The army returned to camp.

The first thing Zhao Zhen did was address his officers: “Send men to scout Tongshun immediately!”

Hearing this, the generals paused and asked, “Your Majesty, could it be…?”

Zhao Zhen frowned deeply. “I refuse to believe they’d dare leave Chang Guan Pass undefended just like that. The troop strength inside Qingshan City must number at least ten thousand!”

“Impossible! Our men have been watching Chang Guan Pass the whole time. No reinforcements came!”

“Perhaps there’s another path.”

“Go investigate now!”

A unit of soldiers immediately began searching around Abyss River.

Finally, on the cliff face of Heaven’s Gate Mountain, they discovered the iron chain hanging down.

“Report to His Majesty at once!”

Men quickly arrived at the base of Heaven’s Gate Mountain.

As their eyes fixed tightly on the vertically hanging chain, they couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

Who could have expected a path to exist on such a steep, towering cliff?

“Let’s climb up and take a look.”

Someone began scaling the chain until they reached the cave entrance.

Just as the soldier prepared to enter the cave…

A sharp blade suddenly stabbed out!

Thud!

“Ahhh!!”

A cry of agony rang out. The soldier clinging to the chain lost his grip and fell.

“Get out of the way!”

With a heavy thud, when everyone looked again, the fallen soldier was a gruesome sight.

“Rebels! There are rebels up there!”

Everyone’s hearts jumped.

Then came the sound of arrows whistling through the air.

Thwack.

Another soldier fell.

“Watch out!!”

Soldiers below Heaven’s Gate Mountain quickly ducked behind trees.

From the mouth of the cave, a man armed with a longbow fired arrow after arrow.

Each arrow found its mark!

Taking advantage of the Xiang Army’s cover, he killed four more men.

Only when they cowered beneath the trees did he stop. He then climbed down the chain on the opposite side and retreated towards the army camp.

The man carrying the longbow reported, “They found it!”

“Cut the chain outside. Seal the cave entrance for now.”

“Understood.”

Back in the Xiang army tent, Zhao Zhen’s heart skipped a beat when he learned about the cliffside path on Heaven’s Gate Mountain.

“I knew it…”

Zhao Zhen’s gaze swept over the generals seated before him.

“Worthless failure!” he snapped.

The generals dared not speak; every single one kept their heads bowed low.

This oversight fell directly on them.

Zhao Zhen snorted coldly, his mind racing.

The path was treacherous. He just didn’t know how many rebel soldiers had used it to enter Qingshan City during that time.

He couldn’t help but feel relieved at his own caution. Had he personally led the charge through Chang Guan Pass earlier, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“Li Neng!”

“This… This General is here…” General Li stammered, fear evident. He had commanded the forces before the king arrived; this failure fell primarily on him. He wouldn’t have protested even a death sentence.

“This King gives you one chance!”

General Li’s heart pounded. “This General will serve, even unto death!”

Zhao Zhen commanded: “Take command of five thousand troops yourself. Travel by water route to Tongshun and attack Kangding City!”

General Li was dumbfounded. “Your Majesty, five thousand troops? How can that possibly….?”

Kangding City was the rebel capital.

Five thousand troops stood no chance of breaking its defenses.

“If you face overwhelming resistance, withdraw.” Zhao Zhen said calmly. “Depart immediately. No delays!”

“Your Majesty, five thousand is truly insufficient…”

“If you prefer not to go, this King can very well execute you right now.”

General Li’s lips tightened. He could only bow his head in submission.

Zhao Zhen gave a derisive snort and strode out of the tent.

Once the king was gone, Li Neng turned anxiously to his fellow officers. “What exactly is His Majesty’s purpose?”

“General Li, your panic has clouded your judgment.”

Li Neng was startled but quickly clasped his hands respectfully. “Please enlighten me.”

Another officer explained: “When His Majesty orders you to attack Kangding City, he doesn’t truly seek to break its defenses. He aims to gauge the remaining troop strength inside Kangding City. This will reveal how many rebels are actually here in Abyss River.”

“Therefore, Your Excellency, your task is simply to return alive. Even if you suffer defeat, His Majesty will spare your life.”

General Li suddenly understood.

“So that’s it!”

“My deepest thanks to you all.”

General Li also let out a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn’t being sent to his death, that was acceptable.

His mind set at ease, he set off by water with his five thousand men towards Tongshun Prefecture.

The primary objective was reconnaissance, not conquest.

The main army remained camped outside Abyss River, refraining from any rash movements.

As for Chang Guan Pass…

Zhao Zhen hadn’t bothered leaving troops to hold it. Subsequent scouts reported rebels back on the pass; preliminary estimates put their numbers at nearly ten thousand.

It was exactly as he suspected.

Chang Guan Pass was uncapturable for now.

Commit large forces without knowing Abyss River’s true troop strength? Impossible.

General Li proceeded to Tongshun Prefecture with all possible speed.

Scarcely half a month later, urgent news arrived.

“Urgent Report!!!”

A minor officer charged into the command tent and knelt. “Reporting, Your Majesty! General Li has broken through the gate and entered the city! Kangding City is completely empty! No rebel forces remain!”

“What!?”

Every general in the tent shot to his feet.

How could this be?!

Zhao Zhen, too, jolted upright. He frowned deeply, murmuring, “Trouble…”

A rough estimate suggested Abyss River likely held at least eighty thousand troops—and that was being conservative.

Any attempt to enter Abyss River absolutely required securing Chang Guan Pass.

But that pass was narrow. Any army entering risked becoming sitting ducks.

An assault was impossible!

Zhao Zhen’s brow furrowed tighter than ever. After so many years of warfare, this was the first time he’d encountered a truly thorny problem like this.

He revisited the events of recent weeks.

It seemed every step had been meticulously anticipated by the enemy.

They were repeatedly blocked – on the water route, the land route, and now Abyss River.

There must be a master strategist within the Rebel Army!

“Kangding City was a decoy! Their main force actually moved here, to Abyss River!”

“Given that… Why not simply lay siege? Once their provisions run out, then we attack!”

Another general shook his head. “A siege likely wouldn’t work. I hear Abyss River’s land is fertile, yielding abundant harvests. The rebels probably won’t lack for food.”

“This…”

“Let us deliberate further.”

The generals exchanged glances then, each forming the same unspoken idea, but all quickly shook their heads, unwilling to voice it aloud.

The only place to draw substantial reinforcements from would be the Frontier Pass…

But its garrison was untouchable!

One hundred and fifty thousand troops guarded the Frontier Pass—more than half the entire Da Xiang Kingdom’s military strength.

Yet no one dared propose withdrawing any.

Zhao Zhen, meanwhile, remained silent, his expression grim.

His gaze pierced the tent flap, looking towards the imposing mountains ahead. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

‘Is Abyss River truly unbreakable…?’

A sigh escaped Zhao Zhen. ‘Is it really me? Am I just getting old?’

From the days of the King of Beixiang to becoming the Emperor of Da Xiang, he had destroyed Great Jing, pacified Northern Mang, conquered Shangjing… A lifetime spent fighting, from ambitious youth to white-haired old age. Zhao Zhen had experienced too much.

Yet facing Abyss River now, he felt immense pressure.

It seemed the Rebel Army enjoyed perfect advantages of timing, terrain, and popular support – rendering them invincible. Would this place ultimately defeat him?