While Ning Chen was on the road back to the southern frontier, Kang Luo broke the Gaoli Kingdom's sixty thousand men!

For that he had Ning Chen to thank. Kang Luo took every bit of the grudge he was carrying against Ning Chen and worked it off on the Gaoli Kingdom.

What is more, the battle was beautifully fought.

The smaller force beat the larger.

He beat the Gaoli Kingdom's sixty thousand until they were broken past holding.

He took more than five thousand of the Gaoli Kingdom prisoner, and captured a great quantity of stores as well.

The victory mattered enormously. The spirit of Nanyue's army had scattered, and now its morale came surging back up.

Kang Luo was somebody, there was no question about that. He had lost to Ning Chen this time, but he did not throw himself away over it. It roused his fighting will instead.

He began to study Ning Chen in earnest.

The way Ning Chen fought was always beyond anyone's guessing at.

Kang Luo looked at the map in front of him and thought about how to deal with Ning Chen.

Just then Wei Jian came in.

"Fourth Prince. Ning Chen has withdrawn his army!"

"What?"

Kang Luo started.

Wei Jian said, "Word has just come in. Ning Chen has given up Jianxuan Pass and the other two cities, and he is nearly back at the Great Xuan's frontier."

Kang Luo went blank.

The way Ning Chen did things was always outside anything he expected.

Three cities that had taken so much trouble to win, and he gave them up just like that?

"Ning Chen, Ning Chen. What the hell are you up to this time?"

Kang Luo murmured it, and a little later he said, "Send men out to look again."

"Yes!"

Some days later Ning Chen was back at the Great Xuan's frontier.

The haul this time was enormous.

Back at the frontier, Ning Chen called his officers together and held a meeting.

Tong Yuanzhou was put in charge of feasting the officers and men.

Yuan Long was put in charge…