Chapter Twenty-Five: A Great Victory

“I’m here to deliver a message to Father,” Tie Shudeng said with a smile. Years of tempering had turned him into a refined and capable young man, though the purpose of this visit inevitably brought a glimmer of joy to his eyes.

“What news?” Feng Qishan asked with curiosity.

Tie Shudeng took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the assembled crowd before raising his voice: “Let me bring everyone some good news—the Commander Wei has soundly defeated Xiao the Demon Strategist and has taken full control of the formidable Taishuiyuan Pass!”

A hush fell over the crowd for several heartbeats, and then a thunderous cheer erupted.

“What? Commander Wei won? He really won?”

“Haha… Commander Wei truly grows more formidable with age! Incredible!”

“They say Xiao the Demon Strategist is the most brilliant tactician among the nine nations, but it seems he’s not so remarkable after all—he was no match for Commander Wei!”

Ye Xin’s expression changed subtly, a marked contrast to the jubilant crowd around him. In truth, he could easily have mimicked their voices, expressions, and gestures, but gone was the idle scion’s mindset; he was now the Slayer of the Heavenly Wrath, with weightier matters to consider and no energy to spare for such trivialities.

Tie Shudeng’s gaze landed on Ye Xin and he sighed softly. He understood Ye Xin’s lack of delight. For years, Ye Guan Hai, commander of the Sky Wolf Army, and Xiao the Demon Strategist had clashed, each unable to claim decisive victory over the other. Now that Wei Juan commanded the Da Zhao Kingdom’s forces and achieved such a swift triumph, Ye Guan Hai’s glory had inevitably dimmed.

Yet there was no time for consolation. Tie Shudeng drew another deep breath. “Zhuang the Immortal’s Tiger Guards have been utterly routed, and Xiao the Demon Strategist’s demon army has suffered devastating losses as well! It’s been over ten days since I left Taishuiyuan Pass; by now, Commander Wei’s forces should be nearing Lingding!”

The crowd erupted once more in exultant cheers. Since the rise of Xiao the Demon Strategist, the Great Wei Kingdom had been relentlessly suppressed. In the end, Ye Guan Hai was forced into desperate action, bypassing the Taishuiyuan Pass to strike at Jinshan, only to fall in foreign lands, his Sky Wolf Legion crumbling. The warriors of Great Wei had not known such joy for a very long time.

Feng Qishan’s aged face broke into a broad smile. He leaned close to Tie Shudeng and murmured, “Your Highness, please come with me—there are some matters I wish to discuss.”

Tie Shudeng nodded, then called out to Ye Xin, “Xiao Xin, wait here for me. I’ll be back soon.”

Feng Qishan and Tie Shudeng entered the Longteng Martial Academy. Ye Xin strode toward the carriage, passing by Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei. In a low voice, he said, “Come with me.”

Ye Xin entered the carriage first. Ye Ling, who had been watching him closely, moved to follow, but Hao Fei, the last to board, reached out and closed the door, leaving her halted outside.

To everyone present, it was only natural that Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei would do anything to protect Ye Xin—they were household guards of the Ye family, and Ye Xin was the only legitimate son of Ye Guan Hai. If they didn’t obey Ye Xin, whom should they obey? Though it might seem insubordinate, their loyalty was beyond reproach.

Only Ye Ling was filled with suspicion. When Ye Xin first returned home, Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei had treated him with indifference. Why, after only a day, had their attitudes changed so drastically?

“My lord, isn’t all this commotion a bit much?” Xue Baiqi asked in a low voice.

“It can’t be helped. If we don’t make them suffer a little, the flies will only keep swarming,” Ye Xin replied, his brow deeply furrowed.

“Is something amiss?” Hao Fei asked.

Ye Xin fell silent for a moment before answering quietly, “Xiao the Demon Strategist wants me dead.”

“What?” Hao Fei was taken aback.

“My lord, how do you know this?” Xue Baiqi was equally shocked.

“It’s not something that can be explained in a few words,” Ye Xin shook his head, lapsing into thought. After a while, as if struck by a sudden idea, he asked, “Have either of you told outsiders that I’d be returning to Jiuding City soon?”

“No,” Xue Baiqi hesitated. “I mentioned it to Mo Yan and Xie En.”

“I told Mr. Gui,” Hao Fei added.

Ye Xin fell silent, and a heavy atmosphere descended within the carriage.

After a while, Hao Fei could not contain himself and spoke in a hushed voice, “My lord, could it be that one of us is…?” Hao Fei was reluctant to voice his suspicion, but had no choice. Only their small group knew of Ye Xin’s movements. How else could Xiao the Demon Strategist have found out? It meant there was a traitor among them.

“You’re overthinking it,” Ye Xin smiled. “When we attacked Jinshan the first time, I already knew all the brothers could be trusted. Otherwise, how could we have taken Jinshan with just three thousand men?”

“Then how did Xiao the Demon Strategist learn of it?” Xue Baiqi breathed a quiet sigh of relief. As a warrior from the battlefield, nothing was more painful than being betrayed by a comrade. Ye Xin’s certainty was reassuring; it meant he had long evaluated them all.

“Before coming to Jiuding City, I went to see Qiu Jiecha and obtained the army talisman, then visited a few old generals,” Ye Xin explained.

“How can that be?” Hao Fei found it hard to believe. “The old generals of the Sky Wolf Legion have followed the Wolf Commander for years—could one of them be a traitor?”

“There is one, certainly,” Ye Xin sneered. “Actually, this is good for us. My greatest fear was that Xiao the Demon Strategist would remain inactive—when he makes a move, he’s bound to leave traces.”

Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei were speechless.

“This also confirms a suspicion of mine,” Ye Xin continued quietly. “Father’s capabilities surpass those of Xiao the Demon Strategist, yet he could never utterly defeat him. How dangerous! Fortunately, Father has never liked trickery and prefers open, honorable warfare. If he’d tried to match wits with Xiao the Demon Strategist, he’d have lost long ago.”

“My lord, do you mean every plan the Wolf Commander made was known to Xiao the Demon Strategist?” Xue Baiqi asked slowly.

“With an insider, Xiao the Demon Strategist could see every move the Sky Wolf Legion made,” Ye Xin replied.

“Who is that old traitor?” Hao Fei growled.

“I can’t be sure yet,” Ye Xin said. “For even me to have been deceived—he’s clever indeed! But what does it matter? Including Qiu Jiecha, the traitor must be among those four old men. Sooner or later, I’ll find him out!”

“He hid very well…” Xue Baiqi sighed. He was well aware of Ye Xin’s uncanny ability to discern truth from lies; even the smallest slip could never escape his notice.

“My lord, doesn’t this put you in grave danger?” Hao Fei asked worriedly.

“It’s dangerous, no doubt,” Ye Xin admitted helplessly. “After I got the army talisman from Qiu Jiecha, I showed it to the three old generals in turn, hoping to save some words. Who’d have thought there’d be a traitor? Now Xiao the Demon Strategist has more options; he doesn’t need to lift a finger—just have someone inform Tie Xinsheng that I have the Sky Wolf army talisman, and Tie Xinsheng will never tolerate me. Maybe the message has already been delivered, and we just don’t know it yet. Two-pronged attack.”

“What should we do? Should we… leave Jiuding City immediately?”

“It’s not yet time to flee,” Ye Xin paused, then laughed. “It seems Xiao the Demon Strategist and I are two of a kind—neither of us has any right to call the other shameless. He wants me dead, and I’ve been plotting against him for a long time. He may outdo me in open battle, but when it comes to reading hearts, he’s not even fit to carry my shoes. Let’s see who has the last laugh.”

“What if Tie Xinsheng decides to move against you?” Xue Baiqi asked, frowning.

“Do you take me for a cabbage on the street, to be chopped up at anyone’s whim?” Ye Xin retorted. “Besides, Tie Xinsheng prides himself on his shrewdness. Even if he knows I have the Sky Wolf talisman, he won’t arrest me immediately. He’ll ponder many questions—what am I planning? What have I been up to these past years? Do I have powerful backers? Otherwise, why would I dare return to Jiuding City? And if he does move against me, will the other noble families react too strongly? In short, he’s slow and indecisive. By the time he’s sorted everything out, the moment will have passed. Tie Xinsheng is a cautious man, better at maintaining than advancing.”

“That might buy us a few weeks, but what if he finally decides to act?” Hao Fei pressed.

“My lord, please just tell us plainly!” Xue Baiqi said with a wry smile. “It’s unbearable, living in such constant anxiety!” He knew he was no match for Ye Xin in strategy, but the gap seemed unbridgeable. Ye Xin seemed so confident even knowing there was a traitor in the Sky Wolf Legion, while he could see no way out.

“Our greatest pressure comes from one thing,” Ye Xin said with a faint smile.

“What’s that?” Xue Baiqi asked urgently.

“Wei Juan’s victory,” Ye Xin replied. “With Wei Juan defeating Xiao the Demon Strategist, the Da Zhao Kingdom is on the edge of ruin. Tie Xinsheng, with victory in hand, no longer has to care about the Sky Wolf Legion—if he dislikes them, he can simply get rid of them. If we want to relieve this pressure, our only hope lies with Wei Juan.”

“Wei Juan? But the Wei and Ye families have always been rivals,” Hao Fei said, puzzled. “Why would he help us?”

“How foolish can you be…” Ye Xin said irritably. “Even if we were as close as brothers, he’d never act in this matter—it concerns his lifelong reputation!”

“I see!” Xue Baiqi exclaimed. “Xiao the Demon Strategist must have seen this and deliberately lost to Wei Juan?”

“What am I to Xiao the Demon Strategist, that he’d pay such a price for me?” Ye Xin shot Xue Baiqi a sidelong glance. “Baiqi, I’ve always had high hopes for you—yet you’re still so slow to catch on?”

“My lord, please enlighten me,” Xue Baiqi said respectfully.