Chapter 14: Once Here, There’s No Leaving

During the time Zheng Dali was away, Wei Wuji was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth relentlessly.

Why is there still no word? Could they have already been wiped out?

Ah! Why is there no news? The anxiety is unbearable, Wei Wuji thought, tormented.

Waiting for the unknown is always a painful process, especially when danger might descend at any moment.

Just then, from the woods not far from Wei Wuji's hiding place, came the faint rustling of movement, followed by a series of cautious footsteps.

He didn't need to guess; he knew it was Wang Xiu. At this hour, only he would come here.

"My lord, I have checked the troops of every division once more. Everyone is ready and awaiting General Zheng's signal," Wang Xiu reported as he emerged from the darkness.

After a long night of work and several days of poor rest, his eyes were bloodshot.

"Good. You should rest as well," Wei Wuji nodded, patting Wang Xiu on the shoulder.

It was the first time the young lord had treated him with such warmth, and Wang Xiu stood frozen in surprise.

The lord had changed so much from a few days before—was this his true nature, so approachable and amiable?

He would have to ask Zheng Dali what the lord’s real temperament was. After all, only Zheng Dali had come with the young lord to their battalion.

Wang Xiu hastily bowed, and after urging Wei Wuji to rest, quietly withdrew.

So time slipped by, minute by minute, as Wei Wuji and Wang Xiu stood alone, neither able to sleep (who could sleep at a time like this?), both waiting anxiously for news from the front.

It was impossible to tell how long had passed, but just as Wei Wuji reached the peak of his inner turmoil, the long-awaited scout finally appeared before him.

"My lord, General Zheng has led the Chen army this way," the scout panted, dropping to one knee.

Like rain after a long drought, Wei Wuji’s nearly lifeless mind and heart sprang back to life.

He stepped quickly to the scout, seized him by the collar, and demanded, "How many are the enemy? How far away?"

"My lord, they number about a thousand, and are less than five li from us," the scout answered.

Wei Wuji released him and waved him off.

They have come! Finally, they have come! Zheng Dali did not disappoint him after all, delight shone on Wei Wuji’s face.

But this was no time for joy. He must quickly inform his men and prepare. Wei Wuji was, after all, a clear-headed man.

Otherwise, if the Wei army, lying in wait, were caught off guard and annihilated, there would be no excuse.

"Wang Sima, quickly pass the word to every division. Have them prepare—none of these Chen soldiers are to leave this place," Wei Wuji commanded, looking back at Wang Xiu, who, at once, swept away all signs of fatigue, his eyes now bright and alert.

"At once, my lord," Wang Xiu replied. After a few steps, he turned back and said, "If we win this battle, my lord, we can finally breathe easy for a while!"

"Go on, then," Wei Wuji replied with a faint, calm smile.

After all that had happened that day, Wei Wuji had matured rapidly; at least his skill at acting had only grown.

"Yes, my lord," Wang Xiu turned and walked into the night.

Just as he was about to disappear into the darkness, Wei Wuji called to him.

"Wang Xiu, after this battle, you will serve as my battalion’s adjutant."

This was a decision Wei Wuji had considered carefully. For someone so clever at his side, he had to draw him in. As the saying goes, if you want a horse to run, you must feed it well.

"Thank you for your trust, my lord," Wang Xiu turned once more and bowed, the smile on his face widening.

The changes in the young lord these two days had been remarkable, but Wang Xiu could not fathom his intentions. Judging by his recent actions, they were surely not random.

Sometimes, thinking too much does no good. Wei Wuji had not thought as deeply as Wang Xiu; he simply had no one else suitable for the post.

After Wang Xiu left, Wei Wuji gathered his personal guard and moved away from the center of the battlefield.

Wei Wuji understood well the principle that a wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.

Elsewhere, with Wang Xiu and his subordinates passing word, the Wei divisions readied themselves for battle.

"Brothers, tonight’s fight—make sure your blades are sharp! These Chen dogs have hunted us relentlessly, driven us to the edge—if we must die, let them witness the spirit of our great Wei sons!" a commander exhorted his men from a hidden position.

"The young lord has promised rewards and titles for severed heads. If you won’t believe Old Li, surely you believe the young lord!" he continued.

Scenes like this played out throughout the forest—every officer rousing his troops before the battle, whether for victory or their own survival, killing was the first priority.

Thunderous hoofbeats shattered the night, making the earth tremble.

Liu Xuanba hid behind a mountain slope, and in the distant firelight, he could just make out the tall, robust figure of Zheng Dali, and the curses echoing from behind.

In his heart, Liu Xuanba did not truly approve of Wei Wuji’s decision.

Wei Wuji had listened to the slanders of an unknown adjutant named Cheng, leading to the army’s constant retreat and heavy losses; Liu Xuanba was deeply dissatisfied.

Now that they had been driven into such desperate straits, it was entirely their own doing. If they had held the stronghold at Dashiyi, none of this would have happened.

Thus, Liu Xuanba did not truly acknowledge Wei Wuji.

If not for Wei Wuji’s conduct at Linghe and his care for the soldiers—which had won widespread support—Liu Xuanba would have refused tonight’s reckless order.

Much of the Wei army’s officer corps felt the same.

"Pass the order: let General Zheng and the Chen troops through, then seal the trap behind them. The grave we have prepared for these Chen must be put to use," Liu Xuanba said grimly to the tense soldiers behind him. Who knew how many would never leave this place once the battle was done?

Meanwhile, Zheng Dali, after leading his men into the ambush circle, finally felt relieved—his mission was accomplished.

Now, he had the leisure to hurl insults back at Wang Gushan behind him.

Riding his horse, Zheng Dali called out, "Brothers, we’ve endured their taunts long enough—shout back! We’ve swallowed enough humiliation."

All the way here, as bait, Zheng Dali’s men had suffered another few dozen losses at the hands of the enraged enemy, their spirits dark with grief.

But now, on their own ground, the Wei soldiers felt steadier. At Zheng Dali’s command, their voices rose in a storm of curses, hurling every insult imaginable at the enemy’s ancestors and female kin.

It turned into a raucous uproar, each side cursing the other’s lineage with abandon.

From a distance, Wei Wuji heard the commotion and smiled wryly. A pitched battle had turned into a street brawl of words.

"Tell every division to act at once—tighten the net! Not a single Chen soldier is to escape," Wei Wuji commanded his guard.

"Yes, my lord."

His guard hurried away.

Meanwhile, Zheng Dali and Wang Gushan circled each other in the dense forest, forced to slow their horses for fear of being lashed by branches.

"If any of you need a chamber pot, just use the head of that general behind us—looks big enough to hold plenty," Zheng Dali shouted in his rough voice, drawing laughter from his men.

"You’ll die for this!" Wang Gushan’s angry roar echoed through the woods. "Wang Yi, kill him for me!"

Without a thought for danger, Wang Yi spurred his horse forward, charging ahead recklessly.

"Hyah!" Wang Yi urged his horse on, caring nothing for his life.

A sharp whistling pierced the air.

In an instant, Wang Yi, fierce and bloodthirsty, fell from his horse, several arrows still quivering in his body.

In the darkness, Wei Wuji murmured, "Now that you’ve come, there’s no leaving."