Ning Chen had guessed right. As soon as Kang Luo got back to Nanyue's Jianxuan Pass, he called up five thousand men to lie in wait for Ning Chen.

To get back to the southern frontier, Ning Chen would have to go by the Gaoli Kingdom's Gaotian City, and that road ran right past Nanyue's Jianxuan Pass.

The State Preceptor had been poisoned, and Kang Luo had nearly died in the Gaoli Kingdom himself. He was seething.

He would be no gentleman if he let a wrong like this go unavenged.

He swore he would make Ning Chen and the Gaoli Kingdom pay.

And there was another reason Kang Luo was half out of his mind with fury: the Nanyue State Preceptor had been more than a State Preceptor. He was the blood uncle of the first beauty of Nanyue.

Kang Luo had quietly loved the first beauty of Nanyue for a long time.

So he had always looked after the State Preceptor with special care.

And now look. Ning Chen had poisoned the State Preceptor. How could he ever show his face to her now?

What he didn't know was that Ning Chen had seen the move coming long ago and gone the long way around.

It cost a few extra days, but it was worth it.

While Kang Luo lay in ambush with his troops, waiting and waiting, Ning Chen had already circled around and reached the southern frontier.

The gates of the southern frontier pass swung slowly open.

Tong Yuanzhou came out with his men to meet him.

Tong Yuanzhou had been in his tent poring over military texts when one of his men reported that the Prince Who Holds the Realm had turned up outside the pass. He was floored!

Isn't the Prince Who Holds the Realm in Qingzhou?

What's he doing outside the pass?

He hurried over to see for himself. It really was Ning Chen. He gave the order to open the gates at once.

"This officer greets my lord prince!"

Tong Yuanzhou and the officers behind him bowed low.

Ning Chen raised a…