Indeed, He Xiao was still with her. The Xiuli Army was still with her. She was not without help. But before long, from the direction of the Yanming Pass came a large cloud of dust. Scouts rushed back, reporting, “Master, about 10 kilometers away, Zhao Yang has led a force of 100,000 strong, and is heading our way! As long as we leave Longyin Pass, we will surely be ambushed.”

　　At this moment, Chu Qiao almost wanted to laugh out loud.

　　Yan Xun, Yan Xun, what an amazing move you just pulled on me!

　　To open the pass and let her through, he had not wasted a single soldier. Using civilians to slow her down, he completely destroyed her advantage of speed. Using Xia forces, he blocked off her path. Even if the Xia Empire suspected that something was amiss, they could not afford to risk letting a Yan Bei military leader like Chu Qiao enter their borders. Even if they knew that Yan Xun might be plotting something, this battle could not be avoided.

　　Perhaps, in small battles, Chu Qiao could make use of tactics and strategy to defeat Yan Xun, but when it came to calculating other people, and to play forces against each other, she would never match up to Yan Xun.

　　The citizens had also noticed the flying dust in the distance, and fear started to spread in the crowd. Although many were full of confidence—after all, Master Chu was around—yet, when they logically thought about the humongous army of the Xia Empire fighting with the Xiuli Army of barely 5,000, they shuddered and started to hesitate.

　　He Xiao returned to the foot of Longyin Pass, and some of his soldiers shouted, “Garrison, please open the gates for the civilians to enter!”

　　Only after shouting three times, a carefree voice replied to them, “Orders from the Emperor, if they wish to enter the city, Xiuli Army must enter first.”

　　“The Xia Army is arriving soon! Please let the civilians in!”

　　“Orders from the Emperor, the Xiuli Army must enter first.” Echoes resounded in the winds, with dust being carried up by the winds. Lifting up her head, Chu Qiao clenched her fist as she glanced at the Black Eagle Flag that decorated the city walls.

　　“Master?” There were some soldiers that asked for her instructions.

　　“Master!” The voices of people increased in volume as they all crowded around Chu Qiao for instructions.

　　“Master, what should we do?” There were civilians who started to utter in panic. Terrified by the atmosphere, children started to cry, as the scene descended into a cacophonic chaos.

　　“Master, what should we do?”

　　“Master, the enemy is coming.”

　　“Master, return to the city. It will be good to avoid conflict.”

　　“Master, return and apologize to His Majesty. I am sure he will forgive you.”

　　“Master, we will fight to the end! Just give us the order!”

　　“Master, Master, Master…”

　　Yan Xun, so this is what you desired? Looking up at the sky, even the last bit of hope she had for him was crushed.

　　What do you hope to see? That I am alone without help? That I am surrounded by enemies? That I would helplessly escape, miserably to return to you for help?

　　Yan Xun, you underestimate me.

　　“Warriors, you have already witnessed all that has happened in recent days.” Sitting atop her horse, Chu Qiao started her speech, as she stretched out her hand to mute the bustling. With a deep, serious tone, she continued, “Our King, the Emperor of Yan Bei, abandoned his past promises, and betrayed the words we had sworn before the Yan Bei lands and Hui Hui Mountain. Civilians in Changqing became nothing more than skeletons and food for the vultures, and Da Tong is being massacred by a force that was only loyal to His Majesty. Mister Wu is dead, Lady Yu is dead, Princess Huanhuan is dead, General Xiaohe is dead, General Biancang is dead, General Xirui is dead, General AhDu is dead. All of them were killed by an ambitious man who merely wishes to expand his empire and consolidate his power. Right now, a guillotine hangs over our heads. Warriors, before you, is a 100,000 strong Xia Army, waiting for us, ready to finish us. Behind us is the Yan Bei Army that have already started to rot. They have readied themselves to spit on us the moment we head back and tell us that we are cowards. Beside us, there are civilians who have been abandoned by their country. Warriors, what should we do?” Her cold, emotionless voice was the only sound that could be heard in the vast plains. No one spoke, and all merely gazed upon her figure with fanatical fervor.

　　Chu Qiao jumped off her horse. Pointing at the soldiers, she shouted, “Are we going to head back and become a slave to a dictator, and be ridiculed by those betrayers who turned back on their promises? Or are we going to abandon these civilians, and try to escape? Are we going to face off with an enemy that numbers more than 20 times us, and display the pride and honor that a soldier should have?” Chu Qiao roared, “Warriors, do you want to live?

　　“Yes!” Voices of soldiers and civilians alike replied to her in a bellow, piercing through the clouds, sending the birds scurrying off.

　　“Do you wish to become betrayers?”

　　“No!”

　　“Between death and betrayal, what is your choice?”

　　The crowds screamed back in a maddened roar, “Loyalty to Da Tong, even in death!”

　　Facing the wind, Chu Qiao yelled, “Warriors, comrades. Follow me, obey me. Even if we are to die, we will use our blood to give off the final spark of glory for Da Tong! Our heads can roll, our blood can flow, but our faith must never be unhallowed! Long Live Yan Bei! Long Live Da Tong! Long Live our freedom!”

　　A thunderous earth splitting roar reverberated in response, as thousands of pairs of hands raised up in the air in a cheer, “Long Live Master!”

　　This winter came early. It was merely September, yet snow had already started falling. The light layer of snow was like a blanket of small white flowers that had just bloomed in spring.

　　The Xia Army retreated yet again. This was the third day of their encirclement, and the large-scale assault that they had imagined had never happened. Zhao Yang had carefully surrounded the Pass to prevent Chu Qiao from escaping. His thought processes now were extremely complex. He feared that it was a trap that Yan Bei had laid, yet he was worried that he would miss this golden opportunity in which Yan Bei and Chu Qiao had really turned against each other, such that he would rid the Empire of Chu Qiao who was one of the most potent enemy Generals. After all, the news of how Yan Xun and Chu Qiao had fallen out in the past two years had already reached his ears; it was impossible that he was completely not privy to all the happenings.

　　In the night, as the wind swept past, Chu Qiao stood atop a tall hill overlooking the entire battlefield. The night winds sent her voluminous hair fluttering gracefully, akin to a swarm of black swallowtails. The war had lasted for an entire three years. The Longyin Pass had been constructed to be a few feet higher than Yanming Pass, towering above the two armies that were lying in wait. In between the two formations that solemnly waited for combat, there were large swathes of grass patches that were easily waist height. With the autumn breeze sweeping past, there was much rustling, as though waves in a white ocean, reflecting the silvery moonlight in a beautiful spectacle. A flock of ravens flew past, lifting up a cloud of snow dust. One of them lightly darted into the tall grass, and with one swift motion picked up something white and flew off.

　　With only one glance, Chu Qiao could already tell what the bird had picked up from the ground. Throwing her glance at the waves of white before her, a tinge of sadness and abomination emerged from her heart. Under these peacefully swaying grass, how many lives had been lost?

　　Like a man-eating titan, war had gruesomely devoured countless men and women alike. The winds of this disturbed era would then blew past dilapidated houses which had lost their owners, howling endlessly as though singing a song that had transcended through space-time from the underworld. Yet, could Chu Qiao be also considered as one of the masterminds behind such death and destruction?

　　“AhChu…” A voice still echoed out within the darkness, as though calling her soul, “Ah Chu…”

　　It was a voice she had heard daily for the past 2,000 nights. The youth cowered by her, and pulled up her blanket, before carefully asking, “AhChu, are you still feeling cold?”

　　Those were the years when it was the coldest, and the strong winds easily brought the frigid coldness through their thin windows, freezing everything within the room. Yet it was like the fleeting flock of birds, vanishing into the endless whiteness that stretched to beyond the horizon.

　　Perhaps, life was but a chess game that one could never seem to master. With the future clouded in doubt, and having no good moves left to make, one would not know when to strike or defend. Yet, the game would always be progressing, and one could only try their best to continue. Sometimes, one would realize that despite their efforts, he would merely be further away from victory.

　　Gradually closing her eyes, countless recollections surfaced before her vision. She seemed to have seen so many people again. She saw the gentle yet righteous Mister Wu, the calm and intelligent Lady Yu, the adorable and energetic Huanhuan, the kind and humble Xiaohe. She also saw Xue Zhiyuan, who had died in order to alert her, Wen Yang, who had died to protect their flag, and also Feng Ting, Mu Rong, and the Wu Danyu who had charged into the enemy alone and died to countless arrows. She even saw the faces of the soldiers of Xiuli Army, and countless Shangshen, Hui Hui mountains, and Beishuo civilians. Not stopping there, she even saw Cao Mengtong, who had committed suicide, apologize for his mistake, and those rotten Da Tong elders…

　　With no reinforcement, no food, in this freezing temperature, while protecting thousands of civilians who were completely unarmed, the Xiuli Army stood on guard as time passed. Yet, the enemy was running out of patience, as the winter was about to come, and heavy snow was about to cover the entire land.

　　Chu Qiao looked up at the sky, and felt as though she saw a certain pair of eyes staring back at her. Those eyes had long ago sank into an abyss of coldness, silently watching her with no anger, no mockery, with only peace left in him as he repeated again and again: Live on…

　　I know. Chu Qiao smiled at the empty skies, and quietly said, “I will definitely hang on.”

　　Turning back, she saw the tents that were pitched in a neat formation, calmly, she quietly declared, “I will definitely protect you.”

　　Baicang Calendar Year 778, Autumn, before Longyin Pass, the Xia Army had achieved the first full encirclement in history. With nearly 130,000 soldiers, Longyin Pass had been completely surrounded with no way to escape. All kinds of long-distance weapons were transported, and it was obvious that an unfair battle would begin.

　　Although Zhao Yang was facing Chu Qiao, who had defeated him twice in the battle of Chidu and Beishuo, he was not worried. Firstly, Longyin Pass and Yanming Pass were relatively close, and he had sufficient reinforcements ready. Even if he discovered that he had fallen into a trap, he could easily head back to his fort. Secondly, Chu Qiao did not have any city that she would garrison, and neither did she have her powerful weapons. With merely 5,000 light cavalry, and a bunch of civilians, she could never stand up to his 100,000 strong heavily armored soldiers. Thirdly, the spies he had sent into Yan Bei had finally sent intel. About a week ago, Yan Xun had an intense battle with Chu Qiao outside Beishuo, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers. Not only that, but the Da Tong officials had all been killed or imprisoned, with only Chu Qiao left. If even that was still a trap, he could only say that Yan Xun was too merciless, and was not someone he would handle anyway.

　　In the dawn of September 18th, just as the sky started to light up, a wave of drums and military bugles sounded out. It was like a lightning that struck from the sky, piercing into the hearts of the Xiuli Army and the civilians.

　　With the sunlight of dawn penetrating through the morning fog, the grey army of Xia soldiers looked like an ocean of metal, spreading to beyond the ends of the grass plain. With their heavy footsteps advancing in unison, the thunderous booms sent chills up their spine as the trembling of the earth could be felt. The civilians let out a wave of shrieks in fear as the hugged together, cowering in the face of the vastness of the enemy, which made them further pale in comparison in terms size, as though they were a speck of dust facing a waterfall.

　　“Oh my gosh!” Someone exclaimed, “What is that? Had there been an avalanche?”

　　“Get ready!”