“Huh?” Zhang Ming stared at the message in bewilderment. “How? Where? Damn it! Now they’re gone too! The forest longs for peace, but the wind won’t let it rest… Eh? They even took my things with them! Unbelievable!”

  If they follow the map, they’ll reach Puyang, he thought. It won’t be hard to find them. I’ll need to make sure the girls arrived safely… Still, they did well. Slipped away just before the storm broke.

  Unhurried, he climbed out of the cellar and headed through the pigsties toward Ling Bo’s house. In the yard he saw Xiao Bai sitting by the fire, drowsily tossing branches into the flames. Around his neck hung a strange necklace of bones, prayer beads wrapped around his wrist, and from his robe protruded the edge of a yellow talisman covered in red ink.

  “Hey!” Zhang Ming called out.

  “Aaaah!” Xiao Bai jolted upright, thrusting the yellow paper forward. “Who’s there?”

  “What are you so scared of? It’s me.”

  “Oh! Brother Ming! I’m so glad to see you!” Xiao Bai rushed to him, nearly in tears. “You can’t imagine what it’s been like without you. Ghosts. Spirits. I’m exhausted… It’s good you’re back.” He began rambling about the hardships of the past weeks.

  “Calm down. The ghosts won’t be back,” Zhang Ming said, patting his shoulder.

  “You’re sure? Lao Yu said the same, but I’m not convinced.”

  “You’ve nothing to worry about,” Zhang Ming nodded, then muttered quietly, “Petty thieving ghosts already cleaned me out. Why would they return? Hm.”

  “Huh?”

  “I said, wake Ling Bo. I need to speak with him.”

  “Can’t it wait until morning?” Xiao Bai hesitated. “We haven’t been sleeping well lately, so…”

  “It’s a matter of life and death.”

  “What happened?”

  “Wake everyone first. I’ll explain after.”

  “What did you mess up this time?” The door banged open, and the shaggy bandit appeared in the doorway. Squinting at the firelight, he made a sour face. “And you came back without wine. Useless as ever!”

  “Evening, old Yu.” Zhang Ming waved. “You look well. Gave up drinking?”

  “Don’t mock me. Wine is the meaning of my life!”

  Drawn by the noise, Ling Bo came out, followed by the other former peasants. They shivered in the chill after sleep, but brightened at the sight of Zhang Ming. After exchanging greetings, they settled around the fire. Xiao Bai set a pot of water over the flames for a late-night bite.

  “You reek of blood,” Lao Yu said gravely. “What happened? Where were you?”

  “I went to Baohe.”

  No one interrupted. Seeing his serious expression, they waited.

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  “You need to leave the fortress. The sooner, the better,” Zhang Ming said.

  “You’re joking.”

  “Not at all. Take what you can and run as far as possible.”

  “What did you do?” Lao Yu asked.

  “In short, an army is likely coming here. Soon there won’t be one stone left upon another.”

  “What?”

  “In any case, death awaits me for what I’ve done. I’m leaving tonight. I advise you to do the same.”

  “What does that have to do with us?” Lu Han asked naively.

  “Hah! We were unlucky enough to become his friends,” the shaggy bandit answered for Zhang Ming.

  “Why?” Ling Bin said darkly. “Why did you ruin everything?”

  “You wanted to live among bandits forever? Start killing and robbing alongside them?” Zhang Ming shot back. “You want the truth? From the beginning, I intended to wipe them all out. I just didn’t have the strength.”

  “So you planned all along to lure an army here?”

  “Mhm.” Zhang Ming nodded. Looking at their grim faces, he let out a heavy sigh. “In any case, I’m going. I hope you survive.”

  He rose, cast a final glance at his recent companions, and disappeared into the darkness. Ling Bo sat silently before the fire, watching the crackling logs. He had just lost another home. The others exchanged uncertain looks.

  Lao Yu returned to his hut. A few minutes later, he emerged with all his belongings and a sword at his waist, dragging behind him the old man who painted talismans.

  “He was eavesdropping. We should kill him before he starts talking.”

  “N-no, don’t kill me! I didn’t mean to listen!” the old man pleaded, dropping to his knees.

  “Decide what to do with him yourselves,” Lao Yu said, stroking his chin. “As for me, I’m leaving. Nothing left for me here.” He headed off in the same direction Zhang Ming had taken.

  “Brother Bo, what do we do?” Lu Han burst out.

  “Now we really have to leave,” Ling Bo said, pointing at the kneeling old man.

  “I’ll stay silent! Take me with you!” the old man begged.

  “Start packing. We must be gone before dawn,” Ling Bo decided. Then he looked at the old man. “If you slow us down, we’ll abandon you. Understood?”

  “Y-yes! Yes!” The old man scrambled to his feet, overjoyed.

  Meanwhile, Mo’s assistant was counting the loot Zhang Ming had delivered. He meticulously recorded every piece of tableware and jewelry, counted the silver twice, and by chance, a few coins slipped into his own pocket. He could only bow to fate and accept the gift.

  He postponed interrogating Zhang Ming’s men until the next day, though a strange unease troubled him and he struggled to fall asleep.

  The following morning, Mo Dushi finished breakfast, presented his commander with a report on the acquired goods, then took a dozen sturdy men and set off to question Zhang Ming’s squad.

  To his great surprise, none of them were in the fortress. He sprinted toward the pigsties, but Zhang Ming and his companions had vanished as if into thin air.

  “W-who was on gate duty last night?” he demanded.

  Soon several men were dragged before the Brown Boar’s leader. Tang Gui sat in the yard on a wooden platform, wearing his usual kindly smile as he wiped his sword blade with a soft cloth. Sunlight glinted off the polished steel, sliding along its length.

  With heads bowed, the men shifted nervously from foot to foot, waiting for him to speak.

  “Who are these?” Tang Gui asked pleasantly, not lifting his gaze from the blade. “Why bring them to me, Brother Mo?”

  “Um… Zhang Ming and all his men have disappeared. These were on gate duty last night.”

  “Hm. How did that happen?” Tang Gui scratched his chin, his gaze drifting over the gathered bandits. “Who will explain?”

  For a fleeting instant, the men felt as though the sharp blade had already severed their heads. They instinctively shrank their necks and dropped to their knees. The gate guards knew nothing of the reasons, but they reported that several groups had left the fortress during the night, altogether some two and a half dozen bandits had suddenly gone hunting.

  “Heh.” Barely containing his fury, Tang Gui asked as calmly as he could, “Did that not strike you as strange? Did you recognize any of them?”

  “We… we didn’t think…” the bandits muttered, glancing at one another.

  “If you do not think, then you have no need for a head. Correct?” the kindly uncle smiled.

  “Forgive us, my lord!” They pressed their foreheads to the ground and froze, awaiting judgment.

  “Brother Mo, rise,” Tang Gui ordered. “You were right. They hid more from us than they brought. Is that proper conduct?”

  “No, Squad Leader.”

  “Find them. Find them all and drag them back here. I especially wish to speak with Zhang Ming.” The bloodlust in his voice sent a chill across every back. “Bring what they hid as well.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Mo Dushi leapt to his feet and ran from the yard with his men. On the way to the fortress gates, he stopped, clenched his fists, and roared:

  “ZHANG MIIIING!!!”