“No wonder tonight went so smoothly!”
In an instant, Shen Zechuan understood much of what had been hidden. He turned sharply, restraining himself from speaking, and looked to Xiao Chiyu.
“Tiger,” Xiao Chiyu said quickly, “leave two thousand men to guard this place. Ding Tao, take the horses northeast of Cizhou; have the ambushers move south immediately to block the southern roads. The rest of you follow me back to the city.”
This plan to lure the tiger from its mountain had clearly been long in the making, likely devised even before Lei Changming left Luoshan. The dispatches sent from Luoshan to Cizhou had been vague, full of conflicting reports—most mentioning the earthen fortifications of Lei Changming’s bandits, leaving the true number of his forces a mystery. The uncertainty led them to assume that the forty thousand men were a bluff, believing he wouldn’t dare attack head-on. In reality, Lei Changming never intended to confront Xiao Chiyu directly.
“Kunling won’t fail to recognize Lei Changming,” Shen Zechuan said, swinging onto his horse beside Xiao Chiyu. “I now suspect all rumors about Lei Changming are false; ‘Lei Changming’ is just a façade.”
Xiao Chiyu tossed his umbrella to Dantai Hu, draped Shen Zechuan with his cloak, and guided him onto the horse. “Even if he captures Kunling, it’s useless. He likely aims to use Kunling to open Cizhou’s gates—then he’s inside, and we’re outside.”
Xiao Chiyu had relied on the Cizhou granaries to sustain him when facing Lei Changming’s “forty thousand,” allowing for rapid strikes to eliminate scattered troops. But Lei Changming, aware of Xiao Chiyu’s advantages, avoided direct conflict, turning the tables—leaving the imperial army wandering outside, deprived of supplies.
“He’s been in the shadows all along,” Shen Zechuan said, pulling his cloak tighter against the wind, “and knows our movements perfectly.”
“Cizhou isn’t our territory,” Xiao Chiyu noted, “so he must have eyes inside the city. Yet we know nothing of him.” He laughed suddenly, tightening his grip on the reins. “This person… he’s quite the character!”
The rain had lightened, leaving only a few streaks in the night wind. Hooves splashed through the mud as they surged toward Cizhou—but no matter their speed, Kunling had already reached the city.
Kunling, long a bookish scholar, was nearly forty-five now. Exhausted, his bones rattling from the ride, he slid from his horse, supported by a companion, bowing repeatedly. “Thanks to you brave men, or the consequences would have been dire.”
“Nonsense,” the companion said, protective despite his rugged appearance. “I feared the pursuers might appear at any moment. Drink some water, then we’ll continue. Once at the city gate, have it opened quickly.”
They paused briefly at a lantern-lit inn, not to lodge, merely to let Kunling sip hot tea and ease his trembling legs, worn and scraped. As they rested, hooves sounded outside. The companion’s hand instinctively went to his sword, eyes wary in the dim light.
A group of travelers entered, led by two equally tall men. All were large, with long arms and broad shoulders, exuding authority even in simple cloth. One removed his cloak, revealing a stubbled face, tossed a bag of money to the innkeeper, and said, “Rooms—one private, three shared. Any cooked food? Steamed buns and braised beef, with wine.”
The second, similarly imposing, opened his money bag. “All take rooms!”
From the center of their circle came a muffled cough—an elderly man still cloaked murmured, “Silver isn’t easy to come by. Wait another day. Let everyone eat, then rest.”
Qiao Tianya brushed hair from his face, retrieved the money bag from Fei Sheng, and handed it to the innkeeper. “Follow my plan. Food promptly, no delays. Master, you’ve endured travel with us—how can we have you sleep in a shared room? You deserve rest.”
Fei Sheng, unwilling to be outdone, added, “My fault, master. I’ll see you to your room immediately. Dinner will be brought to you.”
Kunling, unaware of these people’s identities, sensed their danger—they all carried weapons. He put down his tea, telling his companion, “We should be on our way.”
Before they could move, the group had already seated themselves, filling the inn’s four square tables. Qiao Tianya intentionally sat beside Kunling, blocking his path.
“Well,” Qiao Tianya said, pouring tea, “you two are traveling too?”
The companion, now appearing like an ordinary farmer, smiled shyly. “Yes, accompanying my elder brother.”
Qiao Tianya leaned over, hand on the table, eyeing the man. “Where to? Perhaps we’re headed the same way. Roads are full of officials after money; we’ve had to avoid main paths. Sorry, I talk too much—where are you off to?”
Kunling, in pain and trapped, replied through gritted teeth, “To Malian Town. Know it?”
“Near Cizhou? Convenient—we head to Cizhou City first,” Qiao Tianya said, arm across the table, studying the man. “Your brother looks familiar.”
The companion realized he was being scrutinized. Mistaking them for imperial agents chasing Xiao Chiyu and Shen Zechuan, he relaxed, appearing even more simple. “I’m a humble farmer from Dengzhou.”
He produced a crumpled travel pass and household register stamped by the Dengzhou government. “Going to Malian Town for a wedding banquet for a sister’s newborn child.”
“Celebration!” Qiao Tianya said happily. “I love children—and full-month banquets!”
Kunling forced a smile, suggesting, “Rain’s stopped; let’s continue to save on lodging.”
Fei Sheng had descended and, seeing Qiao Tianya blocking the way, sat behind the companion, cutting off any escape.
“What’s the chat about?” Fei Sheng grabbed a bun, observing the exchange.
“Children,” Qiao Tianya replied, offering food. “Little ones need to eat too. Server, two more chopsticks!”
Kunling noticed something wrong. The tea bowl tipped suddenly, splashing the companion, who hurriedly wiped himself and apologized to Fei Sheng.
Fei Sheng sprang forward, shoulder-barging the man violently. The companion was flung back, nearly crashing into furniture, sweating, terrified, bowing repeatedly.
Clearly, he wasn’t trained in martial arts.
Fei Sheng exchanged a look with Qiao Tianya, then shoved the companion again. “Damn bad luck!”
The man toppled again, hitting furniture; Kunling exclaimed in alarm at the blood. Qiao Tianya feigned restraint, saying, “It’s fine, it’s the road—no need to trouble him.”
Fei Sheng grumbled, returning to fetch dinner for their master.
Kunling guided the companion to the door. The man, bloodied and trembling, glanced fearfully at Qiao Tianya’s group, then followed Kunling into the night.
Fei Sheng finally dropped his disguise. “Why interrogate them? We’re wanted too. Less trouble near Cizhou is safer.”
“I felt something off,” Qiao Tianya said, sipping wine, frowning. “When you struck him, he really didn’t react?”
“No,” Fei Sheng replied, chewing beef. “He can pretend, but once the body is trained to react, it’s hard to suppress instinct. Strange fellow, but not a fighter.”
“If he truly could control himself?” Qiao Tianya asked suddenly.
“Then he’s formidable,” Fei Sheng gestured mid-air. “Only someone like Master Ji Gang could manage that. Think about Hou Ye—his physique is obvious; his natural power immense. If he were asleep, you couldn’t touch him safely. Endurance like that requires years of practice. This man… can’t be that old. Impossible.”
Qiao Tianya ate quietly, letting the matter drop. After their meal, when the innkeeper counted money, Fei Sheng idly checked the coins. They felt different—slightly unlike the silver they’d brought from Qu Du, issued by the Ministry of Finance.
Fei Sheng, usually boastful and eager to flatter, noticed this anomaly. He held up the coins, scrutinizing them. “Zhongbo has traded mostly with Juexi, right?”
“Yes,” Qiao Tianya replied, leaning on the counter. “New silver is rare—mostly illicit trade from Juexi. Common folk exchange for copper first. During Xian De years, few new coins were minted. Now, only the Xi family’s silver store has such fresh coins.”
If these coins didn’t come from Shen Zechuan, they must have come from someone manipulating the Xi family silver reserves. Either way, they were valuable.
Qiao Tianya sprang to his feet. “Leave half to guard and care for Master. The rest follow me. Fei Lao Shi, you’ve really misjudged him! Pursue!”