Kill them!

One command like a spell drove thousands mad with frenzy.

With a roar like tigers escaping their cage or hidden dragons emerging from the depths, the surging human tide rushed straight toward Cao Guangshi’s central army, bobbing like a small boat in the vast sea.

That small vessel struggled desperately, tossed up and down between wave crests and troughs. Many times it nearly capsized, yet tore itself free and persevered. The tiny circle of people was squeezed and deformed countless times but never scattered.

Qin Chang Ge watched from afar, saying lightly: “Cao Guangshi has managed for many years—he’s not entirely without support. Those who remain at this point are all death-sworn loyalists.” Chu Feihuan nodded: “All good sons of Xiliang, dying at their own brothers’ hands for that man’s selfish ambitions—how tragic.”

“Indeed,” Qin Chang Ge smiled. “Training elite soldiers isn’t easy—I can’t bear to waste them.”

She waved her hand, and Pingzhou camp soldiers who had been prepared immediately began moving wooden planks to build bridges.

A team composed of Phoenix Alliance members was first to cross the wooden bridge, rushing straight toward that small surrounded circle where Cao Guangshi and Li Han attempted to break out. After several failed attempts, the central army fighting desperately to protect them had corpses piled layers deep, reaching a zhang in height.

Those who had turned knew they had committed an enormous crime. Without presenting heads weighty enough like those of Cao Guangshi and Li Han, how could they restore their standing in His Majesty’s eyes? Thus the higher-ranking officers who defected attacked more fiercely and struck more ruthlessly.

Those innocent soldiers died for loyalty no longer pure, dying at the hands of their own brothers and superiors.

When Phoenix Alliance experts arrived, they said nothing and efficiently dealt with everyone—stunning them with pressure points and tossing them into the prisoner pile. The circle was quickly breached, then filled by Phoenix Alliance members who continuously expanded it. Before long, Li Han and Cao Guangshi were almost entirely surrounded by Phoenix Alliance subordinates.

Back to back, looking up to see enemies everywhere, Li Han let out a bitter laugh of a hero at road’s end: “Heaven shows no mercy, fate runs against me…”

“Hmph!”

“This person,” Cao Guangshi looked up at Qin Chang Ge slowly approaching with Chu Feihuan, “has many ways to defeat us. Actually, whether comparing direct combat, tactical formations, or stratagems, we would be no match for him. We feel wronged in defeat only because he chose the most effortless, most cunning method.”

“The miracle of dissolving ten thousand troops with a single word occurred because the root cause lay with ourselves,” Cao Guangshi laughed bitterly. “You shouldn’t have let hatred cloud your judgment, choosing to borrow troops from Northern Wei. I shouldn’t have known this was improper yet still been unwilling to contradict your wishes. And we were too overconfident, actually letting the enemy intercept our messenger. Having done such foolish things, how can we complain about others destroying us as easily as blowing away dust?”

He smiled, reaching out to firmly grasp a spear thrust toward him. Looking up, he recognized someone who had countless times sworn undying loyalty to him.

That person was trying viciously to pull back his spear, but Cao Guangshi’s hand held steady as steel pincers, unmovable. The man panicked and quickly released his grip, but found retreat too late—if the Governor gave just a light push, that spear would pierce his belly.

Amid ten thousand troops and killing shouts, Cao Guangshi gazed at his former subordinate, now enemy.

Seeing his face covered in cold sweat, looking up in terror.

With a calm smile, he raised his hand and gently placed the spear back in the other’s hands.

No longer looking at that astonished face, across the sea of dark heads, he glanced once toward the youth bound to the wooden post across the river. His gaze held faint attachment, but he immediately withdrew it.

Then he said quietly: “Duke, I’m sorry…”

He struck backward with his hand.

Li Han screamed and fell!

Everyone was startled, stopping their attacks in shock.

Staring at him in bewilderment.

Silence is also contagious. The shocked atmosphere within the circle gradually infected those outside. The killing shouts ceased as people looked at each other, turning toward this direction, using their eyes to ask each other: “What happened?”

The wind carried scents of blood and fire. Night owls laughed proudly, performing spiral dances atop the flames.

On the gradually quieting battlefield, Cao Guangshi’s voice thundered: “I have captured the rebel Li Han! I request an audience with Lord Zhao!”

Oh!

Everyone understood.

So you’re doing the same thing as us.

Hoofbeats clattered closer. The crowd consciously parted as Pingzhou camp officers began receiving surrendering troops, counting numbers, compiling rosters, preparing to disband Youzhou army formations at dawn and redistribute them among various camps.

Qin Chang Ge and Chu Feihuan slowly approached through the crowd, countless gazes looking up with fear and admiration.

Yet they only looked at those two commanders—the Duke with his overwhelming arrogance, and the Youzhou Governor whose orders moved mountains—one unconscious on the ground, the other disheveled with blood all over, haggard and wretched.

Meeting Qin Chang Ge’s gaze atop her horse without showing weakness, Cao Guangshi said slowly: “Lord Zhao, Guangshi knows his error. Having now captured the rebel Li Han, along with myself, I submit to the court’s judgment.”

Qin Chang Ge gazed deeply at the serene Cao Guangshi. His face covered in blood and dust showed the peaceful radiance of one beyond life and death. In the firelight, his eyes were clear black and white.

With a smile, Qin Chang Ge dismounted, saying melodiously: “The Governor recognizes his error and understands righteousness deeply. Moyan is impressed.”

Cao Guangshi smiled.

Qin Chang Ge also smiled.

The smiles had barely faded when cold light bright as snow flashed. Cao Guangshi suddenly spun around, drawing with a sharp sound the zhang-long blade from his horse’s back, striking with ‘Giant Axe Splitting Mountain’—raising a violent hurricane, viciously chopping toward Qin Chang Ge’s crown!

At the same moment, perhaps even an instant earlier.

The unconscious Li Han suddenly erupted!

He first looked venomously at Cao Guangshi, flicking a throwing knife toward his back, then leaped wildly, rushing straight at Chu Feihuan.

Nearly simultaneous events.

Very strangely, among the four people facing each other, three were under attack.

Cao Guangshi attacked Qin Chang Ge, Li Han attacked both Cao Guangshi and Chu Feihuan.

Ten thousand troops cried out in shock and bewilderment.

Blade-light flashed and vanished, plunging into Cao Guangshi’s back!

With his back completely exposed and unguarded, Cao Guangshi’s whole body shook. The long blade he had struck lost its aim. He turned back in shock, his gaze sorrowful.

“Father!!!”

A distant scream made everyone turn.

But Qin Chang Ge acted as if she had heard and seen nothing, paying no attention to the blade’s fierce approach, suddenly retreating to Chu Feihuan’s horse’s side.

But Li Han had been close to Chu Feihuan’s horse from the start. His erupting sword-light had already reached Chu Feihuan’s chest first.

Qin Chang Ge turned back suddenly, her gaze filled with infinite self-blame and regret!

“Hiss!”

White light suddenly flew from Chu Feihuan’s sleeve, striking the long sword with a snap, then immediately falling backward!

The sword tip, struck slightly askew by the white light, slid past his chest, opening a gaping bloody wound, about to pierce his left shoulder!

“Whoosh!”

Sleeve wind swirled, deflecting the sword tip. The momentum continued, and a strange vibration transmitted through. Li Han lost his grip—the long sword flew from his hand.

With an angry cold laugh, Qin Chang Ge flicked her sleeve. The sword from her sleeve suddenly turned, striking straight at Li Han’s throat!

That sword came swift as lightning, unavoidable. Li Han desperately twisted and leaped backward in great alarm, but was ultimately a step too slow.

The long sword pierced through his collarbone, then nailed into the ground, pinning him there alive.

Blood flowed, mixing with the blood of Cao Guangshi who had already fallen.

The sudden change began when eyes opened and ended before they could blink.

Result: one dead, one severely wounded, one lightly wounded.

Ten thousand troops stood in solemn silence, looking around in confusion, not understanding what had happened, much less why such things occurred.

Were Cao Guangshi and Li Han feigning surrender? Then why did Li Han try to kill Cao Guangshi?

Qin Chang Ge ignored those two, pursing her lips and immediately rushing to feed Chu Feihuan a pill, then briefly examining his wound. Fortunately it was only a superficial flesh wound—the bleeding had stopped automatically. With her shock subsiding, Qin Chang Ge couldn’t help blaming herself: “It’s my fault. I thought their target was only me…”

“Stop talking,” Chu Feihuan lightly interrupted, his face pale but eyes bright as clear springs. “Let me handle this myself.”

His gaze held shallow sorrow: “If I need your protection to survive, I might as well die immediately.”

Qin Chang Ge sighed softly: “Feihuan, it’s not like that…”

“You’re right, it’s not like that,” Chu Feihuan smiled, beautiful as a bright moon. “I just never want the person I care about to worry for my sake.”

Standing below the horse, looking up at the slender yet spiritually towering man, Qin Chang Ge said gently: “No one could do better than you. I don’t worry, truly.”

“I also hope no one could treat you better than I do.” Chu Feihuan smiled and bowed his head, urging her: “Go deal with those two.”

“Take the Young Master back to camp to rest.” Qin Chang Ge instructed her subordinates, glanced at Chu Feihuan, then turned to walk before the bloodied Cao Guangshi and Li Han.

Looking at Cao Guangshi struggling and writhing in the blood pool, gasping while staring fixedly at Li Han, Qin Chang Ge’s gaze held unknown emotion—hatred or pity. After a long moment: “From beginning to end, you helped the wrong person. In the end you sacrificed your life in vain, dying at the hands of the one you wholeheartedly considered. Was it worth it?”

“What are you saying?” Li Han gritted his teeth against pain, glaring. “This shameless man sells friends for glory—what do you mean ‘considered for me’?”

Cao Guangshi trembled more violently, choking out words through clenched teeth: “I didn’t… completely… want to save him… but I thought… I thought…”

“You thought to help him get revenge, thus owing him nothing,” Qin Chang Ge said lightly. “You resented his attempt to kill your son, but felt he had justification—after all, losing his only son was truly pitiable. You’ve always been clear about gratitude and grudges, so you captured him as revenge for his attempt on your son’s life; then you would strike to kill me, helping him fulfill his lifelong wish, avenging his murdered son.”

She glanced at Li Han’s greatly changed expression and sneered: “Unfortunately, someone didn’t understand your painstaking care, thinking you were merely seeking glory by betraying friends.”

“How did you… how did you…”

“Seeing your expression, I knew you were feigning surrender. How could someone betraying friends have such calm, sorrowful, determined eyes?” Anger rose in Qin Chang Ge’s eyes. “So I watched Li Han’s breathing and discovered he wasn’t unconscious at all. I thought you two had conspired to feign surrender and attack me together, so I didn’t guard against others… Who knew you were genuinely attacking while Li Han had already prepared for you? He deceived you with fake unconsciousness. He resented your attack on him, so he killed you first, then tried to capture my weaponless companion.”

“By strange coincidence, even I didn’t expect you weren’t conspiring together…” Qin Chang Ge sighed. “Heaven’s will… Heaven wills your destruction through an unavoidable misunderstanding…”

Only now did everyone understand.

All couldn’t help feeling chilled.

Such a treacherous situation, such painstaking intentions, such bone-chilling betrayal, such irreversible life-and-death misunderstanding.

Such a tragic ending.

With a bitter smile, lying quietly in his own blood pool gazing at the sky, Cao Guangshi murmured: “Duke… I’ve repaid you fairly… Years ago… you saved me from… execution for killing someone… and saved… my mother… I said I would… repay you two… lives… I’ve repaid… you…”

He breathed with difficulty, struggling to turn his gaze to look deeply at the youth on the wooden post.

A dying person’s vision was actually already blurred. Despite his desperate effort to see, he could only make out dancing flames and pale figures.

He couldn’t see that the youth had bitten his lips bloody, tears streaming down his face, staring fixedly at his father in the blood pool yet resolutely refusing to utter a single sob.

Darkness gradually spread, engulfing life’s shores. The light in Cao Guangshi’s eyes slowly faded.

His last words in this world were: “So cold…”

So cold.

Was it this night’s wind that was cold? The youth’s once-burning heart? The surging hot blood of a righteous man? Or fate itself, dark and frigid?

Tens of thousands stood silent in the early autumn’s slight chill on the northern plains, watching that noble figure they had once looked up to fade away under dimming starlight.

Watching the always heroic and brave Duke stare at his companion’s corpse for a long time, then release a blood-weeping howl.

That cry split the moon hiding behind clouds that night. The wounded moon bled, its light dark red.

The long grass lying across the plains was startled upright by that endless desolate, despairing, self-blaming roar, performing demon dances in the wind.

Qin Chang Ge turned away, a cold and indifferent elegant profile in the moonlight, saying lightly: “Guard the prisoners well. Don’t let them die.”

She hurried into her central command tent, immediately seeing Chu Feihuan reading.

Going over and pulling away his book, Qin Chang Ge began unbuttoning his collar without discussion. Chu Feihuan had no choice but to let her.

As his garment opened, the first thing visible in the flickering candlelight was an exquisite collarbone—flat and straight, stretching taut, smooth white skin with jade hairpin-like beautiful lustrous curves. Unlike Yu Zixi’s exposed wanton beauty in red, Chu Feihuan’s slightly pale skin showed moon-white refreshing color, complemented by his sea-blue elegant yet inherently magnificent outer robe, like hazy moonlight hidden behind light clouds and mist.

Even though this wasn’t the time for such thoughts, Qin Chang Ge couldn’t help looking twice more. Anyone would find beautiful things irresistible.

Because of her extra glances, Chu Feihuan immediately noticed, embarrassedly covering his garment and coughing: “You can see it’s just a flesh wound. The military doctor brought ginseng soup earlier, which I’ve used. What are you still worried about?”

“That’s good,” Qin Chang Ge sat before him without blushing, sighing. “I’ve never made such a big mistake. I truly didn’t expect Cao Guangshi would sacrifice so much for Li Han. He was quite a hero.”

“This man was a true hero,” Chu Feihuan said seriously. “Li Han actually wasn’t worthy of being his master. Pity he chose the wrong object of loyalty. Otherwise, with the world so vast, why worry about having no place for him?”

“A scholar dies for his confidant, a general perishes on the battlefield. He died as he should,” Qin Chang Ge said. “I’ll give him a proper burial.”

As they spoke, Qin Chang Ge suddenly glanced at the changing light and shadows on the ground, saying lightly: “Keep peeking and I’ll fine you.”

“Money-obsessed!” The one grinning as he entered was naturally the recently wealthy tycoon Xiao Baozi, sneakily looking left at Chu Feihuan and right at Qin Chang Ge. Chu Feihuan refused eye contact, remaining silent, while Qin Chang Ge frowned: “What are you looking at? Look again and I’ll fine you too.”

“Fine me then. When you make mistakes, you must accept punishment,” Baozi spread his hands. “I think you’re quite kind—at least you haven’t proposed confiscating Fengman Tower.”

“Thank you for reminding me,” Qin Chang Ge smiled with bared teeth. “I’ll remember to handle property transfer procedures after returning to the capital.”

“I won’t sign,” Baozi answered defiantly. “I’d rather die than sign!”

Qin Chang Ge glanced at him dismissively: “Oh? Death? Want to drown in sweet soup or be crushed by ham?”

“I want to die from overeating,” Baozi answered solemnly. “In eighty years, having tasted all the world’s delicacies, I’ll die fat.”

Unable to suppress a smile, Qin Chang Ge said: “Alright, stop fooling around. I know why you came. Cao Sheng can’t be released now.”

Shoulders drooping, Baozi murmured: “His father died—can’t he pay respects…”

“Do you want him to crash his head before his father’s spirit?” Qin Chang Ge stroked Baozi’s head. “People must grow up. Being able to mature smoothly is naturally fortunate, but how many have such good luck? Some experiences, though cruel, create new horizons once endured.”

“Won’t you kill him? Aren’t you afraid he’ll seek revenge?” Baozi’s big eyes stared brightly at his mother.

“I’m afraid of his revenge?” Qin Chang Ge raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Son, those who fear others’ revenge are cowards and idiots. Let me ask you—do you fear his revenge?”

Baozi immediately shook his head.

“Exactly,” Qin Chang Ge smiled. “I don’t care, my son doesn’t care. As for my son’s son—that’s your own responsibility, Xiao Rong. If you educate your son to be a coward and useless person, then being killed by someone seeking revenge would be deserved. I only take responsibility for one generation, not the second.”

She said leisurely: “That’s still far away…”

Gazing at distant mountains and high sky for a long time, she turned back to Chu Feihuan and Baozi: “Now we should worry about immediate matters. I’m going to devour Ran Mindao’s army. Then, our intimate contact with Northern Wei will probably begin.”