The blazing sun shone overhead. The great army moved like a dragon, its gleaming weapons and armored horses crossing the frozen Yushui.
Sima Zheng, the commander-in-chief, stopped on the ice of the Yushui, suddenly dismounted, and pinched a strangely colored chip of ice between his fingers. He even touched his tongue to it, heedless of the filth.
"The endless blood of heroes turns out to stink too." Sima Zheng sighed.
Niu Fangsheng, mounted beside him, snorted with laughter. "What are you saying, Marshal? How could it not stink? How many days has it been? It's not as though the sun hasn't been shining. What you ought to worry about is the ice on the Yushui getting trampled like this. What if it thins by the time we come back tonight and breaks underfoot?"
"If it comes to that, Zhang Xing will be the one worrying," Sima Zheng replied unconcernedly. "I'd actually welcome the ice giving out today. We can return north along the western bank of the Yushui. As for him, he'll have to spend his true qi building an ice bridge, won't he?"
Niu Fangsheng smiled and continued, "I never expected Zhang Xing to be so bold. He could have watched the dragons fight from the riverbank, yet he insisted on traveling all this way to join the battle... He won't stop at the Yushui and stay put, will he?"
"That would be just as well." Sima Zheng's expression grew serious. "Then we'll defeat Bai Hengqiu first, turn around, and defeat him afterward! So far from his base, he won't dare linger in battle. He'll withdraw before dusk!"
"An astute judgment, Marshal!" Niu Fangsheng nodded.
Then he urged his horse past Sima Zheng.
Wang Daiji, who had remained silent at their side, narrowed his eyes as he watched Niu