"Report..."

A rider came galloping up.

Kang Chengren saw who it was, and his face went dark.

It was the scout—the one who'd done nothing but ruin his night, the one he'd just chased off. He was back.

Just looking at him gave Kang Chengren a headache.

The man had never once said anything he wanted to hear.

The scout reined in beside him, swung down and dropped to one knee. "Report, General! The Great Xuan's troops have run into our army in the city. We weren't ready, and we're already starting to lose.

I beg the general to come and take command, to lift our men's spirits."

Kang Chengren's face, already dark, went as black as the bottom of a pot.

He'd known it, he'd known it... this dog never brought him anything good!

Shocked and furious, he couldn't hold back a roar. "Didn't this general order a retreat? Who's disobeying orders and fighting the Great Xuan?"

The scout said earnestly, "The army got the order to retreat, but before it could pull out, the Great Xuan's troops caught up with it. We had no choice but to fight, and we've been losing from the start.

General, please come and take command, and rally our men."

Kang Chengren's mouth twitched over and over.

Then he roared at the scout, "Pass on my orders! The archer battalion covers the retreat, and everyone else pulls out fast. Get out as many as you can!

The Great Xuan has twice our numbers, and the Ning'an Army is with them. We don't stand a chance. Understand?"

With that, he turned and roared at the servants loading the carts, "Move, move, move... Faster, all of you, hurry it up... Enough, enough, leave the rest. Pull out, now!"

When he turned back, the scout was still standing there like a post. Kang Chengren flew into a rage, rushed over and kicked him to the ground. "What are you still standing here for? Didn't you hear this general? Go pass on the order!"

The scout scrambled up, ran to his horse, swung into the saddle and…