That area, due to its complex terrain, had given rise to numerous ruthless bandits.

Yu Wang Town was already unstable to begin with, being a small town taken by force. Hao Zhou did not pay much attention to it.

As a result, this town gradually became occupied by various factions.

It became a transit point between Hao Zhou and Da Hui.

Between the two nations, many merchants conducted business there.

However, due to the town’s inherent instability, incidents of arson, looting, and robbery occurred frequently.

Even so, some trade caravans would still take the risk of venturing into Yu Wang Town.

Situated at the border of the two nations, Yu Wang Town was not a strategic military location.

Its complex terrain and difficulty in governance led to years of neglect, with both sides engaging in frequent warfare yet rarely managing this chaotic town.

“It’s not that it has always been left unchecked,” Wen Yue Sheng remarked in the evening as she returned to her room, where Jiang Rui and Zhou Manniang were present.

Jiang Rui, whose condition had been severe, had improved slightly after recent treatments.

Seated around a round table, Zhou Manniang was checking Jiang Rui’s pulse.

Jiang Rui’s deep eyes revealed her thoughts as she said, “When Hao Zhou first invaded Da Hui, the first place they captured was Yu Wang Town. For years, Hao Zhou’s troops have been stationed there.”

“But Hao Zhou has never truly cared for governance, treating this seized town as foreign territory. This laissez-faire attitude is what turned Yu Wang Town into what it is today.”

In a solemn voice, she continued, “What the princess might not know is that despite Yu Wang Town’s chaos over the years, people still go there because it’s a hub for extraordinary trade.”

“What kind of trade?” Zhou Manniang asked curiously.

Jiang Rui replied coldly, “The captives taken by Hao Zhou from Da Hui are all bought and sold in Yu Wang Town.”

Zhou Manniang’s expression changed slightly.

“I was one of those captives,” Jiang Rui said, her eyes dark and somber as she recounted her past. “All women and children captured as spoils of war and discarded by their captors are sold in Yu Wang Town.”

“In that place, even livestock are considered more valuable than Da Hui’s captives. If a Hao Zhou person wanted to buy a captive, they’d need just a few copper coins—or even a set of old clothes could suffice.”

“But if someone from Da Hui wanted to ransom their kin,” Jiang Rui sneered, “they would pay a hefty price or suffer immensely in the process.”

Zhou Manniang felt a heavy weight in her chest.

She had thought her own environment was unbearable, but she now realized the experiences of those on the border were a nightmare she couldn’t have imagined.

“Ordinary people from Da Hui hoping to ransom their relatives would need tens of thousands of silver taels and highly skilled bodyguards. Without these, it’s nearly impossible,” Jiang Rui explained with a grave expression. “But because there’s still a glimmer of hope, many people still go to Yu Wang Town.”

“This is also why Yu Wang Town is the only place controlled by Hao Zhou that Da Hui people can directly access.”

Hearing this, Wen Yue Sheng said coldly, “Then they will pass freely.”

The next day, after Hao Zhou’s troops withdrew, a caravan departed from the now-recovering main city.

This caravan was unlike any other. From the guards riding alongside to the drivers and even the people inside the carriages—all were women.

In the borderlands, caravans were common, but an all-woman caravan was unprecedented.

When this caravan approached Yu Wang Town, the Hao Zhou guards stationed outside were momentarily stunned.

Yu Wang Town was notorious, a place where even ordinary men dared not venture lightly. Yet today, an entire group of women had arrived.

And that wasn’t all…

During the routine inspection, the carriage door opened from the inside, revealing a woman dressed in black, sitting upright at the center.

Her beauty was unmatched, her expression cold and commanding.

Not just in Yu Wang Town but across the entire border, no one had ever seen someone like her.

After the door closed, the inspecting soldier stood frozen for a long time. When he finally came to his senses and saw the caravan heading toward the largest inn in the town, his face lit up with excitement.

“Quick! Notify the general! A big fish has arrived!”

A fellow soldier hesitated, then said cautiously, “Isn’t this a bit unusual? Just a few women, yet they dare to come to Yu Wang Town so openly.”

Not to mention, the woman in black carried such an extraordinary air.

“What could be unusual about it?” The inspecting soldier sneered dismissively, his tone mocking. “This is Yu Wang Town.”

Even if a general from Da Hui arrived, it was unlikely they would leave Yu Wang Town in one piece.

They were just a group of women.

Meanwhile, Wen Yuesheng and her group felt countless eyes on them as soon as they entered Yu Wang Town.

Ye Qiuyun stayed close to Wen Yuesheng, gripping a sword to make it clear she could fight. Yet even so, many people stared boldly at them.

Ye Qiuyun had come with Yan Ling this time. She had previously been with Jiang Lu in the capital, but this trip was to deliver something to Wen Yuesheng.

In addition to her, several other women who had previously joined the military accompanied them.

For this journey to Yu Wang Town, Wen Yuesheng brought only these women, as well as Zhou Manniang and Lu Hongying.

No generals from the borderlands accompanied them.

From the moment they set out to their arrival in Yuwang Town, they made no effort to hide themselves. Openly and without disguise, they entered the small town.

As Jiang Rui had described, the defenses of Yuwang Town were lax. The soldiers stationed there didn’t even recognize Wen Yuesheng.

The Battle of Yuancheng had made Wen Yuesheng famous, but only within Da Hui.

In Hao Zhou, her time was still short, and most people didn’t know her face.

The garrison in Yuwang Town was separate from Hao Zhou’s regular army.

They had only vaguely heard of the Da Hui princess’s name but had no idea who she actually was.

They simply assumed Wen Yuesheng was an enormous fish that had landed in their nets.

Yuwang Town was far from Da Hui’s major cities, with a climate distinct from there. Closer to the desert, even the streets carried swirling yellow sand.

After entering an inn, Wen Yuesheng and her group did only one thing: they asked about the location of Da Hui’s prisoners of war.

Most Da Hui people who came to Yuwang Town sought to ransom their compatriots.

The innkeeper, without much thought, gave them a once-over and casually replied, “The slaughterhouse.”

Yuwang Town referred to the place where Da Hui prisoners were sold as the slaughterhouse.

Because in their eyes, Da Hui prisoners were no different from livestock waiting to be sold.

By evening, the slaughterhouse was already closed. Any trade would have to wait until the following morning.

This meant Wen Yuesheng’s group had to stay the night in Yuwang Town.

Due to the chaos of war, Yuwang Town was desolate, and the inn saw few travelers.

Lu Hongying booked a few upper rooms, ordered some food and drink, and asked the inn staff to deliver it to their rooms.

The innkeeper complied but shook his head in bemusement as he turned to leave. “What are women doing here?”

Lu Hongying paused but didn’t answer, instead turning back to her room.

Night fell early in Yuwang Town.

Once it was dark, even seasoned locals didn’t wander outside. Every household shut their doors tightly.

The wind at night was particularly cold, carrying a biting chill as it brushed against the skin.

Around midnight, the sound of coordinated footsteps echoed through the streets, causing everyone’s expressions to change.

Yuwang Town’s garrison consisted of several thousand Hao Zhou soldiers. Tonight, hundreds marched down the streets.

Leading them was a burly, deep-featured Hao Zhou general.

His name was Jin Chi, a member of the Jin clan—one of Hao Zhou’s three major tribes.

Over a decade ago, it was the Jin clan that had led the Hao Zhou forces to conquer Yuwang Town.

The Jin clan treated Da Hui prisoners—especially the women they captured—as tools to trade for information or wealth. They also used the profits from selling prisoners to fund their army.

Because of Yuwang Town’s unique location, once part of Da Hui and far from Hao Zhou’s core cities, it was largely ignored by the Hao Zhou government.

The Jin clan invested heavily in the town, shaping it into what it had become today.

Jin Chi had received word of some “big fish” arriving.

On his way, he joked with his lieutenant, “Those fools in the Bo’er clan even managed to lose to Da Hui, leaving us short on prisoners lately.”

“Look at the state of our camp. Once we capture these Da Hui women, we’ll treat the brothers to a proper reward.”

Although considered a fierce general within the Jin clan, Jin Chi rarely saw combat. Most of his time was spent in Yuwang Town.

Even so, he had heard of the Bo’er clan’s recent defeat.

Having been away from the battlefield for so long, Jin Chi held little regard for inter-clan harmony and had longstanding grudges with Bo’er Kui of the Bo’er clan. He dismissed their defeat entirely.

Even though warnings from the Jin clan’s capital advised caution, he paid them no heed.

A soldier who had seen Wen Yuesheng at the town gates added, “General, you don’t know. These Da Hui women dress and act lavishly. The leader is stunningly beautiful.”

“You’ll definitely be pleased when you see her.”

Hearing this, Jin Chi laughed heartily.

Hao Zhou’s environment was harsh, and its men had a preference for Da Hui’s delicate and graceful women—Jin Chi especially so.

Many prisoners had died at his hands over the years.

Violent by nature, Jin Chi had restrained himself in Hao Zhou’s capital, under the emperor’s watchful eye.

But in Yuwang Town, he unleashed all his brutality on Da Hui’s women.

After all, weren’t prisoners from a defeated nation theirs to treat as they pleased?

In the eyes of a victor, the defeated had no dignity—especially their women.

As Jin Chi listened to his soldier’s report, his breathing grew heavier.

Unable to wait any longer, he led his men to surround the inn where Wen Yuesheng’s group was staying.

The innkeeper, who had spoken with Lu Hongying earlier, now stood silently nearby.

Without emotion, he watched as Jin Chi slammed open the tightly shut inn door.

The night sky over Yuwang Town, despite its usual gloom, was unusually bright with moonlight.

Under the cold moonlight, Jin Chi’s gaze fell on the center of the inn.

There, a woman sat calmly.

His arrogant smile froze as he looked closer.

It was a Da Hui woman.

Under the luminous moon, Wen Yuesheng looked up. She wore a black gown, her right hand veiled in black gauze, a string of snow-white prayer beads adorning her wrist. Her jet-black hair and pale skin made her beauty striking.

Her icy eyes held no trace of emotion.

The sudden sight caused Jin Chi and his men to falter momentarily.

The soldier who had spoken earlier broke the silence: “General, that’s her.”

He meant that this was the woman he’d seen at the gates.

Jin Chi regained his composure, pausing briefly before laughing loudly. “Excellent, she’s exquisite.”

His gaze fixed on Wen Yuesheng, and without turning, he promised his soldiers a rich reward.

Just as he was about to speak again, the woman before him rose.

Her movement stirred something in him, and he lunged forward without hesitation.

But instead of the fearful screams or cowering terror he expected, he saw her veiled hand shoot out and clamp around his neck.

Jin Chi’s pupils widened in disbelief as he looked into her emotionless eyes and heard her cold voice:

“Reward? Your life, perhaps?”

Before the words fully settled, her grip tightened.

Crack.

In the bright moonlight, before the eyes of all Yuwang Town’s soldiers, Wen Yuesheng crushed Jin Chi’s throat.