The skies of July changed in the blink of an eye. Just a few days ago, the sun was scorching the earth, but now, the weather had turned tumultuous. Raindrops the size of beans, accompanied by the mournful howling of the wind, poured down relentlessly from the heavens. The dark, oppressive sky seemed poised to collapse at any moment.
Xiao Du stood motionless in the rain, gazing at the scout camp in front of him, trampled by iron hooves, and the ground littered with the corpses of soldiers wearing the uniform of the Xiao family army. The rainwater mingled with the dried blood, forming crimson streams that stained his black boots red. Ignoring the soldiers’ attempts to dissuade him, he removed his cloak and knelt, draping it over a fallen soldier, then gently closed the soldier’s staring eyes. The icy rain slid down his cheeks, leaving scars of devastation everywhere it touched.
At that moment, Deputy General Feng Yuan hurriedly approached, saying, “His Highness, it’s bad news. According to the scout’s report, Pingdu Pass has indeed been occupied by the Black Cavalry! The situation inside the city is unclear, and we don’t know if Lady and the others managed to escape.”
Xiao Du’s body trembled suddenly, but he forced himself to remain calm as he stood up and ordered, “Issue the command to set up camp on the spot. Strengthen the army’s training and be prepared to fight at any moment!”
Then, he pushed aside the raincoat handed to him and walked alone to a nearby mound of earth. He wiped the rainwater from his face, trying to calm the fear in his heart. Pingdu Pass had fallen! Pingdu Pass had fallen! Were Yuanxi and Father and Second Brother able to escape? If not, what fate would befall them at the hands of the barbarians…
Xiao Du dug his nails viciously into his flesh, telling himself he couldn’t dwell on it any longer. There were still countless people in the city relying on him for rescue. Beyond Pingdu Pass lay the entire territory of Da Mu, and he couldn’t afford to lose his composure over the safety of his family. If he couldn’t calm down and devise a strategy, the Central Plains would be in jeopardy.
But how could he not think about it? That smile as beautiful as flowers, those calm and loving eyes, and his younger brother, weak yet admiring of him, seemed to stand before him, only to be crushed mercilessly by the cold rain. Xiao Du grimaced in pain, took out a dagger, and fiercely cut his arm, using the pain from the wound to ease the pain in his heart. As he watched the fresh blood drip continuously with the rain, he straightened his spine and gazed into the distance at Pingdu Pass, silently making a vow…
As night fell, the heavy rain gradually subsided. Near the city walls of Pingdu Pass, a small gap was being utilized by a group of lightly armed soldiers led by Luo Yuan to sneak into the city under cover of darkness. This passage had been discovered by Luo Yuan long ago. It was a neglected pathway, blocked by heavy stones, forming a narrow gap too small for a cavalry unit to pass through but sufficient for dozens of men.
Luo Yuan followed the soldiers, struggling to climb over the rocks. Suddenly, he remembered something and reached out to Yuanxi behind him, but Yuanxi shook her head, tied up her skirt, and climbed over the wall herself, using the wall for support. Fifty dagger-wielding soldiers silently infiltrated the city under the cover of night. Though they knew the city must be suffering under the plunder of the Black Cavalry, when they reached the streets, they were stunned by the scene before them.
The once peaceful and tranquil city of Pingdu Pass was no more. Countless houses lay in ruins, scattered goods littered the streets from looting, and bodies littered the streets in disarray. There were elderly people stabbed to death while clutching their belongings, women covered in bloodstains, and even children with half their heads severed… The scene resembled a hell on earth, evoking sorrow from both heaven and earth. Yuanxi covered her mouth and stepped back a few steps, squatting down silently, tears streaming down her face. Luo Yuan clenched his fists tightly, unable to control the tears in his eyes. Even the seasoned soldiers turned their faces away in anger and pain.
At that moment, noises came from a nearby alley. Luo Yuan’s expression changed, and he quickly signaled for everyone to quietly retreat into the darkness.
The sound drew closer, a song sung in the dialect of the wilderness. It turned out to be a group of drunken Black Cavalry soldiers, swaggering and singing off-key as they roamed the streets. They sang with abandon, displaying their plundered spoils. Luo Yuan and the soldiers behind him watched silently in the darkness as these ruthless wolves, their hands stained with the blood of their compatriots, flaunted their ill-gotten gains.
Seeing the Black Cavalry troop enter a secluded alley, Luo Yuan quickly commanded the soldiers behind him to follow and attack. The Xiao family soldiers were well-trained, and the fifty of them advanced in the dark without making a sound. Their faces were cold and stern, filled with resentment. They rushed at the Black Cavalry with their knives drawn, catching the previously jovial soldiers off guard. For a moment, the Black Cavalry, who had been reveling, were stunned by this sudden onslaught.
They tried to resist, but they were overwhelmed by the soldiers, who were driven by vengeance. One by one, they fell, their chests split open by the soldiers’ blades, trampled underfoot. In the dark alley, the sounds of daggers piercing flesh echoed, accompanied by the continuous cries of agony. Luo Yuan and Yuanxi quietly leaned against the wall, watching as the soldiers vented their anger by hacking at the corpses on the ground, wishing to tear apart these barbarians before them to ease their pain.
At that moment, Yuanxi suddenly saw movement in a bamboo basket in the alley and quickly said to Luo Yuan, “What’s that?”
Several soldiers heard her cry and, thinking there might be an ambush, prepared to attack the basket. Luo Yuan quickly stepped forward and shouted, “Stop!” He went over and lifted the bamboo basket, only to find a boy about four or five years old, covered in blood, cowering with his knees pulled up to his chest, trembling all over, mumbling, “Don’t… don’t… kill me.”
Yuanxi’s heart ached as she quickly picked him up and asked, “It’s okay now. You’re safe. Where are your family?”
The child lifted his dark eyes and stared at Yuanxi, seemingly confirming his safety, then he began to cry loudly, “Dead… they’re all dead… monsters… so many monsters… kill… them…”
His childish cries, thick with fear and despair, touched everyone present. Yuanxi held him tightly, her voice choked with emotion, “Don’t be afraid, we will protect you. No monster can harm you.”
As dawn approached, Yuanxi hurriedly led a group of people to search for a cellar she had heard about before. The soldiers of the Xiao family, still filled with resentment, killed several scattered Black Cavalry soldiers along the way.
It was said that the cellar was built by a local gentry in the city and had been abandoned for a long time. Yuanxi had heard about it from the maids in the mansion and had kept it in mind, never expecting it to be useful now. The group finally found the cellar, discovering it was as large as two rooms. They were pleasantly surprised. Yuanxi took out medical supplies intending to treat the injured child, but he was already too frightened to make sense. He only managed to say his name was Zhu before cowering in a corner, refusing to come out.
Yuanxi understood he had been greatly traumatized and didn’t force him. Instead, she began to bandage the lightly wounded soldiers of the Xiao family. The soldiers, having just slain many enemy soldiers, were in high spirits, clamoring to kill more barbarians to repay the blood debt to the people and their brothers. However, Luoyuan cautioned, “We’ve killed quite a few Black Cavalry soldiers just now. When it gets light, their leader will surely notice. The city’s defenses will be stricter during the day. We must not be careless. We need to discuss and plan carefully to rescue more civilians here.”
The soldiers of the Xiao family gradually calmed down and gathered around. Luoyuan, relying on memory, sketched out the city’s layout on the ground, explaining the subsequent battle plan to the soldiers. Yuanxi gathered some straw from around and laid it on the ground as a makeshift resting pad for everyone. Then she took out some dry rations to nibble on.
After Luoyuan finished explaining his plan to the soldiers and asked them to rest for a while before the impending tough battle, he noticed Yuanxi slowly nibbling on rations. He walked over and handed her a water pouch, saying, “Madam should not have followed. It’s too dangerous and too hard here…”
Yuanxi took a sip of water, gesturing towards the soldiers who were already exhausted and lying on the ground, “Compared to them, what hardship have I endured?” She turned to look at Luoyuan and said, “Young Master, you taught me ‘to attend to the weak is to be upright and never deficient’. It’s not until today, after entering the city, that I truly understand the meaning of those words. Since I am now the Lady of Xuanyuan Marquis, I have a responsibility to protect them. Even if he knows, he will surely agree with my decision.”
Seeing her stubbornness, Luoyuan suddenly smiled, pointing to her cheek, “Lady of Xuanyuan Marquis, your face is dirty.” Yuanxi blushed slightly and wiped her cheek with her sleeve. Only at this moment did she seem to revert to the naive and innocent girl she once was. Luoyuan quietly stored this scene in his heart, then stood up and said to the others, “Rest well, and let’s set off. We can save one more person before dawn.”
Meanwhile, inside the county government office, Ashina Heli was roaring angrily, “Useless trash! Dozens have died overnight, and you still can’t figure out how they got in!” The lieutenant kneeling below trembled in fear, continuously promising to capture the culprit, finally saving his life. At this moment, Dianyun leisurely set down his teacup and said, “Why worry so much, my lord? If they were regular soldiers, they would have attacked already. They’re just insignificant small fries. What’s there to fear?”
Ashina Heli, however, still frowned, “The Second Prince doesn’t know. People from the Central Plains are cunning. I always worry that we might fall into some trap. In any case, as long as Xiaodu doesn’t show up, I won’t have peace of mind. And what about that Zou Wu? Can he be trusted?”
Dianyun chuckled, “My lord worries too much. If you don’t trust him, just kill him. As for Xiaodu, even if he has some tricks up his sleeve, with only thirty thousand men, how can he break through our defense of over a hundred thousand soldiers guarding Pingdu Pass? Once Pingdu Pass is in our hands, he will have no supplies outside the city. He’ll just be a trapped beast, waiting to be killed sooner or later.”
Ashina Heli pondered for a moment, then called for a named deputy to come in and ordered, “Send a troop to thoroughly investigate what Xiaodu and his men are up to. Make sure not to miss any details!”
Under his very nose, unbeknownst to him, a troop of ghostly soldiers roamed the city, continuously ambushing the Black Cavalry and rescuing the civilians from beneath their blades. The number of people in the cellar kept growing, and Yuanxi was kept busy, barely touching the ground with her feet. At that moment, Luoyuan, with an excited expression, found her and said, “I overheard a few Black Cavalry soldiers discussing. His Highness and his men have already arrived outside Pingdu Pass. I believe he must have a way to break in.”
Yuanxi was filled with joy, struggling to contain the urge to cry out, “You’ve finally come! I knew you would come back!” Luoyuan continued, “Although I’m not sure what His Highness intends to do if he wants to recapture Pingdu Pass, the first thing he needs to do is lure those barbarians out. I believe if we can stir up some trouble among the Black Cavalry, and make their leader suspicious, it should help His Highness.” He turned to look at the crowded cellar full of people and exclaimed, “Does anyone know where the barbarians store their provisions?”
“I do,” came a timid voice. Luoyuan turned around in surprise to see the young boy Zhu finally speaking up, stuttering, “My pa… ma… saw them transporting food… and died…”
—
Outside Pingdu Pass, Xiaodu finally met the spies sent by Qingzhou City and learned that Zheng Long and his sixty thousand troops had already withdrawn from Pingdu Pass. Yuanxi and the others had also safely arrived in Qingzhou. He breathed a sigh of relief. Walking out of the tent with his hands behind his back, he looked at the billowing smoke over Pingdu Pass, a hint of pride in his brow, and said, “Repaying them in kind. Now, it’s time for us to collect our debts.”