Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

The summer heat reached its peak in the afternoon; even the wind carried scorching waves of heat, whipping up only dry dust and the scorching scent of withered grass as it swept across the fortress walls. Inside and outside Xinghuo Fortress, apart from the necessary sentries and the ever-burning furnaces in the workshops, most people tried to find shade to rest for the afternoon. Even those working in the fields avoided the most intense hours of the day. The entire fortress seemed to have fallen into a drowsy silence amidst the heatwave.

However, the silence was abruptly broken by a rapid and unusual sound of horses' hooves.

The sound of hooves came from the northeast. It was not the well-trained, rhythmic gallop of the Xinghuobao cavalry archers, but rather a chaotic yet fiercely rapid march. There were about a dozen riders galloping along the official road toward Xinghuobao.

The sentries on the watchtower of the fortress spotted the uninvited guests immediately and sounded the alarm. The deep, penetrating sound of the horn tore through the afternoon's gloom, instantly waking everyone on and off the fortress from their slumber. The garrison soldiers quickly took their positions behind the crenellations, nocked their crossbows, and braced their spears. Chen Wei and Murong Mingyue arrived at their command posts inside the fortress gate almost simultaneously, while Chen Xing, surrounded by his guards, climbed the fortress wall.

Looking through the crenellations, a troop of knights could be seen rapidly approaching from the rising dust. They were all dressed in uniform dark red tunics, covered with simple leather armor, and wearing traditional hats. Standard ring-pommel swords and riding bows hung from their saddles, and their horses were quite robust. The leader rode an exceptionally fine black horse, wearing superior iron-trimmed leather armor, with a flag slung across his back—a large, menacing white "mountain" character embroidered on a black background.

Black Mountain Army!

The group stopped about two hundred paces from the fortress gate, a distance just outside the effective range of ordinary arrows, demonstrating both their wariness and arrogance. The leader, with his identification flag on his back, spurred his horse forward another ten paces or so, reined in his somewhat agitated horse with one hand, raised his chin, and shouted loudly towards the fortress wall:

"Listen up, you on the wall! I am Liu Xiong, a squad leader under the Xuanwei Colonel under the Black Mountain Commander! I have come here on the orders of my commander and the Xuanwei Colonel! Tell the person in charge of your Starfire Fortress to come out and answer me!" His voice was rough and gruff, with undisguised arrogance.

On the fortress wall, Chen Wei frowned and looked at Chen Xing. Murong Mingyue's hand was already on the hilt of her sword, her eyes icy. Zhao Tiezhu rushed over upon hearing the news, squeezed to the front of the battlements, glared at the group of men below, and muttered, "Damn it, what a big mouth they have!"

Chen Xing remained calm and gestured for everyone to quiet down. He stepped forward and stood behind the parapet, proclaiming in a clear voice, "I am Chen Xing, the lord of Starfire Fortress. Your esteemed envoy has come from afar; may I ask what brings Commander Black Mountain here?" His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly and powerfully.

Liu Xiong glanced at the young man on the fortress wall, who was dressed in an ordinary blue robe and looked somewhat frail. A hint of contempt flashed in his eyes, but he still remembered his mission. He slightly restrained his arrogance, took out a roll of parchment tied with a black rope from his pocket, and held it high.

"Lord Chen, listen carefully! My commander has ordered: It is not wrong for you, Xinghuo Fortress, to gather your people and defend yourselves. However, the area within a hundred miles of Black Wind Ridge is under the commander's jurisdiction! You have occupied this place, disobeying orders, refusing to pay tribute, privately amassing armor and weapons, and associating with barbarians, which is a grave offense! Furthermore, your previous unprovoked attack on the commander's Balut tribe, which resulted in numerous casualties, is truly unforgivable!"

He paused, and seeing no strong reaction on the fortress walls, continued reading, his tone becoming increasingly stern: "However, the commander-in-chief, considering you are newcomers and perhaps unaware of the rules, and also because Heaven cherishes life, has specially sent me to grant you a way out!"

He unfolded the parchment and read aloud: "Your Xinghuo Fortress is hereby ordered to fulfill the following three conditions within ten days of receiving this order: First, Fortress Commander Chen Xing must personally go to Woniugang to plead guilty to the Xuanwei Colonel and submit a register of households, land, and soldiers within his jurisdiction! Second, you must annually pay tribute to the Commander-in-Chief with 1,000 shi of grain, 500 jin of refined salt, 3,000 jin of refined iron, and 100 fine horses! Third, immediately disband your Hu cavalry and hand over their leaders and followers to our army for disposal! Your original infantry must be dispersed and incorporated into the various camps under the Commander-in-Chief's command, awaiting orders!"

After reading it aloud, he rolled up the parchment, tossed it to the ground, and proclaimed, "This is the General's mercy, granting you a chance to repent and atone for your sins! If you comply, the General may grant you leave to remain here as his protectors. If you dare disobey..." He sneered, drew his ring-pommel sword from his waist, and feigned a slash. The blade reflected a blinding glint in the blazing sun. "My Black Mountain Army, with tens of thousands of soldiers, will crush this mere earthen fortress of yours as easily as crushing ants! When the time comes, not a soul will be spared. Don't blame me for not warning you!"

His words were arrogant and domineering, portraying the surrender and acceptance of traitors as a great favor while blatantly threatening force. The third point, in particular, specifically targeted Murong Mingyue and her followers, revealing his sinister intentions.

A deathly silence hung over the fortress walls. Only heavy breathing and suppressed rage surged silently. Zhao Tiezhu's forehead veins bulged, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Had Chen Wei not held him back with a stern look, he would have burst into a tirade. The soldiers guarding the fortress also glared angrily, their weapons gripped tightly. Murong Mingyue's face was icy, her eyes burning with murderous intent. Several Murong officers behind her leaned forward slightly, their hands on their sword hilts.

Chen Xing remained standing there, his face unreadable. He even leaned slightly forward, as if trying to get a closer look at the appearance and equipment of the Black Mountain Army knights below. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice eerily calm:

"Captain Liu, I understand the kindness of Heishan Shuai."

Liu Xiong assumed the other party was intimidated or preparing to back down and bargain, so a smug look appeared on his face, and his tone softened slightly: "Master Chen is a wise man. In chaotic times, those who know when to yield are the heroes. Isn't it better to rely on my commander, to have a powerful backer, than to stay here in fear and uncertainty? As long as..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Xing interrupted him.

"However," Chen Xing's voice remained steady, yet carried an undeniable penetrating force, "since the founding of Xinghuo Fortress, every brick, every tile, every grain of rice, every seedling has been created by the soldiers and civilians within, built with their own hands, accumulated with blood and sweat. The rules of the fortress are clearly defined: those who perform meritorious service are rewarded, those who commit wrongdoing are punished, and the soldiers and civilians are united in resisting foreign aggression. The Black Mountain Commander is a hundred miles away, and has never been subordinate to our fortress, nor have we ever received any favors from him. Where does this talk of 'rule' come from? And what dynasty's laws govern this 'tribute'?

Liu Xiong's face darkened: "Master Chen, are you trying to disobey orders?!"

Chen Xing did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Has Captain Liu ever read history books? Has he ever heard of 'a treaty under duress'? Are your words and actions today an attempt to emulate the powerful Qin dynasty's coercion of Chu? Although Xinghuo Fort is small, with only a thousand inhabitants, we are not lambs to be slaughtered! All we seek is a place to settle down, to earn our own living, to not disturb others, and to not tolerate any insults!"

His tone grew increasingly impassioned, his gaze sharp as lightning swept over the Black Mountain knights below the fortress walls, finally settling on Liu Xiong's face: "As for the Balut tribe, they are plunderers by nature, slaughtering the innocent and invading our borders. Our fortress's resistance was self-defense; what crime have we committed? The Murong tribe, sworn brothers with our fortress, united in heart and mind, fighting against tyranny together, are my brothers and comrades; how can we hand them over? If the Black Mountain commander truly wishes to 'control' the four directions, he should win people over with virtue and reason, not threaten them with weapons or coerce them with harsh demands!"

Liu Xiong's face flushed red and then turned pale as he was refuted by these righteous yet subtly sarcastic words. He was a rough and uncouth soldier, ordered to demonstrate and exert pressure; he had never intended to reason with anyone. Enraged, he shouted, "Chen Xing! Stop with your sophistry! The commander's orders are absolute; how dare you try to argue here! I'll only ask you one question: will you comply with these three conditions, or not?!"

On the fortress walls, all eyes were fixed on Chen Xing. Zhao Tiezhu was anxiously wringing his hands, while Chen Wei's gaze was calm, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. Murong Mingyue looked at Chen Xing's straight back, her heart churning with complex emotions—a deep-seated hatred for the Black Mountain envoy, gratitude for Chen Xing's words of protection, and tension and anticipation for the choice to be made.

Chen Xing remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers and civilians who had rushed to the scene and gathered in the open space beneath the wall, anxiously watching him. He saw faces filled with fear, anger, and determination. He saw the crops ripening in the fields, the faint smoke rising from the direction of the artisans' workshop, and the hard-won vitality that everyone had cultivated with their sweat and even blood over the past few months.

He exhaled slowly, the sound not loud, but clear enough to carry to every corner of the fortress walls:

"Captain Liu, please report back to Commander Heishan."

He paused, then spoke each word with unwavering resolve:

"Our Starfire Fortress does not recognize this decree. We will not accept this tribute. We will not befriend this force."

"If it's war—"

Chen Xing's voice suddenly rose, like the clang of metal on metal, shaking the soul:

"Then, let's fight!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Zhao Tiezhu roared first from the fortress wall, and then all the defenders, along with the soldiers and civilians below, erupted in a roar like a tidal wave, as if dry tinder had been ignited! The sound waves soared into the sky, instantly shattering the sweltering heat of midsummer and the arrogance of the Black Mountain envoy!

Startled by this sudden surge of battle intent, Liu Xiong and his cavalry neighed restlessly and retreated. Liu Xiong's expression changed drastically. Pointing at the fortress wall, he shouted, his voice laced with bravado but lacking any real strength, "Fine! Fine! Chen Xing! You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences! Just wait! Once my army arrives, I will raze this dilapidated fortress to the ground! Let's go!"

Having said that, he dared not linger any longer, turned his horse around, and led his men away in a sorry state, kicking up a trail of dust.

On the fortress walls, cheers lingered for a long time. But Chen Xing's face showed little pride; instead, it grew increasingly solemn. He turned to the excited crowd behind him and said in a deep voice, "Prepare for battle!"

Two simple words, yet they carry immense weight.

The Black Mountain General's envoy came and went. He took not surrender with him, but a declaration of war for a complete break. The last vestige of peace had been shattered. Between Starfire Fortress and the Black Mountain General, there was no room for maneuver; only swords drawn, a decisive battle to the death.

The scorching summer sun still beat down on the earth. But even hotter than the sun was the burning fighting spirit within the fortress, and the oppressive atmosphere of impending doom.