Situ Haonan was currently on the front lines. After months of fighting, he had long since grown familiar with the battlefield. Skilled as he was in martial arts, though still learning the art of command under General Dugu, he had led his own men to several victories through sheer skill alone.

He wished he could pour the full strength of the martial world into crushing Xiliang completely.

But he knew perfectly well that was impossible.

At the moment, the two armies were locked in a stalemate, with Situ Haonan’s side defending the city.

“Still no word? That’s it — I’m going myself. I’ll go find my grandfather personally!” Situ Haonan had lost his composure. He’d spent the entire night restless, unable to sit still — not only because of Qianqian, but because Han Ziqing had gone missing too. Though he hadn’t told the Emperor of Xijing about that.

“You can’t. You can’t leave.” General Dugu stopped him at once.

“Why can’t I leave? We’re locked in a stalemate right now, there’s no use in me staying here. If I go to Nangong City, I might just find Qianqian!” Situ Haonan said, raising his voice in agitation.

“Young Master Situ, if you leave, no one can command those martial-world troops. If word gets out, Wanyan Lie will attack the city for certain!” General Dugu warned earnestly.

“I… I…”

Situ Haonan hesitated, and just then, a deputy officer burst in. “Situ Haonan, what’s the meaning of this — did you order the three martial-world companies in the North Court to withdraw?”

The martial-world forces Situ Haonan had brought were no small force — several of their victories owed much to them.

Situ Haonan was stunned. He himself was leaving? Even if he went, he’d go alone — how could he possibly have ordered a withdrawal?

Unless… his mother had come!

Without waiting to answer, Situ Haonan rushed out at once, a bad feeling rising in his chest. By the time he reached the North Court, hardly anyone remained.

“What’s going on! What is the meaning of this!” Situ Haonan’s voice was sharp.

“Young Master, we just received an urgent letter from Madam. She’s ordered us back to the city at once — Madam intends to personally reorganize the six cities of the western martial world,” one man answered honestly.

He didn’t need to spell it out further — Situ Haonan understood immediately. His mother really had come, and she meant to reclaim his standing in the martial world of Xijing.

“Personally reorganize the six cities” — that was nothing but an excuse!

The martial world of Xijing had, besides the smaller estates, six major strongholds. When he was fifteen, his father had personally handed him the token of authority, promising him command over the six cities.

Though it had been given under his grandfather’s pressure, though he had scarcely managed them these past years, it was still his.

To take back something given so long ago, without even a word of warning — that was too much!

And what was even more infuriating was how these people had reacted — not even a proper farewell, just an outright retreat.

In front of the Xijing army, it left him utterly humiliated.

He had been waiting all this time for Situ City to make its move, never expecting his own mother would choose exactly this critical moment to strike.

His mother must have learned from Situ City that they were searching in the northern steppe.

Situ Haonan deeply regretted ever writing to Situ City. He should have been on his guard the moment his grandfather refused to lend him troops back then!

Watching group after group leave, most without so much as a word to him, his heart turned utterly cold.

In that moment, he finally, truly understood the words Jun Beiyue had once said to him years ago: only what you win with your own two hands can never be taken from you by anyone else.

The men of these six great cities were all cultivators of martial arts — one of them worth ten, even a hundred Xijing soldiers.

Such a formidable force — but no matter how good, it was never truly his.

It had all been given to him by others.

“Go!”

Suddenly, Situ Haonan roared. “All of you, go. Go tell her — I, Situ Haonan, am not leaving. Even if I die on this battlefield, I will not go back!”

“Get out, all of you get out! I don’t need any of you here!”

“Don’t disgrace this general’s sight!”

“Get out, the lot of you, the farther the better! I can win this war without you just fine!”

……

Amid Situ Haonan’s furious shouting, every last soldier from the North Court departed, not a single one remaining.

People of the martial world had never liked meddling in court affairs, let alone stepping into wars between nations. And besides, this group had never truly respected Situ Haonan — the powerless young master of Situ City — from the bottom of their hearts.

The moment Madam Situ gave the order, not one of them wanted to stay; they were only too eager to leave.

Situ Haonan stared at the empty North Court and sank down in despair.

Just then, General Dugu and the deputy officer who’d first reported the news came rushing over. Seeing the scene, General Dugu was alarmed — he understood full well how dire the consequences would be if this entire martial-world force were lost, especially if Wanyan Lie launched a fierce assault on the city.

The deputy officer, surnamed Beichen, sneered at once. “This general? Situ Haonan, you don’t have a single soldier under your command right now, and you still dare call yourself a general? What army are you commanding as its supreme commander?”

Though the war between Xijing and Xiliang hadn’t truly started because of Situ Haonan and Yelu Qianqian, they had been its spark.

Those who couldn’t see through the Emperor of Xijing’s true ambitions could only pin the blame entirely on the two of them.

And it wasn’t just this Deputy Beichen — many within the Xijing army resented Situ Haonan, believing he had stolen away their princess and started the war, that he deserved death ten times over.

If not for General Dugu Xianyun’s protection, Situ Haonan would never have been able to integrate into the army so easily, let alone lead troops to victory.

And now, he truly had not a single soldier left.

“General Dugu, I told you long ago this man couldn’t be trusted! You wouldn’t listen, and now the two armies are locked in stalemate, we can’t gain an inch of ground, and if Wanyan Lie attacks the city, we’ll suffer massive losses. We can’t afford to lose,” Deputy Beichen said coldly, driving the point home.

Dugu Xianyun said nothing. He didn’t deny Situ Haonan’s capabilities — he still remembered the massive supply of grain Han Ziqing had once provided.

Though the front lines had shifted from the Xijing-Xiliang border all the way to central Xijing, Situ Haonan had genuinely been a great help.

Given how recklessly Wanyan Lie fought, without Situ Haonan, the capital, Akbachu, might well be under siege by now.

Dugu Xianyun knew of Situ Haonan’s relationship with Situ City. After a moment’s thought, he said flatly, “Situ, you should go. Go to the northern steppe.”

Since the city couldn’t be held anyway, better to let Situ Haonan leave now — perhaps there was still a chance for things to turn around there.

But the moment Dugu Xianyun said this, Deputy Beichen burst out laughing. “So all he’s good for is running? General, you’ve never allowed deserters before!”

A flicker of displeasure crossed Dugu Xianyun’s eyes, and he was about to reprimand him — but Situ Haonan had already been pushed past his limit. He shot to his feet and drew his sword with a ringing clang!

What — what was he going to do? This was the Xijing army’s camp!

……

A note to readers: Ahem, Madam Situ has made her move too — the western frontier and the northern steppe really are places where trouble never stops… Anyway, I want to say it’s the end of the month, so please cast your monthly votes!