Hexi Qing

That night, deep in the grasslands, at the Azure Sheep Tribe.

Outside a plain great tent, a young man was sharpening his saber by moonlight.

Among the Azure Sheep Tribe, where heroes gathered like clouds, the young man's build was relatively slight. He had neither the broad shoulders nor thick waist of the wrestlers, and he was even a little shorter than most warriors. Squatting on the ground to sharpen his blade, he looked less like a warrior than a monkey.

Yet this monkey squatting on the ground made even a hulking man standing a full nine feet tall hesitate submissively, not daring to approach.

"Come over, Muer Shu."

As if sensing the big man's unease behind him, the young man simply stopped what he was doing and turned around.

"You've been with me for nearly ten years, haven't you? There's no need to be so restrained."

"Eleven years, elder brother."

Though the young man merely looked at him calmly, the burly man named Muer Shu lowered his head deeply, not daring to meet his gaze even once.

Still less did he dare look at that blade gleaming beneath the moonlight.

Whenever warriors of the Northern Desert Grasslands needed to sharpen their weapons, they would usually seek out shamans. Though those shamans often spouted mad, bizarre nonsense, only those mad shamans could grind away the bloody aura tainted onto weapons through slaughter.

Only the man before him sharpened his own blade.

Because his name was Hexi Qing.

Azure was the color of the sky, and this man named Hexi Qing was as omnipotent as the sky itself. Though he looked frail, he was the strongest warrior of the Azure Sheep Tribe. Though he seemed short, he was the bravest fighter of the Azure Sheep Tribe.

It was not as if no brave men had wanted to challenge him, to defeat this man said to be capable of anything. Even Muer Shu had tried several times, whether in wrestling or with weapons.

But the final result was always the same.

Muer Shu saw the sky.

Thus, as the former strongest warrior of the Azure Sheep Tribe, Muer Shu chose to follow this man—like a lone wolf that had finally found its alpha, like an eagle that would ultimately soar through the heavens.

But now, this sky was on the verge of collapse.

"Elder brother, we can't wait any longer."

Clenching his teeth, Muer Shu finally spoke.

"The shamans have received a revelation. A Xuan isn't coming back. His soul has returned to the earth, together with the warriors he led... Elder brother, we can't delay any longer. We must avenge A Xuan at once."

"Oh, just that? I know."

Hearing this, the man named Hexi Qing merely shook his head and continued sharpening his blade.

Seeing how utterly unconcerned the man before him seemed, Muer Shu could not help clenching his fists in agitation.

The one who had died this time was no outsider, but Hexi Qing's own younger brother. His brother had been killed, yet as the elder brother, he had still not sought revenge. To the grassland warriors, this was undoubtedly a sign of cowardice.

A wolf pack would only obey a strong alpha, and eagles would only circle the skies. When the alpha began to weaken, when the sky lost its vastness, who would still be willing to remain in the ranks? Who would still be willing to follow the man named Hexi Qing?

Some warriors were already whispering in secret, saying that this bastard born of a Northern Desert man and a southerner was unworthy of holding high status, that his blood carried the stupidity of the Northern Desert and the cowardice of the southerners.

Muer Shu naturally did not believe such talk, but at this moment, seeing Hexi Qing's indifferent manner, he could not help wavering.

He treated even his own younger brother's murder as if it were nothing and did not dare send troops. Was this man they called "elder brother" truly still worthy of their respect and loyalty?

"So this is what you want? For me to muster the men and go seek revenge right now?"

As if sensing Muer Shu's confusion, the man named Hexi Qing spoke softly while sharpening his blade.

"That would be easy. Very easy. We've done this sort of thing too many times—muster the troops, then strike out... But do you know what would happen afterward?"

"...Afterward?"

Muer Shu was taken aback by the question.

His heart was full of revenge. He had never considered what would happen afterward.

"If you can't think of it, then I'll tell you."

Hexi Qing sharpened the saber in his hand.

"We would slaughter that fortified village in a single night, then discover that we had stepped into the Jizhou Governor's Office's encirclement. Liu Yanran, the Governor of Jizhou, would seal off our northern route home with his troops, turning that fortified village into the grave of every one of us."

"This..."

Muer Shu's eyes widened, and he could not speak.

This... did indeed sound like something those southerners would do. Though those southerners did not dare face grassland warriors head-on, when it came to schemes and stratagems, or ambushes and surprise attacks, they had never fallen behind.

Just as Hexi Qing had said, if they charged over directly, what awaited them would very likely be certain death.

"But... but that was A Xuan!"

With both fists clenched tight, the nine-foot-tall Muer Shu's tiger eyes filled with tears as he stamped his feet and beat his chest.

"Elder brother, A Xuan was indeed your younger brother, but he was our brother too. We ate from the same pot, slept in the same great tent, went to war and killed together. He even took an arrow for me... Elder brother, tell me, what exactly are you waiting for? Why won't you let us avenge A Xuan?"

"I know A Xuan was my own younger brother."

As he spoke, Hexi Qing set the sharpened blade beside him and tested its edge with his thumb.

The sharp blade merely brushed him lightly, yet it had already cut open his finger.

Leaving behind a glaring streak of red.

"That was my own younger brother, my blood brother—the brother I risked my life to bring out of the snow mountains all those years ago... More than anyone else, I want to hack those southerners who killed him into eight pieces. I want to hang their wives and children from trees. I want to strip all their skin away. I want to cut off their heads, eat their flesh, and drink their blood."

At this point, Hexi Qing's gaze became calm again.

"But I also know that if I want to do all that, I need to wait a little longer. Just a little longer."

"Elder brother, what exactly are you waiting for?"

Seeing that Hexi Qing clearly hated them as madly as they did, yet still insisted on waiting, Muer Shu could not help gritting his teeth.

"What exactly are you waiting for?"

"For the wind to blow this way."

Casually wiping the blood from his fingertips, Hexi Qing continued sharpening his blade.

"Now isn't the time—"

"Elder brother! Elder brother!"

Just then, a grassland warrior rode his horse into the camp, shouting loudly.

"The Northern Desert Royal Court's order has arrived! Our Azure Sheep Tribe is to muster and prepare for war, ready to set out within three days!"

"What..."

Before Muer Shu could react, he saw Hexi Qing abruptly rise to his feet.

"The wind of the Northern Desert has finally blown over."

Sheathing his saber, Hexi Qing waved toward the grassland warrior galloping over.

"Go back and tell the chieftain that there's no need to wait for me for this muster. Muer Shu, come help me put on my armor."

As he said this, Hexi Qing smiled.

Like a beast baring its sharp fangs.

"No need for three days. Tonight, we'll slaughter every last one of those southerners."

Thanks to Proud Lone Wolf for the monthly ticket. Thanks to Yongchun Buxiu Shi Wei Ji Rong, Qinghuan Du, Hongmeng Zhitian, Mingyun Shenjing, Jian Shitou de Bu, Renpin, Book Friend 150706134715899, Linglingling 0, Undead Foot Soldier, Rain and Snow Warning, Reader 1180819301933961216, Temporary Wake-Up, and Mechanical Priest 0032 for their recommendation votes. Thank you all for your encouragement and support. Many thanks.