WNST - 121

In Lido Prefecture, a storm was brewing. 

The sudden cancellation of the dragon-boned ship’s launching ceremony caught Song Muchuan off guard after months of meticulous preparation. 

Wanyan Jun seemed to suspect something. He cleared out all the craftsmen and personally led a thorough inspection of the ship, inside and out. 

Fortunately, Song Muchuan had been exceedingly cautious, leaving no trace for Wanyan Jun to uncover. 

But while one door closed, another opened. In a separate matter, Wanyan Jun made significant progress. 

The mystery of the Yucheng Army had long haunted him, becoming a persistent nightmare. Though circumstances had forced him to accept the official explanation at the time, he had always harbored doubts about its validity. 

Hushe’s death had stirred suspicions within him, hinting that deeper secrets lay hidden beneath the surface of Lido Prefecture. 

He could choose to ignore it, but he needed to know the truth. 

Thus, he secretly dispatched men to excavate the ruins of Hugui Mountain. Though much time had passed and the excavation proved difficult, Wanyan Jun was determined to confirm whether the bodies of the Yucheng Army were buried there, no matter the cost. 

This operation was painstakingly slow, and results wouldn’t have come so soon under normal circumstances. However, recent torrential rains had washed away layers of sand and rock, exposing the remains hidden beneath. 

It was a case of fate intervening where human plans fell short. 

Upon inspection, they discovered only armor and clothing belonging to the Yucheng Army in the ruins—but the number of bodies didn’t match. 

While this wasn’t the most conclusive answer for Wanyan Jun, knowing the truth gave him the upper hand. 

Hugui Mountain had been thoroughly searched, yet no trace of the Yucheng Army was found. This suggested that these living soldiers were likely hiding right under their noses. 

What channels could silently smuggle so many people into the city? And where in the city could such a large group remain concealed? 

After pondering for a while, Wanyan Jun’s thoughts inevitably turned to the massive shipbuilding project nearby. 

Connecting the dots—Hushe’s deathbed accusations against Song Muchuan, coupled with Wanyan Pu’s message canceling the launching ceremony—finally cleared the fog in Wanyan Jun’s mind. Hushe’s burning of the archives before his death had been an attempt to erase these very traces, fearing they would be uncovered. 

So the problem lay with the shipbuilders! 

---

On this rainy day, the ground was slick with a sticky mist. Narrow streets stretched ahead, crowded with umbrellas moving in procession. 

Xie Queshan walked without an umbrella, his shoulder already soaked. As he prepared to take shelter under the eaves of a building near the local shrine, someone suddenly held an umbrella over him.

When he turned around, he saw Song Muchuan.

People came and went, clear rainwater fell to the ground, blending with the dust. People’s footsteps trampled over it, turning it into a puddle of muddy water.

But he said: “Chaoyun, long time no see.”

Xie Queshan’s hands in his sleeves suddenly clenched - he couldn’t believe it, his whole body was trembling imperceptibly.

He hadn’t been this nervous for a long time. Even when discovered by the Qi people, he could remain calm and quickly devise countermeasures. But now his mind was blank.

He hadn’t figured out how to face his old friend.

He even suspected that he had misunderstood. But through the mist, Song Muchuan’s gaze was clear.

Song Muchuan used to have vague suspicions, but there was no solid evidence. He believed that “Yan” was Nanyi.

But intelligence from Jinling said that Zhang Yuehui was Yan, then Nanyi nominally remarried Zhang Yuehui and left Lidu Prefecture.

Others didn’t know, but Song Muchuan clearly understood that Zhang Yuehui wasn’t part of Bingzhu Division; the intelligence was wrong. On the surface, one might think Zhang Yuehui sacrificed his promising future to save his beloved.

But Song Muchuan discerned the oddity in it.

If Zhang Yuehui could alter intelligence, he could intercept it too. Since they were escaping anyway, there was no need to rescue Nanyi in such a mutually destructive way.

Unless, the person they truly wanted to save was someone else.

Someone had to take on the name of Yan, otherwise that person would be in danger.

Between the time Wanyan Puruo went to Jinling and the intelligence returned, someone quietly disappeared from Lidu Prefecture and then returned as if nothing happened.

Xie Queshan.

As this thought became stronger, Song Muchuan couldn’t sleep night after night. He even considered confronting Xie Queshan directly and forcing him to answer: Are you Yan? Have you endured humiliation all these years? Are we still friends at heart?

But in the end, Song Muchuan did nothing. He calmed himself down and tried not to think about it.

He once told Nanyi, just trust him. Regardless of who he is, he must be fighting alongside us in secret.

If he were Xie Queshan, it would be a timely help, but we shouldn’t give away any clues because of this.

Yet Song Muchuan couldn’t help but wonder, all these years, has anyone ever asked him, Xie Chaoyun, do you feel pain?

He originally thought he would remain silent until the day of celebration, when they could reunite in the joy of victory, and all past grievances would dissipate with the great triumph. But the situation changed abruptly, and he was cornered. He had to come see him.

—

Next to the dockyard, there was a large open space crowded with temporary thatched cottages where most of the workers and craftsmen involved in shipbuilding lived. Due to the large number of people, the scale of the thatched cottages almost equaled a neighborhood, with intricate paths in between.

Wanyan Jun led his troops to surround the area.

Strangely, there was no one in any of the houses.

As Wanyan Jun searched to the end, he grew increasingly angry. Did the Yucheng Army run away? Was he too late again?

Suddenly, a horn sounded from somewhere, followed by a fire breaking out. A thatched cottage instantly burst into flames, spreading to the surrounding areas. Drums thundered, and countless soldiers armed with weapons jumped down from the thatched roofs, engaging in fierce combat with the Qi soldiers.

It was the Yucheng Army!

Among the crowd, they appeared like ordinary civilians, but when armed, they were soldiers defending their homeland. They never forgot their mission to fight.

The enemy changed, so did our plan; the operation was advanced.

Upon learning that Wanyan Jun had surrounded them with his troops, the Yucheng Army had no time to retreat. Their only way out was to fight their way through.

This was a well-trained, long-latent army. In no time, they devised tactics and set up ambushes. Like blades honed for too long, they possessed an overwhelming momentum, waiting for the moment to unsheathe and confront the enemy.

Wanyan Jun intended to catch the Yucheng Army off guard, but instead, he found himself ambushed. He wasn’t as skilled as Husa in leading troops, causing chaos among his ranks.

Though the Qi soldiers showed signs of defeat, reinforcements would soon arrive. The Yucheng Army didn’t linger in battle, swiftly retreating while they had the upper hand. Hundreds dispersed into streets and alleys, vanishing in an instant.

Cunning Han people!

Wanyan Jun gritted his teeth in anger.

However, the monks may escape, but the temple remains. The vast Lidu Prefecture was under his control. What waves could a group of scattered ants stir?

Wanyan Jun decisively led his troops back, heading straight to Wangxue Lodge.

This time, they showed no courtesy, charging in like bandits, detaining anyone they encountered, smashing anything in sight, barging all the way to the backyard, and brutally dragging out Madam Gantang.

Tang Rong, fiercely protective of his master, immediately engaged the Qi soldiers in combat. However, outnumbered, he was eventually tied up and thrown into the yard.

Everyone from Wangxue Lodge was gathered together, torture devices were set up in the courtyard, and Tang Rong was interrogated.

He was a member of the Yucheng Army.

Xie Queshan arrived fashionably late, leisurely sitting down on a nearby armchair. Frowning slightly, he said, “My things aren’t cheap, Wanyan Sir smashed so many — no need for you to compensate, but I’ll take a share of the credit.”

Wanyan Jun was initially wary of Xie Queshan, but his reaction satisfied him somewhat.

A wise man knows what’s appropriate.

Xie Queshan’s identity was sensitive, but even Wanyan Puruo found nothing wrong during his trip to Jinling. Wanyan Jun naturally trusted Princess Chang’s judgment.

Moreover, Wanyan Jun was skeptical. He had only heavily relied on three Han people: Zhang Yuehui, Song Muchuan, and Xie Queshan. If one or two had issues, that could be coincidence, but surely not all three? Would his Qi camp become a place where people come and go freely?

“Absolutely impossible.”

At this moment, Wanyan Jun was still seething with anger towards Song Muchuan, wishing he could capture him and the Yucheng Army immediately and tear them to pieces. His guard against Xie Queshan unconsciously relaxed.

”Naturally, Mr. Que Shan, I won’t forget what I promised you. I won’t touch anyone of the Xie clan, but as for those outside the Xie name...”

His gaze subtly shifted towards Madam Gantang. She was forced to sit on a chair, looking somewhat disheveled, but no one had tortured her. They just made her watch Tang Rong being tortured.

Both were people related to the Yucheng Army. Killing the chicken to scare the monkey would surely draw out some information.

Xie Queshan calmly withdrew his gaze and said, “Lord Wanyan is a man of his word. The face you give me, I will remember deeply. Whatever you do here today, however long you interrogate, it’s all up to you. I won’t interfere.”

Wanyan Jun’s eyes darkened, revealing a hint of ruthlessness. With a light gesture, the red-hot branding iron was directly pressed into the man’s chest.

Tang Rong bit his lip and grunted, his limbs twitching uncontrollably. The cooling branding iron hissed, sending chills down everyone’s spines.

”Lady Gantang, how long your loyal servant suffers depends entirely on your decision. As long as you tell me where the Yucheng Army is hiding and their ultimate goal, everything can end immediately. I also promised Mr. Que Shan that I wouldn’t harm you.”

Wanyan Jun’s tone was polite, yet it sounded especially sinister in this context.

Lady Gantang was already in tears, knowing that disaster had struck and the worst had happened. At this moment, human flesh and wisdom were insignificant; any action felt like hitting a stone with an egg. They couldn’t stand against those powerful monsters.

The cruelest part was that the enemy handed the power to stop over to her. She even hated herself for living to this moment. She couldn’t bear to see Tang Rong tortured—he was the warrior who pulled her out of the mud. He left his comrades and the battlefield to protect her. How could she bear to see him suffer so much?

Her whole body went numb and painful, but she knew nothing. What could she say?

Even if she knew, she couldn’t say it.

She was restless and had nowhere to turn. Her body was driven by instinct, blood rushing to her head. Suddenly, she broke free from the Qi soldiers’ grasp, rushed to Tang Rong, and snatched the branding iron from the torturer’s hand without feeling its heat. Even the torturer was caught off guard, involuntarily loosening his grip, allowing her to wrestle the branding iron away and throw it far.

She spread her arms to shield Tang Rong, crying and screaming, “Do whatever you want to me!”

Wanyan Jun stroked his chin, watching this scene with great interest.

Xie Queshan sighed helplessly and said to Lady Gantang, “Sister, don’t get involved.”

Lady Gantang glared at him, then stiffly took a few steps toward him, her overflowing anger almost palpable.

Xie Queshan thought he would at least receive a slap, but unexpectedly, Lady Gantang’s legs gave way, and she crawled forward on her knees, collapsing before him.

This move shocked Xie Queshan.

Her eyes were full of despair; now she could only beg him.

”Chaoyun, don’t be like this, save him…”