Every battle was a difficult path to overcome.

Each time Liang Qiang thought he could sweep away all opposition, reality proved cruel.

The higher his official rank rose, the more dangerous the missions he was assigned.

This time was more perilous than previous ones—they had fallen into an ambush.

When they charged in, they hadn’t seen the Qina army’s main force. By the time they looked back, Western Liang soldiers surrounded them from all directions.

Liang Qiang didn’t know how long the fighting had lasted—it seemed like a lifetime, yet also just an instant.

Of his five hundred troops, fewer than a hundred remained.

He, of course, was still alive.

With a clang, weapons clashed. A Western Liang soldier’s long sword was about to fall on his back but was blocked by a soldier beside him.

Liang Qiang didn’t even look back, continuing to charge forward. The Western Liang soldier facing him fell.

Another Western Liang soldier swung dual hammers at him. Liang Qiang seemed not to notice, focusing only on cutting off the head of the fallen enemy soldier. The hammers landed on a soldier who had appeared from somewhere—

That soldier’s sword pierced the Western Liang soldier’s chest, and the two became entangled.

Liang Qiang pressed forward, surrounded by flying blood and flesh. People kept falling—his men and Western Liang soldiers.

Finally, the last Western Liang soldier fell to Liang Qiang’s blade.

Liang Qiang turned to see the ground covered with corpses and only a few dozen survivors, each bearing wounds.

Before they could catch their breath, the sound of horse hooves approached from the distance.

“We’ve fallen into an ambush. There’s no escape,” Liang Qiang said, covered in blood and gripping his long sword, looking at the remaining troops around him. “We can only fight to the death.”

The soldiers looked at him but said nothing.

Liang Qiang was slightly startled—this scene was strange—

Was it because he had failed to notice the danger and led everyone into peril?

Or because his martial skills were inadequate, not only failing to kill more enemies but also causing everyone to suffer?

Perhaps this Military Lieutenant wasn’t respected by his troops—

This Military Lieutenant, whose official rank was bestowed by the court, anyone who fought alongside him could immediately identify how it was obtained.

Liang Qiang’s face burned as if struck by a Western Liang soldier’s iron hammer.

“Though unworthy, Liang Qiang will neither retreat nor fear in this battle,” he declared loudly again, watching the rising dust visible beyond the ravine ahead. He raised his long sword before him. “—I, Liang, shall lead the way.”

The soldiers still didn’t respond with shouts. One soldier even swung his weapon to block Liang Qiang’s path.

“Lieutenant Liang,” he said, “this battle may not necessarily end in defeat.”

What did he mean? Liang Qiang froze, looking at this soldier. He was very familiar with him—he had been constantly by his side, shielding him from countless dangers.

But like the other soldiers who had protected him and helped him kill enemies, his eyes were cold, his expression wooden, without the slightest trace of closeness.

Liang Qiang understood that these soldiers hadn’t sold their lives to him but to someone else.

So in their eyes, Liang Qiang wasn’t a person, but merely a commodity.

They had no feelings toward him, let alone respect or affection.

“You—” Liang Qiang’s voice was hoarse. “Who are you people? Who ordered you to protect me?”

This was a question they wouldn’t answer.

“Lieutenant Liang, you only need to know about killing enemies and serving the country,” the soldier said.

Liang Qiang replied: “I, Liang Qiang, am already determined to kill enemies and serve the country, unafraid of death. From now on, go with me, don’t mind me, just focus on killing enemies—”

A strange smile appeared on the soldier’s face, and he slowly moved his weapon in front of Liang Qiang.

He said: “Lieutenant, not only do you not need to die, but in this battle, you can become famous throughout the land, be promoted, and become a general.”

Liang Qiang understood. The shame left his face, and his expression became calm. He asked: “What do you need from me?”

…

…

Liang Qiang knew that everything he had now hadn’t fallen from the sky—it was given by others, and payment would be expected.

He had been waiting, preparing, and also curious—what payment would this person want?

Today he finally found out.

The soldier moved his long sword again, resting it on Liang Qiang’s arm, and said: “We want one of Lieutenant Liang’s arms.”

Liang Qiang’s expression changed slightly. With a clang, he raised his sword to knock away the soldier’s blade, stepped back, and held his sword defensively before him.

“If you want my life,” he said, pointing forward, “I, Liang Qiang, am ready to die on the battlefield at any time.”

The soldier said: “Lieutenant Liang, we only want one of your arms, not your life. Rest assured, we have people skilled in treating severed limbs.”

Liang Qiang looked at him and said: “As a soldier, without an arm, what kind of soldier would I be? How could I continue to fight? Even if alive, I would be as good as dead.”

The soldier suddenly smiled: “I said earlier, not only will you not die, but you’ll become famous throughout the land, be promoted to general, and continue to fight in all directions. Others may not believe it, but you must. Isn’t everything you have now obtained this way?”

So whether he had arms, whether he was valiant, whether he could fight—none of it mattered. As long as he was a person who could still breathe—

But was he still a person?

Liang Qiang’s face burned again. He gripped his long sword tightly and suddenly pointed forward: “The Qina army is coming—”

They were still on the battlefield. In the moment they had been talking, the approaching Western Liang forces had created visible clouds of dust.

Just from the dust, one could tell that no fewer than several hundred were coming.

Liang Qiang looked at the soldiers around him and said: “I may not be as good as you, but now we’re fighting against superior numbers. Having me whole is better than a cripple—let’s discuss this matter later. In this life-or-death moment, let’s not talk about these things.”

This time, even if all these soldiers died for him, they couldn’t protect his escape.

In this battle, everyone was doomed to die, so why talk about the past and future?

Seeing the fierce approach of Western Liang soldiers, the troops still showed no reaction, their expressions unchanged. The soldier even took out a bamboo whistle from his bosom.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant Liang,” he said. “Watch.”

Watch what? Liang Qiang was puzzled, watching as the soldier put the bamboo whistle to his lips and blew.

The sound of the bamboo whistle was very strange, like a screaming wild goose whose neck was suddenly twisted.

Even stranger was that the galloping Western Liang soldiers ahead also seemed to have their horses’ hooves twisted. With the horses neighing, the charging formation stopped.

The abrupt halt caused riders to pitch forward and back, horses to move chaotically, like boiling water. But no matter how turbulent, it was as if a screen had been erected before them—not a drop of water splashed over.

Liang Qiang’s face showed shock and disbelief.

How was this possible?

That person could buy countless soldiers in the border commandery to die for him. That person could use money, favors, or threats to control so many soldiers.

But Western Liang soldiers!

Those were people of Western Liang!

Who! Who could make bloodthirsty Western Liang soldiers in a life-and-death battle stop with just a bamboo whistle!

What kind of person could achieve this? How could it be done?

Even young Master Liang, who had grown up in a wealthy capital city and was accustomed to power and influence, couldn’t imagine.

For a moment, he doubted whether he was dreaming. He could only hear his rapid breathing until words broke through into his ears.

“Lieutenant Liang, do you believe now? In this battle, you can lead us to break through the encirclement and even launch a surprise attack on the Qina army’s main camp. You’ll fight valiantly, achieving victory despite inferior numbers, losing an arm. Lieutenant Liang, someone as brave as you, even without one arm, cannot be prevented from becoming a renowned fierce general!”

“Lieutenant Liang, are you willing?”

With the question, a curved blade was slowly raised, gleaming in the bitter cold of winter.