The Western Expedition Army led by Lu Xiong finally arrived outside Sishui Pass.
After marching all the way from Tong Pass, something about the army's bearing seemed to have changed.
They pitched camp, lit fires, and cooked their meals. One squad of mounted scouts after another rode out to gather intelligence on Sishui Pass.
Lu Xiong did not have many troops at his disposal. Although he had stubbornly insisted at Tong Pass Camp that the army advance in full force, he had actually divided it into three columns shortly after leaving Tong Pass.
He personally led one column straight west to reinforce Sishui Pass. Shi Bufan led the Dare-to-Bear Army north to Jiameng Pass, where he would ascertain the situation at Stone Pavilion before marching south with the Four Generals of the Mo Family. Gao Jieneng led the final column, first crossing the Han River to the south before turning north.
With three columns converging on Nangong Shi, victory could be secured.
What Lu Xiong had not expected was that Dou Rong would burn Sishui Pass to the ground.
Scouts came and went. As more intelligence arrived, the atmosphere in camp grew tense. The soldiers stopped grumbling as they had throughout the march and became much quieter.
They did not know exactly what had happened inside Sishui Pass, but they knew that few could have survived that fire. The cruelty of war sank in ever deeper.
Many tightened their grips on their weapons and solemnly wiped down their armor. The rasp of sharpening blades mingled with heavy footsteps. The atmosphere grew somber, and a faint air of murderous resolve began to rise.
This was something the army had never possessed before. The soldiers were gradually beginning to understand what war meant.
News arrived on the second day after they made