Rundu City was a small town. To its north lay the prosperous and bustling Jinling, and to its south was the resource-rich Huayuan. Nestled between these two cities, Rundu City was known only for its grape production, with many people never having heard its name in their lifetime.

After twenty days of non-stop travel, sleeping curled up under trees or in caves when tired, and hunting rabbits with bows and arrows or gathering bird eggs when hungry, the seven travelers finally approached Rundu City by the evening of the twentieth day.

“What should we do now?” The group stopped their horses, dismounted, and led them to a nearby river to drink while they sat down to eat. He Yan looked ahead at the plains stretching before them, recognizing the familiar path from this point.

He Yan remained silent, climbing the tallest tree nearby. After a while, she came back down.

Hong Shan handed her several bird eggs roasted in ash, “How does it look? Which way should we enter?”

The eggs were scalding hot. He Yan juggled them between her hands before peeling the shells. As the steaming food entered her stomach, some of the fatigue from recent days seemed to lift. She said, “We can’t enter directly from the front. The Wutuo people have set up camp outside the city gates. Even if we could avoid them, the guards wouldn’t dare open the gates for us.”

“Then what should we do?” Jiang Jiao looked at her, “Brother He, do you have a plan?”

He Yan thought for a moment: “I asked the Liangzhou Guards before, and learned there’s a small path outside the city gates. We’ll need to climb over a mountain and take a water route. The horses can’t make it, so we’ll have to continue on foot. There’s a shortcut that leads into Rundu City.”

“Really?” Little Mai asked, “Then let’s hurry and eat, so we can get moving.”

He Yan nodded, gazing toward Rundu City with a hint of worry.

This shortcut wasn’t information from the Liangzhou Guards. Years ago, during the battle with the Xiqiang people in Rundu City, she created a tunnel to help bring civilians from outside into the city. The tunnel connected to the riverside, which led to the mountain outside the city. Neither the Xiqiang nor the Wutuo armies could use this route with their large forces.

He Yan wasn’t worried about Wutuo ambushes there, but she was concerned whether Li Kuang had sealed the tunnel after so many peaceful years.

Regardless, they needed to press forward.

The group quickly finished their provisions. After a brief rest, He Yan removed the reins from their horses and slapped their flanks, sending them running into the forest.

“Let’s go,” she said.

…

At the city gates, guards carefully watched the distant plains, scrutinizing every suspicious spot.

Inside a room, Magistrate Zhao Shiming paced anxiously, looking at the silent man seated in the center. “Commander, why hasn’t General He arrived yet? Please think of something!”

Li Kuang – Rundu City’s Commander, just past forty years old, was tall and imposing with a circle of beard that gave him an especially stern appearance. He slammed the table, saying irritably, “Stop making such noise! I’ve already said General He will come to aid Rundu City!”

Zhao Shiming jumped at his outburst, feeling dissatisfied but not daring to speak further. Whether Rundu City could hold now depended entirely on this man. But twenty days had passed, and the journey from Huayuan to Rundu City typically took only four or five days. Unable to leave the city, they had no way to learn about Huayuan’s situation, and the complete lack of news was deeply unsettling.

The room’s other occupants sat in heavy silence. Just then, someone knocked, and the curtain lifted as a young woman entered.

She was an undeniable beauty, with an oval face and skin white as jade. Her eyes sparkled like stars, and even in these tense times, she wore a light pink gauze dress embroidered with lotuses. With a warm smile, she placed a crystal bowl beside Zhao Shiming, “Don’t be angry, Lord Zhao. Have some grapes. This is all we have left, so please eat sparingly.”

One couldn’t stay angry at a smiling face, especially a beautiful one. Zhao Shiming’s displeasure subsided as he forced a smile: “Thank you, Lady Qi Luo.”

Qi Luo was Li Kuang’s most beloved concubine, always by his side. Young, beautiful, and clever, she was the kind of enchanting flower any man would wish to possess. However, in these times of war, even a beauty’s charms seemed less captivating than before.

After delivering the grapes, Qi Luo stood behind Li Kuang, her delicate fingers massaging his shoulders. Her touch was perfect, relieving much of the fatigue Li Kuang had accumulated from days of constant work. He took a sip from his teacup and declared, “Continue guarding the city gates until General He arrives!”

Before Zhao Shiming could speak, another man – the head of Rundu City’s merchant guild – interjected: “Commander Li, we need a timeframe for this defense. The city’s food supplies are already running low. Even our most abundant product… we can only offer this small bowl now. If we continue like this, the citizens might starve before General He arrives!”

Once someone spoke up, others followed.

“Yes, what’s the point if we don’t die by Wutuo’s hands but starve to death inside the city?”

“Commander Li, how can you be sure General He will come? What if he doesn’t?”

“It’s been over twenty days – could Flying Phoenix General be in trouble himself?”

The cacophony of voices filled the room until Li Kuang slammed his fist on the table again, spilling half a cup of tea. The room gradually fell silent.

“Guildmaster Wang, do you have a better suggestion?” His gaze fixed on the merchant guild leader like a hunting leopard.

Wang shuddered and fell silent.

They knew hiding in the city wasn’t ideal, but they had no better options. Should they charge out and fight the Wutuo forces? Their numbers weren’t nearly enough. The combined Wutuo forces outside totaled 100,000 – those defeated at Huayuan hadn’t retreated but had joined with another group to advance on Rundu City.

Rundu City’s total forces barely reached 30,000.

After all, Rundu City was just a small town.

“But Commander Li, we can’t just keep defending like this,” an elderly man spoke up. “As you’ve seen, the Wutuo forces have been testing our defenses frequently at night. They’ll likely launch a full assault soon. We might hold against small skirmishes, but how can we possibly defend against 100,000 Wutuo troops?”

Li Kuang gritted his teeth.

As the city’s Commander, he understood these circumstances better than anyone. From the beginning, he knew Rundu City’s only option was to delay the Wutuo forces until reinforcements arrived. Though He Rufei wasn’t his closest friend, they had fought together against the Xiqiang. He knew He Rufei as a fearless hero who cared deeply for the realm. Since he had requested He Rufei’s aid, he was certain He Rufei would come. If there had been no word after so long, He Rufei must have encountered his troubles.

But Rundu City had no other allies to call upon. Jinling? They had no general commanding troops there, only city forces that couldn’t leave without putting Jinling at risk. Of the Great Wei’s two famous generals, Xiao Huaiqin was in Liangzhou – too far to help with this immediate crisis.

Li Kuang silently cursed the treacherous minister’s power grab. Otherwise, Xiao Huaiqin’s Southern Army would surely have driven these Wutuo forces back home, never daring to set foot on Great Wei soil again.

During the silence, Zhao Shiming suddenly spoke: “Commander Li, do you remember the secret tunnel Flying Phoenix General had dug in the city during his time here, connecting to the outside?”

Everyone looked at Zhao Shiming. This wasn’t unfamiliar to them. Back then, the Xiqiang had been massacring civilians who couldn’t enter the city. Flying Phoenix General had ordered the tunnel dug to secretly gather and bring those outside civilians into the city. It had saved many lives, and those citizens remained deeply grateful to He Rufei – they had thought themselves abandoned.

“What are you suggesting?” Li Kuang asked.

Zhao Shiming sighed, stood up, and gave Li Kuang a deep bow. “We’ve reached our last resort. I am old and the city’s magistrate – naturally, I won’t leave but will share the city’s fate. However… my grandson is only three years old.”

“Please allow my servants to take my grandson through the tunnel to escape.”

Everyone was shocked.

Soon, others followed Zhao Shiming’s lead: “Please allow my mother to take my wife and children to safety.”

“Please, Commander…”

These men had all resigned themselves to death, their only concern being their families’ safety. They all begged Li Kuang to give their wives, children, and elderly a chance at survival.

Qi Luo bit her lip, secretly glancing at Zhao Shiming.

As expected, the next moment, Zhao Shiming erupted in anger: “Absurd! If everyone takes their families out of the city, and the citizens follow suit, the Wutuo won’t even need to attack – the city will empty itself!”

“You are all undermining morale!” His tone suddenly turned harsh, revealing his killing intent. Everyone fell silent.

Qi Luo retreated to the side, not daring to speak at this crucial moment.

In the silence, suddenly someone rushed in to report: “Commander, Commander-“

“Why such panic?” Li Kuang frowned.

“That tunnel… the tunnel… someone’s coming through!”

“What?” Li Kuang stood up immediately, his first thought being He Rufei’s arrival. After all, besides the civilians who had used it, He Rufei had personally walked that tunnel. He asked, “Is it Flying Phoenix General?”

“No…” the guard said, “They say it’s… they say it’s…”

“Wu’an Lang He Yan.” Before he could finish, the door curtain lifted, and a youth in red clothes entered.

This was a face Li Kuang didn’t recognize. The youth was quite young, no more than sixteen or seventeen. He had refined and bright features, with his most striking feature being his eyes which sparkled like brilliant gems. With a smile on his lips, he showed no sign of nervousness at the roomful of people, and calmly cupped his hands to Li Kuang in greeting: “Greetings, Lord Li.”

Li Kuang frowned and demanded, “Who are you?”

He Yan pointed to his clothes and shook out an official seal from his sleeve, tossing it to Li Kuang. “I am He Yan.”

The seal was genuine and couldn’t be forged, and the official robes appeared authentic as well. However, despite Li Kuang’s many years in office, he had never heard the name He Yan before. As he hesitated, Qi Luo beside him let out a soft “Ah!” and said quietly, “Wu’an Lang? Could you be the one who fought alongside Commander Xiao at Jiyang City, burning the Grand Canal to defeat the Wutuo forces, and was personally granted the title by His Majesty?”

While few recognized the title, Wu’an Lang, everyone knew of the burning of Jiyang’s Grand Canal to defeat the Wutuo forces. The crowd looked at He Yan in surprise, remembering that one of Xiao Jue’s trusted allies had been granted an official position for fighting alongside him, but they hadn’t expected it to be such a young person.

The age seemed far too young.

Could this be an impostor?

As others grew more suspicious, Li Kuang felt more at ease. If this were a Wutuo plot, they wouldn’t send a half-grown child to arouse suspicion. However… he asked, “How did you know about the tunnel in Jiyang City?”

“I didn’t know about it,” He Yan replied. “The Commander told me.”

Xiao Huaiqin? Li Kuang thought to himself that with Xiao Huaiqin’s abilities, discovering this tunnel wouldn’t be difficult. But… Hope rose in his heart: “Did Commander Xiao send you? Is he planning to support Rundu City? How many troops did you bring? Since troops can’t use the tunnel, are your forces waiting outside the city?”

He Yan studied Li Kuang, noting the bloodshot eyes and haggard appearance from days of defending the city. Though only a few years had passed, he looked much older. Faced with such hopeful eyes, He Yan slowly shook his head: “I came on my own. I brought no troops, and there are no Southern Army forces outside.”

The room’s joy instantly dissipated at He Yan’s words. Li Kuang asked, “Are you joking?”

He Yan retrieved and pocketed the seal: “I am the Imperial-appointed Wu’an Lang. In urgent military matters, I can act without the Commander’s orders.”

Li Kuang stared at her, finding this youth utterly perplexing. He had initially assumed He Yan came under Xiao Jue’s command but now learned it was He Yan’s own decision. He asked, “Then, Wu’an Lang, did you come to Rundu City for sightseeing? Forgive me, but I don’t understand.”

He Yan smiled slightly: “I came to help you.”

“Just you?”

“Us.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, voices came from outside, “Yes, us too! Why look down on us!”

The curtain lifted, and Qi Luo covered her mouth as people entered in small groups. They varied in height and build, totaling six people besides He Yan.

A fierce-looking man with a facial scar stepped forward and spoke roughly: “We’ve traveled mountains and rivers, coming all this way, not to listen to your nonsense! Here, Liangzhou Guards numbers one through seven, we do nothing else but help you fight the Wutuo! Don’t be ungrateful, or we’ll fight you along with the Wutuo!”

Li Kuang’s face turned ashen with anger. Where did these bandits come from, showing such disregard for military discipline?

However, one handsome and pleasant-looking man cupped his hands and smiled: “We’ve been in Liangzhou Guard too long and grown crude in speech, please forgive us, my lords. But Commander Li need not worry. We seven brothers won’t burden Rundu City. We’ve already faced the Wutuo twice before and have the most experience in defeating them.”

He Yan watched Jiang Jiao’s back, thinking that as expected of the young master of the Shuojing Martial Arts School, he knew exactly when to play the big shot.

Li Kuang remained silent, but Zhao Shiming immediately stepped forward, grasping Jiang Jiao’s hands with tears in his eyes: “This is wonderful indeed! Rundu City needs heroes like you!”

It was no joke – each additional person fighting the Wutuo meant Rundu City could hold out longer, and perhaps that extra time would allow Flying Phoenix General’s reinforcements to arrive. And what had they said? They’d already faced the Wutuo twice and won both times? Such military advisors were truly a godsend!

At once, Zhao Shiming ignored Li Kuang’s expression and warmly said: “For heroes like you to come to Rundu City in such dire times, risking life and limb, is truly noble! Unfortunately, Rundu City is besieged on all sides and has no way to repay you.” He turned and saw the grapes on the table, and offered them: “These are Rundu City’s specialty grapes, please try them!”

Jiang Jiao handed the grapes to Little Mai, who eagerly accepted and happily ate from the bowl.

Now, not just grapes but even grain was scarce. The room’s occupants watched Little Mai eat happily, all swallowing unconsciously.

He Yan looked at Li Kuang: “I have some words for Lord Li.”

Li Kuang glared at He Yan. Though he couldn’t say he fully trusted this youth, he also couldn’t find any fault yet. Wondering what the boy was planning now, he said: “Follow me.”

He Yan followed Li Kuang to his study, leaving the others outside. In the study, Li Kuang sat down and coldly said: “There’s no one else here. Speak freely, Wu’an Lang.”

Having worked with Li Kuang before, He Yan understood his current suspicion of her was reasonable. If their positions were reversed, she too would be suspicious of a group suddenly appearing to offer help. He Yan pulled out a scroll from her robes: “On the journey from Liangzhou Guard to Rundu City, during rest breaks, I carefully recalled our previous battles with the Wutuo forces and recorded their combat characteristics and habits. From two battles with the Wutuo, one at Liangzhou Guard and one at Jiyang, both land and naval warfare had distinct features. This should be useful to Lord Li.”

Li Kuang accepted the scroll with mixed belief, but as soon as he opened it, his expression changed, becoming somewhat excited. He could certainly tell whether the scroll’s contents were fabricated or genuine. At least some of the recorded observations matched his own experience fighting the Wutuo.

He had written similar notes himself, though not as clear and detailed as this scroll. This was partly because his encounters with the Wutuo weren’t as close as He Yan’s two battles, but also because his abilities weren’t as outstanding as He Yan’s. For a moment, looking at the scroll, another person’s image appeared in his mind: He Rufei.

He Rufei had the same precise ability to analyze military affairs.

Recognizing the scroll’s value, his gaze toward He Yan softened slightly as he asked: “Did you write all this?”

“My brothers and I wrote it together,” He Yan didn’t take all the credit. “Each of us has our strengths. What one person missed, another noticed, allowing us to minimize oversights.”

Li Kuang nodded: “Thank you.”

He Yan looked at him: “Lord Li, forgive my frankness, but what are your plans? Will you just keep guarding the city gates waiting for Flying Phoenix General’s reinforcements? What if he doesn’t come?”

He Yan wasn’t the first to say this, nor would she be the last. Li Kuang sighed: “What other choice do we have? The city’s forces are few. Though a final stand would be valiant, if the city falls, tens of thousands of civilians would die by Wutuo blades. Rundu City is just the first barrier – once it falls, Jinling is next, and then northward…” He paused, then continued: “His Majesty ordered us to defend Rundu City to the death. We cannot retreat a single step.”

He suddenly remembered something and looked at He Yan: “Brother He, you came from outside the city? There might be another way.”

He Yan had already guessed his thoughts and smiled: “Surely Lord Li isn’t thinking of sending me to Huayuan to seek Flying Phoenix General’s help?”

“We’ve sent three groups already, with no word from any of them. Brother He, since you managed to survive the Jiyang battle with Commander Xiao, your skills must be extraordinary. If you could leave the city and find Flying Phoenix General, Rundu City might still have hope.”

“Does Lord Li believe those sent before met with accidents on their way to Flying Phoenix General?”

Li Kuang started, “What do you mean?”

“I mean that the chance of all three groups being destroyed before reaching Huayuan is extremely low. With no word at all by now, Flying Phoenix General himself likely faces trouble. Now everyone’s trapped in Rundu City, knowing nothing of the outside situation. Blindly waiting could doom the entire city.”

He Yan didn’t speak too plainly, though she understood clearly – Li Kuang’s messengers had likely been silenced by He Rufei after meeting him. Since Li Kuang had served with “Flying Phoenix General,” to avoid exposure, He Rufei would rather see Li Kuang dead and buried than extend help, even from nearby.

But based on Li Kuang’s understanding of “Flying Phoenix General,” he would keep waiting in the vain hope of rescue.

“Did you hear any news of Flying Phoenix General on your way here?” Li Kuang asked, still unwilling to give up.

He Yan shook her head.

The man lowered his head with a long sigh, saying: “Our only option now is to hold out as long as we can.”

He Yan asked: “Did Lord Li only write to Flying Phoenix General for aid?”

“There were others, but they’re too far from Rundu City. We likely can’t hold out that long.”

He Yan thought for a moment, “Has Lord Li considered that defense isn’t as good as offense? Rather than waiting passively, why not take the initiative to attack?”

Li Kuang: “Preposterous!”

The youth looked at him with determined eyes, “Not preposterous, but seizing the right moment to turn defense into attack.”