Midnight on the Northern Border was a strange thing.
The world became too quiet.
Snow covered every sound, and the mountains looked like sleeping giants waiting for someone foolish enough to wake them.
Tonight—
I was that fool.
I stood at the edge of Broken Cliff Pass, my black cloak moving in the freezing wind, looking down at the scattered camps of the Black Iron Army below.
Torches burnt across the valley like stars trapped in snow.
Thousands of soldiers.
Watchtowers.
Supply waggons.
War horses.
Steel.
Fear.
And somewhere in the centre—
General Xu.
Calm.
Disciplined.
Annoyingly competent.
Good.
I respected worthy enemies.
It made ruining their lives feel more meaningful.
Beside me stood Bai Wuchen, silent as death itself.
Blue soul flames flickered behind his empty eyes.
Behind him—
Ten thousand ghost soldiers are hidden beneath the snow like the world's worst surprise.
Beautiful.
Very beautiful.
Hu Mei crouched nearby on a rock, eating dried fruit as if it were a festival instead of supernatural warfare.
"Master."
I sighed.
"Yes."
"If I die tonight, please make sure my grave is dramatic."
I looked at her.
"You're not dying."
She nodded.
"Good. I also hate exercise."
Fair.
Very fair.
Feng Yuehuang stood slightly behind me, arms crossed, looking at the enemy camp like she was deciding how much of it deserved to continue existing.
Which, honestly, was probably exactly what she was doing.
I pointed toward the three outer camps.
"Messenger station."
"Supply reserve."
"Night cavalry."
I smiled slowly.
"Erase them."
Bai Wuchen lowered his head.
"As you command."
Then—
He raised his ancient sword.
And the valley remembered war.
The snow trembled.
Ghost flames rose silently from beneath the earth.
One.
Ten.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
The dead stood up.
Blue fire burnt across the battlefield like fallen stars.
The Black Iron Army below had exactly three seconds to regret their life choices.
Then screaming began.
Excellent.
Very excellent.
Watchtowers sounded alarms.
Soldiers rushed from tents.
Horses panicked.
Torches fell.
And through it all—
The Ghost Legion advanced.
No battle cries.
No wasted movement.
Just ten thousand ancient soldiers walking like judgement had finally become impatient.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Efficient.
I folded my arms.
Honestly, this was excellent management.
Hu Mei smiled beside me.
"Master, your customer service is improving."
Thank you, I thought.
The messenger camp died first.
Ghost spears tore through defensive lines like paper.
Blue flames swallowed signal fires.
No warnings.
No escape.
The supply reserve followed.
Waggons overturned.
Food stores were burnt.
Men shouted.
No one understood where the enemy ended, and the shadows began.
Perfect.
Confusion was cheaper than cavalry.
At the western edge, the night cavalry tried to form ranks.
Adorable.
Mo Jianli dropped from the sky like bad karma.
His massive demonic blade crashed into the centre of their formation.
BOOM.
Snow exploded.
Men flew.
Horses reconsidered their existence.
He stood there, smiling like a man who had found religion, and it was violence.
"Good evening."
Honestly—
I should probably be concerned.
Instead, I was proud.
General Xu finally appeared.
Even from a distance, I could feel it.
The pressure changed.
He rode a black warhorse through the chaos, silver armour stained with snow and torchlight.
No panic.
No fear.
Good.
Very good.
He shouted orders sharply.
Defensive lines formed.
Retreat paths secured.
Fire discipline restored.
Professional.
Annoyingly professional.
I respected him more.
Which meant I definitely had to make him miserable.
Bai Wuchen looked toward me.
"My Lord?"
I understood.
The commander.
The centre.
The moment.
I smiled.
"Yes."
"Let's introduce ourselves properly."
I stepped forward.
Qi Gathering Realm is rising.
The ancestral spear of House Zhao in my hand.
The Fifth Prince is no longer hiding behind exile.
General Xu saw me immediately.
His eyes narrowed across the battlefield.
Recognition.
Understanding.
So this was the man.
Good.
I called down into the burning valley.
"General Xu!"
My voice carried through ghost flames and falling snow.
He turned his horse fully toward me.
I raised my spear.
"You marched fifty thousand men north to kill me."
I smiled faintly.
"Very flattering."
Even from this distance, I could feel his annoyance.
Excellent.
He answered with the voice of a man who had no patience for dramatic princes.
"You stand against the empire."
Simple.
Direct.
I liked him.
I pointed around us.
"At the moment, General…"
I looked at his burning camps.
"…the empire appears to be standing against me very badly."
Hu Mei almost fell off the rock laughing.
Even Bai Wuchen's soul flames looked amused.
General Xu did not laugh.
Correct choice.
He looked at the Ghost Legion.
Then at me.
Then said quietly,
"So it is true."
I nodded.
"Yes."
He tightened his grip on the reins.
"Then this will not end with words."
I smiled.
"Finally."
He drew his blade.
Silver light split the night.
The soldiers around him steadied.
A real commander.
A dangerous one.
Good.
I lowered my spear.
"Then survive tonight."
The wind howled.
Ghost flames rose.
Snow fell like ash.
And across the battlefield—
Two futures looked at each other.
Empire.
Exile.
General.
Prince.
He spoke first.
"Tomorrow, I take your head."
I smiled.
"Tomorrow, I will send your armour back to the capital."
Perfect.
Professional rivalry.
My favourite kind.
Then Bai Wuchen raised his sword again.
The Ghost Legion answered.
And midnight became war.
Tonight—
The Black Iron Army would not sleep.
Tonight—
Ghosts marched.
And tomorrow—
General Xu would learn something important.
I was not defending the north.
I was teaching the empire fear.