Hearing what the scout said, Kang Luo's first reaction was that it was not possible, and his second was that he had heard wrong.

"Say it again!"

The scout said, "Fourth Prince, Jianxuan Pass has fallen!"

It was like a thunderclap going off beside his ear, and Kang Luo's head rang.

He stared at the scout. "Do you know what you are saying?"

"Fourth Prince, the news is beyond all doubt. Jianxuan Pass has already been broken by Ning Chen's men, and the Great Xuan's war banners are up on the wall."

Kang Luo's head buzzed and buzzed.

How could this be possible?

The Great Xuan had not even sent troops out. How could they have taken Jianxuan Pass?

Could the twenty thousand of the garrison at Jianxuan Pass have gone over?

But that was not possible either. Those twenty thousand were his own men. They could not have gone over.

"This officer begs an audience with the Fourth Prince!"

"This officer has important military news and begs an audience."

Outside the tent, the voices of Nanyue's officers rose.

Kang Luo said heavily, "Come in!"

A group of officers came rushing in at their wits' end.

"Fourth Prince, word has just come in. Jianxuan Pass has fallen."

"This officer has had the news too. Jianxuan Pass has been broken."

Kang Luo went white in the face, and the cold sweat came out on his forehead.

What was happening?

Who on earth had broken Jianxuan Pass?

He had troops posted on every road that led to Jianxuan Pass. If it had been the Great Xuan's men and horses, how could no word of it have reached him at all?

To break Jianxuan Pass would take fifty thousand men at the very least.

Kang Luo was blank from head to foot.

The thing was past anything he could imagine.

And at that same hour, on the Great Xuan's side.

"Urgent military news... urgent military news..."

Zhang Tianhua, Tong Yuanzhou's deputy, was running flat out through the camp and shouting at the top of his voice as he went.

The officers and men…