Volume Two: Bandits of This Realm Chapter 93: Desiring Battle

A detachment of troops arrived beneath Mount Si, escorting carts piled high with money and provisions, heavy enough to strain the wheels.

Lin Changtian was usually solemn and unsmiling, but his left cheek was swollen to the point of embarrassment, and he was in a foul mood, preparing to give Lin Peiyou a proper scolding. Then...

Well, there was nothing to be done. They had simply offered far too much.

“Please, at least curse me a little. The way you are looking at me is truly unnerving,” Lin Peiyou said, retreating two steps, unable to bear the old lord’s resentful stare.

Lin Changtian ignored the bruise on his face and walked up to Liu Shiyong with a smiling countenance. “I caught sight of you from afar back in Xieli Town. Even then I felt an immediate warmth and familiarity. Truly, no wonder you are the magistrate of the place!”

Liu Shiyong wiped his sweat away, pride showing on his face, yet he still affected modesty. “You flatter me. The young master still has much to learn under your guidance. It is only that the commander has instructed us to accompany the young lord in his studies, so I wonder whether a small area on this mountain might be set aside for our lodging...”

“Ah, nonsense! I have always held great reverence for Commander Lin Yuan; even my surname bears his shade. It is only that land on Mount Si... is a little tight these days, and once divided up there will not be much per person. So as for the matter of expenses, well, that will still require...” Lin Changtian said slowly, gesturing with his hands.

Liu Shiyong gave him a sidelong glance, his expression strange. After a long silence, he finally adopted a lecturing tone. “You come from the Central Lands, so I know you are full of new words. Mount Si’s reputation is famous throughout the northern regions. But when it comes to scholarship, it is best to adapt to local customs. After all, the one standing behind us is that great lord.”

“So you old wretch think that by invoking Lin Yuan you can freeload food and lodging from my Mount Si?” Lin Changtian narrowed his eyes. He was always quick to turn his face, and before anyone noticed, his long saber had flipped onto his wrist, resting beside Liu Shiyong’s ear, with every intention of taking the old villain’s head if a single word went amiss.

Liu Shiyong no longer dared to put on airs. He clenched his teeth, then simply dropped to his knees and hurriedly said, “You have misunderstood me. In all my life, there is nothing I despise more than curs dogs who bully others by leaning on their backing! When I say we must follow local customs, I naturally mean we will abide by Mount Si’s rules! Eh? Could it be that someone has no shame and still wants to eat and live off you for nothing?”

The blade did not move an inch. Lin Changtian’s expression remained cold, and the chilling gleam of steel made Liu Shiyong’s spine go icy. He quickly changed to a fawning look and continued, “Simply entrust me with the task of collecting payment, and I shall be sure to make Mount Si a fortune beyond measure!”

Lin Peiyou frowned. He seemed to understand now who had ruined the new policies at Xieli.

The saber returned to its sheath, and the murderous old star forced a smile as he helped Liu Shiyong back up.

“The people from your land are truly loyal,” Lin Changtian said, giving a thumbs-up and pointing toward the western frontier.

Liu Shiyong let out a long breath, sneering inwardly without pause. A mere yellow-haired pup, and yet he had still been brought to heel by this old man.

Still, age was age; his legs and feet were no longer nimble, and speaking while kneeling had been rather taxing. If this had been in his younger years...

“If there is nothing else, would you mind turning aside for a moment? Commander Lin Yuan has a few words he would like this old man to pass on to the young master.”

Liu Shiyong took a sheet of paper from his chest, walked up to Lin Peiyou, cleared his throat, and shouted sternly, “What sort of slop is crammed into that head of yours! To be fooled away with just a few words? I have no time to bother with you, but your mother frets every day, so remember to spare a moment to write home and offer your regards! Liu Shiyong, on behalf of the commander, will give you a kick, you useless fool.” He paused there, his smile turning apologetic, and then, to Lin Peiyou’s stunned gaze, delivered a savage kick.

“Since you say that without that man’s teaching you may never have another chance at enlightenment, do you expect me to drag you back home? Study hard, ask questions, and remember—you’ve paid for this! If anyone bullies you, keep your mouth shut for now and smile at them. Once you return home, I’ll stand up for you. That is all I have to say. Wear more clothes when it is cold. Do not worry about us!”

Liu Shiyong ended his speech with iron resolve and bowed deeply toward Lin Peiyou. “Please do not blame us. Every word in there was written down for me by Commander Lin himself. Young master, the meaning is for you to ponder on your own. I only have one unpleasant thing to say: do not... disappoint our lord.”

“I understand. Since I’ve paid, I’ll surely make something of myself!” Lin Peiyou rubbed his eyes, turned away, and sighed at the strong winds of Mount Si.

Lin Changtian clicked his tongue and patted his forehead. “Well, then what you’ve paid is enough already. Mount Si is not short on the cost of food and lodging... Remember to study properly with Elder Liu. And if you want to hear about the Central Lands, I’ll tell you whenever I have the time.”

“Er... even if there may not be such a chance anymore,” Lin Peiyou said, blinking solemnly. “Yesterday Elder Liu personally inspected the report you wrote about yourself. He looked at it for several hours...”

Lin Changtian’s face darkened as he ground his teeth. “That old dog is truly despicable. He let things slide so many times before, and now, when it matters most, he chooses to investigate so strictly!”

“Senior Liu said this was to cast the line long and wait for certain people to bite!” Lin Peiyou said, holding back laughter. He had already spotted Liu Qingshan walking over with a staff in hand.

Liu Shiyong frowned. Clearly, he had realized that this teacher was no proper mentor either! “What could such a man possibly teach? He is probably just helping some mountain bumpkin make a fool of himself.”

As that thought crossed his mind, before the sneer could even fully form, astonishment sprang forth first.

Gale-force energy coiled around Lin Changtian, and in just a few breaths he had shot more than thirty feet away. The old man with the fierce glare was no less extraordinary; in the blink of an eye he turned into a brilliant rainbow, caught up to the tiny black dot hanging at the edge of the sky, and brought it crashing down with a vicious blow of his staff.

“Could that be... a boundary master?” Liu Shiyong swallowed hard and asked cautiously.

Lin Peiyou nodded and said with a wry smile, “And not just any boundary master. Judging by the force of that energy, he must at least be in the divine communion realm.”

“Then doesn’t that mean... his cultivation is on par with our commander’s? Does Mount Si really have such a person?” Liu Shiyong murmured, not even sure who he was speaking to.

...

At Weinan Mountain, Kui Sheng stood with cold eyes upon the pass, watching the dense black tide of cavalry outside the gate.

“Which one of you is General Kui Sheng? Come out and show yourself,” the bandit leader shouted as he rode forward, driving his troops several paces closer. “If you have not the courage, then forget it. Go deliver a message: the heavenly soldiers of Commander Ma Hui have arrived. Open the mountain gate at once!”

Kui Sheng touched his bald head and, instead, broke into a grin.

“You brute, do you know how Kui here came to stand upon this pass?”

The bandit was idly hacking at a tree branch. Hearing someone answer, he quickly looked up and bellowed, “That has nothing to do with us. But you had best remember this: if you stand too high, a fall will leave your fate beyond your own control!”

“Then I shall come down and answer you,” Kui Sheng said with a laugh, pointing at the bandit. He turned and descended the pass, where a black mass of cavalry surged out to face the enemy head-on, blades and spears nearly thrust into each other’s faces.

Kui Sheng dismounted in the midst of the two armies and drew a long line on the ground between them. He lifted his head and said with a savage grin, “Who you serve is none of my concern, but listen well to this: whoever crosses this line will die. Let alone the backing behind you—if you want to strut with authority here, throw your master aside and speak with your own skill!”

“What do you want, then?” the bandit roared at Kui Sheng, still ferocious, though the hand gripping his saber had begun to tremble slightly.

Kui Sheng shot him a sidelong glance, then calmly drew his blade and pointed it at the bandit’s face. “The wolves and tigers behind me have long gone without blood. Come to a mounted battle. Either you earn great merit and ride over my corpse into Weinan Pass, or you die here, and like the filth you are, are buried in the earth to nourish the tree seeds I planted with my own hands.”

The troops behind the bandit shouted and cursed, a heaving black tide, as though they meant to drown these silent enemies in spit.

The troops of Weinan Mountain raised their weapons in answer, still wordless, while Kui Sheng alone continued speaking at his leisure.

...

“How many of Ma Hui’s men does he intend to slaughter before Ma Hui will come to see me in person? He ought to look at himself—does he really think a bandit who has only just gained some standing can now overshadow the heavens?”

The bandit swallowed and withdrew into the ranks. Only after his own men had shielded him completely did he speak again. “I merely came to deliver a message, to tell the one at Mount Si to remember the promise he once made! Do not break the rules.”

Kui Sheng pointed toward the horizon and suddenly roared, “A thief invades our borders—what then?”

“Kill!”

The wolves and tigers howled and surged forward together, driving the enemy cavalry to meet them.

But how could domesticated hounds compare to wild beasts?

At first contact, the enemy collapsed in rout. They were driven and hunted from the south to the north for dozens of li, and the buzzing chatter was beaten back down into their bellies. After that, they fell silent, and the world became much quieter for it.

In the end, it is still the wicked who must be tempered by the wicked.

...

“Kui Sheng’s actions were certainly not wrong, but I fear Ma Hui will lose face over this and sever all ties with us entirely. That would be troublesome,” Qi Yong said after reading the battle report. He first nodded in praise of Kui Sheng’s valor, then immediately tightened his expression, as though the matter were truly thorny.

Lin Changtian stretched lazily, toying with the cup in his hand, and listened to the generals talking over one another. He found the whole thing dreadfully tedious.

“General Qi speaks no falsehood. Still, back at Armor Horse City, I fear there was not much face left to lose in the first place. Ma Hui may simply be looking for an excuse to extort some profit,” Xu Yong said, cupping his hands. Standing beside Gongsun Twelve, he wore an untroubled expression.

Yet the corner of his eye kept stealing glances at the other man, and the fondness in his heart could not be concealed.

“Making an enemy of Ma Hui is not something we should do yet. With our current strength, defending ourselves is more than enough, but if we take our men out and meet him head-on, then who can say who will live or die? Whether we fight or make peace, we need a thorough plan,” Lu Liang said, taking over the discussion and laying out everything he meant to say in one breath.

The generals argued again, their voices rising without end.

Lin Changtian yawned and coughed. Only when the clamor in the hall had finally died did he speak in a lazy drawl. “What everyone has said has its reason, but none of it is useful.”

“Please, do continue your performance,” Chen Ziliang said with a tilt of his mouth, signaling that everyone was waiting for him to finish putting on the act.

Lin Changtian gave him a sour look and said irritably, “Since Master Chen has spoken, how dare I disobey? Who told you all that it is we who should be anxious right now? What Ma Hui has done is not mere provocation. On the contrary, I think this army may well be precisely what he wanted to lose here.”

Chen Ziliang, holding a handful of melon seeds, could already feel that man’s blinding radiance.