In terms of guarding a city, two thousand men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers weren't more useful than two thousand soldiers at the border. By noon, the remaining forces in the city were exhausted. The city gate showed signs of falling under the constant attack from the rebellion troops.

“My... Mr. Xu, we can't hold the city anymore. Go now!” Covered with blood stain and strewn with exhaustion, Xia Shu came to Ye Li. “Take the brothers of Hidden Cloud Soldiers with you. It has always been our business to guard this city. We won't be able to hold it for so many days without your help.”

“Go?” Ye Li raised her brows. “Where to? There are over a hundred thousand men outside the city.”

“Hidden Cloud Soldiers has suffered no casualty. Staying will only limit its strength. Once outside the city, it will make a way out,” said Xia Shu.

Ye Li gestured at the men behind her and said: “Ask them if they are willing to leave.”

Behind her stood Qin Feng, the leader of Hidden Cloud Soldiers, Secret Guard No.2 and No.3.

Qin Feng answered seriously: “Hidden Cloud Soldiers lives to protect Great Chu. If we leave Yong Lin and soldiers who stand with it behind, we will be left with no other choices except for apologizing to other men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers for abandoning this city.”

Secret Guard No.3 spoke to Xia Shu smilingly: “We are secret guards. We follow our master no matter what.”

Staring at all the people in front of him, Xia Shu felt a dry, tingling pain in his eyes and said with clenched teeth: “It's not worth it!”

Let Yong Lin bury a Princess Ding and two thousand men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers. This cost...

Secret Guard No.3 patted Xia Shu on the shoulder and said with a smile: “If Yong Lin does fall, we'll get our master out at risk of our lives. By then, let whether we can make it out alive or not be decided by fate. Now we are all alive and well, it makes no sense to abandon the city. If we follow your directions, it would have made more sense to abandon the city a few days earlier which wouldn't have cost us so many lives.”

Stunned, Xia Shu got rid of Secret Guard No.3's hand hard and turned to leave. “Whatever!”

Shrugging, Secret Guard No.3 told men behind him: “Is he shy or what?”

Secret Guard No.2 patted his brother, wondering if he was out of his mind - this is war, okay?

The city gate started to crack under heavy strikes.

Ye Li sighed. She and her people wouldn't be able to hold the city and wait for the relief troops to arrive. “Hidden Cloud Soldiers, get ready!”

“Yes!”

The wall was handed to guarding soldiers of the city, not many of whom were still alive. Under the wall, two thousand men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers were ready, like a drawn bow.

Ye Li turned to nod at Yun Ting and Xia Shu who were on the wall. She waved her hand and the gate crashed to the ground. Before the rebellion troops seized the opportunity to charge in, men in black swept across them like a tornado, bringing deaths wherever they went.

“Your Highness, they are here. The men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers!”

Behind the rebellion troops, Mo Jing Li was on horseback, watching the battle. Without reminder, he had already noticed those quick black figures.

“Hidden Cloud Soldiers does deserve its reputation...” Men around him exclaimed. With an army like Hidden Cloud Soldiers, one could have the world in his palm easily. Though Hidden Cloud Soldiers was their enemy, they couldn't hide their admiration.

Mo Jing Li sneered: “Finally.”

With a wave of his hand, two groups of soldiers who hadn't joined the war charged at the battlefield.

“Hidden Cloud Soldiers is said to be good at long-range raids and attacks. I wonder how it is going to deal with so many people at once!”

The little s.p.a.ce outside Yong Lin was more crowded now that there were two more groups of people. No room was left for armored horses. Men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers clearly noticed that too. Soon, they dismounted and joined the battle on foot. Trying to hold back tens of thousands of people with two thousand would be a mantis trying to obstruct a chariot. However, given the little s.p.a.ce outside Yong Lin, the tens of thousands of rebellion troops couldn't get in the city at once. Therefore, for the time being, the two sides were still fighting in front of the city gate. At times, several rebellion troops would get in the city but were killed shortly afterwards.

“Who is that guy?” As he watched the battle, Mo Jing Li suddenly asked, pointing at a distinct smaller figure in black.

That person was wearing the same black uniform as men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers but his moves were completely different. If one described the moves of men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers as strong and swift, that person's moves were simple yet fierce. One couldn't tell where he learned that from by simply watching him. However, each of his moves could knock down a soldier, be it an ordinary soldier or a military officer.

“That is...” Silence hung in the air. n.o.body knew who that person was. Except for being shorter and quicker, that person was no different from other men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers.

Staring at that fierce figure on the battlefield, Mo Jing Li narrowed his eyes slowly. He felt a weird sense of familiarity towards that person. A while later, he said between his teeth: “Ye Li!”

The military adviser beside him was stunned. He turned to that person among the chaos quickly and spoke in shock: “Your Highness, you mean that is Princess Ding?”

Not bothering to answer his question, Mo Jing Li pointed at Ye Li with his whip. “I'll give a thousand Liang of gold to whoever takes that person alive!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Though men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers had held the rebellion troops by the gate, up the wall, soldiers were failing. Many rebels had climbed up and started to fight with men on the wall.

Under the wall, Ye Li was having a difficult time as well. Having cut down a rebel who pounced on her, she turned around and stabbed another by the throat.

Secret Guard No.2 and No.3 arrived by her side.

Secret Guard No.2 said in a small voice: “My Lord, it's time to go.”

Spilling blood with his sword, Secret Guard No.3 added: “Has Mo Jing Li found out about you, princess? I find rebels around us different from ordinary soldiers.”

Those that came around them now clearly had good martial arts skills, more difficult to deal with.

Ye Li was left without a choice.

Yong Lin was lost.

Now it would be meaningless to sacrifice more men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers.

They had held the rebels back for over two hours. By now, Scattered Snow Pa.s.s should have had the news.

“All men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers, retreat!”

“Yes! Team 1,2 and 3, cover us. The rest, retreat!” Qin Feng gave an order loudly.

“Retreat?!” From afar, Mo Jing Li saw everything on the battlefield clearly.

Hidden Cloud Soldiers was as good at long raids as it was at retreat. Given the complex terrain around here, once it got away, he wouldn't be able to catch it again.

At first, men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers didn't really mix with the rebels, only standing between them and the gate, stopping them from entering the city. Now men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers received the order, they retreated to the right, left and back in the city. With master archers covering them, the rebellion troops could do nothing except for watching them leave quickly.

Mo Jing Li snorted coldly. Taking out a bow and arrows, he aimed at the small black figure in the chaos.

Ye Li, who was still in combat sensed danger. She turned around. Looking at the distance, she saw Mo Jing Li's cold eyes and an arrow flying at her.

Normally, it was easy for her to dodge an arrow. However, right now, under the attack of several rebel soldiers, she had nowhere to hide.

Secret Guard No.3 cried in alarm and went to her aid.

Ye Li cursed below her breath. She grabbed a rebel by the wrist and threw him at Secret Guard No.3's direction. Between the instance of grab and throw, she felt a throbbing pain on her left arm.

Now, the arrow was right behind her.