(2) A Clever Ruse to Sound the Retreat

Hemuda, of all people, was one who knew a good thing when he saw it — since childhood he had witnessed Anu's endless array of tricks, and had certainly tasted the power of the Flower Rain Arrows himself more than once. At the thought of using them against the enemy commander now, he found himself rather relishing the prospect of a good show.

"I just said you were a fool, and now you go and prove it again! Shooting the enemy commander dead isn't impossible, but didn't you all say he was the Celestial Sovereign's eldest son, the man the whole Celestial Clan pins its hopes on? Kill him, and wouldn't the Celestial Clan throw everything they have into wiping us out?" Anu held up her arrow as if to poke Hemuda with it; he scratched his head and dodged, skipping a few paces away.

"Fourth Brother! Keep out of this!" Geluqi was growing impatient; Hemuda's childish temperament was a constant headache to him — the army simply wasn't suited to him, he wasn't cut out for it, and no matter how long he studied he would likely never become material for a general. He warned Hemuda off once again.

"Stop being so mysterious about it, tell us quickly, what's the plan?" E'na, too, had worked himself into a sweat with anxiety. "What use is an arrow if not for shooting people?"

"Of course it's for shooting people, only it has to be shot with precision — just enough to inflict a flesh wound, doing as little harm to muscle or bone as possible. Best of all if all his generals and soldiers 'share the misery' together — that way we can withdraw at our leisure without fear of pursuit, and give them a taste of their own medicine besides!" Anu said, smiling with satisfaction.

Just then Hemuda came running back, pouting as he spoke. "Anu's archery really is the kind that hits its mark from a hundred paces — she'll settle for nothing less than being unrivaled. I've suffered no end of her bullying, and that feeling shouldn't be mine to savor alone — it's high time someone else got a taste of it too."

"You're interrupting again?" Geluqi scolded him once more, making as if to kick him.

"Fourth Brother's praising me to my face while running me down behind it, is that it? Making me sound like some ferocious demon! Who's ever bullied you?" Anu glared at Hemuda. "Weren't you just saying I have the most manly bearing? Has the wind already blown all that manly bearing away?" she shot back, unwilling to give an inch.

Wurui was a man of few words; standing beneath two elder brothers whose presence blazed like the sun, there was never much room left for him to speak, and so when there was no particular need to say anything, he simply stayed silent. Seeing now that Geluqi was fast losing his patience, Wurui quickly tugged at the hem of Anu's sleeve, signaling her not to keep bickering with Hemuda, or Hemuda would be in for real trouble. Geluqi would never show Anu so much as a flicker of anger, but he wouldn't go easy on Hemuda.

"The four of you brothers had best listen closely." Anu, catching Wurui's meaning, let Hemuda be and went on gravely: "Eldest Brother is the commander — he needs to prepare to lead the full withdrawal of the army. When the moment comes, the retreat must be made with great fanfare, loud enough that the enemy commander is sure to notice."

Though Geluqi did not understand why the withdrawal needed to be so ostentatious, nor what exactly was meant by "the moment," he held his patience and let Anu continue.

"Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, you'll all work together to cast the spell. I'll need a thick fog covering the whole sky, just like the mist formation Father set up at my place — but the fog must build gradually, so that no one notices it's being done on purpose. If the fog turns dense all at once, it will arouse suspicion too easily." At this, Anu looked around in every direction. "Where is the enemy camp? Where is the command tent?"

At Anu's question, Geluqi led his brother and sister out of the camp and pointed Anu toward the north. "This way, about two open plains' distance, is where the enemy has made camp. The command tent faces north to south, overseeing the whole army from there."

"Very good!" Feeling that everything was now within her control, Anu said firmly, "There's no need to get too close to the enemy camp. Move forward a little more — Second Brother can begin the spell there, followed in order by Third Brother and Fourth Brother. Take care not to rush the timing between each of you. Once the fog is so thick nothing can be told apart, Eldest Brother will begin the withdrawal — make absolutely sure everyone knows of it. As commander, he'll surely have to step out of his tent to see to the enemy's movements, and then the real show can begin."

As it happened, Anu, having grown up in the Mist Forest since childhood, found thick fog thoroughly familiar; she had no need of any magic to make out shapes clearly within a heavy mist. To lie in wait like a hunter beside a stump for the enemy commander to step outside his tent, and at the right moment draw her bow and strike true with a single shot — that, for her, was as good as guaranteed. "But I don't know the commander by sight. Fourth Brother will have to point him out to me."

As it turned out, Hemuda had also lived for a long stretch in the Mist Forest, and he too had the ability to make out shapes clearly in the mist with the naked eye alone. This, more than anything, was likely his greatest use to Anu — otherwise she might have worried he wasn't reliable enough for the task.

The mist gradually spread through the air. Under its cover, Anu settled into position for the ambush, smiling slyly at her two arrows as she began to cast the spell.

"What spell are you casting?" Hemuda asked, secretly delighted, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"The Concordant Heart Curse!"

"What is the Concordant Heart Curse?" E'na and Wurui, too, asked with curiosity.

Anu's sorcery had always been unlike any other. Because the beauty of Asura women reigned supreme among all the fair women of the Six Paths and Three Realms, her innate power to enchant far surpassed that of others; the sprites and little spirits of the Mist Forest often had a saying on their lips — "one glimpse of Anu, and one's whole life is ruined" — largely on account of that boundless, unstoppable charm of hers. Men most of all, even her own father and brothers, could not help but dote on her without limit, so what hope did anyone else have? The sprites and little spirits mostly cultivated day and night in the hope of drawing closer to Anu, longing to take human form as soon as possible; although cultivating a male body took far longer and was far more arduous than a female one, they resolutely chose that path all the same.

Yet an ordinary enchantment spell had to emanate from a woman's own body — those who saw her fell under its spell, while those who never saw her could never be enchanted at all. Anu's enchantment, however, could resonate with the curse she cast, drawing people into an illusion from any distance without their ever knowing it — and this was precisely what made her sorcery so uniquely her own.

"Whoever shares one heart with him shall share his fate as well. In truth, the two arrows shall wound the commander alone; in illusion, all who are of one heart with the commander shall see a sky full of arrows raining down upon them like falling petals, and share in the same wound, the same pain," Anu said.

Hearing Anu's explanation, E'na couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "It seems you really have managed to conjure up something in that Mist Forest of yours! With such a treasure at your disposal, why not just charge in and strike them down outright — why withdraw at all?"

"Second Brother doesn't understand. Anu's greatest wish, ever since childhood, has been to enjoy the happiness of family together with Father, Mother, and all of you brothers at home. If the world were at peace, with no grudges and no enmity between anyone, how wonderful that would be? Then Anu wouldn't have to hide away in the Mist Forest, always unable to see any of you. Anu only wants you all to be well, unharmed and unafflicted, rather than fighting the Celestial Clan to the death — with me never seeing the light of day for as long as I live." As Anu spoke these words, her face took on a faint air of sorrow. Though the Mist Forest basked in sunshine all year round, agreeable in every season, in Anu's heart what she truly longed for was a life lived warmly together with her family. Though the Mist Forest had its mountain spirits, water sprites, and little demons for company, she always felt something was missing — as though there were a gap somewhere in her very life, flickering again and again at the edge of her mind.

Hearing Anu speak this way, E'na felt genuinely moved and could not help feeling a pang of reluctance in his heart, yet it seemed no one had the power to change anything. He lowered his head and said nothing more. Hemuda, who had originally been meant to point out the enemy commander for Anu and so was standing beside her at the time, listening to her words, found himself growing sorrowful as well. He reached out and patted Anu's head, comforting her: "Don't be sad! Fourth Brother will always come and see you when he has the chance. Fourth Brother understands you."

"Anu, don't... don't listen to Second Brother's talk... in a moment we'll... we'll go home." Wurui, wanting to comfort his little sister, struggled with his usual lack of eloquence to force the words out haltingly.

The air suddenly seemed to freeze. For a moment none of the four siblings spoke at all, and before anyone realized it, the fog had already thickened to the point that one could not see a hand in front of one's face. At that moment, the sound of Geluqi's horn ordering the army to strike camp and withdraw rang out through the air, each blast slicing through the still, frozen silence. Anu drew a deep breath, nocked an arrow, drew her bow to the full, and fixed her attention on the front of the command tent.

* * *

Hearing the distant sound of the Asura army's horn signaling their withdrawal, the Celestial camp too grew unsettled.

"Withdrawing without a single sign of it beforehand? What in the world is going on?" Changxiu strode into the command tent from outside, muttering to himself the whole way. "Your Highness, say something! This situation now is truly strange — should we pursue them?"

Changxiu was the Crown Prince Ziyuan's personal bodyguard; since Ziyuan held the tiger tally and the seal of command, Changxiu naturally had to remain at his side at all times. Having just heard the sound of the horn, he had been quite startled, and unable to believe it, had rushed out of the command tent to see what was happening. Ziyuan had been sitting with his head bowed over a book; hearing Changxiu's muttering all the way in, he slowly raised his head.

"If they truly are withdrawing, that would be a good thing — neither side has suffered much loss, which is exactly what I hoped for from the start. But if this withdrawal is a feint, there must be an ambush waiting behind it; if I pursue, I'd be playing right into their hands — how foolish would that be?" Ziyuan remained perfectly composed, showing not the slightest trace of any fluctuation in mood. Throughout the whole camp, the sudden Asura withdrawal had stirred up some commotion; whether to advance or retreat, the generals argued back and forth without end.

"It would be best if Your Highness made the final call — it's quite noisy out there!" Changxiu muttered. "And here they come now!"

Just as Changxiu finished speaking, three generals' voices requesting an audience rang out outside the command tent. Ziyuan said, "Come in," and the three walked into the tent in an orderly file.

All three bowed together to Ziyuan in formal salute; as both marshal and Crown Prince, his status was naturally an exalted one. And yet he carried none of the arrogance and extravagance typical of royal sons, nor any of the usual love of comfort found among the Celestial people. Leading troops abroad, he insisted on sharing every hardship and joy alike with his soldiers — whatever the men ate, he ate too, never keeping anything special for himself alone, and even his armor was no different from that of the rank and file. He liked to joke that this way he could better confuse the enemy, so that the opposing camp could never quite tell who the commander was, making it harder for the enemy to "catch the thieves by catching their king." These, of course, were merely words Ziyuan used to put people's minds at ease; only because of them could those beneath him feel comfortable letting him wear the armor of an ordinary soldier rather than the splendid regalia befitting his rank.

Strictly speaking, Ziyuan's temperament was not at all suited to warfare — he was by nature refined and gentle, modest as fine jade. The very essence of war demanded a certain ruthlessness, and he possessed not the slightest trace of it. At first those beneath him had not been particularly convinced by him, thinking him no more than a pampered prince whom they had no choice but to feign obedience to. But after spending some time in his company, the men had come, because of Ziyuan's noble character and his extraordinary intelligence, to be won over entirely. Ziyuan always fought a war of the mind — his analyses were precise, his plans left nothing to chance, and he could grasp the situation of both sides with unfailing accuracy, embodying the very principle of "know yourself and know your enemy, and in a hundred battles you need never fear the result." Whenever Ziyuan led the troops, both the Celestial Clan and even their enemies could avoid a great many unnecessary casualties thanks to his strategy of "winning through wit rather than force." Over time, the entire army came to hold Ziyuan in deep affection, and even though he remained ever unhurried and unruffled — often leaving the hot-tempered soldiers fretting with impatience — it did nothing to diminish his standing within the ranks.

"Whether to return the troops to the capital or pursue the Asura army — we beg the marshal to decide," the three said respectfully, seeking Ziyuan's instruction.

"What is the situation like outside right now?" Ziyuan asked, unhurried.

"A fog rolled in today, quite a thick one — we can't see a thing, only hear the sound of the horn."

"A thick fog?" Something felt faintly wrong to Ziyuan. A sudden thick fog, a sudden withdrawal — everything about it reeked of the unusual. He pondered to himself: earlier, while making his rounds of the camp, the weather had been clear, with no wind and no clouds; though he had spent some time reading afterward, in that span of time the fog had already grown thick enough to blot out the sky — it truly struck him as strange.

"Let us hold our position for now and observe how things develop. Everything about this is far too convenient a coincidence — I fear there's some trick at play," Ziyuan said.

The three received their orders, bowed, and filed back out of the command tent.

Ziyuan watched the three men go, and just as they lifted the tent flap to leave, he took the chance to glance outside — and indeed, nothing at all could be made out, not even the guards standing watch at the entrance. He tilted his head, trying to gather his thoughts, but for the moment could make no sense of it. The air was thick with dense fog, and just as thick with an air of something sinister. Wanting to see the current situation for himself, Ziyuan slowly rose to his feet and walked out of the tent.

Who could have known that no sooner had he stepped out of the command tent than a sky full of arrows came raining down like a storm, catching him utterly off guard. His mind raced through a thousand possibilities, yet of all things, this was the one he had never anticipated. And yet, strange as it was — for so vast a number of archers to lie in ambush so close by, even amid heavy fog, it would have been impossible for them to remain entirely silent, especially given how careless and hasty the Asura Clan typically was in their actions; such a meticulously planned and executed maneuver seemed all but impossible. And yet, against all expectation, it had plainly happened. Unable to dodge in time, Ziyuan was struck by arrows in both his right hand and right foot at once, and in that same instant, cries of pain began rising one after another throughout the camp.

The commotion of Ziyuan and his fellow soldiers being struck by arrows brought Changxiu rushing out of the tent at once. He had been following only a few steps behind Ziyuan, never expecting such a calamity to strike in so brief a span of time.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" Changxiu was thoroughly alarmed at the sight.

"Changxiu, quickly take the tiger tally and deploy the troops. Gather those who weren't struck by arrows to hold the front line; those with lesser wounds should form up behind them, to guard against the enemy seizing the chance to charge."

"But Your Highness, your wound—" Changxiu, worried for Ziyuan, hesitated, muttering, and did not carry out the order at once.

"My wound is nothing to worry over. If you delay the military situation and put our army in danger, then even a thousand deaths would not be punishment enough to atone for it — go now!" Ziyuan pushed Changxiu away, his voice edged with anger; this was a matter of the utmost urgency, one on which the survival of the entire army hung — how could there be any room for the slightest hesitation?

Changxiu accepted the order and, worried as he was for Ziyuan, had no choice but to turn back to the command tent, retrieve the tiger tally, and race off toward the soldiers' camp.

Amid the chaos, the Celestial forces regrouped, but since far more had been struck by arrows than had escaped unscathed, though the wounds were all mere flesh wounds, their fighting strength was greatly diminished for the time being — had the enemy chosen to attack now, the entire army might well have met with disaster. Yet strangely enough, as the seconds and minutes ticked by, the Asura side made not the slightest move, never turning back to press their advantage. And stranger still, the wounded soldiers' arrow wounds were, without exception, remarkably similar in location and severity to Ziyuan's own. The physicians came to Ziyuan's tent, and after cleaning and dressing the wound, they too wore looks of utter bewilderment, reporting one after another to Ziyuan this puzzling and inexplicable phenomenon.