Chapter 670: Deception of Surrender

The recent siege defeats and the loss of thousands of soldiers have already made him hate Wang Xiong to the bone; now, with the city on the verge of falling, his hatred erupts.

The long‑suppressed hatred finally erupts completely, and his words are filled with blood‑soaked ferocity.

Liu Zaizhou let out a long sigh, the tension on his face finally melting away, replaced by a lightness as if a burden had been lifted; he raised his hand to wipe the dust from his face and sighed, "After fighting all these days, Gancao City is finally within our grasp!"

"Now we can finally give an answer to the brothers who died..."

He knows that after days of campaigning his troops are exhausted, and provisions and armaments have been heavily depleted; if they linger any longer, disaster may arise. With the city about to fall, the great weight in his heart finally lifts.

Gao Xiaoyu walked to the desk, lifted his hand to brush over the map of Gancao City, his fingertip resting on the east gate; greed and ferocity filled his eyes as he said, "Wang Xiong, your death time has come!"

"When the city gate opens, we will make Gancao City run red with blood, so everyone knows the fate of those who defy me!"

He has already begun plotting tomorrow's siege deployment, contemplating how to use the inside help to seize Gancao City at the fastest speed, capture Wang Xiong alive, humiliate him, and wash away the shame of recent days.

Inside the Yingzhang the two echoed each other, and the large camp reverberated with the three's scheming and snarls; unnoticed, a plot against them was quietly brewing.

On the other side, Su Mo and Chen Laogen were escorted by personal soldiers to a temporary camp near the western side of the army camp; though the tent was simple, it was stocked with food and drink.

After setting down their gear, the personal soldiers stood outside the tent, claiming to "protect" but actually to watch.

When the soldiers' footsteps faded, Su Mo immediately concealed his gratitude, hurried to the tent entrance, lifted a corner of the curtain, and, by the faint daylight, cautiously surveyed the surroundings.

Chen Laogen's expression changed instantly; the timidity and meekness vanished, replaced by solemnity and resolve, and in a lowered voice he said, "Mr. Su, there are two personal soldiers outside the tent, it seems they are guarding us!"

Su Mo slowly lowered the curtain, turned, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "As expected, Gao Xiaoyu is naturally suspicious; even if he believes our words, he will never fully let his guard down."

"Let us rest calmly, replenish our strength, and after night falls, look for an opportunity to act."

Both knew that the daytime Surrender was only the first step; their true aim was to burn the Qi army's siege engines—

Those ladders, battering rams, and catapults are the Qi army's reliance for sieges; once burned, the Qi army will be like a tiger stripped of its claws, unable to pose a lethal threat to Gancao City.

In the next few hours, the two pretended to be compliant, either leaning against the tent to rest or taking small bites of food.

Occasionally they chatted with the personal soldiers outside, their words full of gratitude toward Gao Xiaoyu and hope for the future, gradually lowering the soldiers' guard.

They were taken as two cowardly deserters who could not stir any trouble.

The sun gradually set, and night, black as ink, slowly enveloped the Qi army camp.

The camp grew quieter; apart from the patrolling soldiers' footsteps and the crackle of distant bonfires, only occasional snores could be heard, as most Qi army soldiers had already rested.

Days of campaigning left them exhausted, waiting only for the upcoming siege, after breaking Gancao City, to recuperate properly.

The two personal soldiers outside the tent were already drowsy, leaning against the tent pole, their eyelids fighting each other.

Inside the tent, Su Mo and Chen Laogen were already awake, leaning together, and by the faint firelight leaking in, their gazes met, each seeing resolve in the other's eyes.

"Almost done!" Su Mo lowered his voice, rose slowly, and in his hand now held a Short Dagger he had slipped from beside the food.

He had hidden it while the personal soldiers were inattentive.

Chen Laogen also rose, gripping the iron staff at his waist.

It was a weapon he deliberately concealed under his tattered clothes when he pretended to surrender; though inconspicuous, it could still defend him.

Su Mo moved lightly to the tent entrance, then suddenly raised his hand and used the Short Dagger to pry open the curtain's latch.

He immediately covered the mouth of the personal soldier near the tent entrance, forced his wrist, and the Short Dagger sliced precisely across the soldier's neck; blood spurted instantly, and the soldier fell softly without a sound.

The soldier on the other side turned at the sound, but before he could react, Chen Laogen lunged forward, smashing his iron staff hard onto the soldier's head.

The soldier's vision went black and he collapsed dead on the spot. The two's movements were clean and swift; within moments, the outside watchers were dealt with.

"Move!" Su Mo barked low, and the two quickly dragged the soldier's corpse to a hidden spot behind the tent, then, using the night and the camp's cover, crouched and slipped toward the Qi army's armory camp.

During the day, when the personal soldiers had guided them, they had memorized the camp's layout; the armory camp lay on the east side of the main camp.

There they stored all the siege engines the Qi army had rushed to build in recent days, along with plenty of Fuel and arrows; it was the camp's most critical point.

Although the guard was strict, because the siege was imminent many soldiers were lax, leaving only a small contingent on duty.

The two took advantage of gaps between patrolling soldiers, after several twists finally reached the outside of the armory camp.

From a distance they saw the camp piled with a dozen ladders, several battering rams, and over ten catapults; beside them, Oil Barrels were neatly arranged, glinting coldly in the moonlight—exactly the place they sought.

About twenty soldiers guarded the camp, all dozing beside the equipment, with only two patrolling back and forth, their vigilance extremely low.

Su Mo and Chen Laogen exchanged a glance, each finding a hidden corner to lie in; when the patrolling soldiers moved away, the two struck simultaneously.

Su Mo's Short Dagger went straight for a sleeping soldier's throat, while Chen Laogen used his iron staff to stun the two nearby; the two coordinated seamlessly, moving through the armory camp like Guimo.

In no time they eliminated the guard soldiers, the whole process silent, without a sound.

"Quick! Light it!" Su Mo hurried to the Oil Barrels, drew his Short Dagger, slashed the barrel's seal forcefully, and the strong smell of Fuel instantly filled the air; he lifted his hand and poured Fuel onto the ladders and battering rams.

Chen Laogen pulled a Fire Striker from his chest; it was a device Wang Xiong had specially given them before leaving the city, wind‑ and moisture‑proof, igniting with a single swipe.

"Sizzle—" the Fire Striker sparked a weak flame; Chen Laogen tossed it onto the Fuel‑soaked ladder, and instantly the flames leapt, spreading rapidly with the wind.

"Burn the catapults again!" Su Mo shouted, slashing open several more Oil Barrels and dousing the catapults with Fuel; Chen Laogen kept throwing Fire Strikers, and the flames instantly reddened half the sky.

"The armory's on fire! The armory's on fire!" The flames in the camp finally alarmed the patrolling soldiers, and the piercing shouts instantly shattered the camp's tranquility.

The Qi army soldiers, awakened from sleep, scrambled for armor and weapons, rushing toward the armory; shouts, cries, fire‑extinguishing sounds intertwined, and the entire Qi army camp erupted into chaos.

Su Mo and Chen Laogen watched the blazing armory, a flash of resolve in their eyes, then turned and sprinted toward the western side of the main camp.

That area, near the wilderness, was the escape route they had prearranged; once out of the camp, they could loop back to Gancao City.

But the Qi army camp was now in utter disorder, countless soldiers pouring in from all directions; just after the two had fled the armory a short distance, a patrol of cavalry spotted them.

"Stop! Those two are traitors! Capture them!" the cavalry leader shouted harshly, his long sword aimed at them; several riders spurred their horses, hooves cracking the night like thunder as they closed in.

Su Mo and Chen Laogen ran desperately, but two legs could not outrun four; as the cavalry drew near, Chen Laogen spun sharply, smashing his iron staff hard onto the foremost rider's horse's hoof.

The rider was caught off guard, the warhorse startled, man and horse toppled.

But the brief hindrance proved useless; the cavalry behind surged forward, pressing several long swords against the two's throats, the cold blades pressed to their skin, immobilizing them.

"How dare you burn our armory, such audacity!" the cavalry leader shouted angrily, raised his hand and waved, "Tie them up! Take them to see the Crown Prince His Highness!"

Rough hemp rope bound the two's hands tightly, digging into their wrists; the cavalry escorted them through the chaotic camp toward the central army's main tent.

Along the way, countless Qi army soldiers glared at them, hurling stones and mud, shouting insults like "traitor" and "betrayer".

The two held their heads high, showing no hint of fear; their eyes contained only a resolve to meet death.

At this moment the central army's main tent was already brightly lit, and Gao Xiaoyu was startled awake from his sleep.

Upon learning the armory camp had been burned and the siege engines destroyed at once, he was furious enough to leap like thunder.

Clad in dark, gold‑threaded armor that was not yet fully on, his chest heaved violently, his eyes filled with raging fire.

Ding Weize and Liu Zaizhou also rushed in, their faces full of shock and anger; looking at the blazing flames outside the tent, their hearts sank.

"Crown Prince, we captured those two pretenders! They almost escaped!" the personal guards escorting Su Mo and Chen Laogen hurried into the main tent, bowed to Gao Xiaoyu and reported, then shoved the two to the ground.

Su Mo and Chen Laogen fell heavily onto the cold floor, their wrists bound by coarse rope that cut them open, yet they kept their spines straight and lifted their eyes toward Gao Xiaoyu.

There was no trace of fear in their eyes, only cold mockery.

Gao Xiaoyu's roar thundered like a startled bolt, echoing through the central army's tent and causing the canvas overhead to sway slightly.

He stared fixedly at Su Mo and Chen Laogen on the ground, blood‑shot eyes, chest heaving wildly, the betrayed fury and humiliation intertwining, nearly devouring him.

"Why! You tell me why!" he kicked the nearby desk; the topographic map and ink on it crashed to the floor with a harsh clang, "I gave you a way to live, gave you wealth, don't you want to live? Yet you still seek death!"

Under his raging gaze, Su Mo slowly propped his torso up from the cold ground, the rope tightening further on his wrist, blood dripping from his fingertips.

The blood stained the soil beneath him, but his spine remained as straight as a city wall, immovable.

He looked up at Gao Xiaoyu, no hint of fear in his eyes, but a blazing light erupted, and he rebuked with conviction: "Live? Of course I want to live! But living has dignity, death has honor!"

"I am a man of Great Zhou, fed by Great Zhou's stipend, defending Great Zhou's city; how could I truly surrender to you Qi thieves!"

His voice rang like striking metal, resonating through the tent: "Do you still want that name behind you? If you truly kneel and surrender today, survive for now, what face will you have before your ancestors when you are under the nine springs?"

"What face to show the brothers who fell in battle in the city?"

"You'll have the world pierce your spine, never finding peace!"

"Well said!" Chen Laogen also lifted his body, though his whole body was wounded, he still puffed his chest; his hoarse voice was full of vigor and anger, "Exactly! My brothers, my Pao Ze, all fell on the city walls, sacrificing themselves for the country, dying rightly!"

"The city they protected with blood, how could I hand it over? On what grounds do you think I would surrender!"

He whirled his head, his gaze sweeping Gao Xiaoyu, Ding Weize and Liu Zaizhou, filled with contempt and hatred: "You Qi thieves, burning, killing, looting, committing every evil, wherever you go, the living are scorched!"

"Great Zhou's people, which one is not ruined by you, families shattered, lives destroyed?"

"Even if I die, I will drag you dog thieves as a shield, never collude with you!"

Su Mo sneered repeatedly, a mocking curve at the corner of his mouth, his eyes like a Blade cutting toward Gao Xiaoyu: "High thief, let me tell you frankly, do you really think the so‑called Provisions shortage and army's morale collapse are true?"

"They are nothing but lies I fabricated to deceive you! In Gancao City, all of us are united, sharing a common hatred of the enemy, swearing to live or die with the city!"

"You damn it, want to take the city, then use the lives of the soldiers under your command to fill it!"

Saying that, he could no longer restrain his exhilaration, burst into hearty laughter: "Hahaha! You think you've grasped a lifeline, not knowing you've stepped into our trap!"

"Your siege engines have been burned, your beautiful dream turned to bubbles, see how you will siege!"

"Watch you try to disgrace the Prince of Qi's face beneath Gancao City's walls!"

"Hahaha!" Chen Laogen also laughed loudly, his laughter full of resolve and delight, "Qi thieves! Your good days are over! Today we burn your engines, tomorrow we take your dogs' lives!"

"Let you know, we Great Zhou lads are far from the cowardly and death‑fearful!"

Their laughter pierced Gao Xiaoyu's heart like needles.

His already raging emotion was fully ignited by the laughter, but before he could act, Su Mo and Chen Laogen had already turned their spears toward him and the whole Qi State, hurling curses.

"Gao Xiaoyu! You dim‑witted, incompetent fool!"

"Heartless and without ambition, only relying on sheer numbers to oppress the people!"

"You think sheer numbers can break Gancao City? That's a daytime dream!"

Su Mo's invective kept flowing, each word a cutting accusation, "You trample lives, maim the loyal, you will sooner or later face divine retribution!"

"When our Great Zhou Iron Cavalry reaches the city gates, we will capture you alive, shred the corpses into fragments, avenging the world's people!"

"And you, Qi State!" Chen Laogen also shouted, his voice like a great bell, shaking eardrums, "You are but a usurped pseudo‑court, a wolf‑cub with wild ambitions, trying to swallow Great Zhou's lands!"

"And your Qi State's emperor! Debauched, incompetent, gullible to slanders, murdering the loyal! Such a Court, such a ruler, will crumble and be despised by all!" Su Mo's rant grew fiercer, his chest heaving wildly, though the wound was pulled painfully, he would not stop, "Our Great Zhou Emperor is wise, the people live in peace and prosperity, unlike your rotten Qi State!"

"What you do today is merely a desperate scramble for survival, and will sooner be eradicated by Great Zhou!"

The two exchanged barbs, each word flowing freely, every phrase like a Blade, stabbing the Qi army's vital points.

Those unbearable words surged like a tide into the Qi army inside the tent, turning their faces ashen, their anger burning.

Ding Weize could no longer contain his fury, drew the long sword at his waist, pointed at Su Mo and Chen Laogen, and barked loudly: "Enough of your nonsense! You two treacherous scoundrels dare insult the Crown Prince, insult Great Qi!"

"Today we will make you suffer endless torment, no place to bury you!"

Liu Zaizhou also trembled with anger, fists clenched, yearning to rush forward and tear these two traitors who insulted Qi State to pieces.

Yet he looked at Gao Xiaoyu, saw the Crown Prince had not yet issued an order, so he forced down his fury, stared fixedly at Su Mo and Chen Laogen, eyes full of murderous intent.

Gao Xiaoyu's face had turned the color of pork liver, trembling all over, teeth chattering, the fire in his eyes almost solidifying, ready to incinerate Su Mo and Chen Laogen.

He had lived so long, never endured such a humiliating disgrace, being publicly insulted by two "surrendered soldiers", and the insults were so vile, so soul‑crushing!

"Enough! Enough!" Gao Xiaoyu finally shattered, howling hysterically, his voice hoarse like a broken gong, "Kill them! Kill them for me!"

"Shatter their bodies into fragments, crush their bones and scatter the ash!"

"I will make them pay the gravest price for today's deeds!"