Ning Chen studied the half jade pendant in his hand. The stone was clear and translucent, warm and flawless, the carving exquisite—a rare and precious piece of jade.

"Old Pan, take a look. What's carved on this?"

Pan Yucheng came over, took the half pendant and examined it for a while. "Looks like a flower."

Ning Chen's mouth twitched. No kidding. You think I can't see that?

What he wanted to know was what kind of flower.

He took it back and put it away. He'd ask someone else later.

Pan Yucheng said, "Listen, my lord prince. The fighting's died down a lot."

Out on the battlefield, countless men were running about, shouting that Leng Wenyan had been captured by Ning Chen, that those who surrendered would be spared and those who resisted would be cut down where they stood.

Leng Wenyan's men only half believed it, but it threw their army into chaos all the same.

At the gate of the city lord's residence, Ning Chen roughly bandaged Pan Yucheng's wound, then said, "Old Pan, I need you to do something... I meant to keep Leng Wenyan alive and find out from him how things stood in Xiliang.

But now that he's been killed, we'll borrow his head instead.

Cut it off and take it with you when you call on them to surrender."

Pan Yucheng understood at once. "Got it. I'm on my way!"

He went over, raised his saber and brought it down, cutting off Leng Wenyan's head, then stripped off his golden armor.

With the head in one hand and the golden armor in the other, he looked at Ning Chen. "My lord prince, be careful!"

Ning Chen nodded slightly.

Pan Yucheng vaulted onto the top of the wall with them, ran along it, then leapt onto the rooftops. In the streets below, fighting raged everywhere.

Pan Yucheng roared, "Leng Wenyan has been killed! Throw down your weapons and surrender, now! Resist, and you're dead men."

The soldiers fighting below looked up and were dumbfounded on the spot.

Leng Wenyan was strikingly handsome, so he was…