Xiao Zi watched Bai Ran's furrowed brow and awkwardly extended a tail, covering Bai Ran's mouth and nose.
Bai Ran lowered her hand and raised an eyebrow at him.
"What are you looking at! If you faint, I won't be able to carry two people!" Xiao Zi shouted at her, crossing his arms.
Bai Ran slowly approached Bai Xiu and, slinging him over her shoulder, walked towards the cave entrance.
Xiao Zi's mouth twitched as he watched. What a waste of such a beautiful face, couldn't she act more like a girl?
"There's another one with Zhao Kang," Xiao Zi followed Bai Ran, saying.
She nodded. She'd take Bai Xiu back first.
Bai Ran, carrying a grown man, walked swiftly. In no time, she was back in the dungeon.
All the dungeon guards had been knocked out by Bai Ran. Now they could come and go almost freely.
When Xiao Zi returned, he had gone back into the Shitian Realm.
"Bai Xiu!" Bai Zhantian quickly stood up and felt Bai Xiu's nose.
He was still breathing. Thank goodness.
"He just inhaled too much sleeping smoke," Bai Ran took out a Nine-Coiled Life-Threatening Needle and pricked a spot. Bai Xiu stirred and slowly woke up.
"Lord... Grandpa," Bai Xiu said, clutching his head and sitting up.
"It's good that you're okay, good that you're okay..." Bai Zhantian said, looking at him.
"Grandpa! Why are you here! And who are these people?" Bai Xiu scanned everyone around him, including Bai Ran, with caution.
Bai Zhantian smacked the back of his head. "You brat! This is your fourth sister, Bai Ran! How can you not even recognize her?"
Fourth sister? Bai Ran?
Bai Xiu, dazed by the blow, stared at the incredibly beautiful woman in front of him.
She was Bai Ran?
When Bai Xiu left home, Bai Ran was just a foolish, cross-eyed child who barely reached his waist. How had she suddenly grown into a graceful, standing maiden?
"Bai Ran? You're not silly anymore?" Bai Xiu blinked at Bai Ran, looking somewhat confused.
Bai Zhantian's veins bulged. He smacked him again. "You brat, what are you saying! Are you cursing your sister to be silly!"
Bai Ran looked at her brother, whose demeanor was completely out of sync with his surroundings, even a bit foolish. She sat down opposite Bai Xiu with a helpless sigh.
"Eldest Brother, you should tell us why you disappeared for a year."
Hearing this, Bai Xiu's expression turned grim. He spoke in a low voice, "It's all because of Zhao Kang's daughter."
He shivered as he spoke, looking very frightened.
"That damnable woman wanted me to marry her. I'd rather die than comply. She tied me up in a cave, cut off from the world, and only sent me food daily."
"What about Father?" Bai Ran asked.
"Father was captured by Zhao Kang. I don't know what's happened to him now," Bai Xiu said, clenching his fist and punching the ground. "It's all my fault for being useless, for only being able to watch Father get captured."
Bai Zhantian looked at him with pity. "It's not your fault."
Bai Ran slowly stood up and stretched.
"It's time to find that person."
Bai Xiu didn't understand. Bai Zhantian explained everything to him from the beginning.
Now Fang Tianhui and Qin Mubai also understood.
Someone in Bai Hanfeng's camp had betrayed him.
Being able to imitate Bai Hanfeng's handwriting meant they were someone very close to him. That person was ambitious, not only finding a scapegoat but also framing Bai family members.
Upon hearing this, Bai Xiu's anger surged, and killing intent instantly overwhelmed him. He rushed out alone.
"Brat, wait up!"
Bai Zhantian pushed himself up from the ground and followed.
"Good thing Bai Ran's brother didn't see Zhao Yutong," Qin Mubai carefully glanced at Zhao Yutong in the corner.
"Yes, with his temperament, who knows what he might do," Fang Tianhui swallowed.
Straightforward, hot-tempered.
How was this completely different from Bai Ran?
They glanced at the calm Bai Ran and then turned away.
Forget it. If Bai Ran had this kind of temperament, they would go crazy.
"Bring her along and follow," Bai Ran pointed at Zhao Yutong and then walked out.
Fang Tianhui glared at Qin Mubai, who immediately understood.
"Fine, fine, I'll carry her," he said, grabbing Zhao Yutong.
On the other side, Bai Xiu, seething with anger, arrived at the military camp only to see a ground full of starving soldiers, a dilapidated camp, and fallen banners.
Familiar faces, all gaunt and emaciated.
His heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by a large hand, making it hard to breathe and impossible to speak.
The slumped soldiers suddenly leaped up, overjoyed.
"Young General!"
"It's the Young General!"
"The Young General is back!"
A group of former comrades-in-arms crowded around him. Though their faces beamed with warmth, Bai Xiu's nose twitched, and his eyes welled up.
He couldn't speak, couldn't say that there was a traitor among them...
They had all left their homes, risked their lives, and fought the enemy on the frontier without hesitation. Their natures were incredibly pure. Why were they being treated so cruelly...
"Young General, you've finally returned! We've been waiting for you for so long," Li Zhong said to Bai Xiu, tears streaming down his face.
The soldiers quickly formed a square formation and saluted Bai Xiu with a standard military salute.
"Young General!" Qi Tian's shout was filled with hope.
Bai Xiu awkwardly curved his lips, forcing out a smile.
Even though life had constantly ground them down and tormented them, they remained full of hope and resilience.
This was how soldiers should be.
Bai Zhantian stood not far away, unable to bear to disrupt the scene. He only wiped away tears occasionally, his heart full of pride.
Bai Ran and the other three also arrived.
The scene was touching, but the traitor had yet to be exposed.
Bai Ran slowly walked out.
"Miss Bai!"
"Miss Bai is here!"
She stood beside Bai Xiu and patted his back.
"We'll have a banquet tonight to celebrate the return of Young General Bai," she announced.
The soldiers below were puzzled, and Bai Xiu beside her was also confused.
"But we don't even have a grain of rice, how can we celebrate?"
"That's right, Miss Bai!"
Bai Ran waved her hand, and the grain from her spatial dimension fell to the ground, slowly piling up into a small mountain.
The soldiers' eyes widened. They were stunned by the sudden appearance of the grain.
"Grain?"
"It's actually grain!"
"We have food to eat!"
Seeing the soldiers' excitement and frenzy, Bai Xiu turned his head, looking at Bai Ran hesitantly. He wanted to ask but held back.
Bai Ran felt his gaze and understood Bai Xiu's inner reluctance.
"This is a trap," she said softly.
Bai Xiu immediately understood Bai Ran's intention.
"Thank you."
"We're family, no need for formalities."