A chill ran down Zhang Ming’s spine, for a moment it seemed as though time itself had stopped. The air grew thick with the scent of blood, and the icy breath of death brushed his skin. He had long suspected that the man before him was no ordinary person, someone who killed without hesitation, to whom another’s life was worth less than a copper coin. During the grand feast, Tan Gui had reveled in the captives’ fear, laughing joyfully as he held their lives in his hands.
What a terrifying man. If he didn’t kill me right away, then he must need something from me — or just wants to keep me on a short leash, Zhang Ming thought, regaining composure after the initial shock. It seems he doesn’t know about the girls.
“I’ve done all kinds of work, sir,” he said with a foolish smile, counting on his fingers. “Porter, farmhand, herdsman and now a bandit… Once, I even had to…”
“All right, all right, that’s enough,” Tan Gui cut him off with a wave of his hand. He studied the newcomer for a while, then the friendly smile returned to his face. “I heard you can read and count.”
“Yes, sir, but not well enough to get a decent job in the city,” Zhang Ming replied, shaking his head.
Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, he relaxed and sat more comfortably, even taking a sip of wine from his cup. Perhaps two weeks ago, the discovery of his past would have made him tense, but now he had far darker secrets and the old one seemed trivial by comparison. Not seeing the reaction he expected, Tan Gui lost interest in further conversation.
“In any case, in four days we’re sending a squad to Shenzhen. You’ll go with them. They say you’re a decent fighter.”
“Yes, sir!” Zhang Ming bowed. “May I ask who will lead the squad?”
“Tu Hama will lead. Now go.” Tan Gui waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a bothersome fly.
“Huh?”
Dark as a thundercloud, Zhang Ming returned to the clearing behind the pigpens where he had recently trained. He sat there for a long time amid the tall grass, arms crossed over his chest, lost in deep thought. If he left with Tu Hama’s squad, he would never come back. They would kill him and toss his remains to the wild beasts. He didn’t have the strength to take them all on.
Run like a cornered animal? They’ve got bows, and that bastard’s already at the Body Tempering stage… Could I even make it out alive? Looks like they’re planning to get rid of me quietly, Zhang Min thought with a bitter smirk.
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At first, Tu Hama hadn’t planned to kill him, only to break him into a loyal dog, as he did with other newcomers or anyone he disliked. But Zhang Ming had advanced, reaching a new level of strength, and now could neither be subdued nor quietly eliminated. Outside the fort, however, it would be much easier.
If I stay, Tu Hama will kill me. If I run, Mo Dushi will gladly skin me alive. Damn it! I can’t die yet. Too many lives are tangled together now. I have to get those girls out of this hell, I must return to Xue and Mingzhu! How are they doing without me? Hopefully, everything is going well for them… He lifted his head toward the sky. Let me borrow a little more time… I’ll settle everything, and then I’ll return it all… do you hear me?
Running a hand over his face, he felt the rough stubble on his chin and frowned, then smoothed his tangled hair back. His clothes had long turned to rags; his shirt had lost its sleeves, and his trousers were so worn he’d had to cut them with his sword, baring his ankles. Anyone from Bohe would hardly recognize him now, he looked like a filthy beggar.
“What have I turned into?” he muttered with a heavy sigh. “I need to prepare properly, and I’m not leaving empty-handed!”
From the moment he arrived at the fort, Zhang Ming had planned to rob the bandits, but he’d wanted to do it properly, take as much as he could, or find something truly valuable. Now, however, things had changed, and he had only four days left to gather what he could and escape.
The most precious loot was always divided among the leaders. Neither gold nor jewels ever reached the communal stores, and fine silks and brocades also went straight into their private stashes — places Zhang Min wouldn’t dare to approach. But he hadn’t been hanging around the warehouse workers for nothing; he had managed to peek into several storage buildings and noted a number of fine goods there. Sold to the right buyer, they’d bring a decent sum.
“There must be a lot of useful things in there,” he rubbed his hands together, squinting in anticipation. “Besides, I’ve got the perfect place to hide everything!”
When dusk fell and the dilapidated barrack filled with the snores of drunken bandits, Zhang Ming silently slipped outside and waited motionless in the shadows, listening to the sounds of the night. Once he was sure everyone was asleep, he moved like a phantom through the narrow streets and reached his destination in moments. He wasn’t moving at random, Zhang Ming headed toward a warehouse he had chosen in advance, the one with suspiciously heavy crates and chests stored inside, yet guarded not by Body-Tempering experts, only by ordinary bandits. A perfect combination.
Hidden behind a thicket of shrubs, he checked where the guards were posted. The bandits assigned to night duty sat around the campfire, drinking or dozing with drool on their chins, lulled by the forest’s steady hum. They weren’t eager to protect the gang’s property, patrolling only now and then, yawning and scratching themselves lazily. It wasn’t hard to slip past them unnoticed.
Careful not to make a sound, Zhang Ming crept to the back of the warehouses, where neither torchlight nor the campfire reached. Placing a crate against the wall, he climbed up swiftly, grabbed the edge of a small window just below the roof, and with a single pull, hauled himself inside. Thanks to his constant training, his body had grown agile and flexible, the envy of any local thief.
“Let’s see what we have here,” he whispered, rubbing his hands together with a wide grin. “Heh-heh-heh.”
