Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

“No wonder General Kong is so courteous to you; it turns out you were his direct personal guard.”

Luo Yu understood instantly. The city was divided into three factions, appearing harmonious on the surface, but fraught with intrigue underneath. To Kong Xian, Xiao Shaoyou, who had served as his personal guard, was naturally someone to be promoted and relied upon.

“That’s right. Not many people know about this connection, but the Jun and Li families are well aware. That’s why they won’t try to recruit me, but you are different.”

Xiao Shaoyou swallowed another large mouthful of soaked bread, his mouth full of savory broth.

“In this small patch of land known as Yunyang Pass, military power is the king’s way. Whoever has the strongest troops speaks with the most weight. I blocked Li Chengxiao’s attempt to recruit you today, but they won’t give up so easily. Being able to annihilate 250 Qiang soldiers makes you a rare talent in their eyes. You need to consider carefully which path you want to take in the future.”

“Then, in your opinion, is it better to be a government soldier for the court or a private soldier for the two families?”

“That’s your future; I won’t interfere. But in my eyes, none of them is any good.”

Xiao Shaoyou gave a cold laugh.

“Longxi is located on the remote border, thousands of li away from the capital. Why would the so-called court care if we live or die? Sending a single guerrilla general with a thousand men and hoping to hold Yunyang Pass? It’s nothing more than a performance for the commoners; even the royal family wants to save face. As for the Jun and Li families, they only worry that the Qiang will invade and seize their family properties and lands. The lives of the people are equally insignificant to them. All three forces have their own little schemes; it’s only hard on us grunts and the border people.”

Luo Yu’s lips curled with a hint of playfulness.

“The border people? I thought you didn’t care about the lives of others.”

“I’m not that cold-blooded,” Xiao Shaoyou said expressionlessly. “A mere centurion doesn’t have the right to talk about the common people. Take care of yourself first.”

Luo Yu narrowed his eyes, the secret letter about the traitor flashing through his mind.

“Kong Xian, Li Chengxiao, Jun Yi: what are these three like?”

“I know what you want to ask. You suspect the traitor is among them?”

Xiao Shaoyou set down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.

“Judging by the tone of the letter, this person must hold a high position in Yunyang Pass and possess military power. I also think the traitor is among the three commanding generals. I followed Kong Xian for half a year and know him well. Although his abilities are not outstanding, he is of noble character and possesses a kind heart. He often teaches us to be loyal to the sovereign, love the country, and protect the people. He is a general with ideals and ambitions; the possibility of his collaborating with the enemy is minimal. Therefore, Jun Yi and Li Chengxiao are more suspicious.”

“These two are members of the Jun and Li clans. They should have family and kin living in the interior. If they collaborate with the enemy, aren’t they afraid the court will execute their entire families?”

“These great clans have been around for so many years with countless members. What’s so strange about one or two degenerates? If the temptation is great enough, there is nothing that cannot be discarded. Besides, if the court had the strength to execute those two clans, Longxi would not be in the state it is today.”

“Then what is your plan for next?”

“Simple,” Xiao Shaoyou said calmly.

“I will find a way to get handwriting samples from every general in the city and compare the scripts. I will also keep an eye on lower-ranking officers, eliminating suspicious individuals one by one. There is still a month until New Year’s Eve; we have time. If we can’t drag the traitor out, we will have to report the matter to General Kong and arrange for troops to be on high alert. At the very least, we must spend New Year’s Eve in peace. In short, Yunyang Pass must not fall.”

“Good. Then it’s settled. If you need my help, speak up at any time.”

Luo Yu nodded silently. Although they were both centurions, Xiao Shaoyou’s roots in the city were much deeper than his; this matter would mainly rely on him.

Just as his voice fell, Luo Yu felt a hand reaching toward his waist. His gaze suddenly turned cold, and his hand moved instinctively, grabbing the person’s arm in a death grip.

But when he saw the youthful face before him, Luo Yu was stunned. It was a boy of seven or eight years old; his small, tender hand was reaching for the dagger at Luo Yu’s waist.

Luo Yu’s fierce gaze terrified the child, who immediately burst into tears. Old Li also panicked, pulling the boy into his arms and falling to his knees with a thud.

“Have mercy, Lord Soldier! My grandson is young and ignorant for offending you. I beg for your greatness and mercy, please spare this commoner’s life. If you want to beat or punish someone, take it out on me, but don’t make things hard for the child.”

The old man trembled. He knew Xiao Shaoyou, but he didn’t know Luo Yu. What if he were some powerful figure? In this border city, the soldiers were the lords; the lives of commoners were worth nothing in their eyes.

Xiao Shaoyou frowned.

“He’s just a child, is that necessary? It’s not like he could actually stab you.”

Luo Yu’s hand froze in the air. Protecting his weapon was an instinctive reaction, but he really hadn’t meant to bully such a small child.

The trembling old man, the wailing toddler.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. I scared you, didn’t I?”

Luo Yu forced a few smiles, picking the child up from the old man’s arms with a look of guilt.

“How about I buy you some pastries to eat later? As long as you don’t cry, there will be food. What’s your name?”

“Yang’er.”

“Yang’er, be good. Stop crying.”

A child is a child; as soon as he heard there was food, he stopped crying immediately and said timidly, “Big brother, I saw the handle of the knife at your waist. It’s so pretty; I just wanted to touch it. I’m sorry.”

“You mean this?”

Luo Yu pulled the dagger from his waist. Yang’er’s eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded vigorously.

“It’s so pretty!”

The dagger indeed had a bit of a history. In his childhood, Luo Yu had found a piece of meteoritic iron in the mountains. The quality was superior, and he had spent several years grinding and polishing it into this dagger. The handle was engraved with a pattern of the sun and moon alternating, looking somewhat exotic at first glance.

The blade’s name: Breaking Dawn.

In his past life, he had executed many missions. One battle had been particularly tragic, where over a dozen comrades died on the battlefield. That operation had been called “Breaking Dawn.” He had given the dagger this name to commemorate those comrades.

“Big brother, are you a soldier?”

Yang’er blinked his eyes.

“My daddy also joined the army. He said when he comes back, he’ll make me a beautiful wooden knife.”

“Oh? Your daddy joined the army, too?”

“Yes.”

Yang’er waved his small fists and said, “My daddy once killed two Qiang thieves; everyone praised his bravery. But he hasn’t been home for a long time. Grandpa said he went to a very far place to fight and will only come back when I’ve grown up.”

Luo Yu froze for a moment and looked at Old Li. The old man’s eyes were rimmed with red.

This wasn’t being away at war; he had clearly died in battle long ago.

Luo Yu felt a pang of sorrow in his heart and rubbed the small head.

“This knife is too sharp; it’s easy to hurt people. You can’t play with it. How about I make you a wooden knife in a few days? It will be as pretty as this one.”

“Really?”

Yang’er jumped up in excitement, cheering and skipping.

“Thank you, big brother!”

Old Li wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and took Yang’er aside. Before leaving, he bowed his old waist deeply toward Luo Yu.

Luo Yu turned to look at Xiao Shaoyou.

“Did you know all along that his father was gone? Is that why you specifically come here to support their business?”

“I’m not that kind-hearted,” Xiao Shaoyou refuted coldly.

“Is there any young man in Yunyang Pass who doesn’t go to the battlefield or join the army? Every household has lost someone; how could I look after them all? I just think this grandfather and grandson are good, and the mutton soup is delicious.”

Does every household join the army?

Looking at the backs of the pair, Luo Yu’s gaze grew deep, and he seemed lost in thought.

Xiao Shaoyou suddenly changed his tone.

“Don’t look at how cold you usually are; it turns out you have a warm heart, too. Come, let me play with that little dagger.”

Luo Yu glared at him, the dagger flipping in his hand.

“What? Does Centurion Xiao want to take a blade from me just after getting promoted?”

NOTES

Son of Heaven (天子): The emperor.