Sun Bin

"Since that's settled, Junior Brother, get some good rest!"

Pang Juan had nothing else to say to Sun Boling. After telling him to rest for now, he left. Sun Boling watched his senior brother's retreating figure and vaguely felt that he was different from the way he remembered, but he didn't look into it.

He assumed it was because they hadn't seen each other for years and needed time to grow close again.

As a great general of the Wei State, Pang Juan was busy.

After Sun Boling arrived in Da Liang, even though he lived at Pang Juan's home, he rarely had the chance to see him.

Still, Pang Juan would make time to visit him with a few questions.

They were all important matters concerning the state's military and government. Sun Boling thought nothing of it and answered each one. As this went on, he noticed more and more people coming and going from Pang Juan's Mansion. Every one of them wore a flattering smile and repeatedly congratulated Pang Juan.

He had become King of Wei's favorite!

As the days passed, Sun Boling and Pang Juan saw each other even less.

Then one day, early in the morning, Pang Juan came to Sun Boling's room and knocked on the door. "Junior Brother? Are you awake? I have something important to discuss with you!"

Sun Boling hurried over and opened the door, inviting Pang Juan inside to sit. He poured him a cup of tea and asked, "What is it, Senior Brother?"

Pang Juan rubbed the teacup, his expression grave. After pondering for a while, he looked at Sun Boling.

"Junior Brother, too many people have been coming and going at my home. I'm afraid they'll disturb you. How about this? I have another house outside Daliang City. It's a little remote, but quiet. Why don't you move there?"

Sun Boling rarely dealt with people and didn't catch the implication behind Pang Juan's words. After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Thank you for considering everything so carefully, Senior Brother!"

Seeing him thank him, Pang Juan smiled too.

After Sun Boling moved outside Daliang City, Pang Juan came to see him even less often! At first, Sun Boling was happy to enjoy the peace and quiet, but then one day, Wei Wuzu burst into his room and found letters to the Qi State beneath his bed!

They were letters in which he'd reported Wei State secrets to the Qi State!

"No, those aren't mine!"

Sun Boling panicked. When had he ever written such things? He tried to argue with the soldiers, but they paid no attention to him. No matter how he protested, they acted as if they couldn't hear him and dragged him to prison.

Before long, the King of Wei sentenced him to Knee Punishment and Ink Punishment!

The man who came to announce the King's Command was Pang Juan.

"Senior Brother!"

When Sun Boling saw Pang Juan in the prison, he shouted to him in desperation, "Save me, Senior Brother! I've never betrayed Wei State. I've been framed! Please plead with Your Majesty for me. I..."

Halfway through, he saw Pang Juan's expression was indifferent.

Nothing like the senior brother he remembered.

"Senior Brother?"

Sun Boling's voice trembled.

Pang Juan unfurled the silk scroll and read aloud, "King's Command! You, of the Sun Clan, have eaten of Wei's salaries, yet you gave no thought to repaying the state and conspired with the Qi State Spy to betray Da Liang! You are hereby sentenced to Knee Punishment and Ink Punishment!"

Sun Boling was struck as if by lightning, all strength seeming to drain from him.

Only then did he understand the Master's words.

Don't go to Da Liang. Don't meet Pang Juan!

Had the Master already known that this disaster would befall him?

Pang Juan watched with his own eyes as the prison guards carried out the punishment on Sun Boling. Then he said to Sun Boling, whose legs had been broken, "Sun Boling, you have no ruler and no father. By the King's Command, your name is stripped away, and you will be known by your punishment instead: Sun Bin. Guards, throw him out!"

Sun Boling was abandoned in the streets of Daliang and spent his days begging.

In time, he even went mad!

But Pang Juan still didn't trust him. He continued to have men guard him day and night. Anyone who tried to approach and speak with him was warned—and could even be punished.

As time passed, everyone in Daliang City avoided Sun Bin as if he were the plague.

By the time Verdant Green Maiden heard the news, a year had already passed.

"Verdant Green Maiden, are we... really going?"

Hong Luan watched Verdant Green Maiden pack her things, cocked her head, and asked in confusion, "Haven't you always disliked getting too involved with mortals?"

"I taught him for years. He was practically a child I watched grow up. How could I not go? Pang Juan really has no regard for old ties at all. Did he have to be so vicious? Back then, even when I met Yao Jiang, who wanted to peel my snake skin, I only made him kowtow and apologize, didn't I?"

Verdant Green Maiden muttered to herself.

She finished packing and set out for Da Liang.

The Wei capital was bustling. By the time Verdant Green Maiden arrived, the streets were lined with row upon row of houses, and crowds of people streamed past.

Verdant Green Maiden was wondering how to find Sun Boling when a commotion suddenly broke out in the marketplace ahead. Passersby fled in panic to either side, and the uproar quickly reached her.

She took a closer look. It was a filthy, disheveled mad beggar crawling along the ground.

"Eek! What is that—"

Hong Luan was startled and leaned her head back over Verdant Green Maiden's shoulder.

The beggar crawled straight to the hem of Verdant Green Maiden's skirt. When he saw the green fabric, he froze for a moment.

Verdant Green Maiden looked down at him and parted her red lips. "Sun Boling?"

The beggar's body stiffened.

But soon, he shook his head frantically, his body twisting as he cried out in alarm, "No! Who's Sun Boling? I don't know him! I'm Sun Bin, I'm a beggar! I—I, I'm nobody! I'm hungry! I'm hungry! Boohoo—"

He writhed and hurriedly crawled away.

"Verdant Green Maiden, is he Sun Boling?" Hong Luan's voice trembled. She couldn't bring herself to believe what she was seeing.

Was this filthy man, scavenging scraps from the dust, really Sun Boling, the military genius whose Temple Calculation had bested Verdant Green Maiden? The descendant of Sun Wu?

Verdant Green Maiden fell silent. She hurried over to Sun Boling, crouched beside him, and grabbed the hand he was using to paw at someone else's discarded scraps. Sun Boling let out a terrified scream and tried frantically to push her away. He shouted, "Don't touch me! Scary! Don't!"

The men Pang Juan had sent to watch Sun Boling were already heading toward Verdant Green Maiden.

"How dare you approach a prisoner!"

"She must be a Qi State Spy. Seize her first!"

As they spoke, the men moved to grab Verdant Green Maiden.

But Snake Girl had roamed unchecked for two thousand years. Would she be afraid of these little nobodies, who hadn't lived even a fraction of that time? They hadn't even bothered to find out who they were dealing with!

She'd even beaten up King Zhou!

Hong Luan flapped her wings and flew into the air. Verdant Green Maiden turned and kicked one man flying, then snatched up a wooden stick from nearby and swung it at another. As she struck, she shouted, "So what if I dared! And a Qi State Spy, too? Got nothing better to do than make trouble all day?"

"I'll beat you to death!"

"Don't run!"

Verdant Green Maiden chased the men off with a flurry of blows.

She was kind enough not to kill them, knowing they were only following orders. Still, she'd put quite a bit of strength into her swings, and they'd be laid up for ten days or half a month after they got back.

Once the men had run off, Verdant Green Maiden tossed away the stick, dusted off her hands, and turned back to Sun Boling.

She gently nudged him with her foot and asked, "Come on. Let's get something to eat?"

"N-no, I..."

Sun Boling kept mumbling to himself.

But Verdant Green Maiden hauled him to his feet regardless, paying no mind to the grime on him. "What do you mean, 'I'? Heaven is great and Earth is vast, but eating comes first! When you were at my Ghost Valley, did I ever let you go hungry?"