SGSHE118

The sound of battle raged.

Jing Heguang was among the soldiers in the front ranks charging the city gate.

His task was to dash to the very forefront and, under the cover of his comrades, breach the gate with all possible speed.

Ahead of him, soldiers who had pledged their lives, having pressed their handprints onto the death-defying roster, led the charge.

Scaling ladders were raised against the city walls.

Some were toppled or set ablaze by poured oil, only for new ones to be hoisted up in their place.

Archers and crossbowmen in the rear aimed at the Jin soldiers appearing atop the ramparts, suppressing enemy fire to ease the pressure on their own troops below.

Jing Heguang carefully dodged stray arrows, keeping close to the wall amidst the surging crowd.

He quickly reached the wall, then swiftly scrambled up the ladder to storm the ramparts.

Boulders and rolling logs tumbled down toward him, yet they failed to slow him in the slightest, he forcefully batted them aside with his bare hands!

In a moment, he was the first to reach the top of the Wucheng city wall!

To be the first to breach the ramparts meant facing countless enemies alone, the peril was unimaginable.

The instant Jing Heguang crested the wall, a gleaming blade slashed at his face, swift and ferocious.

He sidestepped the blow and drove his own blade into his attacker’s belly.

Using the corpse as a shield, he cut down several more foes, carving out a foothold for the comrades following close behind.

Wave after wave of soldiers surged up, fighting alongside Jing Heguang and guarding his flanks.

Below the wall, General Zhao roared, “Today, by our hands, we shall wash away the sixteen years of shame Wu country had suffered!”

“Take Wucheng, and I shall personally petition for your rewards!”

General Zhao shouted at the top of his lungs, though the men atop the wall could not hear a word.

Their eyes were fixed solely on Jing Heguang, and they followed him as he cut a path forward.

However, those who were still making their way there felt a surge of renewed vigor from this encouragement. Charging forward as fresh reinforcements, they firmly seized the upper hand in the battle for their side!

By the time Jing Heguang rushed up to the city walls, uncle Yu had already ushered Chun Fen and Li Xia into the cellar.

“Stay hidden here, I’m going out to take a look,” Uncle Yu instructed in a low voice.

As he spoke, a bow was slung across his back, two daggers were tucked into his boots, and a quiver of arrows sat ready at his side.

Clutching Li Xia, Chun Fen looked anxious. “Uncle Yu, where are you going? Can’t we just wait here for the troupe leader? If you leave, Li Xia and I will be terrified!”

Chun Fen knew exactly what was happening outside. It was a battle, no matter how bold he usually was, he was scared out of his wits right now.

Moreover, Chun Fen worried that uncle Yu might get hurt or meet with disaster if he ventured out.

Li Xia’s mouth turned down at the corners, tears welled up in his eyes. He was being a brave boy, as he fixed his large, clear eyes intently on uncle Yu.

Uncle Yu patted both their heads.

“Don’t be afraid, you’ll be safe as long as you stay inside. Uncle Yu is leaving now.”

With that, Uncle Yu turned and walked away.

The cellar entrance was well-concealed yet ventilated, and there was food inside. Having prepared everything the two youngsters might need, uncle Yu left with a sense of reassurance.

He stepped out of the courtyard and took up a hiding spot along the route that anyone traveling from King Li Manor to the West City Gate would have to pass.

Fighting was raging at the East City Gate, and the areas outside the North and South Gates were unsuitable for escape, only the West City Gate offered a quick route to a dense forest nearby, the perfect place for a getaway.

Having chosen his position, uncle Yu concealed himself and waited quietly.

If that scoundrel King Li came this way, he would make absolutely sure the man didn’t get away!

Uncle Yu recalled the events of sixteen years ago: the master hanged at the city gate, the madam and young miss humiliated, and the young master, once cherished like a precious jewel, forced to hide away in an opera house just to survive…

As these memories flooded back, he gritted his teeth.

***

However…

Uncle Yu would likely never have the chance to meet King Li.

Once Jing Heguang had breached the city gates, he gave no further thought to military accolades, instead, he led a contingent of men straight toward King Li’s manor.

He had made a promise to Xing Ming, after all, he was going to hang King Li from the city walls too!

Jing Heguang did not consider himself a ‘gentleman’ in the traditional sense, but he prided himself on being a man of his word. He never forgot a promise he had made.

Moreover, as Jing Heguang dashed off, a great number of men followed him, leaving the remaining Jin forces near the city gate for General Zhao, the commanding officer, to mop up.

General Zhao, who had initially worried that Jing Heguang might wear himself out chasing glory, was left speechless: “…”

***

King Li’s Manor.

Upon receiving news that the city had fallen, King Li closed his eyes and sighed.

“The new generation replaces the old…”

He had enjoyed his own days of glory once, but time spares no one.

Although the Jin forces stationed in Wucheng had tried their best to conserve their strength over the years, they were no longer as formidable as they had once been.

The soldiers of today were a different breed from those of the past. The original troops had been forged in the blood and sweat of life-or-death battles.

After that sigh, King Li made a decisive choice: “Flee!”

Gathering their wealth, the group mounted their horses under the protection of an elite guard and prepared to escape.

King Li had not expected the city to fall so quickly. He had ordered the retreat almost the moment the breach occurred.

He calculated that by the time the fighting at the gate concluded, he would already be long gone.

There were substantial forces stationed at the gate, including his trusted confidants who would hold the line and buy him the time he needed.

However, he did not realize that the Wu army included someone who played by entirely unconventional rules.

The moment the city gates opened, Jing Heguang had already dashed out, there was no holding him back at the gate.

Thus, King Li did not get very far before Jing Heguang intercepted him.

***

With the city gates breached, the Jin nobles and wealthy merchants, whom King Li had previously forbidden from fleeing, also began to make their escape.

Inside a prominent household…

A young master of the Jin family rushed frantically into a pink-hued boudoir.

“Lele, come with me now!”

The young man burst into the room, grabbed Cui Leyou’s hand, and tried to drag her away.

Cui Leyou, however, refused to budge. She clung tightly to a beaded curtain nearby. “Young master Li, has Wu’s attacked? I won’t go with you. I want to return to Wu country.”

“No, you must come with me!”

Pain flashed in the eyes of the man addressed as young master Li. Hardening his resolve, he gave Cui Leyou a forceful tug. “Lele, please come with me. I promise I’ll treat you well.”

The beaded curtain swayed violently before snapping apart.

Clatter, clatter, clatter—

Beads scattered all over the floor.

Cui Leyou glanced at the table and gritted her teeth. “Let me grab my things first.”

Hearing this, young master Li was delighted and let her reach for her bundle.

He urged her on, “Hurry up, only take the valuables! We have to leave right now.”

As Cui Leyou gathered her belongings, she seized a moment when young master Li wasn’t looking to grab a nearby vase and smash it against the back of his head.

With a loud thud, young master Li collapsed to the floor.

Cui Leyou grabbed her bundle and slipped out of the room to hide.

Eventually, the household servants arrived, grumbling as they hoisted the young man up to carry him away.

Watching the young man’s limp legs trailing behind as he was dragged off, Cui Leyou’s eyes held a look of apology.

She really had no other choice. She did not want to go to the Jin’s, and she regarded young master Li merely as a friend.

***

Jing Heguang finished off King Li, taking care to leave his body intact.

If the head were to fall off, it wouldn’t look right hanging atop the city gate. Missing an arm or a leg wouldn’t exactly be a pretty sight either.

After having King Li’s corpse brought along and rounding up a batch of the city’s officials and generals, Jing Heguang set off to rendezvous with General Zhao.

By the time Jing Heguang returned to the city gate, General Zhao had just finished wrapping things up.

He showed King Li’s body to General Zhao briefly, then found a rope and hoisted the king up for display.

Once the body was hung up, Jing Heguang made a few inquiries and headed in the direction opposite where Xing Ming was located, he wanted to find another army medic to bandage his arm first.

He had charged fiercely into the fray, so sustaining an injury was inevitable.

There was a nasty gash on his arm right now, it looked quite alarming to the naked eye.

He found an elderly army medic and asked him to bandage the wound.

Even then, Jing Heguang didn’t forget to say, “Uncle, don’t tell Xing Ming about this injury later, alright?”

The old medic let out an “Oh?” and glanced at Xing Ming, who was walking their way. Curious, he asked, “Why shouldn’t Xing Ming know? Aren’t you two a couple?”

Jing Heguang smiled. “I’m afraid he’ll worry.”

Especially since he had been the one to capture King Li today. Xing Ming might easily blame himself for the injury.

Jing Heguang knew that while Xing Ming appeared aloof and unapproachable, his inner self was vastly different from his outward demeanor.

In reality, Xing Ming was sensitive when it came to matters of the heart and deeply anxious about Jing Heguang. He was prone to overthinking and getting stuck in his own head, far from the composed, unruffled image he projected.

Xing Ming might remain calm about other matters, but that wasn’t necessarily the case when it came to Jing Heguang.

The environment during the sixteen years the Jin’s controlled Wucheng had instilled in him a rather skewed view of love.

Jing Heguang resolved to pamper his younger brother Xing more in the future, to put his mind at ease.

Jing Heguang was feeling quite pleased with his clever scheme when he noticed the old army doctor’s gaze repeatedly drifting to the space behind him.

Jing Heguang: …A sense of foreboding washed over him!

He turned his head sluggishly to meet Xing Ming’s expressionless face.

He had tried to keep it a secret, only to be caught red-handed by the very person he was hiding it from.

Jing Heguang’s mood: Regret.

If he had known he’d get caught, he would have been better off just going to find his younger brother Xing in the first place.

Jing Heguang looked at Xing Ming’s face, furrowed his brows, and gasped sharply: “Uncle, go easy, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”

The old army doctor: “…”

The old army doctor smiled at Xing Ming and said, “General Jing thinks I’m too rough, perhaps you should do it instead, Little Xing.”

Xing Ming nodded and took hold of Jing Heguang’s arm.

Seeing Xing Ming’s expressionless face, showing no sign of pity and focused entirely on bandaging the wound, Jing Heguang whispered, “It really hurts, I’m not lying to you.”

Jing Heguang felt a bit aggrieved, his act wasn’t working. Did this mean Xing Ming didn’t love him as much anymore?!

No sooner had the words left his lips than Xing Ming quickened his movements.

Xing Ming swiftly finished bandaging Jing Heguang’s arm, then pushed him back against the base of the nearby city wall.

Then, with reddened eyes, Xing Ming wrapped his arms around Jing Heguang’s neck and sealed the lips that were about to speak again with a kiss!

Jing Heguang lowered his head, his uninjured arm awkwardly wrapping around Xing Ming’s waist.

He didn’t fully immerse himself in the moment at first because the comrades nearby,who were busy clearing away the fallen, had their eyes wide open, staring right at the two of them.

Jing Heguang blushed, but realizing he had no other choice, he kissed back fiercely.

Yet, even as the kiss was fierce, Jing Heguang’s hand gently patted Xing Ming’s back.

Jing Heguang suddenly understood: …Perhaps the fighting reminded Xing Ming of his childhood, his younger brother Xing was frightened.

And now, seeing him injured had naturally made Xing Ming even more panicked.

Jing Heguang responded warmly, showing Xing Ming through his actions that he was truly alright.

Meanwhile, Xing Ming kissed his big idiot, fighting hard to hold back his tears.

He had spotted King Li on the city walls and heard Jing Heguang say he didn’t want him to worry.

What had he done to deserve such luck, to have someone as wonderful as Jing Heguang?

It was that surging love in his heart that had made him act on impulse.

Only when his lips began to ache and the impulse faded did Xing Ming realize, he had just kissed Jing Heguang right out in the open? And for so long too?!

Xing Ming pulled back slightly and whispered, “So many people are watching.”

Jing Heguang: …You’re only just realizing that?

Still, seeing his beloved shy, Jing Heguang knew he had to step in.

He pulled Xing Ming firmly into his embrace, cast a stern look around the area, and declared with authority, “What are you all looking at? Even after a victory, there is still the battlefield to clean up!”

The soldiers: “…” Fair enough. You’re the general, so we’ll do as you say.

T/N: after force feeding the soldiers dog food, urge them to go clean up