Chapter 108: The Terrifying Illusion

The night passed, and the next day arrived on schedule. The soldiers of the Central Palace feigned a defeat against the Northern Palace, dragging their spears as they fled.

Kaiming was overjoyed. She waved her hand and shouted, "Everyone, pursue!" At her command, the battle cries shook the earth, and the Central Palace forces swept forward like a storm.

The Northern Palace fought as they retreated, withdrawing into their first encampment. As the Central Palace troops stormed the camp, the Northern Palace soldiers, just as Yinghuo had predicted, abandoned the position and fled.

Seeing the battle proceeding steadily and according to plan, Kaiming felt even more delighted. Without hesitation, she ordered her soldiers to continue the pursuit.

The Northern Palace lured the Central Palace into a second camp, only to abandon it once more.

As Kaiming prepared to push forward, Dai Yuheng sensed something amiss. He stopped her, saying, "Commander, something is not right. Yinghuo is a cunning and treacherous man; why would he give up two strongholds so easily?"

Kaiming thought to herself that it was because he had already made a deal with her, but she merely replied, "Yinghuo doesn't have much talent. He has been retreating the whole way. If we keep up the momentum, the Northern Palace will be finished!"

Dai Yuheng tried to argue further, but Kaiming raised her weapon and called out to the bustling soldiers, "Everyone, take the final camp, and we shall achieve total victory!"

The soldiers, emboldened, cheered and vied with one another to press forward.

As Kaiming rode off, Dai Yuheng, his face grim, quickly intercepted the head of Chang Geng’s horse. Grabbing his sleeve, he demanded, "Commander Chang Geng, you must tell me the truth, no matter what!"

Chang Geng, who held no affection for him, shook off his hand and said, "Kaiming is the commander-in-chief. She forbade me from speaking; what can I do?"

"Commander Chang Geng! I am not doing this for myself, but for the lives of every soldier here!" Dai Yuheng said coldly. "You must understand, on the battlefield, one cannot be swayed by emotions! Commander Kaiming is soft-hearted and has been beguiled by the enemy. She is stepping into their trap! Can't you see that something is terribly wrong?"

Chang Geng thought to himself that she only wanted to deal with *him*. "What could be wrong? The Northern Palace has been retreating the entire time..."

"It is *because* they have been retreating!" Dai Yuheng shouted, raising his voice above the din. "Who is Yinghuo? The idea that he would lose to Kaiming in the first engagement is impossible! Unless they conspired on a plan yesterday! If that plan goes well, it is fine, but if Yinghuo is deceiving her..."

At these words, Chang Geng shivered. If Yinghuo were deceiving her—yes, he had thought the same thing last night. If Yinghuo were to betray the agreement, what would be the fate of these Central Palace soldiers?

On the battlefield, one sees many instances of deception. Strategies designed to lead the enemy into a trap are common.

"Then what should we do now?" Chang Geng felt a sense of panic, sensing that Kaiming had indeed fallen into a trap.

Dai Yuheng stared at him coldly: "You must tell me what plan they agreed upon yesterday."

Seeing the urgency of the situation, Chang Geng had no choice but to reveal the plan Kaiming had made with Yinghuo.

Upon hearing this, Dai Yuheng sneered, "Hand me over so the Central Palace can return home in triumph? Kaiming is still too naive! Yinghuo’s ambitions are vast. If he only wanted peace, he would never have started this war. I fear we have already walked into the trap he set for us!"

Chang Geng was dumbfounded. "Mo... Monitor, we must tell Kaiming..."

"She is obsessed with destroying me; how could she possibly listen to my words? Hmph, letting emotions dictate her actions—the lives of the soldiers will be the heavy price she pays!" Dai Yuheng’s expression grew darker as he lowered his head in thought. "If I were Yinghuo, after laying such a trap to lure the enemy deep, what would I do next?"

Chang Geng stammered, "Surely he would ambush us to annihilate us all."

Dai Yuheng shook his head. "No, the Central Palace army is too vast for the Northern Palace to swallow in one bite; that would lead to a bloody stalemate. If I were Yinghuo, and I possessed sorcery, I would cut off their supply lines, trap the soldiers, and then slowly toy with them in the palm of my hand..."

Chang Geng gasped, "Monitor, that sounds too terrifying!"

"I fear it will be even worse than we imagine!" Dai Yuheng shouted to the surrounding troops, "Stop the advance immediately! No further attacks!"

The soldiers looked troubled. "Monitor, the Commander ordered us to attack, but you forbid it. Who are we supposed to obey?"

Dai Yuheng quickly blocked the front of the formation, his voice harsh. "I am exercising the authority of the Monitor on behalf of His Majesty! No one is to advance further. Whoever takes another step forward..." He drew his long sword from his waist with a sharp clang, the cold blade reflecting his suddenly icy gaze, "...shall be executed on the spot!"

The soldiers, their path blocked, looked at each other, none daring to cross the line.

However, the two leading divisions had already captured the third camp under Kaiming’s command.

Chang Geng, hearing his brazen declaration, felt a flicker of annoyance, yet the thought of Yinghuo’s scheme filled him with dread.

"Are we just going to abandon Commander Kaiming?" Chang Geng whispered.

Dai Yuheng snorted. "She is still thinking of ways to kill me. Let her suffer a bit in this battle; that is the only way she will learn her lesson!"

Chang Geng shrank back. "What lesson, Monitor?"

Dai Yuheng stared ahead. "I think Yinghuo will make his move very soon."

No sooner had he spoken than a messenger on horseback came galloping from the rear, screaming, "Report!"

Dai Yuheng stopped and searched for Kaiming’s whereabouts.

"The Commander is ahead fighting the enemy," Dai Yuheng said coldly. "Whatever you have to report, you can tell me!"

"Yes!" The soldier, too hurried to wipe the sweat from his brow, blurted out, "Disaster! The Northern Palace... they have launched a surprise attack on our camp..."

Chang Geng’s face turned pale at these words, and everyone was gripped by fear, save for Dai Yuheng, who smiled coldly. "As expected."

"They slaughtered the garrison and seized our supplies!" the soldier managed to finish in one breath.

"Exactly as I predicted!" Dai Yuheng gripped his sword hilt, staring at the moving figures ahead. "I fear Kaiming’s entire army will be wiped out this time!"

"Monitor, what should we do?" Chang Geng asked urgently, having unintentionally come to view him as the supreme commander.

"I will lead a squad to retake the camp. The Northern Palace will surely not expect us to have the strength to guard our rear. If we can seize it back, all the better; if not, we will rendezvous with you later." Dai Yuheng made his decision decisively. "Chang Geng, you take the remaining men to notify Commander Kaiming. You must make her realize the situation—cooperating with Yinghuo is no different than asking a tiger for its hide!"

"Understood!" Chang Geng found Dai Yuheng's orders aligned with his own intentions, and the two immediately split their forces.

Kaiming, having tasted success in the first battle and captured three camps, was feeling quite pleased with herself. Suddenly, amidst the chaotic noise, a loud, clear voice pierced through: "Kaiming!"

She turned her horse in place and, through the waving arms of her cheering soldiers, saw a familiar figure rushing toward her from afar: "Kaiming! Kaiming!"

A smile appeared on her face as she waved her hand. "Chang Geng, we have won!"

"No, Kaiming!" Chang Geng shouted anxiously as he urged his horse forward. "You've been tricked!"

"What are you saying?" She caught a few words and raised her voice to ask. *Tricked?* Had Chang Geng said *tricked*?

She watched as Chang Geng’s figure grew larger, but before she could see clearly, a blur flashed before her eyes, and he was gone. It was as if Chang Geng had vanished into thin air. A jolt of panic struck her heart, and she felt a sudden sense of dread. It wasn't just Chang Geng; two thousand soldiers beside her had simultaneously and eerily disappeared. Not even a shadow remained.

When had the world become filled with such a thick, pervasive mist that she could not even see her own hands? She discovered with horror that she was completely alone in the world!

*Yinghuo’s sorcery!* The realization hit her instantly. Yinghuo had cast a spell on her! Was this not the very same thick mist that Gouzi had described in his tragic battle? Not a single person had survived except for him, who had been left unconscious!

Kaiming’s skin crawled, and she was seized by utter terror. She shouted to the surroundings, "Is anyone there? Answer me!" All was empty and silent, as if she had entered a chaotic void.

Her palms, gripping the reins, began to sweat. She tightened her grip unconsciously, causing her warhorse to whinny in pain. Finally, she lashed out with her whip, and the horse began to gallop wildly through the mist.

She trampled over uneven ground, splashed through muddy pools, and heard the sound of tree branches scraping against her clothes. Everything was a product of her imagination. She had never felt such fear—what could be more terrifying than being trapped in a world of one's own imagination?

The horse’s hooves seemed to trip over a rock, and the animal stumbled, throwing her heavily from the saddle. She curled into a ball on the ground, pain shooting through her as if her limbs had been shattered. Hearing the horse’s whinny and the sound of hoofbeats fading away, she felt a boundless fear, even despair. She was truly, utterly alone.

*Tap, tap.* The sound of footsteps emerged from the mist, growing closer and closer until a pair of boot tips appeared. A person stepped out and stood before her slumped body.

A drop of blood slid down a blade and fell onto the ground right before her eyes. As if electrocuted, she jerked her head up. She saw the person’s face and froze.

Outside the mist, Chang Geng’s horse was pacing in place, refusing to charge into the fog, helpless to act. Only minutes ago, he had seen the thousand soldiers and Kaiming under her commander's banner; he had seen her happy smile. In the blink of an eye, he had lost track of everyone.

This mist had appeared far too mysteriously.

He tightened the reins, unable to restrain himself any longer, and prepared to plunge in. Someone grabbed the bridle firmly. He looked down and saw it was Gouzi.

"Let go! Kaiming is inside!" Chang Geng swung his whip at him.

Gouzi refused to let go, his teeth gritted. "Commander Chang Geng, you cannot! It is the sorcery cast by Yinghuo!"

"You're talking nonsense!" Chang Geng roared. "Sorcery is just about insects; how could it create a mist?"

"It’s not mist! It’s phantom smoke!" Gouzi shouted. "Yinghuo lit phantom smoke on the mountain, and the wind carried it to the foot of the hills. It causes hallucinations, making people kill one another!"

No sooner had he spoken than the sound of weapons clashing violently and blood-curdling screams erupted from within the fog.

"This won't do! Kaiming will die in there! I have to save her!"

"No one can save anyone! Going in there is death!" Gouzi yelled. "Commander Kaiming will only be safe if she stays clear-headed! She won't be lost to the illusions! She is blessed and will not come to harm!"

"Your words are worth nothing! Get out of my way!" Chang Geng’s whip lashed out, striking Gouzi.

Gouzi endured the blow, refusing to let go of the bridle. "No one can help her; she must rely on herself! Commander Chang Geng, don't you understand? Right now, she is the only one who can save herself!"