Chapter 2105: Dead End

"If the situation expands further, it won't just implicate you and me—Bailie will suffer too." Lu Qingbin stopped his sister, yet frowned and said, "On the day of battle, when I shot that arrow, I always felt Xian Da had already dodged it, yet he still took an arrow to the eye and fell from his horse."

I just felt something was off.

Lu Feiyan asked him: "Are you sure?"

"It was a chaotic melee, and the sky was dark—how could one be certain?" Lu Qingbin gave a bitter smile. "That flower-feathered arrow was indeed mine. Under everyone's eyes, I cannot shirk this responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhixian's heart sank to the bottom of a valley.

As it turns out, the Lu clan chief had judged the enemy remarkably well this time.

News of Xian Da's death on the battlefield returned to Ya State, and the whole nation mourned. The Ya King flew into a rage, demanding Bailie hand over the killer—or he would march all the way to the capital.

Even if the Lu family was downtrodden, they knew Lu Qingbin had done nothing wrong.

Defending the homeland, slaying enemies on the battlefield— which of these is wrong?

Lu Zhisheng hastily wrote a letter to his second son, Lu Qinglin also sought aid from Mou Ting, and so Mou State negotiated with Ya State on one front while dispatching troops to aid Bailie, engaging in fierce combat with Ya State.

The talks made no progress, and the battle situation showed no turning point.

Ya State's terms were not only that Bailie must pay a huge indemnity, but also that they must surrender the murderer, Lu Qingbin!

The Lu clan had placed great hopes on Lu Qinglin, who served Mou State and had long been absent from Bailie. Thus Lu Qingbin shouldered the duty of defending Bailie, becoming the main force resisting Ya State's invasion—truly, his labors were great and his merits high.

How could the Lu clan chief, thick-skinned as he was, possibly push him out to take the blame?

Put bluntly, if they handed over Lu Qingbin, Ya State would invade again later—who could stop them?

With Lu Qingbin as a prior example, which Lu descendant would dare don armor and go to battle again?

Mou State urged Ya State to change its terms, but the latter refused.

Negotiations collapsed, fighting did not cease—it was a fight to the death.

Ya State flared up in anger and continued to reinforce Bailie. The initial force that entered Bailie to plunder and raid numbered only seven or eight hundred; later, when they fought Lu Qingbin, their numbers rose to over two thousand;

Now, Ya State has suddenly added another thirty thousand or more!

When they previously attacked the western Jinjin Plains, Ya State had dispatched no more than this—now they have concentrated all their forces on the Bailie front. Not to mention Bailie, even Mou State is finding it hard to cope.

Recently, Between Between Between Beijia's offensive has been especially fierce, particularly General Qingwu Hong Chenglüe, who shone brilliantly. Mou State gained no advantage on the western front, instead suffering several major defeats, forcing deep strategic and tactical adjustments. If the eastern front continues to entangle with Ya State, fighting on two fronts will drain too much energy and divert too much focus.

Ya State now has plenty of leisure, with ample patience and energy to continue entangling Mou State.

Mou State also clearly understands that a mere Bailie does not warrant Ya State's grand mobilization. The Ya King, using the grief over his dead son as a pretext, is clearly coordinating with Between Between Between Beijia to pin down Mou State on the eastern front and drain its strength.

Therefore, its wisest course is to withdraw in time and escape this mire.

To withdraw troops directly from the battlefield would equal admitting defeat and fleeing—something Mou State cannot do, so it must return its focus to the negotiating table.

Ya State's stance is unyielding: the indemnity may be reduced, but the killer must be surrendered, or this conflict will not cease.

Thus Lu Zhisheng came to find Lu Laoliu's family.

He could not bring himself to say the words "let Lu Qingbin bind himself and go to his death," so he changed his approach:

"The Ya King only wants to vent his anger and have an internal justification. We will alter Lu Qingbin's appearance and send him out of Bailie, find a look-alike here to serve as a decoy, claim he committed suicide, and hand over the corpse to Ya State—surely they will have nothing to say."

Before Lu Zhixian could speak, Lu Feiyan beside him interjected: "If it was Er Ge who killed Xian Da, would you, Clan Chief, treat him this way?"

"If it was Qinglin who did it, this matter would never fall to Bailie to handle!" Lu Zhisheng frowned, tapping the table. "Enough, let's discuss the matter at hand! What I propose is the best way to save Aham's life!"

Lu Qinglin's most important identity is that of a Mou State general. If he had killed Xian Da, Mou State would protect him—how could Lu Laoliu's son compare? In the past, Mou State has slain how many Ya State officers? This debt cannot be calculated, nor should it be.

Grudges of life and death on the battlefield are settled on the battlefield—this is the logic of war.

Why does Ya State insist on clinging to Bailie? Is it not because Bailie is easy to bully?

Such is the world—we have come to this juncture, and yet this little girl raises the issue of fairness to him?

Solving the problem is Bailie's top priority right now.

Lu Zhisheng has keenly sensed Mou State's impatience. If this stalemate continues, the one who will ultimately suffer misfortune is surely Bailie.

Lu Qingbin said solemnly: "If I fake my death, I can never again walk the world under the name Lu Qingbin, nor can I ever again defend Bailie. If Ya State returns to raid, who will stop them? If Ya State intensifies its demands, seeking not just money and goods, but even not people, but this very land of Bailie—who could stop them? Er Ge?"

Lu Feiyan sneered: "If Er Ge were reliable, why didn't he come this time?"

Normally, when she speaks this way, Lu Zhixian would surely rebuke her. But now he says nothing.

Lu Zhisheng did not wrangle with the two juniors, turned to him and asked: "Old?"

Lu Zhixian usually conducts business with a smiling face, but now he is unusually solemn: "Elder Brother, Bailie has already suffered enough bullying from Ya State. Aham slew the enemy commander on the battlefield—he has merit, no fault. Yet you want him to fake his death and flee blame! What crime has he committed?"

Lu Zhisheng stared sternly: "We are family—what meaning is there in discussing merit and fault? What matters now is how to resolve Bailie's crisis! These millions of innocent civilians—why should they suffer the ravages of war?"

"If Elder Brother indulges Ya State's every demand, they will only press harder! Aham spoke true: before they wanted grain and money, you gave; now they want people, you give; later they will push further, demanding Bailie's land—will you be able to refuse?"

"Bullying is nothing but stepping on your bottom line, step by step. If you do not rise in resistance, you can only lower your bottom line again and again, cutting down your own spirit."

Lu Zhixian gestured outward: "One day, these millions of civilians will have nothing to do with you or me."

Lu Zhisheng displeased: "Nonsense—how could it come to this?"

Old Six, where are you placing Mou State?

Lu Feiyan exchanged a firm glance with her brother and declared: "Sooner or later, one of us will die—we would rather die on the battlefield and perish together with the Ya people!"

Lu Zhisheng's face darkened like charcoal, and he could no longer hold back: "What use is it for you to die on the battlefield? Can you stop the Ya army? Can you halt their burning, killing, and plundering? Ya State can at least mobilize two hundred thousand troops—how can Bailie withstand their assault?"

"What good is mere venting of emotion? Back and forth, the troop strengths are mismatched."

If this battle continues, defeat is certain—Bailie's people are doomed to die!