The breeze from the riverbank was cool, but Wei Jun did not shiver. He enjoyed the tension that vibrated in the air. Kuan, the commander of the army, stood silently behind his general. His face was like a rock: full of furrows carved not by time, but by battles and the sulfur mines of the Huo Empire.
Jun placed the ornate cup on the folding table.
"Kuan, why are you silent?" asked the boy without looking back. "Perhaps you too believe the tales of Lian? That Bai Wu is impregnable because the river is its mother and the mist is its wall?"
Kuan slowly stepped closer. He was the only one who did not bow his head in Jun's presence.
"Walls are made of stone, General. Stone can be broken if struck with enough force," he replied in a deep, raspy voice. "But the river is deep. If the Lian fleet arrives in time, the Iron Army will sweat blood crossing it."
Jun laughed. The sound was sharp and unnatural amid the din of war.
"Blood? Kuan, blood is just paint on the ground. The emperor is afraid. The ministers are afraid. But you... you know me. Do you think I'll stand on the riverbank like a frightened child?"
"No," Kuan said, looking Jun in the eye for a moment. "But you are sixteen years old. Pride can sometimes blind you more than the thickest fog over Bai Wu. If you fall, the Iron Army will be left without a leader. What will become of your men?"
Jun's face darkened for a moment. The fierce grin disappeared, replaced by something darker and more suffocating. He stood up and turned to Kuan. He was shorter than the man, but his presence still overwhelmed the veteran.
"I am the Iron Army, Kuan. I control the southern part of Huo, and if I wanted to, I could conquer the entire empire, including the Lian Empire, and everyone would lie at my feet." Wei Jun said charismatically, then grabbed his sword and headed for the forest.
Half an hour later, they returned to the military camp that the Iron Army had set up on the border of Bai Wu.
As soon as the general entered the camp, all the soldiers stood at attention, their faces showing coldness and a hint of fear when they see Wei Jun. The general does not go to his own tent but heads straight for the Strategists, and upon his arrival, he orders everyone to sit down and summons the senior officers as well.
"I want to hear a report on how many soldiers are stationed in Bai Wu and its territory, who their commander is, how much food they have, and how prepared they are," Wei Jun asks, raising his voice slightly.
"General! According to our spies, there are about 30,000 soldiers in Bai Wu right now, but the bad news is that Princess Zhao's troops, numbering 120,000, are about 2,000 li from the city. I've heard they're the best-trained army in the entire Lian Empire.
"Princess Zhao? Who is she?"