The fire burned fiercely, crackling and popping.
Many door planks could dimly be seen amid the flames, including some from Dou Rong's residence-paulownia wood, rich and elegant.
Missing door planks were hardly a serious matter for the residence. Its master would never live there again.
Dou Rong had sacrificed his life, and alongside him, more than half the garrison of Sishui Pass had perished.
Of those in Sishui Pass, only Han Sheng, Han Bian, and Xiao Liu, who had led a small force away to evacuate the civilians, had escaped disaster.
Of course, the Zhou Army had fared little better. The soldiers who had stormed into Sishui Pass had no time to withdraw and suffered devastating casualties.
Although Nangong Shi had taken Sishui Pass as he had wished, his heart was terribly heavy.
The fire had burned for three full days and nights. That single blaze had consumed thirty thousand lives, nearly matching the total losses of the preceding days, while the wounded were beyond counting.
Even Ji Shuqian, who had led the charge into Sishui Pass, had been unable to escape the soldiers thrown into chaos by the fire and suffered severe burns.
Lei Zhenzi did not know how to summon rain. In his haste to extinguish the fire, he flapped his Wind-and-Thunder Wings, bringing wind and thunder together-but the wind fed the flames, and the lightning struck several houses, making the blaze burn even fiercer.
This battle... had truly brought devastating losses.
"Ah, Dou Rong, Dou Rong..." Nangong Shi shook his head repeatedly and heaved a long sigh. "I had already suspected that, while Han Rong fought desperately to hold our army back, Dou Rong would realize he might not be able to defend the pass and set an ambush to lure us in."
His face fell as