Jade Hill Town this evening was still and silent. The four gates were tightly shut and the residents weren't allowed to be out and about. Squads of guards stood atop the walls. More patrolled the empty streets, making sure nothing suspicious was going on that could be related to the bandits outside.

The atmosphere around town was mixed. The common townsfolk didn't know what would happen to them. They were all waiting for the lord to do something to pull them out of this crisis. The guards, on the other hand, remained well-disciplined and motivated. News of the lord's victory during the prior skirmish lifted their spirits. They looked forward to more battles and more victories against their hated foes.

Alisha stood alone on a section of the western wall and watched the fire in the distance that lit up the night sky. It was the bandit army, brazen and defiant despite their losses in the prior skirmish. They had the right to since losing forty or fifty fighters was still just a tiny fraction of their overall force.

She didn't expect that they would send everything they had to war. It wasn't something she would have done if she was the Duanmu Clan leader. But they were here and war seemed inevitable.

She wondered how many would people die in the coming days, how many family members she would have to bury. She wasn't afraid of the Duanmu Clan. She wasn't afraid of losing. After all, there was no chance they could take her town, not with their numbers. What she feared was the pointless loss of life that would inevitably take place. This age-old squabble over a piece of grassland was so pointless and yet it kept causing so much pain to those around her.

Her thoughts drifted to Gray. She hoped that smelly boy from the mountains was still alive among the prisoners, that he would be able to make it out of this ordeal. It wasn't really for her sake but her father's, who had reverted to his old habits of not eating. She could almost feel him getting weaker every day. It was the only thing she truly felt helpless about, the one thing that was out of her grasp.

"Alisha." A gruff voice came from behind her.

She turned to see Harsh Patel, no longer sporting as many bandages as the last few days.

"Uncle..." She took a few steps and hugged him.

"I can't remember the last time you called me that. I must have done something good." He said, sounding pleased.

She checked his wounds from the last battle. He had taken the brunt of the bandits' attention while protecting his guards and he had performed admirably. As her most reliable captain, it was a relief to see him finally walking around.

"You were amazing that day, the way you fought off eight bandit elders at the same time." He said.

"It's not that impressive for someone at my realm." She said. "I could have done more."

Harsh laughed, "To the men, it was the most impressive thing in the world! They had never seen you fight. They didn't even know you could so seeing you fighting alongside them was a revelation. Those that were there have been telling stories about you that get wilder and wilder with each rendition. One of them described you wielding eight invisible blades of wind. Another had you soaring through the air like a true powerhouse."

Alisha shook her head, "Nonsense..."

"Hey, I can't make this stuff up!"

They shared a laugh before Harsh spoke again, "We are cultivators but we are also simple people of Jade Plains. We train our bodies, our spirituality, and our martial arts in order to fight. We fight for our family and friends and we are willing to die for what we believe in."

"Does it have to be that way?" Alisha asked.

"Not always. But sometimes, some problems simply cannot be solved without bloodshed. And this is one of those instances." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "I want to fight. The captains want to fight. The guards all want to fight. So let us fight... for you."

"Thank you, uncle."

She leaned into him, letting the last bit of doubt be washed away by his strength and loyalty. Together, they watched the light from the bandit army to the west.

"Your father has been asking about the situation, went the war will start." He said after a while.

She looked up at him questioningly.

"He found out from others and made me talk. I didn't go out of my way to tell him, I swear. But I couldn't just lie." He answered.

"Did he say anything?"

"Nothing much... except that if his old friend was still alive, he would have never let the Duanmu Clan do something like this." He said.

"He always says that. He's said that for the last ten years." Alisha said, "But people change and those clan elders certainly have changed. I don't want you giving him regular updates or anything. Just leave him be. "

Harsh looked around uncomfortably before finally changed the subject. "It doesn't look like the bandits have enough for a total siege."

"No, they don't. They would have needed at least seven or eight thousand for that."

He nodded in agreement and rubbed the solid stone of the battlements. "Then they will have to break through by force. Which direction do you think they will attack from?"

"West is possible. The east side is the same as the west side so there is no point for them to go east." Alisha started walking towards the north, with Harsh following close behind, "They could go south to prevent us from escaping. But there is also the danger of reinforcements from that direction and their army being hemmed in. I don't think they will choose the south, at least, I don't think they are dumb enough for that."

They turned a corner in the wall and arrived at the northern section. Here, they overlooked the wealthy district of the town, supported by the flow of jade from the northern mining field and the business activities of the Southern Seas Trading Company. The residents here were well off and lived a good life. They rarely had to worry about bandits because most of them didn't have to put their lives on the line to make a living. But now, the bandits were going to be their problem.

"North." Alisha said, "They'll attack from the north. They can cut us off the mining fields. They can also use the prisoners to mine jade and spiritual stones to help replenish their strength. Perhaps that's what they intended for all along."

Harsh scoffed, "A bit of jade and spiritual stones aren't going to help them. A handful of them breaking through isn't going to make a difference. Not before they all starve to death. They won't be able to get over these walls until there's not a strand of spiritual energy left in my body!"

"You won't be fighting alone. I and Jade Hill Town will fight alongside you."

"What if they aren't willing." He jerked his head towards the houses of the wealthy.

"Then I will make them fight." Alisha said. Her voice became hard and she once again became Lord Reddy, "Send out this emergency decree to all corners of the town. By the authority of the Lord of the Jade Plains, ordained by the Rising Sea Kingdom, all residents of Jade Hill Town aged fifteen and above are hereby conscripted into the defense of the town against the attacking forces of Abundance Town and the Duanmu Clan. There will be no exceptions except for mothers with children and those with special professions. Those conscripted will be placed into a command structure with guards as their leaders. They will be given arms, rations, and emergency training.

"Place extra emphasis that everyone must obey this decree and the commands of the guards they are assigned to. Those that refuse will be treated as enemy sympathizers and jailed. Their property will be forfeit. Especially egregious cases will be given a lord's judgment which may result in immediate execution. Everyone must be united in defense of our home. Tell them that Lord Reddy is committed and hopes everyone will share in this effort. We will not bow down to bandits. If we fight together, Jade Hill Town will not fall."

Harsh bowed his head, "Understood, it will be done!"

"Good, there's also something else I need you to do..."