Chapter 89: Accepting the Mandate in Peril

The Eastern Army had settled into Jiazhou City to rest and recuperate. According to intelligence, the two thousand reinforcements that had come to support Jiazhou during the previous siege had come from Huasu City to the west, making it the Eastern Army's next target as well. That battle had clearly drained the city's vitality. The Eastern Army had been here for six or seven days with no movement at all.

Yet no one believed such a peaceful stretch could last. Holding a city in Jiazhou felt abrupt and unnatural. The Lin Clan would never let it slide without seeking revenge, so the past few days the Eastern Army had been on high alert, prepared for anything. Without reinforcements arriving, they could not even launch an attack, let alone hold the city.

To avoid being caught off guard, Liu Ziwen ordered the scouts sent farther out, continuously reporting conditions across all directions.

Ye Pei had done nothing special in these past days. He still taught Zi Qingrong the art of martial arts every day. Miss Zi had been training for quite some time—over fifty chapters, to be precise, or nearly a year. Ye Pei had sighed over it more than once, wondering how his family and friends in Wangmai were faring after nearly a year since he had come to Yan.

But he could not return. Not only did he not know how he would reach Wangmai if Demon Valley remained closed, but his mission forbade it. The Star Realm was even farther away, and countering the Star Clan was a goal of immense scale.

“Yezi!”

Ye Pei snapped out of his reverie and smiled at Zi Qingrong. “Ha… I was lost in thought. Let me see… your right hand a little higher.”

Such a surface calm did not last long. The worry that the opponent might strike felt excessive. The Lin Clan still viewed themselves as the king's army. Losing one battle meant little, though it had cost them face. Still, with high posture, the Lin Clan announced their coming retaliation.

A few days later, a grand proclamation reached the world: the next lord of the Lin Clan, Lin Yuzhe—son of Lin Hezhi—had selected thirty thousand elite troops and was already en route. Dongfang Boyi had gone against heaven's mandate, defied divine will, and colluded with Yan's public enemy Ye Pei, an outrage that demanded his death.

The announcement belittled the Eastern Army's generals as a mob, a swarm of worms daring to challenge the tiger's might… all mockery without restraint.

At noon, when the soldiers received the news, Ye Pei sat drinking in a tavern with Jiang Zhongqing and several local Jiazhou residents.

“Hah, public outrage?” Ye Pei smiled at the man beside him. “Brother, do you hate me?”

The man laughed. “Young Xia Ye speaks nonsense. You have not disturbed us since you arrived, and your deeds in Wangmai were heroic. How could I hate you?”

Ye Pei's mouth curved in mockery. “Lin Yuzhe… I suppose the three Lin brothers are dead, which is why he became heir. Since that is so, I will tear down your Lin family ancestral hall.”

He set down his wine money, bid farewell, and left with Jiang Zhongqing for the camp.

Back at the tent, the others were already discussing the matter. Dongfang Boyi showed no anger despite being belittled to nothing in the proclamation. The generals were indignant, but Yang Tianrui remained calm.

“Brother Yang, what do you think?” Ye Pei asked as he sat.

Yang Tianrui smiled. “Nothing much. Soldiers come, generals block them; water comes, earth covers it. As for Lin Yuzhe… he is a complete dandy. I will not take his words to heart.”

Ye Pei nodded. “But those thirty thousand elite troops are real. We must prepare early.”

Liu Ziwen continued, “I have sent men to gather timber and stone from the surrounding hills for defense. The reinforcements passed half a month ago; even at large-army speed, another half month is needed.”

“Mmm…” Ye Pei thought. “With four thousand troops and perhaps five thousand fit to fight, holding against thirty thousand in siege is no easy task.”

Yang Tianrui suggested, “Why not imitate Jiazhou's approach and take the initiative—cut off a few major generals in front of the city?”

Dongfang Boyi replied, “Just afraid they will not duel one-on-one but simply besiege the city.”

The discussion fell into silence. The generals waited for orders; they would follow whatever was decided.

Suddenly Ye Pei spoke. “They announced so loudly. It would be wrong not to use it. Zhongqing and I will go. We will assassinate their generals in the cities along the way. If we can reach Lin Yuzhe, it would be even better.”

Liu Ziwen’s mouth lifted for an instant before returning to a thoughtful frown. No one noticed the change.

Yang Tianrui frowned. “Too dangerous. I do not want you to go. Miss Zi would never agree.”

Ye Pei said, “The benefit outweighs the risk. My lightness skill allows me to walk; Zhongqing has profound swordsmanship and escape methods. As for my wife…”

He frowned. “Do not tell her. I should not be in too much danger.”

Yang Tianrui nodded. “Good. Ye brother is young and heroic—I, Yang Tianrui, admire you. Tonight we feast; tomorrow you depart.”

Ye Pei laughed. “Brother Yang, speak as if I am going to die.”

That afternoon, fearing Jiazhou would be attacked and Yang Tianrui forced to lead the troops, Ye Pei hastily made a mask for him. Yang Tianrui praised Ye Pei's disguise skill highly.

Since beginning his jianghu travels, Ye Pei had rarely suffered defeat. He took this mission lightly. In his eyes, thirty thousand men were an uninhabited place he could roam at will. Perhaps conceit or arrogance drove him. Attacking the Lin Clan was something he wanted to accomplish. The grief of losing his father no longer showed on his face, yet he carried one thought: only by destroying the Lin Clan would his father's blood feud be avenged.

“Qingrong,” Ye Pei said after long thought, “I have to leave here for a few days tomorrow.”

Zi Qingrong, reading nearby, looked up in surprise. “Where are you going?”

“Probing some news ahead.”

“You are asking for news? There are no scouts below!”

Ye Pei sat beside her. “This war is different. The thirty thousand elite troops with Lin Yuzhe have many generals. I must go personally to investigate.”

Zi Qingrong still doubted. “There are capable generals below. Your position is high; why risk it?”

“My lightness skill suits this difficult task perfectly, and there is no real danger.”

Zi Qingrong lowered her eyes, bit her lip, then met his gaze. “Do you truly have to go?”

Ye Pei nodded. “Yes.”

She tilted her head and leaned against his chest. “Then go… but if danger appears, do not force it. Probe and return quickly; the reinforcements are almost here.”

Ye Pei stroked her hair gently. “Qingrong, I once told you that a girl too clever often does not live happily.”

Early the next morning, Ye Pei and Jiang Zhongqing each mounted a fast horse and rode west from Jiazhou. Three days later they reached Linzhuang, where Lin Yuzhe's troops camped.

Nearby cities had begun curfew, but Linzhuang was far enough that no curfew was imposed. The two entered easily and settled.

“Brother Pei,” they ate in a teahouse, “the outer city holds many troops.”

“Yes, but if Lin Yuzhe is a true dandy, he would stay in the city lord's residence, not the camp. Linzhuang's name suggests it belongs to the Lin Clan. We will wait until night to scout the mansion.”

By day they explored the city, mapping the area between their inn and the city lord's residence.

“Brother Pei, the mansion's defense looks strong,” Jiang Zhongqing said.

“It should not hold so many troops. We can confirm Lin Yuzhe lives here. For safety, we will avoid the mansion; causing trouble for generals in the outer city is easier.”

At night they changed into dark clothes and slipped out. Soldiers still patrolled the outer city, showing the army's high combat readiness. Such strict night watches in a safe city revealed strong execution power, which defined a true army.

Ye Pei and Jiang Zhongqing quietly scaled the inner city walls. Two faint blade sounds, then two city guards fell silently. Two shadowy figures rose and lifted the curtain of the Night of Terror.