Pang Yuande's sudden plunge off his horse gave his attendants and the soldiers behind him a real fright.

Several of them went pale, jumped down from their horses and rushed over to see how Pang Yuande was.

Pang Yuande had taken a bad fall, but he hadn't broken anything, so he was all right... except that inside, he'd gone cold, stone cold.

"Lord Pang, are you all right?"

"Lord Pang, how do you feel?"

"Quick, quick, get a doctor..."

Listening to the crowd fussing over him did nothing to warm Pang Yuande's heart. He felt as if he'd fallen into an ice cave.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Pang Yuande bellowed, struggled to his feet with his attendants' help, and stumbled toward Ning Chen at a run.

Young Master Pang and the monkey-faced young man broke into vicious grins.

Everyone else looked at Ning Chen and his companions with some sympathy.

Judging by how furious Pang Yuande looked, these people were finished.

But then, to everyone's astonishment, Pang Yuande ran up to Ning Chen and dropped to his knees with a thud.

The sight left everyone gaping.

What?

"This official, Pang Yuande, greets the Prince Who Holds the Realm!"

Pang Yuande cried it out, his voice shaking.

The Prince Who Holds the Realm?

Wasn't that Ning Chen?

Everyone there was stunned beyond words, standing as if carved from stone and wood.

The soldiers who had come with Pang Yuande were the first to react. With a rustle, every one of them dropped to his knees.

"Greetings, my lord prince!"

The townspeople all around came to their senses and hurried to kneel and bow!

Young Master Pang and the monkey-faced young man felt their blood run cold. Their faces went white.

Ning Chen said flatly, "Everyone, get up!"

"Thank you, my lord prince!"

Ning Chen's eyes settled on Pang Yuande. "I didn't tell you to get up!"

Pang Yuande was halfway up. He hurried back down onto his knees, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.

Just then came the thunder of hooves, and the ground shook.

The Ning'an Army's war banners…