Setting Out

Xiangyin County was one of the largest cities in Western Hunan. Its streets were lined with shops and thronged with pedestrians, bustling with life.

Lu Yan and Chen Yulou's party had set out in the morning. With Lu Yan's help and his Lightness Technique, they had reached Xiangyin County by afternoon.

The Republic of China was the first time Eastern and Western civilizations had collided on a large scale. Before Lu Yan's eyes, the era unfolded with a distinctive charm all its own.

Not far away, a woman wore a purple qipao and a pair of high heels. Her makeup was in the fashionable style of the day, and her hair was pinned up high, revealing a smooth, delicate neck. She looked strikingly elegant.

On the streets, laborers pulled rickshaws while shiny black cars drove past.

There were sturdy men in short jackets and sweat towels, old men in little jackets and melon-shaped caps, students in long gowns or Sun Yat-sen suits, and young men and women dressed in Western suits and gowns.

Lu Yan was filled with amazement. As he looked at this scene, so familiar yet so strange, he felt an unusual warmth and closeness. After more than a decade away from home, he was a wanderer returned to his homeland.

Chen Yulou had been busy responding to people all along the way. Noticing Lu Yan looking around, he chuckled softly. "Brother Lu, now that you've returned home after all these years, does everything seem quite different?"

Lu Yan smiled and shook his head. Seeing Chen Yulou continually stopping to greet people, he teased, "As expected of the Xieling chief, Mr. Chen. You certainly cut an imposing figure."

"Not at all, not at all. It's just that my brothers think highly of me."

Chen Yulou waved a hand as if it were nothing worth mentioning.

"Chief Chen! Master Chen! You've finally come back. You've kept your brothers waiting!"

Just then, Luo Laowai called out with a beaming smile from far away.

When he came closer, Lu Yan understood what it meant for someone to live up to his name.

Luo Laowai had been slashed across the face in his youth, leaving a huge scar that pulled the corner of his mouth askew. That was how he had earned the nickname Luo Laowai. When he smiled, his eyes and mouth skewed even more, and the corners of his lips nearly stretched to the back of his head.

"Commander Luo, I went to find some help."

"This is Brother Lu Yan. He's returned from studying abroad, is learned and highly skilled, and I specifically invited him to help us."

Chen Yulou was used to Luo Laowai's ways and didn't take offense. Instead, he gave Lu Yan a formal introduction.

Luo Laowai was no fool. He hadn't paid much attention to the young man at first, but seeing how seriously Chen Yulou introduced him, he realized Lu Yan was no ordinary character. He cupped his hands and smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Brother Lu. I, Luo, don't have much education, and I've always admired learned people most. If you need anything, just say the word. I, Luo, won't say no."

Lu Yan smiled and returned the salute. "I've heard plenty about Commander Luo. Now that I've met you, I can see your reputation is well deserved."

Chattering and laughing along the way, the group returned to Chen Mansion.

The Chen family was a distinguished clan that had lived in Xiangyin for generations, with deep roots and a rich heritage. The gardens and pavilions of Chen Mansion were exquisitely designed, from the eaves to the corners of the windows. The servants moved about with impeccable manners and orderly precision. Everywhere, understated luxury was on display.

As soon as they sat down in the living room, Luo Laowai asked impatiently, before the tea had even been served, "Chief Chen, I've already brought those few hundred men from the Engineering Battalion. When are we setting out?"

Chen Yulou pondered for a moment before replying slowly, "The sooner we do this, the better. We don't want any more complications."

Then Chen Yulou turned to Lu Yan. "Brother Lu, what do you think?"

Looking at Luo Laowai's astonished expression, Lu Yan smiled faintly. "When we entered the city, I saw tens of thousands of refugees gathered by the gates. The sooner we set out, the sooner we can get the gold and silver and provide relief to them."

"Right. Brother Lu knows how to talk sense."

Luo Laowai laughed heartily and rubbed his short hair.

"Then it's settled. We set out for Bottle Mountain tomorrow."

Chen Yulou snapped his folding fan shut and slapped it against his palm, making up his mind.

Thinking of the centipedes and poisonous creatures on Bottle Mountain from the films he had seen, Lu Yan said, "Chief Chen, I've heard Bottle Mountain is full of poisonous creatures. I could make a batch of antidotes tonight, just in case."

Chen Yulou's face lit up. He cupped his hands. "Then I'll have to thank you, Brother Lu. I'll ask Red Maiden to stay by your side. If you need anything, just let her know."

"Sure."

Lu Yan nodded and said no more. He turned and left.

As soon as Lu Yan was gone, Luo Laowai eagerly asked, "Brother Chief, what's Lu Yan's story?"

Chen Yulou shook his head and replied slowly, "I don't know much about him either. I was originally going to find Simu when I ran into Lu Yan there."

"But his skills are extraordinary. He subdued a Furry Zombie in the blink of an eye. Commander Luo, you must show him respect."

"Damn, that kid's really something."

Luo Laowai was a little shaken. He had worked as a corpse driver in his youth. Though he had used corpses to smuggle goods, he still knew a thing or two about the trade. Furry Zombies were impervious to blades and bullets. Even if all the men in his Engineering Battalion charged together, they would probably just end up as a meal for the thing.

"Once we get the treasures from Bottle Mountain, how are we splitting them with that kid?"

Luo Laowai stood up and paced anxiously back and forth. They hadn't even gotten the gold and silver yet, and he was already thinking about how to divide it.

"Come on, Commander Luo. We haven't even set out, and you're already wondering how to split the spoils?"

Chen Yulou shook his head in exasperation and stood up, pressing Luo Laowai back down into his chair.

"Brother Lu said that as long as the treasure is used to provide relief to the refugees, he won't take a single coin."

"But if we find any elixirs or other precious medicines on Bottle Mountain, those will belong to him."

Luo Laowai laughed heartily and slapped the table, visibly excited.

"Good!"

"Then it's settled!"

That night, Chen Mansion was brightly lit. Chen Yulou, Luo Laowai, and the others were drinking.

Meanwhile, Lu Yan was in a secluded courtyard, preparing the various medicinal ingredients he had brought.

Red Maiden stood nearby, watching him handle the herbs with practiced ease. She couldn't help feeling curious.

"Mr. Lu, you're so young. How do you know so much?"

Lu Yan looked up at Red Maiden, patted the chair beside him, and called out to her.

"Red Maiden, just call me Lu Yan."

"Why are you standing so far away? Sit down and chat."

Red Maiden sat beside Lu Yan. Looking at his young, handsome face, she asked curiously, "Lu Yan, how old are you, anyway?"

Lu Yan pursed his lips and kept working. "You didn't know a man's age is his greatest secret?"

"Why's a young, pretty girl like you mixed up with a bunch of bandits?"

"That's none of your business."

Red Maiden rolled her eyes. She found that Lu Yan, who had displayed such impressive power earlier, wasn't all that hard to approach after all.

Lu Yan continued preparing the medicine while Red Maiden watched quietly. They chatted now and then, and the night gradually grew late.

"All done. Here."

Lu Yan condensed the finished medicinal liquid into fifty pills. He took one out and handed it to Red Maiden, placing the rest in a medicine box.

Red Maiden held the black pill in her hand. It gave off a strange fragrance, and she couldn't help asking, "Does it really work that well?"

Lu Yan stood and stretched.

"Keep it with you, and no poison will harm you."

"It's late. I'm going to bed."