Main Text, Chapter One Hundred Thirteen: Winds Rising (Ten)

Black smoke billowed into the sky, appearing stark and striking against the backdrop of the clear afternoon heavens.

The villages scattered throughout the Sanggan River Valley all saw the column of smoke and recognized it as the location of the Xu Family Settlement. Thinking of the fierce, wolf-like Mayi Garrison troops that had been charging along the roads, the people in every village were filled with trepidation.

Everyone knew Old Master Xu. He was a stern, profound old man who, over a decade ago, had cleared the Sanggan River Valley of countless bandits and horse thieves, building the Xu Family Settlement from scratch. He had sustained the village’s livelihood solely through farming and trade.

Although Old Master Xu rarely interacted with other villages and his fame from a decade ago had gradually faded, the surrounding settlements still held him in high regard. Whenever there were community festivals or spring banquets, they would often invite him, though Old Master Xu would mostly decline with polite excuses.

Many had also seen Old Master Xu’s grandson. He was truly a handsome young man whose smile felt as refreshing as a spring breeze. Everyone who saw him had to offer a word of praise. He was the one destined to inherit the Xu family’s estate. Many village heads with daughters had set their sights on this young man, but Old Master Xu had firmly rejected all marriage proposals, and eventually, everyone let the idea go.

In recent years, Old Master Xu’s health had declined, and he interacted even less with the surrounding villages. Everyone was busy coping with the worsening times, fearing the increasingly savage southern incursions of the Turks, and thus paid less and less attention to the Xu Family Settlement.

But today, this village, which had always been detached from the world, was engulfed in a raging inferno, spewing thick, roiling black smoke!

In ordinary times, the villages of the Sanggan River Valley, which always looked out for one another, would have sent people to fight the fire and save those inside. But with a troop of Mayi Garrison soldiers having just charged ferociously toward the settlement, who dared to act rashly? The ruthlessness of Governor Wang and his subordinates was known throughout the commandery; who dared to risk their own lives?

It was truly a mystery how Old Master Xu had offended the hounds under Governor Wang’s command. It was a pity for that handsome young master under the old man’s care!

Seeing the fire, Shi Chaozhi’s expression shifted, and he flicked his horse whip. The main force of the Yueqi Battalion’s garrison troops, who had been conserving their horses' strength, began to urge their mounts forward. Each fire-team left one soldier behind to lead the pack mules, while the rest increased their speed, racing toward the rising smoke and fire!

Chen Fengpo and a dozen other local garrison soldiers were also driven by Shi Chaozhi to lead the way at a breakneck pace.

The Xu Family Settlement was only three or four miles ahead; once they opened up their horses' speed, they arrived in an instant.

Before them, the Xu Family Settlement, crouching not far from the riverbank, was now completely shrouded in smoke and fire. The stockade walls, houses, and corner towers were all ablaze, with black smoke rolling and billowing up to the heavens. The autumn harvest had ended not long ago, and every household had plenty of dried millet stalks; once ignited, the blaze became uncontrollable in a heartbeat.

The family estate, built up through more than a decade of bitter struggle from nothing, had turned into flying ash.

On the vast, empty fields outside the village, the ground was covered with hoof prints, carriage tracks, and human footprints. The village’s hundred or so inhabitants and dozens of head of livestock had all fled without a trace.

Shi Chaozhi’s expression was grim. Wang Rengong treated his direct subordinates in the five battalions with great generosity and often turned a blind eye to their excesses. However, if a delegated task was not completed, the punishment was severe! As someone born into a line of hereditary retainers to the Wang family, he understood this all too well.

He waved his hand fiercely while mounted: "Search! Find out where they went!"

Several scouts, who were the elite of the battalion, rode out from the ranks to track the movements.

Shi Chaozhi stared intently at Chen Fengpo and sneered, "My Mayi Yueqi came here in secret, without a moment’s rest, heading straight for this place. Yet, the news leaked. Tell me, whose fault is this?"

Chen Fengpo and his men had been forced to rush along by the Yueqi Battalion. Their mounts, being ordinary riding horses, could not compare to those of the Yueqi Battalion; they were covered in sweat and foaming at the mouth. Once they stopped, they dismounted one after another to tend to their horses.

People in the borderlands all owned horses. In the sixth year of the Daye era, when the Emperor led an army of 400,000 to patrol the border at Yanmen and Mayi, he had requisitioned tens of thousands of horses and donkeys from the common people. These horses were every family’s most precious asset; they would be heartbroken if they were run into the ground.

As he was tending to his horse, Chen Fengpo heard Shi Chaozhi’s accusation. He looked up, pondered for a moment, and bowed with neither servility nor arrogance.

"This subordinate was summoned late last night and has been with the General ever since. Today, I was ordered to lead the way and believe I have made no mistakes. But the journey here was made with such a grand display of force. How could the Xu Family Settlement, having offended the Governor, not catch wind of it and flee? If the General had ordered me last night to lead my men to arrive quietly, enter the village, and seize the Xu family, we should have already returned to report to the General by now."

With these words, Chen Fengpo shifted the blame onto Shi Chaozhi. Who told you to bring over two hundred elite Yueqi cavalry with such a clamorous display of power straight to the Xu Family Settlement?

If you allow such a commotion, can you really blame people for fleeing at the first sign of trouble?

This retort left Shi Chaozhi speechless. He glared at Chen Fengpo, wishing he could swallow him whole. However, this mission was an ad-hoc assignment, and Wang Rengong had not given him the authority to punish local officials. If he were to touch an old hand like Chen Fengpo, who had been in Shenwu for many years, it would involve too many complications, and he would not be able to answer to Wang Rengong.

While he was seething, several Yueqi scouts returned to report.

"Commander, the people in the settlement have scattered in all directions. The majority headed north, crossing the Sanggan River to flee into the northern mountains. Others have scattered elsewhere, but the hoof prints are still fresh; they haven’t gone far!"

Shi Chaozhi nodded and gritted his teeth. "Unit D, spread out and hunt down the villagers who scattered! The other three units, follow me north to pursue the main group! The Governor has ordered that their entire household be dealt with—not a single one is to be left behind!"

Originally, Shi Chaozhi had intended to seize the Xu family and be done with it after pillaging the village. If the villagers managed to escape, he would have considered them lucky and could not be bothered to pursue them. But now, since the Xu Family Settlement had dared to flee and burn their own property, he would not be satisfied until every last one of them was slaughtered to vent his fury.

The two hundred and some Yueqi soldiers were divided into four units. Upon receiving the order, one unit of garrison cavalry immediately let out a shout and scattered in all directions.

Shi Chaozhi waved his hand, and a group of Yueqi cavalry surged forward, pressing in on Chen Fengpo and his men.

Chen Fengpo could only offer a bitter smile. "I’ll lead the way, won't I? We’re heading north, heading north right now!"

Chen Fengpo and the others climbed back onto their horses, and the three units of Yueqi cavalry followed closely, rolling northward with a roar.

Chen Fengpo looked toward the north. The hoof prints and carriage ruts headed straight for the Sanggan River. At the end of autumn, the river had narrowed and shrunk, exposing shoals everywhere, allowing one to wade across at will.

North of the Sanggan River lay rolling hills covered in dense, tangled forests. After centuries of war, the population in the north had once dropped significantly, allowing the ecosystem to recover to a great extent, and the land was covered in thick woods.

The sun overhead was already sinking, casting long shadows over the scattered trees, a sight that sent a chill down one's spine.

Chen Fengpo merely smiled bitterly to himself. He had only wished to live peacefully through these troubled times and had always acted according to his conscience. How had he suddenly ended up in such a plight?

Young Master, oh Young Master, no matter what you have done, I have been truly ruined by you!