Lei Jingzhe opened the Dunzhou military armory. No matter how well Yan Heru had fortified the estate, it proved utterly helpless against siege machinery. The arrows couldn’t pierce the reinforced panels on the lead carts; the door bolts were smashed outright. The mechanical walls couldn’t reset in time, and the Biansha cavalry poured in.
Fei Sheng stepped forward, intending to support Shen Zechuan, urgently saying, “Master, we should retreat from the rear, use the cover of night, and find a way out of the city!”
“Lei Jingzhe intends to wipe out Ha Rigu and his people in one sweep,” Shen Zechuan said, standing against the wind. “He’s meticulously prepared, surrounding the city with heavy forces. There will be no gaps left. Trying to escape now is already too late.”
Fei Sheng could only watch helplessly as the estate was encircled. He realized that tonight, escape was impossible. Yet, as he had vowed, he would risk his life to ensure Shen Zechuan’s safety. He gripped his sword and stood sideways, like a nail driven into the ground beside Shen Zechuan. Behind them, the imperial guards braced as if facing a dire threat, the atmosphere tense and grim.
A crescent moon hung thin in the sky, hidden by black clouds. The heavens pressed down like a heavy mist, unstoppable. Shen Zechuan still leaned on the railing, surveying Dunzhou’s lights. This was the first time he truly saw the city.
Fei Sheng stood silently, amidst the thunderous clamor of battle, watching Shen Zechuan with the imperial guards. Strangely, at this moment of life and death, they no longer felt fear.
Fei Sheng had once only wanted to follow Xiao Chiye, drawn by his audacious spirit. On the day of Qudu’s defection, Fei Sheng had been impressed, but Xiao Chiye would not take him, so he turned to follow Shen Zechuan.
Shen Zechuan was not an easy man to like.
His appearance had drawn disdain back in Qudu. To the Shenyuan, many preferred to stand aside and scrutinize him, as if his life or death were mere trifles. When he left Zhaozai Temple, he had been treated as a mere replacement for Shen Wei, a family blade under the empress dowager’s command. Yet subsequent events defied everyone’s expectations. Amid the chaos, he advanced steadily and quietly. When people realized it, he had already risen to the center of political power. He lacked a commanding aura, yet when standing before others, his slender back became a shield. No storm or flood could break through; as long as he stood, the world behind him seemed hushed, untouched by rain or wind.
Fei Sheng closed his eyes, clearing his thoughts, feeling a deep calm—a stability that required no encouragement. He had abandoned Ji Lei, abandoned Han Cheng; following anyone had always been a matter of circumstance. He never understood the trust Chenyu and Gu Jin placed in Xiao Chiye, but now, standing in the wind, Fei Sheng felt that same trust once more.
Everyone wants to be a Xiao Ce’an in this world.
But Shen Lanzhou had no successors.
Horses’ hooves smashed through the door, and clouds churned overhead. Fei Sheng, a lifetime schemer, lifted his sword with one hand, kicked over a nearby wooden chair, smashing the Biansha cavalry at the stairwell. He tore off his outer robe, gripping the sword firmly, then raised a wine vessel from the table, shouting to the guards, “Tonight, even if the sky falls and the earth shatters, we must ensure our master’s safety. We drink and laugh amidst encircling foes—a privilege even the emperor has never enjoyed!”
Fei Sheng tilted his head back and drained the wine, soaking the front of his robe. He smashed the cup, wiped his mouth, and laughed loudly.
“This battle will be legendary, brothers—we’ll make our names known!”
The spring-embroidered blades drew in unison, their clangs resounding through the clouds. Blood sprayed the stairwell as a dozen guards climbed the railing, slashing down the relentless Biansha cavalry. In the narrow stairwell, heads tumbled. Fei Sheng’s strikes severed necks cleanly, without hesitation.
Lei Jingzhe dared not burn the building; he needed to capture Yan Heru alive, so he had to assault via the stairs. The guards’ proficiency tonight sharply reduced the pressure—once inside the stairwell, the scorpions could no longer swing their iron hammers freely. When the stairs proved impassable, Lei Jingzhe sought alternative paths. From the top of Fuxian Pavilion, the estate seemed isolated like a lone pillar in the heavens, and the attackers deployed scaling ladders.
Yan Heru watched the densely packed Biansha cavalry approach. Fuxian Pavilion appeared suspended between heaven and earth. He backed toward Shen Zechuan, shivering from the wind, saying, “You dare enter the tiger’s den because you were prepared in advance.”
Shen Zechuan remained silent. Yan Heru tried to speak, but suddenly a hand clamped onto the railing beside him—a Biansha cavalryman was climbing up. Yan Heru, thinking quickly, swung his abacus at the soldier, knocking him out. Yet several more followed, restraining his abacus and climbing up.
Yan Heru, valuing life over his prized abacus, let it go. He stumbled back over a small stool and fell. A towering cavalryman blocked his path like a mountain. Seeing the raised blade, Yan Heru shouted, “Master! Big brother! We can negotiate the price!”
A shadow descended from above. The cavalryman’s raised blade hadn’t yet come down when Ha Rigu leapt, ending the threat with a single stroke and catching Yan Heru.
Yan Heru looked up, about to complain that Shen Zechuan was unfair—but he hadn’t even opened his mouth when a dark figure leapt over the railing. Ha Rigu pressed Yan Heru’s head down, dodging a sweeping iron hammer mid-air.
The newcomer’s bare upper body was corded with muscles, identical to Jida a few days prior. Iron hammers whistled through the air, cutting through the wind. As he stood upright, Yan Heru had to crane his neck to see him. The scorpion tattoo covered his entire back. He flexed his arms and leapt down from the railing.
Ha Rigu pushed Yan Heru aside and drew a spiked blade from his waist. Without a word, he engaged in combat.
Yan Heru, amidst the chaos, had nowhere to hide. Accustomed to luxury, he had only practiced elegant maneuvers, now completely forgotten. Hawks circled overhead, and he feared their beaks, so he used his hands to brace himself on the floor, dodging and maneuvering where he could. He managed to reach the side and saw someone perched on the railing.
Yan Heru looked up, his eyes curved into a smile, and called out warmly, “Great nephew!”
Lei Jingzhe sneered and reached out to grab him.
Yan Heru wriggled like an eel, rolling on the ground, then clambered onto the railing—but this time, his collar was yanked tight. Thinking it was Lei Jingzhe, he looked back and shouted, “Brother Lei—”
It was Shen Zechuan.
With his left hand, Shen Zechuan pulled Yan Heru down and tossed him forward. Before Yan Heru could roll, Shen Zechuan pressed his foot against Yan Heru’s lower back, forcing him to kneel. Trapped between wolf and tiger, kneeling with nowhere to turn, Yan Heru pressed his palms together in a mock bow, pleading, “I was just playing with the brothers. I take full responsibility for any loss. No more swords or blades tonight! If the three of us work together, wouldn’t we be invincible?”
Lei Jingzhe motioned for Yan Heru to shut up, then leapt from the railing, fixing his gaze on Shen Zechuan. After a moment, he said, “Tongzhi, it’s been a while.” His words fell, and without waiting for a reply, he added, “Now I should call you Master.”
Amidst the distant chaos, the sounds of smashed furniture were clear. The two of them faced each other beneath the oppressive clouds. Far-off winds rose and fell, and Dunzhou’s countless lights formed a dramatic backdrop.
Lei Jingzhe patted the back of his neck, taunting, “Tonight my luck is extraordinary—I’ve fished a big one from this gutter. Where is Xiao Chiye to protect you?”
Shen Zechuan flicked his mantle from his shoulder, tilting his head with a smile. “My husband has been busy with military affairs. It’s not suitable for him to travel. If there’s business, we can discuss it ourselves.”
Lei Jingzhe’s eyes darkened, cunning glinting beneath the surface. “You came to Dunzhou—not came, returned—to pay respects to Shen Wei?”
“I came at the invitation of the young master,” Shen Zechuan replied, expression unchanged. “To discuss plans to eliminate you.”
Yan Heru paled, trying to interject under Lei Jingzhe’s gaze, but the chill at his nape froze his words. He realized Shen Zechuan was ruthless—one sentence had cut off all his options. Tonight, whether he lived or died, Lei Jingzhe would no longer trust him.
“I noticed the person who rescued Yan Heru was exceptional at the tavern,” Lei Jingzhe said, his gaze fierce. “I intended to act generously, not quibble with a child. But he was so vicious, drawing you into a trap to kill me.”
“Childish temper,” Shen Zechuan said, moving his foot off Yan Heru. “He acted without restraint, angered you. My apologies.”
“You’ve been colluding secretly,” Lei Jingzhe thought, realization dawning. “No wonder the baggage was delayed this time.”
“But tonight you’ve outdone yourself,” Shen Zechuan said, seemingly conceding. “Life and death are at stake. I could defect in the moment.”
Lei Jingzhe feared Shen Zechuan, knowing him skilled at such defensive maneuvers. Once trapped, there would be no escape. He lowered his arms, sneering, “Xiao Chiye sabotaged my Luo Mountain foundation; that grudge can’t be forgotten.”
“If you kill Yan Heru tonight, you cut off all connections with Hezhou,” Shen Zechuan pressed. “Yet you control Dun and Duan, and will have to bear all future supplies and military expenses yourself. Ci Prefecture’s stores are full; I can lend a hand.”
Lei Jingzhe laughed uproariously, then said, “Since you colluded with Yan Heru, you’ve surely already met Ha Rigu. I see you’ve come to Dunzhou to use the face of Bai Cha to take in these traitors!”
“It seems tonight my position is clear. There’s no hiding it,” Shen Zechuan sighed. “Indeed, I came for this. Lei Jingzhe, we are all sons of Gedale. By true reckoning, we are brothers. Why wield swords against each other?”
“Only if you behead Xiao Chiye can we be brothers,” Lei Jingzhe said coldly, still holding a grudge against him. “Your words are a ruse—you see the heavy forces, yet think you can escape death.”
“Do you truly intend to kill me?”
“A wolf released leaves lasting danger!” Lei Jingzhe said. “You’ve swallowed Ci and Tea Prefectures in two months, bringing Zhou Gui and Luo Mu under your command. I feared you would live too long, becoming the unrivaled power in Zhongbo. You’ve brought yourself to my door. Tonight, no matter what tricks you use, killing you is inevitable!”