Chapter 74

Did Tuyuhun fall?

Li Guanyi's thoughts paused slightly; his impression of this nation still came from his days of fleeing, when Tuyuhun dominated the vast Western Regions—a horseback people who, under their ruler, had crushed other Western tribes, sharpened their weapons, and eyed the Central Plains with hunger.

Its territory was so vast it was hardly smaller than Chen.

How could such a powerful, martial nation, bristling with ambition, perish overnight?

Was it that letter?

Li Guanyi unconsciously conjured this thought, but immediately shattered it—impossible, utterly impossible; his advice had only been to plunder their land and wealth, weaken them, and strengthen himself—not to annihilate their nation.

Tuyuhun was the hegemon of the Western Regions; its disappearance as a colossus would shake the entire realm. Li Guanyi steadied himself and said, "Xue Lao, what happened? Don't keep me guessing."

"I'm only over ten years old."

"I've always been here in Jiangnan—how could such distant events concern me?"

The elder said: "... Tuyuhun has become a dish on the world's table."

He extended a finger toward the map.

Of the Thirty-Six Western Tribes, most had already been crushed by Tuyuhun.

Thus Tuyuhun had amassed strength, preparing to march south and confront Chen. The elder said: "Because of the standoff with General Yue Qianfeng, border troops were relocated... leaving defenses hollow. Tuyuhun's hegemon decided to strike downward, annexing Chen's southwestern territories—and they did exactly that."

"The original plan was to contact the Duke's mansion beyond Ying's borders and the Tangut people."

"To strike at their center while Tuyuhun's battle lines were stretched thin."

Li Guanyi nodded.

He did not mention his advice to the Second Young Master of Ying's Duke's mansion.

The elder exhaled slowly and sighed: "But at this moment, an unexpected event occurred. I have roamed the world for a hundred years, yet still made a mistake—I underestimated the heroes of this world. Tuyuhun's famed general led troops south, and the Tanguts rose in rebellion."

"They lost contact with their rear, grew anxious, and turned their army back."

"Then, from Chen's border, an army surged forth."

"They laid an ambush, skillfully exploiting the moment to pierce Tuyuhun's rear, ultimately crushing their main force, pushing the front line forward, and seizing all three hundred li of Tuyuhun's southern territory."

"Chen's envoys were with the army, negotiating with the Tanguts, installing a Tangut king to establish his own state, while the Tanguts pledged vassalage to Chen; Chen bestowed upon the Tangut leader a woman from a collateral branch of the royal clan, named three months prior."

"Then they invited the Tangut crown prince to Jiangzhou in Chen to attend the Grand Sacrifice."

"Yesterday, the Tanguts established their state."

"Dantai Xianming's congratulatory letter arrived there at the same time."

"The Tanguts will now serve as Chen's shield against the other border tribes."

Li Guanyi's pupils contracted; this massive shift left him stunned. In the boy's mind, Dantai Xianming was merely the chancellor who ordered Xue Daoyong's assassination.

Xue Daoyong's face was complex as he sighed:

"It was Dantai Xianming's scheme."

"While playing the qin beside the Emperor in the palace, he had already dispatched his strategy; while raising his cup and reciting poetry to Zu Wenyuan and Wang Tong, the general he personally promoted from his servants had already stepped onto the battlefield."

"The mobilization of border troops to face General Yue Qianfeng was his bait to Tuyuhun."

"And beside that bait, swords were already drawn—finally severing Tuyuhun's arm. The mountains of problems in this nation—tax loopholes, the people's fury—will now be poured into the newly conquered western territories over the next decade."

"What a court jester, what a treacherous chancellor, what a statesman of this chaotic age."

Xue Daoyong closed his eyes and sighed.

Li Guanyi said: "Even so, Tuyuhun need not have fallen."

Xue Daoyong said: "Of course not, not by this alone."

"But the world has more than just Dantai Xianming with discerning eyes."

The elder's finger pressed against Ying.

"Tuyuhun's internal unrest was not merely our preparation."

"The Seven Lost Kings of the Turkic appeared above Tuyuhun. The Western cavalry were never a match for Iron Fotu—how much less so now, with Tuyuhun's main force deployed? To these Iron Fotu, the Western Regions were an undefended pasture, left to ravage at will."

"In the past, Turkic tactics were direct and blunt; this time, they moved like ghosts—swift, elusive, impossible to pin down. Tuyuhun's defenses and experience against Turkic heavy cavalry became useless, causing even greater casualties. I suspect the Seven Lost Kings now have a supreme military strategist among them."

"But I do not know who."

"And Ying—Ying has moved as well."

"Everyone assumed that after Marshal Yue's arrest and entry into court, Chen and Ying had reconciled, and Ying's troops turned north to face the Turkic. But two days ago, the general who should have been facing the Turkic silently changed."

"The original Ying general led eight thousand iron cavalry out."

"Supply lines had been prepared along the route; they rode day and night, and at sunrise, shattered Tuyuhun's border gates, winning battle after battle. A nation's strength takes decades to build, but one flawed decision can see it devoured whole by the heroes of this chaotic age."

Li Guanyi said: "If Ying's general departs, won't the Turkic notice?"

The elder said: "They noticed..."

He whispered: "As several Turkic tribes advanced against Ying, the general who had raided Tuyuhun switched horses, led his pre-prepared light cavalry, and turned back toward Ying's border; the Turkic had seized Ying's border cities, the people fled, they drank wine—but that very night, the general surrounded them."

"Ying's border fortresses were burned by their own general."

"Tens of thousands of Turkic cavalry were burned alive."

"Then, under the pretext of Turkic arson on the border, he rallied his army and attacked the Turkic. In just four or five days—he rode ten thousand li by night, shattered thirteen cities, slew over thirty generals—and one nation fell, three others trembled, the realm could not find peace. And this man is only thirty-seven. How young the heroes of this world are!"

"Tuyuhun fell into his hands."

"Even Dantai Xianming's strategy only stirred chaos in the realm to profit from it—he never intended such total annihilation, for destroying Tuyuhun would not benefit him. But this Ying general, when he destroyed a nation, showed no mercy."

"Then he ransacked Tuyuhun's capital, capturing every noble, searching for something unknown—over three thousand Tuyuhun nobles died in the process. Yet Dantai Xianming too seemed to be searching for this thing—and in the end, neither side found it."

A few casual words, and countless lives turned on the tide of the world.

Li Guanyi said: "Who is this general?"

The elder said: "Ying's famed general—Yuwen Lie."

"Guanyi, wait a moment."

The elder turned and pulled out a scroll, handing it to Li Guanyi—the Divine General List.

This was naturally no problem at all; Li Guanyi scanned the list but found no such name, until the old man helped turn page after page of scrolls, pointing to the very top of the Divine General List, the part with portraits, where Li Guanyi finally found the title.

But when Li Guanyi looked at the corresponding portrait, his expression froze slightly—he saw the man on the Divine General List, wearing heavy armor, his face entirely concealed, mounted on an exotic beast, wielding a long spear, his gaze cold.

That gaze was precisely the one Li Guanyi had glimpsed before.

The true Bai Hu Da Zong!

"Fifth on the Divine General List of the Realm."

"State of Ying, Yuwen Lie."

"Victorious in foot combat against the Western Regions, victorious in naval warfare against the State of Chen, shattered eighty thousand with three thousand heavy cavalry in direct charge, triumphed over the Turks."

"A true mighty general!"

Bai Hu Da Zong.

The foremost general of the age.

Li Guanyi fell silent, not speaking for a long while; at this moment, he seemed to sense the starlight above, as if fate's bloody clash lay before him, and the tranquil days of Jiangnan Dao were shattered by the blades of iron and fire.

He stared at the general on the scroll, as if seeing the man lift his head to gaze directly at him.

One burdened by heavenly mandate is naturally a hero; compared to older warlords, he had already achieved earth-shattering feats.

Right after Li Guanyi declared "death or victory."

The true Bai Hu Da Zong, with the merit of conquering nations, appeared before Li Guanyi.

Xue Daoyong said: "We plotted in the Western Regions, using merchant cavalry and salt-iron to stir chaos—but alas, heroes are too numerous in this world; all await each other's mistakes. One misstep, and you die, your nation falls. This is the world of chaos."

Li Guanyi held the Divine General List and nodded.

After speaking at length with the old man, he stepped out of Tingfeng Pavilion and sat in the courtyard, gazing at the sky—the sky was deep blue; now Li Guanyi could see the position of the Seven Stars of Bai Hu, and he could hear people on the streets chatting about daily matters: the price of vegetables today, a quarrel between a woman from one household and a man from another.

This was utterly unlike the fierce winds of the Western Regions; Li Guanyi felt a tearing sensation.

He raised his head—the Seven Stars of Bai Hu glowed and shifted above; this must be due to the achievements of that Bai Hu Da Zong—he would soon fight the realm's supreme military master.

Master Siming reappeared from the corner.

Carrying a gourd of wine—one cash per cup, watered down—and a handful of roasted peanuts.

The old man said: "The Western Regions have turned upside down."

Li Guanyi nodded, staring blankly.

He propped his chin, thinking absentmindedly.

The great change in the realm has only just begun—the Western Regions will surely descend into utter chaos.

And this shift in the tide of the realm will ultimately manifest in a grand event gathering the elite of all nations; for some reason, the first thing that came to Li Guanyi's mind was the Great Sacrifice of Chen.

Though it was still over a month away, Li Guanyi already felt the Great Sacrifice of Chen had become a vortex, ready to draw every hero in the realm.

Like the portion of an iceberg visible above the sea.

It's getting more complicated.

The old man sighed, teasing: "Earlier you said 'death or victory'—was that just empty bravado?"

"Do you regret it?"

Li Guanyi replied: "A man must have the heart to draw his sword, to draw his blade."

"To fear the strong and bully the weak—I am not that low."

The old man grinned but said nothing.

He merely sat on the wall, gazing at the stars visible even in daylight, took a sip of wine, and comforted:

"Too bad—if your name were tied to this achievement, the Eastern Land's Star Observing School could help. With starlight refining, perhaps they could make something of that damn thing of yours, the 'Tiger Roar Bone Forging Scripture.'"

"Where did you even dig up that thing? So hard to cultivate."

"Besides starlight, I suppose qi fortune could also refine the body—like my Yin-Yang School… cough, I mean, our Yin-Yang School."

"Our!"

"We have similar methods—based on Qi Gazing, then the core lies in harnessing qi fortune. But such techniques require some distinctive artifact. You truly haven't gotten involved? Right now, all the realm's warlords treat the Western Regions as a cup, the Tuyuhun as soup—everyone wants a share."

"You really haven't gotten involved?"

The old man asked skeptically.

Li Guanyi thought, then affirmed: "I've dipped my toes in a bit—but not much."

Master Siming grinned: "Indeed—you're just a kid."

"How much did you get involved in?"

Li Guanyi gestured with his fingers: "A little."

Master Siming teased: "That much?"

So Li Guanyi made his finger gesture even smaller.

He paused, then made it smaller still.

He himself felt he had nothing to do with the Western Regions or the great affairs of the realm.

The only possible link to the Western Regions was a letter from the border of Ying.

But such a massive affair—Li Guanyi suspected the Second Young Master had merely wandered over for a stroll; even his father didn't know he was there. Li Guanyi, as his half-strategist, now felt like the world was changing, heroes rising one by one, and he and the Second Young Master had just tagged along for some experience.

The old man opened his mouth to spit out peanut shells, then spotted a massive iron pot half-hidden behind a door—he hastily swallowed them back and comforted: "It's fine—even a little is impressive. How old are you? Old man believes you'll achieve great things later."

"Temporary hardship means nothing."

"Right?"

"By the way, what exactly did you do?"

Li Guanyi thought, then pulled out the letter. He decided to see what the Second Young Master had done, then tell the old man the situation—perhaps he could claim a sliver of qi fortune. The letter's words still brimmed with vigor.

"As if seeing your face—your strategy is supreme; I have followed it."

"All gains stem from your strategy."

"I have a gift to present, to mark the bond between us — your stratagem, my valor."

Inside the envelope was something; Li Guanyi gave it a shake, and the thing fell out.

Clang—

It was a seal.

A golden seal with a tiger knob, plain in design, its back inscribed with Tuyuhun script.

The old man glanced at it.

The expression on his face instantly froze.

"?!?!?!?!"

?? Tried inserting an illustration, AI-generated, take a look everyone