The soldiers of the Xiao family were not easy to deal with. Now that the Xiao family army was defending the city, they naturally would not let the Li family people come up.
Although the two groups of people joined forces to resist the enemy, everyone had their own calculations. At such a time, they naturally had to guard against Li Man'er.
Li Man'er looked at the two soldiers blocking her way, and a slight smile curved her lips. "I won't make things difficult for you. Please relay a message to the general defending the city, I wish to see him."
The two exchanged glances, both hesitant.
Although Li Man'er was a young lady of the Li family, her bravery was no less than that of any man. She was ruthless on the battlefield, earning their deep respect.
Respect was one thing, but such important matters were not something they could decide on their own. Just as they were hesitating whether to ask for instructions, a slightly hoarse voice came from the city wall, "Let her up."
Upon hearing this, the two quickly bowed and made way, inviting Li Man'er to ascend.
As Li Man'er looked up, she saw Qi Yihan, wearing a silver mask. He stood there, his posture straight, his bright white armor making him look like a celestial being.
Thinking of the real face beneath the mask, Li Man'er felt a slight daze. She quickly steadied her mind and, with A'si, ascended to the city wall.
A'si naturally knew the true identity of the Silver Masked General, but in public, she could not say much. She merely lowered her head, showing her respect.
Upon arriving, Li Man'er immediately cupped her fists towards the Silver Masked General. "I haven't yet thanked the General for his aid."
"We both serve the same esteemed country, no need for pleasantries."
Li Man'er nodded. "I heard the barbarians are attacking again, and I was worried about this side, so I came to see. Also, General Xi's eldest son, Xi Hu, was previously seriously injured. Because of the severity of his injuries, it was difficult to move him down to the city wall. Now that you are defending the city, I should check on his condition and also help move him down."
"There's no hurry for that. If the wound hasn't healed, you can stay a while longer."
Li Man'er said, "There's no hurry, but I heard the drums and wanted to know the situation here."
"Scouts have returned with intelligence. The approaching force numbers eighty thousand."
"So many people." Li Man'er's expression turned serious. "Do you know who their commander is?"
"The commander has not shown himself, so we do not yet know who it is."
Li Man'er, as if casually, whispered, "Previously, there was news that the leader was a female general, reportedly the daughter of a tribal chief. Her name was something like Ha Yue Zhu."
"We don't know yet." Qi Yihan, not wanting to appear too familiar with her, said, "Aren't you going to see General Xi's son?"
"I will go."
Li Man'er actually wanted to stay, but it was too risky. She might bring disaster to Qi Yihan. After some thought, she decided to go and see Xi Hu first.
Xi Hu's injuries had healed considerably, and his complexion had improved. He had been taking the medicine as Li Man'er instructed, and his wounds healed quickly. Now, he could walk without support.
However, it would take a few more days to fully recover to the point where he could ride a horse and shoot arrows.
"General."
As soon as Xi Hu saw Li Man'er, he was about to kneel, but Li Man'er quickly caught him.
"Get up quickly, your wounds are not yet healed, there's no need for such formality."
Xi Hu quickly said, "I've recovered seven tenths. My life was saved by the General. If the General has any orders, this subordinate will go through fire and water without hesitation."
A'si couldn't help but lower her head and smile. Every time they visited, Xi Hu would say the same thing. She could recite it by heart.
Xi Hu was a rough fellow and did not understand why A'si was smiling, nor did he realize anything was wrong with his words. He could only look to Li Man'er for help.
Li Man'er said, "I have no other business. I mainly came to check on your injuries. Also, the Xiao family is now defending the city, so it's not appropriate for you to stay here. Why don't you move back for now?"
"I would be overjoyed, General!" Xi Hu said with delight. "You don't know, General, it's small and low here. I can barely stand up straight, it's quite stifling."
The few small rooms on the city wall were originally meant for the guards to rest, not for proper accommodation.
"Alright, then have someone pack up and come down with me!"
"Yes!" Xi Hu clasped his fists in a salute and immediately ordered his men to pack.
They did not have much luggage, and it was soon packed. Li Man'er greeted Qi Yihan with them and then descended the city wall.
Qi Yihan looked at Li Man'er for a moment before retracting his gaze.
His personal guard, Ding Yan, couldn't help but ask, "Does the General favor this Miss Li?"
"Although she is a woman and comes from a prominent family, she possesses the talent of a commander. Not to mention anything else, just that night, when she led forty-something people to raid the camp, her courage was commendable. Moreover, she won."
Ding Yan nodded instinctively. He would never forget the scene he witnessed when they went to provide support that day. He had thought that forty-something people raiding a camp would have to be fighting with their lives at stake. Even if they went to rescue them, they might not be able to save many, considering the vast disparity in strength. Nearly ten thousand against dozens, anyone could predict the outcome with their eyes closed.
But he had never imagined that within the barbarian camp, flames would erupt, and charred barbarian bodies would be everywhere. Terrified barbarians scurried like startled beasts.
Many were cut down before they could even put on their armor or pick up their weapons.
It was a scene of hell on earth. By the time they arrived, the barbarians' morale had already collapsed. With little effort, they dealt with all of them.
"Such a heroic woman is the most fitting match for the General."
Qi Yihan remained silent. He knew what Ding Yan meant.
Ding Yan was one of Xiao Ruqin's men, assigned to him to monitor him.
It was expected that the third son of Xiao would not trust him, but he hadn't expected this Ding to be a double-crosser.
His words now were clearly meant to sow discord. Qi Yihan knew that Xiao Ruxuan intended for his son to marry Li Man'er. He didn't believe that Xiao Ruqin and Ding Yan were unaware of this. Since they knew, why would they deliberately say such things to him?
If Xiao Ruqin and Xiao Ruxuan clashed over Li Man'er, who would benefit?
Xiao Ruduo!
Qi Yihan sneered inwardly. Sooner or later, he would round them all up.
Seeing that Qi Yihan remained silent, Ding Yan had no choice but to shut his mouth sullenly, daring not to speak further. He knew that General Han was cold on the outside and cold on the inside, but he was also exceptionally intelligent. If he truly became suspicious, it would be a grave matter.
Meanwhile, Li Man'er, after handing Xi Hu over to the elder General Xi and taking his pulse, changed his dressings. The father and son were naturally grateful and insisted she stay for a meal.
Li Man'er said, "If it were any other time, I would certainly ask the elder General for a drink. But now, with the war being so critical, and with many soldiers under my charge, I dare not linger. If there's a chance in the future, I'll treat you to a feast."
The Xi father and son had no choice but to let her return to the Iron Blood Camp.