Dressed in tattered clothes, Gae Suwen stood in the forest, gazing mournfully at the river below. There, a large fleet of wooden rafts loaded with joyful laughter floated downstream. He even saw Yun Ye lying against his warhorse’s belly, drinking tea and eating pastries, with a plump servant beside him arranging his hair.

He had despaired of what lay ahead. That column of smoke reaching straight to the sky was so conspicuous under the perfectly clear heavens. Jeon Yeonji, have you also failed?

Daewang Fortress was the last line of defense in his heart. Now it too had collapsed thunderously. His eyes helplessly watched that departing fleet. A heart-wrenching pain nearly made him faint. Lying on the ground, tears slid uncontrollably down from the corners of his eyes. That night when the ocean tides rolled, Yeong-hwa’s naked body, her pleading gaze, and those towering waves—these were elements that never failed to appear in his nightmares during these days.

He wanted to shout “Yeong-hwa!” loudly toward the fleet but didn’t dare. If he shouted, that demon currently drinking tea and eating pastries would certainly hear it first. With his current physical condition, he couldn’t handle those Tang troops who were like tigers and wolves.

Gae Suwen straightened his body, trying hard not to think about what kind of abuse Yeong-hwa might be suffering, and walked straight toward where the black smoke rose…

Gae Suwen wasn’t the only one racing madly toward Daewang Fortress. There was also Li Xuanzang, Deputy Director of the Tang Court of Agricultural Affairs. As a high-ranking Tang official dispatched to Goguryeo with utmost urgency, he was shocked to hear that his homeland was preparing to send troops to forcibly seize the burial mound. In fact, he had almost persuaded Gao Jianwu to demolish the mound himself—it only required some money and grain.

When he came to Goguryeo, he had paid respects at the burial mound and knew what kind of existence Daewang Fortress was. It wasn’t something a mere ten thousand or so men could accomplish. After jumping and stomping while cursing those stupid pigs in the capital, he urgently recruited Gao Quanhe, with whom he had a good relationship. After reporting to Gao Jianwu, they whipped their horses frantically toward Daewang Fortress, only hoping they could save Yun Ye’s life when his entire army was annihilated.

Gao Quanhe traveled leisurely the whole way, constantly trying to get Li Xuanzang to appreciate Goguryeo’s beautiful mountains and rivers. After dawdling in Yeseong for three days, only under the Tang envoy’s earnest pleas did he finally set off westward. However, this sense of superiority didn’t last very long. News that Bisha City had been burned to the ground by heavenly fire made him restless. News that the Sansanpo naval forces had disappeared into the sea made him feel like half the sky had fallen. Li Xuanzang didn’t know about this news—he only noticed that each day’s travel time was extending, each day’s horse speed was increasing. Though puzzled, this suited him perfectly.

When news arrived that Changam Fortress and Mokjeo Fortress had become ruins, Gao Quanhe had no choice but to sit down with Li Xuanzang to properly discuss the possibility of ceasing hostilities.

Listening to Gao Quanhe’s nonchalant, understated account, Li Xuanzang’s mind felt like ten thousand giant drums were thundering. The Tang’s ten thousand-plus troops had burned down Bisha City? Destroyed Changam Fortress? Demolished Mokjeo Fortress? And made the Goguryeo navy disappear? If this was the case, what was he going to Daewang Fortress for? If Yun Ye couldn’t take the city, wouldn’t he just run? He was originally the naval commander—without a navy, the Liao River was his personal highway.

Thus, Li Xuanzang fell ill, very seriously ill. He claimed his fever reached eighty degrees—this was new terminology from Chang’an, just like the Yun Family’s high-proof alcohol. The higher the proof, the more potent the liquor. Naturally, the higher the degree, the more severe the illness.

After enduring for three days, Gao Quanhe found a carriage, loaded the seriously ill Li Xuanzang onto it, and rushed frantically toward Daewang Fortress.

Just after crossing Yonggang Mountain, they saw thick smoke rolling toward the clouds from the direction of Daewang Fortress. Neither Gao Quanhe nor Li Xuanzang had imagined the battle at Daewang Fortress would be this intense. Both sides seemed absolutely unwilling to stop until a victor emerged. After staring at each other for a moment, they simultaneously mounted their warhorses. Li Xuanzang at this moment absolutely didn’t resemble a patient with an eighty-degree fever. With a kick to his horse’s belly, he ran three parts faster than even Gao Quanhe.

Before reaching Daewang Fortress, they first encountered a group of black people—truly a group of black people. Except for their teeth, all exposed skin was pure black, and they kept coughing up black phlegm from their mouths.

After studying them for a long time, Gao Quanhe finally found Jeon Yeonji on a stretcher. Upon seeing Gao Quanhe, Jeon Yeonji burst into tears, grabbing Gao Quanhe and demanding to know exactly how many troops he’d brought—he wanted to settle accounts with Yun Ye.

After crying only twice, heart-rending coughing interrupted his grief. Gao Quanhe stroked Jeon Yeonji’s back, wanting to calm him down so he could ask what had actually happened.

“I’m furious!” After great difficulty, Jeon Yeonji managed to speak four complete words before collapsing stiffly onto the stretcher, passing out. Li Xuanzang craned his neck to look among the crowd. From these people’s miserable state, it seemed his own side had achieved a great victory. This was good news. If he went now, perhaps he could even catch a ride on a downstream boat back to Chang’an—far more comfortable than any carriage! Haha, his thousand-mile journey wasn’t in vain! Not only was he happy, his attendants also couldn’t help but puff out their chests higher. Their own great army was nearby—nothing to worry about.

“Return my Daewang Fortress!” Gao Quanhe grabbed Li Xuanzang’s chest with his hand and demanded angrily. Li Xuanzang pried off his whitened grip and said with a smile: “Naturally. If these people are our Great Tang soldiers, of course I’ll speak on Brother Gao’s behalf. I just don’t know who commands the army or whether I can have any say. You also know—every general of our Great Tang is unruly and intractable. I am a civil official and have never been on particularly friendly terms with them. I just don’t know whether they’ll be willing to give this old man face.”

Li Xuanzang spoke extremely casually. The Tang’s objective in sending troops this time was for those bones. As for Daewang Fortress, even if captured, it couldn’t possibly be held. Surrounded on all sides by enemies, with neither provisions nor reinforcements—only a madman would stay to defend the city after completing the mission instead of retreating. No matter how solid Daewang Fortress was, it couldn’t be defended.

Hearing Li Xuanzang say this, Gao Quanhe finally calmed down. He urged the group to depart quickly. The sooner they reached Daewang Fortress, the sooner he could ask for the city back. Jeon Yeonji losing such an important place was a capital offense—that wasn’t his concern. If he could get Daewang Fortress back with empty words, this would be a great achievement! Since he needed to use Li Xuanzang, his attitude became even more respectful. He personally smoothed out the wrinkled lapels he’d just grabbed, repeatedly inviting Li Xuanzang to depart quickly. As for Jeon Yeonji, let him slowly make his own way back to the Goguryeo capital.

The feverish Li Xuanzang climbed back into the carriage and, surrounded by guards, set off grandly toward Daewang Fortress.

Gae Suwen thrust both hands into the soil. The black city before his eyes—where was even half a trace of its former majestic bearing? At this moment, the entire city was permeated with the acrid smell of a great fire and a nauseating stench that provoked revulsion. He tore off a section of sleeve, made it into a cloth strip, and only then entered Daewang Fortress through the gate.

Corpses—corpses everywhere. Human, livestock, dogs, rats—they were everywhere. There were also several pitch-black people wandering the city like walking corpses. This was a black world—black walls, black water, black earth, black vegetation, and black corpses. Looking up at the sky, Gae Suwen murmured: “This isn’t the human world. This is the lowest level of hell. Yun Ye, what you wanted was the burial mound, not Daewang Fortress!” After saying this, Gae Suwen threw back his head and cried out to heaven, like a lone goose separated from its flock, or like a dying young beast—the sound weak and pallid.

After a long while, he stood up. From among those corpses, he collected a total of five swords. Expressionlessly, he strapped three on his back and inserted two at his waist. Previously he had used four swords. Now he felt he needed five—the first four for facing enemies, the last one for suicide. With Yun Ye as an enemy, making such preparations was very necessary.

Those wandering corpse-like figures unknowingly drifted to Gae Suwen’s side—men and women both. Strangely, there were no children. Seeing their utterly emotionless eyes, Gae Suwen drew the two swords at his waist and walked toward the crowd…

Gao Quanhe also saw those wandering people. He also saw Gae Suwen expressionlessly cutting down those people, just like chopping trees—one sword, one person. Perhaps death was a better destination for these people.

“Yeon Gae Suwen, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be supervising the construction of the Great Wall?” Never in Gao Quanhe’s life had he used such a calm tone to speak with Yeon Gae Suwen. Between two almost hostile families, there really wasn’t much to say. But today was different. No matter how detestable Yeon Gae Suwen was, he was the only clear-headed Goguryeo person in this city who knew what he should do.

“Yun Ye came. He took Yeong-hwa, burned down Bisha City, destroyed Changam and Mokjeo. Now even Daewang Fortress has been destroyed by him. Gao Quanhe, I no longer despise you. We need to resist this demon together. You haven’t seen him—I have. Believe me, he is a true demon. No matter how meager your strength, it’s what we need. If we continue internal strife, Goguryeo will face the disaster of national extinction.”

After saying these words, he inserted his swords back at his waist and extended his hand, wanting Gao Quanhe to shake hands with him.

Expressionlessly, Gao Quanhe walked past him. Looking back disdainfully at Yeon Gae Suwen, he said: “This time he was lucky. Next time I encounter him, I’ll definitely make his skull into the most luxurious wine cup. You are a loser—you’re not qualified to make friendship with me.”

Yeon Gae Suwen nodded, then strode eastward. There was still Anshi Fortress there. Perhaps there he would find people who shared his ambitions.

Li Xuanzang looked at the great pit before him and took a big gulp of wine. He recited the inscription, took another big gulp of wine, and gestured at the inscription writing a few times. Suddenly annoyed, he said: “Someone who studies mathematics really can’t be considered a scholar. These characters look like dog scratches! Such an inscription, such momentum, such a grand event—wasted!”