January 7th, just before dawn
At the Guangning Mountain Camp, the four siblings of Su Xing'er stepped out of the south gate and set foot on the trail down the mountain amidst the wind and snow.
The four walked for a long time without speaking, their somber moods etched on their faces.
"Who would have thought that our good intentions led to bad outcomes? We helped the Xia Army capture Guangning Mountain, thinking Hou Bing might speak a few good words for us so that we could meet our master, but he was abruptly dismissed, and the message from the commander, though complimentary, was perfunctory—it seems we've really miscalculated this time!"
Finally, it was the second brother, Su Zhi, who broke the silence.
Su Xing'er and the other two sighed slightly upon hearing him.
Mere moments ago, they had waited outside the command tent for a long time, only to see Hou Bing come out with his head hung low, leaving without a word.
