Leaves have fallen, and the wind through the mountains carries a slight chill, heralding the arrival of winter. In the undulating mountains, the Xiao Cang River flows quietly, the waterwheel turning as always. Children walk down the mountain paths, and a few residents stroll along the streets of the valley. Due to the large-scale deployments and the intensifying war in the Northwest, the training grounds within the valley appear deserted. The atmosphere is far from lively, marked by a solemn mood that has persisted for days.

Everyone in the valley is concerned about the developments on the front lines.

Ning Yi stood on the mountainside, observing the situation below.

It had been eleven days since the outbreak of the war. Although news was somewhat delayed, Ning Yi knew that each day had been marked by intense fighting between the Chinese Army and the Jurchen forces. The first decisive battle report, which arrived not long ago, surprised him, and after confirmation, turned into a more complex feeling.

In the previous battles, due to the intense fighting and chaotic situation, many Chinese Army soldiers became separated from their units. On the night of September 4th, a small team of about twenty soldiers, while searching for their main force in the Xuanjia Ao area of Qingzhou, ambushed the main Jurchen camp and unexpectedly achieved a significant victory. These twenty-odd men launched an attack on the Jurchen temporary camp in the middle of the night, and were suspected of killing Wanyan Loushi, the commander of the Jurchen Western Route Army.

Initially, the news was only a suspicion because the main focus was still on the ongoing battle.

On the night of September 4th and the early morning of September 5th, the attack by these twenty-odd men ignited the battle in the Xuanjia Ao area to an astonishing degree. The incredibly fierce charges and entanglements were beyond anyone's expectations. Although the fighting in the preceding nine days had been far from easy, the largest-scale head-on clashes and skirmishes had only occurred twice. That night, however, the two armies engaged in a full-scale head-on collision for the third time.

The Chinese Army's Fourth Regiment initially engaged the enemy during the night attack, but the subsequent reaction of the Jurchens mobilized all the Chinese Army soldiers near Xuanjia Ao. Soon after, a chaotic all-out engagement ensued. The Jurchen cavalry unleashed their last reserves of strength, launching a massive charge in the night, while Liu Chengzong and others pushed the artillery positions forward again.

Previously, Loushi had been very careful in his deployments to avoid the Chinese Army's artillery barrage. However, this time, the Jurchen attack was almost head-on against the artillery positions. After the initial shock, Qin Shaoqian and others realized that the enemy's command system had broken down and began to respond calmly. The Jurchens' madness and strength still caused great destruction that night. After the chaotic and bloody battle, the Jurchen army collapsed and retreated, suffering countless casualties. The ruins of Xuanjia Ao village, the site of the initial attack and the most intense fighting, were covered with piles of corpses claimed by both sides.

According to the preliminary information collected after the battle, everything pointed to Wanyan Loushi being killed by the twenty-odd attacking soldiers in the ruins of Xuanjia Ao village. Shortly after, a second piece of information from the battlefield basically confirmed this.

The battlefield reports were brief, making it difficult to imagine the hardships faced by those on the front lines. Ning Yi felt somewhat surprised that Wanyan Loushi, a war god who had roamed the battlefield for decades, was suddenly killed, but it was not incomprehensible. After eight or nine days of intense confrontation, every link in the skirmishes and head-on clashes was filled with a spirit raised to the extreme. The Chinese Army was no less capable than any other army. And there were soldiers who, even after being separated from their units in the fierce battle, would return, exerting all their strength to deliver a hard blow to the enemy. Each of them was not much inferior to Wanyan Loushi.

However, if Wanyan Loushi really died, many things in the future might change from what was previously expected.

Fighting a little, dragging it out a little, talking a little, and then fighting a little more was different from the Jurchens' all-out attack.

In the Northwest valleys after autumn, the colors after the leaves have fallen always appear heavy with withered yellow and pale gray. Ning Yi chewed over these things in his heart, but only with a sense of melancholy. Since the Jurchens had moved south, the world had been like an iron torrent. Now that the Central Plains had fallen and millions of people had been displaced and exiled, no one had been able to stay out of it. Since he was in the center of this vortex, there was no turning back. Although he felt melancholy, he was not afraid.

After thinking for a while, he returned to his room and replied to the information from the front:

First, order the Bamboo Lodge members to immediately publicize the news of Wanyan Loushi's death.

Second, suggest that the front lines remain cautious and be wary of deception. At the same time, if Loushi's death is confirmed, do not consider any negotiations and do your best to defeat the main Jurchen force on the battlefield. As long as there is still strength, do not let any Jurchens escape. Exterminate all Jurchens who do not surrender in the Northwest, making sure they understand the power of the Chinese Army.

Third, ...

In Jiangnan, the Jurchens' "search the mountains and scour the seas" had already begun.

************

After the great battle of Xuanjia Ao, the war in the Northwest did not subside with the defeat of the Jurchen army. In the following days, fierce fighting unfolded between reinforcements from all sides. The Zhe family and the Zhong family had two major battles one after the other. On the edge of Qingzhou, large and small battles between various forces continued.

Regarding the news of Loushi's death, the Jurchen army, after reorganizing its forces, never confirmed it to the outside world. However, as various pieces of information continued to ferment, people finally gradually realized that Wanyan Loushi, the almost invincible Jurchen general who had spent his life in the military, had indeed been killed by the enemy in a certain battle with the Chinese Army.

On September 7th, Zhe Keqiu vaguely realized this. On September 9th, in the Chonggang area of Qingzhou, the Jurchen army, without a supreme commander, engaged in a decisive battle with the Chinese Army. The Chinese Army deployed hot air balloons equipped with crossbowmen in rows, dropping explosive packs from the air. At the same time, the artillery positions launched a bombardment of the Jurchen army. After a frantic detour, the Jurchen army, led by the original Wanyan Loushi's personal guards, launched a full-scale assault on the Chinese Army. However, for the Chinese Army at this time, such a forced attack had little significance.

After this battle, Loushi's personal guards were almost completely wiped out. The remaining Jurchen army had no more will to fight and began to flee under the leadership of General Digu. The Chinese Army pursued and killed thousands of enemies. Subsequently, Han Jing led the cavalry to pursue the fleeing Jurchen army within the Northwest.

Amidst the tide-like collapse and casualties, this was perhaps the most embarrassing battle for the Jurchen army since their southward invasion. On the same day, September 9th, Wanyan Xiyin, stationed in Zhengzhou, upon confirming the news of Loushi's death, punched and broke the desk in his study. After the news of the Western Route Army's defeat arrived, he looked at the calligraphy that Ning Yi had Fan Hongji bring for many times.

"His awe-inspiring presence remains as if he were still here; who says the Han Dynasty has perished?"

Over the years, Loushi's position in Zonghan's camp had been too important, and he was also a pivotal figure in the Jurchen court, a general with illustrious military exploits. His merits on the battlefield were countless, and he was also highly skilled in martial arts, all of which he had earned through hard fighting. Earlier, when attacking Puzhou, he even led three armored soldiers to climb the city wall alone. The four men's fighting opened a gap on the city wall. No one had thought that he would suddenly die on the battlefield. He was almost an invincible hero.

Similarly, after learning of Loushi's death and the defeat of the Western Route Army, Wushu and others' offensive in Jiangnan was sweeping everything before it. Yin Shuke captured Mingzhou. He was originally considered a benevolent general, showing some restraint towards his subordinates after breaking the city. Upon learning of Loushi's death, he gave the soldiers the order to "leave the swords unsheathed for ten days." Afterwards, the Jurchens massacred in Mingzhou for days and then burned the city to the ground.

"This debt will be remembered on the head of that person in the Northwest," Yin Shuke said.

Afterwards, the Jurchen Eastern Route Army massacred several cities, and the Yangtze River basin was filled with corpses.

*************

Blood was still spreading. In that color of blood, he swung the thing in his hand, smashing the Jurchen general pressed below him beyond recognition. Then he chopped off the man's head, raised it in his hand with a whoosh, and threw it into the air.

"Come on—" he shouted.

The surrounding comrades were closing in. They formed a formation. In front of them, countless Jurchens were rushing over. Swords and spears pierced them, forcing them back. Warhorses crashed in. He waved his sword to kill the enemies. His comrades were pierced and cut down one by one. Their corpses piled up like a small mountain. He also fell. Blood was gradually about to engulf everything...

When he opened his eyes, there was white light in front of him.

It took Zhuo Yongqing a long time to realize that he had not died. He was in a room where wounded soldiers were placed. There was someone on the bed next to him, with gauze wrapped around half of his head and face, but he could vaguely recognize him as Squad Leader Mao Yishan.

"Hey, kid's awake?" Mao Yishan was smiling.

It took him a while longer to figure out what had happened.

That night in Xuanjia Ao, they encountered Wanyan Loushi—he killed Wanyan Loushi. Zhuo Yongqing didn't believe it when Mao Yishan mentioned it, but soon after, Mr. Ning and others came to see him, and he knew it was true.

In the bloody battle that night in Xuanjia Ao, countless people were killed and injured in the ruined village. However, the Chinese Army, which had rushed over, eventually gained the upper hand. Their group of twenty-odd people eventually huddled together and rescued seven severely wounded soldiers. Two of them died not long ago, leaving five survivors. They were now temporarily placed in this room.

The five people were: Zhuo Yongqing, Luo Ye, Qu Qing, Hou Wu, and Mao Yishan.

In the following days, the five had gradually woken up. In winter, it began to snow outside. They recovered from their injuries for nearly two or three months. The war outside had long since ended. The Zhe family had returned to their territory and held the city, while the Zhong family army, with the support of the Chinese Army, had grown increasingly influential. The Jurchen army was still killing and slaughtering in the Central Plains and Jiangnan, but at least the Northwest had temporarily become peaceful.

The five were now settled in Yanzhou City. Mr. Ning, General Qin, and others also came to see them occasionally. Luo Ye recovered the fastest, Qu Qing the slowest. Three fingers on his left hand had been cut off, and he had also been stabbed in the leg. He might become lame in the future. Mao Yishan had been disfigured by a cut. Hou Wu's injuries were similar to Zhuo Yongqing's. After recovery, they would not leave too many sequelae—of course, the place where Zhuo Yongqing's hand had been pierced by a knife would occasionally hurt after the scar formed, or it would be inconvenient to do things. These could only be considered minor injuries.

Because of the wound on his hand, Zhuo Yongqing would occasionally think of the deaf-mute girl who had died in front of him.

Since Zhuo Yongqing's family was in Yanzhou, he went back to live with them for a few days after his injuries gradually improved. After the New Year, all five had recovered. On this day, they went out together to celebrate their recovery. The group ordered a table full of dishes in a restaurant. Luo Ye said to Zhuo Yongqing, "Kid, I really envy you...you actually killed Loushi." However, he had said similar things more than once.

Zhuo Yongqing was quite embarrassed: "I, I still don't know if it's true..."

They poured wine on the ground to commemorate the dead souls. Not long after, Luo Ye raised his glass, paused, and said, "If this were in a book, the five of us would be called 'survivors of a great disaster' and would become sworn brothers. But doing that is disrespectful to the dead and to the living, because we, the Chinese Army, everyone...are already brothers." He pursed his lips and shook his glass, "So, brothers, let's have a toast!"

Zhuo Yongqing held his glass: "Cheers...brothers."

They didn't say more about how special the five of them were. None of them were special, and they didn't necessarily have to stick together because of it. That would be disrespectful to the dead. They had come from various different places and gathered together, like all the Chinese Army members who had died and were still alive.

However, in the many years that followed, Zhuo Yongqing always remembered this day. No matter how many wars, separations, hardships, struggles, shouts, or even farewells they experienced afterwards, he could always remember the scene many years ago when he and those ordinary yet extraordinary people gathered together.

That was the winter when he survived his first great disaster on the battlefield. The Northwest ushered in a brief period of peace.

Outside the window, snow filled the sky.

And, he was very drunk.