RIN

"An Sun. Is something the matter?"

Sitting quietly in a chair at a table in the far corner of the tent, An Sun was dressed in bright silver armor and an iron mask concealing his grey sinister eyes. His thin ruby lips curled into a chilling smile.

"It seems they've chosen to surrender and send us some peaceful tributes."

In his rough jade-like hands held a set of fragile papers, small written words were on them.

Manchu, walking up towards the man, smoothly takes the papers from his hand and reads them over, his hands skimming through the other papers.

"Oh, half of these aren't as bad as I assumed they'd be. Who expected the northern provinces to be so affluent. They must be really serious about their surrender."

Manchu looked at the list with a faint twisted grin.

"Although these items are valid, the expression on your face says otherwise."

"You're right, the offerings are well, however..." His deep eyes glow with a gray glint. "Had we gone with my scheme, we could have gained more don't you think?"

Helplessly smiling, Manchu scratches the back of his head. "Had we gone with your method, more blood would be shed."

"So?" An Sun raised his dark bushy brow. His long black satin hair draped down the side of his broad shoulders, framing his strong cold handsome face.

Manchu, watching the dangerous man, couldn't help but sigh gently.

"I understand you're bored, but try to bear with my plan a little longer will you?"

With his eyes tilting upward, Manchu releases a playful smile.

"It also seems like you have a few others piqued to see if you, the young Commander fails or not," Manchu smirks.

"Let them be entertained." An Sun leisurely stands up from his chair to walk toward the tent entrance. "Assemble the soldiers and have them line up in front of the city walls. Its time meet up for their surrender."

Beaming wickedly, Manchu laughs while following the man outside of the tent.

...

At dusk; mounted on sturdy gallant horses was a row of nearly one-thousand soldiers in front of the North Border's fortification.

Seated in front, with his hair-raising silver mask intentionally concealing his eyes and covered in silver armor, was Commander An Sun.

Mounted beside him was Manchu and behind the two at a comfortable distance was the previous slim strategist.

Unresponsive deep eyes watched as Captain Delun and a prime minister walked forward to stand in front of him – the prime minister holding a scroll on a tray in his hands.

Courteously lowering their heads, Captain Delun's long sleeves screen his cupped hands.

"I, military Captain Delun of Su province have come on behalf of Governor Tao from the Guando province, to humbly offer you our surrender. We do not wish to shed blood and endanger the lives of our citizens. Lord An, please have sympathy on our provinces and ask of you to graciously accept our peaceful surrender." Captain Delun smoothly lowers his head even further.

A gentle gust of wind flows through the air, Commander An Sun's piercing eyes observing the men with a poised gaze.

"Peaceful surrender huh?" An Sun said in an enigmatic tone, his gray eyes casually examining the sky to see his hawk flying above.

Coldly, An Sun focuses his gaze on Captain Delun.

"Deliver them here." He ordered.

"Yes." Captain Delun lowered his head before reaching for the tray with the scroll listed with the tributes to their negotiation.

With his head still lowered, refusing to look the cold commander in the eyes, Captain Delun walks forward – closer to Commander An Sun.

Delicately lifting the tray in his hands up, Captain Delun speaks courteously. "These are the list of added tributes we'll exchange for our peaceful surrender. Please inspect them over Lord An to see if they're to your liking."

The faint sound of a hawk's harsh cry could be heard from above.

Upon elevating the tray toward Commander An Sun, Captain Delun had missed the broad sinister sneer on the man's face.

Shiiiiing--!

"Wha..."

Dark crimson blood spattered through the now impure air, pools of red liquid forming on the dirt floor.

Captain Delun's unseeing eyes, wide with horror and confusion, were the last he expressed before his throat was slit open by Commander An Sun's gleaming sword.

"Lord An?!" The slim man mounted behind Manchu watched Captain Delun's bloody body fall to the ground with wide eyes.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of sharp arrows shot from on top of the city walls and toward the thousands of Tuhan soldiers.

"It's a trap! Retreat!" Manchu roared through the frantic shouts of Tuhan.

"General Manchu, I...I had no idea this would happen!" The slim man stuttered frantically while riding beside Manchu.

As the men made there way away from the city walls, a crowd of armed soldiers in bronze armor suddenly emerged from the woods and toward the Tuhans.

Some wearing golden armor with a ferocious lion emblem on it.

Isn't that the Bai army symbol? They even planted soldiers outside the city walls?! But how?

Captain Delun never mentioned anything about soldiers being stationed outside. Not to mention Governor Tao would never allow it due to the risks his soldiers could endure.

Unless...

A sudden thought popped into the slim man's disordered mind as he anxiously watched the Guando's soldiers attack the Tuhan's.

"Captain Bai Lan...it had to be him..." The slim man muttered, his complexion gone completely white, almost transparent.

"We'll discuss this back at the camp." Manchu said.

"Y...Yes."

Due to the slim man's agitated muttering and shock, he was unable to see the cunning sneer on Manchu's face as he rode beside him.

...

On An Sun's side, the relentless Commander effortlessly slashed the incoming soldiers charging his way.

He had long noticed their attack was directed towards him, however, even with their large numbers he was able to slaughter them with his sword in swift rhythmic movements.

His gray eyes hidden behind his mask glaring sinisterly.

So they planned to trap him?

A wide grin spreading across his red lips filled with killing intent, An Sun mindlessly kills the soldiers coming his way.

They'll have to try harder than that!