"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!"
With a single command, the sky filled with arrows like a torrential rain.
The people of Baigou County were completely unprepared. Within just a few volleys, almost everyone was struck down—except for a few Tempering Bone martial artists.
"My lord! Mercy, my lord!"
Hu Wen shouted frantically, "The walls of Baigou County are thin, and our numbers were too few—we couldn't hold the city!"
"Bullshit!"
Wang Zhi glared at him fiercely. "Tens of thousands of people in the city—if you'd mobilized them, you couldn't hold it?!"
"Those peasants? You think lowly peasants would help us defend?"
"I'm done arguing with you—you're not even worthy of reason!"
"Kill!"
When the last wave of arrows ended, the soldiers of Liangzhou charged.
Baigou County had only one Tempering Organ martial artist, who was immediately cut down by Feng Yong and Zhao Kang together. The rest were slaughtered without exception.
As for the Liangzhou troops, not a single one died—only a few sustained minor injuries.
Even though the Reserve Camp wasn't the strongest among the Eight Great Battalions, compared to garrison troops from other prefectures, they were still elite soldiers in full armor. Against some county martial hall disciples and a few patrol guards, it was an absolute massacre.
"These people would've rebelled sooner or later anyway!"
Zhao Kang said as he swung his blade twice more into a corpse.
"Sanshi! It's done!"
Wang Zhi caught up, sneering. "A bunch of cowards!"
"Good. Have Senior Brother pass my command—full pursuit!"
Chen Sanshi wanted to see for himself whether this so-called Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts was really as miraculous as people claimed.
"Senior Brother…"
Wang Zhi gave a bitter laugh. Zhao Kang and Feng Yong had already reached the Tempering Organ stage, while he was still stuck at Tempering Bone Perfection. Calling himself "senior" felt like a joke now.
"Move out!"
After a short rest, the 1,500 cavalrymen gathered again at the south gate and galloped toward the next battlefield at full speed.
Just as Chen Sanshi was about to ride off, he heard soft footsteps behind him.
He turned and saw the little girl from before.
She wasn't crying anymore. She carefully approached and grabbed Qianxun's snowy tail with her blood-stained hands. Her big eyes were red from tears as she quietly stared up at the general on horseback.
"So, you've decided then?"
Chen Sanshi pulled out a piece of dry rations from his pack and tossed it to her. "Girl, find a place to hide. When the war's over, if you're still alive by the time I return, that means we're fated to meet again."
The girl clutched the food, lips pressed tight, silent. Then, obediently, she let go of the White Swan horse's tail.
"Let's hope fate's on our side."
"Hyah!"
Chen Sanshi rode off and soon vanished from sight.
Having another child at his estate wouldn't be a problem—there were already Siqin and Mohua to care for her, and it would be good company for his unborn child. But right now, it wasn't the time.
This battle's outcome was uncertain, and bringing a child along would only be a burden—worse, it might get her killed.
Whether she could survive in this human purgatory depended only on her fate.
The White Swan horse galloped like the wind—its hooves barely seemed to touch the ground, as though flying through the air.
[...]
[Skill: Horsemanship (Minor Achievement)]
[Progress: (0/2000)]
[Effect: Travels 3,000 li per day; The steed recognizes its master: Within 1,000 li, the steed can locate its master. A single call, and it will come; a single command, and it will go.]
New Trait: Horse Follows the Commander – All steeds under the commander's banner heed the White Swan horse's call. They do not panic or retreat, maintain perfect coordination, and fight until death.
That phrase, which usually described loyal soldiers obeying their commander, somehow applied perfectly to horses.
"Huh?"
Chen Sanshi looked down at the mane. "You planning to be a general too?"
Qianxun stopped mid-stride, then actually nodded.
"You've got to be kidding me—you're a spirit beast, aren't you?"
No wonder it always wanted to eat spiritual grain ointment every day. This animal clearly had a mind of its own—and it was evolving, slowly but surely.
"So… you can command all our cavalry horses?"
Qianxun nodded again.
"Ha, good! Excellent!"
Chen Sanshi grinned. He knew this would make his cavalry even stronger.
Before, their formations required riders to control their mounts manually. Now, with Qianxun directing them, every horse would act in perfect sync with its rider. The effect would be worlds apart.
And since they wouldn't panic in battle, even in chaos, the formation wouldn't break.
Even at night, they wouldn't need to tie or watch over the horses—Qianxun could handle everything. A true "general among horses," and a female one at that.
The cavalry galloped south.
Along the way, they passed groups of fleeing refugees.
After about one and a half hours, they finally caught up with the rebels—the Red Brows Army.
The rebels wore armor and carried standard-issue weapons. Red cloths wrapped their heads, and their eyebrows were painted crimson, hence their name. They marched in formation, pushing several carts loaded with plundered treasures—and tied among them were several young women, beautiful and clearly untouched, bound tightly with rope. Who they were meant for, no one knew.
"Chariot Suspension Formation!"
"Mounted archers, ready!"
"Loose!"
"Charge!"
"…"
The Red Brows were marching when a deafening roar of hooves erupted behind them, followed by a storm of arrows like heavy rain.
"Enemy attack!"
"Form up!"
Over 700 Red Brows soldiers quickly reacted. After losing over 100 men, they raised their round iron shields and fell into formation for close combat with the cavalry.
Their discipline was shockingly high. Even in a sudden ambush, they showed no chaos and smoothly organized their ranks.
"Damn imperial dogs!"
"Kill the court lackeys!"
"Brothers, kill! Kill them all!"
"…"
"Slay the traitors!"
Bai Tingzhi led the charge, spear in hand.
The two sides clashed violently.
"Qi!"
Chen Sanshi didn't rush into battle. Instead, he reined in his horse at the flank, observing carefully.
If he plunged straight in, he wouldn't be able to assess the whole situation clearly.
'Those within the fight are lost; those who watch from the side see clearly.'
Using the [Qi Observation Technique], he gauged that these 700 Red Brows soldiers were mostly formation grunts, with a few Tempering Bone fighters and only two at the Tempering Organ stage. None had reached Transforming Strength or higher.
Yet their combined power in formation nearly matched that of the Reserve Camp.
Part of it was due to their strange formation.
Every step they took seemed to echo with the rhythm of Heaven and Earth, drawing on natural forces. Even Chen Sanshi couldn't see through it completely on the first encounter—it would take careful study.
But more importantly…
Chen Sanshi's gaze deepened.
He saw, above the Red Brows Army's formation, a strange kind of qi.
At first glance, it looked like the transparent qi flowing within a martial artist's body—but it was not the same thing. He could clearly sense it. It couldn't be cultivated or used for techniques; it only served to temporarily strengthen the soldiers' combat power.
"So this is the real purpose of the Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts, huh?"
Chen Sanshi suddenly understood.
With this mysterious qi's blessing, combined with their uncanny and refined formation, the Red Brows had achieved invincible momentum—winning every battle since their uprising, sweeping across the land to reach their current scale.
But this qi wasn't infinite.
It also varied in strength.
For a small rebel squad like the one before him, the mysterious power they wielded couldn't possibly compare to the main forces of the Red Brows Army.
With that qi's support, their infantry formation could barely match the Reserve Camp.
But the difference was…
They were cavalry.
That alone was a massive advantage.
Chen Sanshi's eyes sharpened like torches, quickly locking onto the source of that "mystic qi."
A commander at about Tempering Organ Minor Achievement stood at the core of the formation. Threads of mist-like qi streamed upward from his head and spread out over the soldiers around him, empowering them all.
Once Chen Sanshi found the source, he didn't hesitate.
From the beginning of the battle until now, only a few breaths had passed.
"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!"
In an instant, three arrows flew.
The Red Brows' Tempering Organ commander swung his blade to block two, but the third pierced through his arm.
At the same time, Chen Sanshi charged forward. Any Red Brows soldier who dared block his path didn't live past a single blink. The Five Tiger Soul-Breaking Spear pierced through iron shields as if they were paper, then drove straight through the commander's shoulder.
He intentionally left the man alive for interrogation—ensuring the injury was fatal but not instantly deadly—then continued cutting down the remaining rebels.
The skirmish lasted about two cups of tea.
All 700 Red Brows soldiers were annihilated.
Under Chen Sanshi's command, only 4 were killed and 7 wounded. Bai Tingzhi's unit lost just over a dozen men.
Even with their strange formation and that mystic qi, the enemy soldiers' overall quality was poor, and their numbers limited.
Moreover, Chen Sanshi's troops fought with multiple skill bonuses and traits. If the Red Brows hadn't been empowered by that qi, the battle loss ratio would've been even smaller—achieving zero casualties wouldn't have been impossible.
Only the Red Brows commander still clung to life on the field.
Bai Tingzhi rushed forward and dragged him back.
"You damned dogs of the court!"
The commander spat curses through blood and pain. "You oppressors only bully us commoners! You'll all rot in hell—rot in hell!"
"Idiot!"
Zhu Tong snarled and stepped up, hammering down until the man's arm turned to pulp before stopping.
"I'll ask you," Chen Sanshi said, gripping his collar. "Who are you, and what's your position in the Red Brows Army?"
He wouldn't bother asking directly about the Heavenly Book.
That wasn't a matter of loyalty. Someone of this level—at most a Thousand-Commander—wouldn't know secrets of that rank.
"I'm a hero from Meishan's greenwood!" the man spat through clenched teeth. "Now a Thousand-Commander under King Liang's Red Brows Army! I received the Heavenly Book's blessing—came here to kill you damned lackeys!"
"The Heavenly Book's blessing…"
Chen Sanshi asked, "Have you seen the scroll yourself?"
"The Heavenly Book was given to King Liang by an immortal—how could mere mortals like us ever lay eyes on it?"
The rebel sneered. "King Liang was chosen by the gods! One day he'll overturn this rotten empire! You court lackeys—prepare to die—"
Clang!
Chen Sanshi's sword flashed, cutting off his head mid-sentence. He didn't waste another word.
"Return to Baigou County."
After wiping out the rebels, the troops regrouped outside the city to rest.
The little girl from before was nowhere to be found. Chen Sanshi didn't know whether she was still hiding somewhere—or if she'd already been killed by someone desperate enough to survive.
He spread out the map again, studying the current situation.
After passing through Jianmen Gorge, their 40,000 troops had effectively entered a giant pocket.
But this "pocket" was surrounded—east, west, and north were their own forces, yet the southern mouth of it held the enemy.
Chen Sanshi began to reason it out in reverse.
He pondered quietly.
'In this setup… how could the Western Qi Kingdom maximize its gain?'
They had delayed acting for so long.
If they truly had absolute confidence in victory… then what kind of change within Mingzhou would allow them to win outright?
Setting logic aside, he let himself imagine the worst.
If he were the emperor of the Western Qi Kingdom—how would he take Mingzhou?
His eyes moved toward the Great Wall's position on the map. A terrifying thought crept into his mind.
'If Mingzhou's General Dong An were to defect… wouldn't that do it?'
He lifted his head. His gaze met Xu Wencai's.
"My lord, I've got it!" Xu Wencai exclaimed.
Their thoughts aligned instantly. They didn't even need to explain.
If this guess was true…
Then the supposed encirclement of rebels might actually become them being surrounded.
If Jianmen Gorge were sealed off, they'd be lambs in a tiger's den—with no way out.
"This is bad!"
Xu Wencai began pacing. "If that's really the case, the Red Brows' 30,000, Mingzhou's 80,000, plus possibly a contingent from Western Qi—over 100,000 soldiers in total—it'd be nothing to swallow our 40,000 whole!"
Under such a possibility, Chen Sanshi dug deeper into the logic.
He said, "Old Xu, do you still remember that dossier on Dong An?"
"I do. He's obsessed with military strategy."
Xu Wencai pointed with his feather fan toward the city marked as Dong An's main camp. "Years ago, he joined General Fang in the Elite Selection. He ranked second that year. Instead of accepting the inner sect disciple spot, he went straight into the imperial martial examination and became Martial Champion the following year. His Majesty kept promoting him ever since—until he became what he is now: Mingzhou's Governor and General-in-Chief, controlling both civil and military power of the entire prefecture."
"It's obvious this man would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. He probably feels envy and resentment toward Senior Brother Fang. If his heart is small, he might hold a grudge. But that alone isn't enough—he still doesn't have a real reason to rebel."
Chen Sanshi tapped his finger against the map, calmly analyzing. "He failed the Elite Selection, then refused an inner-sect disciple position to take the imperial exam instead. That basically severed ties with the Eight Great Battalions. His Majesty must've liked someone like that—a man of pure ambition—so he surely showed him favor, grooming him as a loyal counterbalance to the Grand Commander's mansion."
"Someone who's received so much grace from the emperor, whose rank is already high, and who might reach the Martial Saint realm within a few years—he could even be granted a marquisate. There's no logical reason for him to turn traitor."
"But he's…"
"A battle maniac."
"My lord is absolutely right!"
Xu Wencai's eyes lit up as if struck by revelation. "General Fang once mentioned him to me. Back then, they competed to see who could reconstruct the Nine-Palace Eight-Trigram Formation first. He was a step slower, got furious, and ended up making a mistake in cultivation—he fell seriously ill for a time.
"If we follow that line of thought, everything makes sense now.
"There are certain kinds of people in this world—they only want to win. Everything else—fame, fortune, position—means nothing. As long as they can win, they'll pay any price.
"For someone like that, what could be more tempting than the Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts? A relic from the heavens, the ultimate variable in war!
"If the Red Brows' leader, Liang Jinian, offered the artifact as an exchange, and the Western Qi Kingdom promised him a noble title or a fief, it's entirely possible they could lure him over."
"Seriously?"
Bai Tingzhi stood nearby, utterly lost, as were Zhao Kang and the others.
"My lord," Xu Wencai cupped his hands, "what do we do next?"
"I'll write down my theory and report it to General Zhao and the others," Chen Sanshi replied, "though I doubt they'll believe it. After all, this is just speculation—no proof whatsoever. And honestly… the idea sounds far-fetched, even to us."
He and the old scholar had reasoned purely from a worst-case assumption—that the Western Qi would certainly win, and their own army would lose. Even they weren't sure if this scenario was real.
After finishing the letter, Chen Sanshi whistled sharply.
The Gyrfalcon swooped down from the sky. He tied the message to its leg and sent it flying toward the frontlines.
That night, they stayed in Baigou County to rest.
At dawn the next day, a messenger from Yu Song arrived with orders: they were to rendezvous two hundred li outside Yangchun Prefecture, set up camp, and secure the supply line for the army's grain convoys.
War wasn't a matter of days. Especially one that spanned an entire prefecture—it could last months.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.
After eating, Chen Sanshi went off alone to practice his spear.
Thanks to his preparation before entering Mingzhou, his progress hadn't slowed at all.
In his Exploding Blood state, he repeatedly circulated the Blood of the Dragon and Elephant, generating and exhausting his internal force over and over, day after day—refining its strength and purity through endless repetition.
He could feel his inner force growing restless, as if it wanted to burst out of his body. But every time it neared his skin, it would dissipate. He clenched his teeth and persisted.
Finally—
Right at the edge of exhaustion, his inner force surged down his arm, through the spear shaft, and burst outward with unprecedented power.
He'd broken through—into External Force!
[...]
[Technique: Dragon Spear of Nation-Suppression — Transforming Strength (Mastery)]
[Progress: (0/1000)]
[Effect: …, Force Accumulation]
A new ability appeared on top of the old attributes.
[Force Accumulation: Gather internal force, then release it all at once.]
After mastering the Transforming Strength level, he'd reached the mid-stage known as External Force—a transitional phase paving the way toward Minor Achievement, or "weapon-bearing force."
Its primary effect: projecting force outside the body.
Simply put—it meant striking without contact.
Chen Sanshi drove his spear into the ground, then threw a punch. Though his fist never touched the tree trunk, a thick tree the size of a bowl snapped cleanly in half.
At this stage, a martial artist's attacks with weapons were usually limited.
Their external force was short-lived, like firing arrows one by one. But if they could store that force… everything changed.
Clenching his fist, Chen Sanshi felt the inner energy gathering in his arm, far surpassing the normal strength of External Force. With enough time to charge it, he could unleash terrifying power in a single strike.
"My spirit sand's run out."
He hadn't neglected his spell practice either. He once again cultivated his Sword Qi Technique.
[Technique: Sword Qi Technique (Beginner)]
[Progress: 35/500]
The progress was pitifully slow.
All his spirit sand was gone—reduced to dull, lifeless dust.
'Once I get back, I need to retrieve the incense burner from Ciyun Temple.'
Before leaving, both the temple abbot and supervisor had been imprisoned, and the entire Lingwu Mountain was sealed off. None of the daoists were allowed to leave. That meant the burner was safe, well-protected, not likely to be stolen.
But the real question was—would he even make it back alive? And if so, when?
Soon after, he received a reply from Zhao Wuji and the others.
The message was brief: They would stay alert.
At this point, the frontlines had already entrenched and begun a face-off with the Red Brows' main force. Returning the same route was no longer possible.
At least the grain supply from Yangchun Prefecture was running smoothly.
"I really hope I'm just overthinking this."
Chen Sanshi murmured as he watched the sunset sink below the hills.
Another ten days passed.
"Five days from now!"
Back in camp, Yu Song delivered the new orders. "The entire Reserve Camp will march to Eagle Beak Mountain and join the main battlefield for the final engagement!"
"Even the Reserve Camp's going up?"
Xie Sishu asked, frowning. "Lieutenant Yu, how's the situation up front?"
"Three wins and one loss. We've killed 8,000 Red Brows rebels at the cost of 3,000 of our own," Yu Song said gravely. "Those bastards are fierce. Relying on their so-called divine scroll, they refuse to break even in defeat. Over the past two months, they've recruited another 10,000 men from sects, mountain forces, and fresh formations.
"Meaning that even now—they still have over 30,000 troops.
"But that's all they've got!"
"General Dong left his deputy, Wu You, to guard the Great Wall, and personally led 30,000 troops to join the battle. He should arrive at Jinquan Prefecture soon. When we strike from both sides, we'll crush half their forces within half a month, and within two months, the whole region will be pacified!
"By then, we can finally return to Liangzhou!"
They'd recruited yet another 10,000 men.
Unbelievable. In just such a short time?
At this rate, nearly half of Mingzhou's sect disciples and martial wanderers had joined the Red Brows Army.
That was the power of a "divine legend."
"Bestowed by an immortal"—and not just any treasure, but a Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts made for war itself. It was practically an imperial mandate, with divine endorsement to back it up.
Just that single phrase was enough to draw even more people to their cause.
Without the "Heavenly Book," this rebellion never would've grown so large.
In other words, no matter how chaotic things became, the real heart of it all lay with Liang Jinian of Meishan.
As long as Meishan Prefecture was taken and the rebels lost their "faith" to keep fighting, everything would collapse on its own. Victory could be won without a full-scale war.
Of course, that was only possible if they won the coming battle.
Chen Sanshi's position was still too low. There wasn't much he could do.
"Wang Li," he asked, "any news from Jianmen Gorge?"
"Almost," Wang Li replied. "Another few days, and Zhao Kang's men should be back."
"Good. Go."
Days earlier, Chen Sanshi had sent scouts back toward Jianmen Gorge.
If his suspicions were right, then the Western Qi would've already moved a large force around to the rear—camping near the gorge to seal off their retreat.
...
Meishan Prefecture City.
In the Prefect's mansion—
"The power of Heaven and Earth rests in my hand; I cut down evil to save the common man.
The Heavenly Book, gift of Immortal grace; I recite its verses before our lord's face.
A dragon hides in Meishan's deepened den;
It bides its time before the storm begins.
When wind and thunder meet as planned—
I'll soar through Heaven, rule the land!"
"Wonderful! A fine poem!"
In the grand hall, a scholar stood brush in hand, the snow-white wall now marked with his verse. The surrounding generals clapped and cheered with praise.
But the scholar himself didn't smile.
He slowly set down his brush and swept his cold gaze across the gathered officers. "How's the situation north of Wushui River?"
"Reporting to the Grand Marshal," one general said with a salute, "just as you foresaw! Lord Jia's forces lost a few skirmishes on purpose, luring the Liangzhou army deep into the region. They've already crossed Eagle Beak Mountain and even brought up their Reserve Camp from the rear, preparing for a decisive battle outside Jinquan Prefecture."
"And Dong An?" Liang Jinian asked.
"He's already in position!"
Xiang Tian answered, "General Dong arrived with 50,000 troops at Jinquan Prefecture. When the fighting begins, we'll feign retreat and pretend to merge with them. They'll never suspect that the reinforcements are coming to kill them instead!
"If this plan succeeds, the 40,000 soldiers of Liangzhou will be wiped out to the last man!"
"And Jianmen Gorge?"
Liang Jinian lifted the ruler in his hand and pointed at the sand table before him. "The gorge must be sealed tight. Not a single one escapes! And make sure Yangchun Prefecture's garrison is ready as well."
"The Grand Marshal's strategy is flawless—we're in awe!"
The hall erupted again in flattery.
Liang Jinian waved his sleeve impatiently. "Enough! Get to work and move fast. Don't delay even a moment. All our lives depend on this battle!"
"Grand Marshal, wait—you haven't blessed us with the power of the Heavenly Book!"
A sect master at the Profound Manifestation stage, Xiang Tian, dropped to one knee before him. "Please, Grand Marshal, grant us the immortal art!"
The moment he knelt, the rest followed one after another.
Liang Jinian frowned. "This battle is 80,000 against 40,000, and a surprise attack at that. Do I really need to waste divine power for that?"
"Grand Marshal!" Xiang Tian protested, "the Red Brows Army has suffered greatly this past month—marching through rain and sleeping in the open. The brothers need your blessing to lift their spirits!"
"Immortal arts cannot be carelessly passed around—nor abused!"
Liang Jinian slammed the ruler down. "Spread my decree! The Heavenly Book declares—this battle is destined for victory! Once we win, pick a small city and reward the brothers—let them sack it for three days!"
Mingzhou was poor, and so was the Red Brows Army.
Their supplies came either from Western Qi or from looting nearby prefectures. They had nothing else to reward their troops with. Allowing a massacre was the only way to stir their most primal desires.
"As you command!"
Xiang Tian and the others saluted and left.
The hall soon fell silent.
Liang Jinian sat back in the grand chair, feeling the "immortal item" pulsing faintly in his body. His face darkened. "Why… why is it weakening…"
"Husband."
A woman entered, carrying a food box. Gracefully, she laid out dishes and bowls before him. "Come eat something."
"I've no appetite."
Liang Jinian closed his eyes. "Eat without me."
"You haven't eaten all day," Gao Peiwen said softly, taking his hand. "Come on, just a little. For me."
"…Fine, a little then."
He finally stood.
"What's with all the sighing?" she asked, ladling soup for him. "Is it… that thing again?"
"Yes."
Liang Jinian nodded. "It's running low. Before, every victory made its power surge. But lately… it's been fading—probably because the war's at a stalemate. Once the next battle's won, it should replenish, and I'll finally forge a truly invincible army."
He was, after all, a scholar—a man without the strength to even truss a chicken.
When he first joined Meishan's bandits, those ruthless men had only respected him because of the divine artifact in his hands. Without it, he'd have been the first to die.
But as long as he held that thing tightly, they'd never dare defy him.
"Husband, maybe it's not worth it."
Gao Peiwen looked at him anxiously. "We could just run away together—live quietly, away from all this killing."
"Foolish woman!"
Liang Jinian's temper flared. "We're far past the point of turning back! And once this battle is won, Western Qi will make me King of Mingzhou, with vast lands to rule! I'll raise my own army, build my own power!
"With enough time—and the immortal artifact—I'll claim the throne myself!
"At first, I only wanted to pass the scholar's exam. Now…"
His eyes gleamed with madness.
"Now, I'll slaughter every scholar under heaven!
"I'll make sure they never dare look down on me again!"
Eagle Beak Mountain.
"Only two days left!"
"We're almost there!"
"Our Left Wing of the Reserve Camp is the last to arrive—keep your spirits up! Don't lose face!"
"..."
News came from the front.
The Red Brows Army had lost another skirmish.
At this point, the Liangzhou army had pursued them all the way to the banks of the Wushui River.
Chen Sanshi looked down at the map, feeling his heart tighten with dread.
By now, it was clear—this wasn't a simple pursuit. The army's back was completely exposed to Jinquan Prefecture. The situation was unfolding exactly as he'd feared. The Red Brows weren't retreating—they were luring the enemy deeper.
It wasn't that the Liangzhou officers were stupid, or that only he and Xu Wencai were capable of critical thought. It was just that no one else would even consider something as absurd as the Governor of Mingzhou turning traitor.
A provincial governor—a pillar of the dynasty, a man with wealth, rank, and the prospect of a noble title—why would he risk everything to betray the court?
No… there was one person who might have realized it.
Fourth Senior Brother.
He and Master had left Liangzhou long ago, heading for the capital. Since then, there'd been no word from them. The only major developments were the army expansions, which had begun just before their campaign.
The Mingzhou suppression wasn't planned by the Eight Great Battalions at all—it was directed remotely by the Ministry of War in the capital.
Lü Ji, Eunuch Hou, Zhao Wuji, and the rest were only carrying out orders.
But after all this time…
Master and Fourth Senior Brother must have learned what was happening. Maybe they'd even started to respond.
But the distance was too great. Messages took too long to reach.
"Captain Chen, you really don't seem the least bit anxious."
"You'd rather stay behind escorting grain wagons? By the time we get there, the battle'll be over!"
"We're heading out first!"
"..."
Lu Shuhua, Xie Sishu, and the others couldn't understand him. If they hadn't witnessed him personally kill Wen Qiushi in cold blood, they might've thought he was just afraid to fight.
Watching them ride off, Chen Sanshi still didn't speed up. Escorting the supply wagons would delay him another three to five days compared to the rest.
"Zhao Kang still isn't back?"
Two more days passed. Just as Chen Sanshi was about to send a messenger to hurry them, a trail of dust appeared in the distance.
Moments later, Zhao Kang returned—covered in blood. Of the ten cavalry he'd led out, only two made it back alive.
Xu Wencai stomped the ground hard. "It's happened!"
"..."
Chen Sanshi's sinking heart finally went cold.
Zhao Kang's report was exactly as he'd predicted—word for word.
"My lord… disaster!
"Jianmen Gorge—out of nowhere, 30,000 ambushers appeared! And from the west, a massive Western Qi army crossed the border—don't know how many, but our 40,000 troops are being surrounded front and back!
"What's going on, my lord?! Did the Great Wall fall? Or are Governor Dong An's men just eating rations for show?!"
"..."
Already expecting the worst, Chen Sanshi closed his eyes briefly, then gave his order without hesitation. "Abandon all grain and baggage. Set an ambush in the front valley. Prepare to receive our retreating troops!"
"Yes, sir!"
The officers exchanged confused glances—they didn't understand what was happening, but followed orders without question.
By the next evening, at dusk—
The soldiers guarding the valley saw first a rising cloud of dust, then…
A torrent of panicked soldiers—Liangzhou troops, utterly routed.
They almost broke again when they saw men in ambush positions—until they realized they were allies. Slowly, the chaos steadied.
"You… you already knew?!"
Sha Wenlong's armor was shattered to pieces. Beside him, Cao Fan was bleeding heavily.
Chen Sanshi didn't answer. He simply commanded, "All troops fall back 200 li. We'll regroup and rest at Longyang County, then… decide our next move."
The battered troops continued their retreat.
When they finally met Yu Song and the remnants of the other units, they learned the full horror of what had happened.
"Treason! Treason!!"
Yu Song's eyes were bloodshot. "During the battle at Wushui River, the Red Brows suddenly launched a counterattack! Then General Dong An led 50,000 troops from Jinquan Prefecture and struck us from the rear!
"Thank Heaven… thank Heaven General Zhao listened to your warning and stayed wary of Dong An. Otherwise, if we'd joined his forces, we'd all be dead!"
"Captain Chen—how did you know?!"
Xie Sishu stared at him, pale with disbelief. "No wonder you refused to advance—you knew! How did you know, do you have inside intel?!"
Lu Shuhua stood silent beside them, shock in her eyes but no words on her lips.
Bai Tingzhi roared hoarsely, "If only they'd made Chen General the commander from the start! None of this would've happened! Those idiots—Sha Wenlong, Yuan Dai, Zhao Wuji—all useless idiots!"
Chen Sanshi ignored the shouting. He turned to Yu Song and asked urgently, "Lieutenant, what's the situation now?"
"The Heavenly Wolf Battalion lost 3,000 men. Main General Yuan Dai and three flank commanders are all dead!
"Of the 20,000 Liangzhou elite troops, only 7,000 remain—4,000 escaped with us, the other 3,000, including General Zhao, were scattered. We don't know where they are.
"The Reserve Camp suffered heavy losses too.
"In total… out of 40,000, more than half are gone!"
More than half—wiped out.
"Move! We have to leave now!"
"With our numbers, we can't hold off an army of 50,000 pursuers. Move, quickly!"
"Fall back to Longyang County!"
"With Yuan Dai dead and General Zhao missing, Sha Wenlong's now the highest-ranking officer!"
"Move! If they catch us, no one's getting out alive!"
"..."
"Retreat!"
The order echoed through the mountains.
The entire army began its desperate withdrawal.
Along the way, they abandoned countless wagons, grain carts, and supplies.
Three days later, everyone regrouped in Longyang County to discuss what to do next.
After such a devastating defeat, morale across the camp had hit rock bottom.
Worse still, once the full intelligence reports arrived, everyone realized the situation was far beyond defeat—this wasn't about losing a battle. This was total annihilation.
With Jianmen Gorge sealed off, the Western Qi army of 60,000 was sweeping in from the west. From the south, the Red Brows and Mingzhou rebels numbered another 80,000. Together, that made 140,000 troops.
All of Mingzhou had turned into a massive sealed-off pocket.
And they—all of them—were trapped inside it.
No escape. Not one man would get out alive.
Mingzhou had become their grave.
"We still have reinforcements! There's still hope!"
That night, a Gyrfalcon returned, bringing the latest intelligence.
Ten days earlier, Liangzhou had mobilized 50,000 troops from Youzhou and Daozhou. From neighboring Yanzhou came another 30,000, including Rong Yanqiu's Vermilion Bird Battalion and Second Senior Brother's White Tiger Battalion.
Fengzhou was nearly defenseless and could only spare less than 10,000, but the emperor himself had dispatched 80,000 Imperial Guards from the distant capital. They were already marching through the Great Wasteland, aiming to enter the battle from Mingzhou's southernmost border.
All of this was the emergency response orchestrated by Fang Qingyun and Sun Xiangzong the moment they learned of the Ministry of War's blunder.
In fact, long before this, Fourth Senior Brother had warned the court that the Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts might tempt Dong An into betrayal. But the imperial ministers had suspected the Eight Great Battalions of using it as a pretext to purge rivals—and ignored it.
That negligence had brought disaster.
Now, control of the situation rested entirely in the hands of Western Qi and Liang Jinian. And that bastard Liang—if cornered—would rather destroy the artifact than hand it over. Dong An wouldn't even have the chance to seize it for himself.
When all forces were counted, the numbers stood at 170,000 for the Daxing Dynasty against 140,000 from Western Qi.
In one night, the campaign to suppress a rebellion had transformed into a full-blown war for the fate of the realm.
However—
Even with reinforcements, the fastest contingent would take over a month to arrive.
And in their current state, they wouldn't last that long.
Survival until then became their most urgent problem.
Chen Sanshi stared at the Mingzhou map, eyes tracing the lines of the Hongze River, the Wushui River, and the Great Wasteland far to the south. Finally, he saw a faint sliver of hope—but only if everyone obeyed him without question.
"To Yangchun Prefecture!"
In the command tent, Cao Fan slammed his palm onto the map. "That's the nearest stronghold we can defend. The rebels are weak on the eastern flank. We can seize Yangchun within three days! There might even be grain stores left there. If we're lucky, we could hold out for a while!"
"No!"
Chen Sanshi cut him off immediately. "General Sha! We can't go to Yangchun Prefecture! I'm certain the previous supply shipments were meant to mislead us. There's no food left in that city! Once we enter, we'll never come out alive!"
"Oh?"
Sha Wenlong's single eye glinted coldly. "Then according to Lord Chen's wisdom—where should we go?"
"Across the river!"
Chen Sanshi said firmly, "We cross east over the Hongze River and attack the towns on the opposite bank."
Cao Fan frowned. "Lord Chen, those eastern river towns are tiny. Their walls are crumbling and short—they can't be defended. If the enemy arrives, we'll have nowhere to run but death."
"Then we don't defend them," Chen Sanshi explained calmly. "Better that than being trapped. Our goal isn't to hold ground, but to keep maneuvering—find a route south, reach the Great Wasteland, and break out alive!"
"Absurd!"
Sha Wenlong's tone was icy. "You think the rebels are fools? Crossing the river and heading south will take time—and enough of it for the enemy to mass troops in the Wasteland ahead. You'd be walking straight into their jaws!
"His Highness is right—the only real chance we have is to take Yangchun fast and hold it until reinforcements come!"
"General Sha," Chen Sanshi pressed, voice rising, "you must reconsider! We've taken too many losses. Keep going like this and the entire army will be wiped out!"
Sha Wenlong slammed his fist onto the table, glaring. "So if we don't listen to you, we're doomed? That it?"
"It's possible."
The matter was too grave. Chen Sanshi couldn't afford to back down.
"Rubbish! Even if I die, there are still deputy commanders to lead. When did a mere Thousand-Household Officer gain the right to give orders here?!"
Sha Wenlong was about to explode, but then his gaze met Cao Fan's, and he seemed to reconsider. After a pause, he said in a heavy tone, "You're sure you want to cross the river and attack those towns?"
"Captain Chen," Yu Song interjected, "you were right about Dong An's betrayal, that's true. But even so…" He hesitated. "I still think holding Yangchun is the best plan for now. You should just follow orders."
"I'm sure," Chen Sanshi said firmly.
"Fine!"
Sha Wenlong's face suddenly shifted, his voice almost mocking. "Don't say I never heed advice! Since Captain Chen is so confident, we'll take your strategy!
"Yu Song, hear my command!
"You'll lead 3,000 men from the Reserve Camp's Left Wing across the Hongze River as Captain Chen suggests. Find a foothold on the opposite bank. If the mission fails with heavy casualties—you two can answer for it with your own lives!"
"Me?"
Yu Song froze. "General Sha, I never said I'd cross the river! I was just—"
"It's settled!"
Sha Wenlong cut him off coldly. "The rest of the army will move out with me to attack Yangchun Prefecture at once!"
And with that, the shattered Liangzhou army split into two.
One force of 3,000 men crossed east over the Hongze River.
The other 18,000 marched west—to lay siege to Yangchun Prefecture.