After leaving the county government office, Shadow Five couldn’t help but smile. "You think too much. Don’t you know what our lord is like? As long as a Han person hasn’t committed a crime, she treats them well—especially Han women who’ve been defiled by the Qu Zhao people."
Shadow Three scratched his head awkwardly. "I trust our lord, that’s why I didn’t ask."
He sighed. "Scholar Kong was good to me. He only has this one daughter."
Shadow Five patted his shoulder. "You’re too soft-hearted. In our line of work, being soft-hearted is fine, but we can never let it interfere with our mission. Sometimes, sacrifice is unavoidable."
From the very first day they were chosen as hidden agents, they knew their task was dangerous. If discovered, they would be utterly destroyed.
Because most of the time during their missions, they were isolated and had to rely on themselves.
So they couldn’t afford too much emotion, especially not forming bonds with people involved in their missions.
Emotion was a good thing, but for them, it was far too dangerous!
In the two months he had spent in Shan’guan County, Shadow Three had witnessed countless abuses—even killings—of Han civilians by the Qu Zhao people.
He could only grit his teeth and endure, because he clearly understood what his mission was.
He had to gather intelligence as quickly, completely, and accurately as possible, so that when the lord attacked the city, his information would play a crucial role.
This intelligence would help the lord assess the situation, deliver a fatal blow to the enemy, and greatly reduce their own casualties.
And he firmly believed that only when the lord captured the county town could the people in the city truly be saved.
Shadow Three gave a bitter smile. "Yeah, you’re right. But now that the city has been taken, I still want to go check on the medical clinic."
Shadow Five didn’t stop him. "Alright, go ahead."
Inside the clinic, Kong Xinshu was a little nervous. He handed his household registration to the woman before him and asked in a trembling voice, "You… you are the Jinyang Army?"
He had heard of the Jinyang Army before. The Qu Zhao people in the city often spoke of them, always gritting their teeth in hatred.
He had been curious before, wondering what kind of army could make the Qu Zhao people talk about them with such intense hatred—and fear.
Looking at them now, they didn’t seem much different from ordinary Han armies, except they were more gentle in attitude and stricter in discipline.
And then there was this female official before him, neither humble nor arrogant, her demeanor composed. It was the first time he had seen a female official, and he felt both amazement and anxiety.
The female clerk registered him as she said, "Yes, we are the Jinyang Army."
"You also have a daughter? Why isn’t she out here?" she asked, pointing to the name on the registration.
Kong Xinshu’s heart tightened. He stammered, "She… she was taken as a concubine by the county magistrate."
If they pressed the matter, he might be considered related to the Qu Zhao by marriage, and he worried about being purged.
Then his thoughts turned to his daughter. What had happened to her? Had she already been killed?
The female clerk paused in her work and reassured him, "As long as your daughter hasn’t done anything to harm Han civilians, she’ll be back soon."
Kong Xinshu was stunned. He hadn’t expected the female official to comfort him. His heart settled a bit. From small details, he could see the big picture: the Jinyang Army didn’t seem like a force that disregarded human life.
From this, he could see that the Jinyang Army was indeed different. Not only did they have female officials, but they also treated common people like him as human beings.
Just then, Shadow Three walked over. The female clerk didn’t recognize him, but he had changed into a Jinyang soldier’s uniform. Knowing he was one of their own, the clerk nodded at him.
"Scholar Kong," Shadow Three called out.
Kong Xinshu looked at him with a complicated expression. He had already guessed Shadow Three’s identity earlier, but now he didn’t know how to address him. The name "Sanqi," taken from medicine days when he was a servant, was something he could no longer utter.
The female clerk finished the registration and instructed, "Stay home and don’t go out until we notify you."
Kong Xinshu quickly nodded.
After the clerk left, Shadow Three said awkwardly, "Scholar Kong, I had no choice before. I hope you won’t hold it against me."
Kong Xinshu shook his head with a wry smile. "No, I understand."
Shadow Three responded quietly, "Mm-hmm. Your daughter is currently in the prison, but don’t worry—she’ll be home soon. Just wait for her at home."
Kong Xinshu looked up at him, his eyes stinging slightly. "That’s good… that’s good. I… I’ll wait for her at home, wait for her to come back."
Shadow Three nodded. "Don’t worry. Our lord is wholeheartedly devoted to the people, and the Jinyang Army is the army that cares most about Han civilians. Life in Shan’guan County will get better soon."
At Sanhe Ridge.
Xia Chanyi looked at the dust cloud in the distance and broke into a smile. "They’re here!"
The Dragon Shadow Guards were all excited. By now, the lord should have taken Shan’guan County. If the Zhou County cavalry didn’t show up, their military merits would be gone.
"Everyone, get ready!" Xia Chanyi suppressed her excitement and gave the order calmly.
Qu Su rode at the front, urging his horse forward. He knew well that if Shan’guan County fell, the Qu Zhao would be in a very passive position.
Moreover, if he could annihilate the Jinyang Army this time, it would be a great achievement.
So he personally led his men, hurrying to provide support, hoping to encircle and destroy the Jinyang Army in a pincer attack with the Qu Zhao forces inside the city.
Thinking this, he spurred his horse, increasing his speed.
A deputy general rode alongside him and shouted, "General, ahead is Sanhe Ridge. Should we send someone to scout first?"
Qu Su waved his whip dismissively. "No need. It’s just a slope. Besides, the Jinyang Army is all busy attacking Shan’guan County—how could they have troops to ambush us?"
The deputy general thought it over and realized he was being overly cautious. The Jinyang Army’s unorthodox tactics had put him under pressure, but this time it seemed fine.
Soon, the cavalry entered the Sanhe Ridge area.
Qu Su looked up at the steep slope to his right. The area was eerily quiet, with no sound beyond their horses’ hooves.
Suddenly, a pang of unease struck his heart.
He tightened his grip on the reins and stared ahead. Soon, they would be out of Sanhe Ridge.
Boom, boom, boom, boom—
Suddenly, the ground shook. Dozens of thick logs, each as wide as a man’s waist, and dozens of large boulders rolled down the mountain.
Qu Su’s pupils shrank. He yanked hard on the reins.
His warhorse let out a screeching neigh, rearing high on its front legs, just barely dodging a massive boulder.
Before Qu Su could catch his breath, a huge log crashed down with a bang, hitting his horse.
The horse let out an even more agonized scream and collapsed to the ground.
Qu Su was thrown more than ten feet away. He reacted quickly, rolling on the ground and springing to his feet, drawing his blade. "Ambush on the slope! Archers, ready!"
Before he could finish, countless arrows rained down from the slope.
He could only raise his blade to block, while assessing the situation. The road ahead was blocked by a pile of boulders and logs, making progress impossible.
Dozens of horses had been hit and lay on the ground. The cavalry suffered over a hundred casualties—some thrown off by spooked horses, others crashing into each other from failed stops. Chaos reigned.
Before the cavalry could recover from the chaos, the arrows came flying…
Screams echoed across the sky.
Qu Su roared, "Retreat! Retreat!"
In his distraction, he didn’t notice an arrow strike his abdomen.
Pain shot through him. He bent slightly, using one hand to swing his sword and block incoming arrows, while the other grabbed the arrow embedded in his belly. Gritting his teeth, he yanked it out, splattering blood.
He let out a muffled grunt, looking utterly disheveled, the blade in his hand swinging with growing difficulty as he fought and retreated step by step.
“No, General, the retreat path is blocked by boulders and rolling logs!” the deputy commander shouted.
He was somewhat fortunate—his horse hadn’t been struck, and it too was striving to fend off the arrows raining down from the mountain.
Qu Su’s heart tightened. He swept his gaze around and, pointing to the vast expanse of withered grassland on the left, yelled, “Break through from here—hurry!”
Having shouted this, he ignored the pain, sprinted a few quick steps, kicked himself onto a riderless horse, yanked the reins, and galloped toward the barren grassland.
