Commander Zhao, he must be that fierce rebel leader I met at Dongfang Jibai's residence. He's certainly not as fast as me.
After hearing their plan, I took advantage of the gusting wind and swirling snow to slip away from the rebel ranks and returned to the city. I informed Dongfang Jibai of Long Que's ambush plan.
Dongfang Jibai gritted her teeth in anger. She might have accepted being ambushed or framed, as Han Li's death was indeed partly her responsibility, and she had secretly helped the Little King of Hell escape. But the prospect of Long Que massacring 200,000 civilians in Sanyindian was something she could not accept. She immediately ordered preparations for war.
I quickly stopped her, "Princess, Princess, calm yourself. You only have fifty thousand men, and they have three hundred and fifty thousand. Even if they don't ambush you, you can't win, even if you ambush them!"
"Then what do you suggest? Defy orders? Wouldn't that give them even more excuse to slaughter the city?" Dongfang Jibai retorted.
"Rebellion is inevitable, but not here. It must be at Daxingzhai. Let them make the first move, then you can rebel with justification."
I said this was the right course of action.
Dongfang Jibai frowned, "Didn't you say that Haya Chaku has already set up an ambush outside Daxingzhai? And Long Que's army is also heading there. If I enter Daxingzhai, won't I be walking into a death trap?"
"What is the relationship between this Haya Chaku and Long Que?" I asked.
"Sworn brothers."
Well, that one sentence extinguished my hope of defecting Haya Chaku. I could only try to break the stalemate through tactical means.
I took out my cigarette case. There was only one cigarette left. I lit it with a oil lamp and paced back and forth in Dongfang Jibai's room, contemplating a strategy.
Calling for reinforcements was immediately ruled out. Although the imperial army was coming from several directions, they wouldn't reach here for several days. The distance was too great, and distant water couldn't quench immediate thirst. Moreover, these fifty thousand Sanyindian soldiers couldn't flee. If they ran, the massacre would be inevitable, as most of the Sanyindian soldiers' families were in the city. They wouldn't just abandon them.
After finishing the cigarette, I sighed.
"No solution?" Dongfang Jibai asked. "Then it's better to rebel. At worst, all of Sanyindian will become soldiers and we can fight the rebels."
"Do you have that resolve?" I asked.
Dongfang Jibai hesitated for a moment, "Yes, but we are alone and weak. If we could get external help, that would be ideal."
I knew what she was referring to and asked, "What exactly is wrong with those snow mountain spirits?"
"Fetal poison? Are you sure?" I asked in surprise. Is it that simple?
"That's right. About three years ago, those snow mountain spirits fought a battle with a group of outer-realm spirits. The snow mountain spirits defeated the invaders, but they were infected with this disease. They sought my help, but I was powerless. Not just me, but the entire underworld is unable to cure fetal poison."
"I can cure it!" I exclaimed excitedly. With my limited medical knowledge, I naturally knew that fetal poison was actually eczema. Eczema is indeed difficult to treat, but with modern hormone drugs, the symptoms can be completely relieved. It works immediately, but it's hard to cure completely.
I saw those White Vajras suffering greatly from this disease. Their hands were long, making it convenient to scratch. The itchier they became, the more they scratched, and the worse it got, to the point where it was unbearable.
"Really? If you can help them cure their illness, they will surely come down the mountain to help!" Dongfang Jibai said with certainty.
"Alright! Then you stall Long Que's orders for now, and give me an hour. I'll go back to the mortal realm! Oh, and if a spirit named Li Yuanba comes looking for me, tell him to wait for my return. He's also a brave warrior and can help us!"
"Li Yuanba? I don't know him." Dongfang Jibai shook her head. She must be from an earlier era.
"Don't worry about it, just wait for me!"
I left the residence. After thinking for a moment, I didn't go to the Sanyindian statue first to return to the mortal realm. Instead, I flew out of the city and entered the Dragon Jade Snow Mountain, catching up with the Little King of Hell's troops and telling them not to run, but to turn back.
"Why? Have the rebels retreated?" the Little King of Hell asked, confused.
"No, we might be able to try and defeat the main rebel force in one fell swoop!" I said, explaining my plan.
"Oh? Has Dongfang Jibai really agreed to rise up?" the Little King of Hell asked.
"Absolutely! Her fifty thousand elite Sanyindian soldiers, plus our special reconnaissance team, plus the snow mountain spirits, plus the twenty thousand civilians of Sanyindian, should be enough to defeat Long Que!"