Master Zhou Xiong, a former member of the Demon Suppression Bureau

This change in Zhou Xiong was so sudden that it took everyone a moment to react. Those closest to him, especially his personal guards, heard him most clearly and were the most stunned.

They all thought they had misheard.

They stood frozen in place.

"What are you standing around for?"

"Shoot her! Shoot Wanqing dead!"

Zhou Xiong issued the military order again.

Those around him still dared not move.

Having served long in Pukou City under Zhou Xiong, everyone knew how deeply he doted on his wife, Wanqing. The two were a beloved couple admired by all.

In fact, it was precisely because of his love for Wanqing that Zhou Xiong was valued by Yunjing and had been able to hold the position of Pukou City's garrison commander for so long.

But now...

General Zhou Xiong himself had ordered Wanqing's death? Were they sure he hadn't lost his mind? What if they did as ordered, and afterward the general regretted it and had them killed?

"What the hell are you still waiting for?!"

Zhou Xiong roared in fury.

Military orders were law, yet these soldiers dared to stand motionless?

"I said shoot her!"

"Anyone who hesitates will face military court-martial!"

This command tore through the air.

Forced to obey, the soldiers reluctantly drew their bows.

Across the battle formation, Wanqing's face turned pale with terror.

"Husband! Husband, what are you doing? It's me, Wanqing! I'm Wanqing, your most beloved wife! Don't act rashly, please—don't act rashly!"

"You're still young! Don't take a path that leads to a lifetime of regret!"

Her voice was nearly hoarse with desperation.

She could see the grim seriousness in Zhou Xiong's eyes, his unwavering resolve.

Wu Xingzhou saw that resolve too.

At that moment, his face turned deathly pale.

He started shouting as well.

"Zhou Xiong—no, brother! Listen to me! Your wife is truly a good woman! She's been virtuous, and even after being rescued, she kept her distance from others. A woman like that is rare in this world! Don't act impulsively! Don't take a path you'll regret for the rest of your life!"

Trying to persuade Zhou Xiong, Wu Xingzhou threw away all pretense. His words shamelessly painted Wanqing as the perfect, virtuous wife.

It made him sick to say it, but the terror in his heart was even worse.

This was his first campaign after surrendering to the Duke! He had cleverly snatched the opportunity from General Zhang Shi.

If he failed now and the hostage was killed, how could he ever face the Duke again?

Heaven helps those who help themselves—Wu Xingzhou's words seemed to have some effect. Tenderness appeared on Zhou Xiong's face, and tears glimmered in his eyes.

"Wanqing, I knew it—no one in this world has ever been kinder to me than you. I will always be your husband, and you will always be my wife."

"But..."

"There's no other way. I guard Pukou City. I guard the people of this city. I carry the heavy responsibility of Yunjing. I cannot abandon Yunjing for your sake, and I cannot..."

"Watch you be humiliated!"

"So..."

"You have to die!"

"Don't worry, Wanqing. After you're gone, I will kill Wu Xingzhou. I will kill Ren Tianye. I will avenge you!"

He raised his spear high and roared again: "Shoot!"

In an instant, arrows fell like rain.

A deluge of arrows descended upon Wu Xingzhou's formation.

In that moment, Wu Xingzhou's face turned ashen.

Damn it! You actually fired!

That's your wife!

Having so many men shoot at her—are you truly that ruthless?

But he was helpless. He had come confident but lightly equipped, bringing few men and no shields. He had expected Zhou Xiong to dismount and surrender. Instead, Zhou Xiong had put on this deadly performance, crushing Wu Xingzhou's morale.

When he looked up and saw Wanqing struck solidly by the rain of arrows, blood spilling from her mouth, her eyes wide, not quite dead but close enough, Wu Xingzhou broke down.

He cursed Zhou Xiong on the spot.

"Damn it! No wonder your wife cuckolded you! She was right to do it, you bastard! You don't even care about your own wife!"

"She was flirting and whispering sweet nothings with Hu Shaoyou, the city lord of Yuan City! She even faked her death for him and ran off to be with him!"

"You deserve every bit of it!"

As soon as Wu Xingzhou's words left his mouth, Zhou Xiong's face changed drastically.

What?

The pure, untainted Wanqing in his heart was truly like that?

No wonder—no wonder his master had opposed his marriage to her from the very beginning, saying this woman seemed kind but was unpredictable.

The soldiers who heard this suddenly understood. So that was why the general had ordered her death—because Wanqing had betrayed him!

What else was there to say?

Those who had held back slightly just now now poured all their fury into their shots. The first wave of arrows hadn't even stopped before a second wave came violently. Wu Xingzhou dodged frantically. When he looked again, Wanqing had collapsed stiffly to the ground, as if to sleep a deep, eternal sleep.

He knew the situation was hopeless.

With a mournful cry, he shouted: "Retreat!"

"Fall back now!"

"Everyone retreat!"

Wu Xingzhou proved himself a capable commander. He did not abandon his men to flee alone but ran side by side with them. His loyalty held the army together somewhat, though barely, as they retreated in a ragged formation.

But the losses were heavy.

Of the thousands he had brought, nearly a third were dead or wounded.

Seeing this bloody scene tore at Wu Xingzhou's heart. Despair clung to him every moment.

When the Duke had led his armies south, from Wusheng Pass to Huai'an City, even at Qingfeng Post, Luoyan Ferry, and Pingling Market, they had never suffered such losses.

He was a surrendered general, yet the Duke had not scorned him. Instead, he gave him the chance to lead troops—and he had lost so disastrously. Wu Xingzhou felt like dying.

If he weren't a man of iron will, willing to face the consequences, he might have considered fleeing instead of returning to report.

…

Huai'an City, at the City Lord's Mansion.

City Lord Xu Sha and his wife Yun Wanyi had been searching through piles of records and documents, dispatching large numbers of Huai'an soldiers to search the entire city.

Yet after so long, they had found nothing. Both were exhausted and anxious.

"Sigh," Xu Sha said, "I expect Pukou City will fall today. The Duke has already left Huai'an. But I, as the city lord, can't even find the person the Duke is looking for. Once again, I've disappointed him."

Hearing his self-reproach, Yun Wanyi tried to comfort him, though her own heart was racing with worry.

General Wu Xingzhou had been so confident. He had snatched the chance to attack Pukou City from General Zhang Shi. Today, he was challenging the defenders at the city gates. Given the Duke's usual style of campaigning, Pukou City would likely fall by nightfall.

But where was that person they were supposed to find—the one claiming to be from the former Demon Suppression Bureau?

"Do not trouble yourselves over this," a voice suddenly said.

"Pukou City—the Duke will not be entering it just yet."

Startled by the sound, Xu Sha and Yun Wanyi turned their heads to look, only to find it was Nanny Sun. They couldn’t help but say, “Nanny Sun, you don’t understand—General Wu Xingzhou has taken Zhou Xiong’s wife, the commander of Pukou City. According to the customs here in the capital of Yun, it’s highly likely that Zhou Xiong will surrender.”

“By our calculations, Pukou City is probably already in the hands of the Duke by now.”

Hearing this, Nanny Sun shook her head firmly and said, “No, that won’t happen. Zhou Xiong is a general of the capital garrison.”

“He might surrender Pukou City for wealth and honor, or out of gratitude for the Duke’s benevolence, or to prevent the entire city from suffering bloodshed and destruction, but...”

“He will never, ever give up Pukou City because of a woman!”

“Never!”

When she uttered those last four words, Nanny Sun’s tone was as decisive as a sword strike, clanging like metal and stone colliding in battle.

Xu Sha and Yun Wanyi were both stunned into wide-eyed shock.

“Nanny Sun, how... how can you be so sure?”

“Because...” Nanny Sun said, “Zhou Xiong’s master was a former member of the Demon-Suppression Bureau!”

Boom!

It was like a thunderclap.

The shock on Xu Sha and Yun Wanyi’s faces turned into terror.

The information about the former Demon-Suppression Bureau, which they had searched for everywhere without success, was suddenly revealed before their eyes without any warning?

Then, almost immediately, they both realized something.

How did Nanny Sun know these inside details?

Wasn’t Nanny Sun just a nursemaid in their Xu household?

But no sooner had this thought crossed their minds than another jolt hit them.

At almost the same moment, countless things suddenly became clear!

...