Guo Guangbi said, "Move west?"
Xie Jian nodded emphatically. "With everyone's attention fixed on Yunyang, this is the perfect opportunity for us to withdraw westward. West is our only way out. Ji City is already under our control. Once we pass through it and reach the Ankang Grassland, we can escape this predicament."
Guo Guangbi remained silent for a long time. As Xie Jian had said, Xingzhou had become a chicken rib-too little meat to enjoy, yet too precious to discard. His own poor management had brought them to this point, but he still hesitated at the prospect of truly leaving. He had poured so much feeling into Xingzhou, sacrificed countless men, and shed untold blood and sweat to secure a foothold in the Central Plains. Would abandoning it now not render all those efforts and sacrifices meaningless? Once he left Xingzhou, returning to the Central Plains would be harder than climbing to heaven. He might never have another chance.
Xie Jian said, "Rather than sit here waiting for death, we should carve out a path to survival. My lord, this is our best chance to leave. You must not hesitate!"
The Western Sichuan army withdrew thirty li and made camp again. Wails filled the encampment, and wounded men lay everywhere. Accompanied by several generals, Li Yan inspected the camp, unable to bear the sight before him. The preliminary casualty figures had already arrived, and the situation was even worse than he had anticipated.
The soldiers struck by the venom suffered from festering flesh, and the damage continued to spread. The army physicians could do nothing for their wounds.
Yan Hucheng was the last to withdraw. He was drenched in blood, his cloak stained crimson, and even the original color of his armor was impossible to make out. He approached