Preparing for Battle

The night was deep, with no stars or moon in the sky. Gu Chang'an strode steadily, slowly entering the Sky Wind Martial Hall.

The hall doors were not yet closed, and firelight shone through the paper windows, casting familiar silhouettes—the place of belonging and conviction.

As soon as he entered, he heard hurried footsteps. Several figures rushed towards him from the direction of the training grounds.

"Junior Brother Gu!"

Li Hongye led the way, her brows furrowed. She wore a thin red robe, her eyes filled with concern.

Following her were Xie Lanzhi and Wang Xiaojuan. Both women looked grave, their gazes sweeping over Gu Chang'an's blood-stained clothes, and they couldn't help but gasp.

"Brother Gu, are you injured?" Wang Xiaojuan couldn't help but ask.

Gu Chang'an waved his hand. "This..."

Li Hongye bit her lip and said softly, "I heard you went up against Zhang Yuying..."

"She consumed a Blood Pill and went mad. But I've already killed her."

Killed her?

Li Hongye was shocked.

She knew Zhang Yuying's strength. She herself didn't have a hundred percent chance of defeating her.

Let alone Zhang Yuying after consuming a Blood Pill and entering a state of madness...

Junior Brother, your strength... has it surpassed mine so quickly...?

A moment later, she let out a breath.

"It's a blessing that you could return."

Just then, the lights in the training grounds flickered, and a figure slowly emerged.

It was Li Tianfeng.

His gaze fell on Gu Chang'an, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—part relief, part heaviness.

"Chang'an."

Gu Chang'an immediately cupped his hands. "Master."

Li Tianfeng nodded, his voice low. "Wang Hao summoned you back to the yamen because of the Firewood Gang matter?"

"That's right," Gu Chang'an replied. "Director Wang has decided to launch the attack at dawn tomorrow. I've been ordered to lead the first column in a surprise raid, directly breaking through the Firewood Gang's outer mountain path."

Before he finished speaking, the atmosphere around them grew tense.

Li Hongye frowned and blurted out, "You're going tomorrow?"

Gu Chang'an nodded slightly.

"It's my responsibility; I can't back down."

Li Hongye bit her lip, her tone firm. "Then I'm going too."

Gu Chang'an was taken aback. "Your injuries haven't fully healed yet."

"My body isn't that delicate," she said, her gaze calm but hiding an unyielding stubbornness. "I've been recuperating for days, and my body is basically fine now."

"We'll go together tomorrow. We can look out for each other and coordinate effectively."

Gu Chang'an hesitated slightly upon hearing this.

At this moment, Li Tianfeng, who had been silent, slowly spoke, his voice deep like a bell. "You two go together."

"I've fought Daoist Chai before. He hadn't cultivated the blood path then, but his cultivation technique was bizarre, and his killing moves were fierce."

"My defeat was not unjust... but it was in that battle that I realized the aura about him was not of the righteous path."

"In tomorrow's battle, you can fight, but don't overexert yourselves."

"Daoist Chai is ruthless. This person—let Wang Hao handle him personally."

"Your mission is to fight your way through the outer perimeter, sever his wings, and clear the path for Wang Hao's decisive battle."

Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye both nodded solemnly.

"We will obey Master's command."

Li Tianfeng looked at them, finally revealing a tired smile. "Go, get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow is a day of slaughter."

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft sigh came from behind him.

"Old man, this..."

The speaker was Xie Lanzhi. Her brows were tightly knitted, her eyes full of worry as she looked at Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye, her voice unable to hide her unease.

"Chang'an is still young, and Hongye has only just recovered from her injuries. They're going to face Daoist Chai? Isn't this... a bit too soon?"

She was afraid.

Afraid she wouldn't come back.

Li Tianfeng was silent for a moment, then turned around, his gaze like iron.

"Lanzhi."

He softly called her name, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable firmness:

"Beneath a toppled nest, no egg remains intact."

"If that Daoist Chai truly manages to refine that Blood Pill, the victims won't just be a few from the Martial Guard Division... it will be all of Nanning County."

"This child must eventually go through trials."

"Changan walks the path of the blade; the dao does not become sharp without blood. Hongye's heart is no longer soft. Her request to fight tonight isn't to show off, but because she knows—if we don't kill them this time, there will be no turning back."

"It's time to let them go."

Xie Lanzhi was silent, lowering her head without a word. She gripped her sleeves, finally sighing softly:

"Then... have them bring more medicine. They have to come back alive."

Li Tianfeng's gaze softened slightly, and he reached out to pat her shoulder:

"Don't worry. Those two are no longer children."

The night wind was cool, the streets and alleys quiet.

Gu Chang'an, holding his scabbard in one hand and Wang Xiaojuan's hand in the other, slowly walked home along a familiar path.

Dark clouds roiled in the sky, the night as black as ink, as if laying a heavy backdrop for the bloody battle about to unfold.

The two walked in silence until they pushed open the courtyard gate. Wang Xiaojuan finally stopped, her lips pressed together. Her small figure stood in the moonlight, her head raised with a hint of stubbornness.

"Brother Gu..."

Her voice was as light as the wind, but her eyes were exceptionally serious.

"Are you really going tomorrow?"

Gu Chang'an stopped, looking into her clear eyes.

Though young, the girl was no longer an ignorant child.

"Yes, and your Sister Hongye will be leaving with me."

Wang Xiaojuan's eyes instantly reddened, her lips trembling, but she bit her lip, refusing to let herself cry out.

She wanted to say "Don't go," but she knew she had no right, nor did she want to become a burden to him.

"Then you... you must come back safely."

She lowered her head, her hand tightly gripping Gu Chang'an's clothes, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.

Gu Chang'an's heart ached. He pulled her into his arms and whispered comfortingly:

"Don't worry."

"Sister Hongye and I will definitely return safely tomorrow."

"We still have to come back to eat the steamed buns you make. No one will be missing."

Wang Xiaojuan leaned into his embrace and nodded. Tears finally escaped and slid down her cheeks.

But she didn't cry out loud. She just hugged him tightly, as if trying to memorize this warm moment with all her might.

After a long while, Gu Chang'an gently pulled her away, crouched down, and looked at her seriously:

"Xiaojuan, after I leave tomorrow, I'm leaving the house to you."

"Before Sister Hongye and I return, you need to take good care of yourself. If anything happens, you can go to Master and Mistress, understand?"

Wang Xiaojuan bit her lip and nodded forcefully.