Confession

On a summer evening, the sun was setting. Zichuan Xiu lay comfortably in the hanging net-bed beneath the big tree before the house, drinking an ice-cold Coca-Cola and watching the blazing clouds on the horizon. Slowly savoring this rare moment of leisure, he was in an excellent mood when poetic inspiration suddenly struck. He composed: "The setting sun is like blood, the clouds like gauze..."

"Like a huge baked flatbread!" Roger supplied the next line from the cool mat below.

"My lord, you can beat us or curse us, and we'll endure it—but could you please show some mercy and not write poetry?" Changchuan said.

"Even if you insist on writing poetry—could you at least not recite it to us?" Shirakawa said bitterly, rubbing her backside. It still hurt from when Zichuan Xiu had kicked her some time ago.

"Exactly. We were born of fathers and raised by mothers too. Since we had the misfortune of becoming your subordinates—well, there was nothing to be done; our birth charts were bad, and we accepted it—but now you want to recite your poetry to us! That's too much!"

"Right! Even bullying people has its limits!"

"Quiet—I think I hear hoofbeats!"

"My lord, stop trying to change the subject—who would go galloping around on horseback in weather this hot?"

Before the words had even faded, a rider in plain clothes appeared at the end of the street, racing forward. Without slowing as he passed them, he shot a red-feathered arrow precisely into the gatepost of Zichuan Ning's house and shouted, "Yalimei!"

All four sprang to their feet at once, watching as the rider's silhouette gradually vanished.

Changchuan's face went pale. "It's the family's order to muster the reserves!"

Zichuan Xiu shouted, "Banner Commanders Roger, Shirakawa, Changchuan! Mount up and continue delivering the muster order!"

"Yes, my lord!" The three hurriedly mounted their warhorses as the servants strapped the red-feathered arrows—arrows every household had already prepared—to their saddles.

"Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!" The three raced off in three separate directions at breakneck speed.

The commotion had drawn Zichuan Ning outside. Watching the three shrinking figures in the distance, she asked Zichuan Xiu anxiously, "Brother, what happened?" Then she lowered her head and saw the red-feathered arrow on the gatepost. Her face immediately turned deathly pale. "A muster order?!"

Zichuan Xiu nodded silently, pretending not to see the anguish in Zichuan Ning's eyes.

Sterling came to visit that night. Zichuan Xiu received him with perfect calm.

"I'm leaving for the Far East tomorrow," Sterling said without preamble.

Zichuan Xiu frowned. "That bad?"

"Worse than you imagine. Valen is about to fall, and the family's reserve forces haven't even finished mustering..."

"I meant your taste is that bad—you've even put your socks on inside out!"

"..."

"Forget it, don't change them here—the stink is unbearable. So you came to see me tonight because..." Zichuan Xiu already knew the answer.

"I want to see Kadan."

Zichuan Xiu fell silent.

"Axu!"

"Sterling, think about it. You're about to lead more than a hundred thousand troops to the Far East to fight the Devil Race, yet before battle, you run off to see a Devil Race princess—is that fitting for the commander of the Central Army? Aren't you afraid your subordinates will mutiny if they find out? Aren't you afraid the Commanders' Office will accuse you of treason?"

"And what would you say to Kadan if you saw her? Oh, 'Hello, Kadan. Tomorrow I'm going to kill all those uncles, older uncles, maternal uncles, and aunts of yours—give me some encouragement in love, how about a kiss?'"

"And what would you have Kadan say to you? 'My dear lover Sterling, go on, kill them, kill hard, kill beautifully, and when you come back, I'll marry you.'"

"Or perhaps she'll cling to your legs and sob her heart out: 'Don't! Don't!' Then your heart will soften, and when you see the Devil Race in the Far East, you won't be able to summon up the strength to fight. They'll butcher you like a pig!"

A pained expression appeared on Sterling's face. On features as steadfast as granite, it looked especially "moving"—and Zichuan Xiu immediately softened. "Fine. I'll give you fifteen minutes!"

Sterling clasped Zichuan Xiu's hands gratefully in both of his and, unable to restrain himself, kissed him.

"Hey, that's not my hobby! If Ning sees two stinking men like us acting this way, she'll misunderstand... Ah, Ning, you're here. Do you know where Kadan is—don't open your eyes so wide! This is a perfectly normal way for men to express friendship!"

In the spacious reception hall, Sterling and Kadan sat facing each other. Zichuan Xiu, Zichuan Ning, and Shirakawa stared without blinking, first at him, then at her. Munching sunflower seeds, they whispered among themselves. "Look, my lord is blushing!"

"Yeah, so is Kadan. Shh, don't make noise—listen to what they're saying!"

Sterling said, "Axu, didn't you say you'd give me fifteen minutes?"

"I did. I said I'd give you fifteen minutes to see Kadan—and isn't Kadan right in front of you?"

"Kadan is indeed here—but don't you think this room feels a little cramped? Like it can't hold so many people?"

"I think it's fine. Other than you and Kadan, there are only a few of us. The room is huge; it can easily fit everyone. Stop stalling—one minute has already passed!"

"The question is, why are they here?"

"Oh, Shirakawa is here because she's too idle and bored, Changchuan wants to learn a few tricks for picking up girls, Roger wants to see if there'll be any passionate scenes, and as for my little sister... Ning, why are you here?"

"Oh, tonight's episode of Tokyo Love Story has already ended, and I don't have any romance novels to read, so I'll make do and come see whether there's a confession scene... Ow! Big Brother Sterling, how can you twist my ear? It hurts like hell! Fine, fine, I'll go out, all right?"

After Zichuan Ning left, Sterling turned to Roger and asked with great concern, "Banner Commander Roger, I heard your stomach has been bothering you lately? You should get some rest early."

Roger said, "No, my health has always been excellent. My stomach never hurts... Ow! It hurts like hell! Fine, fine, I'm going to rest. Stop hitting me!"

Sterling withdrew his fist and watched Roger stagger out. Smiling, he said, "Getting to bed early is good for your health!"

"Banner Commander Changchuan, you..."

"My lord, there's no need to say any more—I've suddenly remembered something extremely urgent that needs immediate attention! Please permit this subordinate to take his leave first!"

"Oh, if Banner Captain Changchuan has business, feel free to go—Banner Captain Shirakawa, are you hoping to take charge of a suicide squad on the Far Eastern battlefield someday?"

"My lord, you misunderstand. Actually, my head has suddenly begun to hurt—please excuse my rudeness, but I must take my leave!"

Once they had all gone out, Zichuan Xiu said indignantly, "I hate people like that most. Always getting in the way of other people's good fortune. Damn it!"

"All right, Sterling. Now that only our own people are left, say whatever you want without worry!"

With a bang, the door slammed shut, and Zichuan Xiu was kicked out of the reception hall by the "our own people."

Silence filled the room. Sterling gave a small cough and cleared his throat.

"Kadan—oh, no, I should call you Her Highness Kadan. Have you been well lately?"

"..."

"I'm leaving for the Far East tomorrow, to fight. But not against your country—I'm going to put down a rebellion within our Family."

"..."

"This battle may be dangerous. I might not come back."

"..."

"So, so... I wanted to see you tonight. So, so... that is, the matter is, well, I think this is it, so... after all this time, perhaps you understand what I mean..."

"..."

"I... I... well, you, Kadan. From the first time we met, I've felt very... that way... about you."

"..."

"I wasn't born a noble either. I'm a commoner... but I think my salary should be enough for two people to live on..."

"..."

"I know you're a princess, of noble birth. You couldn't possibly think highly of someone like me, someone with nothing but a broken sword. I only came tonight to see you one last time. Just talking with you would be enough."

"..."

"You'll still have to wait some time before returning home. The Far East is in chaos right now; it isn't safe. Don't worry. I'll definitely find a way to help you get back."

"..."

"You haven't said anything all this time. Are you tired—have I taken up too much of your time?"

"..."

"All right. It's already late, so get some rest early—everyone can still be friends from now on, haha. You don't need to worry about me, haha. I'm not sad at all, haha."

"..."

"All right, I'm leaving. Take good care of yourself. If you run into any difficulties, tell Axu. I told him to look after you properly, so don't be afraid."

Sterling rose sadly and disappointedly, preparing to leave. Then, from behind him, came a soft, birdlike murmur: "Sterling, the battlefield is perilous. Please take great care of yourself."

Doubting his own ears, he spun around in wild joy. "Kadan, you...!"

Kadan had already risen and walked away, leaving behind a sentence so soft it was almost inaudible: "Actually, I'm not in such a hurry to go back."

In the empty, deserted hall, Sterling slowly dropped to his knees and raised both arms high. "God, bless me! I fear I am unworthy of such happiness!"

Yet neither the ecstatic Sterling nor the shy Kadan noticed that the once-intact window had somehow acquired several little "holes"...

Zichuan Xiu: "Hey! Changchuan, have you seen enough? My turn now!"

Changchuan: "Pah! I thought someone as brilliant as Lord Sterling would have extraordinary moves, but instead—what a disaster! This is an insult to the glorious name of our woman-chasing clan!"

Roger: "Hey, Shirakawa, you're a girl too. Tell us, what did Kadan's two sentences mean—did she agree or not?"

Zichuan Xiu: "Go! Go! Hold her shoulders down in one move, then slowly press her down with force! Conquer her, intoxicate her with that commanding gaze from above and a man's strong arms! Seize her hand firmly, undo her buttons one by one..."

Changchuan: "My lord, you lost! I told you there wouldn't be any passionate scenes today, but you wouldn't believe me! Hand over the money!"

Zichuan Ning: "Big Brother, spying on Big Brother Sterling and Sister Kadan—doing that is very bad! It's immoral!"

Zichuan Xiu: "Nonsense! Weren't you hogging one of the holes yourself, staring without even blinking? And you dare lecture me about morality!"

On the night of August 1st, Imperial Year 779, the great rebellion in the Far East was raging like wildfire. Hundreds of thousands of Zichuan Family soldiers had fallen; nearly thirty million Far East soldiers and civilians struggled bitterly amid the rebellion; Valen Fortress, the Family's most steadfast bulwark, was on the verge of falling; a million savage rebels were about to surge into the Family's central heartland and ravage the innocent. From the Chief to the Commanders' Office, down to every ordinary soldier, warrior, and civilian, everyone in the Family was so worried that they could not sleep at night—

One of the Three Heroes of Zichuan, Central Army Commander Sterling, spent the happiest moment of his life...