Chapter 107: A Million Soldiers Hidden Within the Breast

Ye Xin led the wolf cavalry deeper into the territory of the Great Zhaoguo, but he deliberately avoided the path through Taisui Plain. Perhaps the brutal battle two years prior had left a deep scar in his heart, and unless absolutely necessary, he was reluctant to return there. After the plan’s success, they would have to retrace their steps. If Xiao Mozhi’s retreat outpaced his expectations, he risked being trapped by him once again.

All three armies of the Great Zhaoguo showed signs of unusual activity. The Tiger Head Army seemed to be withdrawing, while Yudao, who had already occupied Wantang City and was facing off against Wei Juan, inexplicably abandoned the city overnight, retreating more than a hundred miles away.

Wei Juan, once sharp and aggressive, was shaken by this turn of events. Upon hearing of Yudao’s withdrawal, he did not immediately pursue but instead dispatched countless scouts to patrol the surrounding area, intent on tracking every single movement as if to uncover the tiniest detail.

By the time Wei Juan decided to strike, five days had passed, and Yudao had already consolidated his forces within Erlong Beach.

Among the three armies, Xiao Mozhi’s retreat was the slowest, as if he was unwilling to withdraw. Tie Xinsheng should have responded promptly, but the battle reports from the rear shattered his ambitions for revenge.

Pan Yuanshan’s Blood Mountain Legion launched a swift attack on Jiuding City. Grand Chancellor Shen Wangji and Grand Commander Wang Fang assembled a new army to confront them outside the city. However, Pan Yuanshan dispatched a detachment that bypassed the defenses and struck Jiuding City directly.

Though this battle was technically a victory for Dawei, as Pan Yuanshan suffered severe injuries and had to retreat southward, Shen Wangji’s new army sustained heavy losses. Many officers were wounded or killed, including the second eunuch commander Xiaofuzi, who was carried away. The palace guards under his command lost more than half their numbers, and the commoner guards were nearly wiped out.

Yet, in another sense, Dawei had lost, for all eight Jiuding tripods were looted by the Blood Mountain Legion. Upon hearing this, Tie Xinsheng spat blood in front of his commanders. It was poetic justice: years ago, when the Tianzuiping occupied Jinshan and plundered all the military supplies, the ruler of Great Zhaoguo, Jiang Neng, was so enraged he spat blood. Tie Xinsheng had laughed heartily then, but now, only four years later, it was his turn to suffer.

From a certain perspective, the Qingyun Sect was the true master of Dawei’s lands, while Tie Xinsheng was merely a rancher managing the estate. Though he held operational rights, true control belonged to the Qingyun Sect. All the prime stones from the eight tripods had been seized, and the deficit fell squarely on Tie Xinsheng’s shoulders. It was impossible to expect the Qingyun Sect to magnanimously grant him even a year’s harvest. Angered, the sect would inevitably seek a new steward, spelling ruin for the Tie family.

However, after years of continuous warfare, the national treasury was nearly depleted. There was no way to cover the loss of tens of thousands of prime stones.

Simply put, the nation was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Even if they could defeat Great Zhaoguo and avenge past humiliations, what then? When the time came to hand over the stones in late winter or early spring, what fate awaited Tie Xinsheng?

Fortune and misfortune rarely come together; Wei Juan’s forces collapsed like a landslide, retreating into Dawei’s heartland to barely hold their ground. Only a fraction of the vast military supplies were saved; the rest fell into the hands of Xiao Mozhi, Zhuang Buxiu, and Yudao. Now, with Jiuding City pillaged, the calamity was twofold.

The next day, Tie Xinsheng fell ill. His sole hope was that the mother tripod, still intact, might yield more prime stones this year. If so, he could empty the treasury and squeeze the noble families for support and perhaps survive this crisis. But what after that? Before the nine tripods of the realm solidified new stones next year, Dawei’s strategic reserves would be utterly depleted—unable to sustain even a minor conflict.

What if this year’s yield from the mother tripod fell short again? Tie Xinsheng dared not contemplate such a thought.

Undoubtedly, he was in great anguish. At the other end, Zhuang Buxiu was even more troubled. Dismounting from his horse, he carefully examined the tracks on the ground. An experienced scout approached quietly and whispered, “Commander Zhuang, they left this place three days ago. At the speed of the wolf cavalry, they must be over a thousand miles away by now.”

Zhuang Buxiu closed his weary eyes, nodded, signaling his understanding.

At that moment, a warrior from the Tiger Head Army hurried over and whispered, “Commander Zhuang, Commander Yudao has arrived!”

“Oh?” Zhuang Buxiu forced himself to gather strength. “Bring him here quickly!”

Soon, a tall young man with sharp eyebrows and a clear demeanor approached briskly. Seeing Zhuang Buxiu, he bowed slightly. “Greetings, Commander Zhuang!”

“Yudao, now that you command an army yourself, there’s no need for such formalities,” Zhuang Buxiu waved him off.

Without hesitation, Yudao smiled, “If not for your guidance, Commander Zhuang, I wouldn’t dare dream of this day! Before Xiao Mozhi, I could afford to keep up appearances, but before you, I must behave myself.”

“You…” Zhuang Buxiu sighed, then his brows furrowed deeply again.

“Commander Zhuang, our army has yet to clash decisively with Wei Juan. Why order a retreat now?” Yudao asked quietly.

“Wei Juan is insignificant. Soon enough, he will be as forgotten as I am. The future of Dawei does not rest on Wei Juan, nor does the future of Great Zhaoguo rest on me,” Zhuang Buxiu said slowly. “Our true thorn has reappeared, which is why I advised you to withdraw. Haha… not just you—if Xiao Mozhi learns of it, he’ll retreat even faster.”

“You mean…” Yudao asked seriously.

“Tianzuikilling God!” Zhuang Buxiu enunciated each character with great force, as if afraid to mispronounce.

“Tianzuikilling God? Isn’t he supposed to have vanished?” Yudao was shocked.

“Vanishing doesn’t mean dead. So he’s back,” Zhuang Buxiu sighed.

“I recall you said before that Tianzuikilling God was severely wounded by you. Even if he survived, the damage to his life vein was irreparable, rendering him useless,” Yudao said. “Such a crippled man… you shouldn’t take him so seriously, right?”

“About that… it’s all my fault!” Zhuang Buxiu sighed deeply again. “I trusted myself too much and underestimated Tianzuikilling God’s strength. Also, I was wary of Xiao Mozhi causing trouble, so I missed the chance to press on.”

“Xiao Mozhi? Destroying the Tianzuiping was a great achievement. Why would he want to sabotage?” Yudao looked puzzled.

“It’s not something I can explain in a few words,” Zhuang Buxiu shook his head, then narrowed his eyes in thought. After a long pause, his gaze brightened as he fixed Yudao with a stare. “I know you’re still unhappy about my ordering a retreat, thinking it’s not worth giving up such a good opportunity over one Tianzuikilling God. But remember this: as I said, the hope of Great Zhaoguo does not lie with me, but with you; the hope of Dawei does not lie with Wei Juan, but with Tianzuikilling God.”

“Commander Zhuang, I know my limits. Compared to Xiao Mozhi, I still have a long way to go,” Yudao smiled.

“Xiao Mozhi is unreliable!” Zhuang Buxiu said gravely. “There’s a long history here I never had the chance to tell you before. Well, today you’ll hear it clearly. For years, Xiao Mozhi was loyal to the Sovereign. Though the Sovereign distrusted him and often withheld military supplies, Xiao Mozhi bore the burden without complaint. But everything changed after Tianzuikilling God rode alone into the Demon Camp and had a long talk with Xiao Mozhi…”

“Rode alone into the Demon Camp? That’s bold!” Yudao was amazed.

“At that time, Xiao Mozhi led the Demon Army to hold Taisui Plain, blocking the Tianzuiping’s retreat. Hearing that Tianzuikilling God came to see him alone, he was curious and agreed to meet. Alas… he shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have!” Zhuang Buxiu’s aged face twisted into a frown. “They talked a lot, but three sentences stand out clearly in my memory.”

“What three sentences?” Yudao asked, surprised.

“‘Does Commander Xiao want to be the second Ye Guanhai?’ That first sentence struck at Xiao Mozhi’s greatest fear, forcing him to sit down and seriously consider the Tianzuikilling God,” Zhuang Buxiu explained. “Then there’s ‘Once the rabbit dies, the dog is cooked; when the birds are gone, the bow is put away.’ And lastly, ‘Raising a bandit to rely on.’”

“‘Once the rabbit dies, the dog is cooked; when the birds are gone, the bow is put away’…” Yudao muttered. These idioms, effortlessly quoted by Ye Xin, carried profound meaning in this world.

“You feel it too? Ha… not just you, even I dare not forget them for a day!” Zhuang Buxiu took a deep breath. “Others think Tianzuikilling God’s greatest asset is his speed and skill with a blade, but to me, his most terrifying trait is his cunning and vast ambition. No matter how strong, can one truly rise within a sect? But Tianzuikilling God is different—with just his words, he weaves through the sect’s politics, carving out his own domain.”

Yudao listened quietly.

“His words strike at your weakest nature, compelling you to follow him! What does ‘Once the rabbit dies, the dog is cooked; when the birds are gone, the bow is put away’ mean? Once Dawei is pushed to the brink, and the Sovereign is free of worries, then the next unlucky one will be Xiao Mozhi! And ‘Raising a bandit to rely on’? The best strategy is to keep Dawei capable of fighting, so the Sovereign never finds peace. As long as Xiao Mozhi is useful, he won’t become the target. But according to their plan… is war just a game? They burn both sovereigns on the fire, but how long will this torture last? The countless casualties, the piled bones—they are chips in their game of survival!” Zhuang Buxiu suddenly struck the tree trunk with a heavy fist. “Yudao, do you know what pains me most? These words hit my weakest spot. Tianzuikilling God… he’s right!” (To be continued.)