The sky gradually darkened as night fell.
Apart from the residence of the Great Chanyu, which was brightly lit, most of Wenxia City had already been swallowed by darkness.
Beneath a massive pillar on the central street, Chu Qing stood with his head bowed, utterly motionless. The world was silent.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked toward the darkness.
The night was dim, and prolonged starvation had severely weakened his eyesight. In truth, he could see nothing, but his senses were keen enough to tell him that someone was there.
Sure enough, before long, he heard faint footsteps.
Closer.
Closer.
A tall, shadowy figure appeared in front of him. Chu Qing looked up, but could make out only a dark, indistinct silhouette.
“Young General, it’s me!” Xin Bai poked his head out from behind Ye Shang, his voice trembling with excitement.
Chu Qing’s heart jolted. “You… it really is you?”
Xin Bai had been Nan Wen’s personal guard, so Chu Qing recognized him. He had identified him the last time as well.
Yet there had been no sign of him for so long that, if he had not been the only one to recognize Xin Bai, Chu Qing might have thought it had all been a dream.
The others were equally overwhelmed and incredulous.
After that previous encounter, whether they knew Xin Bai or not, they had exchanged information among themselves and learned that one of their own people had entered the city.
Xin Bai clenched his teeth, afraid he would burst into tears. The Young General was really alive!
But although he had been in the city for so long, he had never dared come over.
The Jie army firmly believed they were bandits, but they did not entirely trust them as Han Chinese—especially not Han Chinese who had suddenly entered the city.
Thus, they had remained under the Jie army’s surveillance and had not dared make a move.
Only recently, after working hard to play their part as “bandits,” had they managed to lower the Jie army’s guard enough to find an opportunity to come out.
Ye Shang could only sigh helplessly at Xin Bai’s severely diminished ability to express himself now that he was overwhelmed with emotion. Fortunately, he was a professional.
He quickly pulled a package from inside his clothes and opened it. Inside were several small bundles wrapped in oiled paper. He handed a few packets to each of Chu Qing and the others.
“These are compressed biscuits. I divided them into small packets so you can hide them on your person. Eat them whenever you get hungry, when you find an opportunity.”
Chu Qing and the others had not yet recovered from their astonishment. His words left them even more bewildered.
What were biscuits?
Before they could figure it out, several small packets had already been pressed into their hands. They were indeed tiny; tucked away somewhere on their bodies, they would be impossible to notice.
Besides, they were filthy, disheveled, and reeking. The Jie soldiers rarely came near them.
Ji Xin and Li Qian then pulled several bamboo canisters from inside their clothes.
“There isn’t much we could bring. Take turns drinking from these.”
After the Jie army had kept them behind, they had naturally needed to return to their “bandit hideout” to retrieve their belongings. They had brought some rice and flour into the city.
However, the Jie army did not trust them. Everything they carried had to be inspected.
The compressed biscuits and other things that were difficult to explain had been secretly hidden in their clothes when they entered the city. They had not been able to bring much.
Chu Qing accepted the items with trembling hands. “Who… who are you?”
Ye Shang smiled faintly. “Who we are isn’t important. What matters is that you must recover as quickly as possible.”
It was not that he distrusted Chu Qing and the others, but the matter was of great importance, and he had to proceed with caution at every step.
Before their lord activated them, they could die, but they absolutely could not die as members of the Jinyang Army.
Chu Qing understood what he meant and did not take offense at his distrust. His expression grew animated. “You’re preparing to make a move. When? We can still do it, even like this.”
Hearing how Chu Qing was already gasping heavily after only a few sentences, Ye Shang said, “I don’t know exactly when. But opportunities favor those who are prepared.”
“Before then, I hope all of you can recover and regain your strength. Otherwise, you won’t even be able to lift a saber!”
The words “won’t even be able to lift a saber” made Chu Qing and the others tremble with excitement.
Unable to lift a saber?
How could they be unable to lift a saber?
They had lived like neither men nor ghosts for nearly two years. Wasn’t it all so that one day they could take up their sabers and slaughter the barbaric demons who had invaded Han lands and murdered their loved ones?
Chu Qing lowered his head and stared at the object in his hand, though he could barely make out what it was. It was so small, yet even holding it took considerable effort.
Only when faced with reality did they realize that they truly were far too weak.
“All right,” he said.
He fumbled with the lid of the bamboo canister and opened it. Without caring what was inside, he cautiously poured some into his mouth.
After two sips, his parched tongue finally regained a little sensation. He realized that the canister did not contain water, but porridge—porridge made with something he could not identify. It tasted both sweet and salty, with a strange flavor.
Yet Chu Qing found it incomparably delicious. It had been so, so long since he had last eaten porridge!
After taking two more sips, he handed the canister to the companion beside him.
Xin Bai’s emotions had finally settled somewhat. He explained in a low voice, “We added salt to the rice porridge, as well as a little sugar.”
“There are two more canisters of water. Share them among yourselves and drink them later. We can’t come here during the day, so the earliest we can return will be tomorrow night.”
Chu Qing and the others softly murmured their assent. At that moment, they had a thousand things to say, yet none of them knew where to begin. They did not even dare ask how many of the Northwest Army were still alive.
Ye Shang handed a small object to Chu Qing. “This is a small saw. Find an opportunity to saw through those chains.”
The reason the Jie army had not stationed guards to watch Chu Qing and the others was that the iron chains binding them had been welded shut.
The chains were not only thick; they had also undergone multiple rounds of forging. Ordinary knives and axes could not cut through them. Even if they were given an opportunity to escape, they would never get away.
Chu Qing accepted the saw and felt its coldness and keen edge. Only then did he remember the chains binding them. Unless those chains were broken, it would be useless no matter how well they ate or how strong they became—they still would not be able to lift a saber.
Ye Shang continued, “Don’t worry. Our weapons workshop developed this. Don’t let its size fool you—it’s incredibly sharp. Sawing through these chains won’t be a problem, though it will take some time.”
A savage gleam flashed through Chu Qing and the others’ eyes, and their voices turned fierce.
“What we have most is time.”
As long as they could regain their freedom, they were willing to do anything. Even if it came to severing their own hands or feet, they would accept it.
Ye Shang handed another saw to the person beside Chu Qing. “We could only bring two. Take turns using them, and remember to keep them hidden.”
Chu Qing solemnly thanked him. “No matter whose people you are, thank you!”
Ye Shang smiled. “There’s no need. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you—Qiu Liao and Nan Wen are both alive.”
Chu Qing and the others brightened. “Really?”
Xin Bai hurriedly nodded. “Really. Seven or eight hundred of our Northwest Army are still alive. They fought their way out alongside Strategist Qiu and General Nan.”
Chu Qing murmured, “That’s good. That’s good.”
After thinking for a moment, Ye Shang asked, “Banditry is rampant throughout Chongzhou. Are any of your former Northwest Army comrades among them?”
The Jinyang Army’s strength in Chongzhou was ultimately rather weak. If any former Northwest Army soldiers were still out there, they would naturally want to bring them into their ranks.
Chu Qing shook his head, his voice low. “I don’t know. Of those who fought their way out with me, none survived except us.”
The scene fell silent for a moment. After a long while, his voice sounded again.
“However, there are one or two people in the city who might be useful.”
