Volume Two: Outlaw of This Land Chapter Eighty-Six: Riding from Here Back to There

A woman had come into the courtyard, dressed in white as pure as snow.

A light veil shrouded her face, and the fur mantle draped over her shoulders was wide enough to hide much, yet even in its looseness it could not conceal the graceful curves beneath.

As though this inexplicable mystery had been born only to prepare the way for allure.

The woman was Gongsun Twelve.

Nothing of her joy or anger could be read beneath the veil, but the faint trembling of her body betrayed her sorrow. It was like dusk before snowfall, like withered blossoms and fallen boughs, and the whole world seemed steeped in a silent grievance: some are born with no kinship to worry or hatred, yet fate insists on adding a few more burdens to them.

If one had to put it plainly, it was the caprice of destiny; even beauty must be flawed.

Gongsun Twelve had come to find the husband in name only. Their first meeting had revealed him as a lecher; the second, however, had shown a man who seemed utterly beyond restraint. Before Ma Hui's very eyes, he had slain his general, standing upon corpses to face the sovereign of Horse-Saddle City with icy indifference toward life and death.

If one were to fall in love with such a man, hm, that would be rather lovely indeed. And if the two could join hands and spend the rest of their days together, perhaps the figure in the painting would gain a few strokes more.

While her thoughts wandered, she was escorted inside by the people of Mt. Si. The rough men wore smiles, stealing glances at her now and then, yet even these simple fellows seemed to grow shy under her gaze.

And in their eyes there was not the slightest hint of vulgarity.

For that reason Gongsun Twelve felt troubled. She carried a double identity. Ma Hui had seized her mother and left her maternal uncle under guard in his manor, using the two as leverage to force Gongsun Twelve to become his informant. But she was unwilling. Her mother had told her that if she ever encountered happiness, she must strive with all her might to pursue it. As for them, they were of little consequence. It was not that she trusted Ma Hui's conscience, only that this warlord would be somewhat "magnanimous" toward ants that did not threaten his interests.

Pity and disdain are often separated by the thinnest of lines. Who could know whether Ma Hui's mercy toward ants came from the one or the other? The heroes of the northern border were always lone sovereigns; mercy would only earn even graves contempt.

Lin Changtian had never expected Ma Hui to suddenly grow benevolent. After hearing his few brief words, he had let the matter rest, only hoping that this lord's reverence for profit might be a little greedier...

Greed was the most seductive thing of all. After clarity, it would quietly raise its head, make its impatient move, and congratulate itself on its own cleverness.

When Lin Changtian saw Gongsun Twelve, the smile on his face was more sincere than anyone's. Naturally, he knew that behind the hand guiding this rose stood the great bandit who held life and death in his grasp.

"So this time I don't get to choose between cherry-blossom pink and rhododendron-red ropes for this servant to pick from?" Gongsun Twelve said with a smile, her eyes like autumn water, glancing once at Xu Yong before settling on Lin Changtian and not letting go.

Lin Changtian, however, took her teasing for a challenge. As soon as she finished speaking, the corner of his mouth curled into a sneer. He too grew smug for once, already convinced in his heart that Gongsun Twelve was a venomous woman utterly devoted to reactionary forces.

"Qiyong, go buy every color of rope in Horse-Saddle City for this marshal. We in Mt. Si cannot let people look down on us! Gongsun Twelve, when the time comes, you had better choose carefully for this marshal..."

Liu Qingshan grabbed Lin Changtian by the ear and, ignoring his face full of resentment, tossed him off to some corner.

"Young lady, do not be afraid. Once you have entered the gate of Mt. Si, you are one of us. Marriage is no affair for outsiders. If you are willing to keep company with this young Xu, that is best; if not, then that is your own business, and no one has the right to interfere. But if some people's mouths are too idle and too foul..."

Liu Qingshan paused, then shot a fierce glance at Lin Changtian, who was baring his teeth and claws in the corner to frighten people, and said, "Then come tell this old man. I should like to see how much skill he truly has!"

The viciousness on Lin Changtian's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a righteous and imposing expression, as though he utterly despised those petty creatures who loved to spread gossip.

The veteran is open-minded...

Gongsun Twelve bowed deeply and gave Liu Qingshan a respectful salute.

"How could I not be open-minded?" It was Lin Changtian who spoke, unable to shed his fondness for running his mouth. "Our Mt. Si's one and only true god, Liu Qingshan, has relied on force to lay down countless rules for us bandits. Take the fierce general Qiyong in my own camp, for instance: he merely had a bit of friction while roughhousing with his comrades, and the old man beat him senseless for it. Even then he went so far as to teach Qiyong the gentlemanly principle of using his mouth, not his hands. You truly deserve the title of old but not dead, which is to say... a hero."

Seeing Liu Qingshan slowly walking toward him, Lin Changtian hastily changed his tune, plastering his face with smiles and trying to smooth the matter over.

"Young lady had better close her eyes for now. I need to clean house. The scene may be a little unsightly."

As he spoke, Liu Qingshan rolled up his sleeves. Amid a series of utterly miserable cries, he gradually reached a consensus with Lin Changtian.

Lin Changtian, looking "wronged," moved over beside Qiyong and whispered, "If I am ever like this when I grow old, please be sure to send me to a nursing home. I have no other requests, just one: fewer old men, more old women..."

"Since Miss Gongsun is also ready, we should set out for Weinan Mountain Pass as soon as possible. After all, how can one be truly at ease in another man's home?" Xu Yong remained as aloof as ever. Though his words were directed at Gongsun Twelve, he did not look at her once. He merely nodded to the others, and they returned to their rooms to pack.

The main person in the room was thus left with only Gongsun Twelve, blinking awkwardly.

She was not familiar with the maid behind her. With those two looking so submissive and proper, who could know what wicked intentions they harbored? After all, Ma Hui had personally forced these servants upon her in front of her eyes; his purpose was self-evident.

"Miss, please wait here a moment. We should be setting out shortly." Liu Qing gave her a slight nod, then took Lin Changtian away with a smile.

...

The garrison at Weinan Mountain Pass had acquired a cavalry unit.

Their armor was cold and hard; only the neighing of spirited horses could be heard. Their formation was neat and stern, like an army hardened by a hundred battles. Leading them were the elite riders under Gongsun Twelve, while the men guarding the banners on either side came mostly from the followers of Lin Zhao and Yang Feng.

Kuisheng truly had skill. In only a few months, he had trained a force no weaker than the bandits of Little Green Mountain.

"Tsk, to think this rabble could be forged into what it is today. You two have made an immense contribution." Kuisheng rubbed his hands in excitement, patted Lin Zhao's head, then, to Yang Feng's helpless exasperation, punched him hard several times.

But still, it was nowhere near that army of old...

Kuisheng sighed. He did miss those brutes.

After all, the cavalry of Little Green Mountain, once the new era dawned, had battered the entire southern reaches of the northern border to the point where none dared test their锋芒...

"Is that figure Marshal Lin?" Lin Zhao broke free from Kuisheng's grasp and pointed toward the hazy shape ahead.

Kuisheng narrowed his eyes, looked for a long while without being able to make it out, and simply waved a hand, spurring his horse forward in a cloud of dust.

...

Lin Changtian was being held over a horse by Qiyong. He had some fear of this kind of thing. Just as he would feel carsick in childhood, he would feel unwell for a long time after mounting a horse. What was more, after the awakening of this new age, every horse had become something akin to a divine steed; if one encountered a mount with even a slightly fiercer temper, then it was no longer a matter of a man riding a horse...

"Speaking of which, why not travel through the sky? Why insist on riding horses? Even the vehicles that were once so scarce are now lying before our eyes, and nobody bothers to give them a second glance. To give up progress in pursuit of backwardness—what is the point of that?" Lin Changtian grumbled, utterly unable to understand this phenomenon of "civilizational regression."

Qiyong scratched his head. He wanted to argue a little, but had no learning in his belly, and could only grin foolishly.

Liu Qingshan, riding nearby, cast Lin Changtian a sidelong glance, urged his horse a few steps faster, and gave him a sharp knock on the forehead.

"Old Senior Liu, where exactly did I speak wrongly again!" Lin Changtian glared angrily at him. But Liu Qingshan ignored him, simply continuing to rap his skull until the anger was knocked clean out of sight.

"Reasoned behavior is civilized, while brute behavior is rude. Is that not the gist of it?" Liu Qingshan asked slowly after striking the eighteenth level of the exquisite pagoda on Lin Changtian's head.

The marshal of Mt. Si shook his head for a long while, feeling only darkness swim before his eyes, but upon hearing this lord speak, he still had to grit his teeth and nod.

"If we are to reason with you, that is not impossible. After the awakening of this new age, all things compared to the past have evolved. Just the horse beneath us alone is faster than those carriages by who knows how much. You brat are surely unconvinced, thinking that it is because the technology of the northern border is backward, and that four wheels cannot outpace running on two legs. But think about it: in the Divine Continent of Yunyuan or in the central north, were their carriages really that swift? Leaving comfort aside, when marching in the northern border, which of the two is truly backward and which advanced—do I really need to say more? As for the ability to travel through the sky, only you and I here can do it. I have no wish to waste my strength. If you are not afraid of getting lost again, then go ahead and fly up into the heavens."

Liu Qingshan stroked his beard and pointed with his chin toward the horizon, indicating that someone should soar with the wind for ninety thousand miles so that everyone might see what it looks like to be smashed into a meat pie.

Lin Changtian flushed red and retorted, unconvinced, "Wouldn't it have been better to reason with me earlier? Why insist on being a barbarian..."

"If I reasoned with you, could you actually shut that broken mouth of yours? No, right? But if I said nothing and simply beat you once, wouldn't the effect be immediate? So you see, this so-called civilized method is not even as useful as brute force. Who is advanced and who is backward—can a single mouth of yours really make that clear?"

"Your shameless sophistry is not all that different from Yu Baili's," Lin Changtian said, still refusing to yield, his neck stiff with obstinacy.

Liu Qingshan sneered again and raised his hand once more. After a round of friendly negotiation, Lin Changtian expressed his agreement with the elder's insight and voluntarily promised to submit a five-thousand-word reflection on ideological study after returning to Mt. Si.

"This really isn't sophistry. Let me give you an example: when the Mongols swept across Eurasia a thousand years ago, some said it was barbarism conquering civilization. Yet the armor and tactics of the Mongol iron cavalry were far more advanced than those of their contemporaries. But what, then, does that count as? Civilization conquering barbarism? That still isn't right, is it? Their methods of rule were crude, and the shock they brought to civilization was immense; within it, one can hardly see any trace of political progress. So tell me, can that truly be called civilization conquering barbarism? How many tens of thousands of lives built the stage of history? Can this curtain, dyed with blood, be summed up in just a few words from you? Xiao Linzi, do you not think your absurd conduct is rather ignorant?"

Lin Changtian drooped his head and let Liu Qingshan scold him. He did not want to listen, but the old man's baton was resting against his neck, looking very much as though he would beat him if a single word went wrong.

But he also could not react not at all; otherwise, would that not wound the heart of old Senior Liu, who had so kindly counseled him? Whether the old man was hurt or not was a matter for later. Whether he himself could get home alive was the real issue...

"I have learned my lesson."

Lin Changtian simply lay flat across the horse's back, looking like a salted fish resigned to being lectured at will.

Only, his ears stood alert to the stir of tens of thousands of troops.

Lin Changtian's expression sharpened. He sat up from the horse's back, placed a hand on his waist, and narrowed his eyes, letting killing intent churn within him.

The dust ahead settled. A dark mass of elite riders formed ranks before the generals of Mt. Si. Lin Changtian dismounted, stepped before Liu Qingshan to shield him, and rested a hand on his blade while waiting for the general who was striding out from the crowd.

Ha—out from the throng emerged a bald head, its shining scalp making Lin Changtian laugh outright.

"Kuisheng, shaved off that scruffy little growth of yours again?"

Kuisheng clutched his head and grinned stupidly. "Changtian, what do you think of the cavalry force newly trained by our Mt. Si?"

Lin Changtian swept his eyes from the left, taking in the tens of thousands of soldiers, and after looking for a long while, he finally gave a thumbs-up and praised from the heart, "Even if Yu Baili came himself, he would have a hard time of it."

"Why compare him to Yu the Old Boss? Not to brag, but if our army of tens of thousands were to surround and kill him alone, even letting a few of him escape would not make him any less a hero, Yu Baili or not! But after grinding these weapons for so long, what we have been thinking of is how to take the head of Gongsun Twelve!"

Lin Changtian gave him a strange look, turned slightly aside, and revealed Gongsun Twelve behind him, her delicate face faintly flushed.

She was naturally not embarrassed. It was merely that this boast from a defeated general was too amusing to bear, yet she had to preserve Lin Changtian's dignity, and so her face had reddened all the same.

Kuisheng, however, stood frozen in place, scratching his bald head almost raw and still unable to make sense of it.

"Let's go into the pass first. Once inside, we'll have some food, and then I'll explain all these trivial matters to you."

Qiyong shouted at Kuisheng. After an entire morning of hard marching, his stomach was already feeling lonely.