Translator: Ink Hub
Editor: Yoog

Dark clouds blanketed the night sky as a sudden, biting wind rose, veiling the once-bright moonlight. There was a faint scent of rain in the air.

“Kill!”

“The Qiang have entered the city! To arms! To arms!”

As the main force of the Qiang army poured into the city and the spies who had infiltrated earlier set fires to cause chaos, the entirety of Yunyang Pass descended into turmoil. The rhythmic thundering of war drums, the desperate roars of soldiers, and the shrill neighing of warhorses intertwined in the cold night air.

Tonight was destined to be a night of slaughter.

The defenders within the city were currently leaderless. Aside from a few of Kong Xian’s trusted confidants who had defected, the majority of the soldiers were fighting isolated battles, thrown into the fray without understanding the situation because their commanding officers were all trapped within the General’s Manor.

Inside the General’s Manor, the air was thick with the flash of blades and the spray of blood as the two factions clashed in a chaotic melee.

“Kill them! Kill them quickly!”

Kong Xian’s face was a mask of gloom. Initially, his troops had been evenly matched with Han Shuo’s men, but as the reinforcements under Xiao Shaoyou and Luo Yu arrived, they fell into a complete disadvantage.

Xiao Shaoyou fought like a man possessed, leading his elite guards in a relentless charge, desperate to cut through the battlefield and slaughter Kong Xian. Then there was Meng Hu, who truly lived up to his name. Like a literal fierce tiger, he crushed the skull of a personal guard centurion with two heavy blows. His prowess was so overwhelming that, for a moment, no one dared to step forward to face him.

Kong Xian paced frantically. A situation that should have been a guaranteed victory had been ruined by Han Shuo’s sudden intervention.

“General, we must retreat! Retreat now!”

Several confidants crowded around Kong Xian, their voices urgent. “We cannot win this fight. Our only choice is to wait for the Qiang to kill them all before we show our faces again.”

“Damn it, they got lucky. Let’s go!”

Kong Xian was a man of decisive action. Protected by a circle of followers, he slipped out through the back door. The Qiang would kill Luo Yu and the others sooner or later. Despite his fuming rage, he was in no hurry to finish them himself.

“I owe my life to the commandant’s rescue; otherwise, we would have been in grave danger today.”

Luo Yu cupped his fists, his curiosity piqued. “How did you know Kong Xian was going to strike tonight?”

“I’ve been with him far longer than you two. Naturally, I understand him better.”

Han Shuo’s gaze narrowed slightly. “He has been acting far too strangely lately. He replaced several commandants and centurions under his command, almost all of them his own confidants. He didn’t care about ability, only loyalty. Furthermore, the troops he absorbed from the Li family were all handed over to his inner circle.

“Most tellingly, starting from last night, the officers guarding the gates were rotated out, and no one else was allowed near the city walls. I kept a sharp eye out and sent men to watch the movements here at the General’s Manor.”

Luo Yu was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Han Shuo, who looked like a crude ruffian, to possess such meticulous observation skills.

“In that case, Commandant Han is not considered one of his confidants?”

“Hmph. If he truly considered me a confidant, would he have assigned me the grueling task of night patrol tonight? He clearly wanted me out of the way.”

“Damn it, that traitor escaped.”

Xiao Shaoyou walked over, his face pale with fury. Most of his body was stained red with blood. Just moments ago, his killing intent had been genuine as he threw himself into the front lines without regard for his own safety.

“Forget about him for now. We need to decide our next move regarding the battle,” Han Shuo said in a heavy tone. “The main Qiang force has entered the city. The west, south, and north gates have all fallen. We cannot win this fight. You two have quick wits. Tell me, what should we do?”

Despite Han Shuo having the highest rank, he knew these two young men well. Luo Yu, in particular, had a mind that functioned far better than his own in a crisis, so he was willing to let the juniors take the lead.

Xiao Shaoyou gradually regained his composure. “There are four thousand Qiang soldiers. Relying on the defenders left in the city, I fear we lack the strength to face them. My suggestion is to concentrate our forces and break out toward the east. We must preserve our strength and wait for reinforcements from the interior before we return to counterattack.”

Luo Yu nodded in agreement with Xiao Shaoyou’s plan. Fighting to the death now was futile, and there was no need to throw away the lives of their brothers. If they died here, what would become of the Five-Year Pact?

“Then it’s settled!”

Han Shuo responded immediately, “We will gather our men first, collect the scattered remnants of the army along the way, and break out to the east!”

* * *

“Yah!”

Clip-clop! Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

A large contingent of horses galloped through the streets and alleys, followed by infantry. Shen Li was also in the column, supporting an elderly refugee. The faces of many were etched with a deep, heavy sorrow.

The vast Yunyang Pass was being lost just like that. The peaceful life they had enjoyed for barely a month had vanished in the blink of an eye.

Luo Yu’s brow was tightly furrowed. This particular alley had clearly been ransacked by the Qiang already. Many civilians lay dead along the road, and the miserable wails of the survivors echoed incessantly in his ears.

A few surviving commoners caught sight of the troops and begged piteously for rescue, but the horses’ hooves never slowed.

The soldiers felt a gnawing sense of guilt, even shame. They were warriors, the border army meant to protect the home and the nation, yet in the face of an enemy invasion and the pleas of the people, they could only choose to withdraw—or rather, to flee.

“Yang’er!”

As they passed the entrance to a certain alley, Luo Yu suddenly remembered the mutton soup stall. He yanked his reins, galloping into the path. The soldiers behind him were startled. Not knowing why, they could only follow close behind.

The scene inside the alley was unbearable to witness. Countless commoners lay in pools of blood. There were even women who had been stripped of their clothes, having already suffered through brutal humiliation.

The soldiers fell into a heavy silence, the fire of rage and resentment slowly building in their eyes. These were their fellow countrymen, their neighbors.

“Yang’er! Yang’er!”

For the first time, Luo Yu felt a sense of panic. He called out the boy’s name over and over, but when he reached the mutton soup stall, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He stood frozen on the spot.

White-haired Old Li was kneeling on the ground, staring blankly into space. In his arms, he cradled Yang’er’s thin body. The boy was covered in blood, his breath long gone.

At that moment, the troop of hundreds fell deathly silent. Even a man of iron like Meng Hu felt his eyes grow red. Shen Li couldn’t help but cover her mouth, weeping uncontrollably.

“How… how did this happen?”

Luo Yu stumbled forward, his hand trembling as he reached out to touch that familiar face.

“My grandson, oh, my grandson.

“Grandfather is holding you, don’t be afraid. Your father is waiting for you.”

The old man didn’t seem to notice Luo Yu’s arrival. He simply whispered his grandson’s name over and over. His son was dead, and now his grandson was gone. For the old man, there was nothing left in this world to hold onto.

Yang’er was tightly clutching the wooden knife Luo Yu had given him. As his body temperature slowly faded, tears appeared in Luo Yu’s eyes for the first time.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I came too late.”

Luo Yu gritted his teeth, his heart feeling as if it were being carved by a blade. He reached into his robes and pulled out a wooden scabbard, gently sheathing the wooden knife.

This was the New Year’s gift he had prepared for Yang’er. He had intended to give it to him after the New Year celebrations. He never imagined that their parting this morning would be a final separation between the living and the dead.

Luo Yu stood up blankly and looked around the alley. Corpses were everywhere.

Auntie Zhang, who had sent him small jars of pickled melons; Wang San’s wife, who had given him rice wine; Blackie, who had come to the military camp to help with odd jobs…

Dead. All of them were dead.

They had died in their dilapidated little homes that, despite their state, had once provided shelter from the wind and rain.

In his ears, he could still hear the echoes of “Big Brother.” That innocent, youthful voice was the only thought that had ever allowed him to truly relax.

Now, it was all gone, like a shattered dream.

“Let’s go.”

Xiao Shaoyou struggled to speak, his voice strained. “If we don’t leave now, we won’t be able to get out.”

“I’m not leaving.”

Luo Yu’s chest seemed to broaden, standing taller than before. He casually wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, his voice calm yet carrying a chilling sense of finality.

“I am staying. I will defend Yunyang Pass!”

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