Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Liu Xiong's head, eyes wide open, still etched with fear and resentment, was suspended high atop the flagpole at the main gate of Xinghuo Fortress by a thick hemp rope threaded through his hair. Under the scorching sun, it had darkened in less than half a day, attracting flocks of crows that circled and cawed nearby, but dared not approach too closely, intimidated by the fortress's imposing guards and the intense killing intent. The body had been dragged away, but the dark red bloodstains on the open ground in front of the fortress gate remained an indelible mark, deeply etched in the hearts and eyes of every soldier and civilian of Xinghuo Fortress.

Fear? Yes. After all, it was the Black Mountain Commander's envoy, and it meant a war to the death. But more than that, it was a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve, a sense of shared hatred and tragic heroism that arose after witnessing the leader's ruthless declaration of his stance.

Throughout the afternoon, the fortress operated in a tense yet efficient atmosphere. Chen Xing's orders were swiftly relayed to every corner. In the fields, farmers, urged on by Zhao Tiezhu's hoarse voice, were frantically carrying out final pre-harvest management, while simultaneously rushing to harvest the earliest ripe beans and vegetables, as if racing against an invisible time. Inside the workshops, the furnaces burned even brighter, the clanging sounds almost continuous, as newly made knives, spears, and arrowheads were produced in a steady stream, inspected, and packaged. In the warehouse area, Zhou Dashan and his men, drenched in sweat, meticulously counted every grain of grain, every piece of salt, and every bundle of arrows, calculating how long they could possibly hold out under siege.

The atmosphere was most tense in the barracks and drill grounds. Chen Wei and Murong Mingyue were almost inseparable. The infantry battalion canceled all non-essential training, switching to combat readiness duty and emergency assembly drills. The soldiers repeatedly checked their weapons and armor, sharpened their blades, and repaired their leather straps, their silence revealing suppressed excitement. The cavalry archery battalion's patrol area was further compressed, but the frequency of reconnaissance was greatly increased. Several elite squads were dispatched to the more distant northeast and northwest directions, forming an invisible net to try to detect any signs of a possible large-scale movement by the Black Mountain Army. The crossbowmen were concentrated, repeatedly practicing rapid aiming and saturation firing from different positions and distances on the fortress walls.

On the fortress walls, the number of soldiers guarding the city had doubled, and behind the crenellations were piles of boulders, logs, and spare bows and arrows. The sentries on the watchtowers had been replaced by the most elite veteran soldiers, their eyes scanning the distant horizon like those of hawks.

Everyone understood that the Black Mountain General's revenge wouldn't be long. The envoy's murder was tantamount to a direct declaration of war and humiliation, and that warlord with tens of thousands of troops, who commanded immense power, would not tolerate it. What Starfire Fortress was now fighting for was this last precious time to prepare before the main force of the Black Mountain army arrived.

As evening fell, the setting sun, like blood, bathed the fortress walls, the head on the flagpole, and every solemn face inside the fortress in a tragic golden-red hue.

Chen Xing ordered everyone in the fortress, except for those on necessary guard duty, to assemble in the largest open space inside the fortress—the drill ground.

There were no bonfires, no clamor. People silently gathered on the drill ground according to their assigned groups and living quarters. The dark mass of people moved about, yet it was strangely quiet, with only the soft whistling of the evening wind rustling through the flagpoles and the occasional suppressed cough in the distance. The air was filled with the smells of sweat and dust, and an invisible, heavy pressure called "fate."

Chen Xing ascended the temporary platform erected on the north side of the training ground. He had changed into a clean, dark blue robe, but was not wearing armor. His hair was neatly tied back, and his face appeared unusually calm, even somewhat pale, in the afterglow of the setting sun. Chen Wei, Murong Mingyue, Wu Xuejiu, Zhao Tiezhu, Zhou Dashan, Wang Jian, Li Shu, and all the other core members stood solemnly behind and to his left and right.

Chen Xing took a deep breath as his gaze swept over the familiar and unfamiliar faces below the stage. He could see the worry in the old man's eyes, the innocent look in the child's arms, the clenched fists and tense jawlines of the young men, and the mixture of bewilderment and determination on the faces of the newly surrendered Hu tribesmen.

He spoke, his voice not loud, but it carried clearly to every corner of the room due to the absolute silence.

"Fellow elders and fellow countrymen of Starfire Fortress, brothers and sisters."

"Today, we killed the messenger of the Black Mountain General."

"I know, some people are afraid." Chen Xing's voice was calm, as if stating a fact. "They are afraid that the Black Mountain general has many soldiers and generals, afraid that our fort is small and weak, and afraid that once the war starts, their families will be destroyed and their lives will be lost."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the crowd: "I'm scared too."

The moment those three words were uttered, many people in the audience were stunned, and even Chen Wei and Murong Mingyue turned their heads slightly.

"I'm afraid of death," Chen Xing said frankly. "I'm afraid that the little bit of foundation I've painstakingly built will be destroyed in an instant. I'm afraid that those who follow me will be stained with blood on the battlefield, their wives and children torn apart. I'm afraid that this newly sprouted flame of hope will be extinguished by the storm."

His candor, ironically, eased the tension in the audience. It turned out that the Lord of the Fortress, like us, was made of flesh and blood and felt fear.

"But!" Chen Xing's voice suddenly rose, his eyes becoming sharp as knives. "I fear even more living on my knees! I fear even more offering our grain, our salt and iron, the land we've painstakingly cultivated, like dogs wagging their tails to those bandits who treat us like pigs and sheep! I fear even more handing over our brothers Murong, who fought alongside us through life and death, to be slaughtered at will! I fear even more that our children will continue to live under the blades of the Black Mountain bandits, their lives hanging by a thread, like pigs and dogs!"

"Today, that Black Mountain envoy stands arrogantly beneath the fortress, demanding that we bind ourselves and plead guilty, that we pay tribute and offer iron, and that we hand over the Murong brothers! Can we agree to these demands?!"

"No!" Zhao Tiezhu roared first from the audience, followed by a deafening roar of "No! No! No!"

The sound waves erupted like a volcanic eruption, shattering the brief oppression and fear from before.

"Yes! No!" Chen Xing and the others shouted after a brief lull in the noise, then continued, "Because we are not pigs or sheep! We are human beings! We are flesh and blood, with families and loved ones, who want to live like human beings! We shed blood and sweat, clearing land, planting crops, building canals and constructing walls, not to be slaves to robbers! We set rules, record merits, and everyone has a share, not so that one day we can have everything taken away and be trampled underfoot!"

His words struck like a heavy hammer, resonating in everyone's hearts and evoking memories of the hardships and the meager dignity that everyone had endured for survival and hope over the past six months.

"I know Black Mountain Commander is strong. He has many soldiers, ample supplies, and a large territory. But are we, Xinghuo Fortress, weak?!" Chen Xing pointed sharply towards the fortress wall. "We have this newly reinforced and heightened fortress wall! We have this newly built irrigation canal and farmland that can sustain us! We have the new swords and armor that Wang Jian and Master Hu have worked day and night to forge! We have infantry and cavalry trained by Commander Chen and General Murong, who are brave and capable in battle!"

His finger traced the crowd below the stage: "And you! There's Zhao Tiezhu and his fellow farmers who work tirelessly in the fields! There's Wang Jian and his craftsmen's team who work day and night! There's Li Shu and the secretariat who keep perfect accounts! There's Wang Jian and the medical team who save lives! And everyone who has sweated and contributed to this fortress in their respective positions!"

"What we lack is not weapons, not provisions, not even courage!" Chen Xing's voice rose with fervor. "What we lack is the unwavering belief in victory! The determination to fight to the death! To make all the bandits who want to plunder the fruits of our labor and trample on our dignity understand—the people of Xinghuo Fortress have unyielding bones! Their blood is hot! They may lose their lives, but their spines will not bend!"

He took a deep breath, mustered all his strength, and roared out his last words:

"If the Black Mountain bandits want war, then let them fight! Let them see whether their numerous and powerful swords are stronger, or our bones are stronger in defending our homeland! Let them try whether their plundering horses are faster, or our arrows are faster in their united hatred of the enemy! This battle is not for me, Chen Xing, but for every one of you, for your parents, wives, and children, for the fields you have cultivated with your own hands, for the homes you have built with your blood and sweat!"

"Today, I, Chen Xing, swear here and now: the city stands as long as we live, the city falls as we fall! I will live and die with you all, and will never retreat a single step! All the soldiers and civilians of Xinghuobao, regardless of whether they are Han or non-Han, young or old, are members of this battle! Those who perform meritorious service will be richly rewarded! Those who are cowardly will be severely punished! Those who collude with the enemy will be executed without mercy!"

"Now, tell me!" Chen Xingji pointed northwest and demanded sharply, "The Black Mountain bandits are coming to seize our grain, kill our people, and destroy our homes! What should we do?!"

A brief silence.

Then, like a volcano that had been dormant for thousands of years, it erupted with a roar!

"Fight! Fight! Fight!!!"

"Kill all the Black Mountain bandits!"

"Protect Satellite Fire Fortress!"

"To live and die together!"

Roars, howls, the clanging of swords against shields, and even the wailing cries of women and children mingled together, forming a deafening roar that surged towards the blood-red twilight sky! Everyone's face was flushed, veins bulging, and their eyes burned with a fierce, almost frenzied fighting spirit! Fear was dispelled, hesitation was crushed, and all that remained was the raging flame of a do-or-die, desperate battle!

Looking at the jubilant crowd below, Chen Xing felt a surge of emotion, and his eyes welled up with tears. He knew that this powerful remedy had worked. The war machine of Starfire Fortress, with all its gears locked in place by hatred, anger, the will to survive, and the collective sense of honor he had personally ignited, was now running at full speed, with no way out.

He slowly raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.

The audience gradually quieted down, everyone staring at his raised fist as if it were the only torch guiding them through darkness and war.

"Return to your positions and stand firm, awaiting the enemy!" Chen Xing's voice regained its calm, yet carried an iron will. "The flame will never be extinguished; we will fight to the bitter end!"

"The flame will never be extinguished, we will fight to the bitter end!" Everyone repeated in unison, their voices echoing across the land.

As the mobilization ended, the crowd dispersed with an overwhelming fighting spirit, quickly returning to their respective posts. On the training ground, only a lone figure remained on the high platform, along with the Starfire Fortress battle flag fluttering in the evening breeze, its banner hanging from the sky.

Chen Xing slowly lowered his arm and looked towards the northwest, where the last ray of light had already sunk below the horizon. That was the direction from which the storm was approaching.

The pre-battle mobilization is complete. What remains is waiting and facing the inevitable, devastating first wave of destruction.