Green Mountain

At the foot of Changbai Mountain.

Jiang Zhuang led the elite troops of Tokyo Road out of the forest. Seeing the empty hitching ground, he was dumbfounded. "Where are our horses?"

His trusted armored soldier ran over and shook the fainted Horse Guard on the ground awake. "Where are the horses?"

The armored Horse Guard slowly opened his eyes, looked around in a daze. "Weren’t the horses tied to the trees? Huh? Where are the horses!"

The armored soldier shuddered, scrambled up from the snow and spun around several times. Only a few scattered horses had found their way back; the other several hundred were nowhere to be seen.

Jiang Zhuang asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

The armored soldier pondered for a moment. "I don’t even know how I passed out."

"I tell you to watch the horses and you can’t even manage that," Jiang Zhuang said through gritted teeth. "Do you have any idea how much a single warhorse is worth? Even if your ancestors for eighteen generations were all sold off, you still couldn’t pay it back."

The armored soldier said in a small voice, "My lord, one of my ancestors was an Imperial Concubine, and she bore a Prince. Please mind your tongue."

Jiang Zhuang kicked the armored soldier over. "Your ancestor was an Imperial Concubine and you still turned out like this sorry excuse for a man?"

The other armored soldiers saw Jiang Zhuang furious beyond measure and looked to Jiang An, Jiang Zhuang’s trusted aide, for help. Jiang An gave everyone a reassuring look, then stepped forward and said to Jiang Zhuang, "My lord, the Mo Blade Camp’s horses were also startled and ran off."

Jiang Zhuang’s brows immediately unknotted and he grinned. "Oh? So that’s how it is!"

He gave a broad wave of his hand. "Alright then, make camp on the spot, boil water and cook. Jiang An, take some men and go look for the warhorses. Oh, and if you can, drive the Mo Blade Camp’s horses a bit farther away."

Jiang An accepted the order and left.

Jiang Zhuang had just found a clean spot to sit when he saw Yuan Hengli Zhen leading over three hundred Mo Blade Soldiers down the mountain. He sprang to his feet, carefully scanning the Mo Blade Camp, and only when he was sure that the old man and the young one were not among them did he relax and turn his gaze on Yuan Hengli Zhen.

Yuan Hengli Zhen was no longer the picture of splendor. The mask on his face was nowhere to be seen; a long gash, its edges rolled back, cut across his face, the bleeding already stopped.

The Mo Blade Soldiers behind him had discarded helmets and armor parts all over; dirty snow clung in the seams of their armor where it could not be cleaned out.

Jiang Zhuang immediately grew gleeful at their misfortune. "So the Champion Marquis is only so-so. Five hundred Mo Blade Soldiers hunting down one man, and you still let the fellow leave you all covered in dust, losing over a hundred men and horses on top of that."

Yuan Hengli Zhen cast him a sidelong glance. "A mere Yaqian Cavalry Commander dares run his mouth in front of this Commander? Has Jiang Yu not taught you any rules?"

Jiang Zhuang chuckled. "We on Tokyo Road have our own rules on Tokyo Road. It’s not your place as an outsider to point fingers. By the way, your warhorses were also driven off. Shouldn’t you go look for your own horses first?"

Yuan Hengli Zhen let out a cold laugh and took out a vermillion box from his waist. With his left hand he formed the Three Mountains Technique, and with his right he dipped his index and middle fingers into some vermillion mud, joining the fingers like a sword to draw a talisman on a pine tree.

The moment the talisman was completed, the vermillion suddenly ignited without fire, burning the talisman completely away.

A moment later, the thunder of hooves came rushing toward them.

Jiang Zhuang’s expression changed. He turned to look and saw a massive black horse leading the herd back. On the saddle of this Horse King, a talisman was burning.

When the herd drew near, Yuan Hengli Zhen vaulted into the saddle, and sitting on horseback, he gave Jiang Zhuang a contemptuous smile, then turned his horse and rode off.

Jiang Zhuang’s face darkened.

Just then, Jiang An led some men back, leading the horses. Seeing Jiang Zhuang’s expression, he hurriedly asked the others what had happened. "What’s wrong with my lord?"

An armored soldier quietly explained, and Jiang An stepped forward. "My lord, the Mo Blade Camp has lost over a hundred men and horses, but we haven’t lost a single one. Besides, just look at them, all disheveled and shedding armor pieces. Our soldiers will all be able to return to Huanglong Prefecture safe and sound."

Jiang Zhuang’s expression eased. "That’s true... Bring me the pigeon cage."

Jiang An said softly, "The pigeons in the pigeon cage were released as well. The other side was guarding against us sending messages by carrier pigeon."

Jiang Zhuang was so furious he couldn’t speak for a long while.

Jiang An watched his expression. "Why don’t we eat first?"

Jiang Zhuang strode toward his warhorse. "Eat, my ass. Reporting this to the Commander is what matters. We can’t delay proper business. Move out!"

...

...

The elite troops of Tokyo Road swung into their saddles and set out at dusk. Before dawn, they reached Huanglong Prefecture in Changchun State on Tokyo Road.

On the city wall of Huanglong Prefecture, a man of around thirty stood quietly gazing in the direction of Changbai Mountain. He wore a hard footed headscarf, and a purple round-collared, right-lapped robe of a Military Governor, though he had had the sleeves narrowed a bit for ease in riding and shooting.

Tokyo Dao Jiedu Envoy, Jiang Yu.

Jiang Zhuang galloped back from outside the city, his warhorse foaming at the mouth from the run. He looked up and saw Jiang Yu standing atop the wall, and immediately dropped his head guiltily.

Once inside the city, Jiang Zhuang tossed the reins to Jiang An, then went alone up the city tower and half-knelt behind Jiang Yu. "Commander, this subordinate has returned."

Jiang Yu casually asked, "Speak."

Jiang Zhuang weighed his words and said in a low voice, "Your subordinate had actually already captured that sword seed inheritor. It was an old man and a young man; I even kept them by my side and escorted them into Changbai Mountain..."

Jiang Yu turned his head and glanced sideways at him. "Since you caught them, why didn’t you just bring them straight back to Huanglong Prefecture? Tell the truth."

Jiang Zhuang’s voice grew even smaller. "Your subordinate did find them, but didn’t know they were the ones we were looking for. Commander, you have no idea—those two were as crafty as ghosts, they actually pretended to be Immortals sent out from Erdao Baihe Town..."

Jiang Yu was sharp and immediately caught on. "So, you let them go out to look for themselves?"

Jiang Zhuang lowered his head. "Yeah."

Jiang Yu sighed. "Jiang Zhuang, you’d better just stay put in Tokyo Road and never go out again. After the New Year, when I return to Shangjing to report, you shouldn’t follow me anymore."

Jiang Zhuang was puzzled. "Commander, why is that?"

Jiang Yu turned around and leaned against the parapet, looking at Jiang Zhuang with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. "Because between your face and mine, only one can be taken out in public."

Jiang Zhuang was utterly embarrassed and hastily tried to make up for it. "Commander, Yuan Hengli Zhen went too. Not only did he fail to capture them, he also lost over a hundred Mo Blade Soldiers, and left in utter disgrace... Right, that sword seed inheritor is a bit strange. On Changbai Mountain he triggered Five Sounds of Martial Arts, and he has more than one sword seed on him. Your subordinate made a rough count—there should be four. Yuan Hengli Zhen hadn’t expected this, which is how that fellow managed to leave a scar on his face."

Jiang Yu suddenly perked up, his eyes shining brightly. "What else? Think of something more, or go tend horses for three years."

"No, no, if I’m tending horses for three years, won’t everyone laugh at me for three years?" Jiang Zhuang racked his brains, then suddenly jolted. "Commander, your subordinate has seen those two. I can help the painter draw their likenesses. The old one always kept half his face covered, but the young one didn’t."

Jiang Yu waved his hand. "Go quickly. It needs to be at least seventy percent accurate. Tell the painter to use a rat-tail brush. Once it’s done, send it by carrier pigeon to Shangjing City at once and report to His Highness."

...

...

At noon, a pigeon took to the sky. It circled above the Imperial Capital for more than ten breaths, then turned its head and flew toward Shangjing City to the southwest.

Huanglong Prefecture was three hundred and thirty li from Shangjing City. A good pigeon could make the trip in half a day, three hours if fast.

By dusk, the messenger pigeon flew over Shangjing City’s walls and circled endlessly above the many watchtowers within the city. Then, it dove straight toward Ban Zheng Square.

The pigeon drifted lightly down onto the perch at the dovecote. Someone, hearing the sound of its landing, immediately entered the dovecote and untied the bamboo tube from its leg.

The man carefully examined the bamboo tube and saw the character "Yu" branded on it.

His face changed, and stepping through the piled snow, he left the East Cross Courtyard and strode quickly toward the depths of the estate.

Deeper inside the residence, the sounds of strings and flutes, of song and dance, rose without cease; someone was hosting a banquet for guests in the main hall. Teams of Maids and servants went in and out of the hall, busy to the point of chaos.

The man, clutching the bamboo tube, stepped into the main hall to see Princess Liyang seated in the chief seat, dressed in men’s attire, her hair simply gathered and pinned atop her head with a plain silver hairpin.

Ever since she returned from the Ning Dynasty, she had always dressed as a man, brimming with heroic vigor. Only today she had been drinking and socializing until she was slightly tipsy, a flush on her cheeks, which lent her a touch more softness and drunken charm.

Princess Liyang was smiling as she said to a middle-aged man at the table, "Lord Jiang, you need not worry about your son taking up his post in Longyou Road this time. I will personally send a letter to Yuan Chong to ensure your son can act freely in Longyou Road and won’t be harassed by others."

The middle-aged man raised his cup. "In that case, this minister offers thanks in advance, Your Highness."

Princess Liyang shifted the topic. "Lord Jiang, I’ve heard that after the New Year, the Military Governor of Xixia Road will be retiring. I wonder whom Lord Jiang thinks is fit to succeed..."

Before she could finish, she caught sight out of the corner of her eye of the man in charge of the dovecote hurrying into the hall and handing a bamboo tube to Jiang Pan.

Jiang Pan, receiving the bamboo tube, returned to Princess Liyang’s table and presented it with both hands.

Princess Liyang saw the character "Yu" branded on the tube, immediately took it, picked open the sealing wax, and shook out a strip of finger-length letter paper.

After only two glances, she rose to her feet in a fluster, nearly knocking over the table as she stood. Fortunately, Jiang Pan supported her.

She paid no heed to the guests at the banquet and hurried toward the rear courtyard. As she left the main hall, she stumbled on the threshold; a Maid quickly stepped forward to support her. "Your Highness, be careful."

But Princess Liyang shook off the Maid and strode straight toward the rear courtyard, walking faster and faster.

When she reached the rear courtyard, Zhu Yunxi was bare-chested, slashing with his blade, day after day still practicing that same single move.

Princess Liyang ignored him, lifted the heavy curtain, and stood at the doorway watching Old Yao and Liang Gou’er playing chess inside, panting so hard she couldn’t get the words out.

Old Yao sized her up for a moment. Although Princess Liyang hadn’t said a word, his expression, rarely, grew serious. "What’s happened to Chen Ji?"

Princess Liyang opened her mouth and said, "Chen Ji has come to the Jing Dynasty. He stole the Temple of Martial Arts’ Holy Relic of the Weapon Master and has just escaped from Changbai Mountain."

Old Yao sprang to his feet. "Who’s chasing him?"

...

There’ll be another Chapter tonight; you can read it tomorrow morning.