Chapter 28: Back to the City!

The axe came down.

No unnecessary words.

No preparation.

No foreplay.

Straight to the point yet astonishingly smooth.

The woman collapsed to the ground.

As one of the shaman-priests of the Royal Court, she had never imagined her end would come in such a baffling way.

The caravan guard beside her froze as well.

What had just happened was apparently beyond his ability to comprehend.

Fortunately, Fan Li was an honest man.

A considerate man.

He disliked seeing people around him troubled.

So, he liked helping others resolve their troubles and confusion.

But he also knew he was rather stupid.

At least, during that half year at the inn, the Fourth Lady and Xue San had both mocked him for being slow in the head.

So Fan Li did not intend to help people solve their “troubles.”

He knew he did not have the brains for that.

But if he solved the person who was troubled, then the trouble was solved all the same, wasn’t it?

And so, there was one more corpse on the ground.

Afterward, Fan Li sat down on a mound of earth and pulled a huge handful of desert onions from inside his clothes.

Over the past few days, he had eaten enormous quantities of them.

He had spent all the silver he earned in the caravan buying desert onions. They were not particularly difficult to find on the grasslands and in the Gobi.

Add some salt and yogurt, pickle them a little, and they tasted astringent and spicy, with a powerful kick.

The caravan guard who had just died had always been very unhappy about this, because he and Fan Li shared a tent at night.

Considering that in later generations these desert onions were known as “Mongolian chives,” one could imagine just how powerful the smell became when someone ate too many.

But after eating a handful one day, Fan Li had suddenly felt his strength increase!

Like a wild beast instinctively seeking out trace nutrients its body lacked, Fan Li naturally concluded that the desert onions were restoring his strength.

So he ate them.

Every day.

Whenever he had nothing else to do.

He ate them while riding.

He ate them while walking.

He even slept with some stuffed in his mouth.

He kept eating until the sandstorm finally died away.

He kept eating until three horses appeared in the distance ahead.

They were still too far away to make out clearly.

But on one of those horses, that tiny, stubborn silhouette was enough for Fan Li to instantly recognize who it was.

Fan Li smiled.

It was the same simple, honest smile as always.

He waved the desert onions in his hand.

He had decided to share this miraculous food that could restore strength with all his little companions!

...

“So you recognized Xue San’s dagger?”

“Yep, Master. Recognized it. He spent half a year sharpening that thing in the courtyard.”

“And you hacked that woman down?”

“Hacked ’er.”

Fan Li made a plain, unadorned wood-chopping motion with his empty hand.

Zheng Fan nodded and passed Fan Li the waterskin in his hand.

Fan Li accepted it with a grin and gulped down several huge mouthfuls.

Things in this world were simply strange.

It was as though countless invisible threads truly existed, linking person to person and event to event.

Summed up in one sentence, perhaps it was simply:

Fate cannot be put into words.

Fan Li had followed the Blind Man Bei’s arrangements and joined that barbarian merchant caravan to scout the desert.

The purpose was to leave the inn an escape route.

If things truly became impossible, the whole group really could retreat into the desert and open a new Dragon Gate Inn, while Feng Siniang changed careers and sold human-flesh buns.

Who could have imagined that the caravan was actually an espionage unit belonging to the barbarian Royal Court?

The merchant caravan was merely a disguise.

Its true purpose was to gather intelligence for the Royal Court.

Perhaps the steward who recruited Fan Li was too low-ranking to know the truth.

Or perhaps the caravan simply thought Fan Li was strong, simple-minded, and knew how to ride, making him an excellent bargain as hired muscle.

Whatever the reason, they took him along.

Then, by another ridiculous coincidence, the white-robed woman who had only just escaped from Zheng Fan’s group somehow ran directly into the reception team Fan Li happened to be part of.

And Xue San’s dagger, still sticking out of the woman’s back, became the perfect marker.

As far as Fan Li was concerned, if one of his companions had stabbed someone, then that person was obviously an enemy.

His companion had failed to stab her to death.

So Fan Li had to hack her to death.

Perfectly reasonable!

And just like that, the matter was settled.

The two children, however, both survived.

Fan Li had not killed the boy.

At Zheng Fan’s order, Xue San took both children to a nearby herdsman’s home and simply entrusted them to the family. He also left some silver and two horses.

Strictly speaking, the safest course would still have been to pull the weeds out by the roots.

But Zheng Fan could not bring himself to make that decision.

Fine.

If, several decades from now, some peerless desert conqueror and Great Khan grew up, spent his free time shooting eagles, then led tens of thousands of cavalry charging toward Zheng Fan to avenge this blood feud then Zheng Fan would kneel.

He would have no complaints.

Three people had gone out.

Four returned.

Because they had been delayed along the road, by the time the four reached the outskirts of Tiger Head City, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

Tiger Head City closed its gates at night, especially while the shadow of war had yet to disperse completely.

Fortunately, Zheng Fan had at least managed to acquire an official position on this trip.

Even if that office was worse than Sun Wukong’s post as Keeper of the Imperial Stables.

At least the Keeper of the Imperial Stables had horses.

Zheng Fan did not even have horses.

At the city gate, they called up to the guards.

A hanging basket was lowered from above, and Zheng Fan was hauled up in it.

In his hands were the letter and the sealed appointment document given to him by the female general from the household of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

First he met the squad leader guarding the gate.

Then the Squad Leader.

After that, the Centurion.

Next came Wang Li, the Patrol Lieutenant Commander.

Every single one of them took his letter and appointment document, read them once, then looked Zheng Fan up and down with an odd expression.

Finally, like a product moving down an assembly line, Zheng Fan was passed from one pair of hands to the next until he eventually arrived inside a main hall.

Seated in the place of honor was a potbellied man.

Zheng Fan remembered him.

That day, while Zheng Fan had been sitting behind the Blind Man Bei’s fortune-telling stall, he had watched this man ride an “exotic beast” through the streets at the head of a group of cavalry.

Zheng Fan also remembered his official title:

Pacification Commissioner.

Not “Commissioner for Inviting People to Beat Him Up.”

The office was roughly equivalent to the chief commander responsible for public security in a region, with duties including hunting down bandits and suppressing roaming outlaw bands.

The Blind Man Bei had once told Zheng Fan that the official system of the State of Yan was somewhat complicated and could not be mapped perfectly onto any single dynasty of ancient China.

Seated below him was an official with white hair and beard.

Barring surprises, this should be the true chief administrator of Tiger Head City.

One could call him the county magistrate.

Foreign merchants, however, preferred calling him the City Lord.

Clearly, the Pacification Commissioner outranked this county magistrate.

The Pacification Commissioner read through the letter and appointment document, then addressed Zheng Fan below.

“Lieutenant Commander Zheng. Tell us about the battle.”

What followed was Zheng Fan’s account.

Other than concealing the fact that he, Liang Cheng, and Xue San had known about the attack beforehand, he added very little embellishment.

As for his contribution, he merely said he had been lucky enough to kill the chieftain of the Shatuo Tribe.

After hearing the entire account, the Pacification Commissioner nodded.

“Lieutenant Commander Zheng, from now on you fall under this official’s jurisdiction.

“I hope you will perform your duties diligently, neither disappointing His Majesty’s expectations nor the support shown to you by the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

“And I hope you will not disappoint this official’s expectations either.”

It was all formal rhetoric.

Zheng Fan immediately nodded and assented.

“Very well. Lieutenant Commander Zheng has had a difficult journey. Go home and rest for now.

“I grant you one ten-day period of leave. Ten days from now, report to the yamen for duty.”

Zheng Fan acknowledged the order, turned, and withdrew.

After Zheng Fan left the hall, the county magistrate looked worriedly toward the Pacification Commissioner and cupped his hands.

“My Lord, what does the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei intend by this?”

“What do they intend?

“They casually tossed a bone to a beggar, that’s all.

“Who told the fellow to be so lucky? He went out as a civilian laborer and somehow managed to personally kill the enemy chieftain.”

“Then... what should we...?”

“We don’t need to do anything.

“Just watch.

“At present, the Marquis of Zhenbei himself is in the capital. I hear all affairs of the Marquis’s residence are being handled by his eldest daughter.”

“My Lord, are you saying this war was started by a woman?”

“You said that.

“I didn’t say anything.”

The Pacification Commissioner chuckled.

“In any case, the relationship between the court and the Marquis of Zhenbei is far too delicate right now.

“For people like us, the best course is to watch quietly and wait.”

“Then the provisions, military equipment, and horses...”

“Why do you care about that?

“She obviously threw us a rotten yam. Why should we catch it and pretend it’s some fragrant delicacy?

“Let them do whatever they like.

“Until matters in the capital are settled, the best thing for us is to do absolutely nothing and answer change with constancy.”

“My Lord is right. My Lord is absolutely right.”

“Zheng Fan. The Zheng Clan—is it one of the wealthy households here in Tiger Head City?”

“No, it isn’t.

“If I remember correctly, they entered the city half a year ago when we carried out that large-scale registration of refugees. They opened an inn here.

“Their wine is quite good.”

“Is that so?

“Fine. That’s enough.

“Now that the battle is over—and we won—lift the city restrictions tomorrow where they ought to be lifted.

“They’ve held things up for too long.”

“Yes, yes. This subordinate will issue the orders immediately.”

“Mm. No need to see me out.”

The county magistrate bowed and left the hall.

Only the fat Pacification Commissioner and his attendant remained.

The Pacification Commissioner leaned his heavy body back into the chair and rubbed his temple.

“Tell me.

“Do you think the Marquis and the Young Lady can survive this hurdle?”

The attendant poured tea beside him.

Hearing the question, he hesitated before answering, “The Marquis is blessed by heaven. Surely fortune will protect him.”

“I don’t like hearing that kind of bullshit.

“Forget it.

“Have you finished writing the memorial impeaching the Marquis of Zhenbei’s household for corruption and abuse of power?”

“It’s ready.

“But, Master... are we truly going to submit this memorial?”

“What else can I do?

“If the Marquis is fine, then everything is fine.

“If something truly happens to him, then perhaps I—the vanguard clamoring loudest for the Marquis of Zhenbei’s downfall—might still be able to maneuver a little and help the Marquis and the Young Lady.”

“Master has put great thought into this.”

“It’s fate.

“All fate.

“I owe the Marquis and the Young Lady.”

“What about that Zheng Fan just now? Lieutenant Commander Zheng.

“Master truly intends to ignore him?”

“Look after him?

“Like hell.

“A few days ago he was an ordinary commoner.

“Even if I gave him provisions, pay, weapons, and equipment right now, if something truly happened to the Marquis afterward, would he dare raise a rebel banner with me?

“Does he have the guts?”

“Well...”

“Leave him alone.

“The Young Lady didn’t mention any special arrangements for him in her letter either.”

“Still, Master, since the Young Lady personally promoted him, he has ultimately been marked as a man of the Marquis of Zhenbei’s residence.”

“Fine by me.

“If he has the ability to scrape together men and equipment on his own, then I’ll acknowledge that he has some skill.

“Hahahaha...”

...

The city gate opened.

At the entrance, Zheng Fan reunited with Xue San, Liang Cheng, and Fan Li, who had entered behind him.

The four led their horses together through the streets.

Tiger Head City had no curfew.

Even under the recent shadow of war, there had still been no curfew, though considerably more armored patrols could now be seen on the streets.

Riding through the city in the middle of the night would have been inappropriate anyway.

After all, the creature between Zheng Fan’s legs was not some Pixiu variant.

“When we get home, I’m taking a bath first. Need to loosen up these muscles.”

Zheng Fan stretched as he spoke.

He still had very little sense that he was now an “official.”

In truth, neither the Pacification Commissioner nor the county magistrate had treated him with much enthusiasm.

That also meant his new post was... well... just that.

But Zheng Fan did not particularly care.

He had gone outside, seen battle and slaughter, and personally killed people.

The experience felt more like a transformation than anything else.

“Master, the Fourth Lady knows massage. You could have her give you the full essential-oil spa treatment.”

Xue San eagerly offered the suggestion from beside him.

At those words, an image immediately appeared in Zheng Fan’s mind...

But he quickly shook it away.

To say he felt no attraction toward the Fourth Lady would be impossible.

No normal male animal could possibly feel nothing toward a woman like Feng Siniang.

“You’re my friends.

“My family in this world.”

Under the bright moon, Zheng Fan no longer felt the words were overly sentimental or embarrassing.

He simply spoke what was in his heart.

“I’ve never treated any of you as my subordinates.

“Never.”

After all, I wouldn’t dare.

I’m afraid you’d hack me apart.

“No, Master, that’s not what I meant.

“The Fourth Lady used to run a high-end club in Shanghai. She personally trained all the technicians under her.

“Her own technique must obviously be the most—”

“That’s enough.

“Talking like this is disrespectful to the Fourth Lady.

“She probably already has a man in her heart.”

A woman with depth.

A woman with stories.

A mature woman.

Generally speaking, there was a catalyst called “a man” somewhere in the process.

But a catalyst only facilitated the reaction.

Once the reaction was complete, the catalyst could be discarded.

It did not actually become part of the final product.

At that moment, Fan Li, who was walking at the rear while leading his horse, suddenly called out, “Master, the Fourth Lady’s still a virgin.”