Inside Xiguan City the firelight was up on every side and the smoke rolled.

The word reached Xing Shan and the others, and they knew at once this had to be some scheme of Ning Chen's.

"It seems Ning Chen has people in the city."

Han Gaochi said it with a frown.

Che Mingzhe said, "It will have been when our men were rounding up the refugees. Ning Chen's people got in among them."

Xing Shan nodded slightly. "There cannot be many of Ning Chen's people. Pass my order — find them for this official."

"Yes!"

The first runner was barely out the door when a second runner came sprinting in.

"Reporting to my lord, to the two generals — there are people out all over the city, and they are shouting... they are shouting—"

Xing Shan frowned. "Shouting what?"

The runner was about to speak when a shout went up outside. "Xiliang's Judge of Causes is dead! The Great Xuan's god of war, Ning Chen, is inside the city! Be afraid of nothing — rise and fight, and drive the enemy out!"

Xing Shan's face darkened on the spot.

The Judge of Causes. That was him they were talking about.

But when had he died?

Che Mingzhe's words came fast. "This is bad! Take whoever is spreading that rumor, and be quick about it. If the men below believe it, the army comes apart and the spirit goes out of them."

The runner was about to take the order when a sound like a thunderclap came rolling in.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dreadful noise carried from far off and left them with their hearts in their mouths.

Che Mingzhe's face changed all at once. "That is Ning Chen's cannon!"

Han Gaochi frowned. "What is Ning Chen playing at?"

They did not know yet that Ning Chen was already attacking the city!

Ning Chen had given them three days to think it over, and by the most generous count only one of those days had gone.

"Report! Urgent news from the field — out of the way, out of the…