All the men present, except for Dong Si and Yun Chengxuan, felt a chill below the waist and unconsciously crossed their legs.
Xia Chanyi wore a calm expression and said, "That's enough."
She remembered that Qu Wenzhou had taken several Han women as concubines. She couldn't kill him, but a 'little' punishment was acceptable.
Yun Chengxuan grabbed Qu Wenzhou, who was groaning with bulging veins from pain, and with a single heave, flung him out. Qu Wenzhou crashed with a bang onto the Qu Zhao soldiers behind Song Gui.
Jiang Jin, exuding a bandit-like boldness, shouted, "The world keeps turning; we'll meet again."
No sooner had she spoken than she led her people away and vanished within moments.
Song Gui and the Qu Zhao soldiers had no time to deal with her; they rushed to help Qu Wenzhou instead.
But they discovered that Qu Wenzhou had already fainted from pain, and his lower body was covered in blood—likely beyond repair.
Song Gui was both furious and resentful, shocked and enraged: "Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
The Qu Zhao soldiers felt their hearts sink: "Quick, go find a physician! Hurry, hurry!"
Dong Si, having enjoyed the spectacle, leisurely spoke up: "Since our transaction is complete, I bid you farewell. We'll meet again."
With that, ignoring the bloodstains and corpses all around, he led his people away at a slow pace.
Song Gui only then realized that the Jinyang Army had been watching the whole time. He felt a sharp pain in his chest and nearly spat blood.
Looking at the carnage around him—over a thousand captives reduced to just a few hundred trembling commoners, all soldiers killed, most officials and nobles dead—Song Gui's vision darkened, and he nearly collapsed. He shouted in a trembling voice, "Quick, quick, go find a physician!"
Never mind how frustrated Song Gui was over there. Up in the mountains at Shanguan County, Yun Yu was filled with excitement. He wondered if any of the surviving Northeast Army soldiers among them were brothers he once knew.
Whether he recognized them or not, they were the last few brave and unyielding heroes of the Northeast Army, and he wanted to welcome them home in person.
With him were Yun Ce, Lu Ping, and a few others, who had come specially from Gefeng.
They, too, had wanted to join the operation, but Jiang Jin had worried that if they went, the Qu Zhao might notice something amiss and cause unnecessary trouble.
After all, Yun Yu was the Young General of the Northeast Army. Whether or not he personally recognized these 'survivors,' the Northeast Army soldiers would surely know him.
After some time, Yun Yu finally saw Dong Si leading his people, approaching from a distance.
Standing on the drawbridge, when they saw the maimed Northeast Army soldiers on horseback, they felt a dull ache in their hearts and a tightness in their throats, unable to speak.
The Northeast Army soldiers on horseback were certain that the Jinyang Army meant them well. After walking a short distance, the Jinyang Army had given them their horses.
Confused, they had asked at the time, "Who are you? Why are you saving us?"
The general wielding a horse lance just smiled and said, "You'll know soon enough."
They had not pressed further. They had been through every kind of ordeal—whether good or evil, they were no longer afraid.
As Shanguan County came into view, the Northeast Army soldiers spotted Yun Yu and the others standing on the drawbridge at the city gate.
They froze, unable to believe their eyes. Some of them raised their hands to rub their eyes.
After a long moment, they snapped back to reality and shouted excitedly, "Young General! It's the Young General!"
They had all thought the General and the Young General were dead. The Qu Zhao had told them earlier that the General's entire family had been taken to Wuqin and executed.
Now they finally understood why the Jinyang Army had traded for them, why the Jinyang Army chose to walk and gave them their horses.
So, Yanguo still remembered them. The Northeast Army still remembered them. The Young General still remembered them. All their prolonged suffering was worth it.
One after another, they slid off their horses. Some, missing limbs, fell to the ground, but they paid it no mind. Getting up, they strode quickly toward Yun Yu.
These iron-willed men—they hadn't cried when their country fell, hadn't cried when tortured by the Qu Zhao army, but now they couldn't hold back their tears.
Yun Yu's nose stung as well. He stepped forward and choked out, "You're finally back!"
"Young General!" a tall, gaunt man cried out.
After a moment, Yun Yu recognized him: "Yun Ye? You're Yun Ye."
Yun Ye was an orphan whom Yun Ci had taken in, given the name Yun Ye, and raised alongside Yun Yu. They grew up as brothers and comrades in arms.
Once robust and fierce, Yun Ye was now nothing but skin and bones, with deeply sunken eyes. Barely twenty years old, his hair was already white.
And his left arm was missing from the elbow down, leaving behind only an ugly scar.
Yun Ye nodded hard: "It's me, you—"
He looked behind Yun Yu and asked in a quivering voice, "General, where is the General?"
All the Northeast Army soldiers stared at Yun Yu, hope and fear in their eyes—fear of hearing bad news.
His heart heavy with sorrow, Yun Yu forced a smile: "My father is doing well. He's in Gefeng. Rest assured."
Dong Si, seated on his horse, quietly wiped away a tear as he watched the scene. He murmured, "How wonderful."
Yao Ji, his eyes full of sorrow, said, "Yes, how wonderful."
He remembered his fallen brothers and comrades in arms.
Dong Si sighed. "Take the commoners back to the city. I'll wait for our Lord. She should be here soon."
Yao Ji nodded and led the townsfolk back to the city.
Dong Si didn't have to wait long. Soon, Jiang Jin arrived with the commoners and her people.
Dong Si was very happy: "Lord, you're back?"
Jiang Jin nodded and instructed Xia Chanyi, Xie Nanxiao, and the others behind her, "Take these people to Magistrate Luo. She will arrange things."
"Got it, Lord, rest assured," Xie Nanxiao said with a grin, showing his white teeth, striking against his dark face.
Yun Yu, his eyes red, led his people over: "Lord, thank you for saving them."
Jiang Jin smiled and said, "You've already seen each other."
Yun Yu nodded and turned to introduce Jiang Jin to the Northeast Army: "This is the Lord, my Lord, and from now on, she will be yours as well. It was the Lord who arranged for you to be brought back."
Yun Ye and the others, though still a bit confused, bowed respectfully to Jiang Jin: "Greetings, Lord. Thank you for saving our lives."
Jiang Jin wore a kind smile: "You should go back to Gefeng later. The conditions there are better. Rest well. I'll have Mu Zhuo accompany you."
Most of the wounded in Shanguan County were still recovering, so leaving Suo Qian alone there wouldn't be a problem.
These men's bodies and old injuries would need to be treated, and Liu Mi had to handle the refugees from outside—it wouldn't be right to pull him away.
Grateful beyond words, Yun Yu said, "Thank you, Lord."
Jiang Jin waved her hand. "For now, they're your responsibility."
Yun Yu gave a formal salute: "Understood!"
He watched Jiang Jin enter the city, then turned to Yun Ye and the others: "From now on, you are no longer the Northeast Army. What you'll do exactly—once you've recovered, the Lord will arrange that."
Yun Ye lowered his head, looking at his empty left sleeve: "What can we still do? We're broken people. Just knowing we got to see you and the General alive—that's enough for us."
"That's right," the others chimed in. "Knowing that the country we fought and died for didn't abandon us... that's enough."
