“I don’t have to introduce who this is right?” Jin Siyu is still wounded so ignoring the loud cursing below he decided to cut right to the chase, “This is your General Wei who on his own fought under the Whitehead Cliff and won the great victory of Baitou Mountain. He is the one we in Da Yue hate and want to peel his skin, consume his flesh. However, this greatest hero in this war for Tiansheng is now by my side. If you all take one more step forward then I will push her down. If you retreat, then I will send her out of the city politely.” 

There was a commotion among the Tiansheng troop, but under the banner Ning Yi remained silent. Waiting until the commotion quieted down Jin Siyu sneered coldly “I heard that there are many hot-blooded men in Tiansheng. I also heard that this cavalry is the very one that Official Wei had personally led at one time. What? You all really want to see General Wei, who has suffered so much for you to die with his brain dashed at your feet?” 

“Retreat…retreat…” Tao Yangyu waved his spear and shouted as he raced. He was once again stopped by his guards who jumped on his horse and desperately covered his mouth. 

By this time, both armies had fallen silent and turned to look at Ning Yi under the banner. To retreat or not, in the end, he is the only one who can make that decision. 

Ning Yi with his slightly pursed lips looked calm and one could not tell from his expression if he was happy or angry. Tao Yangyu raced to Ning Yi and dropped to his knees, “Your Highness, Your Highness, please order a retreat, aren’t you here for…”

“Drag this thing away! Uttering nonsense, stirring up the troop! Go get sixty military strikes yourself when we get back to camp!” Ning Yi didn’t even look at him as he ordered sternly. Someone immediately came forward to drag the struggling Tao Yangyu away. 

“Your Highness, you can kill me but you can’t not save General Wei!” Tao Yangyu wailed loudly as he struggled while being dragged away. His voice was so shrill with desperation that all the soldiers were moved by him.

On the gate tower, Jin Siyu and Feng Zhi Wei both watched calmly until Jin Siyu laughed softly and asked “Are you moved?”

Feng Zhi Wei sighed. 

“From the way I see it, he is going to have to retreat even if he doesn’t want to.” Jin Siyu grinned, “Or else he will be crowned as the cold-hearted commanding general. If that happens then it would be difficult for him to ever take charge of an army again.” 

“The purpose of our army coming here in the first place was to welcome General Wei back.” After a long silence, Ning Yi finally opened his mouth, “But I hope that Prince An would keep your word.” 

“A man should always keep his word.” Jin Siyu flashed a smile, “This is an oath made on the battlefield before two armies, tens of thousands of men are listening, you and I are both princes of our respective nations so how can this be treated lightly? Prince Chu, please order a retreat and pull back the army. My troop will definitely not act rashly. We will just have a good battle next spring.” (FYI, the translation of “tens of thousands” in Chinese is not necessarily an actual number but then sometimes it could also be so let’s just go with that there were a lot of soldiers.)

“And General Wei?” Ning Yi asked. 

“As long as General Wei is willing, of course, he can leave with you. I will keep the promise I had said.” Jin Siyu smiled. 

Ning Yi stared at him and slowly raised his palm. 

The messengers changed their signal flags and galloped past. 

The rear army immediately changed to the front of the army, the formation slowly retreated. Ning Yi didn’t have to worry about Da Yue attempting to flank and ambush them– he had already mobilized Tiasheng’s main army to guard the side of the river and made it look like he was ready to cross the river to attack. Da Yue’s main camp has already suffered an ambush, they wouldn’t dare to act rashly right now. 

On Jin Siyu’s side, the guard battalion pulled back their formation to closely guard the front of the city gate. 

The troop had moved but Ning Yi and the others who were under the banner didn’t leave, they were all staring up at Feng Zhi Wei. 

Feng Zhi Wei suddenly let out a sigh. 

At some point, behind her back, right at the position of her heart, something sharp and cold is pressing against it. 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you but I need one last proof to make me feel at ease.” Jin Siyu affectionately lowered his head to whisper softly by her ear, “You said that you and Prince Chu are mortal enemies. You are about to defect to my country so why not use Ning Yi’s head as a token of your sincerity?” 

“At this distance, I won’t be able to kill him with an arrow.” Feng Zhi Wei sighed. 

“It’s okay, just shoot and see.” Jin Siyu was very patient. 

He smiled, took a short dagger, and cut the rope around Feng Zhi Wei’s hand. He then leaned over and said towards the bottom of the city gate, “Send General Wei out of the city right away.” while putting a long bow into Feng Zhi Wei’s hand at the same time. 

In front of Feng Zhi Wei the crenel of the battlement wall is as high as her chest. There were guards on either side of her, behind her, there was a long, shiny long sword. 

She was trapped in the middle, forced to use an arrow to prove herself to the perpetually suspicious Jin Siyu. 

Jin Siyu is smiling. 

It doesn’t matter if this arrow hit its mark or not. It would naturally be the best if it could hit its mark. If the commanding general was killed, then it would for sure cause chaos among Tiansheng and he would ensure victory for himself. If it doesn’t hit its mark, then the Wei Zhi who took the shot in front of the whole army would never be able to return to Tiansheng. This would equally cause disappointment and shock among the Tiansheng soldiers, turning the tide of the battle to his benefit. 

To die is to live, that’s all. (This is a Chinese idiom meaning that when you put an army in a desperate situation when death is certain, then the men would throw all caution to the wind and fight with all their might to live. This idiom is now used to describe people being put in desperate situations where they have to fight (could be physically or figuratively). 

Feng Zhi Wei was silent for only a moment before the long sword behind her pierced into her flesh an inch. 

She pursed her lips, moved her fingers, and slowly took the bow. 

Feng Zhi Wei’s smiled with resignation and looked down below. 

The core of the troop stood unmoving like a mountainous rock, protecting their commander general as the giant banner fluttered proudly in the wind. In the far distance, the morning sun has dawned, like a piercing sharp sword the golden rays split through the dark gray haze, crossing the blanket of snow to them. Reflected by the snow, the golden ray was almost blinding. In the midst of the blinding light, the man with his robe dancing in the wind stared at her silently. 

Their eyes met and saw this forbidding city. 

She smiled at him, and drew the bow and arrow until the bow became a full moon. 

The tip of the dark black arrow is like an eye full of hatred, silent, and firm– directed at him. 

There was not a single sound of uproar underneath, all who saw the scene were so shocked that they lost their voice. 

Ning Yi stood with his head raised up high, looking at the woman with fluttering black hair on top of the city, watching her calm expression, watching the coldness that is between her brows, watching her hand pull the bow steady as a rock, watching her aiming that arrow in his direction, not off by even an inch. 

There was no faking nor any hesitation, she pulled the bow and arrow, and aimed right at him. 

In an instant, the snow storm of the Thirteenth year of Tiansheng came charging right into his internal organs. Those flying snowflakes turned into countless fragments of the past two years since they met. Those bone-chilling fragments pierced right into his heart, something was shattered, creaking and groaning like deep snow being trampled. 

Some guards with quick reflexes rushed forward and raised their shields, but with a pale face, he thrust them away. 

…I’ve said before, I’m here, waiting for you to block me on a certain road with a sword in hand and strike me down. 

Now, the first official meeting after that year in the capital, you holding bow on the city tower, the cold arrow aiming at me, are you finally coming to settle this old debt with me? 

When you see me, you will kill me. 

Good, very good. 

Ten thousand soldiers were stunned, but he was the only one who didn’t move. Did not avoid, did not protect, did not block, he just looked up at her. 

Ten thousand soldiers were stunned, but she was the only one who looked unfazed. With a hint of a smile in the corner of her lips, she drew the bow.

All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com

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