Chapter 54

This battle dealt a heavy blow to the barbarian tribes. When He Xuan began writing the battle report to submit to the court, he paused with his pen in hand. A drop of ink fell from the tip of his full pen, staining the paper with a large blot.

Setting aside his pen, He Xuan left the tent.

In war, casualties were inevitable. Both men and horses lay wounded or dead, and each battalion was in the process of tallying the names of the fallen soldiers for reward and compensation, a crucial task.

The casualty rate of the Yingfu Army was the lowest in the entire camp, but there were still losses. Zhou Yong, proficient in writing, diligently recorded the names with his pen. When He Xuan arrived, Zhou Yong was in the midst of writing a brief letter for a wounded soldier who had lost his arm.

“General.”

Zhou Yong quickly saluted.

“Where is the strategist?”

Inside the tent, Mo Yin was sitting shirtless on the couch, a white cloth wrapped around his shoulders. With one hand, he raised a wine pouch to drink. Upon seeing He Xuan enter, he paused momentarily, then calmly set down the pouch and said, “General.”

He Xuan wasn’t sure whether he should leave or not.

Mo Yin’s complexion was pale, even paler than the white cloth wrapped around him. Although he seemed slender, his muscle contours were distinct. More striking was the touch of blush on his pale skin, which was very eye-catching. He Xuan couldn’t help but notice.

Avoiding would seem like harboring ill intentions. Not avoiding it would seem inappropriate.

“Please, have a seat, General.”

Mo Yin casually draped a robe nearby over himself, extending his arms in a generous gesture.

He Xuan sat down behind the desk and glanced at the white cloth on Mo Yin’s chest. “You’re injured.”

“Just a minor injury,” Mo Yin smiled faintly. “I didn’t even notice it until I took off my clothes. And you, General?”

“I’m fine.”

Mo Yin lowered his eyes, thinking that the protagonist’s aura was indeed overwhelming. On the battlefield, all the swords and spears seemed to revolve around He Xuan.

“General, what brings you here at this late hour?”

Mo Yin’s attitude and tone were no longer as dismissive as before. The shared experience of life and death on the battlefield had dissolved many of the barriers between them.

The candle flickered inside the tent, casting shadows as the two men faced each other. He Xuan spoke in a deep voice, “I was writing the battle report.” He glanced at Mo Yin, who held the wine pouch in his hand and had his head slightly lowered. He Xuan continued, “This battle owes much to the efforts of the Yingfu Army. You are its commander, and I should recommend you for merit.”

“Thank you, General,” Mo Yin replied softly. “But this is a matter of serving the country, and the credit belongs to all. I only wish to remain an unnamed military strategist.”

After a moment of silence, Mo Yin heard He Xuan say, “You have high principles, Strategist.”

He Xuan stood up and glanced at the wound on Mo Yin’s chest. “I have some excellent medicinal ointment. I’ll have Li Yuan bring it to you. Don’t refuse.”

Mo Yin looked up at He Xuan and smiled. “I’ll gratefully accept.”

—

Not long after the battle report reached the court, the emperor was delighted, lavishing rewards and promotions. He Xuan was promoted by a rank, and former Grand Preceptor He Qingsong was also rewarded. Within the court, the name of the He clan soared to unparalleled heights.

In the true borderlands, besides the Grand General, what struck fear into the hearts of the barbarian tribes was the commander of the Yingfu Army, known as the “Ghost Strategist.”

Rumors circulated that the Ghost Strategist had the face of beauty, was skilled in divination and military strategy, fought like a god, and could control beasts. The rumors grew increasingly terrifying. Whenever this army, with their faces, smeared black, rode fierce warhorses and wielded spears with swords at their waist, appeared alongside their leader with the ghostly mask, the barbarian cavalry often scattered in disarray.

Inside the camp, He Xuan and Mo Yin faced each other with arrows in hand.

“General, are you ready?”

“Strategist, should I not be the one saying that?”

“I stayed up late reading last night, and my eyes are a bit sore today. Perhaps I won’t aim accurately.”

Mo Yin said casually, blinking seemingly absentmindedly. Seizing the opportunity while He Xuan was concerned and turned his head, his eyes suddenly sharpened. In an instant, he released the arrow he held, “swish,” and scattered the hair bun on He Xuan’s head.

He Xuan put down his bow and shook his head, a slight smile on his lips. “You, using deception in a mere sparring session?”

Mo Yin also put down his bow and smiled faintly. “I don’t like to lose.”

“It seems a bit unsportsmanlike to win this way.”

“War is a cunning path. When you lose, don’t be stubborn.”

“Alright, I lost again.”

He Xuan removed the arrow from his hair bun. “Let me pour you some wine.”

“In chess, I lose to you. In archery, I lose to you. In poetry and painting, I’m even worse,” He Xuan walked to Mo Yin’s side, pretending to have a headache. “Where can I possibly outdo you?” He raised an eyebrow, his bright eyes shining.

Mo Yin tossed his bow aside, and He Xuan instinctively caught it. With his hands behind his back, Mo Yin took a step forward.

“Your rank is higher than mine,” Mo Yin said.

He Xuan chuckled, “But why do I feel like your reputation as a strategist surpasses my own as a general?”

Mo Yin turned his head. “Well, there’s no help for that. General, you excel in everything, while I can’t beat you in anything,” he said, taking a step back and pointing. “No, your wine is undoubtedly the best. I can’t compete with that.”

He Xuan picked up their bows and followed along. “You’re just trying to flatter me.”

Mo Yin smiled and turned his head away.

He Xuan caught up, and the masculine aura emanated lightly from behind. In fact, Mo Yin didn’t mind. Over the past three years, they had fought side by side on the battlefield countless times, trusting each other with their backs. Gradually, he had begun to enjoy this feeling.

Living according to his own heart’s desire, without any purpose, as if he were willing to remain on the border as the Ghost Strategist.

“General, Strategist.”

Li Yuan stood in front of them and saluted. “An urgent letter from the court.”

He Xuan and Mo Yin exchanged glances. In recent years, with the border gradually stabilizing, there had been few letters from the court other than rewards. They returned to the camp, and the urgent letter was placed on He Xuan’s desk. He Xuan, unconcerned, opened the letter beside Mo Yin and quickly browsed through it. His brows furrowed.

The situation in Mountain City was chaotic again.

He Xuan’s first battle after ascending to his position was to suppress a rebellion in Mountain City. The geographical location of Mountain City was unique, with many mountains and few plains. This terrain was not suitable for farming, resulting in scarce food production and frequent natural disasters. However, its strategic location, with various routes converging there, made it easy to nurture rebel forces, causing endless trouble throughout history.

This time, the rebellion in Mountain City was even more significant than the one five years ago, with over ten thousand rebels.

The late emperor was suspicious and executed many military commanders after ascending the throne. Most of the remaining military commanders in the court were mediocre, like Chang Sansi. With the military in decline, only He Xuan, who emerged out of nowhere, stabilized the situation on the border. Now, with Mountain City in chaos again, several military expeditions sent by the court had been unsuccessful. The emperor had no choice but to urgently summon He Xuan to lead troops to suppress the rebellion.

He Xuan closed the letter with force and immediately began writing a reply.

“General, are you going to suppress the rebellion?” Mo Yin asked.

He Xuan didn’t even lift his head as he responded, “Yes.”

“What about here?”

He Xuan finished writing the reply in a few words and looked up. “There’s still you and the other generals here, aren’t there? Don’t worry, the barbarian tribes are now just lingering in the Yilan border. They won’t stir up much trouble. I’ll quickly resolve the situation in Mountain City, and we’ll have it settled before the New Year.” He sealed the letter and smiled gently at Mo Yin.

Mo Yin coughed lightly. He had been taking care of his health for the past two years, but the cough persisted.

“General, why don’t you let me accompany you?” Mo Yin suggested.

“You?” He Xuan handed the sealed letter to Li Yuan, then turned his head, gesturing for him to quickly send the reply.

Mo Yin nodded. “I’ve been on the border for five years. I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like inside. Can you take me along?”

“I’m going to suppress a rebellion, not go on a leisure trip,” He Xuan said.

“Why do you think I’ll be a burden to you?” Mo Yin asked.

“Of course not,” He Xuan replied.

“Then why not agree to let me come with you?”

Mo Yin spoke softly, his gaze seeming to probe.

Over the past three years, despite many victories on the border, He Xuan had never included Mo Yin’s name in the battle reports for commendation. He Xuan himself couldn’t explain why. Perhaps he wasn’t deliberately excluding Mo Yin, or perhaps he knew why but didn’t want to think about it.

He Xuan pondered for a moment, his expression thoughtful.

“General?”

Mo Yin urged again, “Please take me with you. I just want to go back and see.”

He Xuan agreed. Not only did he agree to let Mo Yin accompany him, but he also agreed to let Mo Yin personally lead three thousand Yingfu troops with the army.

Inside the tent, Mo Yin propped his legs up on the desk and drank the wine he had won from He Xuan.

This world, he stayed for five years.

From the moment he entered the world, it was like a snowstorm, a cold pain, time ticking away. The vivid sensations seemed to gradually blur.

But today, an urgent letter from the court, the words “Mountain City” caught his eye, and in an instant, all the memories flooded back into his mind.

This world was different from the first one. Here, he experienced every moment of the “Mo Yin” life from infancy.

The days on the border were lively.

It was a kind of liveliness he had never experienced before. It belonged to the consciousness of the natural man, Mo Yin, a bit of spiritual power of the natural man Mo Yin, and the liveliness of the non-natural man Mo Yin’s body.

Complex yet comprehensive.

If there’s liveliness, what about grudges?

Mo Yin took a sip of wine, his hand gently placed on his chest.

He deeply experienced joy other than the collapse of the world. Those grudges unrelated to his true self also made him feel uncomfortable.

He thought of He Xuan, who rose to fame from Mountain City’s rebellion, while he fell from Mountain City’s rebellion.

Perhaps this world was reminding him that everything was just beginning.

Thinking back to the reason he initially joined the army, it was probably time to go back.

Mo Yin finished the last drop of wine in his pouch, casually threw the pouch back, reclined on the bed, and gazed quietly at the tent’s ceiling.

Perhaps, that could still bring him joy?

After receiving the imperial decree, He Xuan officially led his troops to Mountain City. He brought a total of fifty thousand men, outwardly claimed to be two hundred thousand. No one would foolishly report the actual number of troops. However, this time, he indeed brought elite guards along with three thousand Yingfu Cavalry. It was not a small force. Each member of the Yingfu Army was capable of fighting ten opponents on the battlefield, making it easy to deal with the rebels.

The army set out, and the soldiers who had been stationed on the border for a long time were somewhat excited. From the border to Mountain City, the army’s morale soared. What was originally supposed to take over two months only took a little over a month for the army to reach Mountain City.

The Prefect of Mountain City had been waiting for a long time. When he saw He Xuan leading a large army, he almost burst into tears.

“General, you’ve finally come!”

The Prefect of Mountain City bowed to He Xuan, who dismounted and supported him. The Prefect of Mountain City then explained the current situation of Mountain City in detail to He Xuan. In fact, most of what he said was already known to He Xuan. A group of people in the elite guards acted as spies and had already arrived in Mountain City, gathering all the information about Mountain City.

The reason why this rebellion in Mountain City was more troublesome than the previous one was that it had a wider scope, and more people, and the leaders had already established themselves as kings in the mountains, calling themselves the “King of Mountain City.” During the time He Xuan led his troops to Mountain City, the number of rebels had increased to twenty thousand.

He Xuan stationed himself in the city and used the Prefect’s Mansion as a temporary command post.

When the Prefect of Mountain City came out to welcome He Xuan, Mo Yin had not shown himself. It wasn’t until they entered the Prefect’s Mansion that Mo Yin appeared. Both inside and outside the mansion were now guarded by soldiers.

Mo Yin stayed in the room next to He Xuan’s, and Zhou Yong was still serving him closely. Having been by Mo Yin’s side for a long time, even though Mo Yin rarely showed his emotions, Zhou Yong could sometimes sense his mood. He felt that since they set out from the border, Mo Yin’s aura seemed to become colder and colder, as if he had returned to the time when he first served by Mo Yin’s side.

Zhou Yong prepared hot water for Mo Yin to wash off the dust. While Mo Yin was washing his face, He Xuan arrived.

He Xuan had only taken off his armor, still looking dusty, not even having washed his face.

“General.” Mo Yin greeted him, flicking off the water droplets from his fingertips. Zhou Yong handed him a towel, Mo Yin wiped his hands, then handed the towel to Zhou Yong, giving him a meaningful look. Zhou Yong immediately understood and respectfully retreated, closing the door behind him.

He Xuan took a seat after lifting his robe.

“When does the General plan to quell the rebellion in the mountains?”

“It will be within the next two days.”

The spies had already gathered all the information about the situation inside the mountains. There were said to be twenty thousand rebels, but only a few thousand of them were truly combat-ready. It was because there was no one in the court who could deal with them that they had been able to resist for so long.

Mo Yin said, “Five years ago, it seems the General’s first battle was in Mountain City.”

He Xuan grunted, his fingers tracing the teacup on the table. “It was also to suppress a rebellion.”

Mo Yin sat down beside him. “This place is chaotic. General, you’ve worked hard.”

“Receiving the lord’s salary and serving the lord are all part of the job. It’s not hard,” He Xuan said. “Are you coming along, or staying in the mansion?”

“What does the General intend?” Mo Yin asked.

He Xuan raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t it to ask for your opinion?”

Mo Yin smiled, “Since you’ve come to ask for my opinion, naturally, I’ll contribute.”

He Xuan nodded, “Rest tomorrow during the day.” He glanced at Mo Yin, who immediately understood, “Night ambush?”

He Xuan’s eyes lit up; he knew Mo Yin understood him.

“Yes, Mountain City’s terrain is treacherous. Direct cavalry attacks are not advisable. It’s better to catch them off guard with a night raid.”

Mo Yin nodded slightly as he listened, “The rebels won’t expect us to launch such a rapid attack, nor will they anticipate us daring to attack at night. Moreover…” Mo Yin’s eyes twinkled with a faint smile, “even the esteemed General is resorting to ambush tactics.”

He Xuan smirked, “All is fair in war.”

Winning the greatest victory with the smallest cost, what’s wrong with that?

He Xuan suppressed his smile and his expression turned slightly serious, “Every one of our soldiers was once a commoner. The so-called rebels were also once commoners. I hope to minimize casualties as much as possible.”

“General, you’re kind-hearted. But rebelling is a heinous crime punishable by death to nine generations. Even if you spare their lives, they might not survive.”

“Those so-called ‘Mountain City Kings’ don’t stand a chance. As for the rest who just followed along for a meal, if we slaughter them all, that would be a true case of oppression leading to rebellion. At that time, I will plead to the Emperor for mercy.”

Mo Yin gazed calmly at He Xuan, “General, aren’t you afraid that the Emperor might direct his anger towards you?”

He Xuan remained composed, “Even if the Emperor gets angry, I will argue my case.”

Mo Yin took a sip of tea, acknowledging that currently, He Xuan was the only one capable of leading military campaigns in the court. Unless the Emperor was mad, he wouldn’t dare to punish He Xuan.

“General, your righteousness is admirable. I admire it.”

He Xuan looked at him, “Rest early tonight,” he stood up, “You haven’t been looking well throughout the journey.” His words of concern could only go so far; anything more would be excessive.

Mo Yin rose to see him off, “You too, General.”

As the door closed, Mo Yin’s hand rested on the cold door frame. He lowered his head slightly, his gaze under the lowered eyelashes calm and contemplative. After a moment of silence, he raised his eyes, and in them, there was a chill as cold as moonlight.

Since it all began with Mountain City, it should end there.

Let’s see who the winds will blow upon when they rise again.