Seven days later, Ning Chen and his army reached Biluo City.

Biluo City was one of the richest cities in Nanyue, but Ning Chen had already stripped it bare.

The once-wealthy city was a wreck now. Its people had fled for their lives, and it stood almost empty.

Ning Chen rested his army in Biluo City for a day, then moved on.

Ten days after that, he was at Qimu City.

They were hauling so much that the army moved slowly.

Another twenty-odd days slipped by, and Ning Chen was nearly at the Gaoli Kingdom's Wangyue City.

But he didn't let his guard down for a moment.

Never mind one man: the loot they were carrying was enough to make a whole nation greedy.

Meanwhile, far away in Xiangzhou, Kang Luo got the news too.

Kang Luo had been in a foul mood lately.

He and Zhang Tianlun had fallen out badly over whether to strike first.

On top of that, he'd been having nightmare after nightmare, and it was always the same one. He dreamed that Ning Chen led his army into the Nanyue imperial city and, right in front of him, raped Kang Baobao, and even cut off his father the emperor's head with one stroke.

Kang Xiao tried to reassure him. It was just overwork, he said. Kang Luo wasn't getting enough rest!

And something else was driving him up the wall: that fool Zong Sibo had let Zhang Tianlun get a hold on him.

Claiming he only wanted to look after the boy, Zhang Tianlun had taken Zong Sibo's child to live at his side... and now Zong Sibo was timid about everything he did.

Kang Luo was on edge and irritable.

Xiangzhou was Zhang Tianlun's territory. He could afford to wait. Kang Luo couldn't.

That bastard Zhang Tianlun wouldn't strike first, and lately he'd even started shorting the Nanyue army's pay and rations.

They'd agreed on it beforehand: once they were allies, Zhang Tianlun would cover the Nanyue army's rations and pay.

But that wasn't how things were turning out at all.

Kang Luo felt…