Chapter 118 -
Five hours had passed since the sun began its slow descent over the northern horizon. The golden evening light faded into a cold, ominous twilight as the dense mountain pass swallowed the remnants of the day.
High up in the rugged terrain of Red Cliff Pass, the narrow stone path twisted between steep, jagged cliff faces.
Riding at the front of his elite vanguard, Xi Wenzhe pulled back slightly on the reins of his black stallion. His dark eyes narrowed as he scanned the towering rocky ledges above. The autumn air was unnaturally still, no birds called from the mountain trees, and even the mountain wind felt heavy and muffled.
Beside him, his second-in-command leaned in, his voice low. "General, the rear supply wagons carrying the medical team are still five miles behind us. Should we slow down to let them catch up?"
Wenzhe’s expression remained unreadable, his jaw set in a hard line. "No. Something is wrong. The pass is too quiet."
Before the officer could respond, a sharp, metallic whistle cut through the freezing air.
SHRRR—!
"AMBUSH!" a scout screamed.
From the top of the cliffs, a volley of black-feathered arrows rained down on the narrow gorge. Stones and heavy boulders crashed down the mountainside, tumbling into the path to block the vanguard’s retreat. Shouts echoing in foreign dialects filled the air as hidden enemy forces rushed out from the mountain caves, surrounding Wenzhe’s unit in the tight space.
Wenzhe drew his long blade in a single, fluid motion, parrying an incoming arrow with a sharp clang of steel. "Hold the line! Form a defensive ring!"
The ambush was precise and brutal. Because the main supply force had dragged behind schedule, Wenzhe’s vanguard was operating with half their usual frontline numbers. The enemy high ground gave them a crushing advantage. Arrow after arrow struck down his outer guards, and the enemy cavalry surged forward to cut off Wenzhe from his officers.
A heavy spear swung hard toward Wenzhe’s flank. He parried it, but two more enemy warriors lunged from his blind spot, their blades aimed directly for his chest.
Clang—! TRRR-CLANG!
Out of nowhere, a barrage of heavy iron arrows flew from the southern entrance of the pass, pinning the attackers straight to the stone wall before their blades could reach Wenzhe.
The thundering roar of hundreds of heavy warhorses echoed through the canyon walls.
"SURRENDER YOUR WEAPONS!" a booming voice echoed across the valley.
Through the dust and rising smoke, hundreds of fresh, heavily armored soldiers bearing the official crest of Grand Duke Xi Jianyu burst into the pass at full speed. Leading the charge was the Grand Duke’s chief commander, brandishing a military token high in the air.
"By order of the Grand Duke! Reinforcements have arrived! Clear the pass!"
The sudden arrival of the Duke’s elite forces turned the tide instantly. Taken completely by surprise, the enemy ambushers were forced back into the high rocks as the Duke’s men encircled Wenzhe’s vanguard, cutting down the attackers and securing the narrow pass within a matter of moments.
As the dust began to settle, Wenzhe lowered his blood-stained sword, his chest heaving as he looked at his father’s chief commander dismounting before him.
"General Wenzhe!" the commander called out, bowing deeply as his men secured the area. "Are you injured?"
"I am unhurt," Wenzhe replied, his voice calm despite the sharp adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He looked around at the fallen enemy scouts, then back at the commander. "How did you arrive so quickly? My father’s troops were supposed to be stationed two days south of here."
The commander pulled a tightly sealed leather pouch from his belt and handed it directly to Wenzhe.
"The Grand Duke received an urgent shadow-letter from Her Grace, the Duchess, sent by the fastest courier earlier today," the commander explained in a low voice. "The letter detailed the exact location of the ambush at Red Cliff Pass and warned us that your formation was running behind schedule. The Grand Duke ordered us to ride without rest to intercept you before you entered the gorge."
Wenzhe’s brow twitched as he took the letter. He broke the wax seal, opening the parchment to read his mother’s frantic handwriting.
His eyes skimmed the lines until they caught the specific source she had cited:
...This danger was revealed directly through Yueqing’s mind. Every detail she has predicted has come to pass. Do not hesitate... send troops to save our son immediately...
Wenzhe stood frozen in the middle of the quiet pass, the cold wind blowing his dark cloak as he stared at his wife’s name written on the paper.
She had known. Even while standing in the quiet courtyard of the capital estate, wishing him dead to his face before he left, her inner thoughts had tracked the exact danger waiting for him in these mountains and ultimately saved his life.
A strange, quiet intensity flickered in Wenzhe’s eyes as he slowly folded the parchment and tucked it into his armor.
Wenzhe slid his sword smoothly back into its sheath.
He swept his gaze over the cleared pass. His men were already tending to the wounded and tying up the surviving enemy scouts, while his father’s reinforcements took up defensive positions along the high rocky ledges.
"Clear the debris from the road," Wenzhe commanded, his voice deep, calm, and ringing with authority. "We are not staying in this gorge."
The commander bowed. "General, your father’s orders were to secure your safety first. Should we wait here for the rear supply unit to catch up?"
"No," Wenzhe replied firmly, stepping up to grip his horse’s reins. "The enemy knows our route now. Waiting in this narrow pass makes us a stationary target. We push forward immediately to the main camp at the northern border. Dong Li and the main forces are already waiting for us there."
"Understood, General!"
Within minutes, the horn blew, signaling the troops to assemble. Wenzhe mounted his warhorse, looking once more down the long, winding dirt road that led deeper into the cold northern territory.
Dong Li, his trusted top general, along with the main army of seasoned warriors, had established the central camp just beyond the valley. Reaching them would mean securing the entire northern line and giving his troops the solid ground they needed.
"Advance!" Wenzhe ordered, snapping the reins.
The combined force of his vanguard and his father’s elite reinforcements surged forward, their armor clanking in rhythm as they rode past Red Cliff Pass, moving straight toward the main camp while twilight melted into the night.