"What on earth is going on?"
Leonard Tang's eyes were filled with terror, his complexion ashen. Beside him, Wraithshade hung his head in deep contemplation.
Early this morning, Leonard Tang saw a mass of black mist gathering above Stanley Tang's head.
"I don't know. Maybe a few days, maybe a few months—it's hard to say. If he still can't leave you an heir, then you'll die."
With a loud thud, Leonard Tang collapsed into the chair, his head tilted back, face twisted in pain.
"Why is this happening? Could it be because that boy did something to the eldest daughter of the Ji Family?"
Wraithshade shook his head.
"It's Yuna Ji."
"What exactly did you see?"
Wraithshade hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
"Monster. You weren't up front that day, so you didn't see it—a creature with black-green eyes, blood-red and terrifying. It's been a long time since I've felt fear like that."
Leonard Tang stared at Wraithshade in shock.
"A monster without any rules. That day, I sensed a strange power in Yuna Ji, and that power turned the entire battle around."
"It's true. That day, the Ji Family soldiers were like wolves and tigers, charging forward relentlessly. Even with so many troops at the foot of the mountain, retreat was the only option."
Wraithshade stood up and walked to the door.
"Keep an eye on Stanley Tang. I have to go."
"Are you going to find that guy?"
Wraithshade nodded.
"I hope he's still around. After all, he can turn into all kinds of beasts. If he refuses to see me, there's nothing I can do."
"He can turn into beasts?"
Leonard Tang looked in astonishment at the departing Wraithshade.
King Grant's face was grave as he stared at Joseph Qiao, his expression flickering with uncertainty.
"Still can't do it? Go all in—bet everything on zero or one."
"Joseph, if we give up the three passes, the central, western, and southern fronts will be exposed to the enemy's fangs. The situation will be critical. Even the slightest mistake could turn the Grant Domain into a sea of fire in an instant."
Joseph Qiao nodded, then turned and left the room in resignation.
"Still no luck, Joseph?"
Sebastian Zhao asked urgently.
"Let's go. Come with me to the pass again. Word is, the enemy is approaching. If this plan won't work, we'll have to think of something else."
They hurried to the hilltop, and at the foot of the mountain, the enemy forces had gathered once more, thick smoke rising into the air.
"The enemy's supplies aren't..."
"It must be the Sage Domain distributing supplies to the Wynn Domain soldiers."
Joseph Qiao spoke, dismounting and sitting on the hillside. He stared quietly at the enemy below, who showed no intention of advancing, instead beginning to build defenses.
"Joseph, word came from the right pass this morning—the Zou Clan is gathering again at the Rocky Plain."
"They won't attack rashly. They must've heard about the central force's defeat. Their whole purpose is to tie up troops at the right pass. Tomorrow I'll head to the left pass. Sebastian Zhao, you go to the right pass for now."
The wind was howling. With autumn harvest approaching, nearly everyone in Grant Domain had gone to the central prairies and the southern grain fields. The city was empty—there wasn't a soul on the streets.
Fewer than five thousand remained to guard the Grant Domain. It was deserted. Yuna Ji sat by the aviary, gazing at the street leading straight to the east gate. She feared the palace—there was hardly anyone left inside. Every day she heard Lana Grant's screams, and she could barely stand it.
She couldn't remember anything from that day on the battlefield. All she knew was that her father's arrow struck her barely-breathing eldest sister. When she woke, all she had were bruises and a crushing sense of sorrow—nothing else remained.
Everyone said the victory in that battle was because of her. She had charged ahead without hesitation, leading the soldiers straight into the enemy camp.
Yuna Ji clutched her head. There seemed to be a voice inside her. Lately, she often woke from nightmares, the taste of death lingering. She'd seen war at the right pass—the piled corpses, the stench of death. But now, she couldn't help but laugh.
With a crash, Yuna Ji turned her head—Lona Long had dropped the food she was carrying onto the floor.
"Yuna..."
Long Nu looked at Yuna Ji in terror. Just a moment ago, she'd glimpsed a strange, sinister, and chilling smile on Yuna Ji's face—like she was someone else, or perhaps not even human, but some kind of thing, a monster.
"What's wrong, Long Nu? Is there something on my face?"
Yuna Ji stood up, her demeanor returning to normal. Long Nu shook her head, thinking maybe she was just being paranoid. The recent tragedies had left her mood dark and unsettled.
"How is Second Sister?"
Long Nu shook her head.
"The Matriarch wants you to come over."
Yuna Ji stepped into the palace. Instantly, a chill swept over her, and the empty halls were as silent as death.
When she reached the Matriarch's quarters, she found her lying in bed, trying to sit up. Yuna Ji hurried over to help.
"Mother, please stay lying down. What's wrong? Do you want me to take you for a walk?"
The Matriarch shook her head, reaching out to gently stroke Yuna Ji's cheek.
"Yuna, if you're afraid, just run. Escape from all of this."
For a moment, Yuna Ji's eyes widened. The Matriarch smiled tenderly, caressing her forehead.
"You've always been like this since you were little, keeping your worries to yourself. Even if you marry into the Jiang Domain, nothing will change."
"No, Brother and Father, and Yusheng—they can... they definitely can..."
Yuna Ji's voice grew quieter and quieter. Deep down, she knew the Grant Family couldn't withstand the enemy's assault. No matter what, they couldn't make up for the gap in numbers.
"Mother, you should rest. I'm going out for a walk."
Yuna Ji forced a smile and quickly ran outside.
[Omit: System prompt, not relevant to novel narrative.]
The Matriarch watched Yuna Ji leave with a sorrowful gaze, then turned to Long Nu.
"That child is far too strong-willed, Long Nu..."
"Matriarch, I will stay by Yuna's side to the end... even if it means death."
Late at night, Yuna Ji awoke suddenly from a nightmare. Her mouth was dry, and she kept swallowing. Long Nu was in Second Sister's room, watching over her—Second Sister's condition was terrible tonight.
Stepping out of her room, a cold wind swept away her lingering sleepiness. Yuna Ji rushed to the wooden basin, splashed water on her face, and drank deeply. The water droplets fell into the basin with soft plinks, the moon's reflection quivering, everything around her bathed in a ghastly pale light.
Gradually, the water's surface calmed, reflecting Yuna Ji's face. She stared at her own image, her expression grave—then, suddenly, the face in the water changed.
"What..."
"What is it you're so afraid of?"
Yuna Ji's eyes widened, staring at her own reflection in the basin—her reflection was speaking.
"Who are you, really?"
With a chilling giggle, her reflection smiled coldly, its expression twisted and evil.
"Me? ...I'm you..."
But in the dead of night, there was no one else around. Yuna Ji herself didn't know—the reflection in the water was exactly like her, and the one speaking to her was herself. She was talking to herself.
Lost in a haze, Yuna Ji woke again. She struggled to open her eyes, utterly exhausted and aching all over. Suddenly, she stared wide-eyed at the room—several short spears were stuck in the ground, and in her arms was a long spear. She clearly remembered the weapons being stored at the training ground, so why had they suddenly appeared in her room?
"Yusheng, what are you trying to do?"
Yu Huang looked at Joseph Qiao in utter confusion. He'd just arrived at the left pass, ordered the troops to gather with three days' rations, then rest. He also sent out a large number of scouts from inside the pass, sweeping the area for enemy reconnaissance.
"Right now, there's not much we can do, but as long as there's a glimmer of hope, we must never give up."
Suddenly, Yu Huang seemed to realize something.
"Are you heading to that enemy fishing spot your father discovered years ago?"
Joseph Qiao nodded. He only brought 2,000 men, entering the forest from the west slope, heading straight west to reach the fishing spot the Wynn Domain had tampered with upstream. Years ago, at his father's suggestion, the Grant King had sent people to open a trail to that spot, but they'd been careful not to alert the enemy.
The enemy was starving now. The food from that place, though meager, could feed tens of thousands.
"If the enemy wants to transport supplies from the north, it will take at least half a month. On the other hand, although the terrain there is rough, if it's just food, it would only take about ten days to deliver. I suspect the enemy has already started transporting supplies, so if we can cut off their new supply line ahead of time, we might buy ourselves some extra time."
"I'll go with you."
A voice sounded behind Joseph Qiao. He turned around—it was Lucille Xing. The wounds she’d suffered days ago hadn’t fully healed, and more importantly, the pain in her heart far exceeded what Joseph had imagined.
"Lucille, you should really—"
A pair of cold, merciless eyes made Joseph Qiao abandon the idea of stopping Lucille.
"Alright, but you absolutely cannot act recklessly."
Lucille nodded.
"I'll keep an eye on her. If anything happens, I'll do my best to hold her back."
Yu Huang whispered quietly in Joseph Qiao's ear.
Joseph Qiao spent the entire day at the mountain pass, waiting for the scouts to report back. Sure enough, the enemy had stationed many scouts near the left pass, but some had already been taken out.
At nightfall, the gate of the left pass opened. Joseph Qiao led his soldiers out.
"Slow down, Lucille!"
As soon as they left the pass, Lucille spurred her horse into a gallop, and Joseph Qiao hurried to catch up.
"After a few days, we'd better send her back to Jidu to recover for a while."
Under the night sky, Lucille's expression was oddly twisted, turning fierce and frightening.