His Name Resounded Throughout Chu; the King Could Not Sleep at Night!

"Damn, that son of a—!"

Obviously, Zhang Yu had been bottling up his grievances for many years. Now that he had the chance, he let loose, cursing in one long, furious stream.

With every curse, Dun Ruo's heart gave another thump, and his expression grew a little more alarmed.

By the end, Dun Ruo could barely bear to listen. Only then did Zhang Yu finally feel he had cursed enough.

"Actually, I know it wasn't that man's fault. I know what my sister was like. She was daring from the time she was little, always had a mind of her own, and nobody could stop her from doing what she wanted. She never cared what other people thought, either."

"She liked that nobleman. I noticed the signs, and I tried to talk her out of it. Noblemen and people like us live in two different worlds. Nothing could ever come of it."

"But it wasn't until several months after that nobleman left that I found out she'd made a grave mistake. She was pregnant, and by then it was too late. I couldn't even get the nobleman's name out of her."

"Fortunately, that nobleman seemed to come from a powerful family, and my sister had saved his life. So neither the villagers nor the county officials meant to punish her over it."

"But life wasn't easy for a mother and child with no father around, especially when nobody knew who he was."

"People were always pointing fingers at her. She had to shoulder all the farmwork and housework by herself. Even with me helping out, her health steadily declined. The villagers' cold remarks must have affected her, too. She was miserable for years, and her health only got worse."

Zhang Yu sighed. "Later, I served in the army, determined to make something of myself. I earned military merit and became the Village Head. Things improved for her after that, but only for a few years. Then she passed away."

"Before she died, she entrusted Zhao Cheng to us. We've raised him as our own, and he's a fine boy. Even though he's always gone hungry, he's still built like a calf."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu suddenly slapped Dun Ruo on the shoulder.

"Brother, I can tell you're no ordinary man. The king himself relies on you. Since you're looking into A-Cheng's background, why not help us find his father?"

"This isn't A-Cheng's fault, and we don't want to find his father so he can claim kinship. We're not the sort to cozy up to the rich and powerful. We just can't leave this matter hanging."

"Besides, if you find out who his father is, you'll be able to investigate his background, won't you?"

Under Zhang Yu's expectant gaze, Dun Ruo felt his scalp prickle.

That idea of yours is a little dangerous.

Can you really investigate that?

Whoever does will lose his head!

So that was why every official in Yang City County from those years had ended up dead. They'd known too much.

Dun Ruo didn't refuse outright. Instead, he glanced around and said quietly, "I'll look into it, but I can't make it too obvious."

"You know how strict Qin Law is. There's a clear distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. If we dig too deeply, we might end up hurting Zhao Cheng."

Zhang Yu nodded again and again. "I understand."

Dun Ruo spoke with Zhang Yu for a while longer. Then, after visiting the village and cross-checking what he'd heard from several sources, he set off back to Xianyang with the Black Ice Terrace agents.

In the carriage, Dun Ruo sorted through the intelligence.

When he reached the part Zhang Yu had told him, he struggled to decide what to write.

He couldn't let the king realize that he knew the whole story, but he also couldn't include everything Zhang Yu had said. Otherwise, it would be no different from cursing the king to his face.

After turning it over in his mind, he wrote:

"...A nobleman of unknown name wandered into Huaiyang in that year. Lady Zhang saved his life. While she sheltered him as he recovered, they secretly fell in love, and she bore him a son, Zhao Cheng...

"After his father left, mother and son depended on each other. The villagers whispered and pointed. When Zhao Cheng was twelve, Lady Zhang died of grief and illness. His maternal uncle became his guardian and raised him as his own. Cheng shouldered the household's fields alone, revealing early talent and strength, and an astonishing appetite...

"...Though his uncle, Zhang Yu, has many grievances, he understands the law and human feeling. His only wish is that this matter not prevent Zhao Cheng from being valued..."

Chu was a land of hills and ridges.

A troop of soldiers raced out of the border hills, their bloodstained clothes dried to a dark red, their bodies covered in dust from the road.

In a state of panic, they galloped straight to Chen City.

The moment they entered through Chen City's Sima Gate, anguished cries rang out.

"General Xiang, I have urgent military intelligence!"

Xiang Yan, now past forty, narrowed his tiger eyes. A bad feeling welled up in him. He hurried to receive the men, and when he saw their condition, his unease only deepened.

"What happened?"

The leading officer dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Our army was crushed. Every last man was wiped out."

Xiang Yan stared at him in stunned disbelief, his tiger eyes fixed on the man.

"How could this happen?!"

"Sixty thousand Chu soldiers, thirty thousand reinforcements from Wan City, and thirty thousand Han troops garrisoned there. We were supposed to attack the Qin army from both sides. How could we have been defeated? How could our entire army have been wiped out?!"

With such a perfect opportunity, even if they couldn't win a great victory and annihilate the Qin army, they should at least have been able to claim a minor victory and destroy most of its forces.

There was no way things should have ended like this!

Xiang Yan couldn't understand it. For a moment, he felt like killing someone.

"Where's Xiang Tuo?!"

"Why are you all standing around? Bring him to me!"

The officer kneeling before him looked even more grief-stricken.

"General Xiang Tuo fell in battle!"

Xiang Yan stared blankly, unable to speak for a long while.

Then he sank into a chair and shut his eyes, his heart twisting like a knife.

No matter how furious he was, in that moment, all he felt was grief.

Xiang Tuo was his younger cousin, after all—the boy who had followed at his heels since childhood, calling him big brother.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?"

"Even if the battle was lost, Xiang Tuo was brave enough to break out. How could he have fallen in the fighting?"

Xiang Yan struggled to accept it. After steadying himself, he asked in detail, "Tell me exactly how the battle unfolded."

The officer replied, "Our forces accompanied General Xiang to aid Han. We planned to join up with the defenders of Ye County and attack the Qin army from both sides, annihilating them outside the county."

"Who could have known that Meng Wu had captured Ye County several days earlier? General Xiang charged into battle and fell straight into Meng Wu's ambush."

"The enemy had already deployed a heavy force. They waited until our army was inside their trap, then used the Triple-Layer Formation to grind down our vanguard and encircle our rear."

"General Xiang Tuo realized something was wrong and made the split-second decision to break out. But when we reached the gorge, a cavalry unit blocked our way.

"They numbered only a little over ten thousand. General Xiang led thirty thousand men and planned to force our way through, but who could have known that the Qin army had a fearsome warrior among them? General Xiang Tuo couldn't withstand even one blow from him."

"The enemy wielded a Great Halberd. One strike sent General Xiang Tuo reeling. Then he charged into our ranks and cut through them as if no one stood in his way. Unable to endure the humiliation, General Xiang Tuo turned back to fight, but the man took his head with a single blow..."

Xiang Yan furrowed his brow, finding it hard to believe.

Xiang Tuo had inherited the family's martial skills and possessed extraordinary strength. No ordinary warrior could withstand even one blow from him. How could someone have sent him reeling with one strike and taken his head with the next?

Just how vast was the difference in their strength?

"Does Meng Wu really have such a fearsome warrior under his command?"

"Who is he? What reputation does he have?"

The officer said, "His name is Zhao Cheng. He's only sixteen, and he's been in the army for barely a month. Yet his reputation among the troops has already soared. I heard he was the reason Ye County fell so quickly."

"Tell me the details."

"While breaking out, I captured several enemy soldiers from the pursuing force and tortured them for information about him. The Qin soldiers refused to give anything away, even when they were on the brink of death."

"Only one fool let me trick him into talking."

"He said Ye County should have held out for several more days, but that young officer named Zhao Cheng infiltrated the city as a Death Spy. He caused chaos all over the city and killed every defender sent to hunt him down.

"He even slipped onto the city wall and reached the local commander, cutting him down in front of both armies. Then he broke through the Barbican and opened the city gates. That was how Ye County fell several days early, causing our army to walk into the ambush."

Xiang Yan stared, at a loss for words. "Such a brave warrior—and he's only sixteen?"

Sixteen years old.

One blow to drive Xiang Tuo back, another to take his head. Even a warrior who could face ten thousand men was no match for him in a single exchange.

What kind of fearsome power would he wield in the years to come?

He'd slipped behind enemy lines, fought his way through the encirclement, killed the commander, and opened the gates.

Who could stand against an assault like that?

"This matter is of the utmost importance. Send an urgent report to Shouchun and present it to the king!"

Xiang Yan personally took up his brush and wrote of Xiang Tuo's defeat and death, and of the young divine general who had appeared in the Qin army. Then he sent an urgent courier to carry the silk message to the Chu capital of Shouchun through the night!

"...This boy must be dealt with as soon as possible. Otherwise, he will surely become a great threat to all six states!"

Half a day later, all of Chu was shaken.

Xiang Tuo had been defeated!

Sixty thousand Chu soldiers had been wiped out!

A young officer had driven back the Tiger of the Xiang Clan with a single blow!

In no time at all, Zhao Cheng's name spread throughout the Chu court.

Everyone who knew just how formidable Xiang Tuo was fell silent when they heard the news.

King You of Chu, Xiong Han, couldn't sleep all night. Early the next morning, he summoned his ministers to discuss the defeat.

Chu had meant to exploit the chaos, deal a heavy blow to the Qin army, and claim a share of Nanyang Commandery. Instead, they had lost sixty thousand soldiers and a great general. They'd killed the goose that laid the golden eggs!

"Your Majesty, I believe Xiang Tuo was arrogant and foolhardy, a man of bravery but no wisdom. He alone is to blame for the annihilation of our army. As for this so-called young divine general, it must all be fabricated!"

"I disagree. Ye County wasn't as mighty as Wan City, but it was built on defensible terrain and guarded by thirty thousand soldiers. Even when Meng Wu cut off its water supply, he couldn't take the city in just three days.

"If that young officer hadn't been exceptionally powerful and taken Ye County ahead of time, how could General Xiang have fallen into an ambush?"

"I agree. The enemy's capture of Ye County ahead of schedule was already out of the ordinary. The Qin army couldn't break through the city, and our reinforcements were launching a surprise attack. We even had forces inside the city ready to act. It was a heaven-sent opportunity.

"But that young man changed everything. A battle that had favored us turned against us.

"General Xiang's defeat was understandable!"

"I believe it was because a famed general like Meng Wu planned the whole thing, leaving no openings. That's why General Xiang Tuo's army was wiped out."

As he listened to the civil officials argue heatedly, the old general Jing Qi could no longer hold back. He strode forward and shouted:

"Rubbish! Have any of you ever fought a battle, or do you just love running your mouths?

"Forget Meng Wu—even if the King of Heaven himself came, he couldn't take Ye County in such a short time. They couldn't capture it by force, even after suffering heavy losses. How could they do it with a siege tactic like cutting off the water supply?"

"Though the reports of that young warrior sound incredible, I can see how it could have happened. Whether it was Ye County falling early or General Xiang's failed breakout, everything proves that this boy's divine prowess cannot be underestimated.

"Your Majesty, just imagine: if this boy slipped into Chu alone, then infiltrated the capital—or even the palace—who in the entire royal city could stop him?

"Are you going to send these men, who do nothing but twist words, to stop him?"

The moment he said this, silence fell over the entire court.

The ministers were afraid to say another word, lest they really be ordered to stop that young warrior.

King You's eyes narrowed, and a chill ran down his back.

The military report said that even the Tiger of the Xiang Clan, Xiang Tuo, had been unable to withstand a single blow from this boy.

He had faced thousands of defenders inside the city, breaking through their encirclement time and again and killing more than half the men sent after him.

If he really slipped into the palace unnoticed, who could stop him?

Would the king's head still be sitting securely on his neck?

The more King You thought about it, the more a chill crept over him.

Until this boy was dead, the king would never sleep peacefully again.