Chapter 57: Convergence
A small cluster of people remained, looking back to see only the devastated battlefield.
Xiao Yi and Fan Si helped Old Pan, Xi Hou, Hu Deng, and Wu Gouzi bury the bodies of the Chan Prefecture soldiers, collected the remaining war trophies, and night fell.
“Let’s leave it at that, the rest will be for the refugees to eat.”
“Find a place to shelter from the wind and snow.”
“There’s a place over there.” Xi Hou pointed to a grove not far from the intersection and said with a grin, “There’s a ruined inn by the woods. It used to be a place for official travelers to rest. Though it’s dilapidated, at least the wall can block the wind, which is better than being frozen stiff in the wilderness…”
Xi Hou didn’t lie; there was only a wall to block the wind and snow.
Besides that, ashes were scattered on the ground, left by passing merchants and travelers.
“A leaky, broken wall,” Hu Deng cursed with a laugh.
The group set up a shelter with oilcloth, gathered dry firewood, and started a campfire, which made them feel a bit better.
Xiao Yi was exhausted, his head aching terribly. He sat by the fire, his hands quickly warming and becoming itchy. The fatigue and tension from not sleeping much all night gradually relaxed.
Old Pan checked Wu Gouzi and Hu Deng’s injuries by the fire. He took out a palm-sized cloth bag from his embrace. Inside were some dried herbs and a roll of clean linen cloth.
“Don’t move, mugwort and dandelion, to prevent tetanus.”
The old soldier worked quickly, wrapping Wu Gouzi’s wound with linen cloth. He then had Hu Deng roll up his pant leg, lightly pressing with his palm to confirm there were no broken bones. He took out a wine pouch from his saddlebag and poured some strong liquor into his hand, rubbing it to warm it up.
“Bear with it, I’m going to help your blood circulate and reduce swelling, so you can walk tomorrow.”
“Then we can get to Ye Du faster.”
“What’s the rush?”
“It’s not that I can’t handle it, I’m just afraid of holding everyone back.”
Xi Hou, chuckling to himself, chimed in, “You fool, does Old Pan care about that? He has a bodhisattva’s heart and is looking after you. If it were Xu Sheng, that donkey ball, he would have abandoned you to the wolves long ago.”
Hu Deng broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, baring his teeth. “It still has to be Old Pan. This isn’t the first time he’s saved me.”
“It’s all rubbed. Go rest.”
Xiao Yi was very sleepy but still participated. He handed over a warmed wheat cake and said, “Judging by the bandaging technique, Old Pan must be a veteran of the army?”
Old Pan took the wheat cake, thanked him, and replied, “I’ve spent most of my life in the military. In my early years, I scraped by in the Chen Prefecture area. Later, when the Khitan dogs invaded, they burned down the village with fire, leaving us no way to live, so I had to take up a sword and join the army. The flags on the city walls changed quickly. The generals I followed, if I counted them on my fingers, I wouldn’t even use all ten. For the past two years, I’ve been following Commander Wang, and only then have I been able to settle down and have a few days of peace.”
His words were spoken plainly, carrying the vicissitudes of a small soldier drifting with the currents in chaotic times.
Xiao Yi asked, “Were you a Captain or a Sergeant?”
“Sergeant.”
“That’s under your talent.”
“It doesn’t matter. As long as I don’t lose my life and can feed my few little monkeys at home, that’s enough. In this world, many people lose their lives without even realizing it.”
“It’s okay, this time you’ve made a great contribution.”
Old Pan shook his head, looking at the flickering flames, and sighed, “At my age, I just hope to save enough to retire and lay down my armor intact, find a peaceful place, and raise my children… I don’t know if I’ll be lucky enough to live to see that day.”
He smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes creasing together. A simple hope appeared in his weathered eyes.
Xiao Yi nodded silently, feeling inexplicably a little more at ease, and soon fell asleep.
This time, his sleep was not light; he slept soundly.
It felt like he slept until the sky and earth went dark, dreaming several dreams… Suddenly, he was awakened by pushing and shouting.
“Who is it?”
“Catch him, don’t let him escape!”
Xiao Yi instantly woke up, drew his saber, and leaped up.
“Don’t worry, Captain, it’s nothing major,” Fan Si said. “Someone rode over, checked the bodies at the intersection, and is now sneaking around to spy on us.”
“Seize him!”
“Bring him back.”
Not far away, Xi Hou and Old Pan’s shouts could be heard, followed by another person cursing loudly.
“Damn it, let go of your grandpa!”
“Just look at my upright appearance, can I be a bandit…”
Xiao Yi and Fan Si exchanged a glance, both recognizing the voice.
It was Lu You.
Old Pan and Xi Hou were seen escorting someone between them, with Wu Gouzi leading a horse behind.
“Captain Xiao, this fellow was lurking around suspiciously. He clearly wants to probe our strength!”
“Let go, I am also… Captain?!”
“Let him go, he’s one of my men.”
Lu You struggled and fell with a thud before Xiao Yi.
He casually sat down by the fire, took off his boots, and emptied a pile of ice into the snow.
“Captain, I finally found you. We passed Liyang and heard the terrifying sounds of fighting ahead. Mister Hua was worried it might be unsafe, so he sent me to scout ahead. This journey was not easy; we had just crossed the Yellow River and almost encountered water bandits. Fortunately, Mister Hua sensed something was wrong, and Young Lady Qing Wen shot the scout with a crossbow bolt. Wei Liang and I revealed our Imperial Guard identities and intimidated them. But those killers seemed to be following us.”
“Where are they?”
“They’re on the dirt slope behind us. They didn’t dare to get closer.”
“Lead the way.”
Xiao Yi and his group mounted their horses.
Two starlights in the sky illuminated the vast snowy road.
After galloping for a while, Lu You pointed ahead and shouted, “It’s right there!”
“Giddy up.”
Xiao Yi’s horse was fast, and he charged ahead, galloping across the wilderness.
At the top of the slope, someone was standing and looking. Seeing him approach, they quickly led the horse away, intending to flee.
“Qing Wen?!”
Upon hearing the name, the figure stopped.
Xiao Yi reined in his horse, dismounted, and hurried forward.
The air was so cold that the white steam from his breath fogged his vision.
As the mist cleared, the first thing he saw were Guo Xin’s bright, sparkling eyes.
The wind and snow had messed up her temples, and a few strands of hair clung to her frozen red cheeks. She clutched her crossbow tightly and slowly lowered it.
She stood there, blinking in disbelief, then her lips involuntarily curved upwards. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, down her chin, thinned by the wind, and slowly froze into ice crystals.
“What… what’s wrong?”
“Can’t we stop splitting up? I’m so scared… there are officers and soldiers ahead, and water bandits behind… I don’t know what to do, boohoo…”
“Okay.”
“Boohoo… I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid I can’t protect them…”
The hand crossbow dropped into the snow. Guo Xin couldn’t help but sob, squatting down and burying her head to cry.
“Okay,” Xiao Yi also squatted down, picked up the crossbow, and said softly, “We won’t split up anymore. The road ahead is safe.”
“Don’t let them come over.”
“What?”
Guo Xin looked up, turning her head, and stubbornly said, “Don’t let anyone see me cry.”
She quickly wiped her face with her sleeve and sniffled, trying hard to make her voice sound as clear as usual, but it still carried a slight nasal tone.
“Oh, I’m not crying either, I just got some wind and snow in my eyes.”
“Okay.”
Xiao Yi turned his head and shouted, “Don’t come up here!”
“Captain Xiao, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“That’s good…”
The shouts echoed across the wilderness.
Xiao Yi accompanied Guo Xin to calm her emotions and then rode down the slope.
Hua Nong, Wei Liang, and the others had already rendezvoused with Fan Si and Lu You.
“Brother!”
Guo Zongyi saw Xiao Yi from afar and ran towards him, kicking up clouds of snow.
Xiao Yi caught the charging child and smiled.
Turning to look, Hua Nong solemnly wiped the frost from his face and bowed deeply.
“Young Master, I have fulfilled my mission.”
The wind and snow still howled, and the campfire at the abandoned inn flickered in the distance, seemingly making this wilderness, and even the entire chaotic world, feel less cold.
