Preparing a gift

A rare, fervent gleam shone in Zeng Mu's eyes. It was the first time he had shown such a look since arriving here. Unlike the spellbound gaze he had given Ma Linya, this was one of utter satisfaction, without any trace of timidity or unease.

"I'm very satisfied. This is an excellent sword." With that, he curled two fingers and flicked the blade hard.

Hummm! The Fish-Scale Sword showed not the slightest tremor, yet waves of a mesmerizing hum echoed throughout the room.

A fish diving into the deep sea was like a dragon, riding clouds and mist into the highest heavens, Zeng Mu silently marveled again.

After another look, he put the sword away, raised his head, and gathered his thoughts. "Then, Lord Soxia, did you come here merely to bestow a gift on me?"

"Ha-ha!" Soxia grinned and laughed at that.

He shook his head and waved a hand. "You really are a clever little fellow. As you guessed, I certainly didn't come merely to give you a gift. You should have some idea why." His voice grew noticeably heavier toward the end.

To Kanni, there was nothing unusual about it; it was a perfectly normal change in tone. Although he did not understand why Soxia had done it so deliberately, Zeng Mu sensed an aura in that deepened voice-a powerful aura that only an Elementalist could possess.

Yes, Soxia was a powerful Earth Elementalist of the willful realm. He could sense it.

Soxia's smile faded, and he spoke with a solemn expression. "Yes, the Hundred-Year War has begun in earnest. Battles have broken out in Gewei Territory, Wolun Territory, and Teri Sasi Territory, one after another. We are now locked in fierce fighting with the Viking Tribes and the Seven Kingdoms. This time, I fear the conflict can no longer be quelled. It will be a brutal war with no room for compromise or negotiation. It may last three years, or five. In any case, the war will end someday, and when it does, only one power will remain on this continent."

"Us." His voice was firm as iron, leaving no room for doubt, and filled with confidence and hope.

Kanni understood now as well: Soxia had come to lend Yetos a hand.

"Will they attack the city tonight?" Zeng Mu asked thoughtfully, his brows slightly furrowed.

Yetos spoke. "Tonight at the earliest, dawn tomorrow at the latest. It won't be any other time, because this is the best opportunity available to them."

"What about the spy in the city? Have you found any leads?" Kanni asked urgently.

Yetos shook his head. "No. The situation is tense, and we simply haven't had time to investigate the spy. But as soon as you set out, I ordered the city sealed and placed under strict watch. Not even a mosquito was to slip through, so we could cut off any further communication between the spy and the enemy."

"If that's the case, the spy hasn't had time to pass on the news that the city's water supply problem has been resolved."

Yetos looked at Zeng Mu and nodded. "Yes. And if they intend to come, they're already on their way."

Soxia stroked his beard and chuckled. "Heh, these old bones never expected to arrive at such an opportune moment. Since I so rarely make an appearance, I ought to leave them a gift they'll remember for the rest of their lives." He sounded rather like a seasoned hunter.

Yetos continued, "Of course I agree with your plan, but there's another problem troubling me-the Viking Legion. Idiveer is an old adversary of mine. We've nearly killed each other several times, so we know each other's temperaments fairly well. I know that fellow will most likely keep his promise. The problem is that the Viking Tribes may pressure him, forcing him to break his word and lead his troops against the city."

"Unless he's lost his mind, he'll take advantage of the Seven Kingdoms Coalition's offensive to strike while we're vulnerable and join the attack. When that happens, I fear we won't be able to hold them off."

Soxia nodded in reply. "Indeed, that's a valid concern. The battlefield is merciless. Any so-called promise may turn out to be nothing but hot air. Besides, even the current Temple Master can no longer establish a truce with the Two Kings."

"Danger is approaching. The Holy Temple has little time left." Soxia's voice suddenly sounded much older, as though he were speaking of some terrible secret. Even he could only guess at it from his years of experience; he was not entitled to know the actual secret. All he knew was that it concerned the entire Holy Sword Territory, and nothing mattered more.

While the two men worried and lamented, Kanni and Zeng Mu looked relaxed instead, with no sign of concern on their faces.

The night breeze blew gently, squeezing through gaps beneath the roof and in the walls just to glimpse the candlelight within. It used all its strength to give the flame a gentle touch, and seemed content once it had made it sway a few times.

Only then did Zeng Mu speak. "My lords, Kanni and I made an unexpected gain while bringing up the rear."

"An unexpected gain? Did you loot something good from them?" Yetos remained composed and silent, but Soxia looked curious.

"No, not an object. A person-a very important person."

He took out the White Pearl. At a push of his consciousness, white light flashed, and a dark shape expanded before landing heavily on the floor.

Seeing the tightly bound, unconscious Viking, Yetos bent down for a closer look. But even after confirming that he was a White-Pattern Leader, Yetos's expression remained calm, showing little joy.

"Nameless, isn't this just an ordinary White-Pattern Leader? He may be burly even by the Viking Tribes' standards, and his beard isn't particularly unkempt, but the Viking Legion has plenty of men of his rank. Bringing back a hundred of them wouldn't do much good."

Soxia, however, asked with bright eyes, "You say he's important. Does he have some other identity?"

"Of course, but..." Zeng Mu turned to glance at Kanni, then turned back and spread his hands. "We aren't sure what it is yet. Still, it's very likely that Idiveer won't gamble with his life, which means he won't dare take advantage of our predicament."

"You can't wage war on guesses," Yetos said, shaking his head. But when Soxia tilted his head and glanced at him, he immediately added, "Of course, there are exceptions to everything. If that really is the case, this fellow will be a trump card in our negotiations."

"I'll keep a close watch tonight and see whether Idiveer sends any messages, then act according to the circumstances."

The two nodded repeatedly. Zeng Mu moved his wrist again, and the White Pearl flashed once more. Five dark shapes promptly landed on the floor.

Looking at the five men bound with hemp ropes and gagged with wads of cloth, Yetos raised his brows slightly. "Are these the companions of the blue starfish's owner that Ma Linya mentioned?"

"Yes. Five bandits we encountered on the road," Kanni explained.

"Why did you bring them back? If they're bandits, there's no need to spare them." With that, he nudged the fifth brother with the toe of his boot. The man lay with his ruddy face toward the floor, wriggling back and forth like a worm.

Bright and the others looked up sideways, all staring at Zeng Mu. Their gazes were like sharp knives, yet there was helplessness in those blades too, as though they had been soaked in water and rusted.

"They may be bandits, but they haven't killed anyone. At worst, they stole or robbed goods from passing merchants. They still have a chance to turn over a new leaf."

"Besides, their leader-this fellow here, named Bright-should be Uncle White's nephew." He pointed at Bright as he spoke.

Yetos's eyes lit up. "Oh? Blacksmith White's nephew? If so, we can keep them. There may only be five of them, but put a blade in each man's hands and send them onto the battlefield, and that's five more threats to the enemy. Of course, if they can't fight, they can help with logistics instead. I'll have Xibizete come over and test them later."

"Yes, Knight Commander, that's a sound arrangement. But could I keep Bright with me for now? I'd like to take him to Uncle White later to confirm his identity."

"Certainly. Put him away for now, but there's no rush to reunite him with his relative. First, come outside the city with us."

"Just the three of us?" Zeng Mu asked in surprise.

Soxia coughed lightly, drew a breath, and said, "The three of us will be enough. Anyone else would be of no use."

"Kanni, go back and rest. Get a good night's sleep. If they arrive quickly, your dream may be cut short halfway through, so you'd better sleep with your shoes on," Yetos said evenly.

"Yes." Kanni acknowledged the order and left the room.

Shortly after he left, Xibizete hurried over. Once he entered, Yetos instructed him to make proper arrangements for the Viking and the four bandits. Then Yetos followed Soxia out of the room, and Zeng Mu hurried after them.

The three rode out through the city gate on three horses at a brisk pace.

The moon was dark and the wind fierce. Outside the city, strong gusts howled, filling the air with yellow sand. Grit scattered through the night sky like willow fluff, keeping the horses' tails in constant motion, swinging back and forth like oars meeting waves on a river.

Behind them, the water in the moat on either side leaped like fish, beating ceaselessly against the banks and gradually breaking apart the already soft soil. Dark clumps tumbled into the moat with rumbling splashes, churning the murky water into an even dirtier mess.

Yetos gazed into the distance shrouded in darkness and asked, "Nameless, tell me, if the Seven Kingdoms Coalition attacks tonight, which wall will they strike first?"

With the wind constantly tousling his hair, Zeng Mu looked into the cold, silent distance and pondered for a while. Then he glanced back at the lamplit Sand City before answering slowly. "The south, where the terrain is lowest. By contrast, the west is highest, easy to defend and hard to attack. There are woods to the north, making it difficult to move siege engines through. The east has no cover at all, so arrows and catapults can strike freely."

"So they'll take a detour and attack from the south. Using Black Iron Slope for cover, their army won't be easily spotted. By the time we discover them, they'll already be right on top of us, ready to assault the city in an instant."

Both men nodded repeatedly as they listened. Soxia's face showed unstinting admiration as he reflected that this young fellow truly had a talent for strategy.

"Exactly. They'll come around Black Iron Slope and attack our southern gate. It's both the easiest approach and the best one for minimizing their losses."

"Then why have we come out here?" Zeng Mu looked at him and asked cautiously.

"To prepare a gift for our guests from afar."

Yetos nudged his horse with his toes, gripped the reins, and turned toward the southern gate.

The other two followed at an unhurried pace, gradually vanishing into a night that was silent in the distance and howling close at hand. Only the ceaselessly rippling river and the sound of splashes remained.