Volume Two: The Bandits Here Chapter Ninety-Nine: Spirit and Resolve
“This time, the target is a vicious dog,” the lord declared at the hall that day.
The generals burst into laughter, joined by the soldiers, their mirth echoing through the mountains, spreading a sense of pride.
Someone hollered, urging Lin Changtian to recount the tale of the dog to be slain, so they might prepare their clubs and break the beast’s legs, stringing its hind legs together to bring to their commander as a token of satisfaction.
The troops were delighted, and Lin Changtian shared a name with a smile. But before he could finish, the laughter died down, leaving only Lin Changtian grinning foolishly on the platform.
...
Another madman had emerged on the mountain. Such was the stubborn and resolute verdict most of Sishan had passed on Lin Changtian.
Even though he still bore the title of Lord of Sishan.
Comrades-in-arms, who had shared life and death with him, naturally did not believe their great commander intended to betray them, but rather assumed he had suddenly fallen ill.
Some even swore with conviction that this lord would soon return to normal, reassuring everyone to calm their hearts.
The soldiers discussed what their commander said, some worried, some shaking their heads. Regardless, they were eventually kicked back to their tents by their generals.
Lv Liang shook his head, and even Qi Yong, who was usually all business, frowned.
Could the head of the northern enemy be taken so easily? Perhaps the one shouting about breaking the dog’s legs with a stick could have done it, but before the name Ma Hui was fully uttered, he was scared unconscious on the spot.
They thought they were bullying a dog, but who knew the dog turned out to be a wolf? And that wolf had the audacity to stand tall and ask, “Do you know the way through the Green Pastures?”
The man did know, but he fainted in fright and would never speak again in this lifetime.
Qi Yong hung his head, leaning against Lv Liang’s back, watching the sky—from the purple light of dawn to the sunset over the western hills, from morning sun until midnight—yet came up with no conclusion.
The commander must be ill, or perhaps I misheard due to lack of sleep.
Many thought so, but alas, yesterday they muttered the same to themselves.
“Old Qi, you’re not done clinging to me, are you? Get up, don’t act like a dead dog!” Lv Liang shouted, pushing Qi Yong hard. But the man was heavy and sound asleep, even snoring. Frustrated, Lv Liang cursed for a long while before reluctantly taking off his cotton jacket to cover the shameless fool and carrying him back inside.
After they left, on a nearby hillside, a strange man jumped down from a tree, muttering to himself. His worries outnumbered anyone else’s, and thus he was the first to while away time on Sishan.
“Hmm, I truly am a... clever little rascal,” he muttered to himself. He was the other madman on the mountain.
Lin Changtian crouched down, gazing at the moon. He had wanted to see the sun, but the dazzling daylight had been scared away by that ugly Qi Yong.
---
He was convinced he was right, even though nearly everyone on Sishan had some doubt deep in their hearts about their commander.
The madman dusted off his clothes and leapt three feet high from the hillside, having decided on his next target for persuasion.
“Set off immediately, meet me at the Weinan Mountain Pass, yes?”
He shouted so loudly that many on Sishan dragged themselves from their beds, walked to their windows and doors, and shouted curses in return.
The troublemaker left the mountain, leaving innocent bystanders to bicker through the night.
Perhaps what echoed through the mountain valleys was more than just mountain songs.
...
Kuisheng looked out the window, feeling melancholy. The lord had arrived—the very one he had longed for yet feared to meet.
As expected, he was first beaten mercilessly upon entry, without a word of explanation.
“Mobilize the troops, kill Ma Hui.”
“Then beat me again,” Kuisheng said stubbornly, clutching his bruised face. “The last group was guilty, deserved to die. But what did this troop do wrong? Should we send countless innocent young men to their deaths for nothing?”
Lin Changtian felt he hadn’t made himself clear, so he sent everyone out and explained the situation to Kuisheng from beginning to end.
“Hmm, I hope that makes my meaning clear.”
Kuisheng folded his sleeves, wiped away tears, and longed to imitate the ancient righteous scholars by pointing at Lin Changtian and cursing the foolish ruler. But he dared not—after all, the scholars risked only their reputations, while he faced repeated beatings. More importantly, without a historian to record his “righteousness,” his efforts would be in vain.
“Changtian, you may not understand. We’ve won a few battles, but no matter how you look at it, it’s like Grandpa teasing his grandson with the sole of a shoe—no real fight, right?” Kuisheng was patient, and if not for the stakes involved, he might have spilled the gossip of the three heroes Ma Hui, Lin Yuan, and Cheng Yu.
Lin Changtian blinked and looked seriously at the parched Kuisheng.
“Are you content to be a fat turtle? Like... this.”
He spread his arms and traced a circle on the ground.
“What turtle! What nonsense are you talking now?” Kuisheng blushed, though he understood the hidden meaning behind Lin Changtian’s words.
“How did you become famous? By defending Sishan against the likes of Zhang Yi, only then did a few in the northern territories respect you, General Kuisheng. Then? You dealt with Yong Chi, Guo Huai, and a small-time thief under Ma Hui. No matter how many scoundrels you defeat, people only say General Kuisheng is good at defense—though thousands of troops cannot pass. Flies can’t get in, sparrows can’t fly, the Weinan Mountain Pass is the Kuisheng Turtle. Who can crack its shell?” Lin Changtian stretched his words, seemingly provoking.
Kuisheng said nothing, narrowing his eyes as Lin Changtian’s gaze unnerved him.
“Tsk, don’t blame me for this—the street slang of Anma City. If you don’t believe me, go ask around and see how little they think of you!” Lin Changtian leaned close as if inviting a punch.
---
Kuisheng was silent for a long while, concocting countless excuses that none could settle in his heart for more than three seconds.
“You know... others don’t, but I’ve told you,” Kuisheng said with a hint of pleading. “You must know I excel at offense and love it. Defense is only due to circumstance! One day, I will lead the troops out of the pass...”
“When will that day be?” Lin Changtian interrupted, looking him up and down from his bald head to the worn shoe tips, laughing mockingly. “What? Are you waiting until the treasury overflows with Sishan’s wealth, or until our forces outnumber the enemy tenfold, before you start tiptoeing out of this mountain pass like a baby?”
Kuisheng lowered his head and fell silent again.
Lin Changtian sighed deeply, growing impatient, and punched Kuisheng’s forehead sharply.
“Brothers respect you, but who outside knows you, Kuisheng? Before today, if anyone asked who was the fiercest general in the northern territories, I’d grab them by the collar and say, ‘I only recognize Kuisheng!’ To hell with Chu Ji, and those like Lin Yuan, Ma Hui, and Cheng Yu—get them far away, don’t spoil my view! But after today, look at yourself. Chu Ji can hold eight thousand against a hundred thousand, but you, General Kuisheng, now command over a hundred thousand elite warriors!”
He punched again and again until Kuisheng’s face was bruised beyond recognition before stopping.
Kuisheng stared at the window, like a fierce tiger gazing at the world beyond its cage, calm and graceful.
The absence of frustration and helplessness was likely because the lock clanged to the ground, thrown aside.
Now standing, he leaned on the table and spoke each word carefully.
“Changtian, do you know what holds up the northern gate of the northern territories? First, the mountains; second, the rivers. On Mount Luoyou lie the graves of Lin Yuan’s two sons; along the Beidang River rests the hundred thousand troops of Cheng Yu. I hear all these were orchestrated by Chu Ji. So I think...” Kuisheng paused, unable to speak further, blood filling his mouth as he punched himself hard, spitting out a tooth among the blood.
“We have grown up bearing endless grievances; survival itself is hard. Kuisheng is your only brother. If we must survive, we face north and submit, enduring the world’s scorn together. But if we fight these barbarians, it must be to strike where it hurts! Station the sword on Mount Luoyou, water the horses at Beidang River!”
Lin Changtian patted Kuisheng’s head, pointing south.
“Ma Hui is no match for the spirit of brothers like us. Have you been to Wenyuan Divine Continent? Ever seen Ruzhou City? From afar, the grandeur alone would scare a country bumpkin. I want to lead troops there, but responding with hooves to the mechanical roar—no matter how you spin it, it’s a fool’s dream.”
“Yu Baili said the northern territories’ rules approach those of ancient times. Once we leave the pass, we will be unstoppable. Though I don’t quite understand how swords and knives fight... uh, the kind of mecha from Zhongbei,” Kuisheng gestured painfully, gritting his teeth. Seeing Lin Changtian smile, he bore the pain and laughed with him.
“Sishan has gained another madman; now there are three,” Lin Changtian counted on his fingers, cursing with a smile. “But that’s a story for later. What Yu Baili saw was destiny. No matter how we speculate, fate weaves its web—both within reason and beyond it.”
Kuisheng nodded, as if coming to his senses, and said slowly, “So, not many on Sishan agree with your plan?”
“Hmm, you noticed that. So I’ve persuaded many, but I don’t expect them to willingly give up their comfortable lives.”
“Then what’s the aim? To die with dignity?” Kuisheng shook his head, puzzled.
Lin Changtian narrowed his eyes, smiling slyly.
“What has Sishan been saving up for all this time? I know we can’t win, but we can delay those fools—tsk, even if they’re crushed by Mount Tai, they’ll still have a chance to stand tall again.”
...
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