The moment Dantai Yajing saw Tang Pidi ride in through the gate, he went still for an instant — and then a light came into his eyes.

He had once been a man of enormous pride. In his view, the world’s ten thousand heroes were mostly empty reputation; only he himself was truly unrivaled.

As it happened — badly for his pride, and fortunately for his life — the very first time he ventured far from home, he had encountered Tang Pidi. Tang Pidi, who had made even a man like Dantai Yajing submit from the heart.

What genuine good fortune, to have met Tang Pidi.

Half an hour later. The Grand General’s residence.

Tang Pidi dismounted. He looked dusty and travel-worn, but the iron spear in his hand gleamed, polished bright.

The moment he passed it to an attendant, even the soldier receiving that spear likely didn’t notice: he was visibly excited to be holding it, and perhaps a very small measure of proud.

Tang Pidi had already asked Dantai Yajing and learned that Li Chi was well enough. He relaxed and walked at an easy pace toward the guest room where Li Chi was staying.

Behind him, attendants brought in the heads. One of them was the indomitable Xiu Miluo of the Kuokedi clan.

Tang Pidi entered the guest room. The moment Li Chi saw him, he immediately tried to sit up. Tang Pidi shook his head at him. “Stay still, you ugly wretch. Don’t move.”

Li Chi: “…”

Tang Pidi pulled a stool close to Li Chi’s bedside and sat down. He studied Li Chi’s face carefully, and the more he looked, the more he frowned.

Li Chi asked: “What exactly are you trying to say? You keep hesitating.”

Tang Pidi said: “That yaksha mask of yours — it won’t fit over your head anymore, will it.”

Li Chi: “…”

Tang Pidi smiled. Seeing that Li Chi’s spirits were good, he said cheerfully: “No, no — this is fine. Just a bit ugly. Perfectly acceptable.”

Li Chi: “You may leave now.”

Tang Pidi shook his head with a smile. “If I ever do defect, it’ll be because I simply can’t stand that enormous face of yours. For an ordinary man it wouldn’t matter — but the one who aspires to govern this realm of splendor cannot afford to be ugly.”

Li Chi: “Get out and go wash up and sleep.”

Tang Pidi stood. “Food first. I’m starving.”

But in the end, Li Chi couldn’t help himself: “You’re not hurt?”

Tang Pidi glanced back at him and said mildly: “I just went out and killed a few people. What would there be to worry about?”

Dantai Yajing had already ordered food to be prepared when he returned to the residence, and water to be heated as well.

Knowing that Li Chi was anxious, Tang Pidi stayed a while longer and chatted, recounting how he had hunted down Xiu Miluo and the others — told it simply, in brief.

In Tang Pidi’s telling, everything was always utterly calm. As though nothing had been the least bit dangerous or exciting.

The rough account was: caught up with them, killed a few, they escaped; caught up again, killed a few more, they escaped again.

Which in itself said something — that the Black Wu men were no small matter, having slipped away from Tang Pidi twice. That alone was proof enough.

At that very moment, in Dantai Qi’s study.

Tang Pidi had only just returned when another group arrived — emissaries sent from a border city of the Qiuci Kingdom, which lay not far from Liangzhou.

While Tang Pidi went to see Li Chi, this delegation waited outside Dantai Qi’s study for an audience.

When Dantai Yajing returned and listened to the account, each new detail left him more shaken than the last.

Two days earlier, Tang Pidi’s pursuit had carried him deep into Qiuci territory, near a border city — which happened to be the domain of a Qiuci prince, encompassing several dozen *li* in every direction, including a vast estate. Xiu Miluo had fled there with only two or three men left to guard him, and immediately sent word to the prince that he was Black Wu royalty fleeing for his life from Chu pursuers.

The news horrified the prince. Caught between Chu on one side and the Black Wu empire on the other — and with Xiu Miluo being of the Kuokedi imperial line — he dared offend neither. He hastily took Xiu Miluo in, intending to hide him away and hope the Chu pursuer gave up and moved on.

He hadn’t counted on the Chu pursuer — alone, a single rider — tracking him straight to the gates of the estate and stopping there.

The Qiuci prince came out in person, intending to play the mediator, suggesting that as a favor to him, the pursuer let Xiu Miluo go.

Tang Pidi’s reply was simple: *I have said he will die. I will follow him across a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers to make it so.*

The prince felt his face had been slapped. And seeing that Tang Pidi was alone, an ugly thought occurred to him.

If this man were killed here, with no other witnesses, who would ever know how he died? Out here in the Western Regions, nothing but yellow sand for miles. They could say he had perished lost in the desert — who could say otherwise?

What followed was: Tang Pidi saw the prince’s guards closing in around him and understood immediately what was intended.

He drove his spear through the prince’s chest and killed him on the spot — but did not leave. Alone and on horseback, he rode straight into the estate and cut through it from end to end.

The prince had several hundred men under his command, with household servants besides — and yet not one of them could keep pace with Tang Pidi. He killed his way through the estate until bodies lay everywhere. The rest fell to their knees and begged for their lives, no longer daring to resist.

Tang Pidi then ran down Xiu Miluo. They clashed. Xiu Miluo carried wounds from before and was no match; Tang Pidi’s spear took him through the leg. Xiu Miluo dropped to his knees — but did not beg. He laughed instead, savage and cold, and said: *I am of the imperial blood of Black Wu. I was born noble, and I stand tall under heaven. Kill me if you will.*

Tang Pidi’s answer: *Imperial blood, traveling merchant, poor laborer — under my blade, what difference does it make?*

One stroke severed Xiu Miluo’s head. He hung it on his horse and rode out.

At that point, a Qiuci border garrison received word of what had happened at the prince’s estate and came riding hard to intercept him — the garrison commander at their head. The commander was in a difficult position: if he simply let Tang Pidi go and the Black Wu empire found out, Qiuci faced possible ruin. But if he stopped him and Chu found out, the Liangzhou Army would march, and he couldn’t stop that either.

So the commander decided to detain Tang Pidi temporarily while seeking instructions from higher authority.

Tang Pidi paid him no notice. He urged his horse forward. Those who tried to block him were told, in an unhurried voice: *Come within three feet of my horse, and die.*

The commander thought it over at length and still didn’t dare let him pass — deploying a company of a hundred to block the way, bows drawn, arrows nocked.

Tang Pidi’s only response was to urge his horse to a gallop. Spear in hand.

Charging.

The company of a hundred didn’t dare release their arrows. They were supposed to take him alive — but to come within three feet of Tang Pidi’s horse was to die. One man, ten men, it made no difference. The rest stood frozen, watching helplessly as Tang Pidi rode straight through and was gone.

The garrison commander’s nerves were in pieces. He had followed after, hoping at the very least to explain himself to Dantai Qi — afraid that the Liangzhou Army would come looking for reprisals.

Listening to all of this, Dantai Yajing felt something vast and untameable rising in his chest. He could almost see it: Tang Pidi alone, a single horse, the great desert, endless yellow sand.

The Qiuci garrison commander looked toward Dantai Qi with an expression of profound helplessness, his tone deeply respectful: “Grand General, I beg you to save me — and to save all the people of Qiuci.”

Dantai Qi said: “So when you moved to block him, you also entertained the thought of killing him and leaving no witnesses?”

This startled the commander badly. He shook his head vigorously: “Never — truly never. If I had, I would not have held back the order to loose arrows… It was a moment of foolishness, nothing more. I only meant to detain him.”

Dantai Qi said: “Do you know that my army is about to march against the Yuezhi Kingdom?”

The commander answered immediately: “I know the Grand General is preparing an expedition.”

Dantai Qi continued: “I had not originally intended to pass through Qiuci. Since you chose to block my man, I have no choice but to lead my army through your territory on this campaign.”

This statement drained the color from the commander’s face in an instant.

“Grand General…”

The commander dropped to one knee, his voice faintly trembling: “I beg the Grand General’s mercy. I beg the Grand General’s grace.”

Dantai Qi said mildly: “You may return and consult your king. Ask him what he intends to do. I give you half a month to prepare. In half a month, Qiuci may position its army across the path of my westward march, and we will give battle.”

He waved a hand: “Go. I do not kill you for blocking my man — only because you are not worth the trouble.”

The commander knew the gravity of what had just happened. He departed in a state of panic, not even stopping at his garrison — riding straight back to the capital.

When the commander had gone, Dantai Qi looked at Dantai Yajing. “Do you understand my purpose?”

Dantai Yajing nodded: “The King of Qiuci will not dare block the Liangzhou Iron Army. He will come personally to beg pardon.”

Dantai Qi nodded. “I have told the Western Region kingdoms not to interfere with my campaign against the Yuezhi. They’ve been waiting and watching — they only need someone to take the lead. With this as the opening, I can compel Qiuci to supply troops as the vanguard. Once someone leads, the other Western Region kingdoms will all send forces as well.”

He finished, and slowly exhaled.

He thought about Li Chi. Then he thought about Tang Pidi.

There had remained, until now, a small doubt in Dantai Qi’s mind. Why would a man like Tang Pidi — young, unbowed, matchless in battle — willingly follow Li Chi?

After this, he finally understood why a man like Tang Pidi could follow with a willing heart.

Because: *My people — I will brave any danger to save them, and whoever harms my people, I will track to the ends of the earth.*

And so in turn: *My lord — I will brave any danger to save him, and whoever harms my lord, I will track to the ends of the earth.*

“Yajing.”

Dantai Qi said slowly: “Your father can hold the Western Liangzhou for twenty more years. Within those twenty years, great upheaval will come to the Central Plains. If the upheaval resolves into certainty within twenty years, I will live to see that day.”

“So I will release you for those twenty years. In those twenty years, the Central Plains will be waves upon waves, blood and mountains of the dead. Can you keep pace with those two?”

Dantai Yajing answered: “I can!”

Dantai Qi said: “The men of our Dantai family have no ambitions so large — we keep to our ancestors’ charge, holding the Western Liangzhou. But I must also think of you. If in twenty years the realm is still unsettled, you will return and take the general’s armor from my hands. No matter how the realm shifts, the frontier will not fall. But if in twenty years the realm is decided — then a Dantai will stand as a general revered for ten thousand generations.”

Dantai Yajing said: “Father. It won’t take twenty years.”

Dantai Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Dantai Yajing said: “Under all of heaven, if there is one man on the battlefield who could make me bow my head, that man is Tang Pidi. Under all of heaven, if there is one man who could make Tang Pidi bow his head, that man is Li Chi.”

Dantai Qi made a sound of acknowledgment, then said: “Once the Yuezhi Kingdom is destroyed, go with them. So long as Li Chi and Tang Pidi live, they will make the backbone of every man of the Central Plains grow ever harder — and the pride of every man of the Central Plains, unrivaled under heaven.”

Dantai Qi said slowly: “The Central Plains realm is nothing but rotting flesh. These two — they are the swift blade and also the healing medicine. Not merely for wounds of the body, but for the wounds of the spirit.”

Dantai Yajing nodded deeply.

At the same moment, outside the room where Li Chi was resting, Yu Jiuling had just seen the physicians from the Shen Medical Hall out and was coming back.

He walked in to find a row of more than a dozen heads — and startled badly.

He ran to Li Chi’s room, checked that Li Chi was still there, and exhaled: “Scared me half to death. I thought someone had set those up as offerings at your shrine.”

Li Chi: “Traitor.”

Yu Jiuling asked: “Old Tang’s back?”

Li Chi made a sound of affirmation.

Yu Jiuling pointed at Li Chi’s face. “He… didn’t have anything to say?”

Li Chi said: “He told you to get out.”

Yu Jiuling smiled. “He takes one look at that face of yours and *he’s* not a traitor?”

Li Chi called out: “Somebody come drag him out and castrate him.”

Yu Jiuling: “Old Tang would never allow it.”

The words had barely left his mouth when Tang Pidi — freshly bathed and changed — walked in through the door, still moving. He said, with a cheerful smile: “Old Tang can allow it, absolutely.”

—