Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 747 - 368: Crisis Approaches

Chapter 747: Chapter 368: Crisis Approaches

Upon waking, the two locked eyes, a hint of awkwardness lingering in the mutual standoff between big eyes and small eyes.

In the end, neither broke the silence, as if an unspoken agreement propelled them to rise and go about their day as though nothing had ever happened.

Just after they finished washing up, Liao Feihu arrived.

The man looked worn out, sporting dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot sclera, and a faint smell of alcohol clinging to him.

Jiang Shouzhong understood the source of his weariness but couldn’t find the words to console him.

At that moment, a graceful silhouette darted into the room.

It was Yun Zhu.

The girl’s tear-swollen eyes betrayed that she had been crying recently. She charged toward Liao Feihu in a fury: "Brother Liao, did you already know that Father plans to marry me off to Lei Tian?"

Liao Feihu moved his lips but lowered his gaze in silence.

"I hate you!"

In her anger, Yun Zhu hurled a bamboo dragonfly at him, then turned and ran out crying.

Liao Feihu picked up the bamboo dragonfly from the ground, his expression fraught with pain.

Jiang Shouzhong witnessed the scene and could not help but say, "Liao, if you truly love Miss Yun Zhu, why not just take her and elope? Why endure being such hopeless lovers?"

"Would Yun Zhu be willing to leave her family?" Xiao Lingqiu interjected coldly.

Jiang Shouzhong was momentarily speechless.

As Xiao Lingqiu had analyzed, the Clan Leader’s decision to marry off Yun Zhu was in order to protect the safety of the entire tribe.

Such a heavy responsibility weighed on the shoulders of the young girl—how could she just cast it off?

Liao Feihu forced a bitter smile:

"It doesn’t matter. There’s no such thing as perfection in this world. Besides, Yun Zhu marrying Lei Tian isn’t so bad. At least he’s better than me—what kind of future can she possibly have with a fugitive like me?"

Jiang Shouzhong patted him on the shoulder and sighed: "There are plenty of fish in the sea. Perhaps you’ll find someone more suitable in the future."

Liao Feihu stared at the bamboo dragonfly in his hand, saying nothing.

After breakfast, Liao Feihu deliberately found three fine horses and led the two of them to tour the ancient town’s surrounding sights.

On the way, under Jiang Shouzhong’s repeated questioning, Liao Feihu revealed the current state of the Heshan Tribe.

Just as Xiao Lingqiu had guessed, the Heshan Tribe dared to act independently because they had the support of Lei Tian’s hardy desert bandits. Were it not for this backing, the area would have long been seized by the Fourth Prince of Nanjin Country.

In truth, the Heshan Tribe’s approach was borne of desperation.

Although they loathed Nanjin Country, life under the old Emperor had been relatively stable.

But with the old Emperor’s passing, internal chaos erupted.

The various princes scrambled to expand their territories, and the region occupied by the Heshan Tribe could not escape the ravages of war unless they voluntarily pledged allegiance to the Fourth Prince, Wanyan Tianyou.

Yet Wanyan Tianyou possessed a violent temperament, and they feared he might turn on them someday and massacre everyone.

Faced with such a choice, they preferred to keep the initiative in their own hands.

After tribal deliberation, they decided to collaborate with the powerful desert bandit, Lei Tian.

Of course, there was a price for that.

Cooperation meant the sharing of benefits, including providing military rations and supplies, taking cuts from trade convoy profits, various transportation fees, funding for barracks, and so on—all at the tribe’s expense.

Lastly, the conventional method of alliance—marriage—was used to build a stronger cooperative relationship.

Liao Feihu sighed: "The day after tomorrow, I’ll personally escort Yun Zhu to Lei Tian’s encampment. Only by doing this can we ensure the safety of the Heshan Tribe and its people."

"No matter how you look at it, I’m ultimately just an outsider. Even if Yun Zhu weren’t marrying Lei Tian, the Clan Leader would never let her marry me either."

Jiang Shouzhong stood in silence.

Personally escorting the one you love to marry someone else—there were few pains greater than this for a man.

"How many men does Lei Tian currently have?"

Xiao Lingqiu suddenly asked.

The woman on horseback held herself tall, her graceful yet athletic figure exuding a combination of dignified elegance and spirited valor.

Jiang Shouzhong glanced at her and couldn’t help but think of Yelü Miaomiao.

He recalled her bold and valiant demeanor, galloping on horseback when they left the Fengcheng border together.

Back then, he was riding atop Miaomiao.

Beyond words, truly a marvel.

All of a sudden, he wondered what it would be like riding atop Jingjing... Cough, cough—his thoughts ran astray.

Jiang Shouzhong quickly reined in his imagination.

Liao Feihu pondered for a moment before answering: "He used to have over three thousand bandit soldiers. With war breaking out everywhere, he’s taken the opportunity to recruit more. By now, he’s at least doubled that number—around six thousand."

Xiao Lingqiu tidied the strands of hair disturbed by the wind and asked again: "Has Wanyan Tianyou ever fought against him?"

"Just one small skirmish."

Liao Feihu explained, "Half a month ago, Wanyan Tianyou dispatched a small force of three hundred troops to this area, but Lei Tian repelled them. Since then, Wanyan Tianyou hasn’t returned. He’s been preoccupied with fighting the Fifth Prince over another territory, so he won’t have spare time for this place in the short term."

Xiao Lingqiu gently pulled the reins, stopping on a high ridge, her gaze falling on the vast lake that stretched out before them.

The lake’s waters glittered under the sun, while the breeze swept strands of her silky hair against her fair, pristine cheeks, adding touches of tender beauty and vitality.

In that moment, she seemed even more beautiful than the lake itself.

The lake was called Moon Sky Lake.

It formed the shape of an enormous crescent, embedded like a heavenly gem upon the earth.

It was also referred to as Tongqiu’s Moon.

Observing the surrounding terrain, Xiao Lingqiu asked: "How many able-bodied men can the Heshan Tribe muster?"

Liao Feihu was somewhat puzzled about why Jiang Shouzhong’s alluring wife would care about such details, but he refrained from overthinking and, after a brief pause, replied:

"Including the scattered villages around the area, roughly twelve hundred men. But the combat capability of the Heshan Tribe pales in comparison to Lei Tian’s desert bandits; they haven’t received proper military training."