Chapter 81: The Dire News Arrives

Xue Baiqi wore a smile as he quietly observed Ye Xin’s expression. Gradually, Ye Xin’s brows relaxed, the corners of his mouth lifted, and after a moment, he suddenly shouted, “Good! He’s actually a step ahead of me! That boy… that boy…”

In Xue Baiqi’s memory, Ye Xin had never been so excited. His brows arched repeatedly, his fingertips trembled, and his chest heaved rapidly.

“You once said, Young Master, that only by shedding blood on the battlefield and seizing banners from enemy commanders could one gather more killing intent and thus refine killing techniques faster,” Xue Baiqi said. “We’ve all been cooped up in Jiuding City for so long, honestly, it feels as if our bones are rusting away. There’s never been a chance for us to truly fight for our lives.”

“It’s close, very close now.” Ye Xin put down the letter and let out a long sigh.

“You haven’t finished reading the letter, Young Master,” Xue Baiqi reminded. “The Champion has already sent someone to contact him.”

“What?” Ye Xin was startled, quickly picked up the letter again, and carefully read through the latter half. His brows furrowed as he sank into deep thought.

“In the end, it is for you to decide, Master,” Xue Baiqi said softly.

With his hands behind his back, Ye Xin paced up and down the room for a while, then suddenly stopped. “Tell him he must make this choice himself. He is now capable of making decisions on his own, and since I’m not there, I can’t make choices for him recklessly! Also, I have a feeling that the Champion’s faction ultimately aims to oppose the rulers of the various kingdoms. If he joins them, there will certainly be some benefits, but the risks are immense. He has only just gained their trust, which was hard-won—he must be cautious!”

“I understand,” Xue Baiqi said with a nod.

****

When Wen Rong led Ye Xin, Xue Baiqi, and Hao Fei into the Hall of Cambrian, Xie En had already been waiting for some time. Seeing Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei, Xie En looked slightly surprised. Wen Rong hurried forward to explain, and Xie En readily agreed. As Wen Rong turned back, relieved, to smile at Ye Xin, Xie En surreptitiously winked from behind.

Actually, with Wen Rong present, Ye Xin felt he couldn’t freely absorb vital energy, so he allowed his consciousness to sink into his spiritual sea. Ever since he had absorbed the soul of that powerful cultivator in the Twin Ridges, his spiritual sea had undergone a tremendous transformation, but he’d never had time to examine it carefully.

Wen Rong, however, was in no mood to cultivate that day. She kept her attention fixed on Ye Xin, and every time Ye Xin withdrew his consciousness and opened his eyes, he would always meet her gaze.

After several such encounters, Ye Xin could only sigh inwardly. It seemed there was no changing his marriage to Wen Rong.

Perhaps Wen Rong truly trusted him. Perhaps she genuinely wished to help the Ye family. Perhaps, if he could stand out, she would be the happiest of all. But sadly, there was no love between them.

Wen Rong was simply a pitiable girl, struck by misfortune out of nowhere. Unwilling to submit, she was ready to pay any price to change her fate—protecting her parents, herself, and even Ye Xin.

But there was no affection between them.

It would be apt to call this a deformed marriage. Yet, among the scions of Jiuding City, intermarriage was the norm, and personal choice counted for little. By modern standards, every marriage here would be called deformed.

In the days that followed, Wen Rong kept her word: she supervised Ye Xin’s cultivation at every moment. Whenever Ye Xin showed the slightest sign of laziness, she would appear before him. She never scolded, nor did she utter a word—she simply watched him in silence, and Ye Xin could only collect himself and return to his training.

Taige Shen Wangji visited the Ye household several times, and finally set the wedding date for the Ye and Wen families. Deng Qiaoying had been “seriously ill” all along, and it was on her sickbed that she spoke to Shen Wangji. Though she tried her best, it was hard to say if she could truly fool Shen Wangji.

On the seventh day, news arrived from afar that rocked all of Jiuding City. All the court officials were summoned to the palace for discussion, and even the Longteng Martial Academy announced a temporary suspension of classes to convene their own emergency meeting.

For the first time, Wen Rong forgot about Ye Xin and hurried home to tell her father the news. All the students hurrying about the academy wore looks of alarm.

The reason was simple: Wei Juan had been defeated!

Speaking impartially, this battle clearly revealed the difference between Wei Juan and Ye Guanhai. Ye Guanhai’s command style was not as aggressive or heroic as Wei Juan’s, and he had known defeat before. But no matter how badly he lost, he always managed to defend the borders of the Great Wei, never allowing Zhuang Buyi or Xiao Demon Finger to gain even an inch.

Wei Juan’s defeat, on the other hand, was a complete rout. From Lingtou, he was pushed back deep into the heartland of Great Wei. Erlong Beach, Wanqu Mountain, Old Dragon’s Mouth, Great Silver River, Little Silver River—all these natural fortresses had fallen into Great Wei’s hands.

And Wei Juan was not defeated by Xiao Demon Finger or Zhuang Buyi, but by a rising star from the Great Zhao.

As it turned out, Xiao Demon Finger was never at Lingtou. As Wei Juan led his army in a fierce assault on Lingtou, Xiao Demon Finger and Zhuang Buyi had circled around to launch attacks on Erlong Beach and Old Dragon’s Mouth. After capturing these two key strongholds, they dispatched their men to blockade Wanqu Mountain and then returned to Lingtou to confront Wei Juan in a decisive battle.

The true crux of the campaign was whether Wei Juan could capture Lingtou in time. Had he succeeded, both sides would have been left battered, and initiative would have remained with Wei Juan.

Jinshan had already been thoroughly sacked by the Tianzui Battalion of Great Wei two years before and had become a ruin. Now, Lingtou served as Great Wei’s main military depot. Wei Juan could have entrenched himself there, awaited reinforcements, and, meanwhile, sent out swift detachments to raid and burn the enemy’s cities and outposts, just like the Tianzui Battalion had done, igniting a devastating wildfire behind enemy lines. In that scenario, the Great Zhao would have suffered even more.

Yet, Wei Juan failed to take Lingtou. A young general named Yu Dao, with only twenty thousand troops, managed to withstand Wei Juan’s month-long bombardment.

By the time Wei Juan despaired and tried to retreat by another route, it was already too late. The armies of Xiao Demon Finger and Zhuang Buyi had encircled him.

Of course, few knew the details of the battle. What mattered to the people was this: Wei Juan had been defeated, and the armies of Great Zhao had invaded the homeland.

After too many years of peace, people had forgotten how precious it was. In fact, after Wei Juan’s early victories, the commander who had kept the war outside their borders was much maligned. Criticisms abounded: he was too passive, lacking initiative; if only Wei Juan had replaced him earlier, Great Zhao would have long since been annexed by Great Wei, and so on. After all, mocking Wei Juan could be dangerous, but mocking a dead man offered a certain satisfaction and no risk of retribution.

Now, King Tie Xinsheng and his ministers had to find ways to reverse the tide, while Longteng Martial Academy had to prepare for massive bloodletting—students would be sent to war, and the instructors themselves would march to battle.

At the Ye residence, in the courtyard outside Ye Xin’s chambers, Ye Xin strolled with his hands behind his back, a broad smile on his face. After a while, he sighed. “Damn, even breathing feels wonderful when no one’s watching!”

Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei exchanged a smile and continued their work. A simple sand table had been set up in the courtyard, and the two of them were planting red and white flags at various points. According to the latest intelligence, Xiao Demon Finger, Zhuang Buyi, and Yu Dao had split into three columns and burst into Great Wei’s territory.

“We’re discussing military affairs here—what are you doing over here?” Ye Xin said to Shanpao. “Do you even understand any of this?”

“Black Robe, you think I want to be here? It’s the young miss who told me to protect you,” Shanpao replied.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to,” Ye Xin said with a grin. “You think following me is more fun than following Wen Rong, because I’m bound to be plotting some mischief, and Wen Rong is too proper, right? As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses its tree, a loyal subject picks his master. Ha!”

“Can you speak plainly? What nonsense are you on about? I don’t understand a word…” Shanpao protested.

“Young Master, the sand table is ready,” Xue Baiqi called over his shoulder. “Which direction do you think Xiao Demon Finger and Zhuang Buyi will attack? I guess Xiao Demon Finger will strike at Qiuxi City, and Zhuang Buyi will head for Wanghai City. Oh no… I wonder if Fu Shang and the others are still near Wanghai!”

“You’re wrong,” Ye Xin shook his head. “This is nothing more than a tempest in a teacup.”

“A tempest? Young Master, what do you mean?” Hao Fei asked in confusion.

“I’ve told you many times—everyone has their own unique traits. Different traits mean they react differently to the same situation. If you make deductions based on these traits, you can often predict their moves ahead of time,” Ye Xin explained.

“It can’t be that magical, can it?” a laugh came from outside the courtyard, and Xie En strolled in.

“What brings you here?” Xue Baiqi asked.

“I came to check on my prized student. No one will suspect anything,” Xie En replied.

“Not that magical, you say?” Ye Xin’s eyes flicked toward Shanpao, and he smiled. “All right, let me show you the wondrous world that different traits can create. Shanpao, step outside for a moment.”

“Why are you making me leave?” Shanpao grumbled.

“Just step out—you’ll be right back,” Ye Xin said.

Shanpao glanced around, helplessly walked out of the courtyard. Ye Xin turned to Xue Baiqi. “Baiqi, tell me, what’s the opposite of ‘life’?”

“Death, of course,” Xue Baiqi answered without hesitation.

“Shanpao, come back,” Ye Xin called.

Shanpao, looking completely baffled, returned to the courtyard. Ye Xin asked, “Shanpao, think carefully. What’s the opposite of ‘raw’?”

Shanpao scratched his head, suddenly brightening. “Cooked!”