Chapter 67: Dark Clouds Threaten the City

When the sun rose the next day, the great fire that had raged in the city of Ironwood was finally extinguished, leaving not even a wisp of smoke in the air. But at that moment, Wei Wuji, who had risen after only a few hours of sleep, felt no sense of relief at all.

His current anxiety was no less than when he had once ambushed the Chen army—in fact, his situation now was even more dire. What lay outside Ironwood? Nearly four thousand Qin soldiers, their strength far greater than the Wei forces Wei Wuji commanded.

If that fire had alerted them, if they realized their plan had been exposed, they would surely abandon their previous arrangements. In that case, Gu Mu’s confession would be rendered useless, and everything would have to begin anew.

Now, Wei Wuji could only hope that the messenger he’d dispatched overnight would reach the nearby Wei forces in time. The only troops close enough to send reinforcements promptly were the First Division stationed in Xianghe County and the county soldiers of Xiping in Henei Commandery.

Yet Wei Wuji knew that even if the plea for help arrived and both forces set out at once, he would have to wait until the afternoon of the following day for their arrival. What allowed him a measure of relief was that the supplies for the Wei army camp would not arrive until the third day. In that case, even if they could not eliminate the Qin, protecting the provisions should not be an issue.

As Wei Wuji pondered, Zheng Dali, who had not slept all night, returned to the main hall.

“Master, as you instructed, we’ve put out every spark from the inn,” Zheng Dali reported with a bow.

“Good,” Wei Wuji replied, nodding.

“Has Wang Xiu returned?” His voice was hoarse.

Zheng Dali, noting his lord’s weary state, looked at him with concern before answering, “Not yet.”

Wei Wuji fell silent, the worry between his brows deepening. Wang Xiu had left Ironwood with a thousand men yesterday and had yet to return; Wei Wuji could not help but worry. His forces were already stretched thin—if something happened to Wang Xiu’s detachment, he would have no choice but to flee for his own survival.

With a heavy sigh, Wei Wuji told Zheng Dali, “You haven’t slept all night either. Go and rest.”

Seeing his master’s grave concern for the battle, Zheng Dali took his leave with a bow, not wishing to disturb him further.

How quickly the situation had deteriorated—Wei Wuji could never have foreseen it. He could only hope his fears were unfounded, comforting himself with the thought.

Now, he dared not act rashly—all because of his lack of troops. He could only wait for Wang Xiu’s forces to return before making any deployments. Otherwise, with the mere thousand men at his disposal, he would not risk moving out, lest their base be left undefended and disaster ensue.

With Wang Xiu still missing, even the three bowls of rice porridge Wei Wuji usually enjoyed in the morning were reduced by one. Even when Huan’er tried to coax him to eat, he could not stomach more.

Time passed, and eventually, Wei Wuji heard commotion outside. His spirits lifted—perhaps Wang Xiu had finally returned.

But when he hurried to the door, it was Liu Xuanba who burst in.

Liu Xuanba strode into the courtyard and saw Wei Wuji standing on the threshold of the main hall. He immediately fell to his knees, bowing deeply, and said with a trembling voice, “Master, have I brought trouble upon you?”

He had just learned from Zheng Dali that the master was furious over the fire he had set. How could Liu Xuanba not be afraid? Now the mark of incompetence branded him even more deeply.

Seeing Liu Xuanba admit fault so readily, what little resentment Wei Wuji felt vanished. After all, Liu Xuanba had meant no harm, and besides, it was not yet certain that the Qin would discover anything.

Wei Wuji descended the steps, helped Liu Xuanba to his feet, and said, “Stand up—this isn’t your fault.”

Liu Xuanba’s anxiety only grew. Not my fault? That must mean I was wrong, but he does not blame me.

With Wei Wuji’s help, Liu Xuanba rose reluctantly.

“Master…” he began, but Wei Wuji cut him off. “No more pointless words. See to the city’s defense and do nothing reckless.”

Wei Wuji fixed him with a steady gaze, and Liu Xuanba bowed his head. “At your command,” he answered.

With things as they were, all Liu Xuanba could do was try his best to remedy his “mistake.”

At that moment, footsteps sounded again outside the courtyard. As Liu Xuanba retreated to the gate, he met the newcomer head-on.

“Lieutenant Wang?” Liu Xuanba exclaimed in surprise. Had he not been sent out on assignment?

It was indeed Wang Xiu. He looked exhausted, as if he had not slept all night, but managed a brief smile in greeting. “Good morning, Lord Liu.”

Liu Xuanba sighed and said, “Lieutenant Wang, the master is brooding inside. Be careful when you speak to him.”

“Thank you for your warning, Brother Xuanba,” Wang Xiu replied, saluting.

“Go on in. I must return to my duties,” Liu Xuanba said with a wry smile. He had enough troubles of his own, yet still worried for others.

After Liu Xuanba left, Wang Xiu straightened his armor and strode into the courtyard.

Seeing Wei Wuji, Wang Xiu knelt at once. “Your servant greets you, master!”

Wei Wuji turned to him. “Rise.”

Wang Xiu got to his feet. Wei Wuji noted the orderliness of his armor and was relieved—clearly nothing serious had happened.

“Why have you returned? I sent you to patrol the area,” Wei Wuji asked.

“Master, something grave has happened,” Wang Xiu replied.

Wei Wuji’s heart lurched—was his worst fear coming true?

“Master, I patrolled all day yesterday. There was nothing unusual in the villages around Ironwood. But early this morning, my scouts reported a force of over a thousand soldiers appearing thirty miles to the north—and their numbers keep growing.”

With this, Wei Wuji understood: the Qin had noticed something amiss in Ironwood and were making large-scale movements.

Wang Xiu continued, “When the scouts drew closer, they heard the men speaking with Qin accents. Lacking confidence of success, I withdrew to consult with you on the best course.”

So it was true, Wei Wuji thought—the Qin moved with alarming speed.

Wang Xiu asked in bewilderment, “Master, why are there Qin soldiers here?”

Wei Wuji sighed. Had he not captured Gu Mu beforehand, the large forces of Qin appearing three days later would have shocked him even more.

He explained to Wang Xiu everything that had happened the previous night, including the fire set by Liu Xuanba.

Upon hearing the account, Wang Xiu exclaimed, “So that’s how it is!”

Wei Wuji sighed as well. “If we strike now, I fear we cannot defeat the Qin force piecemeal.”

Wang Xiu shook his head helplessly. “The Qin outnumber us two to one. Even if we defeat a few groups, the rest will surely be alerted.”

Wei Wuji forced himself to be optimistic. “Don’t worry, I’ve already sent riders for reinforcements. If all goes well, they will arrive tomorrow.”

This gave Wang Xiu some comfort. With reinforcements, they could slowly encircle and crush the Qin.

Suddenly, Wang Xiu’s expression changed. “No, something’s wrong!”

“What is it?” Wei Wuji asked, turning to him.

Wang Xiu replied anxiously, “If the Qin knew they’d been discovered, they could simply relocate. Why gather their forces now?”

Wei Wuji’s face paled. Yes, why indeed?

Noting Wang Xiu’s increasingly grim expression, Wei Wuji realized the news could not be good. “Tell me your theory, Wang Xiu,” he said, massaging his forehead.

After a moment’s thought, Wang Xiu replied cautiously, “The Qin are assembling early—this suggests they have something big planned.”

When Wei Wuji remained silent, Wang Xiu added, “At this rate, the Qin are surely about to—”

Before he could finish, a guard burst in, stumbling as he cried, “Master, it’s urgent! Qin troops have appeared in the distance and are advancing on our position!”

Wei Wuji and Wang Xiu exchanged a bitter, helpless smile.