Gao Yuexing had just celebrated her thirteenth birthday a few days ago in the Medicine Valley.
Recently, Medicine Valley had inexplicably become much busier.
One morning, a medicine servant noticed her rising early and confided, “The Western Border is once again engulfed in war. The disciples of Medicine Valley are preparing to deliver medicinal supplies and stay there for a while.”
When war breaks out, the front-line soldiers need food, provisions, and medicine most urgently.
Years ago, when Medicine Valley was transporting herbs to the West, a group of disciples was nearly killed by bandits. It was thanks to the Zheng family’s military intervention that they were saved. Medicine Valley has always remembered this debt of gratitude. Thus, when the Zheng family’s second son came to seek treatment for Li Fuxiang, the Valley Master personally led his disciples to the capital. Years later, upon learning that the Zheng family army was again fighting in the Western Border, Medicine Valley did not hesitate to prepare high-quality medicine and skilled disciples to assist immediately.
Gao Yuexing asked, “Medicine Servant Sister, are you going too?”
Yaonu shook her head and said, “I’m not going. I’ll stay in the valley to handle chores. This time, Langdu will lead a few of his junior brothers and sisters. They’re departing tomorrow.”
The Valley Master’s arrangement was also intended to give these young disciples some experience.
Gao Yuexing said, “They’re heading to the Western Border? I want to go too.”
Yaonu seemed to have anticipated her request and replied, “You’re still young.”
Gao Yuexing stubbornly said, “I want to go.”
Yaonu said, “It’s dangerous over there.”
Gao Yuexing responded, “I can protect myself.”
Yaonu quietly looked at her.
Gao Yuexing didn’t flinch and smiled, “You know you can’t stop me, right?”
Yaonu always appeared cold and indifferent. From the first moment Gao Yuexing met her, her demeanor had always been calm—one could even say emotionless. Years had passed, and while Gao Yuexing had grown up, Yaonu hadn’t changed in the slightest.
To be honest, Gao Yuexing liked being around Yaonu. Her very presence was like a calming tonic for the heart.
Yaonu gazed at her for a while, then suddenly reached out and gently patted her hair, sighing, “You’re not even of age yet.”
After arriving at Medicine Valley, Gao Yuexing didn’t have to adhere to so many customs. She wore a natural flower crown woven from mountain grasses, and her hairpin was made from scraps she had picked up when they were gathering agarwood.
She was already as tall as Yaonu’s shoulder. Every year on her birthday, she would carve her height into the wooden fence in front of Xuancao Hall.
Today, after measuring the new mark, she realized she had probably reached her full height.
At most, she might grow another half inch.
Yaonu took out a pouch she had prepared beforehand and said, “Here’s some medicine I specially prepared for you. Keep it carefully and don’t lose it.”
She personally tied it to Gao Yuexing’s waist and patted the girl’s shoulder. “Hurry and go inform your Senior Brother Langdu. Don’t let them leave you behind tomorrow.”
Tomorrow was the day of departure.
It seemed this battle had come suddenly.
The events since she turned nine were not much different from the absurd dreams she had experienced.
Gao Yuexing felt a faint sense of reassurance in her heart.
In her previous life, Gao Yuexing had never been on a battlefield, having spent her days hiding in the luxurious quarters of the capital. So now, upon careful reflection, she felt a faint unease.
Gao Yuexing packed her belongings simply. That night, she sat under the lamplight, gazing at her hands.
These hands of hers were no longer as delicate and soft as they once were. The pads of her right fingers bore a thin layer of calluses—evidence of the years she had spent meticulously tending to the herb garden. The white jade bracelet on her wrist had not been removed since she first wore it, even though it no longer fit properly.
She carefully tucked the small white jade horse into the deepest corner of her bag and minimized her other belongings, readying herself for a light journey.
The next morning, she walked through the dew to meet up with the Medicine Valley disciples outside the valley.
She was the youngest among this group of young people.
But in truth, when combining her past and present lives, her experiences were the most profound.
Langdu, who had grown from a boy into a young man, now looked at her with an especially gentle expression. “Why must you insist on coming along?”
Gao Yuexing no longer concealed her thoughts. Her smile reached her eyes. “There are things I must do, and people I must see.”
Langdu understood immediately. Lowering his head, he sighed, “Get on the carriage, then.”
There was only one other woman in their group. Like Gao Yuexing, she wore a gray cotton dress and a veiled hat with a face covering.
The two women guarded the medicines inside the carriage, while the men rode horses, surrounding and protecting the convoy.
Outside the carriage, Langdu said, “We’ll head straight to Xiang City. I’ve already communicated with General Zheng, and he will send someone to meet us.”
Gao Yuexing closed her eyes and gently rubbed the engraved pattern of a phoenix holding a ruyi scepter on her jade bracelet with her thumb.
—
Jizhou, Jitian Mountain.
Ji Wei’s worst fear had come true.
Zhan Ji, who had promised to return by dawn, was still missing by the hour of Chen (7–9 a.m.), and not even a message had been sent back.
Ji Wei gazed toward Jitian Mountain, watching as the sun rose higher in the southeastern sky, its soft red glow turning into a dazzling glare. He became aware of someone behind him. Turning cautiously, he saw Li Fuxiang standing outside the tent, also looking at the sky.
Ji Wei, seeking someone to discuss the situation with, naturally approached Li Fuxiang. “If Zhan Ji is alive, he’ll find a way to send me a message.”
Li Fuxiang asked, “Shall we keep waiting?”
Ji Wei replied, “Do we launch a full assault?”
Li Fuxiang said, “Two years ago, the bandits of Jitian Mountain had already gathered twenty thousand men. You only have ten thousand.”
The words were harsh but true.
Ji Wei said, “I not only need to take Jitian Mountain’s granary, but I also need to take it cleanly and beautifully.”
General Zheng had left him ten thousand soldiers. If he couldn’t even capture a granary, he might as well pack up and leave. Continuing to fight would only make a fool of himself.
Returning to his tent, Ji Wei stared at the map for a while.
Li Fuxiang followed him silently inside.
Ji Wei said, “Your Highness?”
Li Fuxiang looked at the map and pointed. “Jizhou.”
Ji Wei asked, “What?”
He couldn’t quickly grasp Li Fuxiang’s way of speaking.
But when Li Fuxiang’s finger landed on Jizhou Prefecture on the map, Ji Wei immediately opened his mind to another possibility.
Perhaps he shouldn’t focus solely on Jitian Mountain. Standing on the land of Jizhou now, if there were issues in Jizhou, why not make a bold move?
Since the enemy had concentrated all their forces on Jitian Mountain, other areas would naturally be left more vulnerable.
Time was of the essence.
Ji Wei donned his armor, took up his blade, rallied his soldiers, and mounted his horse, heading straight for Jizhou Prefecture.
As everything was in place and they were about to set off, Ji Wei turned back uneasily to check on Li Fuxiang. He saw him wearing only light armor, blending in among the cavalry. Ji Wei frowned and asked, “Why isn’t the young prince wearing full armor?”
Someone next to him replied, “He thought it was too heavy and took it off himself.”
Ji Wei: “…”
He instantly felt that this young prince was not only truly intelligent but also undeniably eccentric.
Just as Ji Wei was about to depart, a scout approached him and, lowering his voice as much as possible, said, “General, I have something to report.”
Ji Wei frowned and gestured for him to continue.
The scout said, “After nightfall yesterday, the light in the young prince’s tent remained on. Two of the Jinyiwei guards he brought along left the camp under the cover of darkness. I followed them halfway and discovered they were headed to scout Jizhou Prefecture at night.”
At this, Ji Wei felt a chill run down his spine.
Could it be that their sixteen-year-old young prince had already set his sights on Jizhou Prefecture last night?
Ji Wei opened his mouth slightly, then turned back to look at Li Fuxiang. His gaze had already changed.
The scout said, “General?”
Ji Wei softly instructed, “I understand. Keep this to yourself and don’t do anything unnecessary.”
The scout bowed slightly and answered affirmatively, then led his horse away slowly.
When they reached the gates of Jizhou Prefecture, it was just as Ji Wei had expected. The enemy had concentrated their forces on Jitian Mountain, setting an ambush to try and wipe them out in one fell swoop. Jizhou Prefecture’s defenses were naturally lax, with only a few incompetent guards left behind. Ji Wei’s troops easily broke through and dragged the prefectural magistrate out of his grand estate.
The prefect, disheveled and kneeling on the ground, protested loudly, “Who are you soldiers? How dare you be so insolent toward an official of the court!”
Ji Wei sneered, “An official of the court? What a grand title! Taking the imperial court’s salary, yet turning around and serving the enemy. Let’s see just what kind of corrupt official you are.”
The prefect stammered, “Y-you… what are you talking about? I don’t understand a word!”
Ji Wei grew angrier at the sight of his shifty eyes and deceitful expression.
Though Ji Wei didn’t have concrete evidence to prove his treason, the prefect’s guilty reaction to the accusation was telling enough.
Li Fuxiang simply said, “Grain.”
Ji Wei turned to look at him.
Li Fuxiang said, “The mountain paths are difficult to traverse, and Jitian Mountain’s location is unique. After descending the mountain, there’s no direct official road leading west. It’s impossible for them to have built their granary on the mountain.”
Ji Wei nodded and sneered, “In that case, your Jizhou Prefecture is quite conveniently located. Search everywhere.”
Li Fuxiang added, “If you can’t find it, burn it.”
Ji Wei laughed. “Everyone, listen to His Highness.”
The soldiers searched every corner of Jizhou Prefecture but, as Li Fuxiang predicted, didn’t find the granary. Without hesitation, Ji Wei ordered his troops to prepare oil for burning. Soon, the roaring flames and billowing smoke lit up half the sky.
The fire was relentless.
Ji Wei led his ten thousand soldiers to hide in residential homes, waiting.
The blaze was so fierce it could be seen clearly from the top of Jitian Mountain.
If left unchecked, the fire could burn for a full day and night.
But the men on Jitian Mountain couldn’t wait that long. Eventually, they couldn’t sit still any longer.
A scout crouched on the ground, listening carefully. “Troops are coming this way.”
Ji Wei asked, “How many?”
Scout: “A lot.”
Ji Wei: “Pass my order—no one is to act rashly.”
He pushed open a crack in the window. The troops from Jitian Mountain marched down in a grand formation, numbering in the thousands by his estimate.
The leader of the bandits circled warily outside Jizhou Prefecture. The surroundings were unnaturally quiet, except for the raging fire.
His worry over the fire eventually outweighed his concern for his own safety.
The thousands of bandits rushed forward to extinguish the flames.
At the same time, Ji Wei issued the command: “Fire at will.”
Arrows rained down on the bandits who had stepped into the ambush. Screams filled the air as they fell one after another.
The battlefield erupted in chaos.
Ji Wei had seized the advantage. From the start of the battle to its conclusion and the cleanup, including searching for survivors, it all took less than half an hour.
Li Fuxiang witnessed the blood-soaked scene with his own eyes. Layers of guards surrounded him to ensure his safety.
He looked down and realized there was nowhere to step without landing in blood.
Ji Wei tied up the surviving bandits with ropes and forced them to kneel in a line. One by one, they were interrogated: “Where is the granary?”
Those who refused to answer were executed on the spot.
Ji Wei paced back and forth on the dark red bloodstained ground. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t talk. Sooner or later, this fire will reach your homes. If that’s not enough, we’ll use cannons to level everything. It’s just a matter of me wasting a bit more time. For you, it’ll cost your lives.”
There weren’t many loyal or honorable among the bandits.
If they had true integrity and courage, they wouldn’t have chosen the path of treason in the first place.
Under severe punishment, there are always those who value their lives above all else.
A man kowtowed, crying and wailing, “I’ll talk! I’ll tell you! The granary is in the dungeon beneath the prefectural office. Go deeper, and it’s full of the grain they’ve plundered!”
Ji Wei coldly ordered, “Burn it!”
When they went to see the grain stored in the dungeon, they were stunned at the sight. It was enough to feed an entire city for a year. The enemy had been plotting this in Jizhou Prefecture for who knew how long.
Ji Wei said, “Burn it.”
In a hurry to reach Xiang City and join the main army, they couldn’t afford to carry the grain, as it would only slow their march. Reluctantly, they set it ablaze.
Ji Wei then grabbed the prisoner by the collar and demanded, “Last night, we lost contact with a group in Jitian Mountain. Where are they?”
The man trembled like a leaf. “Those people… after their tracks were discovered, they escaped on their own. We didn’t capture them… Oh, right! There’s a maze array in the mountains. They’re probably trapped inside.”
Ji Wei lifted the man by his collar and ordered, “Lead the way. Up the mountain.”
Just as he spoke, a sharp whistle sounded from not far away.
Startled, Ji Wei released his grip and looked up to see a scout running toward him at full speed. It was one of the men who had gone into the mountains with Zhan Ji the previous night.
The scout sprinted up to Ji Wei and reported, “Deputy General Zhan sent me ahead to inform you that we’re safe. Last night, we were caught in the maze array on the mountain and couldn’t find a way out. Thankfully, the light from the fire here guided us. We’ve now escaped danger.”
Ji Wei breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
The situation in the bandits’ stronghold on Jitian Mountain was still unclear. Ji Wei remained focused. Their goal was solely to cut off the enemy’s grain supply. For now, he laid down a covert line to monitor movements on Jitian Mountain and immediately led his troops westward. After marching for a day and night, they arrived at Xiang City.
—
The Medicine Valley group, traveling from the south to the Western Border, had a longer and slower journey. Traveling by day and resting by night, it took them three days and three nights to approach the Western Border by early morning on the fourth day.
Langdu scouted ahead and returned to report, “It gets dangerous from here. Enemy troops could appear at any time. The fighting is intense.”
Gao Yuexing lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked, “But Xiang City is secure, isn’t it?”
Langdu smiled. “Yes, once General Zheng arrived, the siege of Xiang City was lifted. However, the initial retreat was severe. Regaining lost ground will take some effort. I saw that they’ve already opened the city gates and are preparing to push the front lines further west.”
After the bumpy journey, hearing such uplifting news brought joy to everyone.
Langdu glanced back and said, “General Zheng is coming to meet us.”
Zheng Yunji, clad in full armor, exuded an aura of cold, resolute killing intent yet instilled an immense sense of security.
Gao Yuexing remained silent. She hadn’t planned to reveal her identity for the time being, preferring instead to be treated as an ordinary healer from Medicine Valley. She stayed hidden in the carriage, listening intently to the conversation between Langdu and Zheng Yunji.
Langdu asked, “We’re late. Are there enough medicinal herbs in the city? What’s the situation with the casualties among the soldiers?”
Zheng Yunji replied, “Medicinal herbs and military doctors are never enough, no matter when. Your arrival has truly relieved us of an urgent need. Thank you.”
Langdu said, “General Zheng, you’re too kind. As citizens of Great Xu, it’s our duty. Are you injured?”
Zheng Yunji, who was still carrying injuries, smelled strongly of blood even from a distance. He laughed heartily, “I knew your nose wouldn’t miss it. A few days ago, I got a little careless and took a minor wound. It’s no big deal.”
Light injuries don’t send warriors off the battlefield.
As long as he could still stand, it was “no big deal.”
For the first time, Gao Yuexing witnessed what it meant to face a sea of corpses and blood.
The battlefield outside Xiang City remained uncleared, littered with blood-soaked mud, severed limbs, and broken arrows.
The wheels of the carriage rolled over the soggy ground, sometimes making squelching sounds, perhaps from running over someone’s eyeball.
Gao Yuexing swallowed hard.
The female healer traveling with them, Xia Tianwu, gently covered her eyes and said softly, “Don’t be afraid, don’t look, and don’t think about it.”
Gao Yuexing stubbornly replied, “I’m not afraid.”
The commotion in the carriage must have caught Zheng Yunji’s attention.
Zheng Yunji looked over in surprise. “There’s a young lady traveling with us?”
Langdu explained, “Yes, two of my junior sisters.”
Zheng Yunji’s expression softened with a trace of pity.
Langdu added, “We practice medicine to save lives, regardless of gender. Since they decided to come, they were already prepared for this. Please don’t worry, General Zheng.”
Zheng Yunji shook his head and sighed. “This is truly our failure.”
Langdu responded, “Please don’t think that way…”
Gao Yuexing lifted the curtain one last time, glancing back at the blood-stained land.
Xia Tianwu, whose temperament was remarkably similar to that of Yaonu, both gentle and indifferent, said, “You probably haven’t seen scenes like this before. If you’re afraid, just stand behind me and help hand me things.”
Gao Yuexing’s gaze grew resolute. “I won’t be afraid. The peace and stability of prosperous times are bought with their flesh and blood. Since I enjoy the tranquil days they’ve given me, I must also face the brutality of these endless battles.”
Xia Tianwu observed her for a moment and then smiled faintly. “You’re so different from the noble ladies I’ve known.”
Gao Yuexing lifted her chin. “Of course I’m different from them.”
She had long understood one truth: no matter how scared you are inside, you must never show fear.
If you lose your composure, you’ve already lost the battle.
Digging her fingernails into her palm, Gao Yuexing had steeled herself mentally. Yet, when she stepped into the building housing the wounded soldiers, the scene before her still struck her like a thunderclap.
The first thing that hit her was the overwhelming stench of blood and decay.
Then, her eyes took in the sight of living, breathing people lying everywhere.
These men, regardless of rank, were all like Zheng Yunji—unyielding warriors. As long as they could still stand, as long as they had the strength to fight, they would never remain lying down.
Thus, the people she saw here today were almost all grievously wounded, their injuries too horrific to describe.
Xia Tianwu quickly pulled her behind.
Langdu placed a steadying hand on her shoulder and said, “You’re still young. Don’t push yourself. Take it slow. Just watch what we do.”
Gao Yuexing froze where she stood, watching as Xia Tianwu knelt down beside a wounded man and carefully lifted the bandage from his head.
An arrow had struck one of his eyes.
The blood-soaked gauze was peeled away layer by layer, revealing a hideous wound—a gaping bloody hole.
The stench grew even stronger, a result of rotting flesh that had not been properly cleaned away.
Xia Tianwu: “Fire.”
Gao Yuexing took out a copper brazier from the medicine chest and lit it with a fire striker.
Knife.
Alcohol.
Powdered medicine.
Gauze.
With trembling hands, Gao Yuexing prepared each item meticulously, one by one.
Xia Tianwu picked up a slender blade and heated it over the flame, moving it back and forth. Alcohol was poured onto the soldier’s wound, and he gripped the straw mat beneath him with all his strength. With gauze in one hand and the knife in the other, Xia Tianwu, both merciful and ruthless, carefully scraped out every bit of decayed flesh from his eye.
In a gentle voice, Xia Tianwu asked, “Young man, how old are you?”
The young, wounded soldier panted heavily, his voice trembling as he replied, “Seventeen.”
Xia Tianwu: “Hold on, it’ll be over soon.”
At seventeen, the boy would never again see through clear, bright eyes.
Powdered medicine was sprinkled finely over the wound to stop the bleeding.
Gao Yuexing folded the gauze into four thick layers, forming a long strip, and handed it to Xia Tianwu.
The seventeen-year-old soldier touched his freshly bandaged wound. With his cracked lips, he broke into a smile. “Thank you.”
Gao Yuexing’s eyes were red at the corners. Shielded by her veiled hat, her tears fell silently, soaking into her face covering.
At this moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for her decision to leave the capital and go to Medicine Valley.