Since we're doomed anyway, let's rebel, damn it

Moonlight spilled from the sky, bathing the mountain valley.

The valley was bright and clear. A campfire crackled, its heat washing over the faces of the twenty-odd resting soldiers, casting their figures in stark relief.

The men sat around the fire, eating dry rations and drinking plain water while they waited for their leader, Ren Tianye, to return.

Vice-general Wang Ming, however, looked deeply troubled, his gaze constantly drifting toward the horizon.

"Sigh, I wonder how General Ren is doing right now?"

"He told us to wait for him here, but he has been gone for a long time. Could he... be on another killing spree?"

Wang Ming was now genuinely afraid of Ren Tianye.

The man was prone to killing over the slightest disagreement.

Killing barbarians was one thing, but he slaughtered citizens of Yu without a second thought. Even if those Yu citizens were somewhat suspect, the Chifeng Army would never have resorted to such measures.

This left the men, all of whom harbored a deep yearning to join the Chifeng Army, profoundly unsettled.

The rest of the soldiers shared his sentiments. Hearing Wang Ming's words, they could not help but look distressed.

"How are we supposed to report back when General Ren acts like this?"

"Whatever happens, we cannot say General Ren killed Yu citizens. We can only say he killed barbarians. General Ren shares life and death with us, and he is willing to take a blade for us on the battlefield. Even if he violated military discipline, we cannot betray him."

"That goes without saying. The problem is, with General Ren behaving like this, are we really going to keep following him?"

"Do not look at me, I am frustrated too. I do not know what to do either."

...

Just then, the rapid, rhythmic thud of galloping hooves rang out. Recognizing the sound of Ren Tianye's steed, the Night-Illuminating Jade Lion, the soldiers perked up and hastily rose to their feet.

They watched as Ren Tianye galloped toward them. As he drew near, he pulled sharply on the reins. The Night-Illuminating Jade Lion let out a piercing neigh and reared up on its hind legs.

With a smooth, graceful flip, Ren Tianye dismounted. In the moonlight, the Fangtian Painted Halberd in his hand still gleamed with a bloody red hue, and fresh blood continued to drip steadily from its blade.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

They were all seasoned soldiers who had seen their fair share of battle. They knew perfectly well that the fresh, unfading blood on a weapon like Ren Tianye's meant it was not as simple as just killing a single person!

Who knew how many more lost souls had just fallen under his Fangtian Painted Halberd!

But...

Damn it, how long had they even been separated?

How many people had he killed this time?

Seriously, if this kind of behavior occurred within the Chifeng Army, who knew how many times his head would have been chopped off!

Suppressing the conflict in his heart, Vice-general Wang Ming stepped forward and asked, "General Ren, the Li family, did you..."

"The Li family barbarians have all been wiped out!"

Ren Tianye tossed down the severed head of a youth from the Li family.

Even in death, the angry and ruthless expression on the boy's face remained clearly visible.

Vice-general Wang Ming's heart skipped another beat. "General Ren, this..."

"I also took care of a few people who tried to harbor the Li family barbarians..." Ren Tianye tore open the bundle he was carrying, pulled out a token engraved with the words Edict Bearer, and tossed it to Wang Ming. "I later discovered that the one harboring the Li family barbarians was Aunt Xiao from the imperial palace."

"I chopped off her head all the same!"

Boom!

The name Aunt Xiao struck the crowd like a thunderbolt.

These soldiers might not know who their superior's superior was, or even the identities of the various defense commanders across the Northern Frontier.

But they were extremely aware of the Female Emperor, Xiao Mingzhao.

And they were equally aware of the great name of Aunt Xiao, the most favored and trusted confidante by the Female Emperor's side.

There was absolutely no need for Ren Tianye to explain. They understood the sheer magnitude of what he had done. Instantly, every single one of them turned pale, and a few even staggered on their feet.

A moment later, the crowd erupted.

"General Ren, how, how could you dare to kill Aunt Xiao?"

"General, she was the Emperor's favorite, deeply cherished by Her Majesty. If you kill her, how could Her Majesty ever let this go? This is a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations!"

"General, we are your subordinates, and we came to execute this mission with you. By killing Aunt Xiao, you have implicated us as well! Our nine generations... they cannot be saved either!"

"General Ren, you, you, you have doomed us all!"

...

Among these twenty-odd soldiers, there were no fools.

Or rather, anyone with an ounce of sense understood the sheer gravity of the situation.

Killing the Female Emperor's most trusted confidante would absolutely not end with just the perpetrator suffering death by a thousand cuts.

His subordinates, his colleagues, and even his superiors would all face a brutal purge.

And this purge would certainly not be as simple as a pay cut or being dismissed to go home. At the very least, it would cost them their lives.

There was even a very high probability that it would implicate their families, bringing disaster upon nine generations of their kin!

Therefore, thanks to Ren Tianye's actions, their heads were now as good as severed.

But this reaction was exactly what Ren Tianye wanted. He then pulled out the imperial edict and said, "As luck would have it, I found this imperial edict in Aunt Xiao's carriage. Take a look, everyone."

Not many men in the army were literate. Fortunately, Vice-general Wang Ming was quite well-read. He hurriedly took the edict and scanned it. With just a single glance, his entire body trembled violently.

"Wh-what?"

"Her Majesty wants to slaughter the seventy thousand troops of the Chifeng Army?!"

If Ren Tianye killing Aunt Xiao had been a thunderbolt to them...

Then the Female Emperor Xiao Mingzhao intending to massacre the seventy thousand men of the Chifeng Army was the sky falling down.

The scene instantly exploded.

"What does this mean? What happened to the Chifeng Army?"

"Kill the Chifeng Army? The Chifeng Army is loyal to the sovereign and loves our country. They guard the frontiers and keep the lands of Great Yu safe and secure. How, how could Her Majesty want to kill them?"

"The edict says the Chifeng Army repeatedly defied imperial orders and obstructed the national policy of the Northern Frontier. What does that mean? Every man in the Chifeng Army is fiercely loyal and obeys imperial orders to the letter. How could they have defied them? And obstructing the national policy of the Northern Frontier? Is the national policy not to keep the barbarians outside the Shanhe Pass? The Chifeng Army has already accomplished that! Why would she want to kill them?"

"Even loyal and brave warriors like the Chifeng Army are to be killed?"

...

The soldiers were highly emotional, and many of their eyes had turned red with unshed tears.

After all, the Chifeng Army was not only the most elite military force in Great Yu and the unshakable pillar of the Northern Frontier, but also the living faith in the hearts of countless soldiers.

This was especially true for these men, who had lived alongside the Chifeng Army in Shanhe City all year round, spending day and night with them. Their affection for the Chifeng Army ran much deeper than that of an ordinary soldier.

With the imperial edict slandering the Chifeng Army in such a vicious way, how could they not share a bitter hatred for this injustice?

And then, Ren Tianye dealt them another heavy blow!

"Judging from Aunt Xiao's itinerary, she has already delivered the edict. Therefore... the Chifeng Army has most likely already been massacred."

"Seventy thousand loyal souls, all buried in a foreign land!"

Boom!

It was as if a clap of thunder resounded across the horizon.

Many soldiers who, just moments ago, were prepared to risk their lives to plead for mercy on behalf of the Chifeng Army now felt the sky collapse so completely that they could no longer hold themselves up.

Everyone's eyes were completely bloodshot.

"The Chifeng Army... all massacred?"

"Brother Wang, Brother Wang, you said you were going to recommend me to join the Chifeng Army. How, how could you be killed by Her Majesty?"

"The Chifeng Army was full of absolute loyalty and courage. Every single one of them was a true hero, fighting with reckless abandon to defend the Northern Frontier. And now they are all dead? The imperial court is devoid of justice!"

"Fuck the Empress! She would even slaughter loyal soldiers like the Chifeng Army? We have no way out anyway, so we might as well rebel!"

"Rebel! Let's rebel! We are dead either way, so let's avenge the Chifeng Army!"

...

Every man was consumed by uncontrollable rage. Shouts of avenging the Chifeng Army and calls to rebel grew louder and multiplied through the ranks.

Seeing that the moment was ripe, Ren Tianye hoisted his crescent halberd high into the air and roared, "The imperial court is corrupt, and the Empress is a tyrant! She ruthlessly massacred the seventy thousand men of the Chifeng Army, butchering our most loyal subjects and noble generals! What is left of the Great Yu Dynasty that is worth our loyalty?"

"We might as well rebel!"

"Will you follow me, your general, and rebel against this damned empire?!"

Almost without hesitation, the men roared back in unison, "Rebel! Rebel! Rebel!"

"Good! Then we rebel!"

...