Four days later, as the twilight hour approached, Commander Christina donned a thick coat and snuck out her tent. As one would expect, it was extremely difficult to infiltrate any military camp, especially the commander's tent, without being noticed, so the reverse was also true. She never thought she would need to avoid her own subordinates like a common criminal. It was quite awkward. Thankfully, having full control over the guard rotations and routes made the task much easier. She wove between patrols and reached the perimeter without trouble. At the same time, she felt a touch irritated that none of her soldiers noticed. How were they supposed to protect her like this? What a conflicting feeling. She rubbed her cold hands and entered the dark forest.
The journey was tougher than she expected. She travelled using only the moonlight and a compass to guide her way, but anytime clouds washed over the moon, the forest would turn pitch-black. Waiting for the clouds to pass was the only way she could move safely forward. From time to time, she would also trip on a vine, kick a rock, or stumble into a spider web, making her mumble a flurry of curses. It reminded her that she was more of an indoor person than an outdoor. There were no wild predators, since she specifically ordered that the army thin out the nearby areas, so she was not concerned on that front. Nevertheless, all these hurdles added up and doubled her twenty-minute estimate. Only the urge to see Elizabeth again kept her going! When she finally saw those golden ginkgo trees standing under the wide-open starry skies, she was thoroughly exhausted!
Commander Christina rested under the shade of the largest ginkgo tree and enjoyed herself. Even at night, it was quite a miraculous sight to behold. The shimmering of a million golden leaves swept through the forest and air, reminiscent of a beautiful nature's dance. It showcased the marvel of autumn perfectly! From afar, she seemed like a woman escaping here for a tiny hint of relief from the stress of her daily duties. She hummed a gentle song and looked utterly at peace. After a long silence, the woman closed her eyes and sighed.
"How long are you going to watch me?" she shouted. "You've been following me since I left the camp, am I wrong?" However, nobody answered her call. She raised her voice. "I know you're there, so come out already!" A distant shrub rustled, startling the woman, and she grew nervous. Was there really someone there? A small figure then stepped out, except it was a squirrel. Nobody was there! After being certain that no one followed her, she calmed her beating heart and whispered, "Roan and Victoria." The shrubs nearby rustled, and this time, familiar figures emerged.
"Auntie Christina, I'm back!" Elizabeth cried and jumped into a tight embrace.
"Silly child, there's people here," Christina laughed and returned the hug. It felt like all her worries were washed away in an instant. "Welcome back, Elizabeth."
They eventually separated, and Christina asked like a worried mother, "What happened to you? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need anything? If you want, I can get it from the camp. Just say the word!"
"I'm fine, really I am," Elizabeth reflexively answered in embarrassment before she caught herself. "No, that's not right. There's so much I need to explain… Where do I start?"
"Take your time. The night is still young." Christina patted her head and smiled.
Elizabeth began her long story starting from Liguang, from their arrival into the town, to the nightly assault by the Featherwind Sect, to the Imperial Council's attack, to the desperate and bloody battle, and finally to their mysterious rescue. Throughout the story, her aunt did not say a word and patiently listened with a tense face. At times, she would grow stunned, and at other times, she would grow saddened. The unprecedented number of casualties, and the insane fighting involved made her speechless. The Battle of Liguang went beyond her wildest imaginations! She could not believe that the Featherwind Sect or the Imperial Council could do this. Like what Princess Ming thought, it seemed like a page straight out of a fairy tale! And there was the matter of Elizabeth and her friends too, unveiling powers that surpassed expectation! Christina needed time to digest everything.
"You and everyone else should come back to the camp with me immediately. I didn't know that the fighting was that intense or that everyone sustained so many injuries. Your recoveries are also abnormal… There must be lingering injuries that you cannot sense. I can find someone to look over you. You need proper medical attention and rest. The longer we delay, the worse it may become."
"I can't go into the camp," Elizabeth flatly denied. "If our enemies know that I've returned, then it'll quickly become problematic. It would endanger everyone there."
"We don't have to make your presence public. I have many trusted subordinates."
"There are eyes and ears everywhere. It doesn't have to be your subordinates; it could be anyone. It's too risky."
Commander Christina pondered. "How about I get a trusted physician to treat you here? You absolutely need someone to take a look at your injuries. I can't budge on that."
"And the others won't notice that a physician or supplies are missing?" Elizabeth argued.
"You don't have to worry. I have ways to deal with it."
"Alright then, let's do that. Sorry if I sound hostile, it's just that…"
"I know. You don't need to explain anything."
Elizabeth felt touched inside. "Thank you… Have there been any updates that I should know about?"
"That's right… That battle did cause quite a storm. The Li Family accused the kingdom of attacking them during the negotiations, which led to both parties perishing in Liguang. Because of this, the Li Family made a deal with the Imperial Council to ally against us. Unit Commander Haea Li from the Imperial Council now controls the Quiton Gates, while the Li Family is slowly retreating to the Tailong River. We've also reported your disappearance back to the mainland, so the kingdom is planning to send more soldiers over at an accelerated rate. General Petra is expected to arrive at the Yunyun Stronghold soon."
"Unit Commander Haea Li… She's the Third-In-Command for the Tai Feng Army, right? I guess that would explain the strong Imperial Council presence here. She might be a tricky opponent."
"I also believe that the Li Family is temporarily appointing a woman named Lady Hong-Lan Li as their matriarch while they search for Imperian Qiang."
"Anything about the Featherwind Sect?" Elizabeth asked.
"We've deduced many things based on the flow of goods, the movement of people, the omission of information, as well as from witnesses or informants. For example, we know that the Featherwind Sect should be a small organization, less than twenty members strong."
"They're that small?" Elizabeth was surprised.
"At the very least, we know that they cannot be a large organization, otherwise the flow of goods would be too difficult to cover up. That's not all that we can deduce. We believe that their base of operations should be located somewhere on the Jizhu Ridge with the most likely candidate being Tian Monastery. They closed their doors to outsiders around half a year ago, which coincides with Prime Minister Pon-Wai's unannounced visit to the Xi Wall. That should have been their first encounter."
"Half a year ago…"
"Is something wrong?"
"When I spoke to the Featherwind Sect before, they mentioned wanting to use our communication array. Combined with the previous information, we can deduce several things. First is that they cannot easily leave the human world. If they could, then there would be no need for a communication array, much less negotiating with the Imperial Council. Second is that they want to contact their allies. This should mean that there is something about their circumstances that requires external assistance. Third is that their numbers have remained below twenty, despite half a year passing, which suggests-"
"One of three things: their support does not exist, their support does not know, or… their support is enroute," Commander Christina concluded in her place. "Since they're asking for a communication method, then the second option seems the most likely."
"I think it might be the first option actually," Elizabeth carefully considered. "Judging from our conversation together, they've had to subject themselves to the Nine Regrets Reincarnation vow and negotiate on unfavorable terms with the Imperial Council. Why would a superior power lower themselves to this extent? They must lack the power to negotiate for a higher standing."
"They have no reason to tell us the truth. It's entirely possible that they're misleading us with the Imperial Council's guidance."
"If that were the case, then why would they cease their assault on our fleet during the Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf or rescue us during the Battle of Liguang? In both cases, we were guaranteed to lose. The Imperial Council has no need to complicate this more than necessary."
"And yet, they've killed thousands of our soldiers. It's too early to speculate on their motives without more information," she said, leaving Elizabeth lost in thought. "What are your next plans? Travel to the Yunyun Stronghold?"