The hooves were wrapped in fur, muffling the dense drumming sound.
Yet the trembling of the ground could still be felt.
In the dark of night, the advancing troops surged like a wall, growing closer and clearer.
Even with his eyes closed, Liang Qiang could sense that wall pressing almost against the tip of his nose.
He wanted to ask why, but then he remembered he had no right to ask.
He had witnessed this scene before—the last time, at the brink of life and death, the Xiliang soldiers had reined in their horses and stood at attention, just like a wall.
That time, he had survived by staying close to that wall. But this time—
"What are they going to do?" he heard his own voice rasp.
Or perhaps he should ask, what are you going to do?
The soldier standing beside him said, "General, there’s no need to be nervous. They’re just passing through."
Just passing through? That’s all? Liang Qiang turned to look at the soldier. "You—you’re betraying the country."
The soldier chuckled. "Betrayal? If that’s how you see it, then they’ve long been traitors too."
Last time, he had seen only a Great Xia soldier produce a token, and the Xiliang soldiers, at the brink of life and death, halted, obedient as if they were the Great Xia soldier’s own right-hand men.
"This isn’t betrayal," the soldier continued. "It’s just... a transaction."
A transaction? One that trades the safety of Border Army soldiers and civilians? Liang Qiang’s hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a fist. "Is this transaction meant to lead us to defeat?"
The soldier frowned, seeming impatient, but another soldier nearby spoke more gently. "General Liang, you’re overthinking it. How could Great Xia possibly be defeated? It’s just that sometimes, victory and defeat must coexist—that’s the way of navigating the world."
The way of navigating the world? Even in a war between two nations? Liang Qiang stared blankly.
"What does it matter if two nations are at war?" the gentle soldier said with a smile. "Nations are made of people. Since they’re made of people, there must be a way to navigate the world."
"Enough of this talk," the first soldier cut in impatiently. "General Liang, someone in Western Liang needs a victory, and granting them this victory won’t affect our overall campaign. That’s all there is to it."
That’s all? Liang Qiang felt his palm stinging where his nails had dug into it. "So this time, will I lose one arm or two?"
He let out a self-mocking laugh.
"If the pass isn’t defended properly and the enemy breaks through, a commanding officer must fight to the death—only when his head is cut off can it be considered over."
Only then would Liang Qiang be remembered as a heroic martyr, and everything he had gained would be preserved.
The soldier smiled. "This time, you don’t even need to lift a finger. Just stand here calmly and pretend you saw nothing."
"Everything has been arranged. No one will find out you let them through directly," the other soldier added. "At most, you’ll be charged with negligence in defense."
The first soldier reached out and patted Liang Qiang’s shoulder. "General Liang, last time, losing an arm ensured you could still fight valiantly and enjoy wealth and honor. This time, even if you’re charged, it won’t matter. You can still fight courageously, redeem yourself through merit, and even enhance your reputation. Don’t you believe that?"
Believe it or not—what did it matter? At this point, did he even have a choice? Liang Qiang stared at the Xiliang soldiers concealed by the night. If he shouted now, could he stop any of this?
What power did he have to stop it? In truth, he had nothing.
Perhaps before he could even cry out, these trusted deputies would kill him.Liang Qiang gazed into the night, watching the pitch-black wall advance, moving through his line of sight like a silently swelling river overflowing its banks, spreading across the vast land behind him.
The sentries, both visible and hidden, were utterly silent.
This was no surprise. He had come here to replace the sentries, and naturally, the other posts had also been taken over by the soldiers he brought with him.
Liang Qiang did not turn around. The night behind him was quiet, yet he seemed to already hear the rising clamor of battle.
He said hoarsely, "When it's our turn to win next time, let me be the one to cut them down."
...
...
"Great King—"
"Great King—"
The Chitou Chieftain rushed all the way from the vanguard to the camp of the King of Xiliang.
The guards of the royal tent were the fiercest warriors of Xiliang. Because of the heat, they were shirtless, towering like mountains, making no one dare approach.
Even though the Chitou Chieftain was the King of Xiliang's son-in-law, he was stopped outside the royal tent and could not easily see the Great King.
However, because he was the son-in-law, he was allowed to approach a little closer, kneeling at the entrance of the royal tent.
"What are you here for again? To persuade me to withdraw the troops? You people, all cowards afraid of death, with no patience."
"Do you know why Xiliang has always been defeated? It's because we only want to fight a little and then stop."
"Our bravery comes quickly and fades just as fast, which is why the Great Xia people have been able to take advantage."
"The Great Xia want me to kneel, negotiate peace, cede territory, and pay tribute—dream on."
"This time, I will make the Great Xia people understand that we, too, can endure."
"If there is to be peace, it will be them begging me for it!"
The furious voice of the King of Xiliang echoed from the royal tent, shaking the ground.
The Chitou Chieftain waited for the Great King to vent his anger before raising his voice: "Great King, the Third Prince has led troops to attack the Great Xia's Yunzhong Commandery—"
Before his words faded, the ground seemed to tremble. Thudding footsteps echoed from inside the tent, and then the tent flap was thrown open. The King of Xiliang, also shirtless and towering like a mountain, appeared before him.
"Is it true?" he asked, leaning forward.
The Chitou Chieftain nodded repeatedly: "Absolutely true! Yunzhong Commandery is now in chaos, terrified by the Third Prince!"
The King of Xiliang laughed heartily, the sound deafening.
"Good, good. Hunye is indeed the bravest," he praised loudly.
The guards around him raised their arms and shouted, "Long live the Third Prince!"
This made the other princes who had come upon hearing the news envious and jealous, but they could only join in the shouts.
The King of Xiliang pointed at them: "None of you should idle around either—all of you, charge for me!"
The surroundings erupted in unified cheers once more.
The cheers roared like a gale.
...
...
The gale swept through Yunzhong Commandery.
On the roads of towns and villages, fleeing civilians were everywhere. Regardless of whether the Xiliang soldiers were heading in their direction, panic drove everyone to hide in valleys and dense forests or flee inland.
Galloping horses and soldiers were everywhere.
Soldiers stood solemnly, the atmosphere tense. The commander's banner reappeared at Jiezi Pass, and the sound of whipping echoed before the banner bearing the character "Shuai."
Brigadier General Liang Qiang was being punished.
He knelt shirtless on the ground, while soldiers behind him wielded long whips, striking him fiercely.
Liang Qiang's back was already drenched in blood. He gritted his teeth, using his hands to brace his knees, refusing to let himself collapse. His face was deathly pale.
"Why did you abandon the fortress? Why did you lead troops to roam around? Leaving the central army vulnerable!"Amid the whipping, Zhong Changrong's roar echoed.
Liang Qiang gritted his teeth and responded: "This general is guilty!"""General Zhong, this is not the time to assign blame," Supervisor Fu exclaimed angrily as he arrived upon hearing the news and witnessed the scene. "Instead of sending these soldiers to fight the enemy, you're here observing a punishment."
Zhong Changrong turned his fury toward him: "What use is empty talk of killing the enemy with such useless, undisciplined troops? Supervisor Fu, what discipline have you actually enforced during your entire tenure here?"
With the battle going poorly, was he now being framed? Supervisor Fu's face flushed red with rage: "Zhong Changrong! If you hadn't been competing with me for authority, conducting unnecessary camp inspections that distracted our troops, the Xiliang soldiers would never have found an opening!"
As the two resumed their arguing, Liang Ji, who had accompanied Supervisor Fu, glanced at his son's injuries. By now, Liang Qiang was swaying unsteadily, on the verge of collapse.
"General!" Liang Ji stepped forward, clasped his fists and knelt on one knee. "What's done is done—Liang Qiang is guilty. But currently the Xiliang soldiers are attacking from all sides, and the Third Prince's Hunye troops have crossed the Jiezi Pass, approaching Stone Slope City. I beg you to allow Liang Qiang to atone through meritorious service—"
The swaying Liang Qiang struggled to kneel upright, addressing Zhong Changrong: "This guilty officer requests... to fight at the frontlines... to kill the enemy—request—"
Zhong Changrong watched the father and son with a cold sneer, about to retort when another messenger came galloping in.
"General—Stone Slope City—has fallen—"
Fallen.
The surroundings erupted in uproar. Though he had anticipated it, Liang Qiang's ears rang hollowly, his mind going completely blank upon hearing the confirmation.
The surrounding noise seemed to fade in and out, yet certain phrases pierced through clearly:
"—The garrison at Stone Slope City suffered a poison smoke attack... couldn't hold—"
"—Xiliang troops breached Stone Slope City... three hundred thousand civilians trapped—"
They said it was just an exchange of victories, meaningless to the overall war.
They said he could still fight valiantly later, atoning through future achievements.
For him, it was an exchange, it was meaningless, it was atonement through merit. But for the dead and wounded soldiers, for the civilians fallen into enemy hands—it wasn't just that. It was... lives.
Once gone, they were gone forever. Irreparable.
Liang Qiang's body curved increasingly downward until he collapsed heavily to the ground, his head striking the earth.
……
……
Battle cries shook the heavens.
Their feet trod upon mountains of blades and seas of blood, yet not a single soldier retreated. Blades flashed, swords shadows danced, flesh and blood flew—none could tell how much time had passed when finally their weapons found no more targets to strike. In the distance, the tide of enemy troops that should have surged forward instead receded, vanishing into black specks in the blink of an eye.
"The Xiliang scum are fleeing!" Xiao Shan shouted, waving his blade.
Xie Yanlai, standing atop a corpse, lowered his long sword and spat out a mouthful of blood: "Blind bastards, coming to seek death at your grandfather's doorstep."
The surviving soldiers joined in with strange cries and shouts: "Seeking death—" "Don't even think of breaching the pass—they can't even touch the gate—"
Xiao Shan moved to bandage his wounded arm, but noticing Xie Yanlai's bandage had come loose, he hurried to rewrap it.
Xie Yanlai kicked him away: "Piss off, mind your own business."
Xiao Shan chuckled, wiping away blood while deftly dressing his wound.
Xie Yanlai leaned on his long sword, gazing ahead before turning to look behind. They were still some distance from their guarded pass—in truth, they had been waiting here in ambush since the Xiliang troops launched their assault.
They'd only fought one engagement, eliminated the vanguard, and the Xiliang soldiers had already fled.
"Little Lord, these Xiliang soldiers are complete cowards," Xiao Shan remarked while bandaging himself. "How could they possibly have broken through the Jiezi Pass?""Don't underestimate the Xiliang soldiers," Xie Yanlai said. "Every fish and shrimp has its own way."
As he spoke, he looked ahead, his eyes glinting slightly.
"Xiao Shan," he said. "Do you dare to join me in a big game?"
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