The Blood Crown - Chapter 312

After Feng Ye left, Yan Sikong stood frozen in the room for a long time until the sound of table legs colliding behind him brought him back to reality.

Yan Sikong turned around and saw Feng Hun staring at him intently. He murmured, “I thought I’d be welcoming spring alone today, but here you are.”

Feng Hun glanced at the dishes on the table and then back at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong smiled faintly. “If you want to eat, go ahead.”

Feng Hun didn’t hold back. With a flick of its tongue, half a plate of stir-fried pork disappeared.

Yan Sikong sat back at the table, picked up his chopsticks, casually grabbed a dish, and stuffed it into his mouth. But he couldn’t taste a thing. His thoughts had long since followed Feng Ye and Yuan Nanyu out of Guangning, merging with the bitter cold, the snow, and the bloodthirsty violence soon to come.

Would those he cared about return safely? When would this endless killing and fighting finally come to an end? In this lifetime, would he ever witness the ideal land of peace he dreamed of?

No one could answer these questions for him. All he could do was hang onto this restless heart, enduring the torment, waiting.

Feng Hun, on the other hand, ate heartily and quickly cleared most of the dishes.

Yan Sikong silently watched Feng Hun and smiled. “Feng Ye said you’re getting old. It’s true—you’re almost twenty now. But judging by your appetite, you’re still robust, aren’t you?”

Feng Hun swayed its tail lightly.

“You used to love fighting with Zuihong, but now Zuihong is in his prime.” Yan Sikong picked up a cloth to wipe its mouth. “You can’t beat him anymore.”

Feng Hun immediately spat saliva all over Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong laughed. “You’re upset? Such a temper—just like Feng…” He suddenly realized what he was saying, and his face stiffened.

He put down the cloth, patted Feng Hun’s head, and murmured, “At least I have you with me.”

—

Shortly after the second watch (1–3 AM), Yan Sikong took Feng Hun and boarded a carriage to the yamen.

He knew that Liang Huiyong and the others wouldn’t be at home enjoying family time at this hour but were likely anxiously awaiting battle reports at the yamen. Judging by the timing, Yuan Nanyu was probably already clashing with the Jurchens.

Upon seeing Liang Huiyong, Yan Sikong immediately asked, “How are the city’s defenses?”

“Don’t worry, we haven’t relaxed for a moment,” Liang Huiyong replied. “General Marshal Cao’s troops also set out during the second watch to support the Wolf King.”

Yan Sikong nodded, his expression heavy, and sat down nearby to wait with them.

Everything was proceeding as planned, but they couldn’t escape their worries. After all, the battlefield was ever-changing; no one could truly account for every contingency.

Before dawn, Yuan Nanyu returned.

Of the 20,000 soldiers he had taken to raid the camp, only half returned. The brutal nature of the battle was evident.

Seeing Yuan Nanyu covered in blood, Yan Sikong’s face turned as pale as paper. He didn’t even dare to check on him.

Yuan Nanyu removed his helmet with one hand and exhaled frost. “Any news of the Wolf King?”

“None yet,” Liang Huiyong said worriedly. “Nanyu, your injuries…”

“I’m not hurt. Second Brother and General Liang, please don’t worry,” Yuan Nanyu said, wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve. He turned to Yan Sikong. “Second Brother, this isn’t my blood.”

Yan Sikong closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped forward to pat Yuan Nanyu’s shoulder. “It’s good that you’re back. Report the military situation to General Liang.”

Yuan Nanyu recounted the details of the raid.

Zhuo Letai had been prepared. Though his camp defenses were far inferior to Feng Ye’s, he had deployed a large force to pursue the fleeing Wolf King through the night. Even so, his remaining troops still outnumbered Yuan Nanyu’s forces several times over.

However, fewer troops meant greater mobility, especially for a raid. Yuan Nanyu divided his forces into three groups. Two attacked from the southeast, while the third hid in the mountains to create a diversion. Zhuo Letai, thinking there were ambushers in the mountains, hesitated to send reinforcements.

The battle raged all night. Zhuo Letai’s camp descended into chaos, and wary of the supposed mountain ambush, he refrained from sending more troops after Feng Ye. Eventually, Yuan Nanyu, outnumbered, seized the opportunity to retreat.

“How many Jurchens were sent to pursue the Wolf King?” Liang Huiyong asked.

“According to scouts, at least sixty to seventy thousand, with the Duoyan Guards leading the vanguard,” Yuan Nanyu replied.

“Sixty to seventy thousand,” Yan Sikong said gravely. “Twice the number of troops escorting the Wolf King.”

“As long as the Wolf King follows our planned route and lures them into the mountains, we can severely damage the Duoyan Guards and retreat to Guangning through the secret Peach Immortal Path,” Liang Huiyong said. “The mountain terrain is treacherous, so we needn’t fear their numbers.”

“Then why haven’t we received any news yet?” Yuan Nanyu asked anxiously.

Just then, a scout sent by Liang Huiyong returned. As soon as he entered the room, he knelt on the ground and trembled as he shouted, “General, bad news!”

Liang Huiyong’s eyes widened. “What is it? Speak!”

Yan Sikong and Yuan Nanyu both turned pale.

“After luring the Duoyan Guards into the mountains, the Wolf King’s forces engaged in fierce battle, fighting while retreating. They finally shook off the Duoyan Guards and were about to withdraw to Guangning through the Peach Immortal Path, but—but…”

“But what? Speak!” Yan Sikong demanded sharply.

“An avalanche suddenly occurred in the mountains, blocking the Peach Immortal Path!”

The room instantly fell silent, and everyone’s faces turned ashen.

No matter how well they planned, they could not predict the whims of nature. Human efforts seemed laughable in the face of fate.

Yan Sikong clenched his hand hidden in his sleeve into a fist and asked in a deep voice, “What is the current situation of the Wolf King?” In truth, he already knew the answer, but he still clung to a sliver of hope.

The scout replied mournfully, “The Wolf King had no choice but to lead his troops to higher ground and is now… completely surrounded by Jurchen forces.”

Yan Sikong felt a buzzing sound in his head, and his vision briefly went blank.

Feng Ye was surrounded.

A voice in his mind repeated this sentence over and over, making his head throb painfully.

Yuan Nanyu shouted, “What about General Cao?”

“General Cao attacked from the outside, but the disparity in numbers was too great. He had no choice but to retreat.”

“Relay my orders to summon General Cao back to Guangning immediately!” Yuan Nanyu sprang to his feet, gripping his sword hilt so tightly that his knuckles turned pale. “Follow me to rescue the Wolf King.”

“Wait.” Yan Sikong uttered these two words from his nearly bloodless lips.

Yuan Nanyu looked at Yan Sikong anxiously. “We must act immediately. Who knows how long the Wolf King can hold out?”

“Sending troops now would just hand the Jurchens an opportunity to surround and attack reinforcements,” Yan Sikong said gravely. “Their provisions will last them three more days. Until their supplies run out, the Jurchens won’t risk a direct assault—they would suffer too many losses. For now, the Wolf King is relatively safe.”

“And after three days?” Yuan Nanyu gritted his teeth. “If we don’t act now, Zhuo Letai will send even more reinforcements.”

Liang Huiyong added, “Exactly. If we send reinforcements now, we might be able to break through and create an opening for the Wolf King. If we wait for Zhuo Letai to bolster his forces, rescuing the Wolf King will become impossible.”

“If we force an attack now, even if we manage to save the Wolf King, our army will suffer devastating losses. How will we defend Guangning then? Moreover, Zhuo Letai might seize the chance to launch a surprise attack on an undefended Guangning. No matter what… we cannot send troops right now.” Yan Sikong felt an unbearable heaviness in his chest, almost suffocating him.

Liang Huiyong said urgently, “Then… in your opinion, how should we rescue the Wolf King?”

Yuan Nanyu also stared anxiously at Yan Sikong.

“Breaking through the layers of Duoyan Guards’ encirclement is nearly impossible. The Jurchens are unfamiliar with Guangning’s terrain and don’t know about the Peach Immortal Path. For now, we should wait for the snow to melt and assist his retreat through the Peach Immortal Path.”

Yuan Nanyu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Wait for the snow to melt? What if it doesn’t melt? How can we entrust the Wolf King’s life to chance?!”

Yan Sikong said hoarsely, “Our lives are all subject to the will of heaven. If the Wolf King’s fate is not to end here, he will surely find a way to survive.”

Yuan Nanyu shook his head, his expression filled with disapproval as his voice grew louder. “Second Brother, we can’t just sit here and wait! If the snow doesn’t melt, Feng Ye might die!”

“Do you think I don’t want to save him?!” Yan Sikong roared, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Yuan Nanyu.

Yuan Nanyu froze.

Yan Sikong took a deep breath and said with a trembling voice, “If we deploy the entire city’s forces just to save him, and Guangning is left vulnerable, how will we answer to the people of Liaodong when the Jurchens arrive at the gates?”

Liang Huiyong held his forehead with one hand and sighed heavily.

Yuan Nanyu pressed his lips together, his gaze filled with struggle.

Yan Sikong looked at Yuan Nanyu and said tiredly, “Listen to me. Wait for the snow to melt. If we are to save him, it must be through the Peach Immortal Path.”

Yuan Nanyu staggered backward and collapsed into a chair, his face filled with despair.

Liang Huiyong murmured, “Will the snow… melt?”

“It’s spring; it will melt sooner or later,” Yan Sikong replied, though his thoughts were consumed by Feng Ye, trapped in the mountains, cold and hungry, his life hanging by a thread.

But he had to stay calm.

Feng Ye was surely waiting for him to come to the rescue.

And he would rescue Feng Ye and defend Guangning.