Chapter 420: The General Dies in a Hundred Battles; the Hero Never Returns

When Lu Youxian died, Yao Guang observed the heavens and saw the star Men of the Great Gate shine brilliantly, then wobble and nearly vanish; when Li Guanyi sensed something was wrong, the soldiers stationed outside Lu Youxian's mansion smelled blood.

Some went to report to Li Guanyi; others formed a five-man formation—two shield-bearers, two spear-wielders, and one elite crossbowman behind—and entered the courtyard, finding only the general, his temple hairs fluttering white, standing solemnly as blood spurted forth.

The news of Lu Youxian's martyrdom reached the Tiance Prefecture.

When Zhou Pinglü arrived, he saw the final glimpse of that solemn general; the young strategist, famed as the foremost schemer, emerged with a dazed, distracted expression, unable to recover for a long while.

Po Jun looked at Lu Youxian, and finally said:

"What a Lu Youxian, what a clumsy general."

"What a defender of cities, who never lost his reputation even in death."

Po Jun saw how Zhou Pinglü and others nearby had their Dao hearts shaken by Lu Youxian; he knew these former Chen generals had been struck to their core by Lu Youxian's heroic choice. He patted Zhou Pinglü's shoulder and said:

"The world is vast—there are those like you, willing to ride across it, seeking peace for the Central Plains."

"And there are those like General Lu, who, even in death, choose to die for their country."

Po Jun paused: "This is good."

"In this chaotic age, warlords surge like bees, heroes rise together, each pursuing their own desires and paths—men who never turn back even in death make this world truly magnificent. Even if to my eyes it seems foolish loyalty, it is still noble and unyielding."

"It is a pity such a fine general served under Chen Dingye."

Zhou Pinglü whispered: "General Lu Youxian is forty-nine this year. When he first joined the army, the Chen Emperor had just been born a few years prior—he saw Chen at its zenith."

Po Jun said: "What a pity. What a pity."

The Tiance Prefecture found the finest wood to craft a coffin and collected Lu Youxian's remains. Li Guanyi gazed at the solemn, closed-eyed general—he had known Lu Youxian since long ago, when Lu Youxian commanded the highest forces near Ducheng, in Weicheng.

Li Guanyi's first official rank, Captain, was won after an argument between Old Master Xue Daoyong and General Lu Youxian; and the very man who nearly forced Li Guanyi and the Fire Qilin into a death trap was this same General Lu Youxian.

Li Guanyi had already returned from Jiangzhou to Yicheng, yet Lu Youxian still deduced Li Guanyi was suspicious and intercepted him early; had Lu Youxian then been only a Sixth Heaven general, and had Yicheng held only its regular garrison—

Had not Master Zu not sacrificed his life to block that sliver of life—

Li Guanyi and the Fire Qilin might not have escaped.

Li Guanyi never expected Lu Youxian would kill himself to die for his country, yet he felt this was exactly what such a general would do. In this chaotic age, it was merely heroes killing heroes.

"Rest now, General. You've fought a fierce battle."

"In this chaotic age, you may sleep in peace."

Li Guanyi cupped the sword in both hands and placed it beside Lu Youxian's body.

He then personally presided over Lu Youxian's funeral; the townsfolk came en masse to see their general off—the old, young, men, women—all weeping. Though it was midsummer, paper money fluttered through the city like snow, blanketing it in white.

Li Guanyi personally carried the bier and buried this modern divine general on the hill beyond Zhenxi Xiongcheng.

Green mountains faint, blue waters evergreen.

Li Guanyi scooped a handful of earth and added it to Lu Youxian's grave: "Let General Lu Youxian forever watch over these townsfolk, living in peace and contentment."

Po Jun looked at Li Guanyi and said: "If Wen He were here, he'd surely smile and ask: 'Lord, you buried Lu Youxian where he surrendered and died—won't that force him to watch this place for all eternity?'"

"That's rather too much like the Underworld."

Li Guanyi said: "A joke about hell?"

"Perhaps so."

He gazed at the solemn tombstone, its inscription carved by his own hand: 【Tomb of Great General Lu Youxian of Chen】. Li Guanyi said:

"But if he truly has awareness beyond death, I hope he sees how the border fortress he poured his soul into will lose its role as a frontier stronghold."

The generals were startled, watching Li Guanyi rise from the grave, his temple hairs stirring:

"Within ten years, Zhenxi Xiongcheng will become an inner city."

"The people of the world will pass through like shuttles; this city will flourish, no longer needing such brutal battles. I believe, if General Lu Youxian knew, he would welcome that future."

Po Jun murmured softly: "Turn a former border fortress into an inner city."

He suddenly smiled: "Lord, sometimes your words sound casual, yet they're terrifying. I don't know if Lu Youxian would be pleased—but to achieve this, our current power is still far from enough."

Li Guanyi looked at Po Jun and said: "Yu Langwang died on the battlefield, Lu Youxian took his life after his city fell, the Living Buddha's golden body entered nirvana, Xiao Wuliang severed his arm and abandoned his cultivation—we've defeated many enemies, but many friends have died."

"They each had their own dreams, their own goals."

Li Guanyi stared at his own hands—once a hand that played the qin, now caked in blood—and said: "We defeated them. We surpassed them."

"In this chaotic age, we've come this far—how many dreams have we shattered? How many futures we crushed?"

His hand pressed against Lu Youxian's tombstone:

"We cannot stop now, Mr."

"The tide of heaven's will surges, vast and mighty."

"Our hands stained with the blood of heroes—if we don't reach the end, how can we stop? If we don't reach the end, how dare we stop?! Mr., will you continue walking with me to that final outcome, after we've broken the world and defeated all warlords?"

Po Jun looked at the divine general, bowed slightly, and smiled:

"How could I refuse?"

Li Guanyi gathered Lu Youxian's tiger tally, rank badge, and other belongings, then sent them to Chen, delivering them only to Ye Chongdao and others, clearly stating they were General Lu Youxian's relics, to be returned to Chen.

Ye Chongdao, Zhou Xianping, and others sighed deeply. Seeing the walls of the city, the Fire Qilin troops standing proud, their morale soaring, they knew such spirit and discipline marked an elite army. They realized that with the vast western frontier as a buffer, the Fire Qilin Army held the city firmly; Chen's reinforcements were no match and could only retreat thirty li to stand guard.

The Tiance Prefecture forces did not immediately advance; a buffer of dozens of li separated both sides, each gathering civilians, no battle yet fought.

Secretly, the general who had proposed Lu Youxian kill civilians for food, clinging desperately to the city, still resented his surrender. Because the Fire Qilin Army was repairing Zhenxi Xiongcheng and temporarily relocating civilians outside, he devised a plan.

He secretly incited other surrendered generals to set fire to the civilians' tents at sunset, burning tens of thousands alive, destroying Qin Wu Hou's reputation for benevolence, and fleeing in the chaos.

It was discovered by Fan Qing, with irrefutable evidence. Before the people of Zhenxi Xiongcheng, his crimes were exposed, and he was sentenced to decapitation. The Fire Qilin Army then governed for a time, punishing those who had exploited the chaos to oppress the good and the wicked soldiers.

Rewards for merit, punishment for faults.

Governed by law, restrained by statutes, yet ruling with benevolence; across the land, civilians were treated equally. Within days, the townsfolk praised the policies, and Zhenxi Xiongcheng gradually regained its former prosperity.

When Ye Chongdao and other generals had just withdrawn from the front, they opened Lu Youxian's belongings: a letter to his wife and children, some silver coins, a few blades, and garments. Ye Chongdao sighed and dispatched a personal soldier to ride horseback and return them.

When Zhenxi Xiongcheng first faced crisis, Lu Youxian was trapped inside the inner city, cut off from the outside. Someone urged Chen Dingye to execute Lu Youxian's family, but Chen Dingye only said:

"Lu Youxian is a fine general of the state. He held a lonely city for dozens of days. We failed to send reinforcements. Even if he was forced to surrender to Li Guanyi, that is your fault, our fault. To kill such a fine general's wife and children—how cold-hearted you are!"

"Treat him generously!"

Thus, not only were Lu Youxian's family not punished, but they were repeatedly rewarded; his son was promoted to a higher official post, his wife was granted a noble title, and imperial favor never ceased. When Lu Youxian later risked his life to smuggle out news, all ministers declared the general loyal.

That day, Chen Dingye suffered from the summer heat and sat alone beneath the palace eaves, cooling himself. Inside the palace stood a great tripod, filled with large blocks of ice, emitting white frosty vapor; even as the season neared the height of summer, a crisp coolness could still be felt.

Chen Dingye dozed with closed eyes, then in his dream saw the destiny of Great Chen as a dragon, as vast as a city, solemn and majestic—but upon closer inspection, he saw countless jackals and tigers within the city, baring fangs and claws, ready to devour the dragon. The city's walls collapsed on all sides, save for the west, where a colossal pillar held up the sky; the dragon of destiny coiled around this pillar, retaining a shred of dignity.

Suddenly, this last pillar holding up the sky trembled and collapsed.

The entire golden dragon of destiny plummeted downward, and the jackals and tigers lunged upon it; its golden scales grew stained and filthy, no longer bearing its former majesty.

A sensation of weightlessness made Chen Dingye shudder—he jolted awake, eyes flying open. The palace was piled high with ice, its chill profound, yet it brought him no peace; he felt only a searing heat, his back soaked with sweat, his heart restless.

As he paced out, he saw a delicate glass wind chime shattered on the palace steps. That day his spirit was unsettled; that night, Ye Chongdao's cavalry delivered the news of Lu Youxian's death in service to the state.

They also brought a wooden box.

Chen Dingye's mind remained dazed. He stared at the box, and unbidden, the image of Chen Fubì's execution—his severed head delivered—flashed repeatedly before his eyes. He feared that opening the box would reveal Lu Youxian's head.

He reached out, his hand trembling slightly, and opened the box.

Inside were only a simple letter, a tiger tally, and a few silver coins. Chen Dingye opened Lu Youxian's final letter, which merely instructed his wife and son: if he died in battle, it was for the state; a general's death upon the battlefield, wrapped in horsehide, was his due duty.

His son lacked bold ambition and mediocre martial skill; in this chaotic age, he could never hold a high office—only to care well for his wife and mother.

【In chaotic times, martial skill may protect oneself, but must not be used to oppress the weak.】

【A true man stands seven feet tall between heaven and earth; his body may be humiliated, but his heart must never be.】

【Do no evil, do not oppress the weak, do not bully the people, do not flatter the rich and powerful.】

【Hold fast to this heart, and you shall preserve yourself.】

The eunuch in charge of court rituals saw the suspicious emperor stare long at Lu Youxian's final letter, unable to recover his composure. The official chronicle later recorded: 【The Emperor gazed around, weeping.】 This was one of the rare moments the cold and ruthless monarch lost control of his emotions.

This time, Chen Dingye did not, because of his suspicion, forcibly appoint Lu Youxian's son. Instead, he honored Lu's wishes by granting him a minor, unprofitable post.

This added to his reputation the judgment: 【The Emperor is harsh and ungracious; Lu Youxian died for the state, yet his son received no favor.】

Then he personally delivered Lu Youxian's helmet to his wife.

Lu the General's death left no wealth behind—only a dozen mu of farmland. Stern and upright, he never embezzled surplus funds, living solely on his salary, often aiding the poor. His wife, now fifty-one, received Lu Youxian's relics with solemn reverence.

She settled all personnel in the general's mansion, paid them several months' wages, then dismissed servants and attendants—retaining only three elderly servants, utterly destitute. When asked where they would go, they replied:

The world had been in chaos for years. When young, I left my hometown and once returned with savings, only to find ruins surrounding every well. When I asked about former residents, all answered, "I don't know."

My sister married far away, and now her hair is entirely white.

Though the world is vast, there is no home left. Better to stay here.

Within Yicheng—

The old Shopkeeper closed the Huichun Hall, donned a gray robe, and walked through Yicheng's streets to the tavern where one copper coin bought a cup of wine. The tavern's Fatty Shopkeeper had grown thin over the past two years, yet the portions of food and drink remained unchanged.

The old Shopkeeper pulled out several large coins, ordered fresh-cut vegetables, some roasted peanuts, and a cup of cloudy wine, sipping alone, lamenting how few of his former patrons remained.

The tavern's Fatty Shopkeeper laughed: "In this chaotic age, human warmth is as fleeting as water."

"Old patrons leave, new ones arrive; the new ones become old, then vanish—no one knows where. That's how it is. Didn't you once have a young pharmacist named Li Guanyi?"

"Haven't seen him in three or four years either?"

The old Shopkeeper recalled the man: "Yes. Back then, the young master was immature, and some troubles arose. Now, at last, he's learned some human ways."

The Fatty Shopkeeper sighed: "That boy—I barely remembered him—but his name matches the rising Qin Wu Hou. Had I not seen him myself, I'd suspect he's the very warlord now dominating the realm."

The old Shopkeeper laughed: "What a joke!"

"All these years, your jokes have gotten better."

"I haven't seen him in years either. Don't know where he went."

The Fatty Shopkeeper grinned: "Maybe next time we meet, he'll arrive with ten thousand troops—Qin Wu Hou himself." The old Shopkeeper laughed: "If he truly is Qin Wu Hou, I'll have to drink my fill."

The two laughed. Outside, a knock came at the door. The Fatty Shopkeeper, now without any assistants, tossed a towel over his shoulder and called: "Guests, come in!"

Outside stood a woman in her early fifties, dressed in dark clothing, quiet and still. The Fatty Shopkeeper had never seen her before, and smiled: "Madam, come to buy wine and meat for your family?"

"What would you like?"

The woman said: "My husband often came here for drinks. He left unpaid debts. Today I've come to settle them."

The Fatty Shopkeeper sensed something unusual. "Which old friend? If he's in trouble, forget the debt—ha ha! Consider it his patronage."

The slightly aged woman smiled: "He's merely away on business. He's always forgetful, but he's not short on coins. He's just stubborn—he hates owing anyone, and it troubles him."

The Fatty Shopkeeper chuckled: "Of course. Which old friend?"

The woman named a man. The Fatty Shopkeeper said: "Ah, him. Not much—just over a hundred and forty coppers. Round it down—just give me one hundred and forty." The woman took coins from her purse, spilled them on the table, and settled the account.

The Fatty Shopkeeper pushed one large coin back toward her, saying:

"Keep this one—as a keepsake."

"If you ever remember this place, come have a drink."

The woman looked at him: "No. I'll pay."

"This cup is my husband's gift to you."

The Fatty Shopkeeper fell silent. He held the coin, lips trembling, a trace of sorrow crossing his face. The woman nodded, smiling: "Thank you all for tolerating my husband."

"He's awkward, blunt. If he ever said something wrong, please forgive him."

She bowed, then walked slowly away, vanishing into the crowd, fading bit by bit. The old Shopkeeper turned his gaze back and said:

"... Who was that?"

The Fatty Shopkeeper replied: "The broad-shouldered man who always sat alone in the corner, watching the street. Probably a soldier. In this age, he must've been broken somewhere. He rarely spoke, had no friends."

"He never ordered dishes—just watched the crowd come and go, drinking three jugs of wine."

"Afterward, he'd settle his tab without a word and leave."

"He paid every few months. I hadn't seen him in ages—I'd written him off as a dead debt. I never expected him to remember, to come back and settle it."

The old Shopkeeper said: "He kept an inner ledger."

The two men said nothing more, only drank in silence.

Their wine bowls clinked, the sound of old friends long scattered.

The woman, her hair now mostly white, had completed everything her husband had asked for in his letter; finally, she walked to the old tree, watching passersby, and suddenly choked back sobs—she had read this final letter over and over again.

Things Lu Youxian himself had never managed to do, and some truths he had never confessed.

"Big sister, I'm leaving now. Thank you for doing all this for me at last."

"Lu Youxian bows his head."

"By the way, when you were fourteen, on the Qiqiao Festival, the kite you dropped—I knocked it down. I owe you an apology."

"We were young then."

"I always liked teasing you, yet had no manners. I've remembered it for over thirty years."

The woman, long past her prime, held back for a long time, held back and held back, until at last she could bear it no longer—she reached out, pressed her hand to her lips, and wept openly by the roadside.

……………

After Li Guanyi buried Lu Youxian, Zhenxi Xiongcheng gradually returned to normal. Summer had reached its peak, and each autumn, the water levels across the realm surged—that was Li Guanyi's opportunity to move his forces downstream along the waterways.

Ku Yu lie, the Furious Scale Dragon King, who had long suffered repeated defeats in the western front under Yuan Zhi and Master Yan Daiqing, could finally be put to use; during this time, he used rare materials from the west to build ships.

He also purchased ships from merchant guilds across the region, mobilizing the entire western realm's strength to prepare for the autumn siege.

The Water Warfare Commander, who had been repeatedly thwarted on the western desert battlefield until he could barely raise his head, sharpened his resolve, determined to complete this most critical strategy, and had simultaneously sent messages through Changfeng Lady to the Jiangnan region.

When the moment came, forces upstream and downstream would strike together, shattering the realm's balance.

And this crucial strategic step still had one final location remaining.

The southwest.

Li Guanyi had already sent a reply to the Southwest King, but afterward plunged into a two-month-long siege—meaning this communication had been delayed for two full months; by now, delay invited change.

The generals and strategists of the Anxi Protectorate disagreed on how to approach the southwest: warriors of Khitan origin like Qi Bi Li and Hao Yuan Xia argued that without authority and military might, any negotiation would be seen as weakness.

"Please, my lord, wait a few days. We will ready our troops, assemble ten thousand elite soldiers, and march to the southwest under the names of Qin Wu Hou and Tian Kehan—only then will it appear formal, and avoid being disrespected."

But others countered: "Our forces have just defeated the Great Chen, seized territory, and Chen's Lu Youxian died by his own hand to uphold his nation—his name resounds across the land. We now stand before the southwest with an army that has conquered city after city."

"The Southwest King fears us, but he will surely suspect we intend to strike outright—wouldn't that ignite rebellion in his heart, turning a good opportunity into chaos?"

The generals and strategists argued endlessly, each holding firm views, when suddenly, a guest who had arrived in the west long ago but had been barred from the frontlines by war reached them.

Wen He personally escorted the guest to Zhenxi Xiongcheng.

The man was white-haired, possessed the Wu Gong of the Eighth Heaven, and was a top-tier figure in the martial world; he wore a dark robe with subtle patterns and held a sealed scroll bearing the imprint of a crimson dragon.

It was none other than Prince Ji Yanzhong, the broad-shouldered elder who, months earlier, had been sent by Emperor Ji Zichang on secret orders from Zhongzhou to the west.

What he carried.

Was the imperial decree from the Crimson Emperor's lineage, bestowing the title of "Enfeoffment" upon Li Guanyi!

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