The wound on Fang Xidao’s right shoulder was still bleeding steadily. The hole punched through by the iron ring looked particularly gruesome.

Behind him stood Lü Wuman; before him stood Zhou Qixi. In that moment, Fang Xidao felt a faint, quiet regret.

Not for having come here — but for not having been more careful.

Gang Gang was already dead. One could easily imagine how he had been captured.

If Zhou Qixi had found Gang Gang and pretended to say that Prince Ning, worried they couldn’t handle things alone, had sent someone with a message — telling Zhou Qixi to bring men to provide support.

A man who had just been promoted to Three-Province Inspector by Prince Ning. A man directly involved in the very case at hand.

In an instant like that, Gang Gang would absolutely have let his guard down.

For a master of Zhou Qixi’s caliber, one unguarded instant from Gang Gang would have been more than enough to act.

“Qianban.”

Lü Wuman drew a deep breath and said: “Even now, you still have two paths open to you.”

In a situation like this, Fang Xidao was still able to carefully think through the chain of cause and effect.

He hoped Chen Dawei was all right. Back when they were at the gambling house up front, he had gestured for Chen Dawei to leave first and wait outside.

With Chen Dawei’s quick thinking, the meaning should have been clear.

Even back then, Fang Xidao had sensed things were going to grow complicated. By sending Chen Dawei outside to wait, he had hoped to keep at least one of them from being trapped here.

If Chen Dawei could get clear and make it back to the county city, the two hundred black-armored Tingwei cavalry there would at minimum be enough to ensure his safe withdrawal from Guan County.

In that same moment, Fang Xidao also came to understand — Lü Wuman had in fact told quite a few lies throughout their conversation.

Take the matter of the portrait, for instance. The portrait could not have been what he called the work of an artist who had drawn it in an extremely short span of time at a tavern.

It had been Zhou Qixi. No one had imagined that Zhou Qixi could be a member of Shanhe Seal.

Furthermore, looking at Zhou Qixi’s conduct, the way he spoke with Lü Wuman, and his martial skill — this man’s standing within Shanhe Seal was likely no lower than Lü Wuman’s.

That made Lü Wuman’s claim a second lie: he had said he’d only arrived a year and a half ago, that Shanhe Seal’s establishment in Jizhou hadn’t begun until a year and a half prior.

Yet Zhou Qixi had been the one who, three years ago, had come alone with all of the Jinzhou prefectural seals, knelt at the city gates, and welcomed the Ning Army’s entry into the city.

Working from that — Shanhe Seal had already begun planting roots in the northern Jizhou region at least three years before.

Whether this Zhou Qixi was even the real Zhou Qixi was itself something worth questioning.

Lü Wuman’s other lie was… the reason he claimed not to kill Zhou Qixi — for the benefit of the local people.

It had been a chain stratagem. The objective was to help Zhou Qixi establish his identity and win Prince Ning’s trust.

It had to be said — the plan had succeeded. Even Prince Ning had been deceived.

Such layered, interlocking methods offered no defense.

Had Lü Wuman not been somewhat greedy — had he not also tried to draw Fang Xidao into the fold — Fang Xidao would have had no way of knowing any of this, because Lü Wuman only needed to stay hidden and never show himself.

As for Zhou Qixi — had he not come today, who could have known any of it?

Lü Wuman should have been furious at Zhou Qixi’s appearance. This had clearly not been part of the plan.

“You two appear not to have coordinated with each other.”

Fang Xidao slowly exhaled and looked at Lü Wuman: “Inspector Zhou’s sudden arrival — he likely didn’t want Master Lü to hold all the threads by himself.”

“Ha ha ha ha—”

Zhou Qixi broke into loud laughter: “You’re actually trying to sow discord between us? That kind of move — it’s not particularly clever.”

He laughed: “Qianban, spare your efforts. My appearing here today was entirely part of the plan.”

Lü Wuman said: “You should not have shown your face.”

Zhou Qixi said: “I was wrong to do so. But… circumstances changed — I had no choice.”

“Why?”

“Kill this man first, then I’ll explain.”

Zhou Qixi looked at Fang Xidao: “Take care on your way, Qianban.”

He lunged toward Fang Xidao’s throat. Fang Xidao immediately retreated.

In the instant he withdrew, Lü Wuman’s palm came driving into his back.

In a split second, Fang Xidao dropped into a crouch — abandoning all pretense of dignity — and rolled aside to evade.

Both men overshot their marks, coming in from front and back, nearly striking each other.

Zhou Qixi saw Fang Xidao rolling toward the wall. He swept a foot along the ground — the courtyard was covered in white river stones, which exploded outward like shrapnel toward Fang Xidao.

Fang Xidao raised his iron spike to block, but could not deflect them all. One stone struck him in the chest.

Under that tremendous force, Fang Xidao’s breath was knocked out of him for an instant.

He bit down hard and forced himself upright, lunging for the top of the wall. His body had barely risen when Zhou Qixi caught up and seized him by the ankle.

Zhou Qixi gave a cold snort, swung him in a full circle, and slammed him down onto the ground.

Even in midair there came a faint crack — the bones in Fang Xidao’s lower leg had been wrenched apart.

Fang Xidao forced himself to stand, using the iron spike as a prop, hand braced against a nearby peach tree as he slowly pulled himself upright.

The peach blossoms were in full bloom.

He was covered in blood from head to toe, as if blossoms had drifted down and settled all over him.

“Why keep at it?”

Lü Wuman said: “Accept it. Stop struggling and resisting — at least let the end come quickly.”

He brought his palm sweeping down toward Fang Xidao’s chest.

Fang Xidao was severely wounded now. The peach tree was at his back — there was nowhere to retreat.

But at that very moment, something came streaking at Lü Wuman from behind with the speed of lightning.

The object was not large, and it was sharp, so even the sound it cut through the air with was barely audible.

Like a flying nail.

Lü Wuman didn’t notice it. Zhou Qixi did — he shoved Lü Wuman out of the way.

With a dull thud, the nail buried itself in Fang Xidao’s right shoulder — by a strange coincidence, driving straight through his existing wound.

Fang Xidao could no longer stand upright. If he had been standing straight, the nail would have struck a vital point.

Just as all three of them stood momentarily dazed, several bursts of smoke suddenly erupted across the courtyard.

Thud — thud — thud—

From some unseen direction, objects came flying in, and in an instant the entire courtyard was blanketed by thick, billowing smoke.

“Die!”

The moment the smoke appeared, Lü Wuman spun around and drove his palm into the peach tree.

He knew that with the smoke rising, someone had come to rescue Fang Xidao.

With a crack, his palm connected with something, immediately followed by a muffled grunt.

The smoke shifted. Something flashed through the haze.

Seeing the trajectory of the shifting smoke, Zhou Qixi immediately drove a kick — again a crack, and something was sent flying, crashing hard into the wall.

The smoke swirled rapidly, but still nothing could be seen clearly in that small courtyard.

“Clear it!”

Lü Wuman spun his body, throwing both arms wide. His two great sleeves rotated like enormous fans.

The smoke was quickly dispersed, and visibility began to return.

Moments later, Lü Wuman stopped. He walked to the peach tree and looked — there was blood on the trunk, likely Fang Xidao’s.

But Fang Xidao was gone.

On the other side, Zhou Qixi walked to the courtyard wall. A figure was embedded in it — the person he had kicked flying. The body had been driven through the wall and was wedged there. It was the young thief Zhao Ke, who had been bound up earlier.

“Quite resourceful.”

Zhou Qixi said: “Fast-moving too. Must be Fang Xidao’s other companion. Lü Wuman — you were careless. You should have kept watch.”

“Mei Wujiu!”

Lü Wuman bellowed furiously: “You should never have come, and you should never have shown yourself! The master’s great plan may well be ruined by this!”

Zhou Qixi sighed: “You shouldn’t be calling me by that name… though fortunately, he can’t have gotten far.”

With that he vaulted up and over the wall, gone in an instant.

Lü Wuman gave a helpless sigh, glanced around, then leaped over the wall after him.

Outside the courtyard, Chen Dawei had Fang Xidao across his back and was running in great, flying strides.

“Qianban, you have to hold on.”

Chen Dawei spoke while running.

“When you signaled me to go outside, I stole one of their horses — my hands are fast, even faster than Gang Gang… I’ve got the horse hidden up ahead, almost there. Hold on just a little longer.”

Fang Xidao coughed several times and spat blood: “You shouldn’t have come back. You should have left first.”

“Left first… I couldn’t… there was someone in my heart pulling me back, wouldn’t let me leave first.”

Chen Dawei spoke while running at full speed: “If it were you, Qianban — you wouldn’t have left first either, would you.”

Fang Xidao was silent. After a moment he replied: “I would. I am the Tingwei Army’s Qianban. I must put the mission first. I should—”

At this he coughed again several times, and a great deal of blood poured from his mouth, running down onto Chen Dawei.

Chen Dawei said: “I don’t believe a word of that. If you were the kind of man who could abandon his brothers-in-arms, you’d never have made it into the Tingwei Army.”

Fang Xidao gave a helpless sigh. He said with complete sincerity: “Dawei — you must remember this next time. Don’t do something so reckless. If you had gotten out and sent word, Prince Ning would have been prepared and could have swept these criminals out… “

Chen Dawei’s footsteps seemed to carry a quiet smile.

“Next time… all right. Next time, I’ll be sure to.”

His stride stumbled slightly, as though catching on something, but he quickly adjusted.

Chen Dawei ran with astonishing speed — he did have real ability, after all. He and Gang Gang had grown up together. Whatever skills Gang Gang had learned, he had learned as well.

Among those, many of the arts of the Thief’s Gate had been taught to him personally by Gang Gang.

Lightness techniques — within the Ning Army, neither of the two should have been much worse than Yu Jiuling.

He burst through the gambling house ahead, and under the bewildered stares of a crowd of people, Chen Dawei swept through like a gust of wind.

He kept running until he broke through the chicken yard, and across from it lay a stretch of trees — also fruit trees, though they appeared to have been abandoned, untended.

Chen Dawei plunged into those trees and set Fang Xidao down, then with quick, deft hands untied the reins of the horse he had bound to a trunk.

Then he gritted his teeth and hoisted Fang Xidao up onto the horse’s back: “Qianban — ride, quickly.”

Fang Xidao: “Why won’t you come—”

The words died in his throat as he saw, only now, that Chen Dawei’s chin was entirely drenched in blood. Thick, dark blood was dripping from his jaw, and the whole front of his shirt had been soaked through with it.

He had bled all the way here at a full sprint, and somehow managed to keep going until he reached where the horse was hidden.

Chen Dawei dropped to the ground: “Can’t go… Qianban, ride. That man—”

In the moment the smoke had erupted, Lü Wuman’s palm had driven into the peach tree.

Chen Dawei had turned, and put his own back between that blow and Fang Xidao.

“Qianban… ride now. Ask Prince Ning to avenge me and Gang Gang. Cough, cough…”

Chen Dawei sat there. Each time he opened his mouth, blood poured out — his internal organs must have been shattered by the blow.

“Prince Ning promised us, didn’t he… that someday he’d make us enfeoffed lords, build us grand estates, and one day entrust us with a great undertaking…”

“The great undertaking — we can’t see it through. Tell Prince Ning on our behalf — the two of us… have gone on ahead.”

In the distance, Zhou Qixi — his face once again covered — and Lü Wuman came striding swiftly toward them.

“Ride!”

Chen Dawei’s voice cracked with the force of his shout.

Fang Xidao’s eyes welled with blood and tears. He bit down so hard his gums bled.

“Ah—!”

He let out a raw cry, then moved to reach down and pull Chen Dawei up onto the horse with him. Chen Dawei’s hand gave a flick, and a flying nail struck the horse on its hindquarters. The horse lurched forward in pain and bolted.

Before long, Lü Wuman was the first to come running up. When he caught sight of Chen Dawei, his eyes filled with killing intent.

“So you were also a petty thief!”

He snarled the words.

Chen Dawei said softly: “I’m… a great thief.”

Lü Wuman crouched down and reached for the front of Chen Dawei’s shirt. Chen Dawei’s mouth moved slightly — somehow, impossibly, he had a small razor hidden beneath his tongue. Biting down, he drew the blade in a swift sweep, going for Lü Wuman’s throat.

Lü Wuman startled violently and shoved Chen Dawei back.

Chen Dawei opened his mouth and spat. The blade drove into Lü Wuman’s eye. Lü Wuman let out a howl of agony.

Chen Dawei watched the man reel backward, and in his heart he thought…

*Gang Gang — can you see me? Did I do well?*

*You taught me that.*

Chen Dawei fell back onto the ground and lay there, looking up at the sky. The sky was all red.

“Gang Gang… walk slower… when have you ever left me behind… walk slower… slower… I’m coming…”

His eyes closed, slowly.

—