Battle cries shook the Grand Canal as ships collided against one another. The Wuto people, like fierce wolves, had thoroughly surrounded the Jiyang army. With their superior numbers and prepared archers, arrows flew like meteors, turning the Jiyang army’s small boats into sieves within moments, rendering them immobile. Though the Jiyang soldiers who fell into the water could swim, they couldn’t exert their full strength while submerged. The Wuto forces had prepared numerous iron harpoons, similar to those used by fishermen, but with tips forged to be exceptionally sharp. They thrust these down at the Jiyang soldiers in the water.

The canal waters quickly turned red with blood.

A young Jiyang soldier, dodging arrows from the Wuto ships, jumped into the water. Dozens of Wuto warriors laughed heartily as they hurled their harpoons at him. The Wuto people were naturally strong, and the young man, barely sixteen or seventeen, couldn’t dodge in time. He was struck in the arm, and then successive harpoons came at him from all directions, piercing through his body.

The harpoons were quickly withdrawn, leaving only a bloody void in his chest. After struggling briefly, he sank beneath the surface, with only rising streams of blood marking where he had once lived.

The deputy soldier looked back and shouted to the youth fighting amid battle, “Commander, it’s impossible! There are too many of them!”

Too many indeed.

Two fists couldn’t fight four hands; the few couldn’t defeat the many. This wasn’t Guo City of the past, and the only strategy that might bring victory through surprise – a fire attack – still lacked an east wind.

“Nothing is impossible,” Xiao Jue, sword in hand, his gaze sharp as a blade’s edge, said coldly. “Fight!”

As the leader, he was constantly engaged in the thick of battle. Maka wasn’t a mindless opponent – though arrogant, he had heard of Xiao Jue’s reputation. Earlier, using the Western Qiang people as bait, he had attempted an ambush in Liangzhou, but his plans were completely disrupted by Xiao Jue’s unexpected return. Maka clearly remembered how the Western Qiang leader Ridamuzi, despite his immense strength and fierce warrior spirit, ultimately died at Xiao Jue’s hands.

Maka wanted victory and wished to capture Jiyang City to gain merit with his sovereign, but he didn’t want to needlessly lose his life. While retreating backward, he shouted to the Wuto soldiers at his side, “His Majesty has declared that whoever takes Xiao Huaijin’s head will be this battle’s greatest hero and receive a noble title!”

“Warriors, kill him!”

The promise of military merit was always effective at such moments. Upon hearing this, the Wuto soldiers’ blood boiled, and they surged toward Xiao Jue in waves.

This was the scene He Yan witnessed as her boat drew near.

The young Commander’s cape left dark traces on the water’s surface, while his sword was cold as winter ice, making his handsome face appear like a jade-faced Rakshasa, taking lives with a mere flick of his finger. People came in waves, and corpses had piled up around him, yet the young man showed no signs of fatigue, remaining as valiant as ever.

“This cannot continue,” He Yan frowned. The Wuto forces were too numerous. Though Xiao Jue could fight ten or even a hundred men alone, what about a thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Though he could break through the encirclement alone, as long as the Wuto forces didn’t reach shore, he would forever need to stand before the civilians. The remaining Jiyang city forces weren’t sufficient to form a tacit understanding with him or coordinate seamlessly.

Chi Wu and Fei Nu had been assigned by Xiao Jue to Cui Yuezhi’s side, leaving him to bear the burden alone.

He Yan pondered briefly before telling the others on the boats, “Position yourselves according to my earlier diagram and await orders without straying. Mu Yi,” she addressed Mu Yi, “take this boat and follow me.”

She then donned the robes that Chu Zhao had brought her from Princess Mu Hongjin.

“You…” Mu Yi started in surprise.

“I’ll disguise myself as the Princess to draw away some of their forces,” He Yan answered. “Otherwise, the Commander can’t hold out much longer alone. We must disperse the Wuto forces to buy more time.”

“Even if you disguise yourself as the Princess,” Mu Yi couldn’t help saying, “How do you know they’ll chase us?”

“You should understand,” He Yan shook her head, “break their strength, capture their leader, and their formation will collapse. When dragons battle in the wild, their path is finite.”

Moreover, she thought the Wuto forces would likely feel more confident about capturing Mu Hongjin, a woman without martial skills, than seizing Xiao Huaijin.

She looked toward the distance. It was now noon, with the sun high in the sky, bringing the first hints of summer heat, without even a slight breeze.

Still no wind.

He Yan instructed the other boats to maintain their distance while she and Mu Yi boarded the small boat alone. They rowed toward Xiao Jue’s position, but not too close, staying just within sight of the Wuto warships surrounding him, appearing anxious and lost as if circling without direction.

“Where did that boat come from?” Maka spotted the lone small boat at the opposite end from where Xiao Jue’s forces were engaged. This boat looked identical to other Jiyang military vessels, flying the same banners, yet something seemed odd about it.

This boat wasn’t approaching their battle zone, instead appearing to attempt escape. Deserters?

Maka sensed something suspicious and ordered a small boat to investigate. The scout boat barely moved forward before the sentinel returned reporting, “General, it appears to be the Princess of Mengji aboard, likely attempting to flee the city!”

Maka’s spirits rose: “The Princess of Mengji? Are you certain?”

“Your servant saw a woman wearing royal robes aboard, along with someone dressed as a guard, but cannot confirm if it’s truly her.”

Maka contemplated briefly, then said, “Until now, the Princess of Mengji hasn’t shown herself. They claimed she was in the royal mansion to maintain morale, but I suspect she’s planning to escape. It makes sense – she’s just a woman, and without support, she’s likely terrified.”

He smiled cruelly: “If that’s the case, capture her!”

“But…” a trusted aide said, “General, our ships are engaged with Xiao Huaijin, we can’t capture Mu Hongjin.”

Since Wuto wasn’t a water city, their soldiers weren’t as adept in water warfare as the Jiyang forces. Having traveled by water, they had linked thousands of large ships bow to stern with iron hooks across the vast waters. It was impossible to separate the ships now, and pursuing Mu Hongjin would mean abandoning the battle with Xiao Jue.

“Fool!” Maka cursed, “To catch thieves, first catch their king! What of Xiao Huaijin? He isn’t Jiyang City’s master. Once we capture Mu Hongjin, the Jiyang forces will surely fall into chaos, and then we’ll win without fighting.”

He left unsaid that compared to Xiao Huaijin, capturing a woman like Mu Hongjin would be much easier.

“Once we have Mu Hongjin, I’ll use her to force open Jiyang City’s gates,” Maka’s smile carried cruel malice. “Xiao Huaijin will have to surrender obediently, or I’ll kill this woman before the Jiyang army. What do you think he’ll choose?”

Given Xiao Jue’s reputation as the cold-blooded, jade-faced Commander who didn’t care even for his birth parents, a mere Mu Hongjin wouldn’t matter enough to make him surrender. When Mu Hongjin inevitably died due to Xiao Jue’s refusal to lay down arms, the Jiyang army would naturally harbor resentment toward him.

By then, with internal strife and broken morale, Jiyang City would be nothing but scattered sand. Its collapse would only be a matter of time.

“Turn the ships! Follow me!” Maka laughed.

The Wuto soldiers stopped surging forward in waves. The lead ships changed direction, sailing toward another heading, leaving the Jiyang soldiers to ask, “What’s happening?”

“Why did they suddenly stop fighting?”

Though Xiao Jue had intensively trained the Jiyang forces for several days, they had gone years without bloodshed, and their formations were outdated. Of the fifteen thousand troops Xiao Jue had brought, nearly half were now lost.

If the Wuto forces had pressed their advantage, the situation would have become even more unfavorable for the Jiyang army.

Yet at this crucial moment, they withdrew.

Xiao Jue looked in the direction of the retreating Wuto ships. On the vast river surface, a small boat flying military banners carried a spot of red clothing, like a bright signal on the water, drawing pursuit.

“Is that… the Princess?” a nearby soldier mumbled.

“No, it’s He Yan,” Xiao Jue’s gaze darkened momentarily before he commanded, “Follow them.”

“They’re pursuing us!” Mu Yi said nervously.

“Don’t worry,” He Yan replied, “Our boat only has two people; they’re after the people, not the vessel. You’re a good swimmer, hide in the water later, don’t show yourself.”

“What about you?” Mu Yi stared at her blankly.

“I’ll give them a grand gift,” He Yan smiled faintly.

She pulled out an iron ball from her robes. The ball had barbs on all sides, razor-sharp, resembling a beast’s giant claw. She drew the whip from her waist – the iron ball had a hook which she attached to the whip.

“This…”

He Yan suddenly struck, throwing her whip toward a nearby reef. The iron ball embedded itself in the rock without shattering it. She quickly retrieved it, revealing five empty holes in the reef, a chilling sight.

If this weapon struck someone’s chest, it would tear away a large chunk of their thorax. Mu Yi couldn’t help shuddering. Though he knew He Yan wasn’t an ordinary young woman and possessed shocking strength, witnessing it firsthand was increasingly terrifying.

“Lady He, you plan to fight with this?”

Though the weapon was fierce, it wasn’t as versatile as swords. One lash could only kill one person, and before a second lash could be delivered, the enemy would be upon them. Moreover, what if the whip was cut?

“No,” He Yan shook her head, “I’m targeting the ships.”

Before Mu Yi could ask further, He Yan pushed him: “Quick, into the water!”

He instinctively jumped in, hiding behind the reef, gripping his dagger tightly. Swords were difficult to wield underwater, only daggers remained nimble and clever, though still inferior to fighting on land.

The Wuto warships, larger and more stable than Jiyang’s small boats, made He Yan appear like a lamb cornered by monsters from afar.

“Princess,” Maka stood at the bow, shouting, “Surrender! If you’re sensible, perhaps this general might spare your life!”

He was confident of capturing Mu Hongjin. The small boat had no one else aboard, even the single guard from earlier had vanished. Had the guard abandoned Mu Hongjin and fled upon sensing danger?

Hmph, Wei people were always so weak!

The woman in red robes stood at the bow with a lowered head, saying nothing. As the distance between the boats grew shorter and shorter, just as Maka prepared to order her capture, the woman suddenly raised her head and leaped from the boat.

The small boat wasn’t as tall as the large ship, and she didn’t attempt to jump aboard the Wuto vessel. Instead, she landed sideways on the ship’s hull, her feet sliding along it like lightning.

“Bang bang bang bang bang-“

She moved with incredible speed, each step accompanied by her whip striking forcefully against the ship’s hull.

The iron ball struck the hull and was quickly pulled away by the whip, leaving behind five hollow claw marks as water rushed in.

“What’s that sound?”

“What is she doing? Catch her!”

“Shoot! Shoot arrows!”

Arrows fell like black rain from all directions, but she dodged them as if walking on level ground. As she moved, her outer robes fell away in the wind, revealing black armor underneath. She landed with the wind, stepped onto her boat, and stood at the bow, watching the large ship gradually tilt from the incoming water, a mocking smile on her lips.

“This general is illiterate and doesn’t know the four characters for ‘surrender.’ She fixed her gaze on Maka’s furious face, maintaining her usual arrogance. “If you’re sensible, kneel and kowtow to me, and perhaps this general will spare your life.”

Maka froze, then after a moment roared, “You’re not Mu Hongjin?”

“Why would Her Highness need to deal with waste like you?” He Yan laughed. “The Princess is safe in her palace. For the likes of you, I alone can handle three.”

Maka drew his sword: “You’re seeking death!”

But just as he finished speaking, the ship beneath him sank slightly. He Yan’s whip had struck a row of holes along the bottom of the large ship. Now water was flooding in, and the ship had already become unstable. The Wuto soldiers swayed with the tilting vessel.

The large ship was gradually sinking.

“Quick, get to the adjacent ships!”

Amidst the chaos, someone shouted, “Impossible! The ships are all connected – we need to cut through the iron hooks!”

What had been convenient for water travel – connecting all the large ships bow to stern – had now become their trap. As one large ship tilted and sank, it dragged all the connected ships with it, unable to advance or retreat.

“Cut the hooks! Hurry!”

The iron hooks were heavy and sturdy, not easily severed. The Wuto soldiers protected Maka as he transferred to another large ship, while the remaining men, pulled by the sinking ship, frantically tried to cut the hooks.

With a “crash,” an iron hook finally broke, falling into the water along with the hole-riddled ship that slowly sank. Some Wuto soldiers who hadn’t escaped in time fell into the water. Not everyone could swim, and the surface became a chaos of shouts and screams.

Maka was furious. He looked up at the culprit but saw that during the chaos, she had already rowed her boat to a distance.

“Chase her!” Maka shouted. “Catch her, I’ll flay her alive!”

To be humiliated by a woman in front of everyone – how could he accept such shame!

He Yan rowed across the water’s surface, reaching out to Mu Yi who was hiding behind the reef, pulling him aboard: “Quick, get up!”

Mu Yi climbed aboard, knowing they couldn’t waste time, and immediately began rowing. His sidelong glances at He Yan were filled with amazement.

He knew He Yan possessed extraordinary strength, but to single-handedly sink a large ship was astounding. Earlier, as she moved along the ship’s hull, wielding her whip with fluid grace, the Wuto soldiers hadn’t even realized they’d fallen into her trap. Beyond his admiration, Mu Yi felt a surge of excitement and asked, “Lady He, could we sink all their ships like you just did?”

“Impossible,” He Yan answered quickly. “In such dire circumstances, where would we get more iron tiger claws?”

“Then why didn’t you… make more beforehand?” As soon as he spoke, Mu Yi realized his words might be inappropriate.

He Yan wasn’t angry, patiently explaining, “Making more wouldn’t help. They don’t have my strength, and even those who are strong might not be able to strike their ships accurately.”

Her skills had been honed through long periods of warfare. While weapons were important, the wielder was more crucial.

“Besides, this method only works once. The Wuto forces will be prepared now, likely positioning archers on their ships. We’d be shot before getting close. That strike was just to buy time – the longer we can delay, the better our chances.”

“If we keep buying time, will the wind come?” Mu Yi looked at the sky. The clear sky filled his heart with gloom, making it difficult to maintain any confidence.

“Master said there would be wind, so there will be,” He Yan’s gaze was determined. “If there’s no wind, we’ll become that east wind ourselves. The important thing is to never stop fighting.” She said, “Direct the boat toward the ambush position.”

…

On the other side, the Jiyang city forces pursuing the Wuto ships had witnessed that scene. Everyone was stunned by He Yan’s skill in sinking the ship with her whip – an unforgettable sight.

“Lady He… is incredible,” someone murmured.

This wasn’t mere flattery. Even the most skilled in the Jiyang army couldn’t achieve such a feat. Beyond strength and skill was her ability to emerge unscathed among so many Wuto soldiers, requiring precise judgment at every moment. The Wuto arrows fell like rain, yet they couldn’t shake her resolve.

The sunken ship had caused chaos among the Wuto forces as they scrambled to cut the iron rings. Some non-swimming Wuto soldiers drowned, slightly relieving the Jiyang army’s previous frustration. They felt deeply satisfied.

Xiao Jue lowered his eyes, saying softly, “We thought alike.” He turned to instruct his deputy, “Bring out the box.”

The box, which Xiao Jue had ordered loaded before departure, was extremely heavy. When opened, it revealed numerous tiger claw-like weapons similar to the one at the end of He Yan’s whip, though these were designed to be worn on the wrist rather than attached to whips.

“The twenty skilled swimmers step forward,” Xiao Jue commanded.

Twenty elite soldiers who had received prior orders immediately stepped out.

Xiao Jue looked at them, his voice calm and detached: “Take the iron claws and enter the water.”

In the distance, the large ships were pursuing He Yan’s small boat at full speed. With only two people rowing, the small boat couldn’t match the large ships’ speed – He Yan would soon be caught.

Twenty thousand against one hundred and fifty thousand was already a desperate situation. He knew victory would be difficult, and nature might not favor them, so he had prepared for every contingency. This box of iron claws was his hidden strategy. Surprisingly, He Yan had thought of the same approach. The difference was that she acted openly while he moved in secret.

“Sink their ships,” he ordered.

…

The sound of the qin contrasted sharply with the distant battle cries on the river. Spring and warfare were two unrelated things.

Sunlight fell on the white-robed figure, making his garments appear even more pristine. From a distance, he still resembled the young man in white from years past.

A drop of blood fell onto the qin strings, causing them to vibrate slightly, producing a very faint sound. The clear musical notes seemed to turn sorrowful.

From deep in the dense forest came roars and shouts. More and more Wuto soldiers appeared, trampling the small roadside flowers, yet they couldn’t advance further, as if their feet were caught by invisible bonds. The seemingly peaceful spring scenery had become a deadly trap, with ambushes everywhere.

Blood continued to seep from Liu Buwang’s lips as the qin music grew more urgent.

There were too many enemies. His formation couldn’t hold back so many people; he was already at his limit. The old wounds from his years of intense training in the mountains began to ache again. Liu Buwang knew he couldn’t hold out much longer.

But he had to maintain this position. Every moment he held here meant another moment Cui Yuezhi could persist, every Wuto soldier he killed here meant more time for Cui Yuezhi’s forces. The civilians in Jiyang City would have one more moment of safety… and so would she.

Peach blossoms smile charmingly beyond the fence, most enchanting when neither fully open nor closed.

In his life, he had only that one peach blossom, neither fully open nor closed. Though he couldn’t watch this blossom bloom to its fullest, protecting it for a while longer was good enough.

With a sharp “twang,” the qin string suddenly snapped under strain. The music stopped abruptly as Liu Buwang coughed up a mouthful of blood. The blood splattered across the qin’s surface and onto the grass below.

Like March peach blossoms, beautiful and passionate.

Without the qin music, footsteps from the dense forest suddenly quickened, now right before him. The formation was broken, and he slowly stood.

“Who’s that?”

“Who goes there!”

“Why is there only one person? Is it an ambush?”

The Wuto soldiers who had broken through the formation rushed in but remained wary due to the previous forest ambush. Seeing Liu Buwang alone, they feared more traps lay in wait, and none dared advance.

After a brief standoff, the numerous Wuto soldiers grew bold. Soon they laughed, “It’s just one man. Even if there’s an ambush, the Jiyang army barely has any men left. However many they hide, we’ll kill them all! What’s there to fear!”

The white-robed man before them stood motionless, his clothing as neat as an otherworldly immortal. His once-black hair, now tied with white silk, remained ethereal and cold. Though streaked with gray now, this reassuring figure that stood like a tree had never changed.

Forever protecting those he wished to protect.

A slight breeze passed, making his hair ribbon flutter, his robes sway gently, and ripples appear in his water-like gaze. He froze for a moment, then slowly, a smile spread across his lips.

The chance for life in this deadly situation had arrived.

Hope for Jiyang City had arrived.

The wind had come.

Liu Buwang slowly drew the sword at his waist.