Fifty thousand Cloud Province iron cavalry, ten headless trophies of war erected.
...
On the watchtower of the camp, Lin Zhao gazed from afar at the ten headless trophies, his warrior's heart thrumming. It seemed to sense his anger at this moment. Between humanity and the four northern tribes, there was an ancient enmity, never to be reconciled.
The ten headless trophies were but a fleeting spectacle, vanishing into the night within moments. The Ghost Tribe, it seemed, merely intended to intimidate humanity and had no plan to commence hostilities.
This left Lin Zhao with a hint of disappointment. Whether it were the ten headless trophies or the twenty demon tribe tents, if they wanted to fight, let them fight. Humanity was fully prepared. The outcome of the battles to come would have to be left to fate.
Meanwhile, beneath Tianchi Town, a monumental change was unfolding.
A constant hum filled the air as the eight Dragon Walls trembled. They seemed to sense the presence of the ten headless trophies to the north. The souls of the fifty thousand Cloud Province iron cavalry had not found peace, and the flow of fate between life and death was continuously absorbed by the Dragon Walls, transforming into the national destiny of the Great Chen Dynasty. However, it appeared to be a destiny that the Great Chen Dynasty could not bear. The Dragon Walls groaned, and faint cracks even began to appear. The king's sword at the center of the great formation also vibrated slightly.
"Is it truly impossible?"
Chu Huaixi knelt before the king's sword, his eyes bloodshot, his entire being on the verge of madness.
"Why bother?"
Qin Suihan reappeared, his brow furrowed. "The national destiny of the Great Chen Dynasty is at its end. Even if there is a new beginning, it should not be in this manner. Chu Huaixi, give up. It's meaningless."
"No..."
Chu Huaixi gritted his teeth. "There must be another way..."
"Fifty thousand Cloud Province iron cavalry, countless loyal and heroic souls. Can your small vassal state, the Great Chen Dynasty, truly bear such vast righteousness and noble spirit?" Qin Suihan frowned. "The destiny of the Great Chen Dynasty should stem from the very breath of every surviving citizen of the Great Chen Dynasty, not by utilizing those fifty thousand Cloud Province iron cavalry. You are like a hen laying eggs for another."
"But... but why?"
Chu Huaixi looked up, his resolute face contorted slightly. "Mr. Qin, you are a Confucian Sage. You must have a way to resolve this..."
Qin Suihan gazed at the commander with pity. "Under the Heavenly Dao, you, Chu Huaixi, insist on defying heaven. Truly foolish!"
At that moment, the Heavenly Dao's oppressive force, imbued with the intent of death, struck again.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
With deafening roars, the Dragon Walls shattered one by one. The king's sword before Chu Huaixi could no longer withstand the crushing weight of this destiny and snapped into two pieces.
"Ah..."
Chu Huaixi was aghast, his face ashen. Years of effort, years of planning, all had turned into a mirage. His heart was filled with unyielding resentment, burning anger, and profound bewilderment.
"Return to the battlefield."
Qin Suihan said calmly, "Chu Huaixi is the foremost general of the human race in the north, the unparalleled genius who guarded the gates of the Great Chen Dynasty in those days. He should not die here. If you must die, let it be on the battlefield."
"Understood."
Chu Huaixi picked up the broken sword and sheathed it at his waist. He clasped his hands in a bow to Qin Suihan, his voice now considerably softer. "Chu Huaixi goes to his death... Children of the Great Chen Dynasty... I ask Mr. Qin to look after them."
"Go."
Qin Suihan gently waved his sleeve. "Heaven, Earth, and the hearts of men will watch over them."
"Thank you!"
Chu Huaixi turned and departed, his expression growing resolute. With a light step, the entire Dragon Wall formation turned to dust.
...
Several days later.
The demon tribe had still not attacked. Chu Huaixi had returned to the Tianchi Army camp. In his hands, he held a banner bearing the character "Chen," the grand banner of the Great Chen Dynasty. He carefully folded it and placed it on his command desk.
"Commander Chu..."
Lin Zhao stood up, looking in surprise at the Chen banner on the desk. "What is this...?"
"Lin Zhao..."
Chu Huaixi smiled slightly. "During the great battle, our Tianchi Army will not fly the banners of the Great Shang, but will all fly the Chen banner of our Great Chen Dynasty. What do you think?"
Lin Zhao frowned.
"Old Huang, Princess Yu."
Chu Huaixi waved his hand gently. "Please both of you step out. Commander Lin and I have something to discuss."
At this moment, his address to Lin Zhao had surprisingly become "Commander Lin."
"Yes!"
Huang Tingyu and Chen Yu rose and left Lin Zhao's command tent.
"Commander Chu..."
Lin Zhao gritted his teeth and whispered, "Did I do something wrong?"
"It's nothing."
Chu Huaixi smiled. "Lin Zhao, do you feel I've gone too far in some matters? Or perhaps, that I, Chu Huaixi, am too stubborn and rigid? Is that right?"
"Not exactly."
Lin Zhao frowned. "May I speak frankly?"
"Yes, go ahead!"
"Commander Chu!"
The young man bowed slightly to Chu Huaixi, then straightened, meeting the gaze of his former commander. His voice was clear and resonant as he said, "I merely believe that with the impending storm, we should not have so many divisions based on our origins. The armies of the Great Chen Dynasty and the Great Shang Dynasty are, after all, merely human armies. Before the four northern tribes, we should be united, setting aside our differences for the time being."
He frowned. "Perhaps I, Lin Zhao, am too young and do not understand many things, but this is truly how I feel in my heart. If every army is divided by its origins and affiliations, it will be difficult for that army to unite as one to fight the enemy."
"It's alright, I don't blame you."
Chu Huaixi smiled. "You, Lin Zhao, feel that I, Chu Huaixi, have always considered myself the commander of the Great Chen Dynasty, clinging to it and refusing to submit to the Great Shang, and that this is too rigid, becoming an obstacle to humanity's resistance against the demon tribe. Is that correct?"
"Commander Chu..."
The young man gritted his teeth. "I didn't mean it that way..."
"It doesn't matter."
Chu Huaixi smiled sadly, his eyes filled with complexity. He spoke with a bitter smile, "Why am I like this? Why do I always care about the Great Chen Dynasty and refuse to join the Great Shang? It is because... in the past, our warhorses could drink from the Lanxi River without fear of enemy arrows, and our people could farm and prosper in the fertile lands of the Hexi Plain without fear of their fields being trampled or their homes burned to ashes. The women of our Great Chen Dynasty could marry the men of their choice, not be forcibly married to men of the Great Shang Dynasty. In the past, our people could hold their heads high and live with dignity. Is everything I have done merely for my own glory and ambition?"
"The women of our Great Chen Dynasty... could marry the men of their choice..."
Lin Zhao murmured the words repeatedly. At this moment, he thought of his mother, of Chen Yu, of Xiao Jiu'er. They were all women of the Great Chen Dynasty. And hadn't everything Chu Huaixi had done been for them as well?
"Commander Chu."
Lin Zhao slowly clasped his hands in a bow. "I am sorry... I was wrong. I accept this Chen banner. When I take command, I will fly the Chen banner!"
Chu Huaixi gave a carefree smile and gently patted the young man's shoulder. "That's more like the son of Lin Zhengxi... I, Chu Huaixi, am brothers with Lin Zhengxi, which makes me your half-uncle. Lin Zhao, haven't you always wanted to break the deadlock? If so, let your uncle be your vanguard and take the first step in your plan, how about it?"
Lin Zhao was stunned. "What does Commander Chu intend to do?"
"Attack."
Chu Huaixi smiled slightly. "At noon, I will lead the Vanguard Camp, the Formation Breaking Camp, the Blitz Camp, and the Broken Saber Camp in a fierce assault on the demon tribe's encampment. The Death-Defying Camp, the Wind Riding Camp, the Ironclad Infantry, and the Mighty Shock Camp will be left to you. If I fall in battle, you will treat Princess Yu well."
With that, the renowned general of the era turned and walked away, never looking back.
Lin Zhao stood frozen on the spot. Chu Huaixi was going to his death, and he had entrusted Chen Yu to him. This indicated that Chu Huaixi was not unaware of Lin Zhao's affection for Chen Yu, perhaps he had known for a long time but never spoken of it. Furthermore, Chu Huaixi also knew that Chen Yu liked Lin Zhao, but the distinction between sovereign and subject prevented him from ever overstepping that boundary.
How perceptive Chu Huaixi was of people's hearts. He had even guessed Lin Zhao's thoughts, and knew how to break the deadlock. Only through a desperate battle. Only when the person that the great demon Yu Zhi feared was dead, could the demon tribe truly commit all its forces to a southern invasion.
This battle would be Chu Huaixi's last, but was it not also Lin Zhao's last?
On this day, a wind began to blow across the sky of the Great Chen Dynasty.
...
In the morning, the command tent convened for discussion.
Lin Zhao stood up, bowed slowly to everyone, and said with a solemn voice, "This is my last assembly. All this time, Lin Zhao thanks everyone for your care. From today onwards, there will be no main command tent in the army. Each camp will strictly adhere to its defensive strategies and mutually support each other. There shall be no mistakes. Elder Chen, the subsequent matters will be entrusted to you."
Chen Wanli was taken aback. "Lin Zhao, you are...?"
Lin Zhao's eyes reddened slightly, and he smiled. "If all goes according to plan, Commander Chu is now leading four camps of the Tianchi Army out of the encampment and will launch an attack on the demon tribe's tents at noon. Afterwards, I, Lin Zhao, will also go to my death."
"Why!?"
Shao Shiyu suddenly stood up, her delicate face pale. "Lin Zhao... why... why do you have to die?"
Lin Zhao frowned. "If I do not die, Yu Zhi will not dare to enter the fray. With my death, there will be no one left to lay traps before Yu Zhi, and only then will the demon tribe dare to pour out their forces. After I, Lin Zhao, fall in battle, the implementation of the Sky Furnace strategy will depend entirely on all of you. Please do not disappoint me, and do not disappoint humanity."
"Lin Zhao..."
Chen Wanli looked at the young man, his heart aching deeply, and murmured, "Must it really be this way?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao nodded gently. "The assembly is adjourned. I ask everyone to return to your respective camps and prepare to face the four northern tribes, fighting to the death for our humanity!"
"Yes, Commander Lin!"
Everyone rose and bowed.
...
At noon, humanity went to war.
Chu Huaixi led the Vanguard Camp, the Formation Breaking Camp, the Blitz Camp, and the Broken Saber Camp into the West Mountain Valley. Initially, it was merely a matter of calling out taunts. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, Chu Huaixi and Huang Tingyu personally led over a thousand cavalry charging towards the demon tribe's encampment. The demon tribe, ordered to hold their ground, was caught off guard. Angered, the commander of the encampment ordered a counterattack, and a fierce battle ensued in the West Mountain area.