By the time the army surgeon finished stopping the bleeding, applying medicine, and bandaging the wound, it was already midnight. Qin Tiexin had waited outside the entire time.
When Zhou Cang woke, dawn was just breaking. There was only one oil lamp in the barracks, its wick crackling softly. He opened his eyes and first saw the low adobe ceiling, then smelled the familiar scent of wound medicine and a trace of blood.
He tried to move, and a sharp pain shot through his left leg-no, not pain, but emptiness. It was a strange feeling. Something should have been there, yet there was nothing.
He slowly turned his head and saw Qin Tiexin sitting on a small stool beside the bed, his head lowered, not yet aware that Zhou Cang had woken.
Zhou Cang studied his profile.
He had not seen the boy for three days. His cheeks had grown thinner, his cheekbones more pronounced, but his gaze was steady. It was no longer hollow and wandering as it had been a few days ago, but like iron tempered in fire, solid and weighty.
Sensing his gaze, Qin Tiexin raised his head. Seeing Zhou Cang's eyes open, he paused, then leaned forward. "Teacher, you're awake."
His voice was a little hoarse, but steady.
Zhou Cang tried to speak, but his throat was painfully dry. Qin Tiexin immediately poured a bowl of warm water, carefully supported his head, and fed it to him little by little.
The water tasted sweet. A little salt and sugar had been added, a special preparation from the medical camp.
After drinking, Zhou Cang recovered some strength. His first words were, "What about my leg?"
Qin Tiexin fell silent for a moment, then said quietly, "They couldn't reattach it. The surgeon said... too much time had passed."
"Oh," Zhou Cang said, his face expressionless. He merely closed his eyes briefly.
Qin Tiexin watched him, his heart tightening. He knew that lame leg had been with his master for decades. Though it had never worked properly, it had still been a leg. Now even that leg was gone...
"Teacher, I..."
"It's all right." Zhou Cang interrupted him, his voice still weak but calm. "A lame leg in exchange for a Night Scout's life. Worth it."
He opened his eyes and looked at Qin Tiexin. "And you? Not afraid anymore?"
Qin Tiexin shook his head. "Not anymore."
Zhou Cang examined his eyes closely. Indeed, there was no fear in them, no evasion. Only the quiet steadiness of someone who had been through something.
"Good." Zhou Cang tugged at the corners of his mouth, trying to smile, but failed. "These old bones won't die. It's just that from now on... I won't be able to forge iron."
He spoke matter-of-factly, but Qin Tiexin heard the desolation he could not quite hide.
"Teacher," Qin Tiexin said, "you rest. The Craftsmen's Camp has me. I'll visit you every day."
Zhou Cang waved a hand. "No need. The surgeon said I have to stay here under observation for seven days. You have your own duties. You've been away from the training camp so long. Don't fall behind."
Qin Tiexin wanted to say more, but Zhou Cang had already closed his eyes. "Go. Let me sleep a while."
Qin Tiexin sat for a while. Only when his master's breathing grew even and he seemed truly asleep did he quietly rise.
He went to the surgeon and took a small cloth bundle from inside his robe-it held four months of saved pay and the reward from his last mission, over seven taels of silver in all. He handed all of it to the old surgeon.
"Money isn't a problem," Qin Tiexin said. "Give my teacher the best medicine and the best food."
The old surgeon took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and nodded. "Rest assured. Master Zhou is a veteran craftsman. We won't neglect him."
Qin Tiexin thanked him, glanced back once more at Zhou Cang on the sickbed, then turned and left.
Back at his quarters, Qin Tiexin first bathed and changed into clean clothes.
Then he walked to the corner and looked at Edgeless leaning there.
The saber was black all over, its hilt and blade forged as one. Simple and rough, it resembled a flattened iron pillar. He had not touched it since returning from his last mission.
If he hadn't...
If he had brought Edgeless back then, would...
He thought no further.
Qin Tiexin reached out and grasped the hilt.
It felt cold and heavy in his hand, yet familiar. He lifted it one-handed, tested its weight, then held it across his body.
The blade was broad enough to shield almost half his body. He bent his arm and made a diagonal cut from his right shoulder toward the lower left-slow, but steady. The edge swept through the air with a low hum.
There was not the slightest tremor.
He lowered the saber and began putting on his chainmail.
He had modified the armor himself, adding short sleeves for fuller protection. The iron rings lay cold against his skin as he fastened the clasps one by one with practiced movements.
With his armor on, black clothes over it, and Edgeless on his back, he left the room.
It was broad daylight now. Horns sounded through the army camp as the units began their drills. Qin Tiexin crossed the training ground toward the command tent.
People looked at him along the way-with such an outsized saber on his back, it was hard not to draw attention. Soldiers he knew greeted him. "Tiexin, you're back?"
Qin Tiexin nodded. "Yes."
"Heard Master Zhou was wounded?"
"Yes."
"Is it serious?"
"He survived."
The exchanges were brief, with no unnecessary words. Qin Tiexin kept walking and soon reached the command tent.
The guards knew him and went inside to announce him. A moment later, Li Zhenwei's voice came from within. "Let him in."
Qin Tiexin lifted the flap and entered.
Li Zhenwei was studying the sand table. Adjutant Sun was there too, and the two seemed to be discussing something. When Qin Tiexin entered, Li Zhenwei looked up and appraised him from head to toe.
"Recovered?" Li Zhenwei asked.
"Recovered." Qin Tiexin stood straight.
"Not afraid anymore?"
"Not anymore."
Li Zhenwei walked up to him and stared into his eyes for a few seconds, then suddenly extended his hand-at some point, a small knife had appeared in it, its edge gleaming.
Qin Tiexin did not even blink.
Li Zhenwei turned his wrist and lightly drew the blade across the back of his own hand-a shallow cut that only broke the skin, drawing beads of blood. He held his hand before Qin Tiexin.
Qin Tiexin looked at the blood, his gaze calm and his breathing even.
Li Zhenwei withdrew his hand and nodded. "You really have recovered."
Adjutant Sun spoke. "How is Master Zhou?"
"He survived, but lost his leg," Qin Tiexin said. "He's recuperating in the medical camp."
Li Zhenwei returned to the sand table and tapped it with a finger. "Bad timing. Team A is out on a mission. Wait here for them to return."
Qin Tiexin did not move. "What mission?"
Li Zhenwei glanced at him. "Wipe out a small Di People squad fifteen li east of Xinyang Pass. Ten to fifteen men."
Qin Tiexin's heart tightened.
Fifteen li east of Xinyang Pass... that village lay in the same direction.
He stepped forward and pointed to a spot on the sand table. "General, this is where my teacher and I encountered those two Night Scouts."
Li Zhenwei looked up.
"Night Scouts? Are you certain?"
"Certain," Qin Tiexin said. "Their leather armor, curved sabers, and horse breeds were all standard for the Night Scouts. I killed one, and my teacher killed the other."
Li Zhenwei immediately bent over the sand table, moving his finger between the spot Qin Tiexin had indicated and the mission site.
"Less than five li apart..." His expression darkened. "Sun Shuo, your source said that squad was an ordinary patrol?"
Adjutant Sun nodded. "The scout reported ten to fifteen men, lightly equipped, unarmored. They looked like they were out plundering grain."
"That's wrong." Li Zhenwei shook his head. "If Night Scouts are operating nearby, that squad is very likely elite too. At the very least... not an ordinary patrol."
Hearing this, Qin Tiexin's heart tightened. "General, when did Team A leave?"
"Yesterday evening," Shi Meng said. "According to the plan, they should have reached their position this morning and finished fighting before noon."
"What time is it now?"
"A quarter to nine."
Qin Tiexin calculated-if all had gone smoothly, Team A might already be fighting. If not...
"General," he raised his head, "I'll go support them."
Li Zhenwei looked at him. "Alone?"
"I'm part of Team A," Qin Tiexin said. "They're my brothers-in-arms."
"Good," Li Zhenwei said. "But how do you plan to get there? Run?"
Qin Tiexin froze.
"Go to the stables and ride Black Cloud," Li Zhenwei said. "I'll assemble a squad of light cavalry immediately and follow. Go ahead, but if something happens, don't force a fight. Wait for reinforcements."
Qin Tiexin nodded firmly. "Yes!"
He turned to leave.
"Tiexin," Li Zhenwei called after him.
Qin Tiexin looked back.
"Come back alive," Li Zhenwei said. "Your teacher still needs someone to look after him."
Qin Tiexin pressed his lips together without speaking, lifted the flap, and left.
In the stables, Black Cloud was eating fodder.
He was pitch-black all over, with four snow-white hooves, and stood over seven chi at the shoulder. Big-boned and powerfully muscled, he was one of the best horses in the training camp. He had a fierce temper, but got along well with Qin Tiexin.
In truth, he was a little afraid of him.
Seeing Qin Tiexin approach, Black Cloud raised his head and snorted.
Qin Tiexin untied the reins and patted his neck. "Old friend, we need to make a trip."
He swung into the saddle-mounting with Edgeless on his back took some effort. The saber was too long. Carried upright, it would poke the sky; carried sideways, it was too wide. In the end, he had to sling it diagonally across his back, its tip pointing upward, barely keeping it from hampering his movements.
"Hyah!"
He squeezed the horse's flanks, and Black Cloud charged out of the stables.
The guards at the camp gate had already received orders and let him through at once. Qin Tiexin charged out of Xinyang Pass and headed east.
Wind howled past his ears.
Black Cloud ran incredibly fast, his hooves flying and dust rising behind him. Qin Tiexin crouched low, his eyes fixed ahead.
Fifteen li took less than half an hour on horseback.
The closer he drew to the target area, the faster his heart beat. Not from fear, but tension. He thought of Lin Feng, Zhao Ling, Chen San, Zhao Ziliang, Tu Dazhu... and Shi Meng.
They were all his brothers-in-arms.
A stretch of hills appeared ahead, with a valley beyond. According to the marks on the sand table, Team A's ambush site was in that valley.
Qin Tiexin reined in and slowed.
He tilted his head to listen-no battle cries, no clashing weapons, only wind and birdsong.
It was too quiet.
His unease deepened, and he urged his horse onward.
Rounding a ridge, he saw the valley entrance.
Then he saw them.
Outside the valley mouth, five horsemen were patrolling back and forth, all wearing leather armor and fur caps, curved sabers at their waists-Night Scouts. On each side of the valley, two men were carrying dead branches and dry grass, piling them at the entrance.
Inside the valley, he could faintly make out several dark figures hiding behind rocks. Arrows occasionally flew out, but the distance was too great for them to pose much threat.
A standoff.
Qin Tiexin immediately understood the situation-Team A was trapped in the valley. The Di People cavalry could not charge inside and did not dare dismount to fight on foot, so they had simply decided to light a fire and smoke them out.
He counted nine Di People outside. Together with those two, that made eleven, matching the intelligence.
But this was no ordinary patrol.
Qin Tiexin watched the horsemen's movements-they handled their mounts skillfully and kept a tight watch. Even the four gathering firewood were calm and methodical. These were elite troops.
He quietly retreated, tethered Black Cloud behind a concealed tree, and patted his neck. "Wait here for me."
Then he drew Edgeless and gripped it.
Holding the hundred-and-sixty-jin saber in one hand, the muscles in his arm bulged. He crouched low and crept toward the valley mouth, using rocks and shrubs for cover.
Inside the valley, Shi Meng leaned against a large rock, breathing heavily.
An arrow had struck his left arm. It had been pulled out and the wound roughly bandaged, but blood was still seeping through. Nine people surrounded him-all members of Team A.
"Instructor Shi, what do we do?" Tu Dazhu asked in his rumbling voice. He also had a wound on his shoulder, shallow but bleeding heavily.
Shi Meng said nothing, only stared fixedly at the valley mouth.
Outside, the Di People had already piled up the firewood, and someone was lighting it.
Smoke began to rise, not much, but the wind carried it into the valley.
"They want to smoke us out." Zhao Ling gritted his teeth. "Damn it, if that arrow had been a little more accurate..."
"Enough useless talk," Shi Meng interrupted hoarsely. "Listen. Once the smoke rises, that's when they'll let their guard down most-it'll obscure their vision and make them think we're about to break. That's when we all charge out."
His gaze swept over them. "I'll take the front. Dazhu, Ziliang, stay on my left and right. Everyone else follows. Zhao Ling, suppress them with arrows. Don't save them. Shoot as many as you can."
He paused, his voice growing hoarser. "Remember, however many of us can get out, get out. If you're captured alive... end it yourselves. If there's no time, insist you know nothing. The general's plan depends on this, and so do the lives of countless civilians in Xinyang Pass."
When he finished, he began coughing, so violently that his face flushed red.
Lin Feng reached out to support him, but Shi Meng shoved him away.
The nine watched him without speaking, only nodding heavily.
There was only death.
Lin Feng tightened his grip on his saber, a thought flashing through his mind. If Qin Tiexin finds out... he'll probably feel even worse. I hope Father won't be too heartbroken when he hears. I've disgraced the Lin Household.
Outside, the smoke grew thicker.
The woodpile was burning now. The flames were small, but the smoke was choking. The Di People cavalry had withdrawn upwind. Their horses paced uneasily, but the riders kept them firmly under control.
The Di People leader was a man in his thirties, a scar running from his brow to the corner of his mouth, his narrow eyes wolf-like. His surname was Helian-in the Northern Di, it was a royal surname second only to Yelü. He watched the valley mouth with a cold smile.
Their brief clash had revealed that this squad was unusual. With fighting strength like that, they were certainly no ordinary border troops.
He wanted them alive. At least one, so he could learn where they came from, their purpose, and the commander behind them.
Smoke had already poured into the valley.
Shi Meng covered his mouth and nose, his eyes stung red by the smoke. He raised a hand, all five fingers spread-
Ready.
The nine of them tensed.
Just then, a sudden commotion broke out outside!
Horses neighed, someone shouted in the Di language, and then came the clash of weapons, followed by a heavy, muffled thud, as though something weighty had struck the ground.
Shi Meng froze, then immediately reacted-an opening!
"Charge!"
He roared and was the first to rush out of cover.
The nine others followed close behind.
Smoke filled the air, blurring their vision. Only after charging a dozen paces did they make out what was happening outside-
The five cavalrymen guarding the mouth of the valley were fighting a tall figure, surrounding him.
The man wore black, his back to them, and held a pitch-black saber-its blade was extraordinarily broad and thick, with no sharpened edge, but it whipped up a terrifying howl of wind as he swung it.
It was Qin Tiexin.
He swept his saber sideways. A cavalryman raised his own blade to block, and with a deafening clang, the scimitar flew from his grip. Both horse and rider were driven back several paces by the impact.
Another cavalryman charged from the side, bringing his scimitar down.
Without even looking, Qin Tiexin swung his saber upward in a backhand slash-
Bang!
The blade slammed into the horse's neck. The horse neighed and toppled sideways, throwing its rider. Before he could get up, Qin Tiexin stepped forward and stamped on his chest.
Crack.
The sound of a breastbone shattering.
The remaining three cavalrymen were cowed, not daring to advance for the moment.
In the distance, the four cavalrymen who had been hauling firewood were riding toward them. At their head, Helian Zhen's face was ashen, his eyes fixed on Qin Tiexin.
Shi Meng rushed to his side and asked hoarsely, "What are you doing here?!"
Qin Tiexin looked back, a few drops of blood spattered across his face, but his eyes were calm. "The general sent me."
He glanced at Shi Meng's injured arm, then swept his gaze over Team A. "Can you still fight?"
Tu Dazhu grinned. "Yes!"
Zhao Ling had already nocked an arrow. "Brother Qin, your timing is fucking perfect!"
Lin Feng said nothing, only clapping Qin Tiexin hard on the shoulder.
Qin Tiexin nodded, turned, and faced the approaching cavalrymen.
He gripped Edgeless in both hands, its tip hanging toward the ground.
"Then let's fight," he said.