Cloudzheng received the surrender of Juyong Pass without much success. A veteran general, with hair disheveled and holding a sword, stood defiantly at the third pass, his eyes wide in anger. He was very alone, standing before a tall city gate, yet he had been dead for some time.

Liang Ji strictly carried out Cloudzheng’s military orders; anyone who dared to resist would be punished without mercy! However, it might have been due to pity for the old general's iron will that no arrows struck his face. The Song soldiers deliberately left him a complete visage for people to mourn.

When Cloudzheng arrived, the body of Old Jiang still stood there. This did not make sense according to physical laws, but Cloudzheng witnessed it with his own eyes.

"The home remains unscathed as long as there's a stubborn son; the country endures if there’s a rebellious minister," this saying was debatable.

"This is not a family of obstinate sons,

Nor is it a nation of defiant ministers;

The fate of the family lies in the actions of all its members, not just one."

Buddha said that before the Dharma Age ends, he would take away all his disciples. This means that when the Dharma Age ends, the first to die will be his followers.

Likewise, as a country inevitably declines, those who love it most are among the first to perish...

Cloudzheng looked at the scene from his horse, frowning deeply. Just as he was about to speak, a horse burst out behind him. A middle-aged man in the attire of the Criminal Investigation Bureau leaped off his horse and beheaded the old Liao general with one swift stroke.

Since the general had been dead for some time, there wasn’t much bloodshed. The body, drenched with arrows, lay face up on the ground.

In the disapproving gazes of everyone, the man in the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s attire dismounted and knelt before Cloudzheng. "Please, General, punish me for my overstepping."

Cloudzheng nodded and said, "Do not be so reckless as to dash from behind next time; you could have been shot by our guards. This time I will forgive your slip but you must go to the Military Law Office and receive thirty lashes."

The generals present were confused when Cloudzheng only punished this man for overstepping his bounds and did not address him cutting off the head of the Liao general.

"A great enemy is less important than a humble ally!"

With that, Cloudzheng spurred his horse into Juyong Pass’s inner walls. Inside, besides the clanging of iron armor and the rumble of hooves on the stone path, there was no sign of any city's usual commotion or Liao soldiers.