The Double

The Jinwu Army of legend had not been seen for many years. Since General Jih Minghan of the Jinwu vanished, the Tiger Talisman of the Jinwu Army had disappeared as well. It seemed as though the entire court had come to accept one fact: the Jinwu Army had long since disbanded and returned to their fields, and the world would no longer behold the existence of such an army. Even Yin Zhan had conducted a lengthy investigation, only to confirm that the Jinwu Army would never reappear, which led him to confidently believe that eliminating Jih Heng would let him rest easy. The soldiers and the Imperial Forest Army of Yanjing were just for show—ineffective, and not nearly as resilient as those who had emerged from seas of blood.

If Yin Zhan had known that the Jinwu Army was still around, he would have never laid out his plans in such a manner. He would not so recklessly choose a path that led to mutual destruction with Jih Heng; instead, he would have made further plans. Now, with Yin Zhan dead and the Jinwu Army suddenly emerging, it was an immense shock to Yin Zhili. Indeed, upon looking at Jih Heng, Yin Zhili’s face revealed surprise and anger, "You deceived him!"

"All’s fair in war," Jih Heng replied with a faint smile. "The most foolish tactic in this world is trading life for life."

He did it on purpose! People said Duke Su was sharp and ruthless, and clearly, it wasn’t just a rumor. He truly took strategizing to the extreme. Even during that stalemate at the Red Building, it appeared he was making a desperate move when in reality, he had hidden aces up his sleeve. Having witnessed so many plays, his skill in deceiving everyone was unparalleled. He would never reveal his biggest asset first. It was all about luring the enemy deeper before consuming them bit by bit.

Yin Zhili suddenly burst into loud laughter. Whether it was self-deprecation or mockery was unclear, but he said, "My father employed every scheme he knew, yet still lost to you. It appears you do have some ability, worthy of being my opponent. Today will be your death day!" With a wave of his hand, the archers swiftly took aim at Jih Heng.

Even though the Jinwu Army was holding off the Yin Family Troops, on the deer field, there were still hundreds of archers and soldiers, but Jih Heng was just one man, outnumbered and outmatched. How was he to fight his way through and take Jiang Li away?

Jiang Li was beside herself with worry.

Jih Heng gave a cold smile. Then, they heard Yin Zhili command, "Fire!" Instantly, a dense flurry of arrows surged through the sky, aiming straight for Jih Heng alone. Suddenly, Jih Heng bent low over the horse, lifting a shield from behind him to block some of the arrows, while drawing his Treasured Sword from his waist.