The great fleet slowly entered the docks of Ji Prefecture to the boat trackers' strong, rhythmic work chants.
Jiang Kui, who had been waiting at the docks for some time, shaded his eyes with a hand and squinted. Merchant flags bearing the character "Yang," seemingly gilded, snapped in sunlight as golden as ears of ripened rice...
"They're here!"
He rapped urgently on the square table beside him. Lei Heng and Liu Meng, who had been drinking tea, quickly set down their bowls, rose, and followed him out to meet the arrivals.
The great ships eased ashore one after another and dropped anchor. The porters who had been waiting surged forward carrying heavy gangplanks. No one directed them, yet order prevailed amid the bustle, without any of the usual shoving over customers and business.
Wu Eryong scanned the docks from the ship's rail. Spotting the three brothers-Lei Heng, Jiang Kui, and Liu Meng-standing on the pier, he immediately leaped down to join them.
"Steward Wu, it's been a while!"
Smiling, Jiang Kui stepped forward and saluted with clasped hands.
Wu Eryong hastily stepped aside and returned the salute. "General-in-Chief Jiang, you're honoring this humble fellow far too much!"
Then he lowered his voice and added rapidly, "Our chief is here..."
Jiang Kui turned in surprise and saw a tall, distinguished figure in white robes and a silver coronet rise onto his toes, stride across thirty feet, and alight gently on the pier... He landed without a sound, and the wooden boards did not so much as tremble.
At that single springing step, both Jiang Kui's and Lei Heng's pupils instinctively contracted.
"Am I speaking to General-in-Chief Jiang?"
The man in white approached with a smile and saluted. "I'm Li Jincheng. I've long heard of your great reputation, General-in-Chief Jiang. Now that