Muted twilight.

Central Plains.

The World.

Jingping Year 1, Winter. As the north wind ravaged beneath the low-hanging sky, the northern territories of the Wu Dynasty, prosperous like paradise for over two hundred years, were now fading like a fleeting ephemera. With the southward advance of the Jurchens, immense chaos was brewing. North of Bianliang, vast areas, though not yet directly impacted by the war, were already experiencing a breakdown of basic order.

Scattered remnants of defeated armies, stalled commerce, and urban paralysis. Over two centuries of Wu Dynasty rule had deeply ingrained its influence. Before this, no one had imagined that one day their homeland would suddenly be ruled by barbarian emperors of another race. Yet, at least in this moment, a few could already see the dark silhouette of what was to come, though they were unaware of how deep that darkness would be.

If this collapse were to be recorded at its inception, several events over the years would have to be written down. The Wu Dynasty's alliance with the Jin against the Liao, the Fang La rebellion, the unproductive northern expeditions, the buying of cities for merit. In the winter of Jinghan 13, the Jin made their first southward incursion, and a year later, their second, breaking into Bianliang. Among these events, the regicide in Jinghan 14 might not yet fully qualify for the list of major events.

As for this winter, at the time of the fall of Bianliang, another piece of the puzzle constituting the prelude to the collapse of the entire world occurred in a place unknown to most.

The Northwest.

The border between the Wu Dynasty and Western Xia, the sparsely populated two-hundred-mile Hengshan region.

This has been a battleground since ancient times. From the Tang Dynasty through the Wu Dynasty, for centuries, the northwestern people have been known for their martial prowess, and wars have been constant. There is a poem from the Tang Dynasty: "Pitiful are the bones by the Undetermined River, still dreaming of them are the deep boudoir women." The Undetermined River in the poem is a river located in the Hengshan region. This is the northern edge of the Loess Plateau, the land is barren, and vegetation is sparse. Therefore, the river often changes its course, hence the name "Undetermined". Because the land here is not valuable and the population is small, it has become the boundary between the two countries.

At the same time, the two-hundred-mile Hengshan is also a natural barrier for the Wu Dynasty to enter Western Xia, or for Western Xia to enter the Wu Dynasty.

Since a century ago, when the Tangut Li Deming established the Western Xia state, it had constant disputes, large and small, with the Liao, Wu, and Tubo. Over these hundred years, the existence of Western Xia has resulted in the most battle-hardened Western Army in the Wu Dynasty, which was subsequently also the most feared by the court. A hundred years of war, back and forth. However, what most people of the Wu Dynasty did not know was that, thanks to the efforts of many generals in the Western Army, such as the Zhong family, the Yang family, and the Zhe family, by the middle of the Jinghan era, the Western Army had pushed the battle lines past the entire Hengshan region.

Without the rise of the Jin and their southward advance, in a few more years, if the Wu Dynasty's army were to march northwest, Western Xia would have no natural defenses.

Of course, this can only be a retrospective expression of emotion and regret.

Jingping Year 1, the Jurchens made their second incursion into Wu. In the area north of Hengshan, which few noticed, on this day in November, the figures of armies appeared in this desolate land. The banners of the Western Xia Li clan were raised high. Tens of thousands of infantry and crossbowmen appeared on the horizon, stretching across the mountains, raising dust. And most astonishingly, near the main formation of the army, three thousand cavalry slowly advanced. These were the most powerful heavy cavalry in the Western Xia army, famous throughout the world, the "Iron Falcons," deployed in full force.

Guarding the center of the "Iron Falcons" was the Western Xia royal banner, fluttering in the north wind. After losing control of the Hengshan region in the war with the Zhong brothers a few years ago, the King of Western Xia, Li Qianshun, finally once again marched south, pressing towards the states of Sui and Yan!

Outside the grand currents of the world, there were also small events that temporarily intersected with and then separated from those currents.

Da-da-da.

It was late. On a winding mountain path not too far from the Hengshan area, a horse troop was advancing. Mountain roads were difficult to travel at night, but the people in front and behind each had weapons, bows, and crossbows. Some horses and mules carried boxes and bags. The person at the very front of the column was missing one hand and carried a single saber on his back, but as the steed moved forward, he possessed a leisurely aura, and this leisure had a hint of sharpness, merging with the cold winter wind. This was Du Sha, the "Sky-Piercing Saber," a notorious bandit of the Tyrant Saber Manor.

In the rear of the column were Master Chen Fan and his wife, who had reached the grandmaster level in the Tyrant Saber Manor, as well as Zhu Biao and Chen Tuozi from the Bamboo Records. This team numbered only about a hundred people, but most of them were masters of the greenwood, experienced in battle, and knew how to cooperate and attack together. Even if they were to confront the enemy head-on, they could face military columns of hundreds or even thousands of people without falling behind. The reason for this was that the person at the center of the column, as the leader, had become an enemy of the world.

Xigua rode a horse, walking side by side with a scholar named Ning Yi in the center of the column. The mountains of the northwest had sparse and rugged vegetation. As a southerner, she found the mountains rugged and desolate. It was late, and the north wind was already cold. She didn't care about this, but she had some worries along the way, so her face looked a little unpleasant.

"...This kind of place is hard to get into and hard to get out of. Six or seven thousand people, if they want to fight, they have to eat meat. They'll starve sooner or later. And you always pick the good stuff to eat. See what you're going to do."

Because of her worries, she continued to grumble, still looking like a girl on the outside. The surrounding people were mostly masters, and although her voice was not loud, everyone could hear it, and they all tightened their faces, afraid to laugh too much. After nearly half a year of getting along, even those in the team who did not belong to the Tyrant Saber Camp knew that she was not to be trifled with.

This "not to be trifled with" didn't appear in too many places. Having managed the Tyrant Saber Manor for many years, even as a woman, with some unusual behaviors, she had long cultivated an aura of not showing her emotions and not taking her anger out on others over small things. But only in front of Ning Yi did these cultivations have no effect. Some people knew the reason for this and wouldn't say much, while others didn't know and didn't dare to say much.

From the time Xigua met Ning Yi in Hangzhou until now, she was already twenty-three years old. Theoretically, she had been married, and even had a "wedding night" with Ning Yi. However, the series of events that followed made the marriage in name only. Because of the attack on Hangzhou, the killing of Fang Qifo, and other events, the grievances between the two were entangled and difficult to resolve.

Half a year ago, Ning Yi summoned the members of the Tyrant Saber Manor to enter the capital to kill the emperor and rebel. Xigua led the crowd there. After causing a great disturbance in the capital, the group gathered and moved west, then north, searching for a place to settle down. They also rested for a while in the Lüliang Mountains. In those early days, there was always a small barrier between her and Ning Yi, making them want to get close but unable to.

The matter of killing Fang Qifo was too big. Even though she could now understand Ning Yi's actions at the time, Xigua was a girl who valued her reputation. Even if she had feelings for him, she was afraid that others would say she was neglecting her duty for personal reasons and gossiping behind her back. Thinking about these things, when she saw Ning Yi, she always had to draw a line and clear things up.

These things naturally seemed quite laughable to those who were already married, such as Chen Fan and Ji Qian'er. But in front of Xigua, they didn't dare to show it—otherwise, she would get angry. However, Ning Yi also had many things to do during that time. He killed the emperor rashly, shocking the world. But what to do next, where to go, how to move forward in the future, and whether there would be a future—all sorts of questions needed to be resolved. Short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals had to be set, and they had to be convincing.

On the other hand, Ning Yi also had family members such as Tan'er to take care of, so there was not much time for real communication between the two. Often, Ning Yi would come over to say hello, say a word, and Xigua would give him a cold look. But then she would be afraid of Ning Yi leaving, and she would often have to "hmph" a couple of times to show her disdain for Ning Yi. The crowd found it amusing, but Ning Yi wouldn't get angry. He was already used to Xigua's thin skin.

Fortunately, there was still time to spend together without talking. After killing the emperor, the court would definitely try to kill Ning Yi with the greatest force. Therefore, no matter where they went, Ning Yi had to have one or two great masters accompanying him. Either Hong Ti, or Xigua, or Chen Fan, Zhu Biao, or others—since returning to Lüliang, Hong Ti also had some matters to deal with, so Xigua ended up following him the most.

She had practiced martial arts with her father since she was a child, and later followed Fang La in the rebellion. She didn't find the busyness and various shifts tiring or boring. In terms of leading the Tyrant Saber Manor, Xigua was meticulous in the broad strokes, but not a woman who could arrange the details in an orderly manner. In this respect, the Tyrant Saber Manor still owed a lot to the steward Liu Tiannan. In the days that followed, when she accompanied Ning Yi on the move, Xigua was also the type of person who liked the talent of others. Sometimes when Ning Yi was in a room talking to people, making arrangements, or telling a group of officers about future plans, Xigua would sit next to him, or sit on the roof, propping up her chin, and listen with great interest.

After another two months or so, when she noticed that others didn't seem to care much about her relationship with Ning Yi, Xigua continued to talk to Ning Yi again. From transferring from Lüliang to Xiaocang River, arranging and planning for the future, Ning Yi went out into the mountains twice to do business. Their casual chats, whether during meals, by the campfire, or on the road, were mostly about matters related to the rebellion and future plans. Even so, each of these times of being together and chatting was very fulfilling in her heart.

Her dissatisfaction came from another place.

For the sake of making a great disturbance in the capital, the Tyrant Saber Manor had sent about two thousand people in succession. After the matter was completed, a thousand people were sent back in batches. Now that winter was approaching, although Liu Tiannan was in charge in the south, after the regicide, there would not only be suppression from the white path, but also an expansion of fame. Distant people would come to join, or there would be problems with the hearts of the people in the stronghold. As the manor lord, although everyone didn't say it explicitly, she had to go back there.

As for the news she had heard and the various problems she had encountered on this trip, those were nothing.

It was already dark. Torches were lit at the front of the column, and the sounds of wolves could be heard from afar. Occasionally, the woman beside him would complain a few times, and Ning Yi wouldn't refute her much. If Xigua calmed down, he would also find something to talk about with her. At this time, they were not far from their destination. The riverbed of the Xiaocang River appeared in sight, stretching upstream along the river channel. In the distance, the mountain pass, already dimly lit with fire, was visible.

And the sentries in the distance had already seen the light.

The horse troop moved forward, entering the mountain pass that flowed out of the Xiaocang River. It was the dinner time of the evening. After entering, in the first layer of the valley, the light of the篝火 (gou huo - campfire) stretched along the open space between the east side of the riverbed and the mountain wall. The place where more than seven thousand people gathered, the lights spreading out along the mountain, were mottled. Compared to the situation when they left the mountain more than ten days ago, there were now many more things in the valley, but it still looked desolate. However, there were already children in the crowd.

Huge sheds, used as dining halls, had been built before. At this time, the soldiers in the valley were lining up to enter and exit. The outline of the stables was built in the distance—since coming from Bianliang, the two thousand steeds that had been looted along the way, in addition to the horses originally in Lüliang, were the most important property in this mountain—therefore, these buildings were the first to be built. In addition, before Ning Yi left, a blacksmith's workshop and a clay blast furnace had already been built on the mountainside in Xiaocang River Village—these were craftsmen from the Lüliang Mountains, for the purpose of being able to build some construction tools on the spot. If they wanted to make them in large quantities, without considering the raw materials, they would have to be transported from Qingmu Stronghold.

The cave dwellings on the mountain walls, prepared for the winter and for storing supplies, were originally still under construction. At this time, there were more than a dozen, but no one was living in them yet. Perhaps they hadn't been completely built yet. There were already many more wooden houses on one side of the valley. They looked thick enough, and with some repairs, they could be used for the winter. However, this winter, half of the people would probably have to stay in felt tents.

Fortunately, the Su family was originally a cloth merchant. After Lüliang Mountain was used for smuggling, this aspect of the business was almost monopolized by Ning Yi. There was already a large amount of stockpiling. Before killing Zhou Zhe, Ning Yi had also had a month or so of planning. Even if it was rushed, these things were not scarce.

Standing at the mountain pass for a moment, seeing the horse troop coming in, the people in the mountain looked over here. Although there was no shouting, the emotions of the crowd seemed enthusiastic. Ning Yi thought for a moment, expecting that the first batch of the families of the Wu Rui Camp had arrived, so the morale of the people was high. In the firelight over there, someone had already come over first. It was the general Sun Ye. Ning Yi got off his horse and greeted him, "How many people have come in total? Have they all been arranged? Is there enough space to live?"

"Seven hundred and thirty-six people have come. They were originally soldiers in the Wu Rui Camp who didn't follow us, one hundred and ninety-three. The rest are their families. They have all been arranged." Sun Ye said, lowering his voice, "Some of them were authorized by the imperial court and confessed to us in private. In the middle of this..."

Ning Yi listened to him and then nodded, then smiled, "No wonder, the morale is so high all of a sudden."

"Morale... is because of another thing."

"Hmm?"

"It's because Bianliang has fallen..."

As they walked, Sun Ye spoke in a low voice. In the light of the torch, Ning Yi's expression paused slightly, and then he stopped. He raised his head and took a breath. The night wind brought chills.

Since coming to this Wu Dynasty, from the initial indifference to later caring, to doing what he could, and then later, almost risking his life to defend that city, it was in order to not have such an ending. When he decided to kill Zhou Zhe, he knew that this ending was already destined, but he probably hadn't thought about it in detail in his mind. Now, it was finally clear.

After so long of going around in circles, everything was finally forced to the forefront. The heavens and earth were collapsing. He didn't know what kind of future the small spark in the valley would lead to.

But in any case, the reason for the high morale in the valley was finally clear.

He sighed and walked forward.

In the front of the valley, further forward, the river and the winding road extended. From the several cave dwellings on the mountain, light was emitted. The guards here were self-contained. In one of the rooms, a woman was holding a pen, checking accounts, and verifying supplies. A female soldier from Qingmu Stronghold came in and said something in her ear. The woman raised her head and stopped the tip of the pen she was writing with. She said something to the female soldier. After the female soldier went out, the woman named Su Tan'er gently stroked her hair. She calmed down and continued to check the things on this page, and then put a small black dot on it.

The wolf howls were long, the night wind was cold, and sparse lights spread in the mountains. The gathering of people was the only warm thing in this world of unknown future...

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