The night wind blew by, chilling the officer to his core. Only now did he realize that cold sweat had drenched his entire body. At this moment, only the saber in his hand provided him with a scrap of courage.
The officer watched helplessly as Ye Beizhi and his group went back into the inn and shut the door behind them, not even sparing a glance back.
He wanted to shout a few more words, but his mouth refused to open. After all, the blade's light had been so sudden and so precise. Could anyone guarantee that the next strike wouldn’t be aimed at his neck?
Unable to say anything, the officer and his group stood in the cold night wind for what felt like ages. His face flushed with suppressed humiliation.
Thankfully, a clever subordinate stepped forward and whispered, "Sir, Lord City Commander instructed us not to engage with martial artists. Otherwise, we’ll face military discipline. These people are highly skilled. They must be the martial artists the commander mentioned."
The officer, finally finding an excuse to retreat, gave his clever subordinate an approving look, then nodded and turned around, shouting loudly, "Lord Zhou has ordered that there be no conflict with martial artists. This matter is not trivial, but we must be strict in following orders.
"You all continue delivering the orders. I will report to Lord Zhou at the City Watch Headquarters!" His voice boomed, loud enough to echo throughout the entire street. It was unclear whether he was speaking to his soldiers or for the benefit of those inside the inn.
"Understood!" The soldiers immediately obeyed and scattered into small groups, disappearing into the night in no time at all.
Once the soldiers had all left, the officer finally wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He glanced at the subordinate who had given him a way out, patted his shoulder silently, then pointed at the soldier who had soiled himself, waving dismissively. "Take him along. We’re going to see the City Commander."
City Watch Headquarters.
Under normal circumstances, Zhou Tong would have been long asleep by this hour. But ever since the Northern Qiang army arrived at the city’s gates, he hadn’t had a restful night. The faintest noise in the night would jolt him awake. He spent every moment wary of some crisis at the city walls.
Tonight was no different. When the guard on duty approached his door, Zhou Tong had already opened his bloodshot eyes and was staring blankly at the ceiling.
The guard knocked on the door.
Zhou Tong rubbed his aching eyes, threw off the blanket, and sat up. "Come in."
The guard gently pushed the door open and entered, kneeling on one knee before Zhou Tong. "My lord, Ding Song, an officer from the Western Garrison, requests an audience."
Zhou Tong found his shoes under the bed, put them on, and gestured. "If he’s seeking an audience this late, it must be important. Have him wait in the front hall."
"Yes, my lord." The guard exited quietly.
Ding Song, the officer from earlier, was now waiting nervously in the front hall of the City Watch Headquarters. He was rather uneasy, after all, he wasn’t sure if the city commander would have a temper from being woken up.
As Ding Song's heart continued to race with unease, a figure emerged from behind the screen.
Ding Song immediately knelt on one knee and respectfully said, "Ding Song, officer of the Western Garrison, greets my lord."
Zhou Tong yawned and waved his hand. "Rise and speak. Get straight to the point, what happened?"
"Yes, sir!" Ding Song stood up, swallowed nervously, and organized his thoughts for a moment. "Tonight, I led my soldiers to deliver your orders to the city’s residents. When we passed Le’an Street, we suddenly heard someone crying for their life."
Zhou Tong raised an eyebrow. "Crying for their life?"
Ding Song nodded quickly. "Your lordship, the cries were truly harrowing. They were clearly audible even three streets away."
Zhou Tong nodded. "Hmm... Continue."
"Yes, sir." Ding Song cupped his hands. "As soon as I heard the cries, I immediately led my men to the scene and ordered others nearby to gather additional soldiers. Together, we rushed to the location."
"Hmm..." Zhou Tong nodded once more. "You did well."
Hearing Zhou Tong’s praise, Ding Song couldn’t hide his delight. He raised his voice as he continued, "When we arrived, we saw a fierce-looking man holding one of our soldiers hostage.
"Fearing we might accidentally harm our comrade, I dared not act rashly and instead ordered the man to surrender. However, the thug refused to listen. Realizing escape was impossible, he attempted to kill the hostage!"
Zhou Tong's brow furrowed immediately, and he asked sternly, "Did someone die?"
Ding Song hesitated, and stammered, "That... well no..."
Zhou Tong stared at Ding Song for a long time, making him break out in cold sweat and turn pale. Finally, Zhou Tong said gravely, "Finish your report. Do not falsify anything."
"Y-Yes, yes..." Ding Song discreetly wiped his sweat and took a breath before continuing, "Just as the thug was about to finish off our soldier, one of his companions stopped him, saving our soldier's life.
"Then, as they tried to return inside, I intended to detain them for questioning. But then the thug’s companion suddenly acted, and...and..."
At this point, a look of confusion appeared in Ding Song’s eyes, leaving him unsure how to continue.
Zhou Tong noted his expression and asked, "And then?"
Ding Song frowned slightly and said, "I don’t really know. All I saw was a flash of light, and then the plume on my helmet fell to the ground, as if it had been cut.
"The man had blade on his back, but I didn't see him move, not even an inch. If he really drew his blade... well how could that be possible?"
Zhou Tong slammed the table, startling Ding Song so much that he slid to the ground, kneeling and pleading, "M-My lord, spare me! It’s my fault for failing my duties... but I remembered your order not to engage with martial artists, so I stopped my men. If you give me the word, I will personally lead a team to capture the man and bring him to you!"
Zhou Tong glared at Ding Song, completely ignoring everything else he had said and demanded, "Where is he?!"
"Ah...uh?" Ding Song was momentarily stunned by Zhou Tong’s abrupt question, but he quickly answered, "At, at the Honghu Inn on Shun’an Street!"
Shun’an Street, outside the Honghu Inn.
Zhou Tong stood solemnly in full formal robes. Behind him was a dense formation of Liangzhou soldiers holding torches. The line extended all the way to the end of the street, numbering in the thousands.
Chi Nanwei cracked open a window and peeked outside. The scene made her gasp in astonishment. Turning back, she complained to Ye Beizhi, "This is all your fault! And that brute Bodhisattva! Now look at the mess you’ve caused! There's thousands of people surrounding the inn! They’re clearly trying to trap us here. What do we do now?"
Ye Beizhi said nothing. He walked over, opened the window fully, and silently gazed down at the crowd below.
Hearing the noise, Zhou Tong looked up and met Ye Beizhi’s gaze.
After a brief moment of eye contact, Zhou Tong was the first to lower his head. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his attire, adjusted his sleeves, and bowed deeply toward Ye Beizhi, his voice filled with sorrow.
"I, Zhou Tong, City Commander of Liangzhou Prefecture, sincerely beg the heroes within to help the people of Liangzhou find a way to survive!"