The humming of the Grand Formation was the best alarm clock Li Yu could have asked for. The white pillar in the center of the canyon flared and sent a ripple of stabilizing blue light. It washed over the Silent Hollows and brought some peace to the area. The miasma vanished, the oppressive weight of the beast lands lifted and the air suddenly tasted more crisp and clean.

  Li Yu yawned and was stretching his arms high above his head as he sat up on Tekton’s carapace. The centipede was still happily chewing on a large chunk of mineral-rich rock he had dug up.

  "Good Morning," Li Yu muttered as he patted the beast. "Or afternoon. Or evening. I lost track."

  He hopped down to the ground. The army was already packed and waiting. The injured had been moved near the array pillar for safety and were being guarded by their own organization members and the newly arrived garrison. The combat-ready troops—both his veterans and the survivors of the broken army— were sitting around and resting.

  Sect Master Zhou stepped forward and was flanked by Matriarch Su and Patriarch Han. Zhou held a storage ring while Su held a smaller velvet pouch.

  "Commander," Zhou spoke. "The array is stabilized. Grandmaster Pan says the node is fully integrated into the network now. We just need all the other areas to be secured and repaired and this defensive line will be operational again."

  "Good," Li Yu said as he was rubbing his eyes. "And the loot?"

  "Processed," Zhou gestured to the ring. "Your fifty percent share of the harvest from the Silent Hollows. We separated the high-grade cores and rare herbs as you requested."

  Li Yu took the storage ring and sent it into his Koi Sanctuary. "Great. Thank you for doing that work. I appreciate your efforts."

  Matriarch Su stepped forward and was offering the velvet pouch in her hand. Her expression was serious.

  "And this, Commander," she said softly. "While you were resting, we sorted through the rings you gave us from the... unfortunate incident with the Silver Sword Sect. We removed the generic resources to be split among the army."

  "These are the items that are distinctly marked or easily identifiable," Su explained. "Sect-specific manuals, weapons they have for sect members only and other items that are recognized as the Silver Sword Sect on this continent. If any of our clans were found with these, the Silver Sword Sect would use it as a pretext for war. As per your instructions, we are returning them to you."

  Li Yu took the pouch.

  "Thank you," Li Yu said as he tucked the pouch into his Koi Sanctuary as well. "I'll dispose of these or something later. You guys keep your hands clean."

  "Thank you, Commander," Han whispered.

  "Don't mention it," Li Yu said. "Alright. The sector is secure. The array is up. The loot is split. I think my work here is finally done."

  He turned to the commanders. "You guys head back to the Jagged Peaks. Solidify that alliance you were talking about. Get organized and take a few of these tokens. You can contact me if needed. I’m going to head back to HQ and see if I can exchange these merit points. I am starting to think they want me to keep fighting so I can’t exchange my points."

  Li Yu handed out tokens to each commander present and gave a handful more for the other commanders to contact him.

  The commanders smiled at his gesture and the tension finally bleeding out of their shoulders. They were now rich, they were alive and they had a powerful shield. It was the more than they could have asked for after such a harrowing day.

  Li Yu turned to climb back onto Tekton.

  Bzzt.

  The vibration didn't come from the ground. It came from his chest. Li Yu froze. He reached into his robe and pulled out the Commander’s Seal. It wasn't pulsing with the golden light of Shen Tu this time; it was flashing with a frantic crimson strobe.

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  Li Yu sighed as his shoulders were slumping. "I really need to figure out how to put this thing on silent. Maybe I should just destroy it and say I lost it."

  He injected a strand of Qi.

  "Alliance Commander Li Yu," a female voice spoke urgently. It wasn't Elder Ling but a high-ranking adjutant from the Strategic War Desk. "Status report. Have you departed the Silent Hollows?"

  "Packing up now," Li Yu said. "Why? Did you lose another sector? I was about to go to rest after having done my share."

  "Negative on rest," the adjutant said. Her voice was tight with panic. "Situation Critical at the Iron-Web Gorge. The front has nearly completely collapsed."

  Li Yu frowned. "The Iron-Web Gorge? That’s where the Silver Sword Sect was sent already. Are you telling me it's still falling apart?. They left hours ago. Two thousand fresh elite troops and a Mid-Stage Soul Formation leader. They should have stabilized it."

  "They... they engaged," the adjutant stammered. "The initial reports are... devastating. The Silver Sword Sect forces were ambushed upon entry. They attempted a frontal assault to break the siege lines but were overwhelmed by the strength of the beasts. It failed."

  The commanders standing around Li Yu leaned in as if that would help them listen. Their faces were becoming more pale at the news.

  "Casualties?" Li Yu asked.

  "Estimates are over fifty percent," the adjutant said. "Sect Master Yin was wounded. They are currently encircled and trying to hold on. The remaining forces in that area can’t get to them. The Silver Sword Sect is requesting immediate support. The beast density in the Gorge has spiked beyond prediction. It appears to be a trap laid specifically for reinforcements."

  A heavy silence descended on the Silent Hollows. Fifty percent casualties. In a few hours.

  Commander Lei looked at Sect Master Zhou. His earlier laughter about the Silver Sword Sect getting sent to a nightmare faded and was replaced by a cold dread. The Silver Sword Sect was arrogant, yes, but they were powerful. Their disciples were elites, armed with top-tier gear and were strong. If they were getting butchered, the Iron-Web Gorge wasn't just a battlefield; it was a meat grinder.

  "We are redirecting all available elite units," the adjutant continued, her voice rising in pitch. "Commander Li Yu, you are the closest asset that has been marked with enough strength. Others would take much longer to get there. You and your coalition army are ordered to proceed to the Iron-Web Gorge immediately. Support the Silver Sword remnants, save as many people as you can and break the siege."

  The order hung in the air like a guillotine blade.

  Li Yu looked at his army. They were flush with victory. But they were also tired. Even though he had been the spear, they also did have to fight. They had been fighting all day and working on harvesting loot as well. They had fought two campaigns back-to-back. And the Silver Sword Sect, a force superior to his army in raw power, had just been chewed up.

  Sending the "Alliance of the Jagged Peaks" into that gorge wasn't a mission. It was a disposal method. It was completely unfair but war often was.

  Li Yu looked at the token.

  "No," Li Yu said.

  The line went dead silent. The silence went on for a long moment.

  "Repeat, Commander?" the adjutant asked and was utterly confused.

  "I said no," Li Yu said calmly. "I won't be going there."

  "Commander Li Yu," the adjutant’s voice sharpened. It was taking on the tone of official reprimand. "This is a direct order from Strategic Command during a war. Refusal is not an option. The Silver Sword Sect is a strong pillar of this continent. They must be rescued."

  "They're a pillar that cracked because of their own stupidity," Li Yu said. "I see no point in risking my life and the lives of the people here to go there. We aren't equipped for such an assault on a trap that ate a Soul Formation army."

  He looked at the weary faces of Patriarch Han and Sect Leader Yan.

  "I have already done more than I promised to do," Li Yu continued. "My army has already done more than they were tasked with. We took two critical defensive nodes in one day. We secured the survivors. We are done."

  "You are disobeying a direct order!" the adjutant snapped. "Are you aware of the consequences?"

  Li Yu laughed out loud. He couldn’t help himself. It was a dry, humorless sound.

  "You seem to be mistaken about something," Li Yu said as his voice dropped an octave. "I am not part of your Alliance to be commanded like a dog. I am helping because I chose to help. I am an independent cultivator. If I feel the danger outweighs the reward, I don't have to do anything."

  He leaned closer to the token. "I am not some savior of the people. And you better watch your attitude, tone and what you say to me moving forward. I can just as easily walk away from this entire war right now."

  There was a pause. The adjutant, realizing who she was talking to, swallowed her anger. She was so used to forcing commands as needed that it was a normal outburst. Whether or not she believed that him was another story.

  "I... I apologize, Commander," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I did not mean to offend. We are just... desperate. I will relay your position to Alliance Leader Shen Tu."

  The connection cut. Li Yu tucked the token back into his robe and looked up. The commanders were staring at him with mouths agape.