The Li Army’s system for awarding military merit was unforgivingly strict. In addition to mutual oversight among the Sweepers themselves, there were officials tasked with the sole purpose of supervising battlefield achievements. Anyone caught falsely claiming or seizing another’s glory would be reported directly to the King of Li, for a punishment that was both severe and certain. In the early days of the system, a few bold nobles might have risked it, but by now, no one dared. “Bao Chong was killed by a soldier from your Rearguard Army?” Li Ben asked, his voice laced with disbelief. “Reporting to General Li, it is true,” the Junxu confirmed at once. “Bao Chong had cast off his armor and was playing dead among the corpses. When one of our logistics men approached, he sprang up and cut down two of them. Fortunately, this soldier from our camp reacted quickly and put him down.” “Bao Chong, to die at the hands of a Li logistics soldier… a truly wretched end,” Li Ben sighed, gazing down at the dead general’s wide-open eyes, which seemed to hold a final, unvoiced grievance. A logistics soldier. Not a warrior, but a man assigned to the menial work of clearing the battlefield and tending to the wounded. For a Wu general to meet his end this way was the height of disgrace. Li He spared Bao Chong’s body a brief, unconcerned glance. “Take him away. Bury him with the rest of the Wu Sweepers,” he commanded. “As for the logistics soldier who killed him, reward him according to the system. A promotion of three military ranks and an advancement of one nobility rank.” Without another word, he turned and strode back toward the main camp. To a Shangjiangjun like him, it was a trivial matter. Bao Chong had been unlucky; the logistics soldier, incredibly fortunate. “Understood.” The Junxu accepted the order and departed. “Are the battle reports and casualty counts tallied?” Li He asked. “The count is finalized. It will be sent by urgent dispatch to Wangdu today,” Li Ben replied. “Include the detail about Bao Chong being killed by one of our logistics Sweepers,” Li He said with a faint smile. “It will make for an amusing story for the court.” Li Ben nodded immediately. “Understood.” “Oh, and where is that girl, Li’er?” Li He asked suddenly. Li Ben hesitated, searching for the right words. “Hmph?” Li He’s brow furrowed. “Speak,” he commanded sharply. “She went to Yangcheng with General Li Tengfei,” Li Ben said, a note of helplessness in his voice. “And why didn’t you stop her?” Li He’s voice was tinged with anger. “Father, you know Li’er’s temperament as well as I do,” Li Ben retorted, a hint of reproach in his tone. “You shouldn’t have agreed to let her accompany the army in the first place.” At this, Li He glared, though he looked just as helpless as his son. “You think I wanted to bring her? The moment she heard we were deploying, she began pestering me without end.” “Don’t worry, Father,” Li Ben said with a reassuring smile. “She has your five hundred trusted aides for protection, and General Li Tengfei is looking after her. She’ll be safe.” “Enough,” Li He said, still sounding resentful. “Let her have her fun. After this campaign, I’ll marry her off and let her new family deal with her.” Li Ben just laughed. “Do you have the heart for that, Father? Besides, with Li’er’s reputation, is there anyone in all of Wangdu who doesn’t know what she’s like? Who could possibly catch her eye?” The last of the corpses had been cleared from the Border battlefield. Thousands of Sweepers from the Rearguard Army returned to their camp to rest. Outside the tents, the night was pitch-black. By the light of a small bonfire, Guo Shan and Li Chen sat together, a piece of meat sizzling over the flames. “Mr. Li,” Guo Shan said into the quiet. “What is it?” Li Chen replied. “Aren’t you anxious at all?” “Anxious about what?” Li Chen asked, genuinely puzzled. “You killed Bao Chong today. You’ve earned a great merit, an accomplishment that will see you promoted three ranks and even granted a noble title,” Guo Shan said, his surprise evident. “How can you be so calm?” “I don’t really care about promotions,” Li Chen said honestly. Guo Shan’s expression was one of sheer astonishment in the flickering firelight. “Don’t you understand? With a promotion comes a higher annual salary. With a title, you receive land.” “I know,” Li Chen said with a laugh, “but what’s so great about it? I’m going home in two years anyway. I have a mother and a younger sister waiting for me, depending on me. I can’t afford to die on the battlefield.” “You’re a strange one,” Guo Shan remarked with a sigh. “It’s not that I’m strange. I’m just afraid of death. I cherish my life. No rank is worth more than being alive.” “Lieutenant, how long have you been in the army?” Li Chen asked. He had a simple policy: offend no one and greet everyone with a smile. There was little need for pretense in the military, and Guo Shan was the only person he’d come to consider a real friend. “I was conscripted at fifteen, so… about eight years now,” Guo Shan said slowly. “If I could, I’d stay on forever. That way, I could earn enough to support my family.” He stared into the fire. “It’s not an easy world to live in. If it weren’t for my army pay, my family would have starved to death long ago.” Li Chen said nothing. In this era, there was never enough food. People starving was a common sight, especially in winter, when the cold and hunger claimed countless lives. It was a problem with no solution. Back home, Li Chen’s family owned just over an acre of land, which was enough to feed the three of them. He also had a strong constitution and knew how to hunt in the mountains, often returning with a good haul. He was skilled with trapping techniques from a later age, which gave him an edge. By bartering with the villagers, his life had been simple but comfortable. “Mr. Li,” Guo Shan spoke up again. “Yes, Lieutenant?” “Don’t keep calling me Lieutenant. I’m nearly a decade older than you. Just call me Mr. Guo,” Guo Shan said with a smile. “Mr. Guo,” Li Chen repeated with a good-natured chuckle. “There now,” Guo Shan answered, satisfied. He shifted closer to Li Chen, his expression turning serious. “In return for that ‘Mr. Guo,’ and for saving my life today, I’m going to tell you a few things,” he said, his voice low. “Are you willing to listen?” “Go ahead, Mr. Guo. I’m all ears,” Li Chen nodded at once. “I saw you today—that sword strike,” Guo Shan said, his eyes seeming to pierce right through Li Chen. “To kill Bao Chong cleanly from ten paces… that’s no ordinary skill you have, boy.” “With ability like that, you’re stronger than any of the regular Tieshi.” “You were holding back during new recruit training, weren’t you? Otherwise, how did you end up in the Rearguard Army?” “Haha.” Li Chen neither confirmed nor denied it. “I had no choice. I don’t want to die in battle. The Rearguard Army doesn’t have to charge the front lines into certain death. I’m right where I want to be.” It was true. Back in the recruit camp, he had deliberately hidden his abilities. The best performers were sent to the main combat battalions to become Tieshi. So, when training called for ten parts of his strength, he used only five. In the end, he had successfully been assigned to the relative safety of the logistics unit. “Mr. Li,” Guo Shan began again, “as someone who has seen how the powerful treat men like us, I want to tell you something…”

Chapter 4: An Unworthy Death