The New Year according to Da Chu customs had arrived. Although the soldiers couldn’t return home to reunite with their families while stationed at the border, the Mohist Army’s warriors were still in high spirits as they prepared to treat themselves to a feast of chicken and lamb. The entire Mohist Army camp carried more festive cheer than usual.

In stark contrast to the Mohist Army’s jubilation was the cold gloom that permeated the Northern Rong camp not far away. Since the envoy sent by the Northern Rong King had died of illness due to Yelü Ye’s machinations, there had been no news from the Northern Rong royal court—understandable given the vast distance between Da Chu and the Northern Rong capital. However, Yelü Ye could sense that the situation at court was extremely unfavorable to him. Moreover, with snow now blocking the grasslands, military supplies from Northern Rong couldn’t reach Da Chu. In their previous battles, the Mohist Army seemed to have identified this weakness and specifically targeted Northern Rong’s supplies. While the Northern Rong army wasn’t in immediate danger of running out of provisions, they were certainly living hand to mouth. Seeing the Mohist soldiers celebrating boisterously, their laughter and cheer carrying them for miles to reach the Northern Rong camp, naturally made them feel even more dejected and uneasy by comparison.

In the Northern Rong main tent, Yelü Ye frowned at his assembled generals and asked in a grave voice, “With our armies at a stalemate and our troops’ morale low, what suggestions do the generals have?”

Helian Zhen stood up and said, “Your Highness, we need not rush.”

Yelü Ye raised an eyebrow. “What does General Helian mean by this?”

Helian Zhen smiled and explained, “Because the Mohist Army is in more of a hurry than we are. The Xiling Garrison South King is now urgently attacking Ruichang and Weicheng, and the Ding King is anxious to return and provide reinforcements. Mo Jingli’s army from Da Chu will arrive in the coming days as well, at which point the Mohist Army will find themselves completely trapped. If Your Highness rushes now, you’ll only fall into their trap.”

Yelü Ye asked in a deep voice, “So General Helian’s suggestion is to simply wait it out?”

Helian Zhen nodded. “Indeed. Once Mo Jingli’s forces are in position, with three armies attacking together, how could we fail to deal with the Mohist Army?” Yelü Ye gave a cold laugh. “Does General Helian think we have that much time?” How could Yelü Ye not understand what Helian Zhen was saying? But while others could afford to wait, he could not. If the conflict dragged on, even if he eventually won, the Northern Rong court would likely be completely under Yelü Hong’s control by then. At that point, all his efforts would have only served to benefit others.

“This…” As one of Yelü Ye’s most trusted advisors, Helian Zhen was naturally aware of the news from the court. The current situation truly left them between a rock and a hard place. They certainly couldn’t win in direct combat against the Mohist Army, but if they continued to delay while Crown Prince Yelü Hong gained the upper hand, all their bitter fighting would have been for nothing, and they might not even keep their lives in the end.

After Yelü Ye dismissed the other generals, leaving only the father and son Helian, Helian Zhen asked in a low voice, “What are Your Highness’s thoughts?”

Yelü Ye could only smile bitterly. The Central Plains were vast and rich in resources, a land the Northern Rong had long coveted. Now that he occupied this territory, he naturally was reluctant to give it up. But was it worth giving up all of Northern Rong for this piece of land? If he could successfully conquer all of Da Chu, then abandoning the barren lands of Northern Rong would certainly be worthwhile. But the current situation in the Central Plains seemed to make such ambitions impossible.

More importantly, his soldiers were all native-born Northern Rong people. Even if he broke with the Northern Rong court, these men might not be willing to leave their homeland behind and stay in the Central Plains forever.

On the other hand, if he withdrew his troops and returned to Northern Rong now, it would mean all these years of campaigning had been completely wasted, with all their military accomplishments amounting to nothing. With his father already clearly dissatisfied with him, returning in such disgrace would not work in his favor.

Yelü Ye shook his head and smiled bitterly. “How can this king have any thoughts at this point? We’re already caught riding a tiger, unable to dismount. Mo Xiuyao… Mo Xiuyao is truly this king’s nemesis!” If not for Mo Xiuyao, he would have already occupied half of Da Chu by now. Even if his father was dissatisfied with him, his power would have been enough to establish independence. But now, since Mo Xiuyao had taken the field, the Northern Rong army had suffered defeat after defeat, morale was low, and there was unrest in the camp, with many soldiers longing for the Northern Rong grasslands.

In fact, how could Mo Xiuyao be just Yelü Ye’s nemesis? Mo Xiuyao had only returned to the world after ten years, yet in that time the once-mighty Da Chu had been reduced to controlling only the south, Xiling had relocated its capital, the imperial city had been occupied, and the northern territory that Ren Qining had painstakingly built over ten years had been destroyed. The only reason the Northern Rong court hadn’t been affected by Mo Xiuyao was because it was simply too far from the Central Plains. Mo Xiuyao hadn’t had the time or inclination to reach that far yet, but now his influence could be seen even in the struggle between Yelü Ye and Yelü Hong.

Helian Zhen sighed and said, “The current situation is indeed unfavorable to us. Your Highness should make plans early.” In truth, it all came down to one thing—gambling. The first bet: was that the three allied armies could destroy the Ding King’s forces, allowing Northern Rong forces to occupy half of Da Chu. At that point, even if Yelü Ye broke with the Northern Rong court, he could rely on his military power. Second bet: Northern Rong would seize an opportunity to withdraw, and Yelü Ye would use his control over the majority of Northern Rong’s military power to fight Yelü Hong to the death back at court. It was truly a dilemma with no good solutions.

Beside them, Helian Peng said in a deep voice, “Your Highness, Father, even if we wanted to withdraw now, the Mohist Army might not allow it.” Both men turned to look at him as he continued, “Have Your Highness and Father forgotten? The hatred between Northern Rong and the Ding King’s forces… runs as deep as the sea.”

At these words, both men were shocked. In that battle from over a decade ago, not only had the Mohist Army suffered losses, but Northern Rong had been severely weakened as well. However, the Mohist Army’s hatred for Northern Rong would not be diminished just because Northern Rong had also suffered losses. Mo Xiuyao’s actions had always been swift and decisive—three months to take the Xiling imperial city, little more than a month to capture the Chu capital. But this time, facing Northern Rong, he had been uncharacteristically unhurried. Thinking of this, Helian Zhen’s heart sank, and his expression changed as he said, “Mo Xiuyao wants to catch our entire Northern Rong army in one net!”

At these words, Yelü Ye was equally shocked. He said in a grave voice, “Mo Xiuyao’s appetite is too big!”

Helian Zhen said, “Mo Xiuyao had already mastered military strategy when he was barely in his teens, and his tactical prowess was as unpredictable as a heavenly steed. After these ten-plus years of keeping a low profile, he must be even more formidable. Your Highness should pay attention to our flanks. If Mo Xiuyao truly wants to annihilate our forces, he will certainly send troops to circle our flanks and cut off our retreat route.”

Yelü Ye knew that he was not as skilled in military matters as Helian Zhen. He nodded and said, “This king understands. Thank you for the reminder, Uncle. However, now that advancing is difficult and retreat impossible, what do you both think we should do?”

Helian Peng said, “This humble officer believes that since we cannot retreat, we should advance boldly. Moreover, given Northern Rong’s climate, even if our army could safely withdraw beyond the border, we couldn’t march back to the Northern Rong court until the grasslands thaw in two or three months anyway. Since that’s the case, why not take a gamble and push forward? The Ding King’s forces and Northern Rong are now mortal enemies—if we break our agreement halfway, Xiling likely won’t let Northern Rong off easily either.” Although Xiling no longer shared a border with Northern Rong, it was still a major power. Furthermore, Northern Rong was severely lacking in resources and had to purchase many necessities from Xiling. If they offended both of the world’s great powers simultaneously, Northern Rong’s situation would become truly precarious.

Yelü Ye sighed and said, “Very well, what suggestions do General Helian and Uncle have?”

Helian Zhen pondered for a moment before saying, “Tomorrow is the Da Chu New Year when the entire Mohist Army will surely be celebrating. At that time, their defenses will be at their most relaxed, and our army can take advantage to launch a surprise attack.”

“Will this work?” Yelü Ye hesitated. Mo Xiuyao was one of the world’s top generals—would he make such a mistake? Helian Zhen said, “The first to strike has the advantage. If our army keeps enduring passively, we’ll only be pushed back step by step by the Mohist Army, further destroying our troops’ morale.”

Yelü Ye contemplated for a moment then sighed and said, “We’ll follow Uncle’s suggestion.”

In the Mohist Army camp that night, lanterns blazed bright and laughter rang out continuously. Even the usual military prohibition on alcohol had been temporarily lifted, and the entire camp was filled with the strong scent of wine.

The soldiers gathered in groups of dozens around roaring bonfires, drinking and feasting merrily. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li led their officers in appearing at the camp to drink with the soldiers. Though the winter was harsh, roaring flames burned throughout the camp, and the soldiers drinking strong liquor felt none of winter’s chill. Even Mo Xiaobao sat beside Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, his delicate face beaming with joy.

In the darkness, a Northern Rong force silently crept near the Mohist Army camp. From three or four li away, they could hear the cheers and commotion from the camp. The firelight illuminated half the sky, making these Northern Rong soldiers tasked with the night raid feel the cold even more keenly, and they couldn’t help but feel intense envy toward the Mohist Army troops.

“They have it so good—we’re here starving and freezing while they drink and feast,” one Northern Rong soldier complained in a low voice, shivering. The man beside him nodded in agreement. “That’s right, the Mohist Army is much better supplied than us. We can barely get meat these days, while I hear they eat meat every day.” With the road from Northern Rong to Da Chu now blocked, military supplies couldn’t be transported through. Since the Mohist Army had begun facing off against Northern Rong, many of the remaining civilians under Northern Rong’s control had fled to the Mohist side, leaving nothing for them to plunder. As a result, their supplies had been severely reduced. Though they had many war horses, for the Northern Rong, these horses were of utmost importance. Therefore, unless necessary, they absolutely could not kill the horses for food. Thus, these Northern Rong warriors, long accustomed to hearty meals of meat and wine, were forced to learn to fill their bellies with coarse grain like the Central Plains people.

“Once we capture the Mohist Army camp, all those supplies will be ours,” another Northern Rong soldier said hopefully.

“That’s right… when we get the Mohist Army’s provisions, we’ll have our proper celebration!” The others strongly agreed, eagerly anticipating seizing the Mohist Army’s supplies.

The Northern Rong forces preparing for the surprise attack waited two hours several li away from the Mohist Army camp until they saw the lights gradually dim and the earlier commotion die down considerably. They knew the Mohist Army soldiers had finished celebrating and were preparing to rest. They had waited half the night specifically to strike when the Mohist troops would be drowsy and vulnerable from drinking.

Helian Peng, leading the troops at the front, saw the moment had come and quietly ordered his subordinates to relay commands. The Northern Rong soldiers who had been hiding in the snow immediately began moving, advancing swiftly toward the Mohist Army camp.

As they approached the camp, Helian Peng stopped, looking at the Mohist Army camp now shrouded in darkness. A commander beside him asked in confusion, “General?”

Helian Peng said in a grave voice, “Something’s wrong.” Even if the Mohist Army were incompetent, there should have been some reaction by now, with them this close. This had all the hallmarks of a trap. At Helian Peng’s words, everyone grew tense, watching alertly. “General, you mean…”

Helian Peng’s sense of foreboding grew stronger. He made an immediate decision: “Withdraw!”

But while deciding to leave was easy, actually escaping might not be so simple. In the darkness, fires suddenly blazed up all around them. A hearty laugh rang out from nearby: “General Helian, since you’ve come, why such a hurry to leave?” The Mohist Army, in perfect formation and with overwhelming momentum, suddenly burst out from the shadows, surrounding the Northern Rong forces in the center. A young commander of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a black battle robe, rode out on horseback, smiling broadly at Helian Peng: “On New Year’s Eve, has General Helian come to pay New Year’s respects to this commander?”

“Yun Ting!” After several encounters over these days, Helian Peng had naturally become quite familiar with the Mohist Army’s commanders. He was no stranger to Yun Ting, this young commander favored by the Ding King’s consort.

Yun Ting smiled triumphantly. “Indeed, it is I. Has General Helian been well these past days?”

Helian Peng lowered his eyes, frowning slightly. Suddenly his heart jolted and he raised his head sharply: “You’re the only one from the camp here?!” For something as major as a Northern Rong surprise attack, only Yun Ting had emerged from the Mohist Army. If it wasn’t that the Ding King’s forces were too arrogant to take the Northern Rong seriously, then… at this moment there must be no one else in the Mohist Army camp. Yun Ting was the only commander here and now.

Yun Ting didn’t try to hide it, laughing in surprise: “General Helian is indeed perceptive.” His implication confirmed that he was currently the only one in charge at the Mohist Army camp.

But Yun Ting’s confirmation didn’t make Helian Peng happy. Instead, he felt increasingly restless and uneasy. With only Yun Ting here, Helian Peng might well be capable of taking the Mohist Army camp. But what use was capturing an empty camp? More importantly… where had Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li gone with the other commanders?

In contrast to Helian Peng’s dark uncertainty, Yun Ting appeared completely self-satisfied. He seemed entirely unconcerned about his mere tens of thousands of men being surrounded by Helian Peng’s army. He smiled and asked, “Is General Helian wondering about the whereabouts of my lord and lady?”

Helian Peng said gravely, “Please enlighten me, Commander Yun.”

“Hasn’t General Helian already guessed? My lord and lady have gone to raid the Northern Rong camp.” Yun Ting laughed loudly. “General Helian, did you think only Northern Rong knew how to launch surprise attacks? When it comes to military strategy, we Central Plains people are the original masters!”

Helian Peng’s face instantly turned ashen. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, leading almost all the Mohist Army commanders to raid the Northern Rong camp, were determined to succeed. He turned and shouted, “Withdraw! Return to camp immediately!”

Yun Ting gave a cold laugh. “You think you can come and go from our Mohist Army camp as you please?!” With a wave of his hand, the Mohist soldiers had already blocked the Northern Rong army’s escape route. The Mohist Army camp’s location had been chosen with remarkable cunning. There was only one direct route back for the Northern Rong army, but that path had been perfectly cut off by the ambushing Mohist forces. Other routes were not only treacherous and rough but would require who knew how many extra li of travel. If Helian Peng wanted to return to reinforce the Northern Rong camp, he would have to break through Yun Ting’s forces.

But Yun Ting had joined the army as a youth. He had served under Murong Shen, Zhang Qilan, Lü Jinxian, and others, rising from a common soldier to his current position as a young general commanding his force. In over ten years, he had participated in hundreds of battles large and small—how could Helian Peng easily overcome him?

Sitting high on his horse, Yun Ting smiled at Helian Peng: “General Helian, don’t be in such a hurry. Why not exchange some pointers with me first?”

“Seeking death!” Helian Peng was supremely confident in his martial arts—he had few equals even among Central Plains warriors, let alone a young general like Yun Ting. He raised his long blade and leaped toward Yun Ting. As the commanders engaged, their soldiers naturally followed suit, quickly becoming entangled in a chorus of battle cries.

Yun Ting flashed a grin at Helian Peng but avoided confrontation. Seeing Helian Peng’s attack, he immediately turned his horse and fled in another direction. Helian Peng pursued with a few leaps, quickly catching up to Yun Ting. “Where do you think you’re going?!”

Yun Ting looked back with a smile. “This commander knows General Helian’s martial arts are formidable, so I specially invited some experts to exchange pointers with you.” As he spoke, several black shadows emerged from the darkness. Helian Peng glanced at the dark patterns on their clothes and said gravely, “Qilin.”

“Indeed.” The lead figure in black laughed softly and raised his head—it was the Xu family’s third young master, Xu Qingfeng.

Having shaken off Helian Peng, Yun Ting immediately bowed to Xu Qingfeng with a smile: “Commander Xu, I’ll trouble you to entertain General Helian.” With that, he pulled his reins and charged back into battle.

Helian Peng’s expression was now extremely ugly. Over these days, the Mohist Army’s Qilin and his own Xiezhi had engaged in dozens of open and covert clashes. But Qilin had rarely lost, while his once-promising Xiezhi had been almost destroyed over months of fighting. Helian Peng understood well the difference between Qilin and Xiezhi, and his hatred for the Ding King’s consort who had trained Qilin only grew stronger.

The people surrounding him now, while no match for him individually in single combat, were quite troublesome when attacking together. Moreover, they didn’t need to kill him—just keeping him tied up for a few hours, unable to return with reinforcements, would be enough to end everything.

“Third Young Master Xu?” Helian Peng stared at Xu Qingfeng. “Unexpected that the scholarly Xu family would produce such a martial commander as their third son.”

Xu Qingfeng ignored his mockery, smiling leisurely: “One should be free to pursue either letters or martial arts. The Xu family has never been restrictive. Even if I’ve laid down the brush to take up the sword, I haven’t dishonored my Xu ancestors.” Though Xu Qingfeng favored martial arts, he had after all been raised in the Xu family. Steeped in literature from childhood, while his scholarship might not match his Xu siblings, it far exceeded most others. Moreover, Xu Qingfeng never regretted his choice, nor believed he had chosen wrongly. Helian Peng’s casual barb wasn’t even worth acknowledging.

Helian Peng knew that words were useless in this situation—better to break free from Qilin’s encirclement quickly and lead his troops back with reinforcements. His expression hardened as he said gravely, “Well then, this general will experience Qilin’s expertise firsthand.”

Xu Qingfeng and his men didn’t waste words, directly drawing their weapons and attacking. Qilin’s strength lay in their small unit coordination and teamwork. Though individually less powerful, with several people attacking together, they had Helian Peng thoroughly controlled for the moment.

Meanwhile, Yun Ting led his troops charging through the chaos, many Northern Rong soldiers becoming ghosts under his blade before they could even react. The wilderness was filled with the sounds of killing.

At this time, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had already appeared not far from the Northern Rong camp. Looking at the still brightly lit Northern Rong camp, a cruel smile appeared on Mo Xiuyao’s lips. Yelü Ye and the others in the Northern Rong camp were still waiting for news from Helian Peng. But Yelü Ye couldn’t have imagined that the people they had planned to ambush had already unknowingly appeared before them with their forces.

Ye Li sat on horseback beside Mo Xiuyao, looking at the distant camp alongside him, and smiled faintly: “By now, Helian Peng must have engaged with Yun Ting.” Once Helian Peng was engaged with Yun Ting, withdrawing quickly would be impossible. And they would have enough time to deal with Yelü Ye and Helian Zhen.

Mo Xiuyao nodded: “Indeed. I wonder if Helian Zhen can guess that I’m outside his camp right now?”

Beside them, Feng Zhiyao laughed: “Helian Zhen must think my lord has been caught off guard by Helian Peng’s attack right now.” The various celebrations and festivities in the Mohist Army camp had all been a trap laid for the Northern Rong forces. How could someone like Mo Xiuyao become complacent and celebrate with his entire army before complete victory? Unfortunately, Helian Zhen simply didn’t understand Mo Xiuyao’s character at all.

“Are we ready?” Mo Xiuyao asked quietly.

Feng Zhiyao nodded: “All preparations are complete. Sun Yaowu’s forces will flank from the left and Chen Yun’s forces from the right. Zhou Min has already led his troops to wait in Returning Wind Valley. We’ll attack from the front. In one hour, Yun Ting will let Helian Peng escape to regroup with Yelü Ye and the others, guaranteeing that not a single Northern Rong soldier will escape.”

Mo Xiuyao nodded in approval: “Excellent. Let’s see… if Helian Zhen has any power left to turn the tide.” Though his words carried a smile, an icy killing intent naturally arose in Mo Xiuyao’s tone.

“My lord, shall we begin now?” Feng Zhiyao was also eager to start.

“Begin,” Mo Xiuyao nodded.

Feng Zhiyao smiled, drew an arrow from behind him, nocked it, drew his bow, and sent a flaming arrow straight toward the Northern Rong camp.