Liang Qiang stared at the glint of the curved blade, his mind drifting as if he could already feel the searing pain in his arm.
He even envisioned himself kneeling on the ground, howling in agony, his severed limb rolling nearby.
But he did not die. He was treated, helped onto a horse, and then surrounded by countless people cheering amidst a field of corpses.
Then he was promoted and ennobled. Afterward, he rode into battle with one arm, leading soldiers whose numbers grew from five hundred to a thousand, then to tens of thousands. He fought everywhere—first defeating the Xiliang soldiers, then battling unknown armies—
As he fought, he continued to rise in rank and honor, stepping into the court where all officials welcomed him—
Though he had only one arm, he was revered wherever he went, hailed as a hero of unmatched courage—
He even saw the girl’s face, clad in Empress robes, seated on the throne, her eyes filled with admiration and joy—
"Commandant Liang, time waits for no one!" a soldier shouted. "Will you choose glory and success, or your arm?"
The curved blade scraped against his armor with a grating sound.
Liang Qiang snapped back to reality, instinctively stepping back.
The soldier gripping the curved blade grinned. "Commandant Liang, such a rare opportunity comes only once in a lifetime. Don’t worry, I’ll be quick. It won’t hurt much."
Liang Qiang clenched his fist, feeling the solid presence of his arm. Yes, they had fallen into an ambush yet managed to crush the main force of the Western Liang army. Even if that person were all-powerful, he could only exchange for this one chance—
This opportunity was crafted solely for him.
Liang Qiang, he truly was… priceless.
A sudden laugh escaped him.
A soldier nearby muttered, "Has this kid lost his mind from fear?"
"Gone mad with joy," another soldier said coldly.
The one holding the blade added, "Commandant Liang, you’ve figured it out, haven’t you? This future is well worth the price of an arm."
Liang Qiang looked up at him. "This isn’t just an arm, brother. This is my entire life—no, the lives of my descendants, the future of the Liang lineage—that I’m trading."
Without his arm, he would never be independent again. This fame and glory would be his silken robes and his shackles. To maintain his status and wealth, Liang Qiang would have to surrender his life, his future, and the fate of his descendants to another’s control.
What a formidable person.
What a shrewd merchant.
How expertly he manipulated hearts.
"Commandant Liang," the soldier said, refusing to argue, his tone icy. "Whether it’s worth it is your choice. We won’t force you."
Not force him? Liang Qiang thought. True, they weren’t forcing him, but could he turn back now?
If he refused, he would keep his arm but lose everything he had just gained—even his life.
Would it all vanish just like that?
His life had become a joke.
If he died, there would be nothing left.
As long as he could stand before the world again, as long as he could shine brilliantly, what did his life—or the lives of the Liang clan—matter?
If someone needed him, if someone could use him, then so be it—
Liang Qiang raised his head. "To ensure I can still resemble a man in the future, spare my right arm. Take the left."
The soldier smiled in satisfaction. "As you command, Commandant—"
He raised the curved blade.
"Commandant, to avoid suspicion about the wound, we won’t ask you to remove your armor or lie down. I’ll proceed like this—"
Before he finished, the blade swung down abruptly.
To create the illusion of a surprise attack? Though he had made his choice, when the blade descended, Liang Qiang still instinctively recoiled.
The soldier did not pursue him but instead flashed a strange, eerie smile.A gust of wind swept from the side. From the corner of his eye, Liang Qiang saw a soldier who had stealthily closed in, swinging a broadsword at him.
So this was the real surprise attack!
Liang Qiang instinctively twisted his body, but it was too late. With a metallic clang, the broadsword sliced through a gap in his armor—
Though flesh wounds were constant on the battlefield and Liang Qiang thought he had grown numb to pain, a cry of agony escaped him as the blade cut into his arm—
His arm.
He would no longer have an arm.
He—
From now on, he would no longer be himself—
He regretted it!
He regretted it!
Liang Qiang instinctively raised his hand, trying to block the broadsword.
Amid his cry of pain, a buzzing sound filled his ears. The next moment, the broadsword halted, and the soldier gripping it froze as well.
It wasn’t Liang Qiang’s hand that stopped the blade—it was an arrow piercing the soldier’s throat.
Liang Qiang stared in shock. The soldier hadn’t even registered what happened, a ferocious grin still etched on his lips as he died.
“Who’s there!” The other soldiers snapped to attention, gripping their weapons and turning to look behind them.
Only then did they notice a group of people crouched in the undulating trenches behind them, lying prone with a dense row of crossbows aimed forward.
The sight sent chills down their spines in an instant.
……
……
Reinforcements.
Though their banners were not visible, it was clear at a glance—these were the troops of Great Xia.
Liang Qiang and the soldiers around him quickly grasped the situation.
“I—” The soldier holding the broadsword opened his mouth but suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
If these were reinforcements, why had they approached silently and killed their comrade without warning—
Had they been exposed?
Even if not, suspicion was inevitable.
After all, their earlier actions—no, even more terrifying—the halted Xiliang soldiers in the distance!
How could they explain this?
It was too sudden. Reinforcements weren’t supposed to be here. Cold sweat broke out on the soldier’s skin.
Suddenly, Liang Qiang shouted and charged at the soldier before him: “They’ve defected to the enemy! I’ll fight you to the death!”
With a metallic clash, his longsword swept horizontally toward the soldier.
The soldier raised his weapon to block, sparks flying as the blades met, barely deflecting the strike from his throat. His eyes bulged as he glared at Liang Qiang.
“I’m worth a lot,” Liang Qiang said slowly, word by word, in a voice only the two of them could hear. “You didn’t take my arm, but to avoid losing out on this deal, you—all—must—die.”
The soldier seemed to understand, a strange smirk twisting his lips as he roared, “Kill—”
Shoving Liang Qiang back, he raised his blade to strike—
The other soldiers surged into motion as well.
From behind came the buzzing whir of arrows cutting through the air.
Liang Qiang stood his ground, feeling countless arrows fly past him, watching as the soldiers before him were struck and fell dead to the ground.
At the same time, the blocked Xiliang soldiers ahead surged forward like a breached river.
Behind him came the thunder of hoofbeats, accompanied by battle cries: “Kill—”
The ground shook, dust and wind swirling as countless troops rushed past Liang Qiang, soon colliding with the breached river of soldiers, splattering blood in all directions.
The land was once again engulfed in slaughter.
Whether from the tremors or the fierce wind, Liang Qiang could no longer stand. He staggered and half-knelt, barely propping himself up with his longsword planted in the ground.
Blood gushed like a spring from his left arm.
The soldier hadn’t severed his arm, but the blade had cut deep into his flesh.
He bowed his head, watching the blood drip onto the earth.
“Liang Qiang.”The sound of hooves came to a halt beside her, accompanied by a woman's voice falling upon her ears.
Liang Qiang looked up and saw a girl astride a black horse, clad in a faded red robe, carrying a bow on her back and a blade in her hand.
Her hair was disheveled, and a layer of dust covered her originally fair face, but her eyes shone as brightly as stars.
"Liang Qiang," she said, "are you alright?"
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