Volume 1, Chapter 39: The Traitor Was Among Us!

The night was as dark as ink. The snow blanketing Zhenbei Pass glistened with a cold, white light under the moon, as if the earth had been coated in hoarfrost.

Zhang Muyang crouched on an ancient locust tree outside the General’s Mansion, his fingers twisting the cord of his grappling hook. He had long ago had Han Li treat the rope with oil, ensuring it would make not a whisper of sound when deployed.

Su Ying knelt on a branch beside him, her breathing shallow and controlled, her eyes shining with startling intensity in the darkness.

Zhang Muyang whispered, "Remember, we are only here to find General Xiao. We must not invite any unnecessary trouble."

Su Ying nodded, her eyes bright with suppressed excitement. "Don't worry, I won't hold us back."

"Whoosh!"

The steel claw sliced through the night air with a sharp hiss, latching precisely onto the eaves of the mansion. As the cord went taut, the pair swung like agile cats, vaulting over the high wall and landing silently in the courtyard.

The mansion was deathly still. The upturned eaves stacked layer upon layer, and the winding corridors, maze-like, cast intricate, shifting shadows under the moonlight. Sentries were posted every five paces, and patrols of personal guards walked slowly by with lanterns, their dim, yellowish light casting flickering shadows against the papered windows.

"That way."

Zhang Muyang lowered his voice and pointed to the northwest corner. That was where the lights were brightest and the security the tightest; it was almost certainly where Xiao Lie was being held.

The two crept forward, using rockeries and flowerbeds as cover, moving like ghosts. However, just as they rounded a moon gate, a familiar figure suddenly entered their line of sight.

It was Deputy General Zhou Chong!

"What is he doing here?" Su Ying frowned, a flash of wariness in her eyes.

Zhang Muyang signaled for silence. The two followed him soundlessly, pressing themselves against the outside of the pharmacy's lattice window. A small hole in the paper allowed them a clear view of the interior.

Inside, an oil lamp flickered. Zhou Chong stood with his back to the window, speaking in low tones to a white-bearded physician: "This is the final dose for tonight. Tomorrow morning, you are to leave through the back gate; someone will be there to escort you to the Northern Frontier."

The physician took a letter, his hands trembling uncontrollably. "D-Deputy General, if this is discovered..."

"What are you afraid of?" Zhou Chong sneered. "Once this is done, all of Zhenbei Pass will be ours. Who would bother questioning the death of a corpse? Deliver this letter to Prince Jing, and you shall have endless wealth and honor."

Zhang Muyang and Su Ying exchanged a glance, both seeing the same shock and fury in each other's eyes. It really was Zhou Chong behind the treachery!

Before they could think further, the physician tucked the letter away, picked up a bowl of jet-black medicine, and stepped out of the pharmacy. A thick, pungent scent of herbs washed over them, acrid yet cloyingly sweet.

The entrance to the inner courtyard was guarded by twice as many men as elsewhere, each with a long blade at their waist and a wary gaze.

A guard barked, "Who goes there?"

"I... I am here to deliver medicine to General Xiao," the physician said, his voice trembling as he held up the bowl.

"Go on in."

The guard inspected his identity tablet and the bowl, then stepped aside. Zhang Muyang and Su Ying slipped in, clinging to the shadows of the pillars like geckos. The inner courtyard was even quieter than the outer, save for the rustling of wind through pine needles. The snow in the yard remained untrodden, suggesting that few were ever allowed near this place.

The physician stopped at the door of the main chamber and took a deep breath. "General, it is time for your medicine."

***

Su Ying suddenly tugged on Zhang Muyang's sleeve and pointed to the woodshed in the corner of the yard, piled high with dry straw. She intended to set a fire to create a distraction, allowing Zhang Muyang to slip in during the chaos.

That wouldn't do.

Zhang Muyang’s eyes sharpened as he made a split-second decision.

"Swish!"

He lunged out like a leopard, his Hanling blade slicing through the moonlight and coming to rest directly at the physician's throat.

The physician let out a terrified shriek, and the bowl of medicine shattered on the stone floor, splashing dark liquid everywhere.

"Assassins!"

The guard's roar instantly tore through the night. Lanterns lit up all at once, and dozens of guards drew their swords, surrounding Zhang Muyang and Su Ying in a tight circle of cold steel.

"I am no assassin!" Zhang Muyang tossed his blade aside and raised his hands high. "I must see General Xiao!"

Su Ying kicked the physician to the ground, pinning his throat with her Yanling blade as she stood back-to-back with Zhang Muyang, forming a tight defensive perimeter. The tension was palpable; the air seemed to freeze, and even the sound of the wind grew grating.

"Stop!"

A steady voice came from the end of the corridor. It was a middle-aged man dressed in heavy armor, his face resolute and his eyes sharp—Wang Shibei, one of the four deputy generals under Xiao Lie's command.

"Deputy General Wang!" The guards sheathed their swords and saluted.

Wang Shibei’s gaze swept over the spilled medicine and landed on the subdued physician. He raised an eyebrow. "What is the meaning of this?"

Zhang Muyang knelt on one knee. "Deputy General, this physician is carrying a letter. You will understand once you read it."

The physician was trembling violently. Su Ying bent down, retrieved the letter from the man's robes, and handed it to Wang Shibei.

Wang Shibei unfolded the paper and read it by the light of a nearby lantern. A moment later, his face turned livid. The letter contained only a few words, yet each was sharp as a blade: "To His Highness, Prince Jing: The guard rotation at the East Gate is in three days. The sick tiger may be cooked; have no concerns. — Zhou Chong."

A sick tiger? That could only mean Xiao Lie!

Wang Shibei looked up, his eyes murderous. "Zhou Chong, that ungrateful animal! So it was him all along!"

The surrounding guards were stunned. None of them had imagined that Deputy General Zhou, who had stood by General Xiao through life and death for years, was actually a man of Prince Jing! Once the General was murdered, Prince Jing would take over Zhenbei Pass under the pretext of suppressing a rebellion, secretly invite the Northern Yan cavalry into the pass, and seize the opportunity to crown himself king in the north.

This plot to use one's own hand to kill was vicious to the core!

"No one here is to leave!" Wang Shibei commanded, his voice like iron. "Whoever leaks a word of this will face execution of their entire clan!"

The guards knelt in unison. "Understood!"

Wang Shibei looked at Zhang Muyang and Su Ying. "The two of you, follow me."

***

They arrived at a side chamber. The room was sparsely furnished with only an eight-immortal table and a few chairs. On the wall hung a "Map of the Northern Frontier Strongholds," marked with a dense web of red arrows—clearly the recent defensive layout.

Wang Shibei closed the door and stared at the two with burning eyes. "Speak. Who are you exactly?"

"This subordinate is Zhang Mu, a centurion of the reinforcements from Sifang County. This is my personal guard, Zhang Ying."

"When we were at Hufeng Pass, we heard Deputy General Wu say that General Xiao’s illness was suspicious. We then intercepted a secret letter from the Northern Yan Wolf King, stating, 'The poison is administered, awaiting effect,' so we guessed the General had been poisoned. We dared not alert the enemy, so we came to investigate the General's Mansion tonight."

Wu Kexiong? Wang Shibei had a good relationship with him and had been the one to arrange his post at Hufeng Pass. He had never imagined, however, that Hufeng Pass would be targeted by five thousand Blood Wolf Cavalry.

Wang Shibei asked, "You both participated in the Battle of Hufeng Pass? Tell me about it."

Holding nothing back, Zhang Muyang gave a concise summary of the battle: from cutting the ice to set an ambush, to burning the supplies, to slaying Helian Jue and intercepting the secret message. Every word was delivered with conviction. He then handed over the incriminating letter.

"Deputy General, we risked our lives to investigate, never expecting to stumble upon Zhou Chong's conspiracy."

"You have done well." Wang Shibei remained silent for a moment, his expression growing heavy. "This matter is of great consequence. It must not spread, or it will cause chaos."

"This subordinate understands!" Zhang Muyang looked up, his gaze sincere. "I know a military physician with exceptional skills. Perhaps she can save the General."

Wang Shibei studied Zhang Muyang for a long time before finally nodding. "Zhao Ying!"

The door creaked open. A lean, lithe man in black flashed into the room and knelt. "I am here."

"Escort them to fetch this person. Return with all speed."

"Yes."

Zhao Ying, a personal guard of Wang Shibei, moved with lightning speed. He provided Zhang Muyang and Su Ying with guard uniforms and took six other men. Under the cover of darkness, they walked boldly out of the mansion and into the alleyway.

Bai Zhi was sitting by an oil lamp, grinding herbs. She was startled to see Zhang Muyang return so suddenly with several unfamiliar guards. "What is happening?"

"No time to explain. Come with us." Zhang Muyang took her hand and they ran.

When they returned to the General’s Mansion, the atmosphere in the inner courtyard was suffocating. Wang Shibei was guarding the door to the main chamber; seeing them return, he stepped aside. "Go in quickly."

The room was filled with a thick, medicinal odor. Xiao Lie lay on the bed, his complexion a bruised, iron-blue. His lips were purple, and his breathing was so shallow that the rise and fall of his chest was barely visible; he had fallen into a deep coma. On the bedside table sat several empty bowls, the remaining dregs emitting the same scent as the poison they had seen earlier.

Bai Zhi set down her medical kit, hurried to the bedside, and gently placed her fingers on Xiao Lie’s wrist.

A moment later, her face drained of color. She gasped, "This is... this is Wolfheart Powder!"