Ceasefire and Array

The north wind swept across the scorched earth of Hexi, tearing the last tattered cloth from the "Xiao" banner atop Anyi city walls, leaving only a bare flagpole, like a broken spear piercing the leaden sky. The chilling atmosphere did not dissipate with the retreat of the Di and Rong troops; instead, it solidified into an even more biting cold due to the pursuit of the Legalist officials and the shadow of the "hanging sword."

Xiao Yuxuan's remaining troops, like lone wolves in the snow, struggled through the ravines and wilderness of Hexi. Hunger, cold, and the shadow of plague were their constant companions, and every brief respite was accompanied by new sacrifices. Ever since witnessing the tragic deaths of his mother and nephew, Sheng Guo had fallen into a deathly silence. He no longer shed tears, but silently wiped his shield, stained with the blood of his enemies, every day. His eyes were empty, and only occasionally, when he glanced in the direction of the magic-based soldiers, would a chilling, icy hatred flash deep within his eyes.

That day, the group struggled to an abandoned fortress called "Wild Fox Ridge" on the western edge of the river. The broken walls and ruins offered only a meager shelter from the wind and snow. Exhausted, the group found some dry grass to lay on the ground, intending to rest for a while.

"Woo-woo-woo-woo-"

A low, urgent horn call abruptly shattered the silence of the mountains! Immediately following, the thunderous sound of hooves approached from afar, instantly enveloping the small fortress! Flames suddenly erupted, illuminating the broken battlements and the densely packed, gleaming armor of the French cavalry on the snowy ground outside the fortress! Leading the charge was Yan Song, his head wound still unhealed, his face contorted with resentment and glee! Beside him flanked several unfamiliar faces, their auras heavy, their eyes sharp as hawks, each bearing a bronze xiezhi (a mythical beast) badge symbolizing their direct involvement with the Court of Justice.

"Xiao Yuxuan! You traitors and rebels, surrender at once!" Yan Song's voice was sharp with excitement, echoing in the cold wind. "Before the Court of Justice, you will find no way to escape!"

The Court of Justice! The sharpest claws of the imperial court have finally arrived in Hexi! Yan Song's framing has finally been exposed!

A deathly silence fell over the fortress. The remaining dozen or so guards and refugees, their faces ashen, gripped their broken weapons in despair. Sheng Guo abruptly raised his head, his empty eyes suddenly focusing, like a tiger about to pounce, his muscles tense, the veins on his shield bulging! Jing Zhi's figure vanished silently into the deepest shadow of the fortress, like ink merging into the wall.

Xiao Yuxuan slowly stood up and walked to the dilapidated fortress gate. The cold wind whipped up his tattered clothes, revealing his wounded body beneath. His face showed no panic, only a coldness and weariness born of world-weariness. He looked at Yan Song's smug face contorted in the firelight outside the fortress, at the cold, emotionless eyes of the Court of Justice pointing directly at him, and at the spears, halberds, and crossbows standing all around him.

"The Court of Justice?" Xiao Yuxuan's voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the wind and snow. "You've come at the right time. I'd like to ask, which country is being betrayed in this crime of treason? Is it the court that cedes territory and pays tribute, treating its people like dirt? Or is it the Hexi government that invites wolves into the house, exchanging the blood and flesh of its own people for a life of ease?"

"You audacious madman! You dare to spread rumors and mislead the public even when you're about to die! Seize him!" A court official shouted sternly, his hand resting on the iron ruler at his waist.

"Wait!" Yan Song raised his hand to stop him with a sinister smile. "Since General Xiao claims to be innocent, why fear a confrontation in court? I have already been ordered by the King and the Court of Justice to set up a 'temporary court' here to try you traitors! It's a good opportunity for the people and soldiers of Hexi to see your true colors! Take him away!"

There was no fierce resistance. The cold iron chains wrapped around Xiao Yuxuan's wrists and ankles again, heavier than they had been in the imperial prison. Sheng Guo and the others were also forced into submission by the fierce soldiers, who used swords and spears to disarm and arrest them. Jing Zhi vanished without a trace, as if she had evaporated into thin air.

The "temporary court's court" was set up in the main hall of a wealthy manor house that Yan Song had temporarily seized. A charcoal fire burned brightly inside, dispelling the winter chill, but not the pervasive atmosphere of grimness and the coldness of authority. Zhao He, the Left Supervisor of the Court of Justice, sat high behind the main table. He remained pale and beardless, with deep-set eyes, but now he wore a deep purple robe with a mythical beast design, symbolizing the Legalist authority of punishment, making him appear even more sinister and intimidating. Yan Song sat below him, his face revealing undisguised resentment and pleasure. On either side stood the Court of Justice's bailiffs, their faces grim, wielding fire and water clubs. Outside the hall were representatives of military officers, powerful figures, and terrified, numb commoners from Hexi who had been driven there to "observe the trial."

Xiao Yuxuan was escorted to the hall by two burly bailiffs, the iron chains dragging on the ground with a dull thud. He stood still, his posture as upright as a pine tree, as the bailiffs of the Court of Judicial Review roughly forced him to kneel, his gaze calmly meeting Zhao He's deep, pool-like eyes.

"Xiao Yuxuan!" Zhao He's voice was sharp and flat, like ice beads rolling onto a jade plate. "Yan Song, the Director of the Water Conservancy Bureau of Hexi, is impeached for ten major crimes! First, you secretly colluded with the enemy's Xuan Niao envoy, leaking military secrets! Second, you secretly released Ji Zhai, the master craftsman of the enemy, aiding the enemy in their treason! Third, you spread the demonic locust tree in the army, bewitching the people and implying a renewed rebellion! Fourth, you colluded with Jing Zhi, the demoness of the Mohist school, to destroy the Luo River's stone dam, disrupting the foundation of the nation and causing widespread suffering! Fifth, you held military power in Anyi City, defying the king's orders and killing government troops! Sixth, you incited refugees to rebel! Seventh, you caused Hexi to cede territory and pay tribute, resulting in the loss of national prestige! Eighth, you allowed the Di and Rong tribes to invade, causing renewed border troubles! Ninth, as the commander-in-chief, you lost the army and disgraced the nation! Tenth, you harbored resentment, slandered the court, and plotted treason! Ten crimes combined, the evidence is irrefutable! Do you plead guilty?"

With each recitation, Zhao He's voice rose a notch, like poisoned daggers piercing Xiao Yuxuan. The hall was deathly silent, save for the crackling of the popping charcoal. Many of the Hexi officers observing the trial had fought side-by-side on the walls of Anyi; their expressions were complex, their fists clenched.

Xiao Yuxuan slowly raised his head, his face expressionless, yet his voice carried a calm power that penetrated to the core: "The ten crimes listed by Supervisor Zhao all point to me. However, I only ask one question: By the Wei River, have the bones of women and children slaughtered for military merit been considered crimes? In Black Stone Fortress, have the wronged souls of artisans, driven like cattle and withered to death by the cruel officials of the Legalist school, been considered crimes? When the Luo River dam collapsed, tens of thousands of refugees perished in the belly of fish due to the disregard for human life; have the heroic spirits of soldiers who shed their blood to defend their homes in the Ghost Valley been considered crimes? In Anyi City, the thousands of people who are currently crying out for death due to hunger, plague, and the exploitation of cruel officials, have they been considered crimes?!"

His voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap, each word dripping with blood, each sentence piercing the heart!

"The court has lost its way, Legalism is oppressive, and war is rampant! This is the root of the bloodshed in Hexi! You high-ranking officials in the court and corrupt officials in Hexi, instead of reflecting on your own faults, you frame me with trumped-up charges! This glorious law and this strict court can no longer accommodate a heart that tries to heal the wounds and stop the war! These ten crimes are not my crimes, Xiao Yuxuan's crimes, but the crimes of the demons in your hearts! The crimes of this cannibalistic world!"

"Insolence! Roaring in court! Slap him!" Zhao He shouted sternly, his face ashen.

A burly bailiff immediately stepped forward, swung his heavy leather slappers, and slapped Xiao Yuxuan hard across the face with a whooshing sound!

"Snap!" A crisp sound!

Xiao Yuxuan's head snapped to one side, his lip splitting open and blood gushing out. But he immediately turned back, his gaze sharper, fixed on Zhao He. His voice, muffled by his swollen cheek, was all the more resounding: "Well done! This slapping punishment strikes my tongue, Xiao Yuxuan! But it cannot extinguish the will to live of the countless people on this scorched land of Hexi! It cannot extinguish the boundless righteous spirit that yearns for peace between heaven and earth!"

"Stubborn to the end! You'll be subjected to severe torture!" Zhao He's eyes revealed a murderous intent.

"Yes, sir!" Several fierce-looking bailiffs responded with a roar, immediately dragging out a red-hot charcoal brazier, cold bamboo skewers for nailing fingers, and a leather whip with barbs!

"General!"

"You bunch of beasts!"

Outside the hall, Sheng Guo and the others, who were being held captive, were filled with rage and struggled frantically! Several guards, disregarding the swords pointed at their necks, even tried to break through the soldiers who were trying to stop them!

"Silence! Anyone who makes a sound again will be punished as an equal!" The Chief of the Court of Justice shouted sternly, his blade drawn, gleaming coldly.

Xiao Yuxuan was forced to the ground. The scorching hot iron, carrying the acrid smell of burning flesh, was pressed hard against his shoulder! A sharp pain, like an electric shock, instantly swept through his body! His body tensed, his teeth clenched, veins bulging on his forehead, but he forced back a groan of pain! Only a suppressed, beast-like growl escaped from deep within his throat!

Cold bamboo skewers were driven one by one into his fingernails! Blood dripped from his fingertips onto the ground, blooming into glaring red blossoms on the cold blue bricks! A barbed leather whip lashed his back, tearing away flesh with each strike!

"Do you plead guilty or not?!" Zhao He's icy voice was like a death knell.

Xiao Yuxuan abruptly raised his head! His face was covered in blood, sweat, and mud, but his eyes shone like burning stars, terrifyingly bright! He stared intently at Zhao He, at Yan Song, at the faces of those in and out of the hall—faces that were either numb, terrified, or furious—and with all his might, he let out a cry that seemed to come from the depths of his soul:

"Xiao Yuxuan—innocent!"

"What I have done is without shame before Heaven and Earth! Without shame before the common people! My only regret is that the Wei River, the Luo River, Guijianchou, and the walls of Anyi City have been filled with countless wronged souls who died unjustly due to the corruption of the court, the oppressive rule of Legalism, and the brutality of the barbarians! My only regret is that the blade in my hand has not been able to eradicate all injustice in the world! It has not been able to protect the people!"

His voice, broken by the pain, carried a power that shook the heavens and the earth, piercing through the howling of the whip and the crackling of the embers, striking the hearts of every listener:

"Stop the fighting! Not out of cowardice! Not out of surrender! It is the sharp blade that cuts the chains of hatred! It is the bridge that mends the divisions in people's hearts! It is the only way to bring scorched earth back to life and allow people to breathe! You use 'national law' as a pretext to frame and slaughter! This law is your private weapon of power! It is a butcher's knife hanging over the heads of the people! It is not the right path of heaven and earth! It is not what the people's hearts desire!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Beat him! Beat him to death!" Yan Song screamed in exasperation.

The whip fell with greater speed and ferocity! The barbs tore away pieces of flesh! Blood soaked through Xiao Yuxuan's tattered clothes, pooling into a small, dark red puddle beneath him. His body trembled violently in agony, his consciousness fading, but his unyielding head never bowed! Through the blood and foam, he continued to utter indistinct yet stubborn whispers: "...stop the fighting...a way to live...justice..."

"Enough!"

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted from the soldiers guarding them outside the hall! It was like a volcano that had been suppressed for thousands of years, bursting forth!

A centurion, who had fought alongside Xiao Yuxuan to the death in Ghost's Sorrow and bore a long scar on his face, his eyes bloodshot, suddenly ripped off his leather helmet and slammed it to the ground! A loud crash resounded!

"I'm done! This damn official! This damn law! I've had enough!" he roared, ignoring the blade at his neck, he suddenly drew his sword from his waist and pointed it at the court, "What crime has the general committed?! What crime has he committed in defending the land and protecting the people?! The guilty ones are you bloodsucking wolves! The traitorous Yan Song! And those blind and black-hearted bastards in the court!"

"Centurion Wang! You've gone mad! Put down your knife!" The French officer in charge of guarding the prison was both shocked and furious.

"Crazy? I've been crazy for a long time! Ever since I watched my brothers fall one by one under Di Gou's blade, ever since I watched my wives and children starve to death on the road of fleeing famine, I've gone mad!" The centurion looked like a madman, tears of blood streaming from his eyes. "Today, either I die here! Or I fight my way out with the general! Fight my way out! If you have the guts, come with me!"

Like a spark that ignites a prairie fire!

"Follow Wang Tou!"

"Damn it! Let's go all out!"

"I've had enough of this humiliation! The general cannot suffer this injustice in vain!"

"To avenge my brother who died at the hands of the Ghost-Slaying Demon!"

Dozens of soldiers who had fought alongside Xiao Yuxuan on the walls of Anyi City and at the bottom of Guijianchou Valley were like powder kegs that had been completely ignited! They took off their helmets and threw away their weapons (not disarming, but angrily discarding them), their eyes red, and recklessly pushed past the soldiers who tried to stop them, surging towards the entrance of the court! Even the refugees and some low-ranking officers who had been driven out to "observe the trial" were ignited by this tragic and heroic scene and Xiao Yuxuan's heart-wrenching accusations, and began to stir, pushing and shoving the soldiers maintaining order!

"Rebellion! Rebellion! Suppress them! Kill them all!" Yan Song screamed in terror, his face ashen.

The expressions of the officers from the Court of Judicial Review and the legal system changed drastically, and they all drew their swords! The bailiffs in the hall also raised their fire-and-water clubs! The atmosphere instantly became tense, ready to explode at any moment! A bloody infighting between the ruthless Legalist officials and the lower-ranking soldiers and refugees, triggered by the trial, was about to erupt inside and outside this small fortified village court!

Zhao He's face was so dark it could drip water. He stared intently at the figure below, whose spine remained straight even in the pool of blood, like an indomitable war god, then glanced at the surging anger and teetering mutiny of soldiers and refugees outside the hall. The meticulously woven legal net, the ruthless authority upon which he relied to maintain order, seemed so fragile before the will forged by this man's flesh and blood and his conviction!

"Stop the fighting..." In his hazy consciousness, Xiao Yuxuan seemed to hear the roars of his comrades outside the hall, the suppressed cries of the refugees, and the clanging of swords being drawn. His blood-stained lips twitched slightly, revealing a faint but incredibly clear smile.

The sound of tearing silk finally rang out.