The horse's hooves thundered against packed earth, each strike a drumbeat counting down to something terrible.
Prince Liang Jian had been riding since before dawn broke, when the palace still slept and only the guards noticed his departure. He hadn't waited for permission, hadn't gathered reinforcements, hadn't even taken proper supplies.
He had simply mounted his horse and ridden north.
Su Yan. Su Yan. Su Yan.
Her name was a prayer, a curse, a desperate mantra that kept rhythm with his horse's gallop.
The Xiongnu had countless hideouts scattered across the northern territories, caves hidden in cliff faces, camps that could be packed and moved within hours, strongholds built into the sides of mountains. He had spent weeks hunting Li Feng through this same wilderness, searching every shadow, following every rumor.
And he had found nothing.
What makes you think you'll find her now? a cruel voice whispered in his mind. What makes you think she's even still alive?
