Chapter 637

Northern Guard Pass

The brief exhilaration brought by the victory report has already settled.

On and off the walls of the pass, there lingers the fatigue after the great battle, and an even more vigilant killing intent.

Although the Northern Yuan army has retreated, its encampment has not withdrawn, still holding position thirty li out.

Like a wounded vicious wolf, licking its wounds, its eyes cold and gloomy.

Everyone knows that the next strike will only be more ferocious.

Eagle View Cliff

Night once again shrouds the wilderness.

Chen Wen dismissed his attendants and stood alone atop the cliff.

In his hand were two sealed letters that had arrived almost simultaneously.

One came from the Xijing Secretariat, personally penned by Zhang Cheng, summarizing intelligence from all quarters.

The other came via the tenuous channel that Wang Ru had painstakingly maintained, relayed from Luoyang in the False Song world.

The handwriting is hurried, and some parts are blurred by bloodstains.

But the meaning is clear enough to weigh heavily on the heart.

He first opened Zhang Cheng's letter.

His eyes quickly scanned the lines of rigorous text.

"... The Bei Jing front is initially settled, but the Northern Yuan's main force remains unscathed; the movements of the 'mother nest' deep in the grasslands are unknown, and no definite news has yet returned from Minister Zhao (Zhao Lao Nian)."

"... The Feng and Cui garrisons in the southern borders, having received the second secretariat order, have resumed mobilizing troops, but their progress remains slow, likely due to hesitation."

"... The workshops in Xijing have reached their production limit; new troops are being intensively trained, but the loss of veteran elite troops cannot be made up in the short term."

Stating facts, analyzing pros and cons, the argument is clear and orderly.

At the end of the letter, Zhang Cheng raised his concern:

"... The Northern Yuan has just suffered a defeat; in the short term it may be unable to organize another large-scale offensive. Yet the power behind it remains intact, and there may be other changes. If the situation in the False Song world continues to deteriorate, the Yuan forces could unify the north of the river, and their momentum, sweeping along with the tide, might be more than Luoyang alone can withstand. By then, the situation of General Yue Fei and others would be as perilous as a stack of eggs."

"... My humble opinion is that the Bei Jing defensive line has been established and can be held for now. The matter of 'cutting the nest' cannot be rushed. The urgent task may be to reassess the east-west situation again and prepare early for... extreme contingencies."

"Extreme contingency preparations"

Chen Wen understood Zhang Cheng's hint.

When the overwhelming momentum of the Yuan in the False Song world becomes utterly irreversible, Luoyang will inevitably fall.

The fate of Yue Fei and other such variables will either be death in battle or elimination.

Then, the previously devised 'fire seed transfer' plan shifts from a long-term conception to an urgent, possibly the only, option.

He set down Zhang Cheng's letter.

He drew a deep breath of the icy night air.

Then he unfolded that bloody letter from Luoyang.

The letter was penned by Wu Yong and sealed with Yue Fei's stamp.

The content is even briefer, yet every word weighs a thousand jin.

"... The Yuan forces have encircled, leaving no gap. Daily consumption rises, casualties mount. The False Song court has no hope left. The Jin state is utterly destroyed, and the western route is cut off."

"... The enemy forces do not seem eager to attack; they aim to wear us down, exhaust us, trap us. Yet their armies gather in clouds, supplies abundant, able to endure long. Our city's provisions and arms dwindle day by day."

"... Officers and men give their all, the populace is of one heart, the resolve that the city stands as long as its people remain unchanged. Yet in such circumstances, a single log cannot support a great hall."

"... Previously, the lord informed us of the world's secret, the light curtain's separation, the hope of the fire seed. Now the situation may not allow much delay."

"... If the matter cannot be done, then extraordinary measures must be taken. Yet the passage is cut off, inside and outside isolated, leaving us only to sigh in helplessness."

"... All we can hope is that the lord preserves himself well and continues the fire of the variable. We here will exert our utmost, not failing the name 'Northward Aspiration' nor the lord's trust."

"... If there is any mishap, on the day our souls return, we also hope for the eastern lands."

The letter ends here abruptly.

There is no pleading.

There is no despair.

Only a calm, near‑cold analysis of the situation, and a tranquil resolve prepared for the worst outcome.

Even, at the end, a faint hope is revealed for that slim chance of the 'fire seed transfer,' and… an regret that cannot be fulfilled.

Chen Wen silently folded the letter paper.

He placed it close to his body inside his garments.

The paper is coarse, yet it seems to carry the beacon smoke and blood‑stained air of Luoyang's city walls.

And there is that weighty trust and commission.

He turned around.

He gazed westward.

His gaze seemed to pierce the vast night, to pierce that great light curtain.

He saw the lone city being slowly swallowed by a black tide.

He saw the figure on the city wall, sword in hand, standing firm and unyielding.

The situation is now quite clear.

Bei Jing, relying on the great victory at Ye Fox Ridge and the newly acquired Lv. 6 ability, has temporarily steadied its footing.

But the Northern Yuan is fundamentally unharmed; the malignant tumor deep in the grasslands remains, and the threat is far from eliminated.

In the False Song world, the Yuan's momentum has already formed, sweeping across the north of the river, its troops pressing to the Yangtze.

The Lin'an court is corrupt and inept, its collapse imminent.

Luoyang has become the last isolated island in the flood.

The fall is just a matter of time.

Moreover, this time won't be too long.

""Fire seed……""

Chen Wen softly repeated these two words.

Back when he confessed everything to Yue Fei in Luoyang, he proposed this idea; it was more a long-term strategy, a final retreat.

But now.

This retreat route has become possibly the only chance of survival for Yue Fei and the others.

It has also become an important bargaining chip for the Chen Dynasty's future resistance against the Iron Crow Army's 'script'.

Yue Fei, Wu Yong, Lin Chong, Zhang Xian…… these people are not merely generals.

They are 'variables' struggling to survive and change their own fate within the 'script' world.

Their very existence, their beliefs and abilities, are the strongest proof against 'predetermined history'.

If we let them be devoured by the ''Yuan'' army and wiped out by the Iron Crow Army,

It is not merely a great loss.

It is also a kind of…… spiritual defeat.

""We must go fetch them.""

In Chen Wen's heart, this thought became extraordinarily clear, extraordinarily resolute.

It is not an option.

It is a necessity.

But, how to go?

The repulsion force of the Light Curtain's rules still exists.

Zhao Lao Nian's one-time stabilizer channel device has limited energy and difficult positioning.

More importantly, what about the Bei Jing side?

If I leave, what if the Northern Yuan launches another major attack—can Shi Dun, Zhang Cheng and the others hold out?

Moreover, Zhao Lao Nian's 'Nest-Strike Operation' is at a critical juncture; I cannot provide support, nor even learn of its progress.

This is like a scale bearing a huge wager.

One side is the 'fire seed' of the False Song world on the verge of collapse.

One side is the Chen Dynasty's Bei Jing defenses still stern, and the hidden dangers lurking deep in the grasslands.

How to choose?

How to balance?

Chen Wen closed his eyes.

""Fortune Momentum Insight"" ability quietly operates.

It is not a wide-range scan.

But rather to sense the subtle ties of cause and effect and momentum between oneself and the two worlds and several key figures.

Confrontation with the 'tainted' and restless momentum at the core of the Northern Yuan's main camp.

And the faint, anxious connection with Zhao Lao Nian in the northwest direction.

And with the steadfast yet gradually darkness-shrouded fortune of Yue Fei and company beyond the western Light Curtain.

Moreover, within Zhenbei Pass, the Chen Dynasty soldiers' battle will, tempered by blood and fire, has become more solid.

And within oneself, the power grown more formidable after breaking through Level 6, yet also beginning to feel a faint, almost imperceptible repulsion and pressure from the world's rules due to using the ability.

All these perceptions flow into the mind.

Like tangled threads.

He needs to draw out the most crucial thread from among them.

To make a decision that could affect the future course of both worlds.

Decision.

Time, trickling by bit by bit.

Cold wind howls at the cliff's summit.

Chen Wen stands like a statue.

Until a faint, almost imperceptible fish-belly white appears on the eastern horizon.

He slowly opened his eyes.

In his eyes, there is no longer hesitation.

Only a sheet of clear calm.

""Summon Zhang Cheng and Shi Dun.""

He gave the order in a calm voice.

""Yes."" In the darkness, the personal guards responded softly and swiftly departed.

Not long after.

Zhang Cheng and Shi Dun, one after the other, climbed up Eagle Overlook Rock.

Both bore the fatigue of staying up late on their faces, yet their eyes were alert.

Evidently, they both sensed that a major matter was about to be decided.

Chen Wen wasted no words.

He directly briefed them on the contents of the two sealed letters.

Especially the crisis in Luoyang, and what Yue Fei's letter said.

Zhang Cheng's brows were locked tight, he remained silent.

Shi Dun stared wide-eyed, his fists clenched with a creaking sound.

"Damn it! General Yue and them..." Shi Dun's voice muffled, "My lord, we can't just watch General Yue and them die trapped! Back when we were dealing with the False Song, they helped us a lot!"

"I know." Chen Wen nodded.

"So, I've decided."

He looked at the two of them and said, word by word:

"I want to go to the False Song world again."

"Go to Luoyang."

"Bring Yue Fei and them over."

Shi Dun's eyes lit up.

"I'll go with you, my lord!"

"No."

Chen Wen shook his head.

"You have to stay."

"Bei Jing cannot be without a senior general to hold the fort."

"Although the Northern Yuan has been defeated, the enemy's heart is not dead. During my absence, the defense of Bei Jing will be under your command, with Zhang Cheng as your assistant."

"The strategy is just one word: hold."

"Rely on the passes and walls, use equipment, and wear down the enemy army."

"No reckless battles, no sallying out of the passes."

"Can you do it?"

Shi Dun's chest heaved, obviously wanting to argue.

But seeing Chen Wen's unquestionable gaze, and then glancing at the silent Zhang Cheng beside him,

Finally, he clasped his fists firmly.

"My lord, rest assured! As long as I, Shi Dun, have a breath left, the Northern Yuan's brats won't set foot one step into Guard North Pass!"

"Good."

Chen Wen patted his sturdy shoulder.

Then he looked toward Zhang Cheng.

"The central command of Xijing, logistics coordination, intelligence gathering, and all-around coordination—I entrust them to you."

"Especially the Feng and Cui garrisons in the south, keep applying pressure and urge them to move north. If they again pretend compliance while secretly defying..."

A cold glint flashed in Chen Wen's eyes.

"The accounts Qian Gui gathered can now be put to use. If necessary, we can kill a chicken to scare the monkeys."

"Zhang Cheng bowed solemnly."

"I understand. I will guarantee the rear is safe, with supplies and arms flowing continuously."

He paused, then looked up at Chen Wen, his eyes filled with deep worry.

"My lord, crossing the light curtain is extremely risky. The passage device developed by Minister Zhao has limited energy and may not be precise. Moreover, the False Song world is now under Yuan army control, Luoyang is heavily besieged, and you would be going in alone..."

"Not alone."

"Chen Wen interrupted him."

"Wang Ru is still there; she will meet us."

"Furthermore..."

"He gazed toward the west."

"Some things must be done by someone."

"Some risks must be taken by someone."

"Yue Fei and them are worth me taking this risk."

"The future of the Chen dynasty also needs them."

"Zhang Cheng stopped trying to dissuade him."

"He merely gave a deep bow."

"I wish you success and a safe return."

"Chen Wen nodded."

"After I leave, Bei Jing will be in your hands."

"Besides, regarding Zhao Lao Nian's side... if any news comes back, everything will be up to you to decide on the spot."

"Remember."

"His gaze swept over the two of them."

"Hold this place."

"That is the greatest support for me."

"And it is also for the 'fire seed' to someday take root and sprout here."

"To gain the most precious time and space."

"Zhang Cheng and Shi Dun exchanged a glance."

"They replied in unison:"

"Received the order!"

Chen Wen said no more.

He turned around.

He faced west again.

The morning light grew brighter.

It illuminated his calm and resolute profile.

The decision was made.

The road ahead is perilous.

But.

He went forward without looking back.