Since Shen Qingwan had chosen to stay, she was naturally confident in dealing with these people.

However, her goal was not just to kill them but also to seize their warhorses.

She took out a delicate and compact repeating crossbow from her space and fired at the pursuers while running.

Shen Qingwan was highly skilled in archery, and with her night vision goggles, she almost never missed.

The enemy soldiers couldn’t even see what she was shooting at them, making it impossible for them to dodge.

As they watched their comrades fall one by one, fear began to creep into their hearts.

As the distance closed, Shen Qingwan swiftly threw out silver needles, striking several more enemies who fell heavily from their horses.

By the time Chen Bin arrived, Shen Qingwan had already slain over a hundred people.

With Chen Bin joining in, she gained an extra helping hand.

She tossed him a repeating crossbow, but Chen Bin, unfamiliar with the weapon, fumbled for a while before finally firing a shot—only to miss.

Shen Qingwan glanced at him and reminded, “The raised part on top is the aiming sight. Align the sight, the arrowhead, and the target in a straight line.”

Following her instructions, Chen Bin raised the crossbow again and fired an arrow—this time hitting an enemy squarely in the chest.

If he hadn’t known his own archery skills, he might have even praised himself for the perfect shot.

As he became more proficient, Chen Bin and Shen Qingwan coordinated seamlessly.

By the time Gu Tingyi arrived with reinforcements, the Xiyue cavalry was already preparing to flee.

Gu Tingyi immediately ordered his men to surround them.

Only about 700 enemies remained, and he commanded that none should be spared.

In the end, all the cavalrymen were slain.

Just like that, 1,000 warhorses fell into their hands.

As Shen Qingwan looked at them with a satisfied smile, Chen Bin suddenly realized why she had switched horses with him earlier and slowed down—she had been luring the enemy deeper while gradually eliminating them and stalling for reinforcements, all for the sake of these 1,000 warhorses.

For soldiers on the battlefield, warhorses were as valuable as their lives.

Their price was astronomical, and even wealth couldn’t always secure them.

That was why, when their general had previously ordered the horses to be slaughtered for food, many soldiers had cried while eating.

Some even preferred to starve rather than consume their beloved companions. To them, warhorses were not just mounts but comrades.

Eating their comrades’ flesh was unbearably painful.

Gu Tingyi had the warhorses taken back to camp and ensured that all enemy corpses were checked before returning with Shen Qingwan.

By the time they reached the northwest camp, the sky was already turning white.

Shen Qingwan, exhausted, informed Gu Tingyi before heading to the tent he had arranged for her to rest.

Understanding how tired she was, Gu Tingyi said nothing, deciding to wait until she woke up.

Chen Bin, on the other hand, was too excited to sleep, especially as he clutched the repeating crossbow like a treasured possession.

He enthusiastically recounted their rescue mission to Gu Tingyi, who listened with bated breath.

Shen Qingwan’s boldness and skill truly amazed him.

When Gu Tingyi heard that she had even set fire to the Xiyue camp, he clapped his hands in delight.

Though the exact damage was unknown, he saw this as a perfect opportunity for an ambush.

Upon learning that the general planned to attack the Xiyue camp, Chen Bin’s exhaustion vanished, replaced by exhilaration.

An hour later, Gu Tingyi had assembled an army of 150,000 soldiers, marching toward the enemy camp in a grand formation.

This time, they intended to ensure that the Xiyue army never returned.

By the time the rousing sound of war drums and horns filled the air, Shen Qingwan was still fast asleep.

When she woke up, the northwest army had already returned triumphantly.

They had won.

The Xiyue forces, already heavily damaged by the fire the previous night, were caught off guard before they could recover.

Their general was captured, over 20,000 soldiers perished, and another 50,000 were taken prisoner.

If the Xiyue emperor had any sense, he would now seek peace and ransom his captured soldiers.

Shen Qingwan, still groggy, was in disbelief.

Wasn’t war supposed to be difficult?

How did it seem so easy?

She had just taken a nap, and the battle was already won?

“Shen Qing, you are truly the lucky star of the northwest army! Hahaha!” Gu Tingyi laughed heartily, nearly wanting to rush over and embrace her.

If not for her burning the enemy camp, they wouldn’t have won so easily.

If not for the supplies she brought, they wouldn’t have had the strength to fight.

This victory was all thanks to Shen Qingwan.

Shen Qingwan’s lips curved into a slow smile.

She was genuinely happy for them.

Now that the war was over, did that mean her parents could reunite soon?

In just two days, the Xiyue army had retreated.

Gu Tingyi now only needed to wait for Xiyue to send envoys to negotiate peace.

Meanwhile, news of their victory had already been sent to the capital.

After two days of rest, Gu Shaoqing’s wounds had healed somewhat.

When he saw Shen Qingwan again, his gaze was filled with curiosity.

“Who exactly are you?”

Looking at her face, which bore some resemblance to his own, he even began to suspect that she might be his father’s illegitimate daughter.

But upon closer thought, that didn’t seem right—she looked more like her mother.

Could she actually be his father and mother’s child?

That thought suddenly reminded him of his long-lost sister. If she were still alive, she would be about this age now, right?

Noticing Gu Shaoqing’s suspicion, Shen Qingwan remained calm and simply gave him a mysterious smile. “Does it matter who I am?”

Her expression only deepened his doubts.

She was definitely connected to his parents, but he couldn’t be certain how.

After wrapping up affairs in the northwest, Shen Qingwan prepared to leave.

She had no plans to reunite with her father just yet.

Before departing, she left the remaining 250,000 bushels of grain and weapons in a courtyard.

This time, there was so much grain that it piled up high, visible even from outside the yard.

She informed Chen Bin to transport it as soon as possible, gave him additional arrows, and gifted him the repeating crossbow, hoping he could use it to better protect her father.

The more Gu Shaoqing thought about it, the more suspicious he became.

He went to Gu Tingyi and asked, “Father, did my sister have any birthmarks or distinguishing marks?”

Hearing him mention his lost daughter, Gu Tingyi’s heart sank.

His daughter had been the love of his life—the adorable little girl who had once called him “Daddy” in her soft voice.

Every time he thought of her, his heart ached unbearably.

Yet, after all these years, there had been no news of her.

“Your sister had a small red birthmark behind her left ear. That was the only mark that could confirm her identity.”

Left ear…

Gu Shaoqing searched his memory, replaying every detail of his encounters with Shen Qingwan.

He was highly observant and rarely forgot anything he had seen.

And then it struck him.

That fleeting glimpse—when Shen Qingwan turned away—of a tiny red birthmark behind her ear.

It flashed vividly in his mind.