For the most part, the atmosphere within the realm of Qingming seemed to have changed overnight. However, there were still a few places that remained as they always had—cut off from the outside world.

At present, there were still a little over 3,000 people confined within a camp. It had been expanded twice just to make it less crowded. Among those held were members of the Xu Clan’s private army, former troops of Yue Qilin, Hsu Li’s loyalists, and scattered official troops who had been captured here and there.

Due to their different backgrounds, the prisoners had naturally formed their own small groups. For example, the Xu Clan’s private army and the various official troops absolutely despised one another. Despite living on the same side, they remained strictly separated.

By now, most of the Xu Clan’s private army and Yue Qilin’s former troops had already surrendered to Wei Yuan. Those remaining were all people who clung stubbornly to the banner of righteousness and personal pride. However, they could not change the fact that the majority of their comrades had surrendered. Just the guilt by association was enough to earn them the scorn of the other official troops.

But there was one particularly clear factional divide amid these tangled relationships. On the other side of the camp were several hundred men of all backgrounds. They were all people who had declared their intention to surrender. In the past, these men would have been taken away immediately...