Translator: Ink Hub
Editor: Yoog

“You… you…”

Carrying endless doubt and despair, Jun Yi slowly collapsed to the ground. His crimson blood looked exceptionally glaring under the flickering candlelight.

Many people stood frozen, their minds blank. What was happening? Why did Kong Xian suddenly kill Jun Yi? Especially now, at the critical moment when the Qiang soldiers were breaking into the city.

Kong Xian gripped his long sword, his gaze sweeping across the room.

“From this moment on, Yunyang Pass follows my command! Anyone who dares to disobey will be executed without mercy!”

Over a hundred elite iron-clad soldiers surged from both sides of the hall, each wielding a long spear. They surrounded the scene, and a sudden wave of killing intent filled the air.

“What crime did General Jun commit? Why did you murder him!”

“If you do not give the Jun family an explanation today, we will demand justice for General Jun even if it costs us our lives!”

The members of the Jun family were the first to roar in anger. Their faces were ashen. The prestige of the Jun family of Ding Prefecture was not something anyone was allowed to provoke.

“Because he intended to collude with the enemy and commit treason!”

A cold shout suddenly rang out. Luo Yu slowly stepped out from the crowd, his eyes dark and somber.

“If I am not mistaken, Li Chengxiao was not the only one colluding with the enemy, right? There is also you, the general of Yunyang Pass, Kong Xian!”

“Tsk tsk, clever as expected.”

The corners of Kong Xian’s mouth curled into a smirk.

“However, his collusion was his business and had nothing to do with me. I only realized someone else intended to surrender when you pulled out that secret letter.

“Speaking of which, I should thank you. When the Qiang collaborate with someone, they only care about who has the most ability. If both Li Chengxiao and I had defected at the same time, they might not have valued me. But now that I have used your hand to kill him, Wanyan Chang has no choice but to cooperate with me. Hahaha!”

“So, the assassination attempt I encountered in the city was not orchestrated by Li Chengxiao but by you! You were also the one who let those Qiang spies hide in the city!”

“Correct, it was me. It was all me. Li Chengxiao was nothing more than a minor character.”

Kong Xian smiled faintly.

“When I sent the assassins, I deliberately had them mention Walige and that secret letter. That way, you would naturally turn your suspicion toward Li Chengxiao, allowing me to sit back and relax.”

“What a poisonous scheme. We were actually played by you!”

Luo Yu clenched his fists so hard his joints creaked.

He had correctly guessed that Li Chengxiao had a problem, so he thought everything was settled after dealing with him. He had forgotten one thing: who said only one person was surrendering?

“Why? Why would you do this!”

Xiao Shaoyou’s eyes were wide with fury.

“Weren’t you the one who taught me? To be loyal to the sovereign, to love the nation, and to keep the border people in my heart. But what about you? You slaughtered your comrades, swallowed up the personal guards, and now you are actually opening the gates to surrender.”

“Those were all lies to deceive you!”

Kong Xian barked back.

“What loyalty to the sovereign and the nation? Do you really think the Emperor or the commoners far away in the capital care whether you or I live or die? I have spent half my life in the saddle, and I saw through this Great Qiang Dynasty long ago. I am telling you, even if we fight to the death at Yunyang Pass, those high-ranking officials in the Imperial Court won’t even blink.

“Risking your life for them is being an idiot! You can only live for yourself!

“So what if I surrender to the Qiang? So what if I bear a bad reputation for eternity! As long as I can have glory, wealth, and high office, everything is worth it!”

“You beast! Why did you lie to me!”

Xiao Shaoyou’s eyes were already filled with uncontrollable fury. He could use any means necessary for power, he could sacrifice innocent people to climb the ranks, but he would never allow anyone to privately collude with the Qiang thieves. His entire family had died under the scimitars of the Qiang soldiers!

“I didn’t lie to you—I was finding a better path for you! And for all of you!”

Kong Xian scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Luo Yu and Xiao Shaoyou for a moment.

“You are both promising talents. I admire you. As long as you are willing to follow me, your futures will be limitless!

“With the Qiang army as our backing, we can easily conquer the three provinces of Longxi. We will be the future Li family and Jun family. Our children and grandchildren will enjoy prosperity for generations!”

“Pah!”

Xiao Shaoyou suddenly drew his sword. “I am irreconcilable with the Qiang thieves! Today, I will definitely kill you!”

“And me!”

Luo Yu stood firmly beside Xiao Shaoyou.

“Sigh, you fail to see the situation.” Kong Xian sighed softly.

“Since you choose to oppose me, then go and die.”

“Hah!”

A long sword suddenly thrust toward Xiao Shaoyou’s back. The one who struck was actually Vice Centurion Pang Fei.

Seeing the sword tip closing in, Luo Yu acted as if he had been prepared all along. He delivered a swift kick to Pang Fei’s abdomen, sending him flying a great distance and narrowly saving Xiao Shaoyou’s life.

“So there was another traitor!”

Luo Yu stared at Pang Fei through gritted teeth. Xiao Shaoyou was even more incredulous.

“You… you actually attacked me! It turns out that for all these years, you were the eyes and ears Kong Xian planted by my side!”

Back then, Xiao Shaoyou and Pang Fei had left Kong Xian’s side together to join the army. They had fought side by side for years, and Xiao Shaoyou viewed him as a trusted confidant. He never expected such a person to be a spy planted by Kong Xian.

“Pah!”

Having missed his strike, Pang Fei scrambled up from the ground with a sneer.

“You guessed right. In fact, you didn’t know, did you? I am General Kong’s foster son. Staying by your side these past two years was to monitor you, preventing you from growing too powerful and threatening General Kong’s position.”

“You really are a traitor.”

Luo Yu stood with his blade ready. “That day when we were hunting the Qiang spies, the only living witness was killed by you. I didn’t suspect you then, but just now when Kong Xian spoke the truth, I realized you were the problem.

“You didn’t kill him by accident; you were afraid the truth would be exposed. You were silencing him!”

“Centurion Luo is truly clever.” Pang Fei mocked. “But what use is being clever? You’re still on a road to death!”

“Good, good! Everyone is lying to me.”

Xiao Shaoyou had already been driven mad by rage. “Today, I will fight you to the bitter end!”

“Stay calm, there is still a chance!”

Luo Yu grabbed Xiao Shaoyou and shouted, “Focus on finding a way to break out first. We can settle these grudges later!”

The crowd in the hall had unknowingly split into two groups. One side consisted of Kong Xian’s confidants and iron-clad guards, while the other side was composed of the unsuspecting commandants and centurions.

However, Kong Xian’s side held a clear advantage. Their numbers were more than ten times greater.

“Brother Luo, what do we do now?”

They actually gathered around Luo Yu instinctively, their tone suggesting they viewed him as their backbone. The capabilities Luo Yu had displayed recently were too strong, strong enough to command their awe. They felt that as long as they followed Luo Yu, they could escape from this desperate situation.

“Haha, you’re asking him what to do?”

Kong Xian laughed arrogantly. “The Qiang elites have already entered the city, and more than half of the military power in the city is in my hands. Even if he were a god, he would be powerless to change the outcome.

“Surrender is your only way out.”

Luo Yu stepped forward, his face cold.

“In your dreams!”

“Right! You want us to surrender? In your dreams!”

“We’ll fight this despicable villain to the end, damn it!”

These men usually embezzled military pay and insulted their soldiers, so they couldn’t be called good people. But they were border dwellers of Longxi, and they possessed the spirit of Longxi. To ask them to surrender to the Qiang was absolutely impossible!

“In that case, you can only die.”

Kong Xian waved his hand coldly. “Kill them all. Leave none alive.”

“Hehe, Xiao Shaoyou, Luo Yu, your time has come.”

Pang Fei grinned savagely as he brandished his scimitar.

“Don’t blame me. Blame yourselves for being stubborn and seeking your own deaths!”

Swoosh!

Puchi!

The moment the words left his mouth, a sharp arrow whistled through the air. It struck Pang Fei squarely in the throat, killing him instantly.

The sudden turn of events made everyone’s hearts tremble. Why had another one died?

Bang!

The courtyard gates were kicked open. Over a hundred soldiers swarmed in, clashing with Kong Xian’s troops. Han Shuo charged in, holding a large blade.

“Don’t panic! I’ve come to save you!”

“Commandant Han?”

Luo Yu was utterly stunned.

“You… how did you get here?”

He had originally planned to fight to the death and hold out until Meng Hu and the others arrived with reinforcements. Who could have known the first one to come to the rescue would be Han Shuo?

Han Shuo cursed loudly.

“You still owe me twenty jars of top-tier wine! Do you think I’d just let you die like this!”

Translator’s Note: This chapter delivers a massive plot twist. Kong Xian, who seemed like the “good” general compared to Li Chengxiao, turns out to be the true architect of the betrayal. Also, Han Shuo’s entrance is classic webnovel timing—saving the protagonist because of a “debt” of wine.