When Gou Zi saw Dan Ying, he almost didn’t recognize him. The young eagle whose head was always held high in the past now had a butcher’s knife clenched between his teeth, his two hands catching pig’s blood in a wooden basin. Seeing that the blood had mostly drained, he grabbed a handful of salt from the side and quickly stirred it with chopsticks.

“Shopkeeper, is Xiao Ying a butcher now?” Gou Zi asked the shopkeeper in disbelief. They had all come from the Yun Family estate and were already quite familiar with each other.

“Xiao Ying wanted to do this himself, and this old man couldn’t stop him. It’s actually for the best. When Xiao Ying was at the Yun Family estate, he was the pig slaughterer. Now he’s returning to his old trade, there’s nothing wrong with that. Watching him slaughter pigs always reminds me of things back at the estate. In those days, I’d always send the eldest boy to Xiao Ying’s place to get two catties of meat, all four-finger thick slabs of fatty pork. When cooked and stuffed in hot steamed buns, I’d drool even in my dreams. It’s not the same anymore—even mountain and sea delicacies taste just so-so now.”

Dan Ying handled the fat pig with the entire process flowing like clouds and water. The shopkeeper stood in the courtyard with his arms folded watching, while a young assistant brought Gou Zi hot tea and flatbread to tide him over.

After the pig had been turned into two gleaming white halves, Dan Ying washed his hands in hot water and said to the shopkeeper: “Uncle Fang, you can stay in Cangyan City for another ten days. After ten days, you’ll all have to evacuate completely. You probably won’t be able to stay in Goguryeo anymore, so join up with the main army. After finishing business, return together. I estimate you won’t have another chance to come to Goguryeo again.”

The shopkeeper said with a smile: “If we leave early, it might arouse their suspicion. Gao Huizhen is no good-for-nothing. When he sees things going badly, he’ll prepare in advance. This time the family head is personally leading troops. Xiao Ying, just consider your Uncle Fang as a soldier too. The Yun Family estate has generously provided for this old man for many years—selling my life to the Marquis is only right.”

Gou Zi chuckled, picked up the teapot, and went into the room. These past days he had walked several hundred li through the wilderness and was really quite exhausted. He planned to eat his fill and then sleep to replenish his strength.

He slept until the third watch when he suddenly opened his eyes to see Dan Ying slip into his room like a cat, tossing over a set of black clothes.

This was the so-called night walking outfit. In two or three moves he dressed, secured his personal items, and followed Dan Ying out. Passing by the shopkeeper’s room, he tapped lightly on the window lattice and heard a cough from inside. The two exchanged smiles and scaled the wall before disappearing into the darkness…

Yun Ye had thought Wu She would have some incredible ability to steal a person’s vital yang and wither their bones and marrow. It turned out he simply used silver needles to damage a person’s kidneys, making them urinate blood endlessly, forcibly turning a robust person into an invalid. The final result was that the person’s kidneys would cease functioning, becoming a uremia patient who would eventually die from total body edema.

This didn’t require silver needles—fists would work just fine. No one’s kidneys could be strong enough to withstand punching and kicking. Having figured out the principle, Yun Ye’s interest greatly diminished.

In just three days, Gae Suwen could barely stand up. He seemed to have forgotten he was a prisoner, enthusiastically discussing the Grand Historian with Yun Ye through the prison cart.

“I had the reputation of a child prodigy from my youth. At ten years old I could recite ancient texts. Unfortunately, Goguryeo didn’t have that many books for me to read, so I could only study grand works like the Book of Changes, Book of Documents, Spring and Autumn Annals, Zuo Commentary, and Stratagems of the Warring States. Among these, my favorite is the Records of the Grand Historian.”

“This is a book with backbone. Though this man called himself a castrated remnant, he had a straighter spine and more integrity as a historian than later people like Chen Shou. Your China never lacks people with vast learning spanning ancient and modern times with broad vision. The First Emperor of Qin conducted a burning of books and burying of scholars, and Emperor Wu of Han followed with exclusively honoring Confucianism. The great road of thought gradually became a winding, narrow mountain path. The fertile soil that nurtured thought gradually became barren. Geniuses with originality nearly went extinct, such that your China’s learning made no further progress after Dong Zhongshu. Instead, many commentators arose—they could only explain the thoughts of predecessors but had no ideas of their own.”

“Could it be that your China is truly heaven’s favored child? When thought suffered the greatest degree of restriction, just when it seemed terminally ill, those foreign tribes on horseback came. They killed off the decayed old people, devoured those submissive women, and only those who understood adaptation and knew how to draw nourishment from their enemies survived.”

“A hundred years of gathering strength, a hundred years of recuperation, and you once again became the most powerful existence in this world. I believe you should thank those barbarians rather than exterminating them completely. Compared to the expansion of thought, physical injuries are truly insufficient to discuss. The barbarian intervention was beneficial to you—why do you always consider it a humiliation?”

Yun Ye carefully wiped the silver needles in his hand with alcohol. While talking with Gae Suwen, he had already finished applying needles to his body. Each set had only six needles, so Gae Suwen felt little pain—like being bitten by mosquitoes a few times. The only thing he didn’t know was that his kidneys had been poked by the silver needles until they looked like sieves.

Chinese medicine treatment had relatively slow effects, so Chinese medicine’s methods of harm were also relatively slow. Each time needles were applied, it was just beyond the body’s self-healing range. With each needle application, this damage accumulated until the day when the body’s resistance had absolutely no way to resist anymore, and then it would completely erupt.

“Brother Gae’s words are very correct. After I finish off Goguryeo, I will definitely spread new ideas to Goguryeo. Believe me, I will teach everything without reservation, absolutely without favoritism.”

“As for Great Tang, forget it. My family’s garbage is treasure in other countries—like the Japanese nation. Even if our ancestors had all kinds of faults, Brother Gae, before you become a person of Great Tang, you’re not qualified to comment. If we want to criticize my family’s ancestors, we’ll do it ourselves after offering incense. Whether the old ancestors get angry and want to beat us with boards or make us face the wall, it doesn’t matter. Within our own family behind closed doors, even if we kowtow, throw tantrums, or roll on the ground, so what? This is my family’s business.”

Gae Suwen smiled, cupped his hands in apology, and said to Yun Ye: “Speaking of the Japanese nation, I have actually met a woman of stunning talent and beauty from their country. Her name is Takayama Hitsuji. She greatly admires China’s Liezi, so she boldly added a ‘ko’ to her name, making it Takayama Hitsujiko. Those words just now came from Hitsujiko’s mouth. Before long, she will inherit her mother Empress Suiko’s position and become the new sovereign. These years, the envoys the Japanese nation sent to Tang were all promoted by her. She is fascinated by everything about Tang, so Marquis Yun, you will have a chance to meet.”

“Haha, how strange and odd! She’s that Stable Door Prince? The Japanese call her Prince Shotoku—turns out she’s a woman. I wonder what she looks like? I’ve seen some Japanese women in Chang’an. They’re best at smearing white ash on their faces, painting their mouths so small, and dyeing their teeth black. I looked once and didn’t dare sleep all night.”

These words set both Gae Suwen and Ronghua Nu laughing, especially Ronghua Nu who laughed until her body trembled like flowering branches. Gae Suwen pointed at Yun Ye and said: “So Marquis Yun is not an upright gentleman either. Some old Japanese customs haven’t faded. Believe me, Her Highness Takayama Hitsujiko will definitely amaze you. At that time, Marquis Yun might become a curtain guest. Remember not to forget my introduction!”

“Old Gae, tell the truth—that Takayama Hitsuji, have you already…”

“Stop right there! I, Yeon Gae Suwen, plan to marry only Ronghua Nu in this life. As for other women, I really haven’t put them in my eyes. Takayama Hitsujiko is also someone with high pride and arrogance. I hear the first man she seeks must meet her standards. Marquis Yun is a dragon and phoenix among young people—you’ll definitely have great chances.”

Yun Ye packed up his needle case and said to Gae Suwen living in the prison cart: “Life is so uninteresting. Brother Gae—when flowers bloom they must be plucked; don’t wait until no flowers remain to pluck bare branches. Life is short; timely pleasure is most important.” Saying this, he left the tent housing the prison cart with his guards, kindly lowering the door curtain as he went.

After Yun Ye left, Gae Suwen stood up to exercise his limbs, forcefully pressing his fingers all over his body. For places he couldn’t reach, Ronghua Nu carefully examined them for him, especially where Yun Ye had applied needles—these were examined most carefully.

“Suwen, how do you feel? Is anything uncomfortable?” Ronghua Nu looked worriedly at Gae Suwen.

After bustling about for a long time, Gae Suwen sat down and threw two punches into the air. Listening to the sharp whistle of wind from his fists, he said with a confused expression: “I know being needled by him is very improper, but I just don’t know where the impropriety lies. Human fear comes from ignorance. Ronghua, don’t worry about his tricks. We just need to struggle to stay alive, and there will be hope. Three natural barriers still stand before Yun Ye. It won’t be so easy for him to achieve his goal. Only in chaos do we have opportunity. Yun Ye is a formidable enemy. This time we not only need to find a way to leave, but if possible, we must also take his head.”

When heroes become ruthless, they always gain the favor of beauties. Ronghua Nu grasped Gae Suwen’s hand and placed it on her ample bosom—this was the last bit of comfort she could give to the man she loved…

On the sea surface, only a sparse few warships remained, replaced by large expanses of wooden rafts. Before them were the rolling waters of the Liao River. The somewhat yellow river water and the jade-green seawater seemed to have a clear distinction like the Jing and Wei rivers. As soon as rafts approached the river water, they would be pushed back.

Yun Ye didn’t understand these things and could only ask Liu Fang with concern: “Sir, do you think the seawater will flow backward when the tide rises tonight?”

“This is inevitable. The Qiantang tide can flow backward three hundred li at once. The Liao River doesn’t have such uniquely favorable conditions, but the river mouth is likewise trumpet-shaped. Flowing backward a hundred li is still feasible. We’ll take advantage of this sea tide to penetrate deep into the Liao River’s interior.”

Both men simultaneously looked up at the moon that had just risen above the mountain peak, both hoping in their hearts that it could exert its maximum power and send them even further.