The wind carried the scents of distant places — a mixture of blood and animal waste that rushed into Qin Yu’s nostrils.
Qin Yu opened his eyes to find himself standing on a lookout tower within a military camp.
A circle of high-ranking generals stood behind him.
In the distance lay the enemy camp, while his own forces spread out beneath his feet.
Looking across both camps, the soldiers appeared listless and drained.
This war had dragged on for nearly three months.
It had all started when the ruler of the Kingdom of Yiyong, a vassal state of the Chengji Empire, attempted to break free from the empire’s control.
Consequently, Qin Yu, as the Crown Prince, was sent to the front lines to lead the troops, intended as a trial before his eventual ascension to the throne.
However, Qin Yu never expected that the Supreme Military Commander of the Kingdom of Yiyong, Luo Shangyu, would lead her forces to contend with him for nearly three months.
What was supposed to be a lightning-fast campaign had turned into a war of attrition, and he still couldn’t secure a victory!
“Luo Shangyu…” Qin Yu couldn’t help but mutter the name of his equal.
He still couldn’t forget the sight of her standing before the formations with her halberd held high.
Her waist-length golden hair danced in the wind, and her emerald-green eyes flickered with a steady, determined light.
Standing against the light, the sun hit her elven ears, making the tips appear almost transparent.
Her armor reflected the sunlight, giving her a holy, ethereal aura.
Her exceptional appearance combined with her formidable strength made Qin Yu feel an involuntary sense of admiration for her.
‘If only she could serve me…’ Qin Yu began to imagine how much more powerful he would be with Luo Shangyu’s assistance.
“Your Highness, urgent report from the Capital City!”
A messenger interrupted Qin Yu’s thoughts, handing over a tightly sealed scroll tube.
Qin Yu took the tube, noticing it was marked for maximum speed and top-secret priority.
‘What could be so urgent?’ Qin Yu wondered as he opened the container.
The letter was brief, containing only a few lines, but the content was earth-shattering.
“The Emperor has been struck by a sudden, critical illness and is in grave danger. Qin Yi has led his own troops into the Capital City. There is a fear of rebellion. Return quickly, return quickly!”
Though the letter bore no signature, Qin Yu recognized the handwriting instantly.
It was written by his teacher, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, Yin An.
The surrounding officers saw Qin Yu’s already furrowed brows tighten even further.
His face turned pale in an instant, and his expression became heavy with gravity.
“Your Highness, what’s happened…” Zhu Xun stepped forward to ask.
“The Emperor is in critical condition. I must return to the Capital City immediately.” Qin Yu offered no further explanation as he used magic to incinerate the letter.
The contents of this letter were too explosive.
If the other officers or soldiers saw it, military morale would surely collapse.
“Your Highness, I fear we cannot withdraw immediately,” Zhu Xun said hesitantly.
“With the two armies facing off, if we retreat recklessly, the enemy will surely seize the opportunity to pursue. We would find it difficult to organize an effective resistance, and the consequences would be unimaginable!”
“There is no need to worry.” Qin Yu rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“I will personally lead a unit to circle around the enemy’s rear for a surprise attack. While the enemy is in chaos, we will withdraw. They won’t be able to pursue us!”
Qin Yu paused for a moment, then spoke loudly, “Command the entire army to pack their bags and prepare. As soon as the order is given, we retreat immediately!”
Qin Yu personally selected 3,000 cavalry, heavily armed and ready.
As the strike force, they planned to sneak behind the enemy lines during the day and launch a night raid.
The other soldiers in the camp began packing their gear for the withdrawal.
They didn’t know the specific reason for the retreat; they simply assumed that after such a long and fruitless stalemate, Qin Yu intended to avoid Luo Shangyu’s edge for now and fight another day.
***
“General, there might be a change in the enemy camp!” a soldier reported as he ran into Luo Shangyu’s central command tent.
“Oh?” Luo Shangyu looked up from her book and walked to the lookout tower, carefully observing the enemy camp.
The soldiers in the enemy camp were busy and bustling, appearing restless.
“It seems they are about to retreat…” Luo Shangyu said softly.
“How do you know they aren’t preparing an attack?” the soldier beside her asked curiously.
“That’s simple,” Luo Shangyu replied, “If they were going to attack, they wouldn’t make such a commotion. With noise like this, they are obviously packing up to retreat.”
The soldier looked like he had suddenly seen the light, but Luo Shangyu seemed to be pondering something else.
‘Aren’t they afraid of a pursuit? How will they respond…?’ Luo Shangyu muttered to herself.
Suddenly, a strange glint from a forest near Qin Yu’s main tent caught her attention.
‘Is that… the glint of armor?’ Luo Shangyu blinked.
‘Could it be… the enemy intends to launch a surprise attack on our camp and then retreat during the chaos?’
Thinking of this, Luo Shangyu couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
Although she couldn’t understand why Qin Yu would retreat at this time, if she had to think of a way to retreat safely herself, she would have done exactly what he was doing.
She couldn’t help but feel that her tactical thinking was very similar to Qin Yu’s, giving rise to a sense of mutual respect between heroes.
Coupled with the admiration she had felt for Qin Yu’s artistry in command during previous battles, she had developed a certain level of affection for him.
She looked up and sighed inwardly, ‘If I must follow anyone, it should be a lord like him!’
Comparing him to her own side, the old King of Yiyong had been quite wise, but he had passed away.
The ability and character of the current new king were… difficult to describe in words.
A sudden thought of defecting to Qin Yu’s side flashed through Luo Shangyu’s mind.
‘No!’ Luo Shangyu lightly bit her tongue, instantly suppressing the dangerous thought.
‘I am a General of Yiyong. I must remain loyal to the King of Yiyong!’
Just then, the soldier beside her asked, “General, how should we respond?”
“Huh…? Right…” Luo Shangyu snapped back to reality, composed herself, and said, “Don’t panic. Have every camp set up defenses to prevent a surprise attack.”
She stared at the last trace of movement in the forest, the corners of her mouth curling upward.
‘I’ve seen through Qin Yu’s plan. If I pin down their surprise unit and then attack their main force while they’re retreating, I can defeat him! To defeat the man I admire, what a wonderful thing that would be!’
***
Qin Yu led his unit through a narrow valley beside Luo Shangyu’s camp, reaching the far rear of the enemy position.
In the distance, Luo Shangyu’s camp was faintly visible.
Everything was ready, but since it was still early, Qin Yu ordered the men to set up a temporary camp and wait for nightfall.
They would strike the enemy main camp in one wave, and then return to their own camp in the chaos to lead the main army’s retreat.
The temporary camp was quickly established.
Seeing that there was still time before nightfall, Qin Yu arranged the sentry duties and returned to his private tent.
He intended to take a short nap to prepare for the fierce battle ahead.
As soon as he closed his eyes, the news of his father’s illness weighed on his heart again.
As someone who had transmigrated to the Phantom World at the age of zero, Qin Yu naturally felt a fatherly bond with Qin Ling.
However, Qin Ling was often lost in a world of indulgence and hadn’t shown him much affection.
Qin Yu had spent most of his time accompanied by his teacher, Yin An.
This led to his feelings for Qin Ling being shallow, while he viewed Yin An with a sentiment that transcended the teacher-student bond, feeling more like a father and son.
Therefore, Qin Yu wasn’t just worried about his father’s safety; he was worried about whether he could successfully take the throne.
If Qin Yi seized the crown, Qin Yu would have no path left but death.
Yin An was a Seventh-rank Quasi-god level mage.
He was old and experienced; Qin Yu believed in his Grand Tutor’s abilities and felt sure he wouldn’t let Qin Yi have his way.
Thinking of the Grand Tutor’s kind face, Qin Yu’s heart felt a bit more at ease.
While lost in thought, Qin Yu unknowingly drifted into sleep.
The nap passed quickly.
The impending surprise attack made it difficult for Qin Yu to sleep soundly for long.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already late.
Qin Yu stood up and stepped outside the tent, looking toward Luo Shangyu’s camp in the distance.
The lights in the camp were gradually dimming, meaning Luo Shangyu’s soldiers were finally heading to sleep.
Qin Yu looked at the soldiers around him.
They were all rubbing their hands together, eager for the charge.
After being in a stalemate for so long without being allowed to act, they had been itching for a fight!
“Silence the men, muffle the horses. Move out!” At Qin Yu’s command, the soldiers mounted their horses and prepared to depart.
Just as the army was about to set off, a sudden rush of hoofbeats came from outside the camp.
Several clusters of torchlight emerged from the darkness not far away.
‘Have we been discovered?’ Qin Yu was puzzled as the opposing force charged right up to his camp’s perimeter.
The person in the lead waved a staff, and a fireball shot from the tip, heading straight for the fence of Qin Yu’s camp.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!” Qin Yu shouted, urging his horse forward to meet the threat.
The soldiers reacted as well, following behind Qin Yu to charge at the enemy.
The opposing force wasn’t large, so Qin Yu decided to take down the leader first.
Qin Yu drew his mo-dao and charged at the enemy commander.
The person didn’t flinch.
Seeing Qin Yu’s blade swinging down, they produced a halberd from their horse and blocked the strike.
By the firelight, Qin Yu immediately recognized that the intruder was Luo Shangyu.
After blocking Qin Yu’s attack, Luo Shangyu swung her halberd horizontally, the sharp tip forcing Qin Yu back a step.
Seizing the gap in Qin Yu’s retreat, she swung again, aiming straight for his waist.
Qin Yu didn’t have time to react further and could only dodge to the side again.
However, he wasn’t so lucky this time.
Luo Shangyu’s strike was calculated; how could she let him escape so easily?
The sharp blade of the halberd sliced through the barding and left a bloody gash on the horse’s body.
The warhorse screamed in pain.
Qin Yu knew that in its current state, the horse was unfit for further combat.
He had no choice but to pull back, intending to return to the camp to switch horses and rejoin the fray.
However, Qin Yu’s retreat left his soldiers confused.
The exchange between Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu had happened in the blink of an eye.
The soldiers couldn’t react in time to see that his horse was injured; they assumed Qin Yu was fleeing.
With the commander retreating from the front line, morale shattered.
Luo Shangyu stopped attacking Qin Yu and instead took the lead, charging her soldiers into Qin Yu’s unit.
Qin Yu had just switched to a new horse and hadn’t even taken two steps before he saw his soldiers beginning to flee in defeat.
‘How can this be?’ Qin Yu’s pupils contracted with shock.
Looking into the distance, he saw that Luo Shangyu had already broken through his lines.
Holding her halberd, she charged through the ranks, slaying countless enemies as if she were in an empty field.
The lines were broken.
Qin Yu knew he couldn’t regroup the army now and could only try to gather the fleeing soldiers to escape.
But when he looked around his camp, he realized that even more of Luo Shangyu’s soldiers had already completed a full encirclement of his position!
Qin Yu estimated that there were several thousand soldiers in the surrounding forces.
He likely wouldn’t be able to escape.
A sense of crisis instantly spread through Qin Yu’s body.
‘Am I really going to be defeated and captured here?’
It seemed so. Qin Yu wracked his brain but couldn’t think of a way out.
He returned to his tent and began to think of a countermeasure. If he were captured as the Crown Prince, he would certainly be heavily guarded, leaving little chance for escape.
But if he could obscure his identity… he might find an opportunity to slip away!
‘It’s time to use the emergency plan!’ Qin Yu felt the necklace he always wore, touching the pendant.
It was a silver key set with a Space Attribute gemstone.
Qin Yu lightly pinched the gem, opening the space within the key.
He pulled out a set of clothes and a bottle of potion.
The first thing he had to do was put all the items that identified him as the Crown Prince into the key so they wouldn’t be confiscated by the enemy.
After handling all of that, Qin Yu held up the potion and examined it closely.
The potion was a transparent purple and gave off an inviting scent.
This was a Short-term Gender-swap Potion.
Qin Yu planned to use it to pretend he was one of the prince’s maidservants to fool the enemy army.
‘What was the dosage again?’ Qin Yu tried desperately to remember the instructions the court alchemist had given him when handing over the potion.
However, at the time, Qin Yu hadn’t believed for a second that he would ever fall into a situation where he’d need such a thing, so he hadn’t committed the instructions to memory!
Outside the tent, the sounds of battle were drawing closer.
Qin Yu had no time left to remember.
Worried that a small dose wouldn’t work, he… drank it all!
The potion was sweet and syrupy.
Upon swallowing it, a tingly, itchy sensation spread through his entire body, making Qin Yu unsteady.
He stumbled and fell against the wall, eventually collapsing onto the bed.
The potion had a powerful kick.
Once he was lying down, an intense, searing pain shot through Qin Yu’s body, nearly causing him to black out.
Under the weight of this severe pain, Qin Yu’s consciousness became blurred.
The abnormal reaction made him suddenly remember something the alchemist had said — that this medicine should only be taken a tiny bit at a time.
If someone drank too much, then…