Nightwatcher-Chapter 471: Events from Wei Yuan’s Past

# 471. Events from Wei Yuan's Past

There was no need for anyone to answer. Nurhaci already knew the identity of the young man who had wielded the “flying sword” to destroy the siege engine.

The cheers of the soldiers atop the walls had given him the answer.

Silver Gong Xu!

Xu Qi’an!

A rising star from the year of the official evaluation, the brightest talent in all of the Great Feng. No, calling him a “rising star” didn’t do him justice.

Given his accomplishments and influence, he was most certainly a full accomplished "star".

Nurhaci let out a disdainful chuckle. “They say this Xu Qi’an was Wei Yuan’s closest confidant. All his current success is thanks to Wei Yuan’s patronage. Pity he was stripped of office after the Chuzhou massacre.

“Who would’ve thought he’d come to Yuyang Pass himself after Wei Yuan’s death. Tsk tsk, truly a bond of deep loyalty.”

Sugudu Hongxiong narrowed his eyes, examining the young man atop the wall. “He’s quite powerful. Rumour has it his Vajra Divine Skill puts even Rank four martial artists to shame.”

As they spoke, both men clearly sensed the soaring morale and fighting spirit among the Great Feng defenders.

*This man commands such prestige…* Nurhaci frowned, then raised his sabre high and shouted, “Advance!”

The third wave of ten thousand infantry charged forward, surging towards Yuyang Pass like a tide of ants.

“Hongxiong, come with me to meet this Silver Gong of the Great Feng,” Nurhaci called loudly.

Sugudu Hongxiong understood his intent, to attempt to slay the Silver Gong and crush the morale and resolve of the Great Feng troops.

“I was just thinking the same!”

The one-eyed Hongxiong laughed.

The two riders broke from the ranks and charged forth, kicking up dust in their wake.

Behind them followed more than thirty martial artists, their cultivation varying, but none below Rank six Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, each capable of rampaging through an army with sheer physical might.

Those who hadn’t reached that rank had no right to take the frontlines.

On the wall, the defending generals tensed. The ordinary soldiers were manageable, but high-rank martial artists were the true headache, especially when there was a large disparity in numbers.

Once a high-rank expert stormed the wall, even if they were eventually repelled, the surrounding defenders would suffer grievous losses.

One general shouted, “Prepare the Divine Engine Ballistae!”

Soldiers, already prepared, wheeled out strange-looking mounted crossbows. Unlike ordinary ballistae, these featured massive firing barrels lined with rows of launch holes.

These were designed specifically to target high-rank martial artists. Their firepower rivalled that of ballistae, but their coverage area was far superior.

Their wide-area bombardment targeted the danger sense of high-rank martial artists.

Each Divine Engine Crossbow cost ten times more than a ballista or cannon.

“Fire!”

In an instant, not only the Divine Engine Ballistae but also the cannons and ballistae roared to life, targeting the fast-approaching elites led by Nurhaci.

Nurhaci leapt from his horse and sent out blast after blast of fist force, shattering the incoming projectiles.

With their leader clearing the way, the martial experts charged fearlessly.

A black shadow descended from the sky and seized Nurhaci’s shoulders, it was a blurry, winged giant bird.

As he scattered the first wave of attacks, Nurhaci looked up at the wall and sneered, “Is this all the firepower Great Feng can muster? Feel free to make it fiercer.”

The morale of the Yan troops surged as their shouts and killing cries intensified. They flung themselves at the walls with reckless abandon.

The defenders’ expressions darkened, they saw fear begin to creep into the faces of their soldiers.

Just then, a thunderous boom erupted from the wall. A golden streak slammed into Nurhaci, sending him tumbling through the air before he barely managed to steady himself.

Li Miaozhen summoned her flying sword, which hovered beneath Xu Qi’an’s feet, lifting him into the air.

Xu Qi’an held the Taiping Sabre and shouted, “Yan’s number one warrior? Is this all you’ve got?”

This time, it was the Great Feng soldiers who erupted in cheers, chanting the name of Silver Gong Xu.

The generals breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Silver Gong Xu stood, their troops’ morale would not falter.

Nurhaci patted his chest. “Fifth rank…”

The shadowy bird flapped its wings, diving from the sky with him in its grasp, hurtling towards Xu Qi’an.

“Miaozhen!”

Unable to fly and bound to lose in aerial combat, Xu Qi’an shouted.

Understanding instantly, Li Miaozhen manipulated the flying sword to return him to the wall.

Meanwhile, Sugudu Hongxiong leapt into the air, clearing the wall in a single bound. The other martial experts began climbing the wall by hand, entering the blind spots of cannons and ballistae.

Li Miaozhen’s pupils lost their colour and turned glassy. She raised her hand, palm facing Sugudu Hongxiong.

The next moment, his sabre turned traitor, pointing its blade at his throat.

His armour followed suit, creaking ominously as it attempted to strangle him.

Sugudu Hongxiong surged with qi, shattering his armour into fragments. The shards embedded themselves in the wall and in the bodies of nearby defenders.

He charged at the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect, knocking aside every soldier in his path.

Li Miaozhen leapt lightly into the air, riding her flying sword like a gust of wind.

She raised her sword fingers and, using the soul technique for controlling magical weapons, summoned the scattered weapons on the wall into two massive steel torrents.

Sugudu Hongxiong sneered, bent his knees, and leapt, his Rank Four physique pushing through the converging waves of steel, sparks flying, unwavering as he lunged at Li Miaozhen.

A black figure shot in from the side, crashing into Sugudu Hongxiong.

It was Zhang Kaitai.

The two of them tumbled through the air, smashing craters into the wall as they fought.

Sugudu Hongxiong seized Zhang Kaitai’s throat and gathered his fist force, smashing it into his face.

Clang!

Blood streamed from all seven of Zhang Kaitai’s orifices.

“You son of a barbarian bitch!”

His normally stoic face twisted with fury as he jabbed his sword fingers into Sugudu Hongxiong’s chest, unleashing a blinding sword aura.

Hongxiong was blasted off the wall, crushing a ring of his own soldiers. His chest was a mangled mess of flesh, his face twisted in pain.

With a mighty leap, he charged back up again.

…

Clang!

Xu Qi’an drew the Taiping Sabre and severed Nurhaci’s weapon, then raised his foot and kicked Nurhaci hard in the gut.

The Yan King was forced back, but he caught Xu Qi’an’s ankle with his left hand and slammed his right elbow down at the knee.

Clang!

A sound like a great bell echoed across the land.

Golden light shimmered, unmoved. Xu Qi’an followed with a high kick, sending Nurhaci staggering. “Not quite.”

“Is that so!”

Blood light surged around Nurhaci. Already a peak Rank four, his aura climbed even higher.

The next moment, Xu Qi’an was blasted away like a cannonball, scattering many defenders as he flew past.

He skidded across the ground for over ten metres before coming to a stop.

Nurhaci gave a sharp whistle. The corpses around him stirred and rose, attacking the defenders with feral madness.

He vanished, then suddenly reappeared before Xu Qi’an, driving a fist toward his face.

But Xu Qi’an seemed to have sensed it. He tilted his head slightly, avoiding the strike, and with a flash of the Taiping Sabre, sliced open Nurhaci’s arm.

The power of the Heart Sword surged forth, shaking the enemy’s soul.

“A good blade!”

Nurhaci was completely unaffected, his gaze toward the Taiping Sabre burning with fervour. Then, with a sudden lunge, he rammed his head forward, Xu Qi’an felt a splitting pain in his skull and was once again sent flying.

That headbutt just now had been imbued with the formidable soul force of a fourth rank Warlock.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Nurhaci’s fists rained down like a storm, forcing Xu Qi’an to retreat step by step, golden ripples of light pulsing with every blow.

“You really are a stone from a latrine, hard and revolting.” Nurhaci frowned.

Xu Qi’an charged in, sabre in hand.

Nurhaci remained calm. He opened his palm, revealing a piece of Xu Qi’an’s garment: “Die!”

A Curse of Death!

A page ignited, and an illusory golden core rose from the top of Xu Qi’an’s head.

One golden core shatters myriad arts!

The Daoist Golden Core.

As he knew his enemy was a high-ranked warlock, Xu Qi'an naturally had already prepared against his curse of death.

The two brushed past one another. Xu Qi’an turned and shook the blood from his sabre.

Nurhaci looked down to find a gaping wound across his abdomen, with intestines faintly visible. With a gentle swipe, a blood-red glow flickered, and the wound rapidly healed to a near-complete state.

He seemed enraged now. With a low whistle, the fallen soldiers around Xu Qi’an suddenly rose, lunging mindlessly at him, biting and clawing.

Taking advantage of the moment, Nurhaci charged, seizing the opening to close the distance with Xu Qi’an.

The two fighters, both capable of wielding Transforming Force, exchanged rapid blows. Their bodies twisted into unnatural angles to evade attacks, or defied inertia to deliver unrelenting punches.

Onlookers couldn’t discern their techniques or movements, only the explosive sounds of flesh colliding.

Eventually, Xu Qi’an, after all, only a fifth-rank martial artist, began to flag. Just as his strength faltered, Nurhaci struck his forehead with a punch, followed by a ceaseless barrage of devastating blows.

When high-rank martial artists seized the advantage, they could unleash a deadly combination that left opponents of other systems no chance to recover.

They gave no quarter. Mastery of Transforming Force allowed them to ignore inertia and chain attacks seamlessly.

Suddenly, twin sabre-lights flashed in from left and right, two generals had come to flank Nurhaci, disrupting his tempestuous assault.

Huff, huff...

Xu Qi’an gasped for air, his whole body in pain, blood rising in his throat. In terms of strength and qi flow, he was still far inferior to a peak fourth-rank.

And the enemy was a dual-system cultivator.

*What do I do now? A dual-system peak fourth-rank, the strongest just below third-rank. No weaknesses in body or soul, capable of flight, manipulation, tremendous defence, terrifying close combat, and a Warlock’s blood magic to heal wounds.*

*How can I fight him? How can I kill him...?*

Just as the thought arose, a shadowy figure was hurled toward him, it was one of the generals who had just aided him.

Xu Qi’an reached out and caught him, dispersing the force with refined technique. The man’s bones were shattered throughout his body; he was no longer fit to fight.

The middle-aged general bared bloodstained teeth and rasped, “Silver Gong Xu, I... I did my best. That bastard’s too strong…”

Xu Qi’an nodded. “Don’t speak. Rest. Leave it to me.”

By now, the battle atop the walls was fierce. With Nurhaci and his experts breaching the defences, the pressure on the enemy below lessened considerably. One after another, their soldiers scaled the walls, clashing with the Great Feng troops.

In particular, Sugudu Hongxiong was wreaking havoc. Relying on his peak fourth-rank physique, he withstood the combined assaults of Li Miaozhen and Zhang Kaitai, slaughtering freely atop the walls and destroying defences at will.

Though he took injuries in turn, he cared little, wreaking havoc first and fleeing if need be.

Destroying the Great Feng’s defensive formations was his true goal.

*No, this can’t go on. The losses are too great. The blow to morale is immense. In war, the worst enemy is despair...*

*I must drive them back. I must drive them back...*

*I have Luo Yuheng’s talisman sword, I can kill him. But it’s inside the Earth Book fragment. Retrieving it would be too obvious. Nurhaci, as a peak fourth-rank martial artist, would surely be on guard.*

As he thought, Xu Qi’an still boldly reached into his robe, tapped the back of the jade mirror, and retrieved a page.

“Duke Wei reached your Yan capital and slaughtered countless people. How many troops does Yan still have? For this siege, you’ve called up just about every soldier capable of fighting, haven’t you?”

Xu Qi’an attempted to distract him with words. “Nurhaci, have you staked the fate of Yan on this?”

Nurhaci gave a cold grunt and did not refute it, because it was true.

In truth, of the eighty thousand troops, most were from Kang. Yan’s forces made up less than thirty percent.

Because they simply had no more soldiers. Wei Yuan had nearly crippled Yan. By contrast, Kang, being coastal, had escaped Wei Yuan’s cavalry and preserved its strength.

After this battle, Yan would need at least fifty years to recover. If this siege failed, it would mark its total collapse.

For this reason, Nurhaci hadn’t mobilised the flying beast cavalry. The king was no gambler, he had left Yan one trump card, a seed of hope, however small.

Nurhaci’s heart twisted in pain. Then he fixed his eyes on Xu Qi’an’s hand. “What are you holding?”

Xu Qi’an shook the paper nonchalantly. “Didn’t you see already?”

Nurhaci shook his head. “No. I mean your other hand. What did you just hide there?”

*Shit...* Xu Qi’an cursed inwardly, and immediately ignited a second page, chanting in a low voice: “Thou shalt not kill.”

A Buddhist precept.

Just then, a shadowy figure descended over Nurhaci’s head, vaguely a monk.

Nurhaci said flatly, “Useless.”

Back at the Battle of Shanhai Pass, he’d slain more than one monk. His ability to summon monk souls far surpassed Xu Qi’an’s.

But having countered the technique, he quickly leapt back. Still, he miscalculated, Xu Qi’an had never intended to use his trump card on him. Instead, he turned and sprinted, leapt from the wall, and shouted:

“Miaozhen, carry me!”

A flying sword whistled through the air. Xu Qi’an landed on it and shot past the battlements, aiming for Sugudu Hongxiong.

“Hongxiong!”

Nurhaci’s face changed.

He didn’t know what Xu Qi’an planned, but the moment that brat grasped that item, a deep unease had taken hold. Martial artists had an uncanny instinct for danger.

If he felt that, then how much more would Sugudu Hongxiong?

Sugudu Hongxiong was in a frenzy, slaying Great Feng soldiers and destroying cannons and ballistae. But the warning flared in his mind. At Nurhaci’s shout, he instinctively prepared to leap down the wall, not hesitating.

But the Heaven Sect Holy Maiden was faster. As she guided the flying sword toward Xu Qi’an, she let her yin spirit leave her body and unleashed a silent shriek.

Zhang Kaitai and the surrounding warriors and soldiers reeled as their minds buzzed, a momentary vertigo.

Only a moment.

“Roar!”

A deafening lion’s roar followed, perfectly timed.

Xu Qi’an, feet planted on the flying sword, closed in and flung the talisman sword at Sugudu Hongxiong.

Blazing sword qi split the heavens. In Sugudu Hongxiong’s eyes, the sword light reflected, and in his gaze, in his expression, surfaced profound despair.

The next instant, all thoughts vanished.

Luo Yuheng’s sword qi sheared off half his body, leaving only his chest and head intact.

Xu Qi’an leapt down and landed on the battlements, drawing Sugudu Hongxiong’s severed head toward him and lifting it high.

He took a deep breath and roared like thunder: “The enemy chieftain is dead! Soldiers, kill them all!”

A tidal wave of cheers erupted from the city walls.

The defenders of the Great Feng, from generals to foot soldiers, were all ablaze with fervour.

Below, the enemy was in complete chaos. The infantry of Kang in particular panicked upon seeing their leader beheaded, some wept bitterly, others turned and fled in disarray.

Moments ago they had been a roaring tide, now they were like dogs with their tails between their legs.

“Xu Qi’an!”

Nurhaci’s face was dark as water as he forced the name out between clenched teeth.

In the very first wave of the siege, Kang’s supreme commander had perished atop the walls. That in itself was a grievous blow, but the real disaster was the collapse in morale.

The momentum built up by the two-nation alliance had been shattered by that single strike by Xu Qi’an’s.

In war, morale is everything. Once it breaks, the army crumbles like a landslide.

“Let’s see how many more cards you’ve got up your sleeve,” Nurhaci said, grinding his teeth.

“Come at me, I’ve got plenty more,” Xu Qi’an taunted across the air.

Nurhaci said nothing further. He leapt from the wall and summoned the phantom of a giant bird, which carried him back to his camp.

The hearts of the Kang soldiers were in turmoil. To continue the assault now would be suicidal. He had to return and steady the ranks, regroup.

The Yan King's renown and martial might far surpassed those of Sugudu Hongxiong. With him present, the army could be stabilised.

*Dum! Dum! Dum!*

The war drums thundered. The enemy began to withdraw en masse, abandoning nearly five thousand men as they retreated.

…

The setting sun was like blood.

Under its crimson glow, the defenders of the Great Feng silently cleared away the bodies of friend and foe alike, gathering severed limbs and broken corpses.

Militiamen climbed up the walls carrying supplies, replenishing bolts and gunpowder, repairing battered fortifications.

The first assault had already been this brutal.

Blood stained the ramparts.

And yet the soldiers’ eyes shone with light, for they had conviction. They had something to believe in.

*Luo Yuheng’s talisman swords are all spent. I’ve run through nearly all my trump cards…* Xu Qi’an watched in silence, his mood heavy.

He asked, “How many brothers did we lose?”

Beside him, Zhang Kaitai bared his teeth in a grimace.

“One thousand three hundred. Fucking hell, that’s just the first wave, and already we’ve lost that many. But worse than the lives is the damage to the cannons and ballistae, those need arcanists to repair, and it’s not something you can fix in a day.”

He sighed. “Tomorrow’ll be even worse. Good thing you were here, or the death toll would’ve been even higher.”

As he finished speaking, Zhang Kaitai noticed Xu Qi’an’s trembling hand. His smile faded.

“How bad are your injuries?”

Xu Qi’an was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “I’ll be fine after a night’s rest. It’s just…”

He paused, but didn’t go on.

Zhang Kaitai frowned. “On the battlefield, withholding intelligence is the worst mistake.”

Xu Qi’an hesitated, then said, “I’ve got no cards left.”

Then he fell into silence.

After a long pause, Zhang Kaitai sighed. “You should go.”

The usually solemn swordsman gave a bitter smile: “I forgot, you’re still only Rank Five. Everyone thinks you’re some peerless master, stronger than all of us.”

“I won’t tell anyone your secret. I’ll say you went to seek reinforcements. If you’ve no cards left, then you shouldn’t stay. Nurhaci will surely target you tomorrow, whether for revenge or to boost morale.”

He walked to the edge of the wall, one hand on the battlement, the other pointing towards the enemy campfires in the distance, grinning as he spoke.

“Look, their morale’s already steady again. With Nurhaci around, they won’t be disorganised for long. Tomorrow, driven by hatred, they might attack even more desperately.”

“If I leave now, the morale we just built will collapse again,” Xu Qi’an shook his head.

“You must go, to report to the court. Daoist Li can fly you on her sword, she's very fast. I’ll hold the line till reinforcements arrive.”

“I won’t leave. Duke Wei stayed behind. My brothers stayed behind. I should stay too. If we leave, what’ll happen to the people behind us? Forty years ago, the Church of the Warlock God slaughtered the people of Xiangzhou, Jingzhou, and Yuzhou. We can’t let that happen again.”

The man spoke calmly and plainly.

The water jar cannot avoid breaking at the well’s edge. A general cannot escape dying at the front.

These were good fates.

*There won’t be any reinforcements. Or rather, even if they’re sent, you won’t live to see them…* Xu Qi’an opened his mouth, but in the end couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Just then, he saw a general walking slowly along the wall, one hand resting on his sabre, shouting as he went:

“Beyond Yuyang Pass lies the people of Xiangzhou, we have nowhere left to retreat. This is the Church of the Warlock God’s final counterattack. If we can hold through this siege, victory will be within reach. Reinforcements from the court are on the way, we must hold out until they arrive!”

The general then caught sight of Xu Qi’an and rallied further:

“With Silver Gong Xu here, the Church of the Warlock God will never breach our walls. If Nurhaci comes again tomorrow, he won’t leave alive!”

The nearby soldiers’ eyes suddenly lit up.

They had all seen how Xu Qi’an had fought Nurhaci, killed Sugudu Hongxiong, and forced the enemy to retreat.

As expected of Silver Gong Xu, that sword light was magnificent.

With him around, the Church of the Warlock God was nothing to fear.

He always gave them peace of mind. He always carried through.

He had never let the people of the Great Feng down.

Beneath those many hopeful gazes, Xu Qi’an walked on in silence. He came to a quiet corner of the wall and stared blankly out at the enemy’s encampment.

Those eyes filled with reverence made him feel ashamed.

“Are you going?” came a voice behind him. “If you don’t, you might die.”

He turned to see Li Miaozhen in her flowing Daoist robes.

Xu Qi’an was quiet for a long time before smiling. “Do I seem like someone who’d run?”

“You hesitated.”

Li Miaozhen shook her head. “You didn’t say no to Zhang Kaitai, did you?”

A book landed in front of her.

She looked down, it was a thin volume, nearly just a cover.

“There’s only one page left,” Xu Qi’an said quietly, eyes still fixed on the horizon.

“I don’t want to leave. But I’ve run out of trump cards. A man has to face his shortcomings. My greatest flaw is that I’m not strong enough.”

The book Zhao Shou had given him was nearly exhausted.

Only one page remained: the Confucian spell of laws follow commandments.

No matter how useful something is, it will run out eventually. Since the campaign in Chuzhou, he had used it sparingly, but after all this time, it was nearly gone.

“When you beheaded those two Dukes in the marketplace, you didn’t seem to think yourself lacking in strength.”

Li Miaozhen clearly saw the man before her tremble ever so slightly.

She looked at him with a mixture of sorrow and compassion.

“Since Wei Yuan died, it’s like your spine has snapped. You’ve pretended everything’s fine, but I can tell, you’ve lost your nerve. Without that pillar behind you, you don’t feel confident in anything you do.”

The night wind howled, carrying a bitter chill.

Xu Qi’an said softly, “You’re right. Back then, I could be high-spirited and confident because I had too many things to rely on. Duke Wei always helped me smooth over pressure from the court, shielded me from schemes in officialdom, and gave me the best resources.

“Whenever I had questions, difficulties, or was confused about anything, the first person I thought of was him. Even when the demon daoist Zilian targeted me...

“Duke Wei handled it all for me. With him around, I had no worries in anything I did. After I killed the national dukes, the Emperor kept tolerating me again and again. Now that I think about it, it wasn’t only because of the Jianzheng, Duke Wei was shielding me from behind the scenes too. He wasn’t some feeble scholar with no strength to truss a chicken. The whole capital knew I was his trusted confidant. Even the Emperor had to be wary of him.”

“But he suddenly left, just like that. I... I’m heartbroken. And lost...”

His figure still stood straight, yet to Li Miaozhen’s eyes, he looked terribly alone.

If one tallied things up, at first glance he seemed to have many perks, many backers, but in truth, the only one he could truly rely on was Wei Yuan.

The Jianzheng’s motives were unclear and unreliable. Shenshu used his body to nourish his severed arm and could fall into slumber at any moment. Only Wei Yuan responded to every need without seeking anything in return, shielding him from storm and rain.

His prestige, his reputation, his confidence, all were built on someone bearing the weight for him.

Li Miaozhen bit her lip.

After a pause, he rasped:

“There won’t be any reinforcements. The late Emperor would surely have interfered, delayed again and again. Even if aid does arrive in the end, these people won’t live to see it. But I can’t say it, if I did, morale would collapse completely.

“But I really can’t defeat Nurhaci. Those ordinary soldiers don’t know anything, they naively believe I’m invincible... You should go. I want to be alone for a while.”

So that man really did mean that much to him, so much so that once he was gone, he crumbled in an instant.

He was the faith and pillar of the soldiers defending the city, but who was his pillar?

His support had collapsed. He had become flustered, fearful, uncertain.

Gone was the spirited young man of before.

Li Miaozhen departed, weighed down with sorrow and disappointment.

Xu Qi’an sat atop the city wall, gazing into the distance under the night sky.

Far away, bonfires blazed in clusters like scattered stars.

Amid the firelight, executioners hid.

In the cold and bleak night, he stood still for a long time, then took out Wei Yuan’s letter.

Wei Yuan was dead. His last thread of hope extinguished. Now, he could read the final message.

...

*Xu Qi’an, if nothing unexpected has happened, this will be my final letter. Do you remember what I once told you, this world is far crueler than you can imagine.*

*This expedition was to seal the Warlock God. When the Confucian Sage sealed him long ago, it involved a secret regarding a being beyond the ranks. I cannot tell you too much in a letter. Since the Sage’s death, the Warlock God has accumulated strength for over a thousand years, and has now begun to break free from the seal.*

*This spells disaster for the Central Plains, for humanity, and even for all of Jiuzhou. Confucianism has grown too weak to restrain him again. Since the battle at Shanhai Pass, the Jianzheng has withdrawn from worldly affairs. I still cannot understand what he intends.*

*The Great Feng is in decline. If the Warlock God is to be sealed, who but me should do it? As scholars, we must ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, secure life and fortune for the people, continue lost teachings for past sages, establish peace for all future generations... Those were your own words. Zhao Shou took me to the Lesser Sage Hall once.*

*Beautiful words. Worthy of the heir I chose.*

*After this war, the Church of the Warlock God may strike back with all their might. I almost feel I can already see the three provinces of Xiang, Jing, and Yu drenched in blood. They do this to shake the fortune of the Great Feng, working in secret with the late Emperor’s faction to disperse its final reserves of fortune.*

*With your ability, you must already have guessed this secret. You are someone I held in the highest regard. I have always had the highest hopes for you.*

*Unrest in the Central Plains is now inevitable. You are the Great Feng’s final hope, half its remaining fortune rests on your shoulders. If you’ve made up your mind, go to Zhao Shou. I left something with him.*

Xu Qi’an’s vision seemed to blur. He turned to the second page.

...

*You’ve always wanted to know my past, haven’t you? In life, there are eighteen or nineteen parts of sorrow yet only one or two that can be said. But since you ask, I’ll tell you those one or two.*

*My ancestral home is in Yuzhou. My father was its governor. Forty years ago, the Church of the Warlock God conquered the three provinces of Xiang, Jing, and Yu, massacring cities through the night. My entire family perished in that slaughter.*

*My mother pushed me into a dry well, and that was how I survived. I fed on moss and insects for seven days before daring to emerge. The Church had retreated, leaving behind devastation and corpses. I buried my family with my own hands.*

*At the time, I was dazed, not knowing how to go on. I even considered ending my life. But hatred kept me going. I gritted my teeth and pressed on, walking thousands of miles on foot to seek refuge with the Shangguan family in the capital.*

*Shangguan Pei was my father’s closest friend, a schoolmate from youth. They once travelled and studied together, and survived a bandit attack only because my father risked life and limb to save him.*

*The first day I arrived at the Shangguan estate, I met the love of my life. It was a beautiful spring, flowers in full bloom, the air rich with fragrance.*

*Beneath the shadow of a tree, a young lady picked flowers and smiled… In that instant, I was struck like by lightning. She was the one I would protect and treasure for life.*

*Her name was Shangguan Xixue, later the Empress. At the time, I didn’t know she would be the one I could never attain.*

*Perhaps my fate was sealed the moment I met her.*

*Those years at the Shangguan home were the happiest of my life.*

*Shangguan Pei treated me like his own son, no, better than a son. I studied under him day and night, hoping to earn honours and take her as my bride.*

*In year thirty of Zhende, Emperor Zhende died and Yuanjing ascended the throne. A consort selection began.*

*Shangguan Pei had long awaited this day. He was merely a minor censor then, eager for advancement. Xixue, with her stunning beauty, was his greatest bargaining chip. He planned to send her into the palace.*

*Left with no choice, she and I tried to elope, leaving the capital for a place no one could find us. I was willing to abandon my future, and she her wealth and rank.*

*But I was just a scholar. It wasn’t long before we were caught.*

*I will never forget that day. Shangguan Pei, the man my father died to save, his dearest friend, the one who always called me the Wei clan’s last hope, had me castrated.*

*‘Don’t you love her?’ he said. ‘Then I’ll make sure you can always stay by her side. The inner palace is full of danger and death. If you truly love her, then stay and guard her.’ Those were his final words to me.*

*There is no greater humiliation.*

*I refused to surrender to fate. In my pain, I devoted myself to martial cultivation, hoping to become whole again, to grow strong enough to take her away from the palace.*

*In the sixth year of Yuanjing’s reign, word of our past reached him. He accused us of illicit intimacy, flew into a rage, and planned to depose the Empress and execute me. Just then, General Dugu in the North died. The barbarians invaded, and the northern frontier fell into chaos.*

*I swore an oath then: if I didn’t return triumphant, I would never return at all. That was the beginning of my rise…*

*After that, my cultivation grew ever stronger. Yuanjing kept her tightly under his control. After the victory at Shanhai Pass, when none in the realm could match me, Yuanjing hid her away and summoned me, threatening her life to force me to cripple my own cultivation.*

*I agreed. The Jianzheng berated me for being blinded by love and short-sighted, but I did not argue. In the darkest period of my life, it was she who lit up my world, she was my light.*

*In the twenty years that followed, I personally killed Shangguan Pei, used the Consort Fu case to eliminate the Imperial Uncle, and cut off the bloodline of the Shangguan family. The past was thus written off. As my power grew, I gradually began to think of doing something for the Great Feng, for the common people.*

*I endured life in court for twenty years as a eunuch, trying to save this declining nation. I stopped looking at her… a man able to devote himself to his country is a man to be admired.*

*In the end, it was I who wronged her.*

*I thought I would live out this life alone, until the year of the official evaluation, your appearance brought me joy. I was not alone after all. How joyful.*

*My only regret is that I never got to hear you sing that song. A very interesting song. But my life has been filled with regrets, I shan’t dwell on one more.*

*When Wei Yuan is gone, may the Great Feng still have a Xu Qi'an.*

*-- Wei Yuan!*

Whoosh… The letter burned. Xu Qi’an opened his hand and let the wind take it away.

He sat motionless on the city wall for the entire night.

…

At dawn, the first rays of light shone across the desolate plain and the bloodstained ramparts.

*Dum… dum… dum…*

A deep, echoing drumbeat resounded, followed by the bleak blare of warhorns. The foot soldiers of Yan and Kang surged once more, black as an ant tide.

Nurhaci sat astride his horse.

The soldiers of the Great Feng awoke with a start, weapons in hand as they rushed to the ramparts.

The men resting against the parapets had slept with sabres in hand. Now they all rose, faces weary, eyes burning with murderous intent.

In the gatehouse, Zhang Kaitai charged out, sabre in hand, his stride bold and confident.

At once, he saw a figure in azure standing atop the wall.

In that moment, he nearly cried out in shock, thinking that familiar figure had returned from the dead.

“Xu Qi’an, you…” Zhang Kaitai’s expression was complicated.

“We can’t let Nurhaci’s men reach the wall again. The losses are too great, we won’t be able to hold much longer.” Xu Qi’an didn’t look back.

Of course Zhang Kaitai understood that. But if they didn’t defend the wall, were they to fight to the death on the ground instead?

Seventy thousand elite troops, just killing them was enough to dull one’s blade. Let alone with Nurhaci and the others still in play. Leaving the ramparts was a death sentence.

Just then, he heard Xu Qi’an say, “I’ll go. I’ll break their formation. That way, I can ease the pressure on our men.”

Zhang Kaitai was furious. “Are you insane?”

Xu Qi’an shook his head. “I’m not insane. Not only will it ease the pressure, it’ll lift morale. If I can, I’ll kill Nurhaci.”

*Kill Nurhaci?*

Zhang Kaitai thought he really had gone mad.

“Behind us lies Duke Wei’s homeland.”

He added this final word, and Zhang Kaitai had nothing more to say.

Li Miaozhen flew up to the wall on her flying sword, expressionless and sombre. She looked down at the chaotic battle cries and charging enemy troops.

Then, as if sensing something, she turned her head, to see that familiar azure-robed figure standing by the parapet.

“Miaozhen, lend me your golden core.”

His eyes were bright, his bearing calm and firm. The confidence and boldness between his brows had returned.

Li Miaozhen’s eyes widened.

With the Heaven Sect technique in her, she could clearly feel that this man had subtly transformed.

She murmured, stunned, “You…”

He smiled dazzlingly. “I’ve reached Rank Four.”

How many roads must a boy walk to become a man? Perhaps a lifetime, or perhaps, a single night.

A single night to reach Rank Four.

How strong was Xu Qi’an now? No one knew.

Li Miaozhen’s vision blurred for a moment. “Alright!”

To a Daoist, losing a golden core meant losing their foundation and cultivation, at least temporarily.

But even a mountain of golden cores couldn’t compare to that radiant smile of his.

Atop the city wall, a voice burst forth, brimming with spirit and pride:

“Xu Qi’an of the Great Feng, here to break the enemy lines!”

In the legends of the Great Feng, Silver Gong Xu Qi’an stood alone against tens of thousands of rebels in Yunzhou and quelled the rebellion single-handedly.

How could he let the people down?

Under the vast heavens, clad in azure, he swallowed the golden core and leapt from the city wall.