burly with bronze skin, was named Xi Jiu. He was a young man in his twenties.
He was said to have been a good friend of Fu Long in the past.
He led fifty men tonight. Before Chu Qianli's arrival, his men had not acted, patiently waiting.
"What is the situation with Prince Xuan?"
Although she knew Feng Yexuan would never let her come to harm, her face remained as calm as ever, yet a sense of unease lingered in her heart.
Xi Jiu quickly replied, "Prince Xuan is leading a force of several hundred men, attacking uphill from the base of Tiger Mountain. Half an hour ago, the Prince's forces had already reached the mountainside."
This man.
Chu Qianli couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
With a force of five hundred elite soldiers, a more tactful approach, such as a surprise attack and breaking them down one by one, would have been far more effective given the skills of the Ironclad Night Guard brothers.
But he insisted on a frontal assault.
Putting aside personal feelings, this man's unyielding spirit was truly admirable.
"At their current pace, how long do you estimate it will take them to reach the summit?"
Chu Qianli had not personally observed the battle, and she was not yet aware of the true strength of the Mountain Tiger Gang brothers.
"Reporting to Miss, when our brothers returned, they already saw scattered groups of mountain bandits fleeing. At this rate, it will take no more than an hour to reach the summit."
"However..." Xi Jiu pondered for a moment before continuing, "According to my observation, the Mountain Tiger Gang seems to have something more complex behind them."
"Alright, I'll go up to take a look now."
Chu Qianli glanced at the brothers behind Xi Jiu. "Xi Jiu, you will accompany me. Eleven, you lead the brothers to scout the surroundings. I suspect the Valley of the Medicine People is nearby."
"Yes!"
Eleven led the brothers away. Xi Jiu followed behind Chu Qianli, but hesitated. "Miss, are you sure only I should accompany you?"
"We are only going to scout, not to fight. Having too many people will only make us easier to detect."
"But..." Xi Jiu looked troubled.
Chu Qianli stopped and turned to look at him. "Do you have any other concerns? Are you afraid it's not safe with just two people?" Eleven had spoken highly of Xi Jiu on the way, so he shouldn't be someone who feared for his life.
"This subordinate is naturally not afraid, but Miss, with your precious status, are you… not afraid either?"
This was not at all like the way an empress should conduct herself.
Shouldn't Her Majesty the Empress be surrounded by attendants for safety?