xymnovel Chapter 21 Dawangba
Chapter 21 Dawangba
A person was standing in the center of the camp.
He was in his early thirties, thin, with deep-set eyes. He stood there, silent, just staring at Shen Bai.
Shen Bai stopped in his tracks.
"Who are you?"
The visitor took out a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it over.
The jade pendant was very old, with rounded edges. It was engraved with the character "Chen".
Shen Bai saw the jade pendant and loosened his grip on his sleeve.
"explain."
"Lord Chen asked me to deliver a message," the messenger said in a low voice, "Your bandit suppression operation has caused too much of a stir. The Cui family is already investigating you. They know you've obtained the account books."
Shen Bai clenched his fist inside his sleeve.
The newcomer looked at him.
"Lord Chen said you shouldn't act rashly," the messenger said. "Now is not the time to act."
"When is the right time?"
"Wait until Lord Chen is ready."
The person turned around and walked towards the camp gate.
He stopped halfway through his journey without looking back.
Be careful.
Then he left.
---
Shen Bai stood there, watching the person's back disappear outside the camp gate.
Iron Shield walked over.
"who?"
"Chen Yue's men."
Iron Shield's expression changed.
"Chen Yue? What did he say?"
Shen Bai did not answer.
He turned and walked into the tent.
He took a few steps and then stopped.
Iron Shield saw his fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"What's wrong with you?"
"The Cui family is investigating me," he said in a low voice.
Iron Shield's hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
"What should we do then?"
"When soldiers come, generals will meet them."
Shen Bai did not turn around.
Several people were walking towards the camp gate.
---
When the old man arrived, Shen Bai had already been standing at the camp gate waiting for a while.
Several people carried things in. Chickens hung on the carrying pole, baskets were filled with grain, and several jars of wine were wrapped in straw.
"General Shen!"
Upon seeing Shen Bai, the old man threw down his cane and was about to kneel.
Shen Bai caught him.
"useless."
"Yes, sir!" The old man gripped his sleeve tightly, refusing to let go. "General Shen is a benefactor of our Dawangba! In previous years, Wu Er and his gang came to rob us every year, but this year someone has finally taken care of them!"
Several villagers nearby also knelt down.
Shen Bai helped the old man up and had someone accept the gifts.
"I'll take the things. Don't kneel."
---
The villagers chattered amongst themselves, saying how wicked Wu Er was.
"We come every year," the old man said. "We need 30% of the grain, and a few people to come up the mountain to join us. If no one comes, we'll arrest them."
"My son was captured and taken up the mountain by him," an old man chimed in. "He didn't come back for three years, and I heard he died later."
The camp was quiet for a while.
Shen Bai listened without saying a word.
He looked at the old man.
The old man's face was covered in wrinkles, like tree bark. His hands were calloused, rough and hard, as he gripped his cane.
He looked at the young man again.
Nineteen or twenty years old. Thin, but with a clear gaze. He stood there, standing there, neither dodging nor speaking.
Shen Bai looked at him.
He thought of his father.
His father was like that back then. Standing by the reeds, holding a knife, gazing into the distance.
That look in his eyes—it was as if he was remembering something.
"General Shen?" The old man's voice interrupted his thoughts. "General Shen?"
Shen Bai snapped out of his daze.
"Um."
"There are a few young men in our area who want to join the army," the old man said. "They want to follow someone like General Shen."
He waved and called someone over.
Stone.
"His name is Shitou (Stone)," the old man said. "His father was also killed by Wu Er back then."
Shen Bai looked at the stone.
The stone looked at him.
The two stared at each other for a while.
"Do you know martial arts?"
"No," the young man said, "but I can learn."
Shen Bai remained silent.
He reached out and patted the stone on the shoulder.
"OK."
Stone paused for a moment.
"Thank you, General Shen!"
Shen Bai waved his hand.
"Take him away."
He turned around and walked into the tent.
He took a few steps and then stopped.
He didn't turn around, but his voice came through.
"What's your father's name?"
Stone paused for a moment.
"Stone Tiger."
Shen Bai remained silent.
He continued walking into the tent.
---
After settling the newcomers in, the old man did not leave.
He stood still, looked around, and lowered his voice.
"General Shen."
Shen Bai stopped in his tracks.
The old man took out a stack of papers from his pocket and spread them out on the table.
A thick stack. The paper was yellowed, and the edges were curled up.
"This is what I've recorded over the years," the old man said. "It includes everything about the surrounding mountains where bandits roam, who the bandits are, and how many roads there are. This is the only original copy."
Shen Bai lowered his head and looked at the stack of papers.
Map. List. Route map. Troop strength estimate.
It was a thick stack, at least twenty sheets.
"You're giving it all to me?"
"It's all yours," the old man said. "You'll need it."
Shen Bai put the stack of papers away.
He stared at the old man for a long time.
Why did you give it to me?
The old man was stunned for a moment.
"You saved our lives."
Shen Bai remained silent.
He looked into the old man's eyes.
The old man's eyes were cloudy, but something was shining inside them.
It's about trust.
It is gratitude.
These are the words that were never spoken.
Thanks.
Shen Bai tucked the stack of papers into his pocket.
"I will use it."
The old man waved his hand and walked away, leaning on his cane.
As he walked out of the camp gate, the old man looked back once more.
Shen Bai stood at the tent entrance, looking at him.
Their eyes met.
The old man smiled.
Then he turned around and left.
---
Shen Bai returned to the tent and lowered the curtain.
He sat down, took out the stack of maps, and spread them on the table.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then he stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and looked at the sky outside.
The man's words were still echoing in his mind.
"Do not act rashly."
"The Cui family is already investigating you."
"Wait until Lord Chen is ready."
He clenched his fists.
and so on.
How much longer do we have to wait?
He waited when his father died. He waited when his brother died. He waited when Zhou Lie died.
Now that he's waited this long, is he still going to wait?
He remembered the old man.
He thought of the stone.
He remembered the faces of those villagers. Those who knelt on the ground, crying and saying, "Thank you, General Shen."
If the Cui family comes.
If Wang Dechang's men come.
If one day, all these people die—
Just like his father, just like his brother, just like Zhou Lie—
He stood at the tent entrance, looking out at the sky.
The wind blows by, carrying the smell of earth.
He turned around, walked back to the table, and took out the map.
He read it once.
Then he folded the map and put it in his pocket.
Blow out the oil lamp.
Darkness engulfed the entire tent.
---
Mr. Zhou arrived the next afternoon.
He walked into the camp with a smile on his face, holding a piece of paper in his hand.
"Captain Shen."
He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "Does what we agreed on last time still stand?"
Shen Bai looked at him.
"What did you say?"
"Three hundred taels, monthly salary. As for the account books—"
"No."
Shen Bai interrupted him.
One word.
Zhou's smile froze.
"Captain Shen?"
"Last time I said three hundred taels was too little, but you didn't believe me," Shen Bai said calmly. "I still say the same thing now. Three hundred taels is too little."
Zhou took a step forward.
"How much does Captain Shen want?"
"It's free."
Zhou's expression changed.
"What Commandant Shen means is—"
"You understand what I mean."
Shen Bai stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and turned his back to Zhou.
"Go back and tell Wang Dechang."
His voice was very low.
"I don't want to wait anymore."
Zhou stood there, watching his back.
"Captain Shen—"
"Aren't you leaving yet?"
Zhou did not move.
He stared at Shen Bai's retreating figure for a long time.
Then he turned around and walked to the door.
He stopped halfway there.
"Lord Wang said that if Lieutenant Shen does not agree, he will bear the consequences."
He didn't turn around, and walked away.
---
into the night.
Shen Bai called Lin Yu, Lao Gui, and Chen Qingzhi into the tent.
The oil lamp was lit, and the stack of maps was spread out on the table.
Lin Yu stood by the table, arms crossed.
Old Ghost stood in the corner, his face expressionless.
Chen Qingzhi held a pen in his hand, waiting.
Shen Bai stood in front of the table, his fingers tracing the stack of papers.
"Wu Er is dead," he said. "The surrounding bandits are all watching. Next, we'll move on them."
He looked up at Lin Yu.
"How's the body-corrosion training going?"
"It's usable now," Lin Yu said. "Ten people, they all have the basic skills in stealth and decapitation."
Shen Bai nodded. He looked at Old Ghost.
"Have you ascertained the situation regarding the bandits in the surrounding area?"
"We've figured it out," Old Ghost said. "Four or five hilltops, varying numbers of people. The best equipped is the group near the broken gate."
Shen Bai's finger stopped at a circle on the map.
"Broken doorway. Wu Liu."
"Wu Er's younger brother," Old Ghost said. "After Wu Er died, he took over that place. He's equipped with official gear, and he has powerful connections."
Lin Yu's eyes flickered.
"Hit him first?"
Shen Bai remained silent.
He lowered his head and looked at the map.
"No."
He said.
"Don't hit him yet."
Chen Qingzhi stopped writing.
Lin Yu and Lao Gui both looked up at him at the same time.
Shen Bai's finger traced across the map, from east to west.
"First, attack Dongshan'ao."
Old Ghost frowned slightly.
"Dongshan'ao? About thirty people, gamblers by trade, greedy for money."
"I know," Shen Bai said, "but Ma Liu is a coward. He runs away as soon as he gets hurt."
Lin Yu looked at him.
"Where do you want to run?"
"Run towards the broken door," Shen Bai said. "Go find Wu Liu."
Old Ghost understood.
"You need to borrow Ma Liu to lure Wu Liu out."
"Not just Wu Liu."
Shen Bai raised his head and looked at the three people.
"You know who's behind Wu Liu."
The tent fell silent.
Lin Yu and Lao Gui exchanged a glance.
Chen Qingzhi's pen stopped in mid-air.
"The Cui family."
"The Cui family."
Shen Bai put the map away and tucked it into his pocket.
"These bandit strongholds must not be left alive."
He looked at the three people.
"Did you understand?"
"clear."
The three people spoke at the same time.
Shen Bai nodded.
Chen Qingzhi did not leave.
He stood there, pen still in his hand, looking at Shen Bai.
"Captain."
Shen Bai raised his head.
"If the Cui family knew you were investigating them, they would act before Wang Dechang."
The tent fell silent.
Lin Yu and Lao Gui both looked at Chen Qingzhi.
Chen Qingzhi continued, his voice very flat.
"Wang Dechang wants money. The Cui family wants stability. They can tolerate you touching their money. But they can't tolerate you touching their foundation."
He paused for a moment.
"As long as the ledgers are in your hands, the Cui family won't sleep well. They won't wait for you to be ready."
The tent fell silent.
Old Ghost's expression changed.
Lin Yu gripped the gun tightly in his hand.
Shen Bai stood there, motionless.
The curtain was lifted.
A soldier walked in and knelt down on one knee.
"Captain."
"explain."
"Chen Wu requests an audience, saying he has urgent military intelligence."
Shen Bai and Lao Gui exchanged a glance.
"Let him in."
---
When Chen Wu came in, his face was covered in sweat.
He was panting heavily, and clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Captain."
"explain."
"There's something strange going on at the broken gate," Chen Wu said. "Wu Liu sent men down the mountain overnight, heading towards Lao Wangba."
Shen Bai was stunned for a moment.
"Have you figured out the direction?"
"I saw it clearly," Old Knife said.
"How long ago?"
"Half an hour."
The tent fell silent.
Old Ghost's expression changed.
Lin Yu gripped the gun in his hand.
Chen Qingzhi's pen fell to the ground.
Shen Bai stood there, motionless.
"Gather everyone and head to Dawangba."
---
(End of Chapter Twenty-One)