Volume 1, Chapter 40: Three Days Hence, a Bloodbath at the East Gate!

"Wolfheart Powder?"

Wang Shibei's face darkened instantly. "What kind of poison is that?"

"The Wolfheart of the Northern Lands is tempered with seven poisons; it seeps into the marrow and erodes the bones without a sound."

As Bai Zhi spoke, she opened her medical kit. This poison was colorless and odorless. At the onset, it mimicked a common cold, but once the toxicity fully took hold, not even the gods could save the victim.

Zhang Muyang's heart sank sharply. "Is there no antidote?"

From the bottom of her kit, Bai Zhi produced an oil-paper parcel. She opened it with trembling care to reveal a snow-white herb. The blood-red veins along the edge of its cap resembled the fingerprints her grandfather had pressed into the table in his final moments, appearing jarringly vivid in the dim room.

Zhang Muyang’s pupils constricted.

Memories of the snowy plains surged like a tide—that morning of wind and snow, Grandfather Bai’s blood-stained hands, and his last words, torn apart by the northern gale: "I... brave warrior, I entrust my granddaughter to you. This medicine..."

So, what the old man had died to protect was actually this life-saving antidote.

The room immediately became a flurry of activity.

Bai Zhi expertly built a fire and set a pot to boil. She sliced the Snow Lingzhi into thin pieces, added them to the earthenware jar along with several auxiliary herbs, and simmered them carefully. Soon, the aroma of the medicine began to fill the air. Unlike the previous, sinisterly sweet scent, this fragrance was crisp, cool, and soothing, instantly clearing the mind.

Half an hour later, the decoction was ready. Bai Zhi carefully ladled out a bowl and brought it forth.

"Test the medicine."

Wang Shibei's saber suddenly pressed against Zhang Muyang’s throat, the chill of the blade biting into his skin. The dozen soldiers in the room tightened their grips on their hilts simultaneously, and the air seemed to freeze.

*Gulp.*

Zhang Muyang tilted his head back and drained the brownish-yellow liquid in one draught.

The moment the liquid hit his throat, it felt like swallowing a lump of red-hot charcoal, burning all the way down to his stomach. Fine beads of sweat instantly broke out on his forehead, but he endured it without a sound, merely raising the empty bowl toward Wang Shibei.

Wang Shibei watched Zhang Muyang for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Seeing that his breathing was steady and his complexion remained normal, he finally ladled out a bowl himself and carefully lifted Xiao Lie, pouring the liquid into his mouth bit by bit.

"Everyone, guard the door! No one is allowed to enter!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers drew their blades in unison and stood guard outside, not daring to even breathe loudly. Inside the room, only the flickering light of the oil lamp and the faint sound of Xiao Lie’s breathing remained.

However, the instant the last of the medicine was administered, Xiao Lie’s body suddenly went rigid, and black blood began to seep from his seven orifices!

"Something is wrong!"

Wang Shibei roared, drawing his saber and pointing it at Bai Zhi. "How dare you try to harm the General!"

***

*Clang! Clang!*

Sabers were unsheathed, and a murderous aura instantly filled the room.

"Wait!"

Zhang Muyang threw himself in front of Bai Zhi, his eyes locked onto the bed. "This is the poison being expelled!"

*Cough, cough!*

Xiao Lie suddenly began to cough violently, vomiting a mouthful of pitch-black, foul blood that splattered across the white bedding—a shocking sight. Immediately after, he slowly opened his eyes. Though bloodshot, they burned with a terrifying, piercing sharpness, like a dormant tiger suddenly awakening.

"This poison... it packs a punch."

Xiao Lie’s voice was as raspy as sandpaper on stone, yet a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Wang Shibei was both shocked and overjoyed; he hurriedly sheathed his sword. "General! You’re awake!"

Zhang Muyang, Su Ying, and Bai Zhi knelt on one knee in unison. "Subordinates Zhang Mu, Zhang Ying, and Bai Zhi, pay our respects to General Xiao."

"It is all thanks to this young girl."

Xiao Lie’s gaze swept over the three of them, finally resting on Bai Zhi’s blood-stained wrist. There, a small medicinal pouch mark—the unique symbol of the Bai family—was visible. "A girl of the Bai family? How are you related to Bai Shentong?"

"He was my grandfather." Bai Zhi’s voice dropped, a flash of sorrow crossing her eyes.

"No wonder." Xiao Lie nodded, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "Your grandfather was a living Bodhisattva in the Northern Frontier; he saved the lives of countless soldiers. It is a pity that three years ago... but he passed his medical arts on to you. Very good, very good indeed!"

Wang Shibei bowed. "General Xiao, they are from Hufeng Pass. They fought a brilliant battle."

"Oh?" Xiao Lie looked at Zhang Mu and Su Ying. "I heard there was a great victory at Hufeng Pass. Tell me the details..."

Zhang Muyang did not hold back. He recounted everything, from chiseling the ice to set the ambush, to the fire attack on the Blood Wolf Cavalry, the use of giant boulders to shatter the enemy formation, and finally the burning of the grain stores and the slaying of Helian Jue and Helian Feng. He spoke calmly, yet his words set the listeners' blood boiling. When he described the burning of the provisions, even Xiao Lie couldn't help but slam the table in applause.

"Good! A truly fine performance, Zhang Mu!" Xiao Lie laughed heartily. "The Northern Yan have bullied our Great Liang for too long; this is exactly how we should fight back!"

Zhang Muyang cupped his hands. "It was all due to the leadership of Battalion Commander Wu..."

"I know exactly what he is capable of," Xiao Lie said, waving his hand. His tone shifted suddenly. "If you were the Wolf King Helian Bobo, what would you fear most right now?"

Zhang Muyang did not hesitate. "Fearing that you are not dead, and even more so... that you are feigning death."

"Hahaha!" Xiao Lie roared with laughter, so hard that he began to cough again. "Well said! I want them to believe I am dead, to see who will be the first to jump out!"

***

As for Zhou Chong?

Xiao Lie caught his breath and waved his hand. "You may all withdraw. Do not speak of this to anyone."

"Yes."

As soon as the three stepped out of the room, they were intercepted by Wang Shibei and taken to a side chamber.

He closed the door.

Suddenly, Wang Shibei gripped Zhang Muyang’s wrist, his eyes sharp as daggers. "That blade at your waist... is it a Northern Yan 'Yanling' saber?"

Zhang Muyang’s muscles tensed, but before he could explain, Wang Shibei slid half a bronze military tally from his sleeve and pressed it into his hand. The words "Jingbian" were carved upon it, the edges worn from age.

"This is the token of my personal guard battalion."

Wang Shibei’s voice was extremely low, his expression grave. "In three days, when the East Gate shifts guard, Zhou Chong will certainly make his move. It will be up to you then. You may command three hundred death-defying soldiers of the Jingbian Battalion to coordinate with your actions."

Zhang Muyang gripped the tally, his heart racing. "Does the Deputy General mean..."

"If Zhou Chong dares to move against General Xiao, the Prince of Beijing cannot be the only one behind it. I don't know how many traitors are in the army, or how many eyes are watching us. But you are different. In three days, reinforcements from various prefectures will rotate to guard the East Gate. I want your people from Sifang County to take over... do you have the courage?"

The East Gate was the weakest point of Zhenbei Pass, and the place most prone to chaos. To take control meant facing the possibility of double betrayal from within and without; a single misstep would mean certain doom.

But it was also an opportunity—a chance to perform a great service before Xiao Lie and truly establish a foothold in the Northern Frontier.

Zhang Muyang squeezed the tally, his eyes burning. "I dare!"

"Good lad!" Wang Shibei clapped his shoulder with such force it nearly made him stumble. "I will be with you. Work hard; the future of the Northern Frontier rests on the shoulders of you young ones."

*Ding!*

*Achievement "Death Squad Commander" unlocked, Combat Power +1.*

When they stepped out of the General's Mansion, the sky was already turning a pale, fish-belly white.

The accumulated snow crunched softly underfoot. Zhang Muyang touched the bronze tally in his tunic; his palms were slick with sweat. He knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

The East Gate guard rotation in three days would be a battle without smoke or fire.

Zhou Chong, the Prince of Beijing, the Northern Yan... all the conspiracies and calculations would be settled on that day.

Zhang Muyang gripped his Hanling saber and chuckled. "Su Ying, Bai Zhi, let’s... go back and sleep! All together!"

Su Ying rolled her eyes, while Bai Zhi’s face turned a deep shade of red.