Chapter 114: The Imperial Edict and Secret Decree, Perilous Times and Looming War

With these words, a middle-aged man in silver armor stepped into the courtyard. He had sharp, blade-like eyebrows and a broad nose, giving him an imposing appearance; however, his face was deathly pale, and he coughed intermittently. There was no doubt this was General Xun.

His tiger-like eyes swept over the officers in the courtyard. Furrowing his brows, he barked, "Officers, rise."

The officers were startled and hurriedly stood, moving to form ranks before him, bowing in salute.

Han Chong, standing on the left alongside Leng Feichen and the other two generals, carefully observed this legendary figure he had never met before. The General’s gaze lingered on Han Chong for a fleeting moment before he gave a slight nod.

"Gentlemen, I have just received orders. We depart immediately. Do not whisper among yourselves on the road, do not reveal our tracks, and simply act according to orders."

The officers exchanged bewildered glances. Why the sudden departure? The Left Wei Guard army should not have finished its recruitment yet.

"Move out."

"Understood." The officers dared not question him and followed closely. Yet, Han Chong and Leng Feichen exchanged a look; a vague sense of foreboding settled in their hearts.

After leaving Fengdu, they mounted swift horses. The group of over forty men galloped toward the northwest, covering more than three hundred miles in a single day. They stopped at a post station for a brief rest, changed horses, and set off once more.

This process repeated several times. Even though the officers were high-level Qi practitioners, they were reaching their limit. Finally, at the edge of a desolate forest in the wilderness, General Xun ordered a rest.

Han Chong and the three other generals sat around a campfire with him. One lean, agile guerrilla general cupped his hands and asked, "General Xun, why are we in such a rush? Has something happened to the front lines?"

"Hm? General Li, have you forgotten what I said before we left? Do not ask about things that do not concern you," the General retorted, his brows knitting together coldly.

"Heh, General Xun, if we were carrying out standard orders, we would naturally say nothing. But the men have many doubts about this mission. If you are leading us into a death trap, we must insist on some answers," another fierce-looking general said with clear dissatisfaction.

"What? Are you two questioning my orders? Look at this and see what it is."

With that, he drew a bright yellow imperial decree from his robes.

The four generals immediately stood, bowing low in respectful reception of the imperial command.

"The Imperial Decree: The Demon-Slaying Battalion is ordered to proceed to the Beiting Protectorate immediately without delay. Any violation will be punished as a dereliction of military duty. So it is written."

The four men were shocked. They had never imagined that this mission would warrant an imperial decree. No wonder General Xun was in such a frantic hurry. However, their suspicions only deepened.

With no other choice, they resumed their journey after a short rest, no longer daring to ask the reason.

After nearly twenty days of traveling day and night, the surroundings became increasingly desolate. Nothing met their eyes but Gobi deserts and barren earth hills. Post stations became scarce, and they could only find rest in scattered mountain villages hidden at the bottom of ravines.

While Han Chong and the four generals were of high cultivation and could barely endure the trek, the forty officers were already haggard and listless.

Finally, they saw a vast city nestled between two mountains. The officers’ expressions shifted abruptly.

Amidst the swirling sand and wind, the Beiting Protectorate was besieged by armies from the north and south. Crossbow bolts rained down on the walls like locusts, and scaling ladders were pressed against the defenses. The city was on the brink of collapse, teetering on the edge of total defeat.

General Xun remained silent, his expression unreadable. He let out a long sigh and turned to the officers.

"Gentlemen, since things have come to this, I must tell you the truth. In this northwestern desert, there are strange, predatory insects. You must not use your internal energy or vital essence, or you will attract them. If one spreads to ten, and ten to a hundred, a plague of insects will descend, and not even the gods could save us. We have been sent here as a desperate threat—a 'mutual destruction' tactic—to force the two nations to withdraw."

"What! The Emperor would treat us this way?" The officers stared at the sorrowful and tragic General Xun, their hearts turning cold.

"Do not hold resentment toward the Emperor. In war, death is inevitable. There are hundreds of thousands of civilians and tens of thousands of elite soldiers within the Beiting Protectorate; we are simply here to live or die with them. If the two armies know we are determined to die, they will not dare to push too hard. However, before I left, I was summoned by the Chief of the Ministry. He promised that if we complete this mission, we will be granted promotions and allowed to choose our own postings upon our return."

The officers finally calmed down; the reward was enticing. But he surely left out one thing: if they attempted to flee, they would never make it out of the northwest alive.

General Li and his companion exchanged a glance and asked, "General Xun, the two armies are attacking with arrows like locusts, and we cannot use our energy or techniques. How are we to enter the city?"

"We only need to release the Black Tiger Totem, and the Great Protector of Beiting will send troops to escort us in."

...

Because the valley was blocked by the armies of the two nations, the officers had to scale the high mountain on the east side and climb down.

The following morning, a black tiger formed of clouds soared into the sky, startling the Beiting forces and the two enemy camps alike.

Before long, thousands of troops charged out of the East Gate, breaking the enemy lines and fighting their way to the foot of the mountain. General Xun led the officers to meet them, then mounted their horses and returned to the city, leaving the enemy armies helpless to stop them.

Han Chong and the others followed General Xun to the city gates, where the officers of the Beiting Protectorate stood in formation to welcome them.

"Haha! Might you be General Xun of the Demon-Slaying Division? We have been waiting for you," a general in a red robe and golden helmet said with a smile.

"I am indeed Xun. Greetings to the Great Protector and the various generals. We are late and have kept you waiting."

"Nonsense, General Xun. It has been little more than twenty days since I petitioned the court. You have arrived with the speed of an eagle messenger—there is no such thing as being late. Men, prepare a feast to welcome the officers of the Demon-Slaying Division. General Xun, four Generals, please come with me to the residence for a discussion."

The Great Protector's residence sat in the center of the city, serving as both living quarters and the command center. Soldiers stood guard everywhere, and the air was thick with a murderous aura.

Once they were seated, wine and meat were laid out on the table.

"General Xun, I am Shang Yongxin. Seated here are Deputy Great Protector Duan Shi, Deputy Great Protector Ding Tie, and Deputy Protector Song Yingwei. Thank you for braving the journey to this desolate land. Let me offer you a toast."

After three rounds of drinks, General Xun could not help but ask about the military situation.

Shang Yongxin gave a bitter, awkward smile. "To be honest, General Xun, for the past two months, Shule and Bilu have each sent two hundred thousand troops to attack Beiting. Our Protectorate had one hundred thousand men and ample supplies, but now we have only sixty thousand left. Most of our provisions are gone, our northern and southern supply lines are cut, and we are at risk of falling at any moment. But with your arrival, the two armies will not dare to force a decisive battle; otherwise, they risk bringing upon themselves a plague of desert insects, and we would all perish together. However, this is not a long-term solution. Our remaining grain will only last ten days. By then, even if the enemy doesn't break in, we will starve to death."

The room fell into a heavy silence. The generals’ faces were as grim as water, and they had no appetite left to eat.