Chapter 68: He Died

Moonlit night.

A low earthen slope.

Three candles.

“No matter how hungry you are, you should wait before eating the offerings.

“Let the person you’re honoring come enjoy them first.

“Then we can eat.”

“He won’t mind.”

“If he doesn’t mind, then who exactly are you making offerings to?”

“Myself.”

Zheng Fan froze in astonishment.

After a while, as though he had understood something, he asked, “You really intend to do this?”

“Mm.”

“I don’t know exactly how strong you are.

“But I know you must be extremely strong.”

“Mm.”

“I don’t know exactly how terrifying the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei is.

“But I know it must be extremely terrifying.”

“Mm.”

“Look.

“You’ve already laid out offerings for yourself.

“That means you’ve made your own judgment.

“You aren’t stronger than the Marquis’s residence.

“Right?”

“Mm.”

“Then isn’t that enough?

“Listen, even though I’ve only known you for two days, I’ll speak from the heart.

“Other than being a little filthy, you don’t seem to have any other major flaws.”

At the very least, compared with the powerful but freakishly eccentric boss characters Zheng Fan knew from various stories, this man was far easier to get along with.

If the only problem was that he was a little slovenly, that was like a divorced billionaire appearing on the marriage market.

Did it really count as a problem?

“Mm.”

“I heard—

I only heard this, mind you that the Shatuo Tribe was previously wiped out by troops led by the Princess.”

The slovenly man continued eating dried meat.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

Then—

“Mm.”

“Your surname is Shatuo.

“So you should be from that tribe, right?”

“Mm.”

“So you want revenge?”

“Mm.”

“But this isn’t right.

“This is smashing an egg against a stone.

“Think about it.

“You’re this strong.

“If you want revenge, we can be a little more cowardly.

“Plan for the long term.

“That would work much better.

“Right?”

“Mm.”

“And you still intend to go tomorrow?”

“Mm.”

Zheng Fan shrugged.

Fine.

All of that had been wasted breath.

He had still been thinking about luring another powerhouse back home.

Ding Hao had already gloriously retired from the position of teacher and become a lackey.

The slovenly man, on the other hand, could probably shine brilliantly in the teacher’s position for years and years.

The problem was the man was determined to die.

“I heard from a friend of mine surnamed Jiang— well, Jiang, like ‘corpse’ that the Zhenbei Army’s iron cavalry is different from cavalry elsewhere.

“Their method of charging formations is enough that even genuine Martial Path powerhouses have difficulty gaining any advantage.”

“Mm.”

“And I imagine the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei must also have experts on your level.”

“Mm.”

“I’m saying— can you stop being so calm?

“You’ve really decided to cling to this one principle until death, haven’t you?”

“Mm.”

“No, listen.

“Killing on a battlefield is normal.

“You die or I live.

“The barbarian tribes have killed plenty of our civilians too.

“So when we kill back, that’s reasonable, isn’t it?”

“Mm.”

“Can I strangle you?”

“I... cannot understand.”

The slovenly man suddenly changed his line.

“What can’t you understand?

“Ah, what a pity.

“I have a friend surnamed Xia—

Xia, like ‘blind’ and if he were here, he’s especially good at counseling people.”

“I believe that when two sides fight, when two sides wage war, the young and strong if they die, then they die.

“Battlefield killing means staking life and death.

“That is only natural.

“But the old, the weak, women, and children should not simply die like that.

“Even if they were exiled as slaves, even if they were sold, even if they were forcibly relocated, there still should not have been an order to slaughter all of them beneath the butcher’s blade.”

“Don’t your barbarian tribes also have a custom where, after defeating another tribe, every male taller than a cartwheel is killed?”

“Yes.”

“Then there you go.”

“That custom exists.

“But that does not mean

I must approve of it.”

“Why?”

“In the past, those who died belonged to someone else’s tribe.

“I disapproved, but I could choose not to care.

“This time, the dead belonged to my own tribe.

“I can ignore other people’s affairs.

“But my own affairs—

I must care.”

“I understand that principle.

“You only learn how much a blade hurts once it falls on your own body.

“I’m not against you taking revenge.

“I simply think you could take your time.

“I have a friend surnamed Ding.

“He’s currently in the middle of pursuing revenge too.

“But he understands endurance.

“He knows how to wait slowly for his opportunity.”

“You... have many friends.”

“Heh heh.

“I enjoy helping others and win people through virtue.”

“Many people have told me to wait.”

“Then that proves there are quite a few farsighted friends like me around you.”

“The Khan told me to wait.”

“...”

Zheng Fan.

“The Left and Right Wise Kings also told me to wait.”

“...”

Zheng Fan.

“The High Priest also told me to wait.

“They all tell me to wait.

“They all tell me to endure.

“They say the relationship between the Emperor of Yan and the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei has reached its most delicate stage.

“Once the Emperor of Yan and the Marquis’s residence completely break apart, the blade hanging above the barbarian tribes will be moved away.”

“That logic is correct.”

“The Khan says that when the time comes, we can ally with the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei and counterattack Yan together.

“We need only take Beifeng Commandery.

“All the remaining territory of the State of Yan can be given to the Li Clan.”

“The Left Wise King says that when the Emperor of Yan and the Marquis’s residence go to war, we can assist the Emperor of Yan and completely destroy the blade that has hung above our people for a century.

“Once that blade is gone, Yan will no longer be a threat.

“The gates of Yan— and the gates of the four eastern states will open before us.”

“The Right Wise King says that while the Marquis’s residence and the Emperor of Yan oppose each other, we can raise the banner of the Royal Court and begin conquering the great tribes that refuse our commands.

“We can restore the authority of the Royal Court.

“We can rebuild the glory of the Golden Clan.”

“They all tell me to wait.

“They all tell me to endure.

“But I truly do not understand.

“Why should I wait?

“Why should I endure?”

“I was born in the Shatuo Tribe.

“When I was very, very young, people from the Shrine selected me and brought me back to the Royal Court.

“At first, I studied barbarian curses.

“I might have become a barbarian shaman someday.

“But later, I discovered I possessed greater talent on the Martial Path.

“So I chose the path of a Martial Artist instead.

“Whatever the priest told me to do, I did.

“Whatever the priest told me to learn, I learned.

“Whatever office the Khan told me to hold, I held.

“Whoever the Khan told me to campaign against, I campaigned against.

“But I always knew clearly: my surname is Shatuo.

“I believe in the banner of the Royal Court, but I am not a member of the Golden Clan.

“My home has always been among the Shatuo.

“It was not a very large tribe.

“There are many, many tribes like it across the desert.

“But now— my home is gone.”

The slovenly man raised his head.

He looked at Zheng Fan.

Then repeated, “My home is already gone.”

Zheng Fan fell silent.

“I miss the butter tea of my tribe.

“I miss the mare’s-milk wine brewed by the mothers there.

“I miss the sheepskin coat a girl from the tribe once gave me.

“When the Shrine selected me, they told me that if I went there and performed well, my tribe would receive protection from the Royal Court.

“The lives of my tribespeople would improve.

“So I cultivated desperately.

“Barbarian curses.

“The Martial Path.

“Killing.

“Campaigns.

“I gave everything I had to all of them.

“I thought that through my efforts, the people of my tribe might live somewhat more peacefully.

“They might gain access to slightly better grazing grounds.

“They might pay a little less tribute to the great tribes.

“And someday, when my qi and blood declined, when I became old, when it was time for me to remove my armor and return home, I could go back to my tribe.

“I could herd sheep.

“I could watch the children of the tribe laugh and chase one another before my eyes.

“That was my dream.

“That was what I pursued.

“Whenever the Royal Court held its great assemblies, everyone drank a great deal of wine.

“They would talk about the dreams inside their hearts.

“Some would say they dreamed of marching west again and washing away the shame of the Golden Clan’s defeat in the West a century ago.

“Some would say they dreamed of unifying the desert again, bringing every barbarian beneath the Royal Court’s banner once more.

“Some would say they dreamed of marching south, turning the four eastern states into barbarian pasture, and having their women bear descendants for the barbarian tribes.

“Every time, I only drank.

“I never spoke.

“Because compared with their dreams, mine felt far too small.

“But I always believed my dream would be much easier to realize than theirs.

“Then suddenly, one day, someone came to the Royal Court with a battle report.

“And the battle report said— my dream was gone...

“It was gone!!!”

The slovenly man’s final roar seemed to rip straight out of his chest.

Zheng Fan sighed.

“All right.

“I won’t try to persuade you anymore.

“You’re the tallest person I’ve seen since coming to this world.”

“Mm.”

The slovenly man resumed eating dried meat.

“Uh... don’t blame me for being vulgar.

And don’t blame me for being petty.

I have one small request.

You’re going to die anyway.

So while you’re at it, help me a little.

Because I still need to keep living.

“Of course, if you don’t want to, you can refuse outright.”

“Mm.”

“Tomorrow— before you die could you help me put on a little performance?

“I don’t have any burdens.

“No family.

“The thing I want most in this life is simply wealth and honor.

“You understand what I mean, right?”

“Mm.”

“Uh... when you say ‘mm’ this time, does that mean you agree?”

“Mm.”

“Tsk... listen, it isn’t that I’m shameless.

Even if you intend to die tomorrow, the fact that you agreed so readily still feels strange.

“You’re not doing this only to repay me for giving you one piece of clothing and feeding you for two days, are you?”

“Mm.”

“Then why?”

The slovenly man wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stood.

Only then did Zheng Fan suddenly notice that below the earthen slope there was a tent.

Outside the tent stood a flock of sheep.

The slovenly man walked directly down the slope.

A boy and a girl ran out of the tent.

The two children rushed familiarly toward him.

He caught one in each arm.

Then turned around to face Zheng Fan.

“Before coming here, I found the two of them.”

...

“Hah...!”

Zheng Fan abruptly opened his eyes.

Only then did he realize he was lying on an extremely comfortable bed.

Was that... a dream?

“You’re awake.”

A young man’s voice sounded nearby.

Zheng Fan turned his head.

A young man dressed in white sat in an armchair beside the bed.

Dragon patterns were embroidered across his clothes.

“The physician said that when you blocked that saber for me, you suffered internal injuries.

“Your qi and blood stagnated, which caused you to lose consciousness.

“But after resting for a while and taking some tonics to replenish your vitality, there should be no lasting harm.”

The Sixth Prince was an easygoing man.

At a moment like this, Zheng Fan should have been flattering him.

He should have said things like:

“Many thanks for Your Highness’s concern.”

“Giving my life for Your Highness is this subordinate’s duty.”

Instead, Zheng Fan immediately asked, “That... barbarian.

What happened to him?”

“That barbarian dog?

“Heh heh.

“Aiya, he was terrifyingly fierce.

“If you hadn’t sacrificed yourself and blocked that saber for me, I’d probably be down below playing chess with Imperial Grandfather right now.

“Fortunately, Regional Commander Li Yuanhu of the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei desperately blocked him.

“But even after that barbarian suffered heavy wounds, he remained abnormally powerful.

“His qi and blood were clearly exhausted, yet he still managed to seriously injure Commander Li.

“In the end— thousands of Zhenbei cavalry surrounded him again on the riverbank.

“And even then, he actually killed another hundred cavalry with his own hands.

“Tsk tsk tsk...”

Zheng Fan asked urgently, “And after that?”

The Sixth Prince walked to the bedside.

He reached out and gently patted Zheng Fan’s shoulder.

Then said, “He died.”

(End of Chapter)