As night fell over the city of Mizhan, tension mounted at its gates. Empress Huangbei Shuang, her face ashen and leaning on Ye Pei for support, ordered, “Force our way in. Make him join this mess!”
General Wu Jihai understood at once. He turned to his officers and shouted, “Form ranks! Breach the gate!” In less time than it takes to burn a stick of incense, the 10,000 troops arranged themselves in an eagle formation. Arrows were nocked, javelins ready. The front row dropped their black iron shields with a clang. The soldiers’ battle cry shook the earth: “Advance!”
At Wu Jihai’s command, all 10,000 men stepped forward in unison. The display of force terrified the guards atop Fuping Gate. They hastily prepared their bows. Seeing the situation turn dire, an official on the wall quickly called out, “General, please remain calm! Dawn will break in just a few hours. Why shed blood and create ill will?”
Wu Jihai, who had been suppressing his frustration throughout the journey, could no longer contain himself. “Enough talk! I, Wu Jihai, have served in armor for fifteen years without a single defeat. If I let mice like you stop me today, how could I ever lead troops into battle again? Will you open the gate or not? Decide quickly!”
Hearing Wu Jihai’s renowned name, the official nearly fell to his knees in fear. The fact that Zhan Wang’s top general was here escorting the Empress on a diplomatic mission to Mizhan, rather than fighting on the western front, likely meant this force was part of the infamous Crimson Cavalry. Mizhan rarely saw battle, and their soldiers were no match for these fierce warriors. If fighting broke out, Fuping would surely fall.
Just then, a scout ran up to the official and whispered something urgently. The official’s face immediately relaxed into a smile. He called down from the wall, “Open the gates! Welcome to our honored envoys!”
“What?” Wu Jihai was stunned. He had been prepared for a fierce battle, and now the gates were opened without resistance. “Empress Dowager, this…” Unsure of the enemy’s intentions, he turned to Empress Huangbei Shuang for guidance.
The Empress, now delirious with fever, couldn’t respond. Ye Pei anxiously replied in her stead: “Never mind that! Enter the city!”
With that, the 10,000 troops filed through the gate.
Behind them, less than 800 li away, Ruo Wen’s army of 130,000 flew across the desert. The dense mass of soldiers and the unending cloud of dust they kicked up carried an indescribable sense of ill omen and danger as they steadily approached.
“Hey! I can see the city gate now. Manhu! Let’s have a proper contest this time. For every ten men you kill, I’ll kill twenty!” At the vanguard of the Fengtian army, the Yellow Sky Wild Soldiers raced ahead. Wolf Head and Manhu led the charge, their horses as swift as the wind. Hearing Wolf Head’s challenge, Manhu shouted back, “Watch your tongue, you braggart!” Still stinging from his recent humiliation, he seemed less inclined to trade insults. Wolf Head laughed uproariously, “You sound like a eunuch, no balls left! Talking like a woman! Better watch out or the Chief might assign you to serve him! Haha!” With that, he cracked his whip and surged ahead.
While the two young men caused havoc at the front, Ruo Wen’s gaze flickered with a red glint. He stared intently at the approaching gates of Mizhan, his breathing growing more rapid. In the night, as desire surged within his heart, she was nearly within his grasp.
There are many ways to distinguish between people, one of which relates to the quality of their lives. Some people can live like dogs, or even worse than dogs, leaving behind a trail of chaotic footprints. Others are like phoenixes, able to turn their dignity into flames, leaving behind a myth even after their rebirth. Their footprints often form a straight path, deeply etched in the human world.
Between these two types of people exists an interesting dynamic. Dogs may look down on phoenixes, considering them foolish for clinging to principles when survival is at stake. Phoenixes, in turn, despise dogs, believing that a life lived solely for survival, abandoning one’s innate beliefs, is so dull it’s worse than death.
Yet, the wonder of this world lies in how it distributes the fates of these two types. If the gods decree three lifetimes and send down ten thousand dogs, they will surely send one phoenix as well. This way, the lowly dogs will admire the phoenix’s dignity, and those with dignity will have promises to keep. The phoenix, in turn, will find greater faith in its value among the dogs, standing out as unique and ultimately becoming their leader and protector.
Thus, dogs look up to the phoenix, while the phoenix cares for the dogs. From this dynamic, the phoenix’s contemplation becomes the wedge that shapes all creation, and the complexity of human nature begins.
In the Guanghan Palace of Yunpei, perhaps the most complex heart belonged to Na Zhan. Did he truly love Empress Huangbei Shuang? Not at all? Did he regret using her to lure away Ruo Wen? These questions, beyond matters of governance, became increasingly difficult for him to answer. Recently, when scouts reported that Ruo Wen had broken camp, he felt relief – Empress Huangbei Shuang hadn’t disappointed him. Yet, he also felt a sense of deep dissatisfaction. Every day, he would go to the horse-untying tree in Guanying Palace, imagining what dangers she might face, picturing a man who could steal her heart, a man who could take her away. Why was it that he, the mighty Zhan Wang, could only stand beneath this lonely tree, unable to sort out his thoughts?
His country always came first, while his heart remained firmly under his foot. How could he claim to be unrestrained? If he was born a phoenix, then he was also born not to be himself.
Mizhan, with a history spanning 290 years, guarded the eastern edge of the great desert. It boasted 14 oases and a population of 10 million. The people worshipped the Sun God, and the state religion was known as Huogeng. To date, 1,677 temples have been built in a circular arrangement. The capital was Youzhou, with a royal palace called Huanyuan. The Huanyuan regime was ruled by You Guangwang Ao Gui, who also served as the head of the state religion. Over 90% of the population were adherents, respectfully addressing You Guangwang as the Fire King. Mizhan rarely engaged in warfare, focusing instead on spreading its doctrines and saving all living beings.
Yellow flags with white crowns!
The howling wind couldn’t disturb the rare sight at Fuping Gate, unseen for a century.
The Blood-Crazed King Ruo Wen, barely containing his fury, halted his 130,000-strong army and 4,000 berserkers 2,000 li from the city gate. Blocking their path were 300,000 Huogeng Holy Guards of Mizhan, summoned from who knows where. They stood with unwavering resolve, completely sealing off the small Fuping Gate, not allowing even a grain of sand to pass through.
Atop the gate, a man dressed as a general addressed the Fengtian army below: “I am You Lao, Protector of the Huogeng Faith of Mizhan. By royal decree, I guard this gate. Those with ill intent shall not pass.” With a wave of his hand, the first row of archers below released their arrows, missing everyone – seemingly just a show of force. You Lao looked closely, amazed to see that not a single enemy soldier had retreated. The Yellow Sky Wild Soldiers at the front, surrounding Ruo Wen, all wore strange expressions as if excited by the prospect of a bloodbath. You Lao’s heart filled with alarm. Despite Mizhan’s lack of warfare, he doubted anyone could defend their territory bloodlessly against such frenzied enemies. No wonder His Majesty had urgently summoned all national forces to Fuping. Once these wolf-like troops breached the gate, hell would surely break loose.
Ruo Wen looked up at You Lao, his brow furrowing slightly. With 300,000 defenders, there was no way to force entry. It seemed the King of Mizhan was no pushover; his strategy was clear – holding Fuping would deny Fengtian any advantage. Moreover…
At this thought, Ruo Wen idly flicked the whip in his hand. He had no interest in Mizhan itself. The country was remote, and resource-poor, and even its women were unattractive. Due to their Sun worship, the people were all dark as charcoal. Though desert dwellers were generally dark-skinned, none were as black as the people of Mizhan.
Poor, ugly, and ascetic – he couldn’t be bothered to fight such people.
But the person he sought was here, wasn’t she?
As he recalled that crimson figure, Ruo Wen’s eyes turned cold. “Blast it open!” he commanded.
At his order, Manhu and Wolf Head stirred, eager for action.