Futile Devices Scans

Realizing they were surrounded, the Xiao soldiers inside the city immediately drew their weapons and slashed at the thirty archers kneeling on either side.

Earlier, those archers had appeared just like Zhang San, tightly bound with ropes and kneeling motionless on the ground. But at Zhang San’s thunderous shout, several dozen ropes suddenly dropped from the city wall. The archers sprang up, grabbed the ropes one after another, planted their feet against the wall, and, with their comrades above pulling them up, climbed to safety in the blink of an eye. Throwing off the ropes around their bodies, they seized the bows and arrows hidden atop the wall and began shooting down alongside their comrades.

The screams of Xiao soldiers filled the air. Within moments, several dozen had been shot down, and the survivors could only surge through the city gate toward the interior of the city.

＊

The “elderly, weak, women, and children” kneeling along the main road into the city also lifted their heads. The “old men” tore off their grizzled beards, the “weak” tossed aside their shabby crutches, the “women” revealed men’s faces beneath their flower hairpins and coiffed buns, and the “children” straightened their deliberately hunched bodies.

The “woman” at their head reached beneath her skirt and drew out a large saber—it was none other than the real County Commandant Liu Wu. Lifting his skirt in one hand and brandishing the saber in the other, he charged viciously into the mass of Xiao soldiers. The Xiao troops suddenly found themselves confronted by a burly “woman” with white powder and rouge smeared across his face, charging at them like a fierce ghost, and could not help letting out terrified cries.

Blocked ahead and pressed from behind, the two hundred Xiao soldiers were trapped between the inner and outer barbicans. Their commander had been killed, they had lost the initiative, and no one was giving orders. Before long, nearly half of them had been slaughtered.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the remaining hundred or so men abandoned everything and desperately crowded toward the inner-barbican gate, trying to force their way through with sheer numbers, rush into the city, and find somewhere to hide.

Liu Wu and the others were buried too deeply in the melee to stop them in time. Within moments, several dozen Xiao soldiers surged onto the main road into the city.

Then a whistle suddenly rang out, followed by the crisp thunder of hoofbeats!

From around the corner at the far end of the main road charged the twenty-four cavalrymen who had been lying in wait. At their head was the ten-man squad leader who had promised to “lend Commander Zhang his strength once more,” and even the two Imperial City Directorate subordinates were among them.

The cavalry swept in like a violent storm. The ten-man squad leader wielded a long saber, caught up with the Xiao soldier running at the front, and stabbed him through the back, the blade piercing straight through his body. He lifted the man into the air and flung him aside.

The riders behind him likewise chased down the Xiao soldiers fleeing in every direction, surrounding and killing them.

＊

The three hundred Xiao soldiers left outside the city had seen the drop gate fall from outside. Hearing the sounds of fighting and screams from within, they already knew something had gone terribly wrong.

Among them was a deputy general who had been ordered to remain behind with the troops. He immediately gave the command, and the three hundred men once again shouldered scaling ladders, hooked ropes, and other equipment and surged toward the city gate.

The mountain road was narrow, and there was little open ground outside the gate. Horse-trap pits further choked the approach. The three hundred men were broken into scattered groups by the terrain, and several were even shoved by their own comrades and accidentally fell into the pits.

From behind the parapet, the Great Xuan archers atop the city gate loosed arrows downward. The Xiao soldiers at the front raised shields to block them, while those behind returned fire with bows and crossbows. Beneath the rain of arrows from both sides, several dozen Xiao soldiers still managed to skirt the horse-trap pits and reach the base of the wall.

But the moment they arrived beneath it, Great Xuan soldiers hurled large stones straight down onto their heads, causing heavy casualties.

The deputy general erupted in fury. Drawing his saber toward the sky, he let out a furious roar almost like a curse, forcing the soldiers to charge forward wave after wave.

＊

The bodies of Xiao soldiers gradually piled up below the city wall. Several times, scaling ladders were raised against the wall, but before anyone could climb them, they were smashed apart by falling stones.

Suddenly, a tiger’s roar sounded from atop the wall, shaking the mountain forest. A severed head abruptly flew over the battlements and rolled to a stop in front of the horse-trap pits.

The deputy general stared at it from afar, and his face turned deathly pale. He could not help taking a step backward—it was the minor commander’s head!

Less than half of the Xiao soldiers outside the city remained. The deputy general’s nerve finally broke, and he ordered the gong sounded for retreat.

The battle lasted less than half an hour. The Xiao soldiers outside the city left behind more than a hundred corpses, damaged ladders and bridge planks, and fled in utter disarray.

＊

Bare-chested and drenched in blood from head to toe, Zhang San stood motionless atop the wall and watched the Xiao soldiers throw aside helmets and armor and flee without even stopping to break camp. The four or five hundred laborers they had brought to haul supplies fled with them, and the whole mass withdrew down the mountain road. When they had arrived, they had resembled a long snake; now, in retreat, they looked like a worm riddled with a thousand holes, weakly crawling over the rockslide and fleeing down the mountain. Around him, the new and old soldiers could no longer contain themselves and burst into cheers, crowding around Commander Zhang and tossing their bows and arrows into the air.

Standing silently amid the joyful crowd, Zhang San wiped the blood from his face, but his own heart was anything but light.

They had won a great victory, but in the end they had killed only three or four hundred men. On his way back to Ant County, he and Li Si had investigated together; the Xiao army’s new western camp held roughly three to five thousand troops, not to mention that the Xiao forces surrounding Kuiyuan were said to number a hundred thousand.

The Xiao army already knew Ant County existed. After suffering such a loss, sooner or later they would return in force—and when they came, they would come in greater numbers and with greater force.

＊

County Commandant Liu lifted his bloodstained long skirt and ran awkwardly up onto the wall, breaking through the crowd cheering around Commander Zhang. He also carried the tiger-fur cloak over to him—everyone had been so busy celebrating that no one had noticed the Commander was still bare-chested in the freezing wind.

Wrapped in the warmth of the tiger fur, Zhang San slowly breathed out a stream of hot air and instructed Liu Wu, “Have the physicians treat the wounded immediately. Personally take men outside the city to clear the battlefield. Bring back every usable piece of armor, every weapon, arrowhead, stone, and even the Xiao bandits’ tents and supplies. Have Chen Lu lead people in making an inventory. Throw all the Xiao corpses down the cliff. Don’t leave them beneath the city wall for long, or they may cause an epidemic.”

After this battle, Liu Wu’s admiration was complete. “Yes, Commander!” he shouted.

Zhang San glanced at him and saw that he was still wearing that cumbersome skirt. Puzzled, he said, “Tear it off and throw it away. Why are you still wearing it?”

Liu Wu gave him a look that clearly said, Commander, why are you so wasteful? and sighed. “I can’t. This is A’Lu’s mother’s skirt. I still have to wash it clean and return it.”

＊

County Magistrate Shu Da Fu had curled himself into a ball, shivering in a corner of the inner barbican. The headless corpse of the minor commander lay at his feet, blood pooling into a slick puddle that had already soaked through his shoes and socks.

Earlier, when Zhang San came to cut off the head, even in the middle of the chaotic battle he had not forgotten to bare his tiger teeth and give Shu Da Fu a brilliant smile, frightening half the man’s soul out of his body. Now both his legs were limp, and he could not even stand, much less take advantage of the chaos to flee for his life—besides, where could he possibly flee?

A dust-covered boot stepped into the pool of blood.

Draped in the tiger-fur cloak, his long black hair loose, glossy, and fluffy, Zhang San stood before him like a true bandit chief, holding a blood-dripping single-edged saber upside down.

Bandit Tiger Zhang bent down and searched the minor commander’s corpse. Finding the dragon-patterned jade pendant, he weighed it in his hand, stood up, and tucked it into his robes.

Then he smiled amiably at the county magistrate, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth. “Da Fu, you worked hard.”

The county magistrate burst into squeaking sobs, snot and tears streaming down his face. “C-C-C-Commander, don’t kill me! I-I-I helped you just now! Please spare my life…”

“Killing you is unnecessary,” Zhang San said pleasantly. “This Commander isn’t a bandit. How could I possibly do something so violent and murderous? County Commandant Liu?”

County Commandant Liu came running over while lifting his skirt and shouted with full vigor, “This subordinate is here!”

Commander Zhang said cheerfully, “Confiscate his property.”

＊

Li Si knew nothing of the fierce battle that had taken place in the city that morning. At sunset the previous day, he had already climbed to the top of the cliff on the opposite side. Imitating what Brother Xiao had done before, he set up the tent and lit a campfire to warm himself.

He had not brought the little pot, so there was no hot goat milk to drink. He could only take out his dry rations and gnaw at them, then skewer the large fish and roast it over the fire.

Before the fish was fully cooked, the sky had already gone completely dark. On the dim black cliff, he was the only person there, keeping watch over a fish with round, staring eyes as it sizzled over the flames.

He had not noticed the previous night that the cliff was actually this cold. When the wind blew through the forest, the rustling sounds were actually this strange and eerie. If even a little damp wood ended up in the campfire, not only would it burn poorly, it would also give off black smoke and an unpleasant charred smell.

He had once lived silently and alone for fifteen years without ever realizing how silent and lonely he was. Now, after merely being surrounded by noise and warmth for a little more than ten days, he had begun to understand the taste of loneliness.

His throat was dry and hoarse. He drank half a gourd of water, yet still felt parched and uncomfortable. It was nothing like the peace and comfort of the night before, nor did he feel that uncontrollable urge to talk.

Troubled, he sat inside the tent hugging his knees and buried his face in them. He had only been separated from Brother Xiao for one day, yet he already felt this awful. How am I supposed to endure the days to come?

Fortunately, once he returned to the capital, he would be able to see Grandma. The thought of Grandma made him happy again. But when he thought that after settling Grandma down he would return to find Brother Xiao, he immediately found himself reluctant to part with Grandma too.

He picked at his fingers and began calculating whether, after the war ended, he could beg His Majesty to transfer Brother Xiao back to the capital as well. That way, he would have both Grandma and Brother Xiao. It would be best if the two of them were assigned to the same military camp. Perhaps they might even be able to live together.

The thought made him smile. He rested his arm across his knees, pressed his face against it, and smiled for a long while without even noticing that the fish had burned.

＊

Frowning as he finished the unpleasant burnt fish, Li Si put out the fire, sealed the tent, wrapped himself in the cloth blanket, and then pulled the tiger-fur hat from his pack—yes, he could not bring the tiger-fur cloak, but he had brought the tiger-fur hat.

He covered his head warmly with it, protecting his cold ears, and curled himself into a small ball. Imagining the wonderful life of sharing a military camp with Brother Xiao, he finally managed to fall asleep in relative peace.

＊

Li Si slept until daybreak before waking. Faint rustling sounds came from outside the tent, though he did not know what was making them.

Carefully, he lifted one corner of the tent and peered through the gap. It was a little squirrel, dragging a large fluffy tail behind it as it sniffed at the fragrant charred fish bones beside the extinguished fire.

Li Si opened the tent. When the squirrel saw him come out, it did not immediately flee. Instead, it tilted its head and curiously examined him. Four dark, glossy eyes silently stared at one another.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept over the cliff, blowing the fish bones several cun away. Startled, the squirrel turned and fled without looking back.

Once again, Li Si was alone on the cliff.

He relit the campfire, warmed himself while toasting dry flatbread, silently ate two pieces, and drank a small amount of water—not daring to drink too much, afraid that dry flatbread and water together would swell in his stomach.

Afterward, he rose and returned to the bridge pillars, holding onto one as he looked toward the opposite cliff. Brother Xiao’s figure had not appeared.

That was perfectly normal. Judging by walking speed, Brother Xiao should only have returned to Ant County after dark the previous day. Even if he had rested for just one night and hurried back as quickly as possible, he would not arrive until around noon today.

Li Si sat by the cliff edge and waited a while longer. The longer he waited, the emptier his heart felt, so he climbed to his feet and began looking for things to do.

＊

He went into the mountain forest and gathered a bundle of firewood, carrying it back and piling it on the cliff for the craftsmen who would later come to repair the bridge. It still seemed early before noon, so he then headed some distance down the mountain. He crept to the direct rear of Tianmen Pass, crouched in a treetop, and carefully observed the number of soldiers in the small pass city, the frequency of patrols, and the distribution of the defenders.

He was watching with complete concentration when his ear suddenly twitched. Glancing sideways, he saw two patrolling Xiao soldiers arrive beneath a tree not far away.

The two did not notice him above them. Each carried a curved saber, and as they talked, they struggled forward through the thick snow.

As they walked, they suddenly discovered a trail of footprints. The two immediately grew alert, drew their sabers, and began examining where the tracks led when a crisp birdcall suddenly sounded above their heads.

One of the soldiers lifted his head first. Before he could clearly see Li Si in the tree, the arrow was already flying toward him. It pierced through his throat, and he fell backward without making a sound.

The other had not yet managed to shout when a dark shadow leapt lightly down from above, tackled him to the ground, and swept a sleeve knife across his throat. He too made no sound as his head plunged into the snow.

Li Si crouched beside them and searched a heavy money pouch from each man’s body. Opening them, he found them filled with Great Xuan coins, clearly plundered loot, and stuffed both into his robes. He dragged the two men off the mountain road, chose a secluded place difficult to discover, and covered the bodies with leaves and snow. He also took both men’s sabers, bows, and quivers.

Finally, he used branches to sweep the footprints and bloodstains into disorder before carrying the spoils back to the cliff.

＊

By the time he returned, it was already noon. Full of expectation, he held onto the bridge pillar and looked toward the opposite side.

Brother Xiao still had not appeared.

So he practiced a saber routine on the cliff, then hurried back to look again…

Then he practiced a set of fist techniques…

Then he gathered a second bundle of firewood…

A third bundle…

A fourth bundle…

Noon had long since passed.

Li Si’s heart gradually filled with panic. He worried that something had happened to Brother Xiao on the mountain road. He no longer left the cliff edge, but stood beside the bridge pillar and kept looking and looking until his eyes ached and his heart throbbed in waves.

Finally, finally… more than ten figures appeared on the opposite cliff!

Li Si was delighted at first, but immediately his face crumpled again. His eyesight was good, and he could clearly see that Brother Xiao was not among them.

Could something have happened to Brother Xiao?

＊

Li Si waved toward the other side in greeting. Very soon, the other side waved back. He then signaled for them to move farther away, tied the thin rope to an arrow, and shot it across.

The craftsmen on that side were efficient. They pulled the arrow from the tree trunk and tied a specially made thick rope, soaked in oil, to the thin one. Li Si then pulled the thick rope across to his side.

After several thick ropes had been drawn across and secured to trees at both ends, the craftsmen hung a pulley and basket onto them. First they sent over a load of stones to test it. Seeing that the stones crossed steadily, one bold craftsman climbed into the basket, and before long he too was transported across.

Li Si waited beneath the tree, caught and steadied the basket, and helped the shaken craftsman down. The man was young and strong, but it was also his first time riding a zip line. His face was pale and his lips bluish with fright as he said in a trembling voice, “Young Master Li, thank you, thank you.”

“Big Brother, you’ve worked hard,” Li Si said seriously. Wanting to comfort him, he reached out to touch his hand—no, that would not do—so instead he patted the man on the back a few times. “Big Brother, rest for a while.”

“No need, no need. I’m fine,” the craftsman said, shaking his head. “Young Master Li, the Commander asked me to tell you that he has important matters to handle and cannot come to pick you up.”

Li Si’s brows immediately furrowed. “Is he injured?”

The craftsman hurriedly shook his head. “No, no, don’t worry. He specifically told me to tell you that too. He’s perfectly fine. He said to return with peace of mind and be careful on the mountain road.”

Only then did Li Si relax and nod.

The two worked together and soon set up the second zip line as well—the first sat lower and slid from the opposite cliff over to this side, while the second sat higher and ran from this side back to the opposite cliff.

Li Si left the firewood, tent, and blanket for the craftsman, along with the four sets of weapons he had collected so that the craftsmen could defend themselves. Then he climbed into the basket himself. The craftsman pushed from behind, and he flew out from the cliff edge.

The wind rushed past his ears, whipping his temple hair upward. This was the first time he had truly “flown” through the air, yet not only was he unafraid, he was extremely curious. He even straightened up and stuck his head out of the basket, looking downward the entire way.

In only a few breaths, he reached the opposite cliff. Several craftsmen helped him down, and everyone immediately became busy transporting materials and preparing the bridge, with no time left to chat with him.

＊

Li Si bade farewell to the craftsmen and hurried toward the mountain road, wanting to return sooner and see Brother Xiao.

He had gone only about a hundred steps when a golden-yellow figure appeared around the bend in the mountain road ahead.

“Brother Xiao!” Li Si cried joyfully.

Brother Xiao had still come to pick him up after all!

Zhang San was still draped in the tiger-fur cloak, panting from hurrying along the road. He took several quick steps forward and opened both arms, catching the Li Si who flew toward him in a full embrace.

The two hugged tightly. Then Zhang San quickly pushed him back and carefully examined him from head to toe. “Yesterday, I saw you kill two Xiao bandits by the river. Were you hurt?”

Li Si shook his head, then immediately threw himself into Zhang San’s arms again. He rubbed his face against Zhang San’s furry shoulder in relief, then sniffed here and there in confusion. “There’s a smell of blood. Are you injured?”

Zhang San shook his head. “I killed Xiao bandits too and got delayed for a while.” He took Li Si’s hand. “We’ll talk as we walk.”

Holding his hand, Li Si followed him down the mountain. As they walked, he pulled the tiger-fur hat from his flattened pack and placed it back on Brother Xiao’s head, then took four money pouches from his robes and stuffed them into Zhang San’s cloak.

“What’s this?” Zhang San asked.

“I confiscated them from Xiao soldiers. Use them as military funds.”

The moment he heard the words military funds, Zhang San became delighted. “Your Brother Xiao has money now! Today, I finally confiscated that county magistrate’s estate! Hahahahaha!”

His tiger laughter rang through the mountain forest, shaking even the snow from the trees on both sides of the road.

His laughter was incomparably happy. They had met during a time when both nation and family were in turmoil, and Li Si had often seen him with his brows tightly drawn. When Zhang San bared his tiger teeth in a brilliant smile, it was usually to threaten someone. This was the first time Li Si had seen him this genuinely happy, and he could not help smiling along with him.

Zhang San stared blankly for a moment. His foot slipped, and Li Si hurriedly pulled him steady.

He stopped and refused to continue walking, saying overbearingly, “Give me another smile.”

Li Si had not realized he had smiled and looked at him blankly.

Zhang San reached out and pinched his chin, squeezing the flesh of his cheek like a rogue teasing a good man. “Like just now. Give me another smile.”

This little thing placed his clean, fair face in Zhang San’s palm. First he looked blank for a moment, then tentatively curved the corners of his mouth upward. Sure enough, he obediently smiled for him again.

Zhang San’s expression turned ferocious for an instant, and he suddenly leaned closer.

Li Si opened his eyes wide in confusion, not understanding what Brother Xiao intended to do. Brother Xiao’s expression looked as though he was about to devour him in a single bite.

But Li Si neither stepped back nor dodged. He simply stood quietly, watching him with eyes full of confusion.

Zhang San found it difficult to restrain himself and wanted to do something wicked, but he himself had never properly done such a thing either—holding someone’s face and forcibly “feeding” him while taking advantage of his weakness did not count. Before he had even bitten those soft lips, their noses bumped together first.

Li Si startled and trembled. Zhang San abruptly came back to his senses and retreated several steps.

Li Si asked blankly, “Brother Xiao?”

Zhang San did not answer. He turned his head aside and looked toward the distant mountain forest. His chest rose and fell violently several times before he turned back as though nothing had happened, smiling stiffly as he said, “Let’s hurry. It’ll be dark soon.”