Li Chi asked Commissioner Lian Xiwu to gather the civilians and jianghu wanderers who had come to support the frontier, assembling a force of tens of thousands and dispatching them toward Youzhou at the fastest possible pace.

The Youzhou armory held weapons and armor in ample supply, and additional manpower could be recruited there as well — together, this would be enough to form a deterrent against the Qingzhou enemy forces.

In terms of steady reliability, none of the frontier generals could match Lian Xiwu.

Sufficient garrison strength was left at the pass. At this moment, Li Chi could already see — just ahead — the possibility of holding off the Black Wu and keeping Jizhou safe at the same time. That possibility shimmered before him, flickering with light.

“The Black Wu aren’t hiding anything anymore.”

Xiahou Zuo pointed toward the Black Wu position. Visible inside their camp were no fewer than dozens of massive siege tower vehicles, along with newly built ramps — identical to the ones that had nearly breached the walls last time.

Li Chi gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment. From spring to deep autumn, there was no longer any reason for the Black Wu to conceal their intentions. If they didn’t take North Mountain Pass before winter set in, the Black Wu would not survive it.

The moon god they worshipped could not conjure warm winter clothing or adequate supplies for them out of nothing.

“Have the men start rotating in four shifts from today. Every hour — every single moment — the garrison on the wall must be kept at full strength.”

Li Chi turned and said this to Yu Jiuling, who immediately relayed the order.

The Black Wu had likely long since given up on any hope of a clever stratagem. Because there was none to be found. At this point, there was only one option left — a direct assault, fought to the death.

Both sides knew: this was the final battle.

Xiahou Zuo smiled and said: “If this battle wraps up quickly, I can still make it back to Jizhou with all of you for the New Year.”

Li Chi smiled back: “The Black Wu won’t take North Mountain Pass this time, and they won’t get another chance. You’ll be able to spend New Year in Jizhou every year from now on. Better yet — every year, with your brothers around you.”

He bumped Xiahou Zuo’s shoulder with his own: “Once Jizhou is fully garrisoned and stable, you’ll be taking up a command post there. I’ll arrange someone else to handle Youzhou.”

Xiahou Zuo gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment. He understood Li Chi’s meaning.

It wasn’t only concern for his own being kept here on the northern frontier — there were also Madam Xiahou and Xiahou Yili to consider.

As long as Xiahou Zuo remained a frontier general, his mother and sister would never rest easy, and would insist on staying near him.

Given two years — even one — Li Chi would have Jizhou fully stabilized. By then, with Jizhou’s forces strong and provisions plentiful, repelling the next Black Wu incursion would be no great difficulty.

And with Jizhou secured, Li Chi would ultimately be marching south.

Xiahou Zuo understood — for Li Chi, Jizhou was but one corner. It was not the full breadth of what lay before him.

“Understood.”

So when Li Chi said those words, Xiahou Zuo did not say much. He simply nodded.

“If we ever have the chance…”

Li Chi raised his hand and pointed north: “We should arrange the right people to go into Black Wu territory. This time, the Black Wu came within a hair’s breadth of seizing Jizhou.”

Xiahou Zuo said: “If Elder Brother Zhuang hadn’t held Dragon Head Pass with everything he had, we’d already be fighting on two fronts.”

There was no question — it was Black Wu’s intelligence operatives stirring up trouble from within that had shaped the situation into what it had become.

Xiahou Zuo said: “When the time comes, we won’t just keep sitting here on the defensive forever. Any soldier in uniform — who wouldn’t want to carry the fight into Black Wu territory? For centuries, it’s been the Black Wu pushing south to attack us, and every time, all we could do was hold the border and pray. But from now on… if our generation can’t do it, then we’ll teach our children and our children’s children — they must take the fight into Black Wu territory, and let the Black Wu know what it feels like when we decide to come over and give them a beating.”

Li Chi gave a firm nod, and almost unconsciously echoed Xiahou Zuo’s words back to himself…

“If our generation can’t do it, then we’ll teach our descendants — let them carry the fight into Black Wu.”

Xiahou Zuo smiled: “And perhaps our descendants will do even more. Not just push into Black Wu — but push all the way to the edge of the land, then push to the other side of the sea.”

Li Chi burst out laughing.

“They will, for certain.”

Li Chi clapped Xiahou Zuo on the shoulder.

Yu Jiuling stood nearby listening, then smiled and said: “You two have been talking about descendants this whole time — are you planning on personally producing a few?”

Xiahou Zuo sighed: “I’ll have to go ask Shen Medical Hall sometime whether there’s any possibility of you being capable of having children.”

Yu Jiuling: “I always knew you had improper thoughts about me!”

Li Chi sighed: “I never imagined, Xiahou, that you were this kind of person.”

Xiahou Zuo: “…”

Yu Jiuling: “Chief, you’re only realizing this now?”

Li Chi: “I just couldn’t understand — if you already knew he had improper thoughts about you, why didn’t you say something sooner? You’ve been letting Xiahou pine in silence all this time.”

Yu Jiuling: “…”

Xiahou Zuo sighed: “Little Ninth merely deserves a beating. But you — you deserve death. Compared to you, Little Ninth is practically a decent human being.”

Yu Jiuling tilted his face to the sky and let out a long cry: “Vindicated at last!”

Li Chi: “The two of you — if you’re both agreeable — leave the matchmaking to Little Ninth’s elder brother.”

Xiahou Zuo: “Have the two of you, as a couple, really degenerated to such lengths for the sake of playing matchmaker?”

Just as they were talking, Gao Xining walked over, catching the last of the conversation as she approached. She smiled and said: “For the sake of my great matchmaking enterprise, I care nothing for male or female — male-male, female-female, all are the same to me.”

Xiahou Zuo sighed: “Truly — people of a feather.”

Yu Jiuling: “It just occurred to me — if we pretend to go along with their little scheme, we’d collect quite a handsome sum in gift money. We could split it down the middle, and then with all that silver we could go off and live however we please — you go find your man, I’ll go find my woman.”

Xiahou Zuo: “Get out of here…”

While the group was laughing and joking, the Black Wu forces across the way had already begun their assault preparations. Their formations were shifting, and their siege engines were being moved into position.

Standing at the entrance of the encampment, Kuokedi Dashi looked through his spyglass toward North Mountain Pass, his expression unchanged from grim.

He could not quite understand it — or rather, he felt a particular fury at what seemed like a force beyond human agency.

Even accounting for the considerable difference between the climate here at the northern frontier and that of the Central Plains’ south, not a single rain had fallen over North Mountain Pass through the entire summer.

Ever since the last attempt with the siege ramps, the Black Wu had never again been granted a single overcast day.

If they had known that just a few dozen li south of North Mountain Pass, several good rains had already fallen, they would likely have been even more furious.

The rain clouds seemed to have eyes — refusing to drift even a little further north.

Kuokedi Dashi had even begun to wonder: perhaps the god who governed the climate over Black Wu territory and the god who governed it here in the Central Plains were indeed not the same god.

The moon god — who granted the Black Wu favor and fortune — could she truly have no power here at North Mountain Pass?

Whether it rained or not was not merely a question of whether they could stage a night assault under cover of darkness.

It also affected the water supply of hundreds of thousands of troops — including the two hundred thousand Iron Crane cavalry brought in from the Iron Crane tribe, whose warhorses also needed water.

“We are prepared. So are the Central Plains people.”

Kuokedi Dashi lowered the spyglass and turned his gaze to Zhimotan.

“You know as well as I do — withdrawing now would be the wisest course. But His Majesty will not allow it…”

He looked back: “If we cannot take North Mountain Pass this time, after returning, no matter what punishment comes my way, I will counsel the Black Wu Khan to make eliminating Prince Ning Li Chi the single most important priority of the Black Wu Empire.”

Zhimotan bowed deeply: “Failing to take North Mountain Pass is this subordinate’s fault alone, not Your Highness’s. If His Majesty assigns blame, I will explain everything to him personally.”

Kuokedi Dashi shook his head: “That is not what I meant. What I mean is… could this be the will of heaven? And would His Majesty believe it is the will of heaven?”

Zhimotan said: “After this battle — if North Mountain Pass still does not fall — then perhaps it truly is heaven’s will. Li Chi’s prestige after this battle will be immense. If this man ultimately unifies the Central Plains, the Black Wu Empire may face the most formidable adversary it has ever known.”

Kuokedi Dashi nodded: “So if this battle ends in failure, I will speak to His Majesty on your behalf when we return. Your only remaining opportunity lies in directing the full resources of the Blue Bureau, in the days ahead, to eliminate Li Chi. His Majesty will give you one more chance.”

Zhimotan bowed: “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Kuokedi Dashi shook his head: “There is little more I can do for you. After this battle, when I return to the capital, I will be set upon by those who have been waiting for an opportunity. You may still have the chance to command troops in the future — but I…”

Kuokedi Dashi let out a long breath. To be born into the imperial family was, at times, genuinely helpless, genuinely sorrowful.

For a member of the imperial family to command troops was a grave taboo in the first place. That the Khan had allowed him to come as supervisor-general was already a departure from convention.

“Your Highness.”

Zhimotan drew a slow breath and said: “We haven’t lost yet.”

He looked at the vast siege equipment built over these past months and closed his fist.

“If we take North Mountain Pass, I will slaughter every last Central Plains person inside.”

On the walls of North Mountain Pass, the sound of horns rising from the Black Wu side drifted over. Li Chi drew a long breath as well — the final decisive battle was nearly upon them.

He walked to a high point and stood, sweeping his gaze across his soldiers below. When he had taken in every face, he called out at full volume: “You hear that — the Black Wu horns? That’s the last bit of strength they have left. We finish this battle, and I will do everything in my power to bring reinforcements from elsewhere to relieve you so every one of you can go home and rest properly. Rest for as long as you like. Sleep. Recover. And brag — let everyone back home know that it was us, we were the ones who put a Black Wu army of a million flat on the ground!”

“Hoo!”

“Hoo!”

“Hoo!”

The soldiers roared, every voice burning with fighting spirit.

“Before the battle begins — carve your names into the walls.”

Li Chi called out: “We will grow old, all of us. But the walls will stand. They will stand here forever, guarding the northern frontier of the Central Plains. When those who come after us climb these walls, they will see our names, and they will hear our stories.”

Li Chi swept his gaze across the crowd once more, drew a slow breath, and said: “And if someday, one of our descendants also stands on this wall to defend their homeland — and finds their ancestor’s name carved here — they too will know pride.”

“And they will think: my forefather held North Mountain Pass. If I let it fall, I shame the blood and sweat of every ancestor who bled here before me.”

Li Chi picked up his longbow and stepped back to the edge of the wall, looking out at the Black Wu forces assembling below.

“Come on, then — you fighters! Today, right here, we set an example for our descendants to follow!”

“Yes!”

The fighters answered in one voice. Every heart caught fire — a fire that would not be extinguished. A fire they would pass down, each of them, to their own children and their children’s children.

Stories of the frontier. People of the frontier. A flame that would burn at the frontier, forever.

“Fight!”

Li Chi shouted the single word.

“Fight!”

Every man on the wall raised his right arm and roared in answer.

—