— The Emperor's Imperial Record, Entry 37 —
*Baaaawk*
The shrill cry of the rooster's morning crow lashed my ears for the third time since daybreak. Now, I was up.
And today was the day. It had been a bit under a week since I had talked to Big Randy about Wan Cheng. I'd done all I could to prepare. I had a small bag with rations, good food, and some medicine in it that I had gotten from Healer Po. She wasn't pleased with my decision to go, but it seemed my wounds were healed enough to the point that she didn't object too hard.
The girls, Huo Xue and Huo Mei, were still sleeping. They even had their own room now that we had moved into this house.
I went to get washed up, using the shock from the cold water to chase away any remnants of sleep I had left. I wanted to be gone quickly. The faster I got there, the sooner this would be over with, and I could get to what I really wanted.
The soldiers.
By the time I was completely done, only Huo Qianlei was up, milking the old cow, Bai, as she had gained some weight and could produce proper milk now.
Huo Qianlei refused at first, but I made sure to give him some money, so he had enough in the house while I was gone, before waving goodbye and leaving.
The stench made me scrunch my nose immediately. I put a wet cloth across my nose and around the back of my head, then moved on, winding through the streets just outside my home, and stepping over at least three drunk men on the road as I did so. Even being this close to the Silverscale district didn't stop the ills of the Mudfoot one.
And even with all this time, I couldn't get used to the smell.
By mid-morning, I was already deep in the forest, heading to Far Hollow. I wasn't prey anymore since my hand and chest had healed.
I wound across the trees, the sunlight from the canopy coming down like water through a thick sieve, soaking the forest in shades of dark and streams of light.
It was like I was at home. My real home. Being outside like this. Alert, hands sunk into the dirt, checking for any tracks or if I'd wandered into some beast's territory. It filled me with a great pleasantness. Like sniffing a forgotten food from your childhood. The scent dragging you back to a different world entirely.
*Crrackk*
Immediately, I crouched on the ground, looking around to see what had snuck up on me. After a while, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was only a rabbit.
I was glad I used this route and I made sure to take note of all the new animals I saw. Especially the more expensive ones.
If Wan Cheng decided to break off our deal and I wasn't killed, I'd have still found some perfect hunting ground.
It was still early, so the dew of the morning was still on the leaves and the grass surrounding me. The only difference was that they were harder now and more clumped together. The dew now looked like glass droplets with shards reflecting the light.
I heard a pained roar somewhere deep in the forest, where I was headed, then froze. And immediately veered the opposite way. Running as I did so. One of the best skills I had as a hunter was avoiding trouble.
The hours passed like the wind as I neared Far Hollow. I'd had to take up refuge in the canopies of a few trees more than once, shoot down a small pack of wolves, and fallen into a small lake while hiding from a bear, then running again.
I held my backpack and quiver tightly to my body. It was getting dark. The kind of beasts that came out when it was dark were far more dangerous than those in the light. Especially since they were harder to see. Or hear.
Finally, I was at Far Hollow. Panting at the edge of the forest. Sweat and the stink of the leafy jungle behind me wrapped my body like bark on a tree.
I took a short rest. Enough to get my breath under control. I didn't want a whole brigade of soldiers seeing me in a weak state. Especially not Wan Cheng. If he saw me like that, who knew? Maybe he might decide he could strong-arm me. I hadn't forgotten Big Randy's warnings about him.
No matter how much I had prepared, it still felt like I was walking into the belly of a beast. Willingly.
I didn't like it. With animals, you could just kill them and be gone, but with humans, you now had friends and family, and everyone wanted to take revenge.
After the repose, I set off walking towards the military camp again. This time, I had taken just as long as Big Randy had predicted. I slowly removed my bow and quiver as I got closer, putting them and my dagger right in front of me.
I saw the first soldier about one and a half miles from the forest. He was patrolling with a sword behind his back and a club in his hand. The nasty kind. It was made of some thick wood… or metal, I wasn't sure. It was too dark to see properly and had nails and shards of glass wedged into it.
He didn't look like a very kind man.
I waved and shouted as I stopped walking. Making sure he heard me. "Senior, I'm from Wan Cheng," I repeated this three different times to make sure there would be no room for misunderstanding. I wasn't going to let myself die over something so trivial as him not knowing who I was.
He looked at me. Then slowly brought up his sword to point at me.
'Oh, no.' He was already looking at me, so I was sure he heard me. I wanted to step back, but I was sure that would only make me look like a criminal. Or worse. A spy.
His voice sounded like he drank alcohol and acid every night. "Walk forward. Slowly. Keep your hands there!" I sighed in relief. He wasn't going to kill me.
I did as he said, making sure to move extra slowly. When I reached, he looked me over once and then grabbed me by the arm, leading me to the encampment. I would have liked to argue, but the guard seemed like the kind to kick a puppy for yipping.
He took me over to the place I had come when I first visited this area.
'Has this place gotten bigger?'
I looked around. I was sure the place was larger. It certainly had more people. The man brought me past the checkpoint—the gate I had gone through previously and to Wan Cheng's command pavilion.
It was set in the middle of the whole camp. Almost as long as it was wide. In pristine white color, and banners flown all around it. It was too high for me to see, but they didn't look like the banners of any noble I knew.
The brute stopped. Still holding my arm. It had been so long that they were starting to get tired from holding up the quiver and dagger.
He looked straight forward, then brought up his right hand to his forehead in an open-palmed salute, the palm facing outwards, before swiftly bowing his head, palm still up.
"Commander. I've brought the courier boy."
The two guards standing on each side of the tent continued to look forward. Not bothering to glance at the gruff man. Then, the man who had led me to the commander before walked to the edge of the tent. I was assuming he was the commander's right-hand man. "Let him in."
The guards at the entrance of the tent moved their spears out of the way, allowing passage for me to enter. The gruff man let go of my arm, allowing me to finally bring down my weapons, but before I could go in, the guards at the entrance of the tent took my quiver and dagger away.
The other one. The one on the left removed the bow from my back and also took the bag with my goods.
'Damn it. ' I wasn't sure if I would get that back. If they kept it, then this whole trip would have been for nothing.
The man who had announced that I should be allowed in led me inside. The gruff man who had led me here did the salute and head bow again before leaving.
The commander sat at the head of his table. A long rectangular one. There were no ornaments or designs on the table save for the scars and wounds left on it by the swords and daggers of the men who had been around it.
He was dressed in military attire. A dark red, almost purple scale armor. This time, he wasn't just wearing normal garments. The armor was made of metal plates laced together, it resembled the scales of a darkly colored snake. They glistened and gleamed like dark gold. If it were day, I was almost sure they would blind me.
Underneath his armor, he wore a silk, charcoal colored garment, and sashes tied with knots adorned his right arm. He wore no headgear, his hairless visage and head further reflecting the moon's light.
A heavy cloak, lined with fur, draped across his massive back. I didn't know what it was made of, but it felt like a spirit beast.
The difference between the table and his clothing was like a palace in a neighborhood of shacks. He lived up to the reputation Big Randy had told of him.
His right-hand man moved to stand beside him. Not motioning for me to sit. There were no other chairs in the room except the one the commander sat on, so I doubted he would have offered regardless.
I stood there, waiting as the man at his side eyed me. He was tall and stoic. Like a wall with emotions. The helmet and weapons by his side didn't help the situation in the least, but I refused to show any emotion on my face either.
I didn't get almost killed by a spirit beast and have my father die for me to come here and shiver in my boots. I made sure not to look straight at him, though. Instead, focusing on the commander's gleaming scalp.
Finally, the commander put the quill down in the ink jar and looked up from the table. I tried not to show any surprise as there was a new scar right above his eyelid.
He smiled with his eyes, while his lower face stayed the same, crows' feet accumulating at the corners of his eyelids. It was unnerving.
"My courier." He stretched out his hands, showing off his extensive wingspan, and then clapped, a loud, almost booming sound. It looked unintentional, like he did it out of habit, but now I knew better than to trust that.
"I'm glad you are here." He continued to smile that unnatural smile of his. Lower face unmoving.
"I assume you've come for your missive?" The question was framed the same way men of power framed questions.
As a fact.
I nodded.
"Good, good." He turned towards the stoic man on his right, "Mo Jian." That was all that had to be said, and Mo Jian stepped forward, taking the bamboo tube filled with the scroll I was supposed to deliver and bringing it to me along with another scroll.
I held out my hand and took it, and he turned around on his heels and marched back.
The commander opened his arms again, but this time his elbows were on the table. Only his forearms and wrists moved. "You will take that to our other encampment. Camp Yi. There is a map next to the bamboo tube," he motioned at the scroll with his burly forearms, "Memorise it. Then burn it."
He lit an incense stick. "You have this much time."