Portal:Investiture of the Gods/Chapter 33

This chapter is titled "The Battle at Sishui Pass". As Generals Huang Ming and Long Huan of Yellow Flying Tiger were the first to reach the gates of Jiepai Pass, they clearly noticed Huang Gun's blatant intentions but approached him nonetheless in greeting. With Yellow Flying Tiger's additional approach, Huang Ming suddenly lashed out many cold words of hatred towards his son due to the consequences that shall be personally brought upon him as a latent result. Desiring to be remembered by the king as a loyal subject with the chance to live, Huang Gun demanded that his son dismounts and is taken in as prisoner for him to deliver before the feet of Morning Song. Accepting his father's words as being his only chance left to prove that he is a filial son still possessing loyal attributes towards the Shang Dynasty, Huang Ming immediately stepped forward and convinced his master that such an action would only put great shame to his resolve and is clearly not the will of Heaven to give in to such an injustice without a second thought. Realizing that Huang Ming must have been a large influential figure that incited his son into rebellion, Huang Gun unleashed his blade wrathfully while charging at the former. Attempting to convince Huang Guan that his actions will be void of virtue and filialty if he continues to fight solely for his currently possessed reputation rather than the greater good, Huang Gun's rage became ignited with a tint of even greater infuriation. As the four main generals under Yellow Flying Tiger began to violently clash blades against Huang Gun, Huang Ming immediately suggested to his master to use the time that they keep Guan at bay to escape from the pass gates—which are currently wide open. Seeing his son flee from the pass gates as he continued to clash blades against the enemy generals, and knowing that he will suffer death by the king for such, Huang Gun fell from his horse and attempted immediate suicide as a new resolution. Grabbing hold of Gun's arms to negate such an impulse resolve, Huang Ming calmly stated that he and the other three generals had originally intended on handing Yellow Flying Tiger in to Jiepai Pass after being forced into rebellion less they wanted to be killed. Stating in addition that if Huang Gun could approach Yellow Flying Tiger and state his intention to join them on their journey after carefully considering the situation, Flying Tiger could be lured back to a feast between father and son while being thrown into prisoner carts upon a later surprise. Accepting such a suggestion as his only true opportunity to deal with Flying Tiger even if Huang Ming is simply bluffing in intention, Huang Gun approached his son shortly and pleaded forgiveness for the earlier rudeness. After inviting the unsuspecting Yellow Flying Tiger into his residence, and drinking with his son in due happiness, Huang Gun began performing the signal to capture the former and his entourage into prisoner carts—beating a gong upon a drum—continuously without any response from Huang Ming whatsoever. Dishonestly stating from the curtains that that the soldiers are not ready as of yet, the former meanwhile ordered Long Huan and Wu Qian to fill the prisoner carts with Huang Gun's belongings while setting the barns and warehouses aflame. As soldiers of Shang stormed in to inform their commander of the current happenings while the majority of Flying Tiger's generals had already left the pass a second time, he became convinced by Huang Ming that the only way to preserve his great reputation, avoid death, and shine greatness upon the names of his ancestors, was to essentially join them in their departure to the Western Foothills. Kowtowing to Morning Song eight times while hanging his seal of office within the Silver Security Court, Huang Gun joined his son with 3,000 soldiers and 1,000 guards shortly.

As Huang Gun was riding side by side with Huang Ming, he warned the latter that they are approaching Sishui Pass: a pass that wields a dangerous sorcerer by the name of Yu Hua, the reputed "seven-headed general", who has never lost a single battle in his life. While Yellow Flying Tiger met with Gun and Ming shortly at their neighboring camp of Sishui Pass, Han Rong, the commander of the pass, sighed in great displeasure at being forced to deal with a commander that was once renowned throughout the Shang Dynasty as a hero. Summoning his generals nonetheless to do away with the threat that laid before him, he and his generals decided it best to block the pass's gates with a heavy-armored unit, while the rest of his forces outside prepare for combat with long spears as their attributed weaponry. As the feared Yu Ha exited the gates before the enemy's camp, Yellow Flying Tiger personally declared that he shall meet the former in combat. With Yu Hua's inspection to Flying Tiger for his rationale behind rebellion upon their approach, Yu Hua almost became convinced by the general's words—but nonetheless rode forward to do battle less his own grandly established reputation were to be lost for freeing a widely-accounted rebel of the dynasty. Being utterly exhausted during their duel as Yellow Flying Tiger's swords were used with keen renown and skill, Yu Hua retreated a set interval between the former while unleashing his black-cloud pennant to knock Flying Tiger unconscious. Pushing the commander before the feet of Han Rong, Han Rong placed Yellow Flying Tiger into gaoul while awaiting the additional capture of his assistant rebels. As Huang Gun sat in camp fuming over Han Rong's chance to attain a high level of rather undeserved merit that night, Yu Ha rode forward to be met by Generals Zhou Ji and Huang Ming the following morning. Unfortunately however, Zhou Ji and Huang Ming had never seen the method used to capture their commander originally, and they thus fell in addition to Yu Hua's magic pennant very shortly. Even though the generals of Flying Tiger were clearly informed of Yu Hua's ability by Huang Gun at a later point, their inner pride blinded their eyes from rationality—and Yu Ha thus managed to capture Huang Feibiao, Huang Feibao, Long Huan, and Wu Qian in a mere two encounters. Being honored by Han Rong for his evidential prowess, Huang Gun meanwhile sat in the camp while gazing into the eyes of his grandsons, knowing that they too will more than likely be forced to suffer the same fate as their comrades. Obtaining report that Yu Ha has appeared once more before Flying Tiger's camp, Huang Tianlu, Huang Ming's grandson, convinced his grandfather that he shall defeat the enemy general with his keenly established renown on the battlefield dispite his age. As the bout thus began between Tianlu and Yu Hua, the latter managed to use his magical pennant on Tianlu despite the wounds that he obtained through the former's unexpected skill. Being utterly distressed beyond despair at the hearing of his grandson's additional capture, Huang Gun suggested to his fellow soldiers to display their fine gifts present as a purchasing of their own freedom, while he accepts his seemingly inevitable fate as prisoner. Even though the soldiers tried to console his motives, Huang Gun ignored such words due to the situation's clear conditions—and thus set forth to Sishui's gates to convince Han Rong that his grandchildren should be free of any harm while he gives himself in to preserve what little reputation he shall have. Obtaining report on Huang Gun's arrival, Han Rong set forth with generals side by side, believing that the former either came for negotiation or sympathy.

Categorized Events

• Arrival at Demarcation Pass; Yellow Rolling's introduction
• Radiance vs. Yellow Rolling; Flying Tiger's swift escape
• Radiance's banquet ploy; burning of Demarcation Pass grain garrison
• Yellow Rolling's shamed resolution - to tag along with Flying Tiger
• Arrival at Flood-Water Pass
• Flying Tiger's conflict with Yu Hua; unleashing of the Soul-Dispatching Flag
• Yellow Rolling's final act of desperation