Chapter 143: It's Here

With five thousand troops against one thousand, and the prepared facing the unprepared, this battle held no suspense whatsoever and concluded swiftly.

When Wei Yan caught sight of that particular Wei general, he could not help but find it amusing. He had signaled the start of the attack with a whistling arrow, aiming directly at the Wei general who had been swaying in his saddle at the time. Following that single arrow, the man had tumbled off his horse and never managed to climb back on. Initially, Wei Yan assumed the man had been wounded by the arrow and rendered unable to command, but now he realized the fellow had simply been scared out of his wits. Although the arrow had struck his breastplate, the injury was minor—certainly not enough to hinder his ability to command.

This clearly demonstrated just how far the garrison at Tong Pass was from being an elite force. Wei Ba’s intelligence had been entirely accurate; as an inner pass of Cao Wei, Tong Pass had long since lost its former strategic importance. In the eyes of many—including quite a few high-ranking generals—Tong Pass had become a tasteless and burdensome chicken rib. Precisely for this reason, when Wei Ba arbitrarily went to inspect Tong Pass, Xiahou Mao, though somewhat displeased, had not truly been alarmed.

While his men were clearing the battlefield, Wei Yan quickly obtained the necessary information from this general. He did not even need to resort to intimidation; the cowardly Wei general spilled everything like beans tumbling out of a bamboo tube, reciting every detail. He even proactively requested to surrender, patting his chest and declaring that he wished to serve the Great Han and eradicate the rebellious Wei.

Wei Yan despised him, yet he also knew that such men could be extremely useful at this moment. He immediately had one thousand of his armored soldiers don the battle robes of the Wei army, disguising them as the thousand-man Tong Pass garrison. Setting off toward Mishi in the vanguard, they still kept the cowardly Wei general as a figurehead. After Cao Wei usurped the Han, they had changed the colors of their official garments, making official attire somewhat different from that of Shu Han, which continuously adhered to the style of the Great Han. However, the clothing of ordinary soldiers had not changed much, making a disguise easy to pull off. Before long, the thousand-man Tong Pass garrison, now possessing fresh blood within its ranks, set off once again.

This time, their marching speed was much faster. To prevent any flaws from showing, they did not dare enter any county towns when resting, choosing instead to set up camp outside the city walls. Two days later, they arrived outside Mishi.

...

Inside the inner keep of Mishi, Wei Ba was practicing his fist techniques indoors. Every stance and posture followed a strict pattern, and each punch he threw carried a faint whistling of the wind. Dun Wu kept watch at the doorway, his face as cold and alert as usual, though a trace of admiration showed in his eyes.

The speed of Wei Ba’s progress was astonishing.

All things considered, it had only been a year and a half since Wei Ba began practicing martial arts, but his past year and a half had been entirely different from anyone else's. Whenever conditions permitted, he would get up on time every single day to practice martial arts, and he never skimped or went through the motions half-heartedly. Every single move was executed with his utmost effort, mentally pondering the minute changes within. When practicing his fist forms, his mind was entirely free of distractions, and in his eyes, there was no enemy. Yet within a yard of his body, every direction was filled with foes. That meticulous drive made even someone like Dun Wu, who had practiced martial arts tirelessly since childhood, feel somewhat ashamed.

His rapid increase in strength stemmed directly from his diligence and concentration, which far surpassed those of ordinary people.

Persisting in physical exercise every day could strengthen the body and build health, while persisting in daily self-reflection could patch up flaws and correct omissions.

Wei Ba held himself to precisely this standard. He knew very well that his foundation was far too weak; if he wanted to catch up with others as quickly as possible, he had no choice but to put in far more effort than anyone else. Although his kung fu was not as formidable as that of Dun Wu and the others, his insight far surpassed theirs. He understood completely how much power a person could unleash when giving their all. Everyone possessed hidden potential, but that potential was exceedingly difficult to unlock. Unless one faced a life-or-death crisis and possessed a willpower far stronger than ordinary people, potential would remain forever merely potential.

And now, he possessed the will to become stronger, along with the psychological foundation to transform potential into capability. That was why he was able to exert tremendous effort and achieve astonishing progress.

Yet today, his state of mind was somewhat unsettled.

Throwing a punch, Wei Ba paused for a fraction of a second, let out a sudden sigh, finished his stance, and stood up.

Dun Wu quietly watched the outside, his hand resting on the ring of his saber.

Outside the doorway, Xiahou Hui was wrapped in a large white cloak, under the protection of four armored guards, quietly gazing at Wei Ba.

...

Wei Ba picked up the linen cloth hanging to the side. As he wiped away his sweat, he asked, "Lady Xiahou has come so early in the morning; could it be you have some further instruction for me?"

Xiahou Hui’s spirits were not particularly high. Her originally rosy cheeks were somewhat pale, and even her lips had lost their color.

"My uncle... requests your presence." Those few words seemed to have drained Xiahou Hui of all her physical strength. She appeared utterly exhausted, unable even to raise her head.

Wei Ba hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Very well, I will come at once."

"Thank you," Xiahou Hui replied in a low voice, turning around to leave.

She walked in great haste, as if fleeing from something. Although Wei Ba could not see her figure, he could tell from the hurried sound of her footsteps that her mind was in great turmoil.

Wei Ba put down the linen cloth, glanced at the armor hanging to the side, and shook his head. He merely draped his cloak over his shoulders, put on his crown, and left the main gate with Dun Wu. He had taken barely two steps when Dun Wu suddenly tugged at the corner of his clothing, whispering a reminder, "Young Master, look at the city gate."

Without changing his expression, Wei Ba stepped closer to the railing and looked toward the city gate. He spotted a squad of Wei soldiers walking in. Among them, one man was exceptionally tall, standing fully eight chi and five cun, making him particularly conspicuous in the crowd. Although the man beside him was not quite as tall, his stride was steady and firm, possessing the distinct air of a battle-hardened veteran.

Wei Ba recognized them at a glance; these were two of the Wei family martial guards under his command. The taller one was Zhu Yi, and the one beside him was Tang Qianyu.

Wei Ba exchanged a swift look with Dun Wu, turned back into the room, and removed his cloak. With tacit understanding, Dun Wu took Wei Ba’s armor down from the weapon stand and helped him strap it on. The two of them checked each other's equipment before stepping back outside, walking expressionlessly toward Xiahou Mao’s great hall. Upon reaching the entrance, Wei Ba untied the long saber at his waist, presented it with both hands to a guard standing nearby, and stepped up the stairs, about to enter the hall. Dun Wu, who had been standing at the foot of the steps, suddenly stepped forward with a troubled expression and muttered a few hurried words into his ear.

"How could you be so careless?" Wei Ba reprimanded him with a displeased look, then waved a hand. "Hurry back and make it quick."

Dun Wu acknowledged the order, clutched his stomach, and bolted away like a puff of smoke. The armored guards nearby could not help but chuckle. Needless to say, the lad must have been struck by a sudden stomachache.

Xiahou Mao was pacing back and forth inside the hall. The moment he saw Wei Ba enter, he hurried forward to greet him. "Ziyu, come quickly."

Wei Ba stepped forward and bowed. "General, you summoned me; how may I be of service?"

"Service, service!" Xiahou Mao waved his hand impatiently. "All right, I’ve wronged you these past couple of days, but I trust you can understand my difficulties. No more of that—help me come up with an idea, tell me what we should do now."

Wei Ba asked in astonishment, "General, what has happened?"

"Don't mention it, it's truly misfortune piled upon misfortune," Xiahou Mao said with vexation. "Anding has also rebelled. Now, west of Longshan, only Longxi Commandery has yet to report in, and judging by the looks of it, their fortune is likely grim as well. The situation has deteriorated so rapidly that it catches one completely off guard. Ziyu, if I had listened to you in the beginning and deployed our main force to the Qishan area, how could we have ended up in today's predicament?"

Wei Ba felt a mixture of joy and anxiety. What gladdened him was that Zhuge Liang was making smooth progress. Of the four commanderies west of Longshan in Yongzhou, three had already surrendered, and the remaining Longxi Commandery would likely surrender soon as well. Historically, Zhuge Liang’s campaign had also started out this smoothly; the reason it suddenly collapsed later on was precisely because Ma Su lost Jieting and the reinforcements led by Zhang He entered Longyou, causing the situation to reverse. Now that Guanzhong was entirely occupied by the Shu Han, and Cao Wei's main forces were engaged in the southeast, even if they rushed over, it would take them some time, and they certainly could not fly directly across Guanzhong straight into Longyou. Under such favorable circumstances, Zhuge Liang securing the entirety of Longyou should pose absolutely no problem at all.

Of course, this would also cause Cao Wei to pay even greater attention to the war situation in the northwest. The commanderies of Longyou served as Cao Wei's horse-breeding grounds and formed the reliance that allowed their cavalry to dominate the realm. How could they sit idly by and watch them be lost? Next, they would undoubtedly launch a desperate counterattack, and Tong Pass would bear the brunt as the critical choke point. Whether Tong Pass could be held was of great significance to Zhuge Liang, but it was far more vital to the survival of the Wei family.

If Guanzhong was lost, Zhuge Liang could still retain Longyou, but the Wei family would never have another chance to turn the tables.

Seeing Wei Ba lost in thought, Xiahou Mao grew anxious and barked angrily, "Ziyu, what are you daydreaming about? Why aren't you hurriedly helping me think of a plan?"

Wei Ba rubbed his hands together. "General, I am a surrendered officer. At a time like this, I ought to..."

"Enough of that." Xiahou Mao swung his arm forcefully, cutting off Wei Ba's words. "I know you harbor grievances, but now is not the time for grievances. Quickly help me devise a plan. If we drag this out any longer, Zhuge Liang will break into Guanzhong."

Deliberately stalling for another moment, Wei Ba finally spoke as if driven to it by necessity, "Your Excellency is wise; I believe we should immediately dispatch troops to defend Longguan and Jigu."

Xiahou Mao thought about it for a moment, then said, "But... I have no men left."

"We can issue an emergency levy for troops. Although the population of Guanzhong is not large, there are still several powerful and influential aristocratic clans. Requisitioning their private retainers to hold Longshan and Jigu should still be possible. As long as we hold out for a period of time, presumably Inspector Guo will also arrive at Longshan."

At a complete loss, Xiahou Mao did not know whether he should adopt Wei Ba's suggestion. Longyou was already lost; given Guo Wei's current strength, mounting a counterattack was virtually impossible. The most likely course of action would be to fall back and defend Longshan, holding the Guanzhong defense line. Yet if he did that, it would be tantamount to abandoning the entire Longyou region. When the Son of Heaven demanded accountability in the future, how was he to explain himself?

Xiahou Mao was filled with endless regret, yet he could not quite pinpoint what he regretted most. He regretted not listening to Wei Ba's advice earlier to reinforce Longyou in a timely manner, and he also regretted submitting a memorial to the Son of Heaven boasting boastfully that he could handle the affairs of the entire Western Theater without needing Grand General Cao Zhen to come to Guanzhong. Now that the situation was deteriorating rapidly, he had no idea how to handle it.

"Now... is it still too late?" Xiahou Mao stammered, his face flushing red and turning pale by turns, clearly having lost his composure entirely.

Wei Ba remained silent and contemplative, appearing to ponder Xiahou Mao's dilemma, while in reality, he kept his attention focused on the hall below. Dun Wu had used a "遁" (escape) under the pretext of answering nature's call to rendezvous with Tang Qianyu, Zhu Yi, and the others, and he had yet to return. What the exact situation was outside remained unclear to him; whether Tang Qianyu and the others were here to provide backup or prepared to thoroughly seize Mishi, he could not afford any rash actions until he knew the outcome. Otherwise, while the city might fall, he himself might end up dead beyond any hope of resurrection.

Though his martial skills had improved significantly, the dozens of fully armed guards surrounding Xiahou Mao were no pushovers either. Subduing Xiahou Mao might present an opportunity, but without sufficient troop reinforcement to back him up, escaping alive would still be exceedingly difficult.

As Wei Ba remained silent, Xiahou Mao stared at him with eager eyes. A bizarre silence enveloped the hall. Xu Ran flashed by the doorway, and seeing that the atmosphere inside the hall was amiss, he quietly withdrew. (To be continued)