ITF Chapter103

“These tunneling rats. I haven’t seen them in a few years, and they’re still playing the same old tricks.” Shao Yixiao closed the intelligence report sent back by the scouts and tossed the parchment roll back into his adjutant’s hands.

Over a dozen armed fortresses of various sizes were scattered across Urdan, together forming a military defense network. Two small guerrilla forces had successively captured several fortresses with weak defensive garrisons, but none of them were in key locations; one was even situated in the desolate western region.

The adjutant put away the parchment roll and remarked thoughtfully, “Their main force is still advancing toward the primary city. Taking these inconsequential outposts, isn’t that just a waste of troops?”

“They’ve always liked doing mystifying things.” Shao Yixiao pushed away the frostbite ointment the man offered and spoke to another subordinate, “Map.”

The man hurriedly unfolded the map in his hands and held it up before him.

Perhaps because the heavy snow made travel difficult, the rebel army’s marching speed had slowed down significantly over the past few days. Shao Yixiao’s gaze followed the rebels’ line of advance all the way forward, finally landing on a crucial choke point, as he mentally estimated the marching time for both sides.

They could arrive at this location at least two days ahead of the rebel army.

*

The snow that had fallen continuously for over half a month finally stopped. Bai Heting narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint, barely perceptible smile appearing under the long-awaited sunlight.

The Bania Valley was already close at hand.

A few days ago, he had issued an unplanned order for everyone to set up camp and rest inside a castle ruin for two full days. Marching in winter was already arduous, and this decision had consumed a substantial amount of provisions for no apparent reason.

But after receiving the intelligence sent back by the scouts this morning, Bei Yang finally understood the intent behind this decision.

When deploying their tactics, they had guessed potential locations where they might encounter the enemy. The scenario with the highest probability, and the highest risk, was that while their main force was at the city walls, Shao Yixiao would launch a surprise attack from the rear, leaving them beset from both sides. Siege warfare was inherently difficult for the attacker, and under a pincer attack, they would have to abandon their supply trains and instead retreat toward their destination.

Shao Yixiao setting up defenses here had actually saved them a great deal of time and resources.

Bei Yang spurred his horse to a stop beside Bai Heting and asked in confusion, “Why were you so certain Shao Yixiao would lie in ambush here?”

Bai Heting let out a cold snort. “Because he’s a fool.”

Shao Yixiao’s response was entirely within Bai Heting’s expectations. Urdan was mostly plains with few mountainous areas; for someone as arrogant as Shao Yixiao, as long as he was presented with a suitable ambush point, he would never allow anyone else’s artillery fire to touch his own city walls.

However, Bei Yang’s performance during this journey had been outside his expectations. Even though the young man hadn’t understood his intentions, he hadn’t tried to be clever by defying his orders at all. He truly behaved like a dutiful and conscientious adjutant.

Bei Yang knew he wouldn’t get the answer he wanted from his mouth, so he didn’t press further. He stared straight ahead at the deep, narrow entrance of the valley, his tone turning hesitant, “There must be an ambush on the mountain.”

The narrowest point of the Bania Valley was less than a hundred meters wide. If they continued to plunge deeper, they would only be allowing the enemy to trap them like rats in a jar.

“What?” Bai Heting glanced over at him. “Are you afraid to die?”

Bei Yang shook his head. “I’m not afraid to die. I’m afraid to lose.”

The young man’s gaze was firm, showing not a shred of cowardice. Bai Heting withdrew his eyes, unstrapped his bow and arrows to hand them over to him, keeping only the sword at his waist. “You will halt right here and prepare to engage the enemy.”

With that, he gave his horse’s flank a light kick, but before he could ride more than a few paces, Bei Yang veered his own horse over to block him.

Bai Heting hadn’t expected this fellow to be so unworthy of praise, and barked in a deep voice, “I told you to prepare. What are you doing following me?”

Bei Yang didn’t budge, remaining squarely in front of him. “Before we set out, I gave Luo Congye my word that I would bring you back completely unscathed.”

He placed a heavy emphasis on the word ‘unscathed’,causing Bai Heting to raise an eyebrow in spite of himself. “I thought you couldn’t wait for me to die, so you could avenge Bei Chengzhou.”

Bei Yang remained silent for a few seconds before saying, “One thing has nothing to do with the other.”

Bai Heting nodded in approval. “You’re quite upright. You’re nothing like Bei Chengzhou at all.”

Bei Yang gritted his teeth. “My willingness to temporarily put aside a blood feud does not mean you can insult my brother as you please.”

“Telling the truth counts as an insult?” Bai Heting let out a laugh. “If it were Bei Chengzhou in your place, he wouldn’t give a damn about any promise to Luo Congye. He would only pray for me to be gravely wounded in that valley—because if that happened, Shao Yixiao would be far more likely to throw caution to the wind and hunt us down.”

Bei Yang shut his mouth.

Harsh as the words were, they were the absolute, unvarnished truth. In Bei Chengzhou’s eyes, to allow the Marshal and the Urdan people to reclaim everything that belonged to them, appropriate sacrifices were necessary.

Even if the sacrifice had to be himself.

Losing his patience, Bai Heting maneuvered his horse around him, saying without looking back, “If you don’t want to lose, do as I say.”

*

All eyes were focused on the entrance of the valley, watching as that single rider entered with absolute composure, finally halting at a distance of about two hundred meters from the ground defense line.

Half of this royal army belonged to the infantry, and many among them had once served under Bai Heting’s command. Furthermore, even if one failed to recognize that flawless face, it was impossible not to recognize the black, blue, and silver feather crest emblazoned upon his armor.

Following a collective gasp of astonishment, a dead silence fell over the earth.

Shao Yixiao’s gaze darkened.

What a tenacious life.

Exerting every ounce of effort to suppress the irritation rising in his chest, he spoke in a flat tone, “I truly never expected that the one I would be waiting for here would be General Bai. How is it that General Bai has ended up mixing with Urdan rebels?”

“A man who was given a grand burial by the King appears here alive and well,” Bai Heting countered calmly. “Doesn’t Young General Shao find that strange?”

“Strange? Of course it’s strange.” The corners of Shao Yixiao’s mouth curled into a skin-deep smile. “A man who was given a grand burial by the King is now raising the flag of a treacherous official, I find that exceedingly strange.”

Bai Heting stopped replying. He slowly scanned back and forth through the crowd a few times, then he lifted his head before sweeping his eyes over the potential ambush points.

“I see some familiar faces,” he raised his voice, though his tone remained unhurried. “I believe I once taught you that the tips of your blades should be pointed at the enemy, not your own people. I have come here alone precisely because I want to tell you all that I have no intention of waging war against my own people. Lay down your weapons, and I will not hold your treasonous behavior against you.”

A few sharp bursts of laughter suddenly erupted in the valley.

Once Shao Yixiao finished laughing, his face instantly darkened. “Treasonous behavior? Where does a man who has already betrayed his country find the face to accuse others?” He glanced back behind him and barked fiercely, “Did I tell you to lay down your weapons? Every single one of you, raise your bows!”

Ignoring his questioning, Bai Heting went on, “I’ve heard that Young General Shao is a devout follower of the Xili Religion. If you are truly loyal to your Lord, then you should all the more order your subordinates to lay down their weapons.”

How could Shao Yixiao possibly miss the underlying implication? Without further hesitation, he seized a longbow from the guard beside him and drew an arrow from his quiver.

Yet Bai Heting’s spine remained as straight as ever, like a monument standing immovably in the snow.

“Four years ago, the man I once trusted was determined to put me to death, and went to great lengths to bury the truth, because—”

Shao Yixiao hurriedly notched his arrow and drew the bow, but Bai Heting’s next words cut through the air like cracking stone and drifting clouds, echoing throughout the vast, empty valley—

“I am the lawfully wedded son of the late King and the Ximo noble, Luo Wanyin. I am also the late King’s legitimate eldest son.”

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