"I, Zhou Tong, City Commander of Liangzhou Prefecture, sincerely beg the heroes within to help the people of Liangzhou find a path of survival!"
The sorrowful plea linger in the night for a long time, waiting for a reply.
Ye Beizhi stood calmly by the window, his expression indifferent, silently gazing at Zhou Tong below. Zhou Tong met Ye Beizhi’s gaze fearlessly, exuding an air of righteous resolve.
The night wind carried with it the sound of faint sobbing from nearby houses, families had already received the devastating news that their men would be sent to the walls.
Chi Nanwei’s lips trembled as she looked at the figure by the window. An uncontrollable fear surged in her heart. She suddenly grabbed Ye Beizhi’s arm, her voice shaking as she said, "Dummy... don’t go!"
Ye Beizhi was slightly taken aback. He took Chi Nanwei’s hand into his own, gently patting it before turning back to Zhou Tong and saying slowly, "That day, I already restored the defenders' morale..."
Zhou Tong listened quietly, thinking Ye Beizhi wasn’t finished. After a long silence, Zhou Tong realized that Ye Beizhi had already said all he intended to.
Gritting his teeth, Zhou Tong said, "The Northern Qiang forces are overwhelming... My soldiers are utterly exhausted after defending day and night for the last three days. I...I am powerless..."
"The outcome of the battlefield..." Ye Beizhi sighed deeply, his voice heavy. "Is beyond the strength of any individual."
Ye Beizhi closed his eyes and said, "If not for your order that day for the soldiers to escort me back, I wouldn’t have made it. We are already even." With that, he moved to close the window.
Zhou Tong panicked and dropped to his knees with a thud. He cried out in a nearly desperate voice, "Hero! Have you not heard that the greatest virtue of a warrior is to serve the nation and the people?!"
As Zhou Tong knelt, the soldiers behind him dared not remain standing. The crowd of soldiers rippled like a wave as the soldiers knelt after each other all the way down the street.
Ye Beizhi hesitated but did not look at Zhou Tong again. He said softly, "The greatest virtue of a warrior is to live without betraying their heart." With that, he firmly shut the window.
"Great hero!!!" Zhou Tong cried out mournfully.
"Shut up, all of you!" An angry voice rang out from another part of the inn. "What does Liangzhou’s fate have to do with us?! Get lost!"
The voice came from Tang Jinnian’s room. The endless commotion tonight had pushed him to his limit.
Zhou Tong paused briefly before continuing, "If it’s about staying true to one’s heart, I have done so as well!"
"Today, I ask only for the sake of the citizens." Zhou Tong paused again. "Can you truly stand by and watch as all of Liangzhou’s people are driven from their homes?!"
The inn’s door swung open.
Xue Qiming stepped out, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Stop shouting. He won't take pity on you."
"It’s you!" Zhou Tong’s eyes widened.
Leaning against the doorframe, Xue Qiming raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You still remember me?"
Zhou Tong quickly cupped his hands. "That day on the city walls, I was fortunate enough to witness your unparalleled bravery..."
Xue Qiming chuckled. "You’re quite the talker, old man. But I bet what left the deepest impression was me taking your hundred taels of silver, wasn’t it?"
"Alright, alright, no need for formalities," Xue Qiming said impatiently, waving his hand. "Go back to wherever you came from. There aren't any bleeding hearts here, so no one’s planning to help you. It's your city, so it's your responsibility to defend."
Seeing Xue Qiming about to head back inside, Zhou Tong panicked. He had finally found someone who might be able to turn the tide, how could he let his lifeline leave so easily?
"Hero, please wait!" Zhou Tong shouted.
"What now?" Xue Qiming turned back.
Zhou Tong wore a pained expression. "Hero, you and your companions are capable people. Why are you so resolute in your refusal? A little effort from you might save Liangzhou!"
Xue Qiming rolled his eyes and stared directly at Zhou Tong. "Let me make it clear. First, war isn’t a game. If we go up on the walls with you, we’d be risking our lives, not just putting in a little effort.
"Don’t assume I’m clueless. I know exactly what you’re scheming. Second, no matter how much you argue, we’re just martial artists. Our role on the battlefield is limited. Wars are won by armies, not by individual fighters.
"You, of all people, should know that better than me. I don’t know if all this tonight is you trying to rally public sentiment or if you’re truly desperate and grasping at us as your last straw for comfort. Either way, you’ve miscalculated. Take your men and leave." With that, Xue Qiming stepped back into the inn and prepared to shut the door.
Zhou Tong’s eyes were already bloodshot. Perhaps, as Xue Qiming had said, he truly saw this group as Liangzhou’s last lifeline. And precisely because of that, he couldn’t afford to let go of this straw.
"Hero, do you know the commander of the Northern Qiang forces?" Zhou Tong gritted his teeth and blurted out the question.
Xue Qiming frowned and turned back with a puzzled look. "Who are you talking about?"
Zhou Tong, his eyes red, stared fixedly at Xue Qiming. "He’s nine feet tall, with a missing left ear and a terrifying scar on his left cheek. He rides a giant bear and challenging the heroes to come out and fight him every day... In fact, his words toward the two of you have been deeply insulting. That’s why I asked."
Naturally, Xue Qiming didn’t believe everything Zhou Tong had to say. A commander personally taunting and insulting his enemies at the front lines? Even a three-year-old wouldn’t buy that story. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Zhou Tong. "I do know him. So what?"
Under Xue Qiming’s gaze, sweat began to bead on Zhou Tong’s forehead. Gritting his teeth, he raised his head and said coldly, "I hope the hero won’t take offense, but if you truly have a past with the enemy commander, I have no choice but to ask you to leave the city. It is wartime, and I must err on the side of caution."
"Oh...?" Xue Qiming’s lips curled into an amused smile. "Are you accusing me of... colluding with the enemy?"
"I wouldn’t dare," Zhou Tong said, cupping his hands.
"Hahaha!" Xue Qiming burst out laughing as if he had just heard the funniest joke and clutched his stomach.
"What the hell are you laughing at?!" Tang Jinnian’s exasperated voice came from inside. "Shut your damn mouth!"
Xue Qiming’s laughter stopped abruptly. Scratching his nose awkwardly, he said to Zhou Tong, "Fine, I have to hand it to you. You really went all out to get me to help. Fine I'll do it. If Northern Qiang shows up tomorrow, I’ll personally go meet their commander."
Zhou Tong’s face had just started to show joy when a loud bang came from inside the inn. The door had been slammed shut from within, shutting Xue Qiming outside.
Roofing tiles rattled and slid down, shattering on the ground, a testament to the force with which the door was slammed.
Facing the inn, Zhou Tong saw it all clearly. There was a young girl inside who, upon hearing Xue Qiming agree to his request, had immediately changed her expression and violently slammed the door, locking them all outside.
Xue Qiming discreetly curled his lips in annoyance.
Zhou Tong was puzzled and hesitantly pointed at the door. "Hero, that... young lady just now... who is she?"
"Haha." Xue Qiming laughed somewhat forcefully and patted Zhou Tong’s shoulder. "She’s my incompetent disciple! What do you think?"
Zhou Tong forced a laugh. "Heh, heh-heh... A master and his worthy disciple, indeed. Truly a master and disciple..."
"Ah, you flatter me, you flatter me..." Xue Qiming waved his hand nonchalantly. Suddenly, he changed the topic. "By the way, might I stay the night at your residence, Lord Zhou?"
"Ah...uh?" Zhou Tong was momentarily caught off guard and instinctively glanced at the solidly shut door. Deciding not to offend Xue Qiming, he quickly turned back and said, "It would be an honor! Come, come, hero, this way!"