The chaos of war drifted like scattered sparks in the wind, and the night grew deeper.

In a courtyard at the northwestern edge of the city, dinner after the great battle was a hotpot feast.

Into pots of relatively clear broth went all manner of ingredients, seasoned with distinctively flavored sauces brought from three thousand li away. Over a dozen men sat around each table, and as a reward for victory, everyone received a small portion of fermented rice wine, along with horse meat roasted golden-brown with various spices at the center of the grounds — all heterodox delicacies from the Southwest, utterly intoxicating.

The city’s restless clamor in the night served as a strange backdrop; the outer sentries had just rotated once more. In the lively courtyard, soldiers of the Huaxia Army and the Beiwei Army mingled freely, moving back and forth among each other.

As the night deepened and the socializing gradually wound down, the festivities dispersed, and only then did Chen Fan return to the round table beneath the eaves to eat a proper meal. By this time Qian Luoning, Xiao Qi and the others had finished their rounds, and Hei Niu, Xiao Hei, and Yuwen Feidu, having finished sparring with each other, joined the table as well — only then could the more private, more sensitive topics come up.

“Long… this, uh, this thing with Young Hero Long — what’s the real story?”

As the actual head of the Huaxia Army’s Twenty-Ninth Army, Chen Fan now held a fairly lofty position in the world; most people around him no longer bothered him with minor matters from the martial world. A few days earlier, when he’d decided to move against Lin Zongwu personally under the guise of the Overlord Blade, men like Zuo Xiuquan had already seen it as an unnecessary, almost self-demeaning gesture. He’d heard something of Ning Ji’s running away from home, and after talking with Qian Luoning and the others, he’d also learned that the boy had gone by the alias Long Aotian — but these things he wouldn’t discuss casually with the people around him, and the people around him would certainly never think to bring up, unprompted, the rumors about this rising star of the martial world known as the “Five-Foot Lecher.”

Which was exactly why, hearing the follow-up today, he found himself rather astonished.

At the question, Qian Luoning and Xiao Qi couldn’t help but chuckle, while Hei Niu and the others exchanged glances, their expressions varying.

“It’s complicated…” Qian Luoning said.

“Complicated is more interesting.” Chen Fan shoveled rice into his mouth. “A perfectly decent young man runs away from home, and in less than half a year his name’s on the wanted list, and he’s even earned himself the nickname ‘Five-Foot Lecher.’ I’m having a hard time picturing it — given the kid’s temperament, how did this happen… The whole running-away-from-home business was already absurd enough, and I heard it had something to do with him and Qin Weiwen fighting over some girl…”

“That Yu Xiaoer is a wretched little thing — pity we never found her.” Hearing this brought up, Hei Niu spoke up coldly from across the table.

Xiao Qi added, “It was some leftover business from before — Little… Little Long is simple-hearted, it was really an undeserved calamity. His issue with Weiwen has already been sorted out. But this business with the Yan family blowing up this big really did catch us off guard. Xiao Hei and the others led a team out to investigate a few days ago, and it was only after they rescued that young lady from the Yan family that we roughly pieced together what happened… Hei Niu was involved in a lot of it, so she should tell General Chen.”

She deferred to Hei Niu, who then laid out, one by one, the major incidents that had followed Ning Ji from Tongshan County onward. By the time Hei Niu got to the conclusion, everyone at the table found it half funny, half exasperating — of course, the others had already heard the full story before, so only Chen Fan was hearing it fresh as he ate, his expression complicated by the end, uncertain whether to laugh or take it seriously.

“Basically, that’s roughly how it went…” Hei Niu concluded at last. “Our… our Young Hero Long, facing down the entire Li family’s pursuing forces single-handedly in Tongshan County, trading hostages — his mindset was purely defensive, fighting an enemy. He probably felt that one wrong word had thrown everyone into a panic and got a bit carried away with himself. I think… well, it’s somewhat understandable, honestly.”

Chen Fan picked up some leftover food, took a couple bites of rice, then tapped his chopsticks against the bowl’s edge, falling silent for a moment.

“Understandable — I suppose you could put it that way, though that’s only from the perspective of someone who understands the full context. Little Long… given his particular status, running away from home over a woman in Zhang Village, and then the first name he makes for himself in the martial world is ‘Lecher’ — with a measurement attached, no less — that’s bound to cause trouble down the road.”

Once he’d said this, Hei Niu’s expression turned serious. “We’ve discussed this. Thankfully he used an alias, presenting himself outside as some ‘Martial Alliance Leader’ Long Aotian. The rumors spread by people like Li Yanfeng out there have raised some suspicion that he might be from the Southwest, but as long as his real identity doesn’t get exposed, it shouldn’t draw too much attention. Uncle Eighth has already said we won’t keep a formal record of this.”

This was official business, so Chen Fan nodded, then after a pause, finally laughed. “…Martial Alliance Leader?”

“Yes, he bragged that his sect is called the ‘Martial Alliance,’ so he’s the Martial Alliance Leader.” Xiao Qi held back a laugh. “After arriving in Jiangning, he crossed swords with Xu Zhaonan, Zhou Shang, and Shi Baofeng all three — probably trying to make a name for himself, build up a reputation. He made several moves teaching some scoundrels a lesson, earned himself a nickname… too bad nobody paid him any mind.”

“…The leader of a Martial Alliance being called the Martial Alliance Leader — Old Ning made that joke once before.”

Chen Fan couldn’t help laughing out loud, and the others burst into laughter too, filling the space beneath the eaves with a cheerful atmosphere for a moment.

After laughing for a while, Chen Fan composed himself, looked at the group before him, and pointed at Hei Niu. “Xiuxiu… you grew up alongside Little Long, didn’t you? Last time at Zhang Village, when Ning Xi and Chuyi got married, who was it that was chasing Ning Ji down to kill him again? Old Ning said you two got along really well — I’d thought the little girl was just skilled in martial arts, but this time it seems she’s quite sharp in how she speaks and handles things too…”

Hei Niu’s proper name was Jin Wenxiu. In her previous encounters with Chen Fan, she’d mostly appeared in the capacity of Hongti’s disciple; this time, having fought shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield, the impression she left was naturally far more concrete. At his remark, a rare flush of embarrassed indignation crossed Hei Niu’s face, while Xiao Hei and Yuwen burst out laughing beside her, slapping the table.

In fact, Chen Fan had put it delicately. Hei Niu was slightly younger than Chuyi, and the two were fellow disciples under the same masters. Around the time of Ning Xi and Chuyi’s wedding, people had occasionally mistaken her for Ning Ji’s child bride — there were some complicated reasons behind that impression.

Xiao Qi laughed and said, “It’s like this — Xiuxiu started out learning martial arts under my sister-in-law Hongti, and later my second sister noticed how clever she was and kept her by her side in Zhang Village, where she spent two years learning bookkeeping. She’s accomplished in both letters and martial arts — quite the sought-after talent now. Down the line, she’ll either join the General Staff or stay in Zhang Village’s secretarial office — even Sister Xigua’s been eyeing her for ages, saying she wants to poach her as a strategic advisor. Also, my brother-in-law has a habit of joking carelessly about these things — with what happened to Miss Yan as a cautionary example, General Chen, please don’t go joking around like that too.”

“Mm, fair point, fair point.” Chen Fan nodded with a smile.

As they discussed all this, Hei Niu pursed her lips and slapped the table with her hand. “I’m not nearly as delicate as that Yan girl. But Chuyi and the others and I are of the same generation — back in Zhang Village, disciplining Little Long was something Madam Chan’er and Mr. Ning asked me to do. There’s nothing more to it than that.”

“Here’s how it actually was,” Xiao Hei said, waving a hand. “Way back when, that Ning Ji kid was really into martial arts — General Chen, you know this — he had real talent, and having grown up for years around Master, Sister Xigua, and the rest of us, he pretty quickly stopped feeling any urgency in fighting. Especially around the time of the Southwest War, his skills advanced so fast that after some time in the army, ordinary sparring matches became child’s play to him…”

“That kind of rapid progress isn’t necessarily a good thing, though. Master’s skills are certainly formidable, but his temperament is far too gentle — he can’t instill any real sense of pressure in a child. And the rest of us, over the years, could never really bring ourselves to beat him half to death either. But honestly, if we didn’t go all out, the little slippery fish could always wriggle away. Even the soldiers in the army, while they’re supposed to fight seriously, still hold back somewhat once things get physical. In that regard… among the younger generation, the one who could really lay hands on him without holding back was Wenxiu — she’d often round up a bunch of kids to gang up on him and beat him black and blue.”

“So let me say this in fairness.” He tapped his finger on the table. “It really did… kind of feel like a child bride situation.”

At that, Hei Niu’s face turned fierce, and she grabbed a chopstick in her left hand and jabbed it toward him. Xiao Hei blocked it with his own bamboo chopstick, and Yuwen Feidu, trying to dodge backward and out of the line of fire, got hit square on the head by a fava bean Hei Niu flung with her right hand. He blinked, then sighed. “…What’s it got to do with me, what this bastard’s saying about you?”

Hei Niu put her hands on her hips. “I just happened to throw it your way!”

“Sigh…” Yuwen Feidu sighed, dragging his stool closer to the table. “General Chen, let me tell you — don’t be fooled by how normal Hei Niu seems now, she’s actually a total lunatic. Last year, after the Southwest War ended, when Little Ji came back from the battlefield, Hei Niu couldn’t really land a hit on him anymore when they fought. One time… I remember it was late October, she sneaked up to the outhouse and threw a firecracker in there — packed with enough powder to be like half a hand grenade — and then I saw…”

At this point, Hei Niu punched him in the shoulder, but he held back his laughter and shrugged it off, then took a second punch, then a third: “…And then I saw Little Ji come bursting out of the outhouse holding up his pants… coming back from the battlefield had made him super alert, he actually broke the door down doing it, his movements were incredibly agile… and the whole outhouse, top to bottom, got blasted with shit everywhere, everyone nearby was scared out of their minds, and at the time… hahaha, Du Sha even went to take a look, and after finding out what happened, he made this miserable face and said… this… how are we supposed to clean this up, and then later said, can’t even use it anymore, guess we’ll just have to build a new one… hahahahahaha…”

Yuwen Feidu was laughing so hard he was slapping his own thigh, and Xiao Hei was laughing too, while Xiao Qi covered her mouth and threw a fava bean at him. Chen Fan sighed, set down his rice bowl, torn between laughing and crying. Hei Niu’s face flushed red: “I already said it was Madam Chan’er and the others who asked me to do it, that… that was to train his reaction time in case someone snuck up on him with a grenade! You saw Boss Du didn’t say I couldn’t blow things up—”

By the end, Hei Niu herself burst out laughing, punching Yuwen Feidu two more times hard before sitting back with her arms crossed, and after a moment, laughing again: “Fine, I admit… I was a little dazed at the time too, that outhouse… that outhouse was covered everywhere in… in that stuff, it was even dripping down from the rafters… nearly landed on Boss Du’s head. I remember thinking, if they made me clean up and rebuild that outhouse as punishment, I really… wouldn’t have survived it… pfft pfft… hoo hoo…”

Everyone at the table was laughing, and Chen Fan couldn’t hold back either. After a good while, he finally composed himself, looking at the bowl in front of him. “Alright, now I get it — you all came here purely to mess with me. I haven’t even finished eating.”

Yuwen Feidu raised his hands, signaling he’d stop talking. Hei Niu said, “That crippled bastard’s got a belly full of tricks, General Chen, you should just beat him to death.” Xiao Hei said, “No objections here.” Chen Fan just smiled.

“So, as for what kind of vicious training our Young Hero Long usually received, I think I understand it now too. He comes down from the battlefield, then spends the better part of a year being hunted down by Wenxiu here — no wonder… after he killed Wang Nantuo and got chased the whole way by Lin Zongwu, he handled himself pretty well throughout. You all… taught him martial skills and fighting, but not much in the way of worldly sense — though I suppose that’s Old Ning’s mess to deal with. He brought this on himself.”

He paused briefly. “So there are actually two things we need to think about here right now. First — the Yan family aren’t bad people. The Yan Family Stronghold that Yan Taiwei leads isn’t a large force, but their stance against the Jurchens has always been clear and firm. Yan Tiehe brought this young Yan lady to Jiangning, and the family’s younger men were all lost. Now, you could say this was mainly the fault of Li Yanfeng and Shi Baofeng — but ultimately, one careless remark from Little Long played no small part in it…”

“…And what’s more troublesome here is, as you all saw today, this Miss Yan doesn’t seem to feel purely resentment toward Little Long — what she actually cares most about is his safety. If Old Ning were here, how would he handle this? I doubt it’s something we can just brush aside.”

At this, everyone fell silent for a moment. Qian Luoning said, “As for the Yan Tiehe side of things, that’s not too hard to smooth over. The Yan family originally placed their bet on Shi Baofeng hoping to secure a way forward for the Yan Family Stronghold. Given that their character seems decent, us in the Southwest forming a good relationship with them would be an unexpected boon for them. The tricky part is the matter between Miss Yan and Little Long — I’ve looked her over, and by ordinary standards, she’d make a fine match for anyone. But how Little Long feels about her, we can’t say, since we can’t even find the boy right now…”

When it came to Little Long’s whereabouts, everyone exchanged glances, at something of a loss for words. Xiao Hei popped a fava bean in his mouth. “Why’d he run off in the first place — General Chen’s already arrived here… did you all say something you shouldn’t have?”

Yuwen lowered his head with a sigh. “Nonsense — everyone was busy chasing down Lin Zongwu, who had time to say anything to him? Given how awkward and stubborn he is at fourteen, fifteen, of course he’d run. If he hadn’t run, tonight you scoundrels would’ve taken turns teasing him about his hard-won reputation in the martial world anyway.”

Hei Niu punched Yuwen Feidu once more in agreement.

Xiao Qi across from them smiled.

“Here’s what I think — at first, none of us anticipated this business with Miss Yan, so it was fine that he ran off. But now that there’s still something that needs settling, in a bit, Xiao Hei, Yuwen… the three of you should go out and look for him again, while everyone’s still in Jiangning. It’d be best to get this resolved before we leave. We’re set to head back the day after tomorrow morning — that gives us a day to try and bring him back, if at all possible. What does General Chen think?”

Chen Fan nodded. “I’d guess he’ll put up quite a fight — since Xiuxiu here has experience with this, it’s good that the three of you are going.”

The three of them stood, torn between amusement and exasperation, and accepted the assignment.

Chen Fan added, “Go easy on him when you catch him — he took a hit from Lin Zongwu and isn’t lightly hurt. Beating him half to death should be enough.”

“Understood.”

“So what was the second thing General Chen mentioned?” Xiao Qi asked.

“The second thing.” Chen Fan laughed. “I’m thinking about how you all are going to explain this to Old Ning when you get back. You’ve all been in the Southwest long enough to know — Old Ning, your brother-in-law, still has a certain longing for the martial world’s way of life. At that martial arts tournament back in Chengdu, he set a trap for the outside masters, and I waited with him at Moheshi Lake all night. The others outside weren’t up to the task, couldn’t fight their way in, and he kept sighing about how it’d been so long since he’d used his ‘Overturning Heaven Seal’ technique — that at this rate, the martial world would soon forget his fearsome reputation… When he heard that his second son had killed over a dozen enemies alone in a courtyard that time, he cursed the boy out loud, but privately, he was more than a little envious.”

“This time, with what our second son has stirred up — running away from home — Old Ning will certainly have nothing good to say about it out loud, but deep down, he probably feels this child has inherited his own longing for the martial world. Look at how this boy’s journey has gone — at eleven, twelve years old, he already had ambitions for the martial world, causing chaos across Hedeng’s three counties, later joining the army, going to the battlefield. As a father, of course Old Ning wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to his son, but since he can’t stop it, all this time he’s actually been cultivating the boy’s ability to weather storms in the martial world.”

“At fifteen, he traveled three thousand li east, single-handedly running circles around several hundred men from the Li and Yan families in Tongshan County. Then in Jiangning, he assassinated Wei Xuwen, clashed with Li Yanfeng, killed Wang Nantuo right in front of Lin Zongwu, got hunted down the whole way by Lin Zongwu, and somehow still got away. If Old Ning were here and heard all this, he’d surely be proud. But…”

Chen Fan tapped the table. “But… this young hero’s nickname, once his fame spread across the realm, is ‘Five-Foot Lecher’… Old Qian, I’m genuinely curious what kind of reaction Old Ning’s going to have once you all report this to him… Old Qian, I probably won’t be able to get to the Southwest anytime soon, so why don’t I just go report this on your behalf instead — so remember, heh, pay close attention to his expression, and next time I visit, we can have a good long discussion about it, hahahaha…”

Chen Fan finally couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. He’d been so composed discussing the first matter, but by the second, he’d turned rather mischievous. Qian Luoning said, torn between laughter and exasperation, “Aren’t you afraid Mr. Ning will come challenge you to a duel over this?”

“I’m not afraid. He can bring Xigua along too if he wants, hahaha…”

“He’ll land that Overturning Heaven Seal right on your face…”

Chen Fan, Qian Luoning, and Ning Yi had known each other a long time and had always spoken as peers; at this point, the conversation had simply become an anecdote passed between old friends at the top, and no one else present felt it their place to interject. After a moment more of this, Chen Fan tapped the table again and said, “Oh, actually, there’s a third matter as well…”

Everyone looked at him.

“According to what everyone’s said, our Young Hero Long’s troubles at Zhang Village were the result of that… whatever her name is, Xiao’er’s scheme; at Tongshan County it was because he was careless in dealing with an enemy; and in Jiangning, this ‘Five-Foot Lecher’ reputation was also from bad people smearing mud on him. Let’s assume that’s all true for now. But… does anyone know who that person was that he dragged away by the river today?”

“Dragged away?” Hei Niu thought about it, glancing at Yuwen Feidu. “There was something like that?”

Yuwen Feidu thought too. “The one who was poling the boat?”

Among those present, only Chen Fan and Yuwen Feidu had actually witnessed that scene by the river. Now that Chen Fan had brought up this suddenly-appearing character, Yuwen thought it over carefully and found it rather strange. Qian Luoning frowned beside them. “What are you two talking about? That Four-Foot Lecher fellow?”

Chen Fan shook his head. “If I’m not mistaken, Four Feet refers to that little bald monk — he was originally chasing Li Yanfeng alongside our people, then doubled back and happened to witness Little Long killing Wang Nantuo. The two of them had some exchange, and it came out that Lin Zongwu was his master. Afterward, when Lin Zongwu hunted Little Long the whole way, I thought the way Little Long handled himself along the route was actually quite commendable — which is why he wasn’t badly hurt. But then, once he reached the riverside, he leapt onto a boat, and that move didn’t go well — Lin Zongwu got a solid hit on him mid-air with that bamboo pole, and it hurt him quite a bit.”

Yuwen Feidu thought back. “At the time… several of us had already started closing in around Lin Zongwu. Xiao Zhuo’s group was the first to arrive, setting up spears in the courtyard ahead, and I got there right after. Little Long’s whole flight had actually been leading Lin Zongwu into a trap — at that point… if he’d doubled back and charged into a nearby courtyard, that would’ve made more sense.”

Chen Fan said, “He saw the person poling the boat toward him and changed direction. Then he steered the small boat to the other bank, and while we couldn’t give chase, he grabbed that person’s hand and ran.”

Hei Niu leaned in. “Could it be, like that ‘Four-Foot Lecher,’ a new friend Young Hero Long made in Jiangning?”

Chen Fan smiled. “It was a girl.”

“…” Hei Niu’s eyes went wide.

“…” Everyone else’s eyes went wide too.

Yuwen Feidu thought about it. “I remember… that person was dressed in rags, seemed… like some kind of beggar boy.”

“Never mind how she was dressed — it was just a fleeting glimpse, so we couldn’t get a clear look. But afterward, when Little Long dragged her onto the road and the two of them ran off into the alley — I’m quite certain, from the way she moved, that was the stride of a girl who’s never trained in martial arts… So think about it — who could this be?”

“Another… another one?”

“Could it be Yu Xiaoer?”

“Is it really that much of a coincidence?”

“That’s not… Little Long’s character though, is it?”

“He told Qin Weiwen before he left, saying he’d chop off Yu Xiaoer’s head and use it as a ball to kick around…”

“Young people… it’s not impossible to develop a taste for it once you’ve had a bite…”

“I don’t think it’s that much of a coincidence…”

“Could it be… that this ‘Five-Foot’ reputation of his has some other backstory we don’t know about…”

“Has he turned bad?”

“Think about it, being toyed with by a wicked woman like Yu Xiaoer…”

“Don’t use a filthy word like ‘toyed with’…”

“Don’t jump to conclusions… calm down.”

The firelight still burned in the courtyard, and a great wave of shock hung over the space beneath the eaves. The people at the table put their heads together, murmuring in low voices. After a while, Hei Niu suddenly stood up from the table. “We need to find him and get to the bottom of this! General Chen, Commander Qian, then we’ll just…”

Qian Luoning looked at her. “Right now?”

“This concerns the Huaxia Army’s reputation — we can’t put it off any longer.”

As she spoke, Xiao Hei and Yuwen also stood up, filled with the same burning curiosity to get to the bottom of things. Then Xiao Qi stood as well. “The situation in the city changes by the minute — I’ll go ask around too, see who else might be able to help dig up information.”

Chen Fan nodded, and once the group had left one after another, he picked up his rice bowl from the table and finally laughed, turning to Qian Luoning. “You were just saying there’s nothing going on between them and Little Ji — look how worked up they all got.”

Qian Luoning laughed too. “There’s an age gap. Back then it was Madam Chan’er and Mr. Ning who asked Wenxiu to look after Little Ji — after years of bickering and roughhousing, some kind of sibling affection was bound to develop. But that business by the river — I got there a bit late — is there really a girl like that?”

“The one poling the boat, yes, that’s real, though there’s no need to worry too much. During the daytime fight, after Wang Nantuo died, Lin Zongwu lost his composure somewhat. His cultivation is genuinely above mine now — if he hadn’t been so devoted to the martial path, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid wouldn’t have escaped that pursuit.”

“That’s my view too.” Qian Luoning nodded.

Both of them were martial artists of a higher tier, seasoned through many storms, and so held simpler, more direct views on the matter concerning Ning Ji. By this point the young ones had already left, and Chen Fan finished a few more bites of rice before turning to Qian Luoning to discuss a more complicated topic.

“Starting from this incident, all of Jiangnan is thrown into chaos, and it’s going to draw the whole world’s attention. How were things in the Southwest when you left?”

“When I set out, preparations for the second conference were already underway. Based on the previous rounds of deliberation, the first conference was meant to settle the slogans and general direction, and the second conference is when things get real. With the whole world’s eyes on Jiangnan right now, Mr. Ning’s side should have already passed the resolution on the new land policy and started pushing forward with its implementation.”

“They’re really going to start doing it?”

“He’s had some hesitation, but it’s the same kind of hesitation he’s shown before every major undertaking over the years. He worries about so much, afraid of insufficient preparation — even after thinking ten steps ahead, he can always find something new to worry about,” Qian Luoning said. “But the more that’s true, the more it shows just how deeply he’s thought this through… and having thought it through that deeply, how could he possibly not push forward?”

“Old Ning really does have a natural gift for these things…”

“On top of that, thanks to this round of chaos from the Fairness Party in Jiangnan — the massacres carried out in the name of ‘equalizing wealth’ — it’s actually provided a kind of endorsement for the Southwest’s land policy, which might make it a bit easier for various parties to accept. Outsiders say He Wen is deeply cunning, using the momentum of the Huaxia Army’s arrival to hold this Jiangning conference and steal our thunder — but really, hasn’t Mr. Ning’s side been using them as a stepping stone all along? If it weren’t for all this commotion, if the Southwest had suddenly proposed the new land policy out of nowhere, it would’ve immediately faced opposition from the entire realm — men like Dai Mengwei and Wu Qimei would’ve written who knows how many essays hinting that the Southwest was doomed to fall through tyranny.”

As they discussed this topic, Chen Fan finished his meal, and the two of them stood and strolled slowly along beneath the eaves.

“Old Ning’s new land policy — he’s discussed it with me a few times. Wanting to reclaim all land for the state, anyone in the realm who owns land might become our enemy,” Chen Fan said. “I know he’s run through this with you all, with Xigua, and with those young students. In your projections, have you managed to solve every problem?”

Qian Luoning shook his head. “Projections can uncover some problems, but not all of them. They can help us think through some possible solutions, but whether those solutions actually work will depend on how things play out in practice.”

“What’s the biggest problem? Is it how many people we’ll have to kill?”

Qian Luoning shook his head again. He fell silent for a moment, then sighed.

“…It’s the constraint on officials.”

He said.