Chapter 74: Victory Pass

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After leaving the territory of Luyang, the further north they traveled, the more they could sense a chilling tension in the air—a palpable atmosphere of severity and impending violence. It became increasingly clear why Emperor Xu had chosen to seal off Little Yuan Mountain and insisted on having a successor for its lineage.

The people of Xu needed a source of confidence.

Every town and settlement the five passed through was on high alert: soldiers stood ready in their camps, blades drawn, and the government was stockpiling provisions and instituting measures of control. In the countryside, every household stayed behind closed doors, while officials strictly monitored the movement of people; if any peasants approached, they would hurriedly hide indoors to avoid being conscripted.

Fortunately, the five of them were from Luyang Academy, and their journey was unhindered. The only downside was a sense of boredom—on the eve of war, any form of entertainment had all but vanished.

They pressed onward for more than three days with single-minded focus, until two mountains appeared ahead. Between them lay a narrow pass, where a mighty fortress had been constructed, garrisoned by several thousand troops.

Beneath the scorching sun, the soldiers sweated profusely. When they spotted five tall horses—two of which carried youthful maidens with an air of elegance and purity—their eyes lit up with undisguised curiosity.

“General He Jiang, commander of Victory Pass, greets the five honored guests from Luyang Academy! Lord Shu, you have come as well!”

The seventh princess wished to keep her identity hidden, so Shu Le was the nominal leader of the group. It seemed this was not her first time outside the Academy, for the general and even the soldiers drilling within the fortress recognized her and cast curious glances her way.

Indeed, the fame of the candidate for Head of the Academy was considerable.

“General He, you have worked hard.” The candidate exuded her usual grace and dignity.

“As a general, defending our land is my duty, not hardship. Lord Shu, honored guests, please come inside. The border headquarters are rather humble.”

As they walked inside, the ranks of soldiers grew restless, jostling each other for a better look at the famed visitors from Luyang Academy.

The customs here were a bit rough—some men wore no shirts, revealing sinewy, sun-darkened muscles. They regarded the academy guests as people of great importance, though a few expressed concern in hushed tones.

“Lord Shu is here—is war about to start?”

“Coward! Sooner or later, we’ll have to fight. When has our Xu ever feared Li?”

“Those must be from Luyang Academy. All gifted cultivators, right?”

“Luyang Academy is truly enviable…”

…

Amid the admiring gazes of hundreds, the young men Chen Mingguang and Wu Gang felt their blood surge with excitement.

Indeed, it was places like these borderlands that could truly stir a man’s spirit.

Gu Yi, however, was more drawn to a figure lurking in the corner—a thin, slightly crooked-hatted boy of about fifteen or sixteen, grinning broadly and waving at them just like the others.

Inside the commander’s residence.

After a confirming glance from the seventh princess, Shu Le stepped forward to inquire, “General He, what is the current situation at the border?”

“This way, please, Lord Shu.”

Gu Yi blended in with the group as they moved to the left side of the room, where a map hung on the wall.

On the map, the ancient Qing River slanted northeast; beyond Victory Pass lay a vast plain surrounded by mountains, and the Chen Prefecture Basin was located right there.

Thus, Victory Pass guarded the southern entrance to the basin, and there was another pass at the northern exit.

“Mountains encircle the Chen Prefecture Basin. Our chief concern is Fenggu Pass, which is controlled by the Li Kingdom. Their garrison is small, only about three thousand, but... cultivators are stationed there!”

“At present, the Qing River is under our control and belongs to Xu. But from a military standpoint, defending our territory means splitting our forces at Victory Pass and guarding against raids from Li’s army—it's a passive stance, holding more ground but at a disadvantage. At Fenggu Pass, they need only defend and wait—they have the upper hand in form, at least.”

Gu Yi nodded. That explained why this region had changed hands so often; the side with the advantage in one battle might find itself at a disadvantage in the next.

He Jiang, however, appeared quite spirited. “But with the five of you from Luyang Academy here, my soldiers and I feel a surge of confidence.”

“Who is the cultivator from Great Rain Palace stationed at Fenggu Pass?” Shu Le seemed uninterested in discussing the true purpose of their visit.

“A newcomer named Gu Yue, who apparently holds a significant position at Great Rain Palace. He is usually accompanied by someone at the Return to Simplicity stage.”

The seventh princess and Shu Le exchanged glances, clearly unfamiliar with the name.

For now, they let the matter rest. The primary purpose of their journey was the matter of Shuyu.

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“General He, a few days ago, there was a murder at the Qing River. Tell us in detail about the circumstances.”

“Yes, my lord.”

...

“Since his defection from the palace, He Yu has lingered around the Qing River for years, never venturing north or south, just staying there. Because he’s a master at the Harmonization stage, many at court have suggested recruiting him. Though difficult, there has been some progress over the years.”

“The Great Rain Palace has tried to have him assassinated, but nearly every attempt was discovered. The Palace Master herself never came, and so, over time, He Yu simply settled there.”

“As for his death, it was a sudden event. That evening, as usual, he slept at Lianyue Pavilion by the river. In the middle of the night, there was an explosion—so the locals said. The building was destroyed, and He Yu and the woman accompanying him were found in the ruins.”

“The woman appears to have been killed by falling debris, but the circumstances of He Yu’s death are most peculiar.”

Everyone knew this was strange.

Shu Le couldn’t help but glance at Gu Yi.

Gu Yi frowned. “Was there anything else unusual?”

“May I ask your name, my lord?”

“My surname is Gu—Gu Yi.”

He Jiang’s expression changed dramatically. He immediately dropped to one knee and shouted, “Your subordinate pays respects to the Talented Immortal Gu!”

The vice-generals at his side followed suit.

“Rise, and answer my question.”

“Thank you, Lord Gu.” He Jiang hesitated. “But what exactly do you mean by ‘unusual’? When a Harmonization-stage cultivator is killed, shouldn’t there be some trace?”

“I do not know what Lord Gu means, but He Yu’s death was indeed swift—he seemed to have been ambushed.”

The matter felt shrouded in mystery.

There wasn’t even a starting point for investigation.

And the woman who had spent the night with He Yu was also dead.

“What happened to He Yu’s body?” Shu Le asked.

“It should still be at the Qing River.”

“Why wasn’t it brought back to Victory Pass?”

He Jiang seemed put out. “Since tensions between Xu and Li escalated, His Majesty issued a decree: no provocation, only retaliation if attacked. After the He Yu incident, we were slow to react, so as for the whereabouts of the body, we do not know.”

“Nonsense! His Majesty has always inspired the army and the people—how could he issue such a decree? You must be afraid of Li, cowardly and unwilling to fight!” The seventh princess was incredulous.

“Your subordinate would never dare!”

Gu Yi intervened, “We’ll investigate at the Qing River tomorrow—no need to trouble General He.”

Shu Le shot him a glare but let it go, conceding to the Talented Immortal’s authority, and then turned to leave the military headquarters.

“Hey, wait—where are you going?” He Jiang called after her. “Lord Shu, please stay!”

“Of course, to the Qing River!”

“Why the rush?” Shu Le stopped and lowered her voice. “I believe General He is lying to us. The seventh princess knows His Majesty, and even she says such a decree is impossible.”

Gu Yi didn’t agree at all; the princess wasn’t exactly versed in politics.

The emperor of Xu was indeed doing everything possible to avoid war—he simply didn’t believe they could win.

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Even Shu Le wasn’t very clear on the matter.

When the group had all drawn close, Gu Yi spoke: “General He knows a newcomer, Gu Yue, has arrived at Fenggu Pass—you all heard him.”

The four nodded.

“So, tell me, now that five heroes from Luyang Academy have arrived at Victory Pass, do you think the others know?”

Chen Mingguang frowned deeply. “They must already be aware.”

“I’m thinking of you all…” Gu Yi continued, “Before war, the worst thing is for the commanders to show disunity. Lord Shu, we've just arrived at Victory Pass, and if you rush out like this, it tells the Li Kingdom two things: either you are at odds with General He, or you are here to seize He Yu’s body.”

“Either way, it could easily provoke war.”

“We’re not afraid of them! Let them think we’re divided—it might even confuse them,” Shu Le retorted.

The seventh princess nodded in agreement.

Gu Yi felt weary—confuse them? It was the truth; she was already suspicious of He Jiang.

“Didn’t you say a few days ago that I was clever?”

Shu Le said nothing, but the seventh princess seemed to agree.

“Then listen to me. First, General He did not lie; His Majesty did issue such a decree. For anyone else, it’s one thing—but as a candidate for Head of Academy, would he dare blame the emperor in front of you if it weren’t true? What kind of fool would do that?”

“Second, we can’t all rush to the Qing River at once. Before we act, we must first investigate the whereabouts of He Yu’s body.”

The princess and Shu Le exchanged glances. To be honest, He Yu’s bizarre death had left them at a loss, and for now, only Gu Yi seemed to have a plan.

“Go on.”

“First, let’s have dinner—a welcome banquet.”

“You still have the appetite for a banquet?” Shu Le was impatient.

Gu Yi turned away, giving her the back of his head, and went to find the dutiful General He Jiang. “The five of us will be staying the night.”

“Excellent! I’ll have a sheep slaughtered at once!”

Before anyone could say more, he hurried off.

The seventh princess stepped to Gu Yi’s side. “Why do you trust the general you’ve just met over my understanding of my father, the emperor?”

Gu Yi looked at her. “Your Highness, please don’t say such things—it would chill the hearts of our soldiers.”

Few dared to contradict a princess; she looked a little wronged. “…You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Heh, of course. Everyone adores the seventh fairy princess.”

“And what about my question just now?”

Gu Yi’s expression turned serious. “What I said before is reason enough—he simply wouldn’t dare. Besides, look at his weathered face; he’s likely been on the border for decades.”

“So what?”

“So? The command of Victory Pass is vital—only a highly capable general would be stationed here. If a man of such ability has spent decades enduring hardship on the frontier, it means he’s not good at court politics. A man unskilled in politics doesn’t grasp the necessity of extolling the emperor’s wisdom and greatness—and so he wouldn’t dare take the blame for the emperor’s timidity.”

The seventh princess only half-understood.

Gu Yi glanced left and right. “Lord Shu, you didn’t quite grasp it either, did you?”

Shu Le snorted. “We’ll do as you say for now.”