The spot where You Yuren had been found was on the main street, not even a *li* from the city gate.

He had taken his leave of Cao Lie before dark the previous evening. By rights, he should have returned to the Tiger Gang stronghold by last night.

The county town was full of Court Magistrate officers and Military Intelligence Division operatives right now. The odds of someone being killed on the main street without anyone noticing were virtually zero.

And yet not only had the killer struck in public, they had hung the body on a post — and left a plaque reading: *In revenge for the General.*

By the time word reached the yamen, a sizeable crowd had already gathered to see You Yuren’s body, and many had seen the plaque.

People began fleeing the city.

A Court Magistrate officer rushed over and asked Cao Lie whether to seal the city gates immediately.

Cao Lie hesitated, then shook his head. “We cannot seal the gates. We cannot stop those people from leaving. If we do, it will make people think it really was us who killed the Horse Gang’s Fourth Head.”

You Yuren’s position in the Tiger Gang was far too unique. He was not only the Fourth Head, but also the chief strategist — and Luo Jiuhong’s sworn brother.

Once Luo Jiuhong learned that You Yuren had died inside the county town, his fury would be unimaginable.

“Send men to bring Sir You’s body back. Have the Court Magistrate’s coroner come to conduct an autopsy — find out exactly how he died.”

Cao Lie thought for a moment, then said: “Send word to the Tiger Gang stronghold. Invite the Tiger Gang to send representatives here. Tell them the authorities are waiting for them to come jointly oversee the autopsy.”

He turned to Ye Xiaoqian: “Were the bodies of Sir You’s two personal bodyguards found at the scene?”

Ye Xiaoqian shook his head. “Only Sir You’s body.”

Cao Lie said: “Deploy more men. If those two are still in the city, turn every stone to find them. Sir You’s death has everything to do with those two.”

Ye Xiaoqian acknowledged the order. “I’ll take men now.”

Cao Lie turned to Li Pofu: “Take men to maintain order. Ask the townspeople not to leave their homes — in case Luo Jiuhong acts rashly and assaults the county town, causing greater casualties.”

Li Pofu sighed: “If Luo Jiuhong really charges the yamen, the whole town will be caught in it.”

Cao Lie said: “That is what they are doing. We cannot stop that. We have our own duties. Wearing the official’s robe means being a servant of the Ning King — what must be done must be done.”

“Yes, sir!”

Li Pofu responded immediately.

Cao Lie turned to Li Chenzhou: “Divide into three groups, five men each. Leave from different city gates and ride immediately to Grand General Tantai’s army. Ask the Grand General to dispatch a unit here. Once it arrives, do not enter the city rashly — station them in a hidden location outside the walls and await my signal.”

Li Chenzhou nodded. “I’ll arrange it now.”

After issuing his orders, Cao Lie paced the room, thinking through the dangers that lay ahead.

You Yuren’s death — if it sent Luo Jiuhong into an uncontrollable rage — meant it was already too late to summon reinforcements from Tantai’s army in time. The Ning Army was nearly three hundred *li* away. Even riding day and night, they could not arrive before the Horse Gang.

Cao Lie had been pacing for about a quarter of an hour when his expression suddenly hardened with resolve.

“Call them all back. I have something to say to everyone.”

He called out to the guard at the door.

A moment later, Ye Xiaoqian and the others came hurrying back, somewhat out of breath. Cao Lie had just sent them out only to summon them back at once — everyone had run back with urgency.

“My lord, what is it?” Ye Xiaoqian asked.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Cao Lie said.

He looked at them seriously. “Bring Sir You’s body to the city gates — *outside* the city.”

Ye Xiaoqian blinked. “My lord, what do you mean?”

“I am the chief official here, and the Ning King has said this place answers to me. You don’t need to ask why. Just do as I say.”

Ye Xiaoqian opened his mouth, then held his tongue.

Cao Lie continued: “Gather all the men we have… Liu Juan, come here.”

Captain Liu Juan stepped forward: “My lord, your orders?”

Cao Lie asked: “How many men do you have available?”

Liu Juan answered: “My lord, counting all forces currently within the city, we have approximately six or seven hundred men.”

Cao Lie calculated: he had brought over seven hundred men of his own, plus Liu Juan’s forces — roughly twelve to thirteen hundred in total.

He said to Liu Juan: “Although these three are two Eagle-Eye Generals and a Senior Officer, none of them have much experience commanding troops in actual battle. So I am placing military command in your hands.”

“Deploy all forces on the city walls for defense. Hold for at least three days.”

Liu Juan was stunned. “My lord — you think Luo Jiuhong will actually lead an assault on the county town?”

Cao Lie sighed: “Sir You and I were both wrong in our calculations. Sir You believed their goal was to kill me — to ignite the Ning King’s fury.”

“I thought their target was Luo Jiuhong — kill Luo Jiuhong, and they could control the Horse Gang.”

“But they were even smarter — and more ruthless — than either of us anticipated. They are weaponizing Luo Jiuhong’s sense of jianghu brotherhood.”

Ye Xiaoqian nodded slowly. “Once Sir You is dead, Luo Jiuhong will come to demand justice — no question. Whatever the final outcome, the moment Luo Jiuhong dares to besiege the county town, this conflict becomes irresolvable.”

Cao Lie said: “I’ve already sent word to Grand General Tantai requesting reinforcements. But even if the General dispatches troops immediately, it will take at least three days and three nights for them to arrive. So you must hold the city for those three days and nights.”

He looked at his people. “Move now. Calculate how long it takes for word to reach the Tiger Gang stronghold on Bowang Mountain, and then for Luo Jiuhong to mobilize and march here. We don’t have much time.”

“Yes, sir!”

Li Pofu and the others answered and ran out.

After they left, Cao Lie walked out of the yamen with just his two personal guards.

He arrived just as the Court Magistrate’s coroner was loading Sir You’s body onto a cart. Cao Lie waved them off. “Go tend to other matters. I’ll take the body to the gate.”

They bowed and went to assist elsewhere.

Cao Lie had his men drive the cart to the city gate. When they arrived, he turned to his two escorts: “Go back into the city. Close the gate behind you.”

Those two were men he had brought from Yuzhou. When they heard this, both refused to leave.

“I am the chief official here. And chief officials — they are the big brothers. When the big brother faces danger, he stands in front of his little brothers.” Cao Lie smiled. “Go on. Close the gate, bar it with timber. If you hold this city, you will have been loyal to me.”

Before they could argue, he drove them back inside. He called after them to seal the gate quickly, and they ran to find help.

Soon, soldiers came to close the gate. But Cao Lie’s two escorts ran back out. The soldiers, seeing Cao Lie still standing outside, refused to close it either. Cao Lie lost his temper — using his authority as chief official, he ordered them firmly. They complied reluctantly and pushed the gate shut.

As the gate was closing down to just a crack, Ye Xiaoqian slipped out from inside.

He walked up beside Cao Lie with a smile. “You wealthy folk really do like treating everyone else as fools.”

Cao Lie replied: “If you can’t treat other people as fools, how do you make money with a clean conscience?”

Ye Xiaoqian: “That makes you a real failure, then.”

Cao Lie sighed. “It does. As you know — however much money I have, I inherited it all.”

Ye Xiaoqian laughed heartily.

Cao Lie: “You ran out here too. Doesn’t that make *you* a fool?”

Ye Xiaoqian also sighed. “It does. As you know — however foolish I am… it was all inherited from the Court Magistrate’s legacy. All those predecessors who died in battle for their comrades — they taught us younger ones through their blood.”

Cao Lie muttered to himself: “I wasn’t like this before. It’s all that Li Chi’s damn fault…”

Ye Xiaoqian said: “My lord, you know I can’t speak of the Ning King the way you do. It’s a bit… well, you understand.”

Cao Lie burst out laughing.

Just then, on the official road ahead, a cloud of dust billowed up — like a sudden sandstorm rising from nowhere.

No need to look closely to know: the Tiger Gang’s forces were descending from the mountain.

How great the blow of You Yuren’s death had been to Luo Jiuhong — one could well imagine. And how fierce his determination to avenge You Yuren — equally imaginable.

Cao Lie and Ye Xiaoqian stood side by side next to the cart — an open flatbed with no canopy, the body lying in plain view.

The surging column arrived fast. When the riders stopped, the dust did not — it rolled forward, washing over Cao Lie and the others.

Beneath the yellow haze, it was difficult to make out one face from another.

When the dust finally settled, Cao Lie saw the Tiger Gang’s chief sitting on horseback.

The old man did not look tall in stature — but the aura of a leader about him made him seem like a giant.

He merely looked at Cao Lie, and Cao Lie felt as though a ring of sharp blades had already been placed around his neck.

Luo Jiuhong pointed his riding crop at Cao Lie. “Who are you?”

Cao Lie answered: “The Imperial Envoy dispatched here by the Ning King. His sworn brother. Cao Lie of Yuzhou.”

If it had been merely *Imperial Envoy*, Luo Jiuhong would not have given it a second thought.

But those four words — *the Ning King’s sworn brother* — stirred something involuntary in Luo Jiuhong’s heart.

Luo Jiuhong asked: “You came here to wait for me. Are you here to pay with your life for my brother’s death?”

Cao Lie said: “I am the chief official here. Whatever case occurs on my watch is my responsibility.”

He stepped forward two paces, walking up to Luo Jiuhong’s horse.

“I brought Sir You’s body to the city gate to wait for you, Chief. First — so that I may invite you to examine Sir You’s cause of death together. If Sir You had something to say to you, I believe you will find it on his person.”

“Second — to offer you, on Sir You’s behalf, one piece of counsel. As for what that counsel is… I invite you, Chief, to think about it. If Sir You could still speak — what would he say to you?”

Luo Jiuhong fell silent.

At that moment, someone in the Horse Gang crowd shouted: “Sir You would tell the Chief to avenge him!”

“Yes!”

“Avenge Sir You!”

“Avenge the Fourth Head!”

The crowd erupted. Voices rang out one after another. Many had already drawn their bows, arrows pointed at Cao Lie.

—