Chapter 10

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

Bai Qi’s normally composed face was now cold. He gently touched the hilt of his sword, his calm eyes darkening as if a storm was brewing.

Zhao Kuo clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.

The usually playful young man now had a fierce look in his eyes. “Hu people…” He spat the words with disgust and hatred. “They all deserve to die!”

Both Bai Qi and Zhao Kuo hated the Hu people.

In their world, the states of Qin and Zhao, where they came from, bordered the Hu people. They had fought many battles with them in the past.

The Qin state, known for its strength, didn’t tolerate any invasion of its territory, especially from the Hu people.

The same was true for Zhao, which, while waging wars to conquer new lands, also kept the Hu people in check.

During the Warring States Period, the Zhou emperor had lost power, and the states were constantly fighting for control.

But no matter how fierce the internal conflicts became, all the states shared one unspoken agreement:

They would never tolerate the Hu people invading the Central Plains.

Their internal disputes were their own, and the Hu people had no right to interfere. If the Hu tried to take advantage, the states would temporarily stop fighting among themselves and eliminate the outside threat first.

In the face of the Republic of China’s righteousness, Bai Qi and Zhao Kuo, two military generals from the Qin Dynasty, couldn’t stand by while the Hu people caused chaos in the Central Plains.

The chaos happened in an area Ying Yue planned to use as a camp. If the barbarians attacked their base, it would dishonor their origins.

When Bai Qi saw Ying Yue’s fear after hearing about bandits, he softly said, “This behavior is no different from animals…” He comforted her, though his words were filled with determination. “Don’t be afraid.”

Zhao Kuo, angry from the news, also tried to comfort Ying Yue. “Yes, sister, don’t be afraid,” he said, his voice filled with anger. “Because these beasts won’t exist in this world for much longer.”

Any foreigner invading the Central Plains must be killed! Traitors working with them must also be punished!

Bai Qi then helped Ying Yue into the carriage and motioned for Zhao Kuo to get on. Bai Qi looked at the leader of the “ordinary civilians” who had tried to rob them and asked him to sit with them. “Show the way,” he said simply.

The big man hesitated but eventually followed. Bai Qi told him to take his knife. Nervous, the man asked why. Bai Qi coldly replied, “Aren’t you afraid?”

The big man then realized Bai Qi wanted him to feel more secure with the knife. But when he and his brothers struggled to pull out their swords, Bai Qi couldn’t help but intervene. He easily drew the machete and handed it to the man.

_

On their journey, the man told Ying Yue, Bai Qi, and Zhao Kuo about the five counties surrounding Black Wind Village: Wuyuan, Xihe, Fufeng, Longxi, and Beidi.

Wuyuan County, located in the east, had been spared from Black Wind Village’s regular attacks, though the people were still afraid of them. In contrast, Beidi County in the west had suffered greatly.

Ying Yue asked why the people didn’t fight back. The man explained that years ago, Black Wind Village’s leader joined forces with the Hu people and attacked Beidi County, burning and killing people, even cooking human flesh. Since then, the governors of the five counties had been too afraid to speak up, fearing they might be next.

Ying Yue was horrified. Zhao Kuo, angered by the story, slammed his fist into the carriage wall. “These bastards, damn bastards!” he shouted.

Ying Yue quickly grabbed his hand, worried he might hurt himself. “Zhao Kuo, don’t smash things randomly! What if you hurt your hand?”

Zhao Kuo forced a smile at his young master, a smile worse than crying, “It’s okay, I’m not hurt.”

When he thought of those man-eating beasts, his anger grew, and he wanted to kill them. Only their blood could calm him, so he didn’t care about the minor pain in his hands.

As a Chinese, it’s a crime to unite with the Hu people.

After working with the Hu people, they imitated barbarians and practiced cannibalism, an even greater crime. They deserved to die.

_

Including the man who showed them the way, Ying Yue and her group of four traveled for almost four days before reaching the boundary between Longxi County and Beidi County.

If in a hurry, the trip could be cut to two days by pushing the horse harder.

But this was too exhausting. They needed to save their energy for the mountain ahead, so they kept a moderate pace.

When the carriage stopped, the man jumped off first and pointed them in a direction, showing them the mountain in front. It seemed close but was far away.

“That’s Bianchun Mountain, and the top is Black Wind Village. Now is not the day they usually go out to raid, so everyone should be on the mountain.”

He hesitated, looking at Bai Qi and Zhao Kuo. “Two heroes, are you really going up?”

Hearing the worry in his voice, Zhao Kuo jumped out of the carriage and patted his shoulder, “Don’t worry about us. If you’re afraid, go back.”

Ying Yue added from inside the carriage, “Take the horse with you. It will help you get back faster and safer. Plus, your brothers are waiting.”

They probably wouldn’t need the horse anymore. Though it’s a good horse, it’s not a peerless one.

On their way to Yongzhou, Bai Qi had said that while the horse was good, it had been somewhat damaged by the wealthy family in the palace and wasn’t fit for war.

So, helping the man escape safely would be a good choice.

Bai Qi remained quiet, simply saying, “Let’s go.”