Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Trap

Running up to the front, Ye Xin vaulted off the Boundless Sky Wolf and, after observing the surroundings for a while, nodded approvingly. “Not bad, the place you picked is quite good.”

“Within two hundred li up and down the river, this is the only crossing. If they want to get across, they have to come this way.” Mo Yan, usually so stiff-faced, allowed himself a rare smile; to be praised by Ye Xin was a great honor. “Besides, the current here is very gentle, and there’s a big congregation of rat-toothed fish nearby. No one ever dares swim in these waters. If you throw a live ox in, within half an hour there’ll be nothing left but bones. It’s a perfect place to kill and dispose of a body.”

Ye Xin stepped inside the grass hut. A young woman, around twenty, with delicate features, was brewing tea. She looked up at Ye Xin in surprise, but when he removed his cloak, realization dawned and she gave a slight bow. “Greetings, my lord.”

“Suying, you’re looking more and more charming these days,” Ye Xin said with a smile.

“You flatter me, my lord,” the woman replied, blushing, and then walked over with the teapot.

Just then, out on the water, a fountain of spray shot several meters high, and a figure burst out from it.

Ye Xin glanced back. “Mo Yan, didn’t you say no one dared swim here?”

“I never counted him as ‘people’.” Mo Yan curled his lip.

The person who leapt from the water looked young, even younger than Mo Yan. He was naked except for an animal skin skirt around his waist, his skin bronzed and sturdy. He had a live carp clamped between his teeth, still struggling and flicking its head and tail.

The youth walked into the hut, casually took the towel the woman handed him, wiped off the water, then sat opposite Ye Xin with a cheerful grin. “My lord, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“Lin Tong, how are things going with you two?” Ye Xin asked.

“Bored out of my mind every day,” the young man replied ruefully.

“How can you say out of your mind? Isn’t it your ‘bird’ that’s suffering? You have someone to keep you company every day,” Mo Yan cut in. “You need to be clear with your words—even one different character and the meaning completely changes.”

“Mo Yan, can’t you watch your mouth in front of the lord?!” the young woman’s face flushed deep red. She grabbed a cup as if to throw it at Mo Yan, but with Ye Xin present, she hesitated and set it down.

“Look at that, Mo Yan, it’s only been half a year and you’re cracking jokes now?” the young man shot Mo Yan a sidelong look, then changed the subject and tossed the carp to the woman. “Go wash the fish and make some soup. The lord’s come all this way and we’ve got nothing else to offer. Sigh… almost all the fish nearby have been eaten by those rat-toothed fish. It took me ages to catch this one.”

“Even the rat-toothed fish can’t do anything to you. Looks like your skills have improved greatly,” Ye Xin remarked.

“It’s alright,” the young man said. “I actually prefer staying in the water now. Feels like home. Coming up on land just feels unnatural.”

The young man was Lin Tong, and the woman was Zhou Suying. Zhou Suying was the daughter of a disgraced official, sent to the Camp of Heaven’s Wrath to serve as a camp prostitute. But by then, Ye Xin had become commander of the camp. He’d been trying to establish some rules and foster unity among the men, so he kept Zhou Suying safe.

Lin Tong had been her childhood sweetheart. When he learned Zhou Suying had been sent to the Camp of Heaven’s Wrath, he deliberately got himself in trouble—injuring more than a dozen constables—so he’d be sent to the camp as well.

The Camp of Heaven’s Wrath wasn’t for just anyone. In the Grand Wei state, warriors who committed serious crimes were rarely sentenced to death, but sent instead to the camp to atone through merit. Only those of at least intermediate rank were accepted; junior warriors were deemed too worthless to bother.

As for Ye Xin himself, his presence in the camp had been a fluke. Throughout the entire Zhao Empire, only the sovereign could act outside the law. When the Iron-Hearted Sage ordered Ye Xin into the Camp of Heaven’s Wrath, he had no choice but to obey.

After entering the camp, Lin Tong and Zhou Suying had confessed everything to Ye Xin, who then officiated their wedding inside the camp.

Being the leader was no easy feat for Ye Xin; establishing rules among a den of hardened criminals was fraught with difficulty. He had to keep his authority intact through force and fear, enforcing the rule of “those who follow thrive, those who resist perish.” At the same time, he tried to plant the seeds of goodness to temper the men’s violent natures. Desperadoes and warriors were fundamentally different; the former were just cannon fodder on the battlefield, of little real use.

To this day, Ye Xin had done well enough; his authority was unshakable, and he’d cultivated quite a few talents. Of course, some men were too far gone—he’d sent them out to die in battle, using them up deliberately.

Soon the fish soup was ready. Zhou Suying, looking apologetic, said softly, “My lord, we didn’t prepare much firewood, so the heat wasn’t quite right. Please make do.”

“It’s fine—having food at all is a blessing,” Ye Xin replied with a smile.

The three of them sipped fish soup and chatted idly. Mo Yan said slowly, “I sent the ferryman home, he won’t show today. After they pass through, my men will block the road—no one else will get in.”

“Alright.” Ye Xin nodded. Truth be told, Mo Yan had often been careless while in the Camp of Heaven’s Wrath, but ever since he’d joined the Nine Cauldrons City and started working in its underworld, he’d grown meticulous and mature. Now, Ye Xin could rely on only a handful of people—Mo Yan among them.

After a while, Mo Yan suddenly stiffened. “They’re here.”

“No more preparations needed.” Ye Xin stood and walked outside the hut, patting the Boundless Sky Wolf’s head before pointing toward the distant woods. The wolf bounded away, disappearing quickly into the trees.

Ye Xin returned to the hut. Zhou Suying had already brewed fresh tea and set it before him.

In no time, the pot was nearly empty. From afar, the sound of hooves could be heard. Before long, a dozen or so riders galloped up and dismounted, glancing around warily before filing into the hut.

The hut wasn’t large; with a dozen burly men crowding in, it was packed to bursting.

Leading them was a middle-aged man, tall and broad-shouldered, with a square face and piercing leopard eyes. He glanced around, then sat at a square table. With a gesture, his men all sat as well.

“What can I get for you gentlemen?” Zhou Suying asked with a charming smile.

“Just some tea,” the leader said. “Miss, where’s the ferryman? Haven’t seen him around.”

“His boat broke, so he went home to fix it. Won’t be back before noon,” Zhou Suying replied.

“Oh…” The leader frowned, scanning the hut. His gaze passed over the black-robed Ye Xin, lingered on Mo Yan, then settled on Lin Tong, who had put on trousers but was still bare-chested.

After a moment, suspicion flickered in the man’s eyes. He sniffed, as if catching a scent, then looked toward the hearth, noticing only a few sticks of firewood left by the stove.

One of the constables sidled up behind Zhou Suying and suddenly pinched her on the bottom, making her shriek and spin around.

The constables roared with laughter, their eyes lecherous as they stared at Zhou Suying.

In truth, officials and clerks were supposed to be separate. Officials rarely dealt with commoners directly, usually working through clerks. Officials tended to mind their reputations and seldom stooped so low. But clerks were different—numerous, powerful, and free to act as they pleased, bullying the weak and currying favor with the strong.

They’d come on this mission hoping for a windfall, their desires running high. Zhou Suying’s beauty made her irresistible. Fortunately, it was still daylight and there were other guests around; otherwise, things would have gone far beyond a mere pinch.

Ye Xin’s face was hidden by his cloak, betraying no reaction. Mo Yan and Lin Tong remained calm as well. Battle-hardened warriors, their anger was real but didn’t show.

Suddenly, the leader rose and barked, “We’re leaving!” Striding quickly out of the hut.

His men scrambled to their feet, bewildered.

“Chief Wu, you’ve come a long way. Are you sure you won’t rest a bit?” Ye Xin said mildly.

The leader froze. He turned slowly, eyes narrowed at Ye Xin.

He’d sensed something off about the hut but hadn’t expected an ambush. He’d tried to leave quickly to avoid trouble—there were many capable people in the world, and this could easily be a trap set by one group for another. No need to get caught in the crossfire.

Now that he realized they were targeting him, however, he grew less cautious and more menacing, baring his teeth in a grim smile. “Who are you?”

“Constables really do have sharp eyes,” Ye Xin smiled, then turned to Mo Yan. “Do you know how many flaws there are in this hut?”

“What do you mean…” Mo Yan faltered.

“The scent of fresh grass fills the air—the hut can’t have been built more than three days ago. It’s not even noon and the firewood’s already gone. Look at those two pots—both brand new. The left one was used for fish soup just now, but the right one hasn’t even touched oil. And, most absurdly, you only prepared fourteen stools. We took three, they have eleven, one for each—what a coincidence. You’re telling them we not only knew they’d come, but exactly how many there’d be.”

Mo Yan could no longer force a smile. “My lord, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“Because it’s trivial. It wasn’t going to change anything,” Ye Xin replied.