When Xue Qiming returned to the North Watching Pass once again, he didn’t expect to find it already under lockdown.
Xue Qiming glanced at the tightly shut gate, then looked up toward the soldiers guarding the walls.
"Who goes there!" A guard on the wall called out, and several bows appeared from behind the battlements, aimed directly at Xue Qiming below.
Xue Qiming cupped his hands and called out with a full voice, "I am a friend of Commander Qi. Could I trouble someone on the wall to inform him?"
There was some murmuring on the wall, and Xue Qiming saw someone leaving. Then, a voice called out from above, "Wait there!"
"Why not just break in?" Tang Jinnian suggested sinisterly from behind Xue Qiming. He pointed to the gate of the North Watching Pass with derision and said, "You call that a gate? I bet it wouldn’t withstand even one kick from you, Unbound Bodhisattva."
It was true, years of war had left the gate on its last legs. The wooden gate was covered in dents and scars from swords, bows, and crossbows. Furthermore, it was shorter and thinner than other than a typical city gate to begin with, so it now looked like two large, worm-eaten planks.
Xue Qiming frowned, about to say something, when the gate slowly opened with a grating creak and Qi Anjiang came out fully armored and flanked by two soldiers.
"Brother Xue!" Qi Anjiang hurried up to greet him. "Why have you returned?"
"Brother Qi," Xue Qiming cupped his hands in greeting, his expression serious. "The Northern Qiang army has arrived—"
Qi Anjiang waved his hand and shot Xue Qiming a look. "No rush. We’ll talk inside." He then led the way into the city.
"So that’s it... you came all this way, at this critical moment, just to deliver a message?" Tang Jinnian remarked sarcastically.
Qi Anjiang, hearing the voice, turned around to look at Tang Jinnian, then at Xue Qiming. "And who is this?"
"Don’t mind him," Xue Qiming said, pointing to his head, "He has... some mental issues."
"Hah!" Tang Jinnian sneered. "Coming to this trouble-ridden place at a time ... you're the one who really has issues."
"Hah... hah..." Qi Anjiang chuckled awkwardly. "It’s fine. A guest is a guest. Please, all of you, come inside."
In silence, Xue Qiming, Tang Jinnian, and their group of four followed Qi Anjiang into the city, up to an observation tower, and into an empty room.
Xue Qiming glanced around the room. It was simply furnished with a table, a few chairs, and a bed.
Qi Anjiang took off his helmet and tossed it onto the bed. He turned and saw Xue Qiming surveying the room, then chuckled. "Heh, I’ve been living here lately. It’s a bit bare, but make yourselves comfortable."
Xue Qiming nodded, found himself a stool, and sat down before speaking. "Brother Qi, the Northern Qiang army is less than a hundred miles away. Are you—"
Qi Anjiang waved a hand, interrupting him. "I’m already aware of that."
"Huh?" Xue Qiming was taken aback.
Qi Anjiang continued, "Two days ago, Northern Qiang scouts were already observing the city from afar. I ordered the lockdown as soon as I saw them."
"Lockdown?" Xue Qiming frowned. "Why not leave?" Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he asked, "Right... Why are there still only these few soldiers guarding the pass? Didn’t you say the court would send reinforcements?"
"Don’t ask me..." Qi Anjiang rubbed his temples as if deeply troubled.
Xue Qiming fell silent as he watched the man in front of him, waiting for him to continue.
"I don’t know either..." Qi Anjiang sighed deeply. "I really don’t. In previous years, the reinforcements from the court would have arrived by now, but this year... nothing.
"That’s why I didn’t want you mentioning it at the gate earlier. People in the North Watching Pass already know the Northern Qiang are coming, yet no court reinforcements are in sight.
"To steady morale, I told them that the court’s troops would arrive within seven days, but... that’s only a temporary measure."
Qi Anjiang’s eyes narrowed as he fell into thought. "There must be something strange going on... The day I saw the Northern Qiang scouts, I immediately sent someone to Liangzhou on horseback with a message, but there still hasn't been a response. The messenger hasn't even returned yet... Damn it, what on earth is going on!"
Qi Anjiang slammed his fist onto the table, startling Xue Niang, who was sitting in Xue Qiming’s lap.
"I’d guess the messenger’s dead."
Xue Qiming turned and saw that Tang Jinnian had joined the conversation as he idly twirling a pipe in his hand.
Qi Anjiang lifted his head, glaring at Tang Jinnian through clenched teeth. "What do you mean?"
"What other meaning could I have?" Tang Jinnian sneered. "There are only two possibilities."
Rao Shuang furrowed her brow and unconsciously bit her fingers.
Tang Jinnian smacked her hand away from her mouth.
"Exactly, there are two possibilities."
Tang Jinnian glanced around, seeing everyone’s eyes on him, then began, "Either he was discovered by Northern Qiang scouts on his way...." He drew a finger across his neck.
"Impossible..." Qi Anjiang shook his head. "The scouts hadn’t penetrated that far at that time. Even if they could fly, they couldn’t have intercepted my man."
Tang Jinnian waited for him to finish, then slowly curved his lips into a smirk. "Heh... Or he delivered the message, but someone wanted to pretend they didn’t receive it, so they made sure the messenger didn’t come back."
"Nonsense!" Qi Anjiang slammed his hand on the table, standing up and glaring at Tang Jinnian. "This concerns the fate of the nation! Who would dare to commit such treachery?"
Tang Jinnian shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? It’s not me, anyway."
Qi Anjiang trembled with rage. Tang Jinnian’s words planted a seed of doubt in his mind, one that he couldn’t help but explore further. The more he thought, the more terrifying the implications became.
"Enough." A hand pressed down on Qi Anjiang’s shoulder, interrupting his spiraling thoughts. Xue Qiming squeezed his shoulder firmly, and the pain grounded him a little.
Qi Anjiang slowly turned to Xue Qiming, his gaze filled with confusion.
"Xue... Brother Xue..."
Xue Qiming lowered his eyes slightly and, after a pause, said, "Qi Anjiang, take the people of North Watching Pass and flee."
Qi Anjiang’s mouth flopped open like a fish struggling to breathe. His knees gave way, and he sank weakly into a chair.