After the Alliance, the Clouds of Decisive Battle Gather

Night deepened, and torchlight linked into a winding line through the camp. Chen Wuya stood beside the bronze stele, the chill of metal still lingering in his palm. He did not withdraw his hand, merely stared at the blank face of the monument as though he could discern traces of the future within that wordless stone.

Bai Zhi stood slightly behind him, her deerskin boots making faint sounds against the gravel. She said nothing, but her gaze remained fixed on his back. After a long while, she asked softly, "What next?"

He turned, and his patched travel pack swayed with the movement. "They think the war is over," he said. His voice was low, yet it scraped across the air like a blade over iron. "But I know this is only the beginning."

Before his words had faded, he was already striding toward the central command tent. Seeing this, the guards immediately came forward, clasping their fists as they awaited orders. Chen Wuya said only, "Pass the order: all commanding generals are to gather at the central command tent within half an hour. No delays."

Bai Zhi hurried after him. "You intend to go to war?"

"It isn't that I intend to start a war." He did not slow his pace. "It's that someone won't let peace travel too far. The new king has signed his name, but that does not mean those beneath him are willing to bow their heads. Last night, the scouts reported smoke rising from three valleys north of the altar, with frequent troop movements. This isn't a withdrawal. It's a reorganization."

Her brows drew together slightly. "But the soldiers are already exhausted. If war breaks out again, morale may not hold."

Chen Wuya smiled, revealing the dimple in his left cheek, though there was not