When Che Li Ji returned to the tribe, it was already the evening of the third day since the Qiang King was killed. Because the tribal leaders who were close to the Qiang King were imprisoned, the area around the King's Tent was filled with tribal leaders loyal to Tuguli. Tuguli had sealed off the news, so no word of the Qiang King's death had spread.
Che Li Ji returned to the tribe, full of ambition and satisfaction. From afar, he saw the continuous stretch of tents, then looked at the precious horse he had brought with him, feeling joyful. He ordered the elites from other tribes to return to their respective tribal camps to rest, while he and Yueji led the King's Tent guards back to the King's Tent to report to the Qiang King.
As they entered the area where the tents were set up, Yueji started to feel uneasy the further they went in. He quietly said to Che Li Ji, "Prince, do you feel like something's off? We can still see some familiar faces outside, but the further we go, the more strangers we seem to encounter?" Che Li Ji also secretly felt something was wrong. Logically, upon hearing of his return, the King's Tent should have arranged people to welcome him, but looking at the King's Tent in the distance, there was still no reaction. The patrolling guards around them also had unfamiliar faces.
Meanwhile, Tuguli, upon hearing of Che Li Ji's return, quickly ordered his men to hide and led several leaders out to greet him. Che Li Ji was still secretly guessing when Tuguli arrived before him. Che Li Ji asked with a slight doubt, "Uncle, how dare you personally receive me? A mere attendant would have sufficed."
Tuguli said with a smile, "I heard you captured an unparalleled treasure horse this time. How could your uncle not come to see it?"
"The horse is right here, Uncle, feel free to look. I haven't seen Father King these past few days and miss him dearly. I'll go to the King's Tent first." Che Li Ji said, about to go inside, but Tuguli strongly blocked him: "My nephew is truly confused. The King is currently hosting a banquet for various leaders. As the future Qiang King, you should showcase yourself. Wouldn't arriving covered in dust from your journey be a disgrace to your image as the Young Qiang King?"
Che Li Ji was, after all, young. Firstly, it was youthful vanity at play, and secondly, it was his own uncle, so he had no guard up and actually believed him. He followed Tuguli's arrangements, dismissed his personal guards, and only took Yueji to bathe and change.
Seeing Che Li Ji fall for the trick, dismissing his personal guards and only bringing Yueji, Tuguli ordered the soldiers who had been prepared in advance to get ready. They were to kill him directly as soon as Tuguli gave the order.
However, ever since Tuguli's rebellion and plot against the Qiang King, a young man named Ya Dan had been observing with a cold eye. He knew he couldn't change Tuguli's plot to harm the Qiang King, but he was unwilling to submit to Tuguli's tyranny. After all, his tribe had served the Qiang King for generations, and he had been close friends with Che Li Ji since childhood. It was only because he preferred quiet to activity that he hadn't accompanied Che Li Ji on the hunt. How could he bear to watch Che Li Ji die? So he had been constantly monitoring Che Li Ji's movements. Unfortunately, due to his close relationship with Che Li Ji, Tuguli had already placed him and his tribesmen under strict surveillance. Today, upon hearing of Che Li Ji's return, and with the troops diverted for the ambush, the guards were sparse. Ya Dan and his tribesmen rose up, taking advantage of the chaos to knock down the guards and sneak out. Although Ya Dan got out, he couldn't get close to Che Li Ji. So, he and his tribesmen secretly set fires around the King's Tent to create a disturbance and warn Che Li Ji.
Che Li Ji and Yueji were led separately to the barracks for washing. Che Li Ji handed his weapons and horsewhip to an attendant before entering the tent. Under the service of a Qiang woman, he took off the brocade robe and leather armor gifted by Ma Chao, standing shirtless. He glanced at the attending Qiang woman and suddenly realized she was Zhuo Yi, Ya Dan's elder sister. With a look of surprise, he was about to ask, but Zhuo Yi quickly blinked at him and gestured with her chin towards the eight attendants who had followed them in. Che Li Ji understood, and put distance between himself and the attendants behind him. The attendants behind him, seeing Che Li Ji move out of their control range, quickly stepped forward. Just then, there was a commotion outside, and the attendants frantically drew their swords and rushed forward. Che Li Ji instinctively took the tattered robe gifted by Ma Chao from Zhuo Yi's hand and flung it behind him, obstructing the attendants' vision. He kicked down the approaching attendant, then chopped at the attendant's wrist. In a flash of lightning, the attendant's scimitar was in Che Li Ji's hand. He backhanded the scimitar, killing the attendant. The other several attendants surrounded Che Li Ji and fought. Che Li Ji loudly called out to his personal guards and became entangled with the few men. Outside, Tuguli had already sent troops to surround the camp. Upon hearing the sounds of fighting and shouting from inside, he immediately ordered men to fire flaming arrows at the tent. To kill Che Li Ji and eliminate future troubles, he would stop at nothing. Although Che Li Ji was fighting with several men, he was indeed one of the top warriors of the Qiang, not losing ground at all. With just a scimitar, he had already killed four or five enemies. He was about to step forward and cut down the remaining three when suddenly a volley of arrows rained down. The burning flames instantly ignited the tent. The flaming arrows that shot in killed both the Qiang woman and the remaining attendants. Zhuo Yi shielded Che Li Ji, taking two arrows in her shoulder and abdomen. Che Li Ji's eyes turned bloodshot. He supported Zhuo Yi, but she could only manage to say, "Quick, escape to the back!" before spitting blood and losing consciousness. The camp was already ablaze, and arrows were still coming. Che Li Ji gently placed Zhuo Yi on the ground, picked up the tattered robe, soaked it in the bronze basin prepared for washing behind him, covered his head with it, and, holding his scimitar, charged out of the burning tent behind him.
Yueji had felt something was wrong as soon as they arrived at the camp, so he feigned compliance and followed the attendant's lead into another tent. After all, Tuguli's target was Che Li Ji, and he hadn't assigned too many attendants to Yueji. As soon as Yueji entered the tent, he observed that four guards intentionally surrounded him, their hands on their sword hilts. Yueji, a quick decision-maker, instantly drew his sword and cut down the two attendants in front of him. The attendants behind him drew their swords and attacked. He took a blow to his shoulder, enduring it, then spun around and cut down another attendant behind him. He kicked the attendant who had struck him and then finished him off with a sword thrust. Just then, a commotion erupted. Yueji, holding his sword, rushed out of the tent door, just as Ya Dan led his tribesmen fighting their way over. Yueji instantly joined the fray, merging with them. Ya Dan shouted, "Brother Yueji, Tuguli has rebelled! The camp is full of enemies! Where is the Prince? I'll take men to save the Prince! You must quickly recover the horses so we can break out!" Yueji pointed in the direction of the tent Che Li Ji had gone to, anxiously shouting, "The Prince is in that tent! I'll go get the horses! The Prince is counting on you!"
Ya Dan led thirty to forty tribesmen, attacking the tent from the rear flank. The rebel archers surrounding Che Li Ji could only spare half their men to defend against Ya Dan. A volley of arrows rained down, killing over a dozen of Ya Dan's men, but they also reached the archers and immediately began to fight. Just then, Che Li Ji burst out of the inferno. Ya Dan saw Che Li Ji emerge from the rear flank and quickly called out, "Prince, regroup over here!" He charged towards Che Li Ji, and Che Li Ji also fought his way over to regroup. When the two groups merged, only a dozen or so of Ya Dan's tribesmen remained. Ya Dan had a sword cut on his arm, and Che Li Ji had taken two arrows, but fortunately, they hadn't struck vital points. Che Li Ji was also strong and robust, so they barely managed to regroup.
