The lingering warmth of the night
The night wind along the Wei River, carrying the chill of early winter and the lingering stench of blood, swept across the deathly silent camp. The hastily buried corpses, laid bare during the day, gleamed menacingly in the moonlight, like unhealed scars on the earth. The patrolling soldiers, wrapped tightly in their tattered fur coats, trudged heavily. Their bronze spears occasionally flashed a ghostly light in the cold moonlight, reflecting the lingering weariness and fear in their eyes. The blood that splattered from General Bai Yu's suicide seemed to still linger in the air above the camp, along with his bronze dagger embedded in the blood-soaked mud, forming a heavy, suffocating shadow that weighed on everyone's hearts.
Inside the central command tent, the lights shone brightly. The large black banner symbolizing the commander-in-chief's authority had been lowered, replaced by a temporary black bird battle flag representing Deputy General Sun Qian. The black bird on the flag flapped its wings, yet it seemed to carry a hint of melancholy. The atmosphere inside the tent was heavy as lead. The newly appointed commander-in-chief, Sun Qian, sat in the seat that had once belonged to Bai Yu. The flickering light from the bronze beast-head lamp cast shifting shadows on his tired and taut face. Below him sat several subordinate generals, each with a somber expression, their eyes still reflecting the terror of yesterday's battle.
"The scouts report," a scout captain knelt on one knee, his voice hoarse, "that the remaining Di Rong forces number about three thousand, led by their fierce general 'Black Wolf' Wu Tu, have retreated to 'Eagle's Sorrow Ravine,' thirty miles to the northwest. The ravine is deep and steep, accessible only by a narrow, winding path, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. They are holding their ground, gathering their defeated soldiers, and slaughtering wounded horses for food, clearly intending to fight like cornered beasts, delaying their main force until reinforcements arrive!"
The map lay open on the bronze table, depicting a rudimentary landscape. The terrain of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge was outlined in vermilion, its shape living up to its name: like the claws of a ferocious bird digging deep into the mountainside. The entrance was narrow as a throat, with steep cliffs on both sides, jagged rocks scattered throughout the gorge, and a swift current flowing through it. It was indeed a tough nut to crack.
"A direct assault?" a lieutenant with a full beard grumbled, his brows furrowed. "That wretched place is impregnable! Our spear and halberd formation can't even be deployed! No matter how many lives we send in, we won't hear a sound! Besides, brothers..." He glanced around the tent, his unspoken meaning clear—the army's morale was low, and a direct assault would be like driving sheep into the tiger's den.
"Besieged?" another general interjected, his tone equally grave. "Our army's food supplies are also running low. Transporting supplies from the rear is difficult. The Di Rong can still kill horses for food in the ravine, but we can't afford to waste time! Moreover, the whereabouts of their reinforcements are unknown. If this drags on, we may be attacked from both sides!"
A suffocating silence fell over the tent. The air was thick with the anxiety of helplessness and the immense exhaustion from yesterday's Pyrrhic victory. The Legalist military judge sat to one side, his face still as hard as iron, but his tightly pursed lips and the slightly bulging veins on the back of his hand resting on his knee betrayed the heaviness in his heart. Bai Yu's death had abruptly stripped this army, which had been held together by strict discipline and Legalist pragmatism, of its backbone, exposing deep-seated cracks.
Just then, a slightly deep voice with a strange rhythm broke the silence. It was Gu Yan, who had been sitting in the shadows in the corner. He was not wearing armor, only a faded indigo robe with a cloth belt loosely tied around his waist. He was thin and wiry, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. As he scanned the Eagle's Sorrow Gorge on the map, a faint, almost cold, calculation played at the corners of his mouth.
“A direct attack is foolish; to be trapped is dangerous.” Gu Yan’s voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone’s ears, carrying a penetrating power that saw through people’s hearts. “The best course of action now is to emulate Su Qin and Zhang Yi’s strategy of ‘diplomatic maneuvering’ and ‘strategic maneuvering’, so that they will lose their composure and collapse without a fight. This may yield remarkable results.”
Sun Qian immediately turned his gaze to Gu Yan: "What good plan do you have, sir?"
Gu Yan lightly tapped the entrance to Eagle's Sorrow Gorge with his fingertip: "Wu Tu is brave and fierce, but also stubborn and suspicious, especially with his deputy, 'Vulture' Mo Han, with whom he has a long-standing grudge. Mo Han is skilled in archery and prides himself on his wisdom and strategy, often dissatisfied with Wu Tu's brute force." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, "If our army can 'feign weakness,' pretending that due to General Bai's recent death, morale is low, supplies are running out, and a retreat is imminent, and at the same time, send assassins with 'secret letters'—forged of course, naturally—to 'accidentally' deliver them to Mo Han. The letters can subtly mention that our army is willing to 'secretly communicate' with him, offering substantial rewards to jointly eliminate Wu Tu, and once he takes charge, we can cease hostilities and make peace..."
"A divisive tactic!" A glint flashed in Sun Qian's eyes as he immediately grasped the key point: "To sow discord among them?"
“Indeed.” Gu Yan nodded slightly, his cold smile deepening. “That’s one point. Secondly, although Eagle Sorrow Gorge is treacherous, it’s nestled against a mountain with abundant forests. In this late autumn, the air is dry. If we set up fires at a narrow pass they must pass through on their retreat route…” He pointed heavily to a narrow valley behind Eagle Sorrow Gorge on the map, “when internal strife breaks out and they try to flee in panic, we can set the mountain ablaze! Cut off their escape route! At that time, with their ‘allies’ turning against them and their retreat cut off, the flames will rage, and their morale will collapse! Our troops can then ambush the fleeing soldiers with powerful crossbows on the high ground on both sides, achieving twice the result with half the effort!”
Those inside the tent gasped in shock. The scheme was intricately plotted, ruthless, and calculated to the extreme, a chilling manifestation of the strategists' art of "manipulation" and "expediency." It exploited human weaknesses, created chaos, and then delivered a devastating blow.
"Sir, your plan is ruthless... yet also brilliant!" the bearded adjutant couldn't help but praise, then his face showed difficulty. "However, sending assassins to deliver a letter and infiltrate the enemy's ravine is extremely dangerous! Setting up an ambush and setting up a fire also requires skilled and daring soldiers to go deep behind enemy lines, facing a nine-out-of-ten chance of death! Who can take on this task?"
All eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, fell on another silent figure in the shadows of the corner—Xiao Yuxuan. He seemed to blend into the shadows of the command tent, his back straight as a spear, silent as a cold rock. Although Bai Yu's bronze short sword had "fallen" on the banks of the Wei River, the blood-stained shadow of the sword seemed to still hang between his brows, carrying a heavy chill. The military judge's cold pronouncement, "After the relics are sealed and the matter is settled, he will be severely punished according to the law," was like an invisible shackle around his neck.
Sun Qian's gaze also fell on Xiao Yuxuan, filled with scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible complexity. "Xiao Yuxuan," he called out in a deep voice.
Xiao Yuxuan slowly raised his head. Overnight, the grief in his eyes seemed to have been replaced by something deeper and colder. It wasn't numbness, but a silence that came from freezing and compressing all emotions to the extreme. The firelight reflected on his angular face, half bright and half shrouded in shadow, just like his torn heart. On one side were the two characters "Stop the War" written in blood by General Bai and the blood-stained locust tree buds by the Wei River; on the other side was the ruthless and vicious scheme, destined to cause rivers of blood, that Gu Yan had described. He clenched his fists, and between his fingers, it seemed, there was still traces of blood and mud from yesterday when he was digging the earth to bury General Bai's sword.
"Infiltrate Eagle's Sorrow Gorge to deliver the letter, and scout out the terrain of their retreat pass to guide the ambush." Sun Qian's voice was flat, yet every word carried immense weight. "This task requires someone bold, meticulous, and fearless. Are you willing to go?"
"I'm willing." Xiao Yuxuan's voice was hoarse, devoid of any hesitation or emotion, only a cold, deathly silence. He wasn't moved by Gu Yan's plan, nor was he motivated by military merit or titles. He simply needed a fight, a fight on the edge of a knife, perhaps only in that life-or-death moment could he temporarily suppress the endless tearing and torment in his heart. As for the destruction the plan itself would bring… at this moment, he was powerless to think about it, nor did he want to.
"Alright!" Sun Qian slammed his hand on the table, a decisive glint in his eyes. "Depart at midnight! Mr. Ji Zhai!"
Ji Zhai, the Mohist who had been sitting silently on the other side, looked up in response. His face was stained with medicine and soot from the wounded soldiers' camp, and his eyes, though tired, were still sharp as an eagle's. When he swept over Xiao Yuxuan, there was an indescribable heaviness in them.
"Please, sir, prepare some 'unexpected' items for the assassins on their journey," Sun Qian said meaningfully.
Ji Zhai nodded silently, stood up, gestured to Xiao Yuxuan, and the two walked out of the oppressive command tent one after the other in silence.
Inside the Mo family workshop, the air was thick with the acrid smells of burning saltpeter, sulfur, and pine resin, mixed with the burnt odor of quenching bronze. A few tallow lamps flickered with a dim yellow light, illuminating stacks of wood, oddly shaped bronze components, and sketches scattered on the floor. Ji Zhai walked to a heavy wooden box covered with a thick, damp felt cloth in the corner, lifted the cloth, and revealed several objects inside that gleamed with a cold, metallic bronze luster.
He picked up a bronze jar, about the size of a fist and shaped like a flattened gourd. The jar was riddled with tiny holes, connected to a hollow, flexible tube of ox tendon, ending in a small bronze mouthpiece. “‘Fire-Subduing Cabinet,’ slightly modified,” Ji Zhai’s voice was low and hoarse, with a metallic, abrasive quality. “It contains potent fire oil (*crude petroleum*) mixed with refined sulfur, saltpeter, and pine resin. When used, pressurize it by blowing air through the holes, and the oil mist sprays out from the holes. It ignites upon contact with an open flame, burning fiercely like a leech, impossible to extinguish with water. The spray can reach five paces, scorching people and burning objects, instantly turning a sea of fire.” He handed this dangerous object to Xiao Yuxuan, his movements steady, but his eyes fixed on him with a complex expression. “This thing can help you burn mountains and cut off the enemy’s retreat, or… turn several people into fireballs and charred remains in an instant. Use it with caution.”
Xiao Yuxuan took the cold bronze jar; it felt heavy in his hand. The fine holes seemed like countless eyes, ready to devour anyone. He could almost smell the stench of burning flesh and hear the agonizing screams of life consumed by flames. Gu Yan's plan had now transformed into this heavy, death-laden weapon in his hand. His throat bobbed, but he remained silent.
Ji Zhai then picked up a palm-sized, intricately designed bronze mechanism, shaped like a bird's beak, containing three short, poisoned crossbow bolts. "A hidden weapon, three shots in quick succession. Within ten paces, a fatal blow." He demonstrated how to cock the mechanism, his movements so fast they left only a blur. "In close combat, this might give you a moment's chance." He then placed the mechanism into Xiao Yuxuan's hand.
Finally, Ji Zhai picked up a flat leather pouch containing several dark pills the size of longan fruits, emitting a strong, pungent, and bitter smell. "'Resurrection Pills'," he said succinctly. "When suffering unbearable pain or fainting from blood loss, chewing these pills can temporarily revive you and prolong your life. However, their effects are potent; like drinking poison to quench thirst, they will inevitably damage your health afterwards."
Xiao Yuxuan silently put the artifacts away one by one. The cold bronze pressed against his skin, the pungent smell of medicine mixed with the stench of gunpowder and sulfur irritating his nostrils. He looked up at Ji Zhai. In the dim light, the Mo Zhai's face was covered in grime, and his eyes were as deep as an ancient well, containing no encouragement, no pity, only a heavy, all-knowing weariness and sorrow.
"The Mohists advocate 'non-aggression.'" Ji Zhai's voice was low, as if he were talking to himself, or questioning the cold object before him, or even interrogating Xiao Yuxuan's soul. "Weapons for defending the city are meant to protect the people from the enemy. But this thing..." He pointed to the "fire cabinet," "is made for the purpose of incineration. When used, the flames will devour bones, and lives will be lost. Is this 'aggression'? Is this 'defense'?" His gaze was fixed on Xiao Yuxuan. "The wish to 'stop the war' must be sacrificed with such a self-destructive fire? Xiao Yuxuan, what you hold in your hand, is it the fuel to cut off the enemy's retreat, or... the fire that burns away your own conscience?"
This soul-searching question, like a cold awl, pierced Xiao Yuxuan's chaotic mind! General Bai's desperate plea for "cessation of hostilities," the blood-stained locust tree buds by the Wei River, the bronze fire pot in his hand exuding the aura of sulfurous death, and Gu Yan's insidious and vicious plan to burn the mountain and exterminate the family—all clashed violently! His body swayed almost imperceptibly, his face growing paler in the dim light. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt as if it were blocked by scalding sand, only emitting a hoarse, breathy sound.
In the end, he said nothing. He simply lowered his head further, clutching the cold objects tightly to his chest, as if trying to embed them into his very bones. Then, he turned, like a prisoner burdened with invisible shackles, silently and step by step merging into the impenetrable darkness outside the shed. Ji Zhai watched his retreating figure disappear into the darkness, standing there for a long time, finally letting out a heavy, unbearable sigh that dissipated into the sulfurous, death-scented shed.
At midnight, the stars and moon were obscured. A biting wind, like the wailing of ghosts, whipped up sand and gravel that stung faces. In the shadows of an abandoned sentry post in the northwest corner of the camp, ten assassins gathered. All were dressed in black, their faces masked, carrying short crossbows and sharp blades at their waists, revealing only pairs of eyes that gleamed with determination and fear in the darkness. Xiao Yuxuan was among them, his face smeared with a mixture of soot and mud, leaving only his eyes, cold and silent, like two bottomless pools of ice. He carefully wrapped the "Fire-Hidden Cabinet" in oilcloth, slung it over his back, and the "Azure Crow" mechanism in his sleeve was already silently cocked, its touch icy cold.
Sun Qian came in person, without saying much, simply handing a bronze tiger tally (a troop deployment token) with simple markings to the head of the scout team. He then gave Xiao Yuxuan a deep look, his eyes containing so much—expectation, heaviness, and a hint of barely perceptible worry. "Act according to the plan, and move according to the situation. If things don't work out…preserve your life first!" He said the last sentence in a very low voice.
The team leader nodded emphatically and carefully concealed the tiger tally on his body. He growled, "Let's go!" Eleven dark figures, like phantoms blending into the night, silently scaled the simple earthen ramparts and quickly disappeared into the shadows of the rugged, undulating mountains to the northwest, which resembled the fangs of a giant beast.
The entrance to Eagle's Sorrow Gorge was even more treacherous than depicted on the map. Two massive, dark rocks resembled the bared fangs of a prehistoric beast, with only a narrow, slippery crevice, barely ten feet wide, between them, eroded by the flowing water. A biting wind howled through, emitting a piercing, mournful cry, like the wails of a thousand vengeful spirits. In the darkness, a faint light flickered on the high cliff—that was Di Rong's sentry post.
The assassins clung tightly to the cold rock face, crawling with difficulty like geckos. Underfoot lay slippery moss and rushing, icy water; a single misstep would send them tumbling into the abyss. Every step felt like dancing on a knife's edge, each heartbeat audible. Xiao Yuxuan felt the "Fire Cabinet" on his back weigh as heavily as a mountain; its cold bronze shell pressed against his spine, the pungent smell of sulfur and saltpeter seeping into his nostrils through the oilcloth, a constant reminder of his mission—to unleash a devastating, heaven-scorching fire.
"Silence!" The team leader suddenly gestured, his body instantly pressed against the rock face, almost blending into the darkness. Everyone held their breath. Above them came whispers in the Di Rong language, footsteps, and the occasional clinking of weapons. A patrol was passing over the plank road above them! The glow of torches flickered on the rock face above them, and gravel fell in a soft rustling sound.
Time seemed to freeze. Xiao Yuxuan could hear the rush of his blood, feel the cold touch of the "Qingfu" mechanism in his sleeve. He stared intently at the flickering light and shadow above, his fingers unconsciously stroking the blood-stained hemp amulet in his robes. The image of General Bai's suicide, the tender buds of the locust tree trembling in the blood-soaked mud by the Wei River, suddenly flashed into his mind again! That faint green, amidst the chilling killing intent and the sulfurous stench of death before him, seemed so fragile, yet so glaring!
In that moment of intense excitement, he stepped on a loose rock!
A crisp "click!" rang out, unusually clear amidst the deathly silence and howling wind!
"There are people down below!" A sharp shout in Di Rong's language rang out from above! The torchlight suddenly shone down!
"We've been exposed! Charge!" The squad leader's eyes were bloodshot. Knowing there was no way out, he roared, drew his bronze short sword from his waist, and pounced on the plank road above like a cheetah! The other assassins also instantly roared in despair, drew their weapons, and followed closely behind, scaling the slippery rock face and charging upwards!
The battle erupted instantly! In the confined space, swords flashed and blood flew everywhere! The whistling of crossbow bolts, the piercing clang of clashing weapons, the screams of the dying, and the angry roars of the Di Rong language shattered the deathly silence at the entrance to Eagle's Sorrow Gorge! The flickering torchlight distorted and magnified the fighting figures on the jagged rock walls, like a chaotic dance of demons from hell!
Xiao Yuxuan was caught in the chaos of battle. He had just climbed to the edge of the plank road when a burly Di Rong soldier, his face smeared with paint, swung a heavy mace, bringing it crashing down on him with a stench! Xiao Yuxuan's pupils constricted, and his body instinctively leaned back. The mace whistled past his nose, slamming heavily onto the stones at the edge of the plank road, sparks flying! Amidst the flying debris, the "Qingfu" mechanism in his sleeve jolted violently!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three extremely faint but deadly clicks of the mechanisms!
Three streaks of dark light shot out at extremely close range! The roar of the Di Rong soldier abruptly stopped, and three tiny blossoms of blood instantly burst from his throat, chest, and brow! His massive body swayed, his eyes filled with disbelief and astonishment, before he crashed backward and fell into the dark, turbulent stream below!
Before Xiao Yuxuan could even catch his breath, another sharp gust of wind slashed from the side! He parried with a backhand, the bronze sword and the curved blade clashing violently, producing a piercing scraping sound that made his hands numb! Using the force of the impact, he spun around and kicked his opponent hard in the stomach, sending him staggering backward and crashing into the rock wall. Just then, he saw his team leader being attacked from both sides by two Di Rong, in grave danger!
"Captain!" Xiao Yuxuan roared, rushing forward without regard for anything else! But he was still a step too late! A sharp curved blade, bearing the ferocious smiles of the Di Rong soldiers, plunged viciously into the captain's back! The captain's body stiffened abruptly, spitting out a mouthful of blood. With his last ounce of strength, he forcefully threw the forged "secret letter" wrapped in oilcloth at Xiao Yuxuan!
"Go! Go... Burn the road!" The team leader, his eyes wide with resentment, shouted out two words with his last bit of strength before collapsing limply.
Xiao Yuxuan's eyes widened in fury as he grabbed the blood-stained oilcloth bag! He knew that his captain had risked his life to buy him a final chance! The core of the mission—sowing discord and locating the burning road—now rested entirely on his shoulders! He refrained from further fighting, forcefully kicking away the onrushing enemy. His body moved like a monkey, using the complex structure of the plank road and the protrusions of the rock walls to dart left and right through the chaotic battlefield, desperately rushing deeper and darker into the shadows of the ravine! Behind him, the desperate roars of his comrades and the howls of the Di Rong pursuers filled the air!
He didn't know how long he had been running, only that the shouts of his pursuers grew closer, and the torchlight flickered like ghostly flames in the winding ravine. His wounds reopened as he ran, blood soaking his clothes, each breath carrying the pungent smell of blood and the tearing pain in his lungs. He clutched tightly the secret letter his captain had risked his life for and the rough hemp talisman in his bosom, his mind filled with only one thought: Break through! Find that damned escape route!
Ahead, the ravine seemed to widen, revealing a fork in the path. To the left, faint lights and voices could be heard, suggesting this was the main gathering place of the Di Rong. The right side was much darker and deeper, a cold wind blowing in, carrying a strong stench of horses and… the smell of decay? Yes! The place where horses were slaughtered for food! That must be close to their pre-planned escape route!
Without hesitation, Xiao Yuxuan lunged into the darkness on his right! Just as he rushed into the shadows of the fork in the road, a cold arrow, whistling shrilly, grazed past his ear and embedded itself firmly in the rock wall behind him, its fletching still trembling! The pursuers were upon him!
He gritted his teeth, ripped the coarse hemp amulet from his pocket, and tossed it into a conspicuous crevice at the fork in the road without even glancing at it! Then, with all his might, he ran for his life into the dark depths filled with the stench of decay and the smell of horses!
The pursuers behind seemed to hesitate for a moment at the fork in the road, the torchlight flickering. Someone picked up the blood-stained coarse linen talisman, and the faint sounds of discussion in the Di Rong language drifted over, filled with doubt and surprise... This small piece of cloth, imbued with the aura of the Central Plains, was like a poisonous seed in Gu Yan's plan, "delivered" by Xiao Yuxuan in the most unexpected way at the critical moment of life and death!
Xiao Yuxuan couldn't care less about anything else. All he knew was to run! Run for his life! His lungs felt like they were going to explode, his legs felt like lead, and every bump from the "Fire Cabinet" on his back aggravated his wounds, bringing excruciating pain. He didn't know how long he ran, but suddenly the view opened up ahead! The narrow ravine narrowed here, forming an even more treacherous gourd-shaped terrain! The cliffs on both sides were almost vertical, dozens of meters high, leaving only a narrow valley path even narrower than the entrance, barely wide enough for two horses to walk side by side! Inside the valley, jagged rocks, withered vines, and thick piles of fallen leaves and dead branches stretched out into the wider forest beyond the valley entrance!
This is it! The strategic pass that the remnants of the Di Rong tribe in Yingchoujian had planned as their retreat! It was also the place Gu Yan intended to burn the mountain to cut off the enemy's escape route!
Xiao Yuxuan rushed to the entrance of the valley, leaning against a cold boulder, panting heavily. Sweat mixed with blood streamed down his forehead, blurring his vision. He untied the oilcloth wrapping from his back, revealing the cold bronze "Fire-Subduing Cabinet." Looking at the mountain of flammable materials piled up in the valley, and then at the murder weapon in his hand that spewed deadly flames, Ji Zhai's question, "to burn away the fire of one's conscience," exploded in his mind like a thunderclap once more!
Just then, a series of hurried, chaotic footsteps and angry curses in the Di Rong language came from the depths of the ravine, rapidly approaching with the light of torches! The pursuers had finally caught up with him, following his desperate trail!
There's no time to hesitate!
A resolute glint flashed in Xiao Yuxuan's eyes! He abruptly pulled out the bronze stopper from the "Fire Cabinet," and a pungent smell of burning oil instantly filled the air. He took a deep breath, put the cold bronze mouthpiece into his mouth, and with the last ounce of strength in his chest, blew hard!
"call--!"
A thick, dark yellow oily mist, carrying the pungent smell of sulfur and saltpeter, shot out from the fine holes of the can like the breath of a poisonous dragon, instantly covering the withered branches and fallen leaves within several steps in front! Xiao Yuxuan's hands trembled as he took out the tinderbox from his pocket and shook it vigorously!
A tiny spark danced in the biting wind, like the flickering light in his heart, torn apart by hatred and confusion.
He closed his eyes and seemed to see the silent sword monument by the Wei River, and the blood-stained locust tree buds trembling in the mud.
The next moment, he resolutely threw that tiny spark at the withered branch stained with the dead oil mist!
"boom--!!!"
A deep, rumbling roar, like the howl of an earth dragon, filled the air! It wasn't a burst of flame, but a muffled roar, as if echoing from the depths of the earth! Immediately following was a sickening hissing sound! Thick black smoke, mixed with the pungent stench of sulfur, shot into the sky instantly, like a ferocious black dragon, hurtling towards the top of the canyon! The smoke was extremely dense and heavy, carrying unburnt oil, rapidly spreading and making the air scorching and suffocating wherever it passed! The withered branches and leaves piled up at the canyon entrance didn't immediately ignite, but were instantly ignited by the billowing smoke and intense heat. Dark red flames, like the tongues of countless venomous snakes, silently spread and licked at the depths of the smoke, emitting a chilling crackling sound! In an instant, the entire canyon entrance was transformed into a death trap of thick smoke and smoldering fire! Although the fire did not spread rapidly as expected, the toxic smoke and the silently spreading smoldering flames were more insidious and deadly than open flames, enough to seal off the entire pass!
"Cough cough... Poisonous smoke! It's poisonous smoke!" The Di Rong soldiers who had caught up were caught off guard and were choked by the thick poisonous smoke that rushed towards them. Their eyes were burning and they lost their sense of direction. They screamed in terror and retreated in disarray!
Xiao Yuxuan was thrown to the ground by the blast wave and thick smoke, choking and nearly suffocating, his vision blurring. He struggled to his feet, taking one last look at the entrance to Death Valley, swallowed by smoke and eerie flames, then glancing towards the direction of the Di Rong main force within the ravine—there, the sounds of even greater commotion could be faintly heard, and the flames flickered violently! Was it that bloodstained amulet… that had worked? Or had Wu Tu and Mo Han finally broken out in internal strife because of that “secret letter”?
He couldn't tell anymore. The excruciating pain and the suffocating feeling of the thick smoke blurred his consciousness. All he knew was that the mission... was complete. Completed in a way he had never anticipated and never wanted to delve into. He staggered, driven by his last shred of survival instinct, and lunged towards the dark forest beyond the valley entrance, his figure quickly swallowed by the thick smoke and night.
Behind them, within Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, flames soared into the sky. The sounds of battle, screams, and the suffocating smoke mingled with the panicked curses of the Di Rong people, creating a chaotic symphony of death. The smoke and smoldering fire at the valley entrance, like a vast, silent altar, offered the first bloody and eerie sacrifice to Gu Yan's plan, and to the blood-stained sword of "Stop the War" in Xiao Yuxuan's heart.
Xiao Yuxuan stumbled and fled through the dark forest, disoriented, desperate to escape that inferno. The burning pain in his back, the tearing sensation in his lungs, and Ji Zhai's icy questioning gnawed at his last vestiges of sanity like maggots clinging to his bones. Finally, his legs gave way, and he collapsed heavily onto the cold, decaying leaves, his consciousness sinking into a viscous, dark abyss mingled with firelight and thick smoke.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but the biting cold and the damp, cold touch on his cheeks made him struggle to open his eyes a crack. Dawn was breaking, and cold raindrops were seeping through the sparse leaves, dripping onto his burning face.
He struggled to roll over, lying on his back on the cold, muddy ground. Raindrops fell on his face, bringing a faint glimmer of clarity. Through his rain-drenched, blurred vision, he saw above him a tiny, trembling, tender green bud on the branch of a low shrub that had survived the night's cold wind. It was covered in icy raindrops, struggling, yet incredibly stubborn, to poke its head out in the bleak early winter morning light.
This faint hint of green, like the distant echo of the locust sapling by the Wei River, pierced through the suffocating smoke and scorching flames of last night, faintly yet with unparalleled clarity, penetrating the deepest recesses of his heart, frozen by hatred and confusion.
A drop of liquid, mixed with blood, gunpowder smoke, and cold rain, silently slid down the corner of his eye.
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