The setting sun fell behind the mountains.

Outside the walls of Yi Cheng City, on the desolate plain, at the end of the heavy twilight, a small black dot appeared.

The small black dot was moving, slowly but steadily toward that distant city wall, half of which was painted red by the setting sun.

Closer and closer, nearer and nearer.

The guards on the watchtower finally saw clearly.

It was a young girl, only seven or eight years old, dressed in rags, covered in mud and filth, barefoot with feet bloody and raw.

Each step seemed to drain what little remaining strength she had left in her small body.

Yet she continued forward, stumbling toward the city gate with great difficulty, gradually drawing near.

The setting sun gathered in its last ray of light.

The girl finally reached the closed city gate, stopped, and struggled to raise her head. With a hoarse voice, she called out to the soldiers on the watchtower: “Help—” Then she collapsed headfirst to the ground.

…

“Li Langjun, Chief Clerk Jiang requests an audience—”

Outside the door, a maidservant’s voice suddenly announced.

Li Mu’s hand, which had been gently stroking Luoshen’s silky hair, stopped.

Luoshen slowly opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but felt his arm gently pressing against her back.

He prevented her from moving away.

“Did he say what it concerns?”

He remained with eyes closed, asking this question.

“He said a young girl appeared outside the city gate, claiming her family were originally coming to surrender, but were captured by the Jin people halfway…”

Li Mu suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and said quietly: “A’Mi, I’ll go take a look. You rest first.”

After saying this, he swung down from the low table, lifted Luoshen and carried her to the bed to set her down, then quickly strode out.

After Li Mu left, it wasn’t long before Luoshen also learned the details.

Since he had arrived at Yi Cheng, word began to spread among the surrounding Han people that the court, after abandoning this place for many years, had finally sent a new governor to garrison it again.

At first, the Han people showed no interest.

Over these decades, the times had been turbulent. Before Yi Cheng became a ghost city, the fortress had been occupied countless times, and the city lords had changed hands countless times as well. There were Han people and barbarians alike.

But none could hold it.

After many years, suddenly another Southern Dynasty governor had arrived. Fearing the governor would be incompetent and unable to defend the territory, or that he would merely regard Yi Cheng as a temporary garrison and could not provide long-term protection, who would dare rashly return to the city?

Gradually more news spread, saying the newly arrived Governor Li Mu not only had the reputation of a war god, being invincible in battle and having defeated Yuan Jie in the Battle of Ba Commandery, but after arriving here, he had also repaired the city walls, opened wasteland for cultivation, posted proclamations recruiting soldiers and civilians, and Li Mu had sworn an oath to heaven in his own name that as long as he lived, he would never abandon this land.

Thus, starting about half a month ago, people began trickling in to surrender and request refuge.

Today’s young girl A’Yu was one of these people.

Naturally, she could not have acted alone.

Originally accompanying her were her parents, elder brother, and dozens of other neighboring households—over a hundred people in total.

These people had all been residents of Yi Cheng for generations.

During these years, because Yi Cheng had repeatedly suffered the ravages of war, the population had sharply declined, fields lay barren, and no one knew when new military chaos might arise, so the residents scattered in all directions.

Some became refugees, crossing the river to flee south. Others went to different places. Still another group banded together and hid in the nearby deep mountains and old forests.

A’Yu’s parents, along with dozens of other households who had entered the mountains together years ago, after spending many years in the mountains, had finally heard some time ago that a Dayu governor named Li Mu was rebuilding Yi Cheng and recruiting returning civilians.

After a period of observation and fierce debate, they finally decided to return to Yi Cheng.

The mountains were barren, wild beasts roamed, and life was extremely harsh.

Moreover, those who had never experienced war and displacement—how could they understand their urgent desire to return to their homeland, like deer longing for streams, and their intense yearning for their old homes?

Even if their former land was now buried under wild grass, as long as this new city lord could bring them a glimmer of hope, they were willing to believe and refuse to give up.

It was thus that this group of over a hundred people, half a month ago, supporting the elderly and carrying children, bravely left the mountains and headed for Yi Cheng.

Heaven in this chaotic world had also cut off all mercy.

Halfway along their journey, they encountered a hundred Western Jin soldiers.

Unarmed, how could they match these Western Jin troops who made killing and plundering their daily routine?

The Western Jin soldiers immediately killed the elderly and infants, capturing all the remaining men and women.

At that time, A’Yu happened to be brought by her mother behind a small hill by the roadside to relieve themselves, thus escaping this disaster.

After watching the Western Jin people kill, whip, and ravage, then bind her father, elder brother, and the remaining travelers before departing, A’Yu was led by her mother day and night toward Yi Cheng.

A’Yu remembered they had walked for many days and nights on the road. When hungry, they ate wild grass; when thirsty, they drank from muddy roadside puddles.

When A’Yu’s feet became raw with blisters, her mother carried her and continued the journey.

But unfortunately, three days ago, they encountered a wild wolf on the wasteland.

Her mother, using a wood-cutting knife she carried, finally killed the wolf.

But her mother was also bitten once, and her leg kept bleeding.

Finally, yesterday, her mother collapsed and could walk no further.

Her mother pointed out the direction of Yi Cheng to her, telling her to head toward where the sun sets, keep going straight, and when she reached it, that would be their original home.

A’Yu cried as she followed the direction her mother had indicated, continuing forward.

She had to persevere, quickly find that person named Li Mu, and beg him for help.

Beg him to save her father and elder brother, and also to save her mother who still lay by the roadside.

Today, she had finally walked to the end of the sunset and seen that city wall.

The moment she arrived, A’Yu could no longer hold on and fainted.

…

After Li Mu left, he did not return.

Luoshen knew he had taken a troop and left the city, pursuing that band of Western Jin soldiers through the night.

That young girl named A’Yu was also sent over according to her instructions.

The girl was pitifully thin and weak. After washing her face, hands, and feet clean, she revealed her originally delicate features.

A’Ju applied medicine to her wounds. Looking at those feet covered with bloody scabs, she couldn’t help but sigh with pity.

It must be very painful. Yet the girl seemed to feel nothing, only occasionally stealing glances at Luoshen with her large eyes.

Her gaze was cautious yet full of hope, making Luoshen very sad to see.

A moment ago, Fan Cheng had returned and reported to her that they had found the girl’s mother in the wilderness, but she had been dead for some time.

He had dug a pit on the spot and buried her.

But this young girl still waited here for her mother’s return.

Luoshen didn’t know how to tell her this news, so she could only comfort her, saying her mother should be found soon.

Night deepened, the girl was exhausted and finally fell into deep sleep.

But Luoshen tossed and turned, unable to sleep, her mood unusually heavy.

In the past at Jiankang, she had heard of the blood and tears tragedies of northern people under the trampling hooves of barbarian cavalry.

Although she felt sympathy when she heard such things and was disappointed by the court’s incompetence.

But that was all—once it passed, it passed.

She had her own joys, anger, sorrows, and happiness that stirred her emotions.

These emotions were her real life.

But today, those things that had previously existed only in hearsay suddenly played out before her eyes.

A group of Han people wanting to surrender to Li Mu were slaughtered and plundered by Western Jin people halfway.

A mother escaped by chance with her daughter and continued forward.

The mother died on the road just before reaching their destination.

The seven-year-old girl, with her blood-blistered bare feet, walked step by step following the direction of the setting sun, finally reaching her destination.

When they set out, family members were all by her side.

When she arrived, she was alone.

Luoshen was deeply shaken.

She worried about Li Mu and hoped he could catch that band of Western Jin people and bring back the girl’s father and elder brother.

…

North of Qiu Chi, on the road leading to Xi Jin’s capital city Qin City, in a stretch of flat wilderness by the water, over ten crude tents were casually pitched.

This band of over a hundred Western Jin soldiers had left Qiu Chi some days ago following their leader Gu Huiwu, and on their way back to Qin City, they had encountered a group of raggedly dressed Han people carrying broken household goods. They killed the useless ones, bound the rest to take with them, and after traveling for several more days on the road, their speed being slowed, they had only reached this place today.

Still several days’ journey from Qin City, with no lodging places before or behind, and as evening fell, they camped in the wilderness.

The soldiers bound together those Han people they planned to take to Qin City for enslavement, forced the Han women to build fires and cook, and after eating their fill, took some into the tents.

Soon, sounds of women crying and pleading came from inside.

These sounds reached the villagers’ ears, showing anger on their faces, causing a commotion.

Over ten Western Jin soldiers came at the sound, wielding whips, lashing down on heads and faces.

The villagers, with hands and feet bound, could not resist. Soon their heads and faces were beaten bloody.

One soldier, excited by the whipping, simply threw down his whip, untied his trousers, stepped on one of those who resisted most fiercely, and urinated on the man’s head and face.

That man’s eyes were bloodshot with rage, tears of blood streaming down his face, but being stepped on, he could not move—a pitiful sight.

The other soldiers saw this and burst into wild laughter, also untying their trousers to follow suit.

The villagers’ eyes reddened with fury as they cursed and tried to bite.

Just then, a sharp whistling sound came from behind.

A whistling arrow shot forth, arriving in an instant.

The sharp arrowhead silently drilled into the back of the urinating soldier’s skull, like a venomous snake buried deep within, instantly breaking out through his forehead.

Accompanied by a spray of foul blood, the Western Jin soldier’s massive body collapsed to the ground.

The urine from his lower body, not yet finished, continued to gurgle out.

But the man lay motionless, already dead from the brain-piercing wound.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene.

The villagers looked up and saw, in the distance on the road they had come from, dozens of riders galloping toward them.

Black military uniforms, crisp and spirited, all with Han faces.

In the lead was a black horse, and on its back sat a man with a cold, stern expression, holding a bow. That brain-piercing arrow had obviously been shot by him.

The Western Jin soldiers reacted, immediately blowing whistles to alert their companions, then drew their blades and turned to face the enemy.

The dozens of Han cavalry, swift as lightning, their horses’ hooves never pausing, kicked open the barriers and instantly charged into the camp.

A Western Jin soldier running at the front encountered a bearded man who swung his blade—blood spurted in a fountain, and the entire head was severed, rolling away.

The villagers were stunned. Slowly they climbed up from the ground, watching this group of black-uniformed Han troops who seemed to have descended from heaven. With crushing force, they rode freely through the Western Jin camp that had been caught completely off guard, killing each person they encountered, like cutting vegetables and chopping melons—cold and ruthless.

The leader of this band of Western Jin people was Gu Huiwu, a clansman of Western Jin Emperor Gu Huilong.

Several months ago, Gu Huilong had heard that Emperor Yu had sent Li Mu to Yi Cheng. Because he was preparing for war to attack Western Capital Chang’an and temporarily could not divide his forces, and having heard of Li Mu’s previous military reputation, he feared letting him grow strong would be a future disaster. So he sent Gu Huiwu to Qiu Chi to use both kindness and intimidation to command the Qiu Chi prince Hou Ding to pledge allegiance to him, in order to use Hou Ding to deal with Li Mu.

Gu Huiwu had stayed at Qiu Chi for some days, saw that Hou Ding was respectful and agreed to pledge allegiance, promising to send troops to attack Li Mu. He then returned triumphantly. Halfway back, he had casually caught several dozen “fat sheep,” and having just eaten and drunk his fill, his bestial nature aroused, he was committing violence in his tent when he suddenly heard commotion outside. Knowing something was wrong, he shouted for his guards while hastily pulling up his trousers. Just as he rushed out of the tent, he was blocked at the entrance by a blade.

The blade’s edge was stained with fresh blood, dripping steadily.

The man holding the blade had a handsome face, but his gaze was sinister beyond measure, filled with killing intent.

Gu Huiwu glanced behind him and saw that this group of Han troops was as ruthless as butchers. Of his hundred-plus men, in just this brief moment, almost none remained alive.

Even though he had always killed people like flies, at this moment he couldn’t help but feel his heart turn cold with fear. Forcing himself to put on a fierce expression, he said: “Who are you? This is Great Jin territory! If you dare harm me, aren’t you afraid my emperor will raise troops for revenge and slaughter you all without leaving a burial place?”

The man said: “This is Han territory. You people occupied it, and that was enough, but you still committed countless crimes.”

“The crimes of barbarians are unforgivable!”

“If Heaven won’t judge, I, Li Mu, will judge!”

Gu Huiwu’s eyes suddenly widened in disbelief: “You are Li Mu? How can you be here?”

Li Mu said nothing. His hand rose and the blade fell, and Gu Huiwu collapsed to the ground, his head rolling away.

He then used the blade tip to pick up a garment from the ground and covered the unconscious woman with it.

On the empty ground lay countless bodies scattered about, severed limbs everywhere, blood flowing freely.

The air was filled with the stench of blood.

All hundred-plus Western Jin soldiers had been killed—not one left alive.

All this had happened so suddenly that people could hardly believe their eyes.

Sun Fangzhi and his soldiers went forward, using blades to cut the ropes binding the villagers.

The villagers gathered together, looking with fearful eyes at the man walking toward them.

He stopped before them and said: “I am Yi Cheng Governor Li Mu. You came to me, but I failed to protect you completely, causing you to unfortunately suffer this disaster. This is Li Mu’s fault—please accept my bow!”

He bowed in apology.

The villagers were stunned again.

After a moment, they reacted. Someone started with “Governor Li!”—it was unclear who began—and all seventy or eighty people, without exception, burst into tears and prostrated themselves before Li Mu, kowtowing repeatedly.

Li Mu stepped forward, helping them up one by one, comforting them extensively.

Everyone wailed and cried for a while, gradually stopping their tears.

Though they had encountered unexpected misfortune, they had finally escaped death. What they hadn’t expected was that Li Mu, whom they sought to serve, had traveled far and faced danger to chase after them here, all just to rescue these dozens of ordinary people whose lives were like insects. How could this not move them to grateful tears?

Thinking that in the future, under his protection, they could truly gain a foothold in this chaotic world—compared to others who lived from day to day in uncertainty, how much more fortunate they were.

“Governor Li, we’ve come home to serve you. In the future, will you abandon Yi Cheng and leave us hoping in vain?”

A bold person finally gathered courage to ask quietly.

Li Mu said: “Before all the fathers and brothers, I, Li Mu, swear this oath. While I live, Yi Cheng shall endure! The day I leave will be to drive out the barbarians and launch the Northern Expedition to reclaim the Central Plains!”

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then that man who had earlier been urinated on by the Western Jin soldier suddenly showed excitement on his face. He pulled a young man from the back of the crowd and declared loudly: “Governor Li, my son and I both wish to become soldiers and follow you north to fight the barbarians!”

“I’m willing too!”

“I’m willing too!”

For a time, voices pledging oaths rang out competitively, one after another.

Li Mu’s gaze swept over everyone’s faces as he smiled: “With such assistance from fathers and brothers, how can Li Mu’s aspirations fail to be fulfilled!”

…

The young girl A’Yu was very sensible.

In the days after being rescued, when her mother failed to appear, she seemed to guess what had happened and no longer constantly asked questions as she had initially.

She only quietly shed tears by herself, very sadly.

Luoshen was also affected by her emotions, her mood growing heavier, and worrying about Li Mu, she couldn’t sleep well night after night.

After several days of such anxiety, one evening she suddenly received news that Li Mu had returned.

Returning with him were the rescued people who had come to surrender.

It was hard to describe her feelings upon hearing this news.

At that moment, before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, she almost flew out of the room, pretending to get some air, and came to the moon gate leading to the front hall of the governor’s residence, waiting for his appearance.

But he never appeared.

The sky gradually darkened.

The front of the governor’s residence seemed to have people constantly coming and going, with muffled voices faintly audible.

But here it was quiet, with only the hollow rustling sound of the evening wind passing through the withered bamboo grove.

Luoshen stood before the ruined stone pavilion beside the moon gate, suddenly feeling a sense of being forgotten by the world.

Suppressing her melancholy mood, she returned to her room.

A’Ju had also returned, finally showing some smile on her face, saying that Heaven had finally not lost all conscience. A’Yu’s father and elder brother were safe and had returned with Li Langjun today. Both wanted to join the army. They had just taken A’Yu away and asked A’Ju to convey their endless gratitude to the governor’s wife who had cared for A’Yu for several days.

Finally hearing news that was fortunate amid misfortune, Luoshen’s depressed mood improved slightly.

A’Ju went out and soon returned carrying a food box to deliver the evening meal.

Luoshen had no appetite and casually asked about Li Mu.

A’Ju said that as soon as Li Langjun returned, he was intercepted by Jiang Tao, and the two were probably still in the front discussion hall.

Luoshen hesitated for a moment, opened the food box, glanced inside, but didn’t ask for it to be laid out.

A’Ju guessed her thoughts, sighed inwardly but smiled: “I see Li Langjun returned without even catching his breath before being called away by Jiang Tao. He probably hasn’t had dinner either. Why don’t I prepare some more, and you can take it to ask if they want to eat?”

Seeing Luoshen remain silent, she turned and left.

…

Qiongshu held a lantern while Luoshen carried the food box, heading toward the front hall.

Those people who had been coming and going to the governor’s residence in the evening had all left by now, and the front had also quieted down.

Everything in the city was extremely scarce.

Lighting candles were especially insufficient. So the governor’s residence also had no courtyard torches. After dark, it was pitch black everywhere.

Only a dim circle of lantern light on the ground illuminated Luoshen’s steps.

She reached the outside of the discussion hall. From afar, she could see dim light coming through the doors and windows, knowing Li Mu and Jiang Tao should still be inside. Suppressing a sudden surge of nervousness, she lightened her steps, carried the food box, and slowly walked over.

Three days ago, Hou Ding had sent someone with a letter, saying that after reading Li Mu’s letter, he was deeply moved. He originally had no desire to oppose Dayu, much less compete for the Central Plains. He only wanted to guard the ancestral territory of Qiu Chi. Thanks to Li Mu’s regard and his release of his eldest son Hou Li, he wished to meet and discuss grand plans together. It happened that his fiftieth birthday was in a few days, and he enclosed an invitation with the letter, saying that if Li Mu could attend, it would be his great honor.

Jiang Tao frowned: “I fear this person is untrustworthy. Scout reports say that when the Xianbei people were at Qiu Chi recently, he welcomed them with smiles and apparently made an alliance—only then did the Xianbei leave. Hou Ding is crafty and calculating. As soon as the Xianbei left, he started showing goodwill to you again, inviting you into Qiu Chi. I fear he has other schemes that might be disadvantageous.”

“In my opinion, for safety’s sake, better to find an excuse to politely decline and invite him to come to Yi Cheng to discuss.”

Li Mu slowly shook his head: “Those skilled at playing all sides are inevitably suspicious. I’ve just arrived at Yi Cheng with weak forces. Though I don’t fear battle, if I can turn warfare into friendship, it would be greatly beneficial. Hou Ding also knows I want to befriend him—if I invite him to Yi Cheng, how could he come? Without entering the tiger’s den, how can one catch the tiger cub? Since he’s invited me, I’ll go. Adapting to circumstances as they arise isn’t difficult.”

Jiang Tao had known him for years and knew he would face difficulties head-on, so he didn’t try to dissuade him further. He only said: “Fortunately, I see that Hou Li, because he fears his younger brother, truly wants to ally with you. I’ve been secretly exchanging messages with him these past few days. He’s agreed that if anything goes wrong, he’ll definitely help. There’s another matter…”

Jiang Tao shook his head: “Unfortunately, the time is too short, and this place is so remote—I’m afraid we can’t find such a person.”

“What matter?” Li Mu asked.

“That Hou Li truly wants us to ally with his father, so he told me everything about his father’s private affairs. He said his birth mother was formerly a princess of Kucha Kingdom, beautiful and skilled in music, expert at playing the barbarian pipa. She was famous for this, and back then both Hou Ding and Gu Huilong competed to marry her. She married Hou Ding and gave birth to Hou Li. Unexpectedly, within a few years, Qiu Chi fell into chaos. Gu Huilong instigated rebel troops to attack the city. When the city fell, they seized his mother and presented her to Gu Huilong. Unable to bear the humiliation, his mother, being a woman of strong character, killed herself. Later, when Hou Ding suppressed the rebellion, he wanted to unite with Kucha to seek revenge. At that time, Western Jin was still just a tiny territory. To settle matters, Gu Huilong returned his mother’s body, claiming she had died at the rebels’ hands and had nothing to do with him. He also gave gold, silver, and jewels, bribing Kucha so they withdrew their troops. Hou Ding, isolated and helpless, had to reluctantly let the matter rest.”

“This happened over twenty years ago. But Hou Ding still cherishes his wife’s memory, and whenever he thinks of it, feels even more that he failed her. For many years, he treasured the barbarian pipa his mother used during her lifetime. But several years ago, it was damaged by flooding. Hou Ding dreamed that his wife wept, blaming him for destroying her precious instrument, causing her no peace in the afterlife. He felt even more guilty and sought someone to repair it, planning to burn it as an offering to her. However, the pipa was his birth mother’s own creation—six xiang and eighteen frets, very different from the common four xiang and fifteen frets. Not only was it impossible to restore to its original sound, but probably very few people in the world could even play it or know its tones. Hou Ding had to give up, but this remains a matter on his mind to this day. The reason Hou Li, despite being squeezed out by his younger brother Hou Jian, can still retain his position as heir apparent is partly due to his father’s guilty feelings toward his mother.”

“Hou Li’s idea is that among us Han people, there are many highly skilled musicians. If we could find one to repair the pipa and relieve Hou Ding’s longstanding worry, he would be grateful.”

Jiang Tao shook his head. “But where can we find such a person in such a short time? We can only let it be!”

“Second Brother Jiang, could you let me try!”

Luoshen could no longer contain herself. She suddenly pushed open the door and entered.