Chapter 188: Gong Ao

Inside Fuyang City, on the empty, deserted streets, over a hundred people came walking. The several dozen soldiers under Centurion Man were at the front, while Xu Yang, with thirty trusted men holding Man hostage, followed behind.

Every choice a person makes in any given situation is always driven by some reason in their heart.

Fear of death—that was the force driving Xu Yang to these mad actions. His terror of dying in a foreign land outweighed the danger of being exposed and punished by Qin law. People always consider the immediate threat before the distant worry. All of this man's intelligence and cunning were devoted to figuring out how to escape smoothly; he wanted to throw death far behind him and let someone else face it in his stead.

So Xu Yang was extremely cautious. They walked very slowly, very carefully. At nearly every alley they passed, Xu Yang would send someone to take a look, until two hundred paces from the small courtyard where Li You was resting, a solitary Qin army squad leader appeared before them...

Gong Ao appeared at the other end of the street, holding a bamboo tube high in his hand, walking straight toward the crowd.

The moment he saw the hundred-odd people before him, Gong Ao knew that Li Xian had led him into a huge pit.

Gong Ao was the die that Li Xian used to gamble with, but what face it would land on was entirely beyond his control.

Yet even if it landed on a bad face, he still had his uses: he could stall for time so reinforcements from the city wall could arrive; he could also pin a charge of defying orders and rebellion on Xu Yang, intimidating the soldiers rebelling with him into turning their coats; and finally, he could join forces with everyone inside the town to surround and kill them, minimizing the chaos within the city.

But that way, Gong Ao would very likely become a sacrifice.

In that moment, Gong Ao felt a trace of regret, but he had no intention of backing down. He still walked stiffly forward, causing the people opposite to halt their steps at his appearance.

Gong Ao was born in Yan County in Nan Commandery and lived with his grandfather from childhood. His grandfather had lived through the battle where Bai Qi flooded Yan City and never missed a chance to fill his ears with the horrors that befell that city and the devastating blow the Gong clan suffered. Thus, from a young age, Gong Ao harbored an extra measure of hatred toward Qin, passed down through ancestral memory. He did not even acknowledge himself as a Qin person. Even when, through his uncle's arrangements, he entered the system and became a minor clerk, his resentment never diminished.

Until he was forced to join the Qin army and serve under Heifu.

During this time, he was inadvertently saved by Heifu and owed him two lives. He also gradually grew accustomed to camp life and became a part of this army.

During this time, he witnessed the thunderous collapse of the city of Daliang.

This brought a tremendous shock to Gong Ao. The tragedy his family had suffered years ago was now playing out in Wei, and soon it would be Chu's turn.

After entering Chu, Gong Ao discovered that he could not bring himself to like this country at all. The nobles here were not as noble as he had imagined, and the common people's lives were not as comfortable as he had pictured.

He resented Qin, yet disliked Chu—this was probably the identity dilemma troubling many people from Nan Commandery.

A month ago, when he was lost in confusion over this matter, Heifu gave him guidance.

"Forget Qin and Chu, forget your nationality. Just remember that what you do concerns the rise and fall of your clan, and your own life and future—fight for that. That is enough."

Heifu's words set Gong Ao's mind at ease considerably, though privately he added one line of his own to that speech.

"And also to repay the debts of gratitude I owe."

When the Qin army suffered an unprecedented defeat days ago, Gong Ao had wavered, beginning to doubt whether Qin was finished. But at that time, Heifu spoke to him again.

"This war will not be decided by one or two victories or defeats. For Chu, if they do not wish to see their state destroyed, they must win every single time!"

"Qin, however, is different. Qin has accumulated the fierce momentum of six generations and a century of power. It can afford to lose once, twice, three times. As long as it ultimately crushes Chu, it will win victory."

"You must not let your mind wander now. Before you act, consider your clan still in Nan Commandery in Qin. You absolutely must not implicate them."

Gong Ao obeyed. In the past, though he had listened to Heifu's words, he always felt that Heifu merely followed the rules within the Qin army, never doing anything out of the ordinary or remarkable, and was a completely different kind of person from himself.

A youth who has not yet grown up always feels he is unique, that the world revolves around him.

But this time, after uttering the words "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Heifu resolutely left the city to feign surrender. It was a mission of extreme risk; if it failed, his head would certainly be separated from his body.

In that moment, watching Heifu's departing back, Gong Ao seemed to see the image of a hero moving within the system. He was even more stunned to realize that the person he had always wanted to become was exactly someone like Heifu:

Never shouting empty slogans, only inspiring others through family ties and comradely affection; ordinarily following the rules, yet performing heroic deeds at critical moments.

Alongside his admiration, Gong Ao also felt a spark of defiance!

"If you can do it, why can't I?"

Once that childish stubbornness rose in his heart, no action he took would seem strange anymore.

"Who goes there?"

Xu Yang's trusted men stopped at a distance and asked cautiously.

"I was sent by Commandant Li to deliver an order to Centurion Xu!"

"The Commandant has an order?"

Xu Yang was taken aback. Hadn't Li You passed out from his injuries? How could he be sending him orders now?

By this time, Gong Ao had already walked up before the soldiers. Holding the bamboo tube, he strode forward boldly, without a trace of the feigned humility Heifu had shown when pretending to surrender. Instead, he was as arrogant and swaggering as usual, as if he truly were someone sent by Li You to deliver orders.

He even boldly berated the group: "Why are you here instead of standing guard on the city wall?"

"We..." The trusted men in front looked back at Xu Yang awkwardly and finally found an excuse: "We are rotating shifts!"

"Rotating shifts, I see." Gong Ao smiled. "Here is the thing: the Commandant has woken up. The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was to ask for Centurion Xu. This is a military order!"

Xu Yang's heart fluttered with panic. If Li You had truly regained consciousness, then everything he was doing now was a path to his own death!

But though his heart was panicked, his reason was not yet in disarray. He pointed at Gong Ao and said, "Hand it over!"

"The Commandant's military order can only be received by the centurion in person."

Gong Ao drew the bamboo tube back to his chest, his face showing displeasure. "Could it be that the centurion does not even know this? Make way, all of you! Don't block the path!"

Xu Yang's expression flickered between dark and uncertain. Heifu had not only seized his command authority but also taken away his right to send men to guard the Commandant—it was equivalent to robbing him of his eyes, his ears, and his path of advancement. That was why this mere squad leader under Heifu now dared to be so insolent.

But he was more interested in the contents of the bamboo tube, so he could only swallow his anger and let him pass.

Xu Yang took the bamboo tube with a mixture of doubt and belief. This was the Qin army's protocol for delivering orders: to prevent anyone else from seeing the command, even a simple sentence had to be tightly sealed.

Inside the bamboo tube was a wooden slip with a simple order written on it, telling Xu Yang to come quickly, but it was not Li You's handwriting...

Suspicion arose spontaneously, but the young squad leader delivering the order before him smiled frankly and said, "The Commandant is physically weak and could not write; he had someone beside him write it on his behalf."

Only then did Xu Yang lower his head again to scrutinize the order. The private seal stamped on it was indeed genuine, but his heart remained uneasy. Judging by the state Li You was in when he had visited earlier, how could he have woken up so quickly?

If Li You really had woken up, then all his previous plans would be completely ruined!

What to do? What to do?

Though it was a bitterly cold winter day, Xu Yang was drenched in sweat. He felt as if he had been too clever for his own good and had finally backed himself into a dead end.

"Centurion Xu, come with me quickly. Commandant Li seems to have urgent business and insists on seeing you before he can speak," Gong Ao urged nonchalantly.

"I'm coming right now..." But just as Xu Yang took one step forward, he suddenly snapped awake.

He couldn't go! That place was full of Heifu's men. If he went, wouldn't he be walking to his death? Besides, the man before him was also one of Heifu's trusted men! This could be a trap!

As he hesitated there, Gong Ao did not hesitate at all. He suddenly drew his sword, lunged forward fiercely, and stabbed straight at Xu Yang!

It happened so suddenly that Xu Yang had no time to dodge. Fortunately, one of his trusted men lunged forward and slammed heavily into Gong Ao, causing his sword thrust to go wide — it only tore a large gash across Xu Yang's lapel!

Xu Yang sat down on the ground in shock. Before he could scramble away, Gong Ao hurled a dagger from his hand, but the angle and force fell just short; it only pierced Xu Yang's shoulder. Though bleeding, the wound was not fatal.

Gong Ao, meanwhile, was already surrounded by several fully armed men of Xu Yang's. His sword had flown from his grip after stabbing one of them dead, and he had taken a spear thrust to the back — blood streaming without cease!

Weaponless, Gong Ao heaved a long sigh of regret. He had failed after all. In the current situation, he was surely doomed to die.

"I still couldn't pull it off. If I'd known, I would have practiced sword-throwing more with Dongmen Bao… Ah, well, so be it. If Gong Ao's death alone can buy success for Heifu's stratagem, then I'll have repaid the favor I owed him back in Waihuang!"

Yet just as Gong Ao was about to be cut down by the crowd, Man, who had been standing to the side, suddenly snatched a weapon from a dazed Xu Yang loyalist and blocked a blow for Gong Ao!

"Man!"

Xu Yang roared in fury: "What is the meaning of this?"

"Hundred-Leader Xu has forgotten, I am also a man of Nan Commandery! All my soldiers are Nan Commandery troops! I would rather follow Heifu and fight the enemy to the death than join you in this absurdity!"

Man, who had suddenly turned his coat, pressed his back against Gong Ao's and shouted to the men in front of him — men who still had no idea what they were actually being ordered to do: "Xu Yang has rebelled! He imprisoned the two Hundred-Leaders, Di and Tu, intends to abduct the Commandant, abandon the troops, and flee — and he coerced me as well! Turn your weapons and strike him down at once!"

"Nonsense! It is Heifu who has surrendered to Chu! I was going to rescue the Commandant…"

Xu Yang shouted back frantically and gave the order to his trusted men: "Kill Man! Kill this Squad-Leader!"

Xu Yang's subordinates were trusted men who had followed him for a long time. He had promised them that if they accomplished this, they could avoid a desperate battle and return home safely. At first, the men had believed it to be true. But now, faced with dozens of their comrades in front turning against them, even Xu Yang's trusted men began to waver.

To risk the severe punishment of the law upon themselves and their families by following Xu Yang in this — could it really succeed?

Gong Ao had also said that Li You was already awake! The scheme had failed!

In that moment of hesitation, an arrow flew in from the distance and struck the loudly shouting Xu Yang to the ground. The arrow hit him square in the head — he was clearly dead!

Little Tao appeared on the rooftop. He drew his bow again, aiming at the men present. From the village lanes, many armored Qin soldiers also burst forth, shouting as they rushed over — the men Ji Ying had gone to fetch from the city wall had arrived!

And Li Xian, who had been lying in ambush at the rear for a long time, had already led a squad charging out. They were now right upon them, instead surrounding Xu Yang's men, their dagger-axes and spears all leveled at them!

"Xu Yang has rebelled and attempted to abandon the army and flee. He has now been executed. Any who continue to aid him shall share his crime!"

……

Heifu did not know that while he was away from the city, an internal revolt — one that could have undone the entire feigned-surrender and breakout plan — had been quelled in the blink of an eye by his capable subordinates. It had ended so swiftly that the Chu army outside the city had not heard a single sound…

It was only when Heifu returned to the city that he discovered what awaited him: not only his own subordinates, their faces brimming with pride, but also Xu Yang's massive severed head…

(End of Chapter)