Sensing the morale of the fighters falling, the elder of Xuechi yelled out, his face dark, "No, that's impossible! None of you could have killed the sura king Xuechi—not your governor, nor all of you working in concert! You must have delayed or trapped the king somewhere so that he can't return quickly. Before he does, I urge you to flee—otherwise, he'll slaughter you all!"

The troops' morale couldn't be shaken at such a critical juncture. Otherwise, they surely wouldn't be able to delay until their king's return. 

The fighters calmed down, realizing the truth of the elder's...