Chapter Ninety-Five: Contest of Strength, Part Twenty-Nine

Xu Le had never imagined that after causing such a storm, this would be how it ended.

To win renown in Mayi was for the sake of his future. The fame of Mayi Commandery would spread sooner or later, and if he meant to go to the Central Plains, that reputation would be a powerful aid.

As for rescuing Luo Dun, that had been entirely for his grandfather, and for Luo Dun’s kindness and care from the very first day they met.

He had never once intended to take command of the Lianghaitte Tribe.

Just as Xu Le stood there dumbfounded, Luo Dun had already turned away and shouted, “Lielie, get up! Don’t bring shame on our Lianghaitte Tribe! You are a man of the grasslands too!”

Lielie whimpered as he struggled to his feet. Head bowed, hands lowered, he seemed to have shrunk in on himself, his whole body trembling without end.

The many men of the Lianghaitte Tribe who had come out from the tents could hardly believe what they were seeing. Was this still the once high-spirited Lielie?

Even the men closest to him drew back. One after another they lowered their heads, unsheathed their blades, and threw them into the mud and rain. With Lielie as he was now, they were ashamed to follow him. If he died at Luo Dun’s hands, so be it.

Buli kept looking toward Luo Dun, twin daggers already in his hands. If Luo Dun gave the slightest nod, Buli would immediately step forward and slit Lielie’s throat without hesitation.

Rainwater ran down Luo Dun’s weathered, furrowed face, and his pale beard was soaked through.

Among the thousand-odd men of King Yue’s tent, before Uto Black Fruit and before the two noblemen of the Zhibi clan, he had always stood upright, never yielding. Yet at this moment, his age showed itself in full.

“Lielie, I raised you, and I put you into this position. That you would do such a thing means I misjudged you. I admit it. For the sake of a little old bond, I will let you go. Do not come back. Do not let me see you again.”

Luo Dun’s voice was calm, though touched with weariness.

In the cold rain, the people of the Lianghaitte Tribe listened in silence. Not a soul spoke.

Mo Liu, the officer commanding the mounted infantry of the Hengshan camp, lifted a hand without a word. At once his soldiers lowered their weapons and shields; armor rang softly as they opened a path.

Lielie looked around in a daze, at Luo Dun, at Xu Le, the man who had shattered his dream, at his retreating confidants, and at those tribesmen who had once already been his people.

He opened his mouth, as though to say something. In the end, however, he said nothing at all. He simply stumbled away into the downpour.

No one moved. They watched as Lielie receded farther and farther into the distance. Only when he had passed out of the encirclement of Heng’an’s Eagle-Soaring Troops did he turn back in panic. That one glance, cast toward Xu Le, was full of venomous hatred.

But Xu Le, at that moment, no longer cared at all how much malice lived in the heart of that homeless dog.

He could only stand there in a daze, silently calculating. Grandfather Luo Dun must be joking. He must be joking. How could he possibly take charge of the Lianghaitte Tribe? If this tribe were handed to him, would it not be a disaster?

It had to be a joke.

Luo Dun watched Lielie depart until the figure became nothing more than a tiny dot. Only then did he shake his head and ride over to Xu Le’s side.

Xu Le forced out a huge, apologetic smile and said in a low voice, “Grandfather, let’s not make jokes like that. How could I possibly take over the Lianghaitte Tribe...”

Luo Dun snorted. “I’m an old lone man. If Old Xu can have a grandson, what’s wrong with me borrowing him for a bit? If Old Xu refuses, tell him to come and talk to me!”

Before Xu Le could search for another excuse, Luo Dun raised his hand and motioned to the tribespeople gathered in the rain.

“I, old Luo Dun, have been incompetent, and in just these few days I have brought the Lianghaitte Tribe to such a perilous pass. I no longer have any interest in being chief. The longer I remain in that seat, the more harm I do! This world is on the verge of chaos. The Turks are to the north, the Great Sui to the south. Without a hero to lead us, the Lianghaitte Tribe will face annihilation! From this day forward, the authority of the tribe shall be handed to my foster grandson, Xu Le!”

With that, Luo Dun seized Xu Le’s hand. Xu Le tried to struggle, only to find the old man’s grip on his wrist iron tight. Looking at Luo Dun’s salt-and-pepper beard, Xu Le could only sigh inwardly and let him lift his hand high into the air.

“The grasslands upon the Yin Mountains are no longer our Lianghaitte Tribe’s paradise. Let my foster grandson lead our people onto a new road! In a few days we shall head north to gather our belongings, and then lead the whole tribe southward in migration!”

The tribespeople of the Lianghaitte Tribe stared at Luo Dun in silence.

For a Han-born youth to suddenly become their chief was indeed a shocking change. Yet the Lianghaitte and the other nine surnamed tribes had migrated from the Western Regions long ago; their bloodlines were already so mixed that such matters were hardly held in great regard.

Besides, Xu Le was truly a first-rate, heroic young man, famed throughout Yunzhong. By now even Heng’an’s Eagle-Soaring Troops obeyed his command. With all those armored soldiers standing there, who would dare object?

And when they thought it through, the Lianghaitte Tribe, small as it was, could no longer survive under the threat of the Turks. The only way it might endure was by taking shelter within the lands of Han. They might as well regard this as one more migration for the sake of survival. As long as they lived, what difference did it make where? The Lianghaitte Tribe had always been on good terms with the Han people anyway, so living among them would bring no real hardship.

If that was so, then they might as well accept Xu Le as their new chief.

The grassland men of the Lianghaitte Tribe, the strong and able-bodied among them, pressed a hand to their chests in the rain and bowed deeply to Xu Le.

At last Luo Dun let out a long breath, lowered Xu Le’s hand with a look that was equal parts laughter and tears, and said quietly, “Don’t look as if you’ve suffered some terrible loss. You don’t know what kind of wealth our Lianghaitte Tribe has! Once we go north and sort out the household affairs, you’ll have plenty to be happy about, boy!”

Xu Le could only force a smile and nod again and again.

Luo Dun gave a long sigh. “I ought to go see Old Xu now as well. From this day on, it will just be the two old brothers keeping each other company.”

At that, Mo Liu, commander of Heng’an’s Eagle-Soaring Troops, also came forward smiling and gave Xu Le the salute of the Great Sui army, fists clasped before his chest.

“Allow me to congratulate Young Lord Le!”

Xu Le smiled and returned the salute, though inwardly he could only look heavenward in speechless despair.

With such a huge burden dragging behind him, how was he supposed to go to the Central Plains now?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liu Wuzhou was still stationed atop the city tower.

Only now he had stopped letting the rain soak him where he stood. He had returned to the watchtower, chosen a random seat, and waited for the stream of reports arriving one after another.

“Gaida Uto and his son Gaida Black Fruit have already surrendered and ask to be granted an audience with the Eagle Strike!”

“The situation outside the city is fully stable. Not one tribe, not one caravan, has dared to make a move!”

“General Yuchi has already gone under orders to assist Chief Clerk Yuan and pursue the Turks’ trail. General Yuchi says that unless he captures those two noblemen of the Zhibi clan, he will not return to face the Eagle Strike!”

Liu Wuzhou dealt with each report in turn, and his officers and men, after taking orders, hurried away again. In and out of the watchtower, traffic never ceased, yet everything remained orderly and disciplined. Once Heng’an’s Eagle-Soaring Commandery took action, this was the stern and well-ordered bearing it displayed.

Another soldier arrived in haste and loudly reported, “The unrest in the Lianghaitte Tribe has been quelled. Chief Luo Dun has let Lielie depart, and has even passed the chief’s position to Young Lord Le!”

With a sharp clatter, Liu Wuzhou’s hand struck the teacup beside him to the floor. He sprang to his feet and demanded, “What did you say?”