Turning the Enemy's Scheme Against Them

Yan Pass, the central command tent.

"Deputy General Wei, has Northern Liang made any unusual moves lately?"

Chen Lin sat upright behind his desk, looking at Wei Li.

He had lain unconscious for some time. Now that he had finally awakened, the situation at Yan Pass remained his greatest concern.

"Reporting to you, General: ever since Northern Liang provoked us outside the pass that day, they have kept quiet. We haven't seen anything unusual."

Wei Li answered readily.

"Kept quiet?" Chen Lin pondered for a moment. "Knowing Northern Liang, coming to Yan Pass every few days to intimidate and threaten us would be more like them. Yet now they're obediently huddling in their burrow?"

He shook his head. "No, they aren't that well-behaved!"

With that, he rose. "I've lost enough time already. I won't rest easy until I take a look at the walls."

Yan Ming stepped forward, blocking Chen Lin's path. "General, you haven't fully recovered. You must not overexert yourself."

Chen Lin shook his head. "This little injury is nothing. But I've spent so many days lying in this command tent that if I stay any longer, these old bones might waste away."

Seeing that Chen Lin still intended to go out, Yan Ming could only add, "In that case, let's just look around nearby."

Yan Ming went out with Chen Lin, and Wei Li followed behind.

"Deputy General Wei, although Northern Liang hasn't made any unusual moves lately, we must not let our guard down."

"You're right, General," Wei Li said.

Chen Lin slowly walked away with Wei Li and Yan Ming, leaving only his personal guard to watch the command tent.

At some point, a wave of drowsiness swept over the guard watching the tent. His body gradually slumped to one side, and his eyes shut tight.

A furtive figure glanced this way and that, then darted into the command tent like a gust of wind.

He rummaged around the desk for quite some time before finally finding a defense map.

A smile crept onto his lips as he looked at the clearly marked checkpoints, troop deployments, and numbers.

After checking it repeatedly, he tucked the map into his robe, then put another map in its place, one that looked almost identical to the original.

Then, after restoring everything he had disturbed to its original position, he glanced at the guard lying on the ground, gave a contemptuous snort, and left the command tent.

Not long after his figure disappeared, another man appeared out of thin air inside the utterly silent command tent. He was Bu Er, whom Yang Qing had previously ordered to come to Chen Lin's tent.

He too glanced at the desk, then quietly departed.

Yang Qing was leafing through a copy of the Record of the Lands in his tent. Hearing a sound outside, he looked up to see Bu Er lift the flap and enter.

"Is it done?"

"Just as you predicted, young master. Someone did come."

At this, not the slightest trace of delight appeared on Yang Qing's face.

"According to our intelligence, the Northern Liang commander coming to Yan Pass this time is named Gao Yue. He's a fierce general who excels at storming cities."

"Even if the defense map he obtained is a fake, we must never underestimate him."

Bu Er straightened his back. "As you ordered, young master, troops have been stationed in ambush at every gate of Yan Pass, ready to capture them in one stroke."

Yang Qing set down his book and slowly rose. "Come with me to inspect the positions."

Yang Qing walked unhurriedly ahead. When he reached the gate tower, he climbed the steps.

Beyond Yan Pass, as far as the eye could see, lay the lands of Northern Liang.

As he gazed at that bleak, murderous expanse, a layer of frost gradually settled in Yang Qing's eyes.

"Young master, the wind is strong here. Shall we go down?"

Bu Er stepped forward as he spoke.

Yang Qing gazed into the distance once more, then turned and descended from the gate tower.

When he returned to his tent, a faint chill still lingered about him.

At a soft sound outside, Bu Er darted out and soon returned.

He tightly gripped a bamboo whistle in his hand. Only when he reached Yang Qing did he pass it to him.

There were only a few brief words on the slip of paper.

Yang Qing read it silently, then took out a fire striker and shook it alight.

Only after the slip had burned entirely to ash did he set the fire striker aside.

"Bu Er, pass down the order. The wine and dishes are ready. Prepare to take your seats."

Darkness gradually shrouded the land. Beneath the curtain of night, Yan Pass seemed especially quiet and solemn.

Suddenly, a brilliant firework soared into the sky, bursting into an exquisite flower against the darkness.

At the same time, bronze gongs rang out with mounting urgency, accompanied by the shouts of the soldiers on guard.

"The Northern Liang people are here! The Northern Liang people are here!"

In an instant, Yan Pass, which had been shrouded in darkness, sprang into motion.

The soldiers patrolling the gate tower leaned out to look. Beyond the pass, they saw a densely packed sea of men.

The Northern Liang people had advanced like phantoms. The defenders had only discovered the enemy when they were right before them.

Chen Lin stood atop the gate tower in full armor as before, with Wei Li at his side.

The Northern Liang general leading the vanguard was still Wan Li, the same man who had wounded Chen Lin with an arrow before.

Seeing Chen Lin appear atop the tower, he grinned and laughed. "You old bastard, Chen Lin! How did that arrow taste?"

Chen Lin snorted coldly. "I took a stroll before the King of Hell, then came back."

The smile on Wan Li's face faded a little. "Old bastard, it seems I was too gentle with you last time!"

"Likewise," Chen Lin replied. "This time, I certainly won't leave a scourge like you alive!"

At this, Wei Li spoke beside Chen Lin. "General, why trouble yourself with a wretch like him? Let me go and face him!"

"Very well!" Chen Lin said. "But this man is exceedingly cunning. Deputy General Wei, don't fall into his trap!"

"I understand!" With that, Wei Li leaned out and called, "Wan Li, you brat! Why should the general deal with the likes of you himself? Let me face you first!"

Wei Li took his long saber from a guard, then turned and went down from the gate tower.

The gate slowly opened.

Holding his reins in one hand and his long saber in the other, Wei Li advanced toward Wan Li, one step at a time.

The two spurred their horses forward and were soon locked in combat.

Horses neighed, dust billowed, and the clash of weapons rang out without end.

Although Wei Li often spoke disrespectfully of Chen Lin, his fighting skills did have their merits.

For a time, he and Wan Li fought so fiercely that neither could gain the upper hand.

Suddenly, with a clang, a great saber was sent flying into the air.

It was Wei Li who had knocked Wan Li's saber away.

"Wan Li, you brat! Surrender!"

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