Several months later. Shu Province, Kaoshan Pass.

Li Chi and his party had set out directly from Shen Shanhu’s army toward Ji Province without returning to Mei City, leaving the affairs of Shu Province in the hands of Lu Chonglou and Cao Lie.

With two such men overseeing Shu Province, Li Chi had nothing to worry about. Whatever Lu Chonglou lacked, Cao Lie excelled in, and vice versa — the two complemented each other perfectly. If they couldn’t manage Shu Province’s affairs between them, then Li Chi would likely have to handle things himself.

At Kaoshan Pass, Li Chi encountered a messenger who had ridden from Qing Province carrying a letter in Master Wu’s own hand.

Li Chi was standing atop the pass’s city wall, gazing out at the scenery, when the messenger arrived — and he happened to spot the man the moment he appeared.

The letter was brought up to the wall. Li Chi opened it and read, his brow furrowing slightly.

Master Wu’s letter recounted in detail how every last remnant of Han Feibao’s forces had fled to Yunlai Island, then offered his assessment. He wrote that the remnants had been entirely quiet, which made him suspect something had gone wrong within Han Feibao’s ranks — perhaps some significant internal upheaval.

He further speculated that these bandits most likely had no intention of leaving Yunlai Island. Grand General Tang Pidi had already driven into the Bohai Kingdom from Yan Province, so the rebel force would probably not march toward Yan Province. They might spend the winter building their strength, then attempt to break out in another direction.

Master Wu wrote that Yunlai Island was easy to defend and difficult to assault, with only a single sea passage leading in. Wiping out the rebels on the island would be exceedingly difficult. He wished to request that the King of Ning transfer the Wolf Ape Battalion to the eastern frontier.

Li Chi calculated the days. More than two months had already passed since Master Wu had dispatched this letter. It was now early winter; even if he ordered the Wolf Ape Battalion to set out for the Qing Province coast that very day, the force would not arrive until spring of the following year.

So he immediately called for paper and brush, and wrote his reply to Master Wu right there on the city wall. He told Master Wu that he could recruit jianghu heroes from within Qing Province and Ji Province.

When it came to fighting in such terrain, regular troops were often ill-suited to the task, yet individual jianghu fighters with unique skills could produce remarkable results. All matters were left to Master Wu’s own judgment — he was permitted to offer the jianghu men suitable terms.

When the letter was finished, Li Chi had it sent immediately to the postal relay station and dispatched to Qing Province with all haste.

After sending the letter, Li Chi also dispatched men to Mei City with orders for Gao Zhen’s Wolf Ape Battalion to march east.

Gao Zhen had been recuperating in Mei City after suffering grave injuries. Li Chi’s original orders had tasked him with assisting Lu Chonglou in eliminating the remnant rebels of Shu Province. By now, nearly three months had passed, and Gao Zhen had mostly recovered, and was leading the Wolf Ape Battalion in sweeping mountain bandits across Shu Province.

With both arrangements made, Li Chi finally set out again, continuing toward Ji Province.

—

Two months later. Qing Province, Fulou County.

Fulou County was one of the larger counties, and its magistrate held a rank one grade above that of ordinary county magistrates — the sixth rank of the upper tier. Yet at this moment, the man holding authority in Fulou County was not Magistrate You Songtao, but the Military Governor of Qing Province, Master Wu Nayu.

Master Wu had received the King of Ning’s reply some ten days prior. He immediately dispatched men in all directions, spreading word far and wide to recruit jianghu adventurers to Fulou County.

The first condition he offered to the jianghu world was this: any sect that had previously cooperated with the Chu court, if it earned merit in the campaign to eliminate the rebels on Yunlai Island, would be exempt from prosecution for past conduct.

Furthermore, all those who rendered meritorious service would be reported to the King of Ning for rewards commensurate with their deeds, and those with outstanding achievements could be granted exceptional admission into the military.

The second condition: for those who did not wish to serve as officials or soldiers, all property seized from the rebels would be divided among the participants. Beyond that, the Military Governor’s office would also contribute a substantial sum of silver as additional reward.

Of these two conditions, the first was obviously the more enticing to jianghu folk.

Setting aside the amnesty for past conduct, the prospect alone of becoming a government official or enlisting in the military was enough to stir many hearts. Most jianghu wanderers harbored the same dream as anyone else — to return home in glory, to become men of the official world.

In its day, Liu Chongxin’s Bureau of Secret Affairs, led by the eunuch faction chief of the Chu Kingdom, had sought to control the jianghu world through coercion and enticement alike, making use of no small number of jianghu factions. After the King of Ning destroyed the Chu Kingdom, these factions were in truth deeply uneasy, fearing that the new regime might call them to account.

So when Master Wu sent out the announcement, many jianghu factions set off for Fulou County almost immediately.

At Fulou County’s Rain Sound Teahouse, Master Wu met with the leaders of several jianghu sects, selecting a few with some promise to retain temporarily.

Even so, by now Master Wu had yet to find many truly capable men.

He handed the roster he had just recorded to one of his subordinates, then turned to tell the young waiter to bring some tea and food, whatever was ready. From morning through the afternoon, Master Wu had not eaten a single meal.

Just then, a man wearing a bamboo hat entered from outside. He paid no attention to Master Wu, heading directly for a somewhat secluded table, and told the waiter to bring tea.

Master Wu glanced at the man, something stirring faintly in his chest.

Before long, the waiter brought food: a plate of freshly-warmed steamed buns and a basin of braised vegetables.

Master Wu had grown quite hungry, and ate with large, hearty bites.

At this moment, the somewhat peculiar man removed his bamboo hat and for the first time looked toward Master Wu.

He looked at Master Wu, and Master Wu happened to be looking at him at that same moment.

“Traveling from afar?” Master Wu asked.

The man nodded. “Yes.”

“Have you eaten yet?” Master Wu asked.

The man shook his head. “No. I only have enough money left to buy one pot of tea.”

Master Wu smiled. “If you have enough for tea, you likely have enough for a meal. Why not fill your belly first?”

The man shook his head again. “I can go hungry for a meal, but not a whole day without tea.”

Master Wu gestured at the space across from him. “If you don’t mind, come sit and eat together.”

The man was silent for a moment, then brought his tea over and sat down across from Master Wu. “Thank you,” he said.

Yet he only sat there. He looked at the food on the table, but did not pick up his chopsticks.

Master Wu smiled and asked, “Too humble for these dishes?”

The man shook his head a third time. “It’s not that.”

“Then why won’t you eat?”

“Not enough,” the man answered.

Master Wu burst out laughing and turned to the waiter. “Bring more steamed buns — plenty of them. This basin of braised vegetables is more than enough for both of us, so just keep the buns coming.”

The kitchen had hot buns already ready; the young waiter promptly carried out a large tray of them.

The peculiar man first rose to wash his hands, then sat back down and began to eat. He was clearly famished — three or four bites and a bun was gone.

Master Wu and this stranger he had just met ate in silence, neither saying a word, both simply eating.

Before long, the several dozen buns and the basin of braised vegetables — wide as a washbasin — had been cleaned out between the two of them.

Master Wu wiped his mouth and rose. “Rest here. I still have much to attend to. Perhaps we’ll meet again if fate allows.”

The man also rose, stepped back two paces, and clasped his hands in salute. “May I ask — are you Lord Wu, the Military Governor of Qing Province?”

Master Wu nodded. “I am. What of it?”

The man’s tone was somewhat complicated. “I simply couldn’t quite believe it at first. A full Military Governor — a frontier official of such standing — eating only this.”

Master Wu smiled. “Isn’t it good?”

The man answered, “It is… only…”

He said “only” and then couldn’t finish the thought. He took another step back and asked in earnest, “My Lord, I have heard that My Lord has issued a wide announcement, stating that anyone who assists in eliminating the rebels on Yunlai Island, regardless of past conduct, may be pardoned. Is that so?”

Master Wu shook his head. “The announcement my men distributed never said ‘regardless of what was done, all will be pardoned.'”

The man startled visibly upon hearing this, then gave a soft, bitter laugh.

He clasped his hands again. “In that case, this commoner will take his leave.”

Master Wu said, “If you’ve done something truly heinous — something that even the great merit of helping eliminate the rebels cannot offset — do you think I would simply let you walk away?”

The man said, “I have done no great evil. I have never harmed the common people. I never served the Chu court.”

Master Wu asked, “So you joined the rebels?”

The man hesitated, then nodded. “Something like that.”

“Which rebels?”

The man paused. “My Lord… if past wrongs cannot be offset, I can only take my leave. And if My Lord wishes to detain me, it may not be as easy as you think.”

Master Wu smiled. “Perhaps not as difficult as you think, either.”

The man considered this, seemed unwilling to say more, and turned to leave.

Master Wu shifted — and in an instant had circled around the man to block the doorway.

The peculiar man seemed taken aback. He had not expected a Military Governor to possess such formidable ability.

He knew nothing of Master Wu. He had merely heard word of the campaign against the Yunlai Island rebels along the road, and out of curiosity had entered Fulou County to look at the announcement and ask around about where the Military Governor could be found, which was how he had come to Rain Sound Teahouse.

Now, seeing Master Wu barring his way, he was silent for a moment, then said, “I do not wish to fight with My Lord. Please grant me safe passage.”

Master Wu said, “If you only joined the rebels — whichever rebels they were — and truly never did any harm to innocent people, never preyed on the common folk, then what are you afraid of? Past conduct, whatever it may be, can be forgiven.”

“What if I came from Shu Province?” the man asked.

Master Wu’s brow lifted slightly.

“Shu Province?” Master Wu said. “You mean, by ‘rebels,’ you worked under Pei Qi, the former Chu Kingdom’s Military Governor of Shu Province?”

The man nodded. “Yes.”

Master Wu said, “Since you’re from Shu Province, you probably know that Pei Qi is dead. The King of Ning did not prosecute most of Shu Province’s local officials, and the majority of Pei Qi’s soldiers were not punished either.”

The man was silent.

Master Wu was in no hurry, waiting for the man to give him an answer.

After a long moment, the peculiar man suddenly raised his head and looked at Master Wu, his voice carrying an indescribably complicated weight.

“What if one has offended the King of Ning?”

—