The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

Wang Zhonghua pointed to the building in the distance with a medicine flag fluttering in the wind—Sanshenglu.

"There, there is the divine physician Liu, and Miss Liu. They can save lives."

It then pointed in the direction of Lüjiachang.

"There's a blacksmith's workshop there, and they have 'Snowy Breeze' steel. We can forge knives."

Then he pointed to the local militia who were cleaning up the battlefield.

"These people can fight bandits with knives today, and they can fight the Western Xia people with knives tomorrow. What they lack is not courage, but training, weapons, and confidence."

He looked at Di Qing, his gaze frank:

"If the general trusts me, we can cooperate. The general will send men to train the local militia, and I will be responsible for forging weapons and procuring provisions. If there is a war in the future, these men can be deployed and become a fighting force."

Di Qing stared at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Do you know what crime it is in the eyes of those in the court to privately amass military power?"

"I know," Wang Zhonghua nodded. "Treason."

"Then you still dare?"

Wang Zhonghua smiled.

"The general just asked me why I did it knowing it would be ruined. I answered—if I did it, at least there's tomorrow."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"If we can't stop the bandits today, there will be no Hulu Bay tomorrow. If we can't stop the Western Xia tomorrow, there will be no Song Dynasty the day after tomorrow. Rather than waiting for that day, we should start now and make ourselves stronger, day by day."

Di Qing remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly, he looked up at the sky and laughed loudly.

In that laughter, there was relief, exhilaration, and something Wang Zhonghua couldn't quite place—it seemed to be...envy?

"Good!" Di Qing slapped Wang Zhonghua on the shoulder, making him stumble. "Well said, 'Become stronger day by day'! Brother Wang, I've decided to be your friend!"

Wang Zhonghua rubbed his shoulder and grinned.

In the distance, Qin Tiehua, having finished bandaging her wound, was gesturing with the "Jinghong" sword. Her right shoulder still ached, so she dared not move too much, but every slash she made was filled with ruthlessness.

Qin Tiedan squatted down beside her, chewing on meat as he watched, and suddenly asked, "Tiehua'er, can your knife cut through this iron rod of mine?"

Qin Tiehua glanced at him sideways: "Want to give it a try?"

Qin Tiedan shrank back: "No, no, I believe you."

Qin Tiehua smiled and sheathed his sword.

She looked up at the two figures standing side by side on the wall.

The morning light shone on them, gilding them with a layer of gold.

She suddenly remembered a phrase that Brother Zhonghua often said—

"Try it if you don't believe me."

She tried it.

It seems to actually work.

In a more distant and hidden place, a carrier pigeon flapped its wings and disappeared into the morning mist.

A secret letter was tied to its leg.

It contained only eight cold, lifeless characters:

"The steel blade has been revealed; their ambition is no small matter."

That night, the three villages of Sanyizhai—Laomentan, Lüjiachang, Wangjiagang, and Huluwan—were reborn from the ashes and won a great victory.

But Wang Zhonghua knew perfectly well—

Lu Laojiu's knife, which was out in the open, broke.

But the hidden hand that has been manipulating everything from behind the scenes is still coldly watching everything from the shadows.

A greater crisis is quietly brewing in the brief calm following the snowstorm.

Qin Tiedan's almost instinctive, ferocious fighting spirit and unparalleled strength displayed on the battlefield today, like an unpolished gem, completely caught the eye of General Di Qing.

The image of Qin Tiehua holding "Jinghong" and standing on the ruins, along with his roar of "Who else?", is deeply etched into the hearts of every Huluwan, no, Sanyizhai person.

The flags of Sanyi Village are still fluttering in the wind.

As the sun set, it cast long, long shadows of Di Qing and Wang Zhonghua on the crumbling wall, like two spears pointing straight to the sky. Di Qing had gained a potential future general, while Wang Zhonghua, while politely declining to be directly drawn into the vortex of power, found a more flexible "path to the nation and its people" that was more in line with his inner principles.

Di Qing suddenly said, "I will be returning to Zhanghuatai tomorrow. Tell Tiedan to recover from his injuries and we will set off in three days. I don't have time to wait for him to heal; the army has the best doctors."

"Yes!" Wang Zhonghua replied.

Di Qing gave him another deep look, and said meaningfully, "Brother Wang, remember your words today. I don't expect you to serve me now, but those I value will eventually serve the Song Dynasty. You guard your Sanyi Village, while I aim to guard the nation's borders. We each have our duties, but our goals are the same. If one day the nation truly faces ruin and our homes are destroyed, I hope to see your 'hidden arrow' on this battlefield fighting against the barbarians!"

Wang Zhonghua's heart tightened; he knew this was Di Qing's final warning, and also his greatest expectation. He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, his voice soft yet carrying immense weight: "General, rest assured, when that day comes, this Sanyi Village will be your last resort!"

Di Qing nodded and turned to leave. His figure appeared exceptionally tall and lonely in the twilight. His armor gleamed with a blood-red light in the setting sun, seemingly a tragic portrayal of a military general in an era that valued literature over martial prowess.

Wang Zhonghua stood alone on the wall, gazing at the blood-red sunset on the horizon, silently reciting in his heart: Wang Zhonghua, Wang Zhonghua, only by protecting your own family can you talk about bringing peace to the people; only with a secure livelihood can you have the qualifications and ability to contribute to the country when necessary; the road must be walked step by step; only by practicing what you preach can you look out for the world.

He gazed upon this land, which had just endured a bloody battle yet was also brimming with hope. A mixture of pride and worry welled up within him, and he suddenly spoke, softly reciting his innermost thoughts:

Blood stains the frosty blade as it reflects the dawn sky.

The crumbling walls still stand by the wild clouds.

I wish to use the tiny firefly's light,

It burns like a river that never sleeps.

Not to be a sparrow under the fence of the temple,

I'd rather protect my homeland than let a kite stay there.

If the east wind comes in another year...

Let us once again raise our spears to strike the enemy's bow!

This poem, devoid of ornate language, perfectly captures his state of mind at that moment. He refused to be a caged bird; he wanted to be an eagle protecting his homeland. For him, patriotism was not an empty slogan, but the very land beneath his feet and the vibrant lives around him.

As for the future, let time tell. How can anyone know if the answer is right if they don't try? Wang Zhonghua will use his "try" to forge a different path.

As night fell, lights twinkled in Hulu Bay. These lights were faint in the darkness, yet stubbornly shone, like hearts that refused to be extinguished.

Three days later, Qin Tiedan bid farewell to his fellow villagers and followed Di Qing to Zhanghuatai. Before leaving, he patted Wang Zhonghua on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Brother Zhonghua, you gave me this life, and you also gave it away. Remember this: live well and develop your Sanyi Village well! After I learn my skills from the general, I'll come back and be your vanguard!"

Wang Zhonghua laughed and punched him: "Get lost! Who wants you to be the vanguard? You better come back alive, that's more important than anything!"

Qin Tiedan grinned, mounted his horse, and his imposing figure looked exceptionally heroic in the morning light. He took one last look at the land that had given him birth and nurtured him, and at the villagers who stood at the village entrance to see him off. Then, he flicked the reins, followed Di Qing's banner, and disappeared at the end of the road.

Watching his departing figure, Wang Zhonghua felt both reluctance and anticipation. He knew that when they met again, everything might be different. And he himself needed to quicken his pace.

"Try it if you don't believe me," he muttered to himself, "Within three years, I will make this Sanyi Village an insurmountable obstacle!"

Back in the village, Qin Tiehua was wiping "Snowy Chant" and "Stunning Beauty." Seeing him enter, she asked softly, "My brother is gone?"

"He's gone." Wang Zhonghua nodded. "This is the best path for him."

"It was the path you chose for him." Qin Tiehua looked at him, her eyes gentle and understanding. "You're always like this, you say harsh things, but your heart is softer than anyone else's."

Wang Zhonghua walked to her side, his hand gripping the gleaming "Snow Chant" sword, and slowly said, "No, this wasn't something I chose for him; he chose it himself. I just told him, if you want to protect your country, go to the biggest battlefield. What future can you have cooped up in this little Wangjiagang?"

Qin Tiehua remained silent for a moment, his bright black eyes fixed on Wang Zhonghua, the black mole at the corner of his mouth slightly raised, and he asked softly, "What exactly is it that Brother Zhonghua wants?"