Chapter 104: Though the Nation Falls, Its Mountains and Rivers Endure (Unrefined and Unedited)
The rain poured heavier and heavier, drowning out the roaring flames, yet it could not silence the echoing sound of the war horn throughout the High Court.
...
High Court
Wharton District
Inside a makeshift mouse den
Two elderly mouse folk quarrelled incessantly.
“Old man, why are you still so stubborn? What’s the point of holding on like this? We're on the verge of defeat. The neighboring clans have already started packing up. What good does it do to cling on stubbornly here?”
An aged she-mouse pointed a finger at her old mate, fuming with frustration, almost stamping her feet in exasperation.
“You leave if you want. As for me, no matter what, I won’t leave. The chieftain showed me kindness. Have you forgotten how we two old bones looked when the chieftain took us in back then?”
The mouse man called ‘old man’ lacked the fiery passion of the she-mouse, but his resolve was unshakable.
“The chieftain? No one knows where he is now. Maybe he fled first…”
Smack!
“Watch your tongue, you foul woman! *Cough, cough...*”
The old man slammed his hand on the table in anger, his blood pressure spiking fiercely, as if ready to burst through his skull.
The she-mouse was infamous around here for her sharp tongue, yet she knew when to hold back.
Realizing she had said too much, she quickly stepped forward to pat his back, soothing his rage, helping to calm the fire within him.
“Old man, if you don’t leave now, it will be too late...”
“Leave? Our children are fighting on the front lines. What shame would I have living on while they’re in battle?”
The old man’s stubbornness was extraordinary; no matter how the she-mouse pleaded, he wouldn’t budge.
“But what use are you? You just sit here waiting for what?”
The she-mouse’s eyes reddened, tears threatening to fall.
Just then—
The roaring sound of the King’s Horn thundered across the High Court!
It seemed to carry a vibrant spirit, inspiring every clan member.
...
“It’s here!”
The old mouse sprang up from the worn-out bed the moment he heard the horn.
“It’s the chieftain’s horn!”
“He’s calling us! He needs us now!”
Tears welled in the old man’s eyes as his chest rose and fell with renewed life—that was the feeling of truly being alive.
“My dear, bring me my things quickly!”
“Old man, you...”
The she-mouse had more to say but when she saw the determination in his eyes, she realized words were useless...
Wiping away tears, she crawled under the bed and pulled out a dusty, makeshift wooden box—a hollowed-out block of wood covered with a plank.
Inside lay an old bow and seven arrows.
“My old friend, I never thought we’d fight side by side again!”
The mouse strapped the bow across his back, holding the arrows in his mouth.
“Wait for me at home. Without me, you’re such a lousy navigator, you wouldn’t even find the way down the mountain.”
Without looking back, he simply gave his wife a brief reminder.
Armed with bow and arrows, leaning on his cane, he stepped out into the howling storm and pressed forward.
The old she-mouse said nothing, standing silently at the den’s entrance, gazing long at his stumbling figure. There was no regret in her eyes, only memories of his stubbornness back then.
Not a bit had changed...
...
In the field hospital,
Edward lay in bed, enjoying Lucy’s attentive care. The wild couple could finally be together openly at last.
Suddenly, the horn sounded, instantly ringing through every corner of the temporary field hospital...
“It’s the horn! The King’s Horn is calling us!”
Edward threw off the grass bedding and, with Lucy’s support, struggled to sit up.
“What are you doing? You’re badly injured. You can’t go anywhere.”
Lucy put down the wooden bowl, gripping Edward’s arm with concern.
“You don’t understand...”
Edward shook his head and sighed helplessly.
“The war has reached its crucial final stage. As a warrior of the tribe, I must stand up.”
Slowly, he lowered his legs from the bed and, clutching the bedpost, painfully rose to his feet.
“Come back to me!”
Lucy’s emotions broke; she knew the Edward she loved always obeyed her, yet now he was so unreasonable.
Watching Edward’s resolute back, Lucy felt a profound ache.
“You bastard! You don’t love me at all!”
Tears choked her voice as she collapsed onto the bed, covering her face to weep.
...
“Sigh...”
Edward stopped, letting out a helpless sigh...
He turned and came to Lucy’s side, slowly crouching down.
His furry hand gently stroked her cheek...
“Miss Lucy, please don’t doubt my love for you.”
“Now, with a grave enemy before us, our warriors bleed on the front lines while I hide behind, lost in romance—I cannot do that!”
“If I were to ignore the call of our King’s Horn, do you know what would happen?”
“I would carry that guilt for the rest of my life! It would be an unhealable scar in my heart!”
“Your father and brother fight on the front. If I hide here, how could your father ever accept me?”
At these words, Lucy seemed to suddenly understand...
Edward lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her forehead.
“My little princess, wait for me. I will come back to marry you!”
With that, Edward stood and left, leaving behind a charming profile dimpling with a smile. He cast a tender glance at the tearful Lucy before turning decisively and striding away.
“Wah, bastard! Still gotta show off as he leaves!”
After Edward’s departure, several other warriors rose from their beds, gathered their weapons, and headed toward the central square...
...
Under the call of the King’s Horn, more and more clan members took up arms and stepped out of their homes. This was their homeland, and at this moment, they had to stand and defend it themselves!
This was Yang Jie’s intent. Simply distributing weapons for self-defense was childish.
The hearts of the people are like flowing water; they must be guided, not forcibly blocked.
Forcing them to the battlefield from the start would only hasten the collapse of the war’s foundation.
What was handed out to each clansman was not just weapons but a responsibility—a great cause of national survival that every man must bear.
Most of these mouse folk were timid, cautious, and powerless, but once a few dared to step forward and lead, more would pick up arms and join, realizing their home could only be protected by their own hands.
These leading mice were the tribe’s backbone—no higher or lower ranks, no distinctions of nobility or lowliness.
Inspired by them, more and more clansfolk grabbed weapons from every street and alley, stepping out!
Drops of water gather into rivers, flowing toward the sea!
One by one, the clansfolk took up arms, gathering together, resolutely following the horn’s call, surging toward the central square.
...