At this time, it was exactly eight years from the Battle of Huolei Plains. Witnessed by all of Yan Bei, the Xia Empire finally paid a devastating price for those actions. On the evening of the same day, the fourteenth prince, Zhao Yang, rushed to Beishuo. Integrating the remnants of the Southwest Army, he sent half a million soldiers to encircle Beishuo City again.

　　In the meantime, in Menglai province deep within Xia territory, Yan Xun finally received Lady Yu’s messenger eagle. After reading the letter, he gazed at the ancient capital of Zhen Huang, which was no longer far away. He stood alone for a long time. Finally, he returned to the main tent and issued an order that shocked everyone, “We will rush back through the night to assist Beishuo!”

　　After returning to Beishuo City, Chu Qiao was treated like a hero. With the exception of those on guard duty, the entire military and civilian population in Beishuo City gathered at the city gates. For a moment, the massive crowds erupted into a wave of jubilation that was as if the battle of Beishuo had been won. When Chu Qiao marched into the city gates along with the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison, the welcoming crowd almost overran the troops. Lu Zhi, the deputy commander of the second army, had already died, so the newly appointed deputy commander Yin Liangyu led the troops in an attempt to maintain order. Despite his best efforts, the troops were quickly overwhelmed by the excited crowds.

　　Chu Chuo looked around calmly. Although the soldiers of the Second Army had been reorganized, it was clear that the army had been exhausted. The remaining soldiers were injured, their clothes were tattered, and they were covered with blood and dirt. Fear, timidity, confusion, uncertainty, and all kinds of uneasy emotions clearly flashed through their eyes. The dirt and grim concealed their pale faces, and many of them had also lost their scabbards. They had merely randomly attached their weapons by their waists. For that reason, one could hear crisp collisions between them as they move. It was clear as day that they had no fight left in them.

　　Compared to soldiers of the Second Army who seemed to be panicking like rabbits, the officers and men of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison were of a sharp contrast. Although they were also bloodied and dirty, they were confident, calm, and maintained a neat formation. They were strict and disciplined, riding steadily along. They followed Chu Qiao and quickly paced down the long street. The winds blew over their robes, sending the smell of blood that was dyed onto their dark coats into the masses. They seemed merciless and desolate. Yet, upon seeing them, thunderous cheers erupted in the crowds. Even when a million strong army was defeated, even when the Yan Bei officers had fled, only they threw themselves into the fray, and resolutely took up the responsibility of defending the country.

　　Yin Liangyu dashed forward. The chaotic crowd had even caused his helmet to slant. Without having time to adjust his headdress, the young officer quickly greeted, “Master Chu, your arrival here at this juncture saved Beishuo from destruction. The entire Second Army will forever be indebted to you!”

　　Chu Qiao jumped off the horse and smiled quietly. She replied, “General Yin, your words are too much. Both the Second Army and the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison are in this together, as we both serve Yan Bei.” Then, the young lady took off her hood. Even though she had gone through such a fierce battle, she was still tidy and clean. Dressed in a military uniform, her figure was upright, exuding overwhelming beauty. Not only was she a gallant soldier, but her attractiveness as a woman was also exceptional, with her beautiful face, white complexion, and crystal clear eyes which were further complemented by her confidence and compassion.

　　There were exclamations of disbelief within the crowd. Soldiers and civilians alike, those who had not seen her started to comment as the songs of praises came like a tide. Starting from the rebellion of Zhen Huang to the battles of the Northwest, from the upheaval in the Tang Empire to the battle of Chidu, she had created so many glorious achievements that people had forgotten about her age and appearance.

　　But at this moment, on this tattered battlefield, the beauty of the young girl shined like a bright light above of people’s heads. Everyone could not help but exclaim, “So this is Master Chu? She is so young?”

　　“Indeed! This is unbelievable! She is so beautiful!”

　　Although she had defeated the forces led by Zhao Qi, Chu Qiao understood that this battle had barely affected anything. The only reason why the Xia Army had been routed was due to the fact that Zhao Qi had sent all reserves to the frontline in order to rush the siege. After all, that would be a logical strategy, as the Xia Army had already encircled all enemies, and they wanted to complete the siege by nightfall. With the backlines empty, there were only supply troops. Even the closest cavalry was blocked from Zhao Qi by two supply formations. The Southwest Emissary’s Garrison was entirely cavalry, so their movements were extremely fast. Like a leopard charging into the back of a swarm of sheep, along with the misfortune of Zhao Qi’s sudden death, the Xiao Army was left without an effective leader, reducing the entire army to just a mob of soldiers. With that, Chu Qiao was able to secure an easy victory. Even then, the hundreds of thousands of troops were not something that would vanish overnight. Along with the arrival of Zhao Yang later in the day, Chu Qiao was worried at the state of the war. She hid her worries, and merely asked Yin Liangyu, “Where is General Cao? I have urgent military intel to inform him.”

　　Yin Liangyu grimly replied, “The general is in the conference room. Master, please follow me.”

　　The general’s quarters looked the same, as the pitch black obsidian tiles were arranged in neat rows. The torches shone brightly as the heavy footsteps echoed along the empty corridor.

　　Finally arriving before the conference room, the two young guards saluted Yin Liangyu before greeting him, “General Yin!”

　　Yin Liangyu nodded, as he leaned back and introduced Chu Qiao, “This is Master Chu from the Military Staff Office.”

　　The two guards had obviously seen her before, as they greeted, “Good day, Master Chu.”

　　Chu Qiao nodded back, “Good work.”

　　“Is the General inside?” General Yin asked.

　　“He is. The General has waited for the two of you for quite a while.”

　　Yin Liangyu nodded and requested, “Please help us to inform him that we have arrived.”

　　One of the guards acknowledged and lightly knocked on the door, before calling out, “Reporting in! General, General Yin and Master Chu wish to look for you!”

　　The wind blew quietly through the corridor, as silence ensued. With no one else talking, the only sound that could be heard was the echoes of that servant.

　　Yin Liangyu frowned. Stepping up, he loudly declared, “General Cao, Master Chu of the Military Staff office requests to meet you!”

　　There was still no response. Yin Liangyu frowned deeper as he continued to ask, “General, are you in?”

　　Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow and said, “That is bad.” With that, she pushed open the doors to the conference room.

　　With a creak, the door opened slowly. The strong wind within the room greeted them, as the paper fluttered around in the breeze like butterflies. The conference room was empty, as the chairs were neatly arranged in the original spots. Back facing the door, Cao Mengtont was motionlessly sitting in his usual seat, as though he was examining the big map in front of him.

　　Yin Liangyu heaved a sigh of relief as he stepped up, and reported in deference, “General, Master Chu is here. She said she has some important matters to discuss with you.”

　　Cao Mengtong seemed like he had not heard anything, and did not even change his posture. Chu Qiao frowned and walked up. One of the guards chased after her, and anxiously called out, “Master Chu…” But before he could finish his sentence, his voice came to an abrupt stop. His eyes widened in terror, and even though his mouth was wide agape, no words came.

　　Wearing a brand new uniform, Cao Mengtong’s sleeves were slightly rolled up, revealing half of his forearms. On his left arm, there was an obvious scar that was made long ago; it had already started to blur. His clothes were neat without a single wrinkle. A neatly folded white handkerchief dangled out from his left pocket, and at the sides of his uniform, there was a large golden embroidery of a war eagle that indicated his rank as the highest in command of such a large army. He was no longer young given his age, as wrinkles decorated his entire face. With his muscles loosening with his age, the corners of his eyes and mouth were starting to droop. His hair was completely silver, and despite being neatly combed, it could not conceal his age.

　　A dagger was stabbed in his chest. The meandering blood had already solidified. The room was extremely cold and as such the dark red blood had frozen into strips of ice. Life had long left this bold body, only leaving behind a lonely figure that seemed ever so old and frail under the shining moonlight.

　　The huge map of Yan Bei hung before him. Amidst the winding terrain, a thin line joined up many of the names on the maps. From the most northern Meilin Pass, through Hui Hui mountains, Shangshen Highlands, Siqiulan Hills, Luori Mountains, Lan City, Chidu, Beishuo, and finally, with a crimson pain, there was a huge arrow that pointed straight into the resource-rich eastern region.

　　Yin Liangyu and the guards were stunned at the sudden death of their highest commander. Completely lost, they did not know what to do.

　　Chu Qiao walked up. Stretching out her hand, she brushed over Cao Mengtong’s still restless eyes and closed his eyelids. Within her heart, she felt only dreariness. He had selflessly disregarded the lives of a million soldiers and civilians. Employing incompetent officers and lacking in military foresight, he had been reckless and arrogant. Precisely due to this man’s incompetence and arrogance, he had completely destroyed the originally advantageous situation and caused the army to pay a devastating price. His crimes were impossible to be recorded in full details, and no amounts of torture could pardon his mistakes. Before coming here, Chu Qiao had thought of so many methods, that she must take him down no matter what, and regain the military command over Beishuo. She had even prepared to take him down in a debate to quench the anger in her heart. But now, looking at this old man who was sitting quietly in the cold wind, all her anger vanished like mist.

　　This was a cruel war. Everyone would pay a terrible price for participation. That would be true for both the living or the dead.

　　“General, look here!” One of the guards was sharp-eyed, as he picked up a piece of paper from the table and passed it to Yin Liangyu.

　　Yin Liangyu quickly took it. With a quick glance, he lifted his head and handed the paper to Chu Qiao. “Master Chu, you are now the highest in command of the Second Army. I, Yin Liangyu, am reporting in for duty!”

　　Chu Qiao took over that piece of paper, only to see that the letter was written in a completely formal tone. General Cao had briefly described the command structure of the Second Army, and at the end, he wrote some general words of encouragement, such as him hoping that Chu Qiao would fight bravely and accomplish great things for Yan Bei. It was like a normal change of command letter.

　　Chu Qiao removed her sword before stepping back. Standing upright, she gave a clean and standard salute, “General Cao fought for our nation. In the defense against the Xia army, he had fought until the last moments of his life. He is exemplary of our army. I will not betray General’s expectations, and will remain loyal, never retreating!”

　　That night, the records stated as such: In the battle of Beishuo, General Cao Mengtong led by example, and despite his old age, he fought alongside the troops on the city walls of Beishuo. Stubbornly repelling the Xia Army, he received fatal wounds and died in the conference room on the night of October 27th. Before he died, he handed over the duties of leadership to Master Chu Qiao, the Military Advisor of Military Staff Office, also the leader of the Southwest Emissary’s Garrison. General Cao had been brave and loyal, and had sacrificed everything for Yan Bei. He is an exemplar of all Yan Bei soldiers.