Chapter 6: The Heaven-Splitting Jade

The thunderous beat of military drums echoed across the field. Seventy thousand Jade Army soldiers gathered before the South Pass of Jinchuan. Regardless of whether they hailed from the Liaodong or Longyou regions, they had washed away the gore of battle and stood in solemn formation. Their jade-colored eyes gazed toward the tilted ramparts of the South Pass.

The floodwaters had receded, but the devastation inflicted upon Jinchuan remained. Many civilians had not perished at the hands of the Wolf Army, but rather had drowned under the deluge unleashed by the Jade forces. Yet, Dai Longmei understood his elder brother’s choice. Had they not flooded Jinchuan, those useless Longyou troops would likely have spent two or three years laying siege to this premier fortress of the Northwest. By then, with no grain or moss left in the city, the tragedy of parents exchanging children to eat would have been inevitable. A short pain is better than a long one!

Though the watchtower of the South Pass stood askew, it remained standing. It had stood in this world for five hundred and eighty-eight years. Inside the tower, the commanders of the Liao and Long armies were gathered. Their ornate rhinoceros-hide armor had been scrubbed clean, highlighting their status as the true power-holders of their respective provinces. Indeed, the so-called "Heavenly Jade Imperial Court" was nothing more than an oversized figurehead, a mere relic of the past. Beyond holding the capital of Dadu—a city a hundred times more prosperous than Luoyi—and the eight hundred miles of land surrounding it, the Emperor was, in the eyes of the three regional kings, worth less than nothing.

This was an era governed by men of war. That the Liaodong Army had come to "assist in the defense" of Longyou was merely because the fox-blooded Emperor of the Ji clan had promised the King of Liao treasures from the imperial altars as military pay. Of course, in terms of righteousness, the Liao westward expedition was also for the peace of the Heavenly Jade people. However, the wealth of the Bo clan—and the personal property, and even the family members, of those Wolf soldiers—would likely all end up in the pockets of the two armies. Dai Rusong had strictly forbidden the Liao troops from plundering the populace, yet the Longyou army had already begun helping themselves to the spoils in the newly drained city of Jinchuan.

Regardless, victory had brought peace, which was, in the end, a great cause for celebration. Yet, some could not bring themselves to be happy. Liu Zhengxiong, the Deputy Commander of Longyou, was one such man. While the Longyou troops could plunder to satisfy their appetites, the Liu family had paid a heavy price in the bitter struggle for Jinchuan and had gained little in return. The short, round-faced, and wily old veteran from the Northwest stood with his hands behind his back, looking gloomily at the high-spirited Liao soldiers.

Standing behind his elder brother, Dai Longmei observed the resentful Longyou contingent. The Longyou soldiers felt that the fruits of their labor in Jinchuan had been snatched away by the Liao army, which had come to their aid from a thousand miles away. Yet, had the Liao army not marched through Jinyuan to reach this place, the situation in Jinchuan would have long since rotted away. In that case, it would not have been a task for the battle-weary Longyou or Jin armies to handle. As Dai Longmei pondered this, a flash of anger rose in his heart. Every military house thought only of its own interests; how could they ever hope to keep the Heavenly Jade realm secure?

However, in his mind, the image of the exceptionally prosperous Carved Flower Pavilion in his hometown of Liaodong surfaced. That luxurious palace, filled with exquisite jade carvings and hidden allure, had been built by his own father—the same father who had once drugged him as if he were mere livestock. "All crows in the world are black." A son evaluating his own father in such a way—it was born of deep resentment.

Still, Dai Longmei understood these Northwest men. After the Jinchuan rebellion broke out, the Longyou frontier guards under the old King of Longyou, Liu Ying, were the closest. The King of Jin, Luo Yuluo, had feigned death to avoid the conflict in the east. The Jinchuan rebels had struck with fierce momentum, already pushing into the eastern borders of Longyou. Even to defend their homeland, the Longyou army had to fight with everything they had. It was just that they had fought quite poorly. Bo Bai had relied on the rapid charges of his nomadic wolf cavalry, and the thin, frail horses of the Longyou army could not compete. With the rebellion of the entire Jinchuan wolf-kin, the long-idle Longyou army had naturally fallen into chaos.

Thus, the war had reached its current state. In the face of collapse, the Liaodong Army, a thousand miles away, had become the only reliable fire brigade for the small imperial court. Compared to the foot-dragging Jin army near Xiping Pass, they were clearly much more dependable. Yet, in the eyes of Liu Zhengxiong and his ilk, the Liao army, having descended like a bolt from the blue, were still nothing but fruit-thieves. Though they had committed seventy percent of their strength to the year-long chaotic battle, the Longyou army had still struggled, even having their camp raided by the old thief Bo Bai’s cavalry. Liu Zhengxiong’s old face was indeed not looking very pleasant.

Dai Longmei, however, could not be bothered to look at that sour-faced old man any longer. Gazing at the mossy plains where the great armies were arrayed, his thoughts drifted to the legends his teacher had told him in his youth. It was said that when the world was destroyed, the Jade People had nowhere to settle. Fortunately, the heavens were compassionate, and it was only then that the myriad jade-colored eyes were able to behold this land overgrown with moss. It was a beautiful sight, and a heaven-sent nourishment. This land, known as "Jinchuan," had no venomous insects or fierce beasts; there was only the moss—which grew as quickly as it was cut and could be eaten like noodles—and the thousands of rabbit-deer and woolly rhinoceroses roaming the plains. The land was flat, and the sea rivers surged. This land had forged the men and women of the Heavenly Jade; it was once a peaceful and harmonious place, surrounded by a magical wall of air. Because its color was sky-blue, the Jade People called it the "Heavenly Wall."

But later, the Heavenly Wall disappeared. And those who rushed through from the other side were not friends. The great army with fox ears began a bloody slaughter. The Heavenly Fox Empire, which ruled the northern continent of the Snow Wastes, sought to exterminate these "children abandoned by the gods." Jinchuan became a purgatory. At the moment of crisis, a magnificent, iron-masked warrior descended from the heavens. He was the True God. Under the awe-inspiring power of the True God, the Jade People united and challenged the authority of the fox-kin in the name of the Heavenly Jade. In over a hundred years of war, the iron-masked warrior led the Jade People to fight bravely, finally crushing the cruel and tyrannical Heavenly Fox Empire. The remnants of the fox-kin retreated to the Snow Wastes, never to be heard from again; only a small number of fox-kin who were close to the Jade People remained. The True God spared the fox royal family but divided the world into two domains, leaving them to be guarded by the ancestors of the Liu and Luo families. This was the origin of the Heavenly Jade Empire.

His elder brother was exchanging pleasantries with the Longyou generals, but Dai Longmei had no heart to listen. His gaze remained fixed on the Jinchuan plain. The floodwaters had just receded, and the golden plain was a mess. But suddenly, he saw it: the vast army that had marched across the plains in those ancient days, the iron-masked warrior driving a jade-patterned chariot, and the fully-armed soldiers of the Jade Army, singing as they marched toward the opposite bank of the Sea River.

"Jade Dragon fights, the Heavens protect the sons of flame..."
"Blue Phoenix dances, the Earth guards the yellow people..."
"Time flows on, the sun and moon turn..."
"The Great Wall remains, the warrior soul protects the country..."

An ancient, majestic melody echoed across both banks of the Sea River. It was the solemn music of seven hundred years ago. "Hallucination? Another hallucination?" Dai Longmei, whose mind was often plagued by strange voices, was accustomed to this. But suddenly, the face of the iron-masked warrior changed, revealing a sight he had never seen before. A blue, demonic aura rose like a blue sea, swirling around a handsome and refined face. A mysterious figure appeared before Dai Longmei. The man had golden hair and green eyes, clad in blue and white iron lamellar armor. He seemed to possess monstrous strength, standing in the air as if treading on a cushion of blue energy. He grinned viciously at Dai Longmei.

"The glorious past will all fade away."
"The sinners of the old days shall remain sinners."
"Your Jade Realm will eventually belong to the great Stardust."

The man walked toward the frozen Dai Longmei. "Just as my Supreme Heaven said: Rome shall eventually fall!"

Dai Longmei shook his head, and the man was gone. There were no war chariots on the Jinchuan plain. Dai Longmei pulled out a pocket watch—a rare item he had obtained after waiting two days at the altar. Only three quarters of an hour had passed.

"Ah, the second brother must be bringing the head up."

"Reporting to the Governor: I, Ru Bai, led the army straight into Jinchuan. I have secured the head of Bo Bai and present it to you." Dai Ru Bai, full of his usual arrogance, looked quite proud. It was the truth, but it was delivered with a heavy dose of showing off. The faces of the Longyou generals, including Liu Zhengxiong, darkened instantly. The fruit had been snatched!

Dai Rusong knew very well that his title of "Governor" was merely a nominal rank granted by the small imperial court. Though the Longyou army nominally obeyed him, now that the battle was over, both armies were sparing no effort to compete for the rewards from the altar. Moreover, the fact that most of the fine jade from the Bo clan had been taken by the Liao army made the Longyou troops even more hateful. It was time to smooth things over.

"Ru Bai." Dai Rusong drew his jade sword from his waist and gently stroked the blade. "What were the gains of the Longyou righteous warriors?"

Dai Ru Bai had not expected his elder brother to ask about the Longyou army first, but he continued with his head held high, "The general only knows that the Liao—"

"Heh, second brother, leave it to me." Dai Longmei thought to himself. He stepped forward quickly and said respectfully, "The general knows that after the Longyou army broke through the city at the North Gate and the water routes, they achieved many victories. From what I saw, they gathered over four hundred heads. It is indeed a great victory."

"In this battle, all our units cooperated to defeat the rebel Bo Bai. It is truly a great fortune for our dynasty," added Dai Yousheng, seizing the chance to smooth things over. The anger on the faces of some Longyou officers dissipated slightly.

Dai Rusong looked at his fifth brother, his expression unchanged, but in his heart, he was grateful to his brother for giving him a chance to gloss over the situation.

"Deputy Commander Liu, fellow colleagues of the Longyou army, and gentlemen of the capital."

"In this battle, our forces were united in defeating the rebels. You gentlemen planned with strategic brilliance, deciding victory from a thousand miles away. I offer my congratulations to you all."

Governor Dai Rusong adopted a humble posture, and the supervising officials from the capital breathed a sigh of relief. They were called "supervising officials," but in reality, they were only there to go through the motions and coordinate the rewards from the altar with the regional kings. Seeing this, they all chimed in with agreement.

However, Liu Zhengxiong, relying on the fact that he had troops, naturally wanted to vent. The scholars were merely appendages of the small imperial court, whereas the Longyou King’s subordinates were like an independent kingdom. Naturally, he was dissatisfied with the Liao soldiers for snatching the fruits of victory.

"The Liaodong Army was the first to enter the Bo manor. I know that the manor was magnificent and relied entirely on the imperial grace," Liu Zhengxiong said, arching his hands toward the capital. He then began to attack the Dai family in a roundabout way. "And I have heard that the Governor's father, His Highness the King of Liao, has also built a magnificent Carved Flower Pavilion in the city of Liaoyang, unparalleled in the east. I think that building is not inferior to the Bo manor, which has now been burned to ash."

"Carved Flower Pavilion... Heh, the crows are starting to compare who is cleaner." Dai Longmei rolled his eyes. Liu Zhengxiong looked smug, as if he were proud of how clever his words were.

"Bo Cheng'en also benefited from the imperial grace, building such a magnificent mansion, but in the end, he committed treason."

"Yet, a frontier general should prioritize purity for the sake of the country and the public."

"Old things that live longer and want more... I fear they are no different from those evil wolves."

"They cannot bear the kindness of His Majesty."

The Carved Flower Pavilion had once become a demon in Dai Longmei’s heart. When he was born, his mother was already gone. His elder brother said she died in childbirth. Since then, his father, Dai Chenglong, had gone into the underground city of Liaodong to find a way to save his wife. However, when he returned, he seemed like a different person. He spent his days seeking pleasure with women, ignoring the affairs of the frontier, and built that towering Carved Flower Pavilion, taking in beauties from the three regions. He had taken over eighty concubines, second only to the King of Jin, who had over a hundred and thirty. For over three hundred years, the King of Liao had only one wife. It was not until twenty-eight years ago, when his last son was born and his wife died in childbirth, that he retreated into the Carved Flower Pavilion. That son was Dai Longmei.

Dai Longmei stood there, frozen, not knowing how to refute these words. He was a second-generation military man, yet he was not favored by his father. He was a frontier guardian, yet he witnessed his father’s degradation.

"Deputy Commander Liu, that is not right." Elder brother Dai Rusong’s words pulled Dai Longmei back to reality. "The longer one lives, how can one not want more?"

"Humans have seven emotions and six desires, and everyone has delusions and greed."

"My father is no exception."

"But two hundred years ago, my father led three thousand household troops, deep into the barren lands of Liaodong, and fought over one hundred thousand of the wolf-kin forces. Eight battles, eight victories! Only then did Liaodong return to the Heavenly Jade!"

Dai Rusong stroked his beard and said loudly, "This is merit!"

"My father also took in the children of fallen soldiers in the Carved Flower Pavilion. He raised them as his own, for years, for a century." Regardless of whether it was true, Dai Rusong did not show any sign of fear before Liu Zhengxiong and the others. "This is virtue!"

"How can such a man of merit and virtue be called the same as the traitor Bo Bai?" Dai Rusong looked at Liu Zhengxiong. "Don't you agree, Deputy Commander Liu?"

Liu Zhengxiong reluctantly took a sip of jade essence—a drink similar to tea. He cleared his throat and said, "What Governor Dai says is true. I did not mean to imply anything about your father; I was just speaking my mind."

"Good, a fine 'speaking my mind'." Dai Rusong continued, "We should carry this spirit of loyalty to the country and the monarch, host a banquet, reward the three armies, and celebrate this great victory, gentlemen!"

"That is only right. We are all at the Governor’s command," the group echoed. The scholars just wanted a feast, and the Longyou generals had regained some face. Moreover, Liu Zhengxiong had learned before the review that a group of "Drunken Fox" soldiers had emerged in the south and had already charged into the southern part of Longyou. He no longer had the heart to tangle with the Liaodong Army. The leaders of the two regions, thinking "let’s all get home as soon as possible," played dumb and stopped discussing the uneven distribution of spoils.

"Heh, Meizi, look at big brother. He’s so smooth—not like us who only know how to fight." Dai Ru Bai patted Dai Longmei on the shoulder from behind. Looking at Liu Zhengxiong’s figure, he could not help but spit on the ground. "Damn him, he has the face to talk about our father’s Carved Flower Pavilion? Why do you think their Jinzhou City is called Gold State? That old thief Liu Ying knows best. When it comes to greed and scraping for gold, even Luo Yuluo is not as much of an old..."

Seeing his second brother’s ridiculous expression, Dai Longmei’s mood improved a little. "Alright, alright, second brother. Forgive where you can. Don't really treat them like those drunken fox barbarians."

"We won’t lower ourselves to his level. Let’s go, let’s go drink." Dai Longmei pulled his second brother off the reviewing stand.

"Sigh, did I tell you about Bamboo?"

"No, didn't that kid get skinned twice? I don't know if he's any better."

"Heh, that kid, he wasn't even afraid after being hit by a bed-crossbow at such close range."

"Heh, he was actually complaining that he didn't get more heads and even went looking for the statistical officer."

"He said to give him a few more heads for the sake of his injuries. Hahaha, he got a good scolding from Uncle Yousheng."

"Heh, that’s really..."

Dai Longmei wanted to continue the conversation, but suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

"Good lad, you fought well in Jinchuan. You didn't waste my expectations."

The voice in Dai Longmei’s mind rang out again. But this time, it was someone familiar. "Teacher?"

"Excellent, Meizi, excellent. It seems that Fenrir won't be able to do much to you later."

"In the future, you will be a Jade Dragon."

"The old man is looking forward to it even more."

At the edge of the reviewing stand, an old man suddenly appeared. The old man was dressed in a white robe, his celestial temperament evident. Dai Longmei almost cried out, but in the next instant, the teacher disappeared again. His second brother beside him acted as if nothing had happened.

"You kid, why didn't you finish what you were saying? Really..."

"Oh, oh, you mean Bamboo? That kid is just crazy for fame, really..."

Dai Longmei and Dai Ru Bai bantered as they walked off the reviewing stand.

"Teacher... why would he be here..."

"Didn't he ascend to heaven on a crane... why would he appear before me..."

Dai Longmei looked at the jade energy emanating from his hand after he circulated his inner strength, and he thought of the mug stained with blue energy.

"Teacher, do you know? There are now three people in this land who can use that energy..."

"Oh, no, it's four."

"And that girl."