The ship stops at the harbor at midnight.
A man with broad back and shoulders wait for them with his hands on his wrist. His face and body covered by the grey armor.
Lixin and the soldiers make their first steps and the man shouts in a bold accent "welcome to the dao tie"
Lixin grabs him by the shoulder "silence"
The man laughs "alright general I'm sorry"
"I want you to place me and another soldier on the inspection of the ships"
The man says slow, in an aggressive tone "Is it because of the explosion?"
"Yes"
He shouts as he open his arms "excellent"
Lixin grabs him tighter from the shoulder, but he continues to shout
"Get ready for tomorrow night. I will tell you the details after you rest"
Lixin nods his head "do you have any houses outside of here?"
The man scratch his chin's armor "A small abandoned one. Not in the best condition, but cut my arm if can fill all of you"
Lizin turn around"All of you will stay at the ship"
"Except you Zhao" he points his finger at him
"Now guide us to the house"
The man laughs again as he place his hands on his stomach "with plesure"
The next night Lixin and Zhao walk under the stars and besides the lights of the city.
Miners coming with iron filled in their pockets. Laughs and music heard all over ther city.
Zhao asks Lixin "Don't you have the urge to go and dance?"
"No"
Neither talking to a girl?"
Lixin look at him, elated "You surpass the boundaries"
Zhao takes his eyes from Lixin "I'm sorry"
Lixin sigh, and Zhao continues to ask "what made you choose that?"
Lixin raise his eyebrow
He move his hands close to his chest "I mean becoming a soldier and then a general"
"It was a family tradition, we were all devoted to the emperor"
"That explains a lot"
Lixin ignores him, resuming silent.
Lixin and Zhao go to the harbor standing behind the old man as he says with thrill "soldiers, from now these men will help you on the inspection of the ships. Now I have some things to attend while I'm out greet each other"
He waves his hands up and down. Shutting the door with force.
Lixin and Zhao smirk. Giving strong handshakes and hearing their names. The last man comes forward "nice to meet you, I'm Wu. The chief of the inspections"
Lixin shakes his hands and Wu turn his back "follow me to show you your work"
After a small tutoring and an observation from Wu he lefts them to inspect the cretes
"What should we do?"
"We will gain their trust first to see who they are involved, while the rest of the soldiers spy on them"
"Is it so simple? And what if someone is innocent?"
"We will not make any mistake. now focus to your work" Lixin opens the next crete.
Five nights pass. Soldiers informing Lixin on a hideout before going to their inspection.
Lixin and Zhao come to their post along with three others.
The cretes lay one after the other, and a man behind Lixin says" "let these crates on us"
Lixin ignores him, and the man shouts the same thing and rush on him.
Lixin open the crate and he along with Zhao and three of them look at the powder. He close the box and says "let's send it"
The two others with sweat on their foreheads nod their heads looking with complete agreement, and Lixin taking the next and the next.
Wu asks "Lixin, Zhao where are you from?"
Zhao wait for Lixin "from the Feya dao"
A short man smiling. Showing his yellow teeth with two on the front missing "I didn't know there was someone else from there. How we never met?"
"Maybe because my family was sailing across the islands most of the time"
"So you were a sailor and then after the liberation you
manage to enter the army?" Lixin nods his head with close eyes
"Almost Just like us" another man push him with his elbow, looking him militantly
Wu says firmly "let's continue the work now" and they disband.
After a week the soldiers found their hideout. they follow the half blooded outside the city.
Jumping between rocks. Through riffs with iron laying abundant and shining.
They reach the shores of a small colorless house beneath two rocks covering it from the sun.
Lixin enter the room with Zhao staying behind him all the time.
They see a weak source of light. the half blooded sitting with their chairs in a circle, with some papers in everyone's hands.
They look at Lixin and Zhao. Getting up and two of them far behind placing their hands in their pockets,
Wu asks "how did you find us?"
Lixin ignores him "we have a small division outside. Come with us and you will not be harmed"
Wu and the others greet their teeth. rushing, and Lixin push Zhao to the door.
coming out surrounded by spears.
The men's chest pound hard as the soldiers approach, grabbing them, and tie their hands, and move them with their heads facing the ground.
They walk to a small white house on the other side of the island. Lixin ordered "place all the men inside, except him"
The soldiers follow his orders and let Wu. His knees touching stones at the size of a plate.
Lixin grabs Wu, violently turning his face with his broad hand and the islands at west "there is where your old mother, and father, your dear wife, and innocent children live am I correct ?" Wu laughs out loud, with his eyes completely wide as he makes a try to look at Lixin "You wouldn't do that. You need us to produce your food and drinks and clothes. Without us the supplies will be reduced and the economy will crumble, and you will be left starving"
"You have a point. But most of these are exasperations an idiot would agree to. We may take a small toll but it will not affect us"
Wu laugh, spitting on Lixin's shoe "You just try to sound omnipotent, but we both know"
Lixin clutch Wu's neck, gritting his teeth trying to hold his shout "you can go against me all you want. In the end your families will take the blame"
He stop pressing Wu. Letting him tied and going inside the building, seeing two of the traitors dead and the other seven with knives or arrows at their legs, and the youngest tied on the chair and watching his friends.
A soldier lean at Lixin's ear, saying with hesitation "no one has talked"
Lixin starts feeling a pain in his head, he takes a knife and plundges it on a man on his left, first at the leg letting a shout and continuing piercing it upwards until he reach the chest, and letting the knife rest there.
The men look frightened, and some soldiers look at each other the same way.
Lixin look over them. Zhao pouring water on a young man.
He moves close to the soldier "I want you to torture them again, and in an hour move them outside and kill them except the youngest"
The soldier nods his head, and Lixin goes outside. Staring at Wu as screams pierce his ears.
His facial muscles remain calm. Lixin inspects the ground. Drops of sweat falling "do not try to prove any worth"
Wu spits on Lixin's feet again and he kicks him on the head, his right eye becoming red. Growing at Lixin as he stands with an unbending posture.
He gaze behind Wu. a soldier standing still, and he follows him back inside
Zhao still pouring water on the young man with blood covered on his clothes.
Lixin grabs a chair and place it against the man
He move his head up and his blue eyes staring at Lixin.
He takes the cup filling it and passing it to Zhao "give this man more water. He needs it"
The man let a feeble jubilant sound, and Zhao gives him the water.
Lixin asks "I'm Lixin and he is Zhao, and your name is?"
He talks in a low tone "Lu" resting his head on the back of the chair
"Lu, what is your dream and hopes?"
"Hopes and dreams? I never had the chance to think about them, But I guess living better than now"
Zhao tops his fingers on his palm. Lixin in a heartbeat responds "it would be a paradise to be in a better place"
Lu look at him as his headrests
"You are young, you have the whole life ahead of you. Find a beautiful girl, get married, and have children.
Wouldn't you want that? I would even talk to the emperor myself telling him to let you free along with Wu. What do you say?"
The young man look at Lixin and then at Zhao nodding his head.
The man copies Zhao and Lixin cuts his ropes. Letting him getting up and twisting his sore wrists.
"Great. Now tell me where do you get the powder and the rest, and where you send then"
Zhao gives the man a cup of water. Grabbing it with both hands and drinking carnally. moving it near in front of Zhao refilling it.
Saying with water dripping on his skin "We send sulfur, mercury, and salt to your capital along with armor and weapons and powder and other explosive substances"
Lixin force a smile making it look natural "great and who sent you the imports?"
"It was ships from the east. We only knew that"
"And do you know where was the import heading at?"
He says with a low voice, hesitant and scared "no, but I heard its close to the harbor"
Lixin sigh and forced a smile again, giving his hand at him "fine let's go free Wu"
Lu look at him and give his hand, with Lixin making a strong handshake, and Zhao looking from behind him with his mouth agape.
Lixin, Zhao, and the young man Stand in front of Wu. Closing his eyes and leaning his head downwards. Trying to break free as he shakes his body. Hitting his knees on the rough terrain.
Lu look at him with distress. Placing his knee down. His one hand at Wu's shoulder "they will let us leave"
Wu opens his mouth, and Lixin pierce the young man's heart. Kicking him to the ground, and stepping over him. His bones cracking.
Zhao look surprised at the body, his face blankly frozen at it.
Wu spits on Lixins mouth. He cleans it with his palm and from his forehead a vein pops.
He pierce Wu in the head. His frozen eyes gaping at Lixin as he takes the spear and leave with Zhao shruging tipping his finger on his palm.
He and the soldiers depart once again, sailing to the calm waters. Watching ships coming and going from inside the country and from the back of the islands.
Scratching with the tip of his spear at the ship, Zhao passing by from time to time to him. Watching curiously and with fear.
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