Outside the carriage, the wheels creaked and rumbled along. Inside, Pei Ying held two spheres in her right hand, rolling them over and against each other in her palm.
Meng Ling'er still wasn't very accustomed to long-distance carriage travel. She leaned against the cushioned seat, a piece of orange peel resting on her nose, relying on its scent to keep her spirits up.
However, something else soon captured her attention.
The young girl sat up straight, the orange peel falling from her nose, but she didn't bother to pick it up. Gazing at the objects in her mother's hand, Meng Ling'er exclaimed in surprise, "Mother, what are these? They seem transparent to me, like two pools of water cupped in your palm."
Pei Ying smiled. "You're not mistaken, Nannan. They are indeed transparent. Give me your hand."
Meng Ling'er complied.
Pei Ying placed the two newly crafted spheres into her daughter's palm. The girl drew her hand back in astonishment, then hefted them, feeling their weight.
They were quite heavy, dense like stone.
Just then, a breeze lifted the curtain by the carriage window slightly, allowing a sliver of sunlight to slip inside, falling upon the water-clear spheres. Instantly, the light seemed to gather there, making the two transparent orbs glitter brilliantly, shining like gemstones.
"This is glass," Pei Ying said, before her daughter could ask.
Yes, just before their departure, the formula for the raw materials had finally begun to make sense. It was as if the grey, misty clouds in the sky had been torn apart by an invisible hand, letting a single beam of heavenly light shine through.
So she had asked Huo Tingshan to delay their departure from Luoyang by a few days.
Coincidentally, Prefect Shi had visited that very day, requesting that they take his son along when they left. Huo Tingshan simply went with the flow and postponed their departure for another two days.
However, glass was a new creation, and the entire usable output at this point was now in Pei Ying's hands. But it didn't matter. With the formula determined, the subsequent production of glass could be handed over to Ming Ji for him to manage.
Meng Ling'er knew about glass and sighed in admiration, "So this is glass. How exquisitely clear and beautiful. You are truly remarkable, Mother."
She held the glass spheres up to the sunlight, examining them carefully, then placed an embroidered handkerchief on the carriage floor and looked at the pattern through the glass.
The design was clearly visible.
The young girl pondered thoughtfully, "This material is much clearer and brighter than crystal. No wonder it's the preferred material for telescopes."
A breeze seemed to pick up, fluttering the carriage curtain once more. Pei Ying's gaze shifted to the window. The clamor of Luoyang city gradually faded into the distance, replaced by increasing numbers of green hills and trees.
They had left the city.
Catching sight of a figure riding a horse alongside the carriage, Pei Ying couldn't help but ask her daughter, "Nannan, that young master from the Shi family..."
The young girl frowned. "He looks like an utterly frivolous young noble. I wouldn't be surprised if he regrets coming along before we've gone another hundred li."
There was a time when she had been quite fond of that refined, fair-skinned type of young gentleman, finding them exceedingly elegant. But later, she realized that elegance wasn't always genuine; it could also be the polish on a marionette.
Pei Ying smiled and said no more.
Matters of the young were best left for them to handle themselves.
The march continued from daybreak until dusk. As the golden crow of the sun began its western descent, the army halted its advance and started setting up camp.
Having sat in the carriage all day, Pei Ying heard her knees give a distinct crack as she stepped down.
Pei Ying: "..."
The soldiers were all seasoned hands at pitching camp, and the tents were erected swiftly. The army cooks began preparing the evening meal. Wispy tendrils of cooking smoke rose, tinged with the fading glow of the sunset, forming a faint, hazy veil in the mid-air.
It was the first day of the march, so Huo Tingshan ordered a feast—slaughtering sheep and pigs to give the troops a good meal. In a few days, they would switch to traveling by water, and a significant portion of the army still struggled to adapt to life on boats. Times would not be as comfortable as they were now.
The bonfire feast was held in the open. Everyone sat around the fires.
The meat skewered over the flames was licked by tongues of fire, gradually roasting to a golden brown. Hot oil bubbled up on the meat, dripped down to the lowest point, and then fell into the fire below, causing the flames to flare up with a whoosh.
"Report!" A fast horse galloped into the camp from outside. It was one of the scouts sent out earlier.
The scout rode straight to the feasting area, accurately locating Huo Tingshan at the center. "Grand General," the scout reported, "traces of forest bandits have been discovered nearby."
Huo Tingshan, who was turning a skewer of meat over the fire, frowned. "Forest bandits? How many?"
The scout replied, "I visited the nearest village. The villagers say there are roughly two hundred of them."
They were only a day's march from Luoyang; this place wasn't far from the city at all. But in times of chaos, it wasn't just the court that fell into disorder—the common folk suffered too.
The later years of a dynasty always saw a proliferation of bandits across the land.
Exorbitant taxes and levies, corrupt officials extorting the people's wealth—when the common folk could no longer survive, they were forced to become outlaws. That was one type of bandit. Another type involved collusion between officials and bandits, both sides finding ways to fleece wealthy merchants traveling to and from Luoyang.
Huo Tingshan glanced at the not-quite-done meat and asked, "How far is their stronghold from here?"
The scout said, "About three li. However, the stronghold is up in the mountains."
Huo Tingshan looked at Pei Ying beside him. "My Lady, I'm going to deal with these bandits. Please keep an eye on this meat for me. I'll be back before it grows cold."
Sharing their fire were Sha Ying, Chen Yuan, Xiong Mao, Li Qiongqi, and others. Hearing Huo Tingshan's intention to go bandit-hunting, they quickly spoke up:
"Grand General, a mere two hundred forest bandits is a trivial matter. There's no need for you to go personally."
"Grand General, I volunteer to lead troops to eliminate them."
...
Huo Tingshan raised a hand to stop them. "Eliminating the bandits is secondary. This time, I intend to test the blades. Chen Yuan, Xiong Mao, you two come with me. Sha Ying and Li Qiongqi, you two stay and guard the camp. Just keep the home fires burning."
Hearing this, the men suddenly understood.
Test the blades.
Since the hundred-refined steel had been forged, it had yet to see battle. Using this bandit group for a trial run was perfectly fitting.
Li Qiongqi's iron-ridged serpent spear was already made of hundred-refined steel, so he wasn't envious. But Sha Ying's heart itched with desire.
He had gotten his new weapon but hadn't had a chance to try it out yet. He felt a pang of envy for Chen Yuan and Xiong Mao.
With a few brief words, Huo Tingshan rose from the ground. He selected one hundred Black Armored Cavalry equipped with hundred-refined steel weapons, then, under the scout's guidance, spurred his horse into the night, heading towards the bandit lair under the cover of darkness.
Three li was but a moment's journey on a fast horse.
Astride Wu Ye, Huo Tingshan looked at the mountain forest shrouded in darkness and slowly curled the corner of his mouth.
He had suspicions earlier, and upon arriving here, he was certain this bandit stronghold was no ordinary den of thieves. It was most likely the product of collusion between officials and bandits.
Firstly, the location was too close to Luoyang, practically under the nose of the authorities. Secondly, the mountains here weren't steep; the gentle slopes didn't form a natural barrier. No matter how formidable the defensive structures the bandits built, their effectiveness would be limited, and a strong assault could easily overcome them.
Yet it existed here intact, even amassing a force of two hundred. If those in power weren't turning a blind eye, this stronghold could never have survived.
"Grand General, should I first take a small squad ahead to scout the path?" Xiong Mao asked.
Huo Tingshan selected a dozen men to stay behind and guard the horses. "No need. The terrain here is gentle, and the bandits are surely not formidable. Everyone, follow me!"
On the mountain.
"Heard a big fat sheep is coming from the east in a couple of days. We'll be living the good life again then."
"Ah, this life is really comfortable, much better than toiling in the fields."
"Absolutely. Farming all year round barely earns you a few coins, but since following Boss Feng, we eat and drink well every day. Not even a god would trade this life."
"We might not be able to touch that fat sheep in two days. Don't forget Boss Feng's orders. Important people have arrived in Luoyang recently, rumored to be someone from the north. If we attract his attention, our stronghold might be finished later."
"What's there to fear? Didn't we get news yesterday that he's leaving? The timing doesn't match up. Relax."
...
"Attack!!" A bird-call whistle suddenly sounded from the foot of the mountain.
The two men chatting were both startled.
Who would be so bold as to dare move against their stronghold? Aren't they afraid of losing their lives here?
"Hurry, notify the brothers to meet the enemy."
As soon as these words were spoken, screams erupted from below the next moment.
In the night, a troop clad in black armor seemed to merge with the darkness. They advanced with extreme speed, like ghosts on the move. Arrows shot at them were deflected with a "clang." Some engaged them hand-to-hand; after a few more clanging strikes, their own swords actually shattered.
"No, this is impossible..."
Huo Tingshan swung his blade forward, first shattering the weapon the man before him raised to block, then severing the forest bandit's neck.
The head tumbled to the ground, then was kicked aside by the man as if it were an obstruction.
Facing regular armies, the meticulously selected and trained Black Cavalry could already gain the upper hand, let alone these undisciplined forest bandits.
With elite soldiers and tempered steel, the Black Cavalry began cutting through them like vegetables. The path up the mountain clearly had many obstacles and bandits, yet the Black Cavalry marched through as if it were unobstructed.
Soon, they reached the stronghold's main camp.
Like many encampments, this bandit den was hidden behind layers of dense forest. Passing through the woods, they could see the brightly lit area not far away. However, the camp was already in chaos, with some bandits, seeing the situation turning bad, hastily grabbing valuables and fleeing down a small path on the other side of the mountain.
"Find the leader," Huo Tingshan ordered.
But before his words fully settled, a man emerged from a rather imposing house ahead. He was a bald, brawny man, over eight feet tall, holding a giant axe nearly as tall as a person, its back adorned with a string of copper rings.
"Who dares cause trouble here?" the bald man thundered.
Seeing the surrounding minor bandits, who had intended to flee, halt their steps after this man spoke, Huo Tingshan knew this was the leader.
Just as well, saved him the trouble of specifically searching.
Huo Tingshan raised his sword and stepped forward. "Your granddaddy is here to send you to your death."
Feng Fu was enraged. "You insolent brat! I'll soon cut off your head and use it as a wine cup."
Xiong Mao behind him was furious, but knowing Huo Tingshan wanted to test his blade on this man, he could only turn to vent his anger on some minor bandits.
Over there, the two had already crossed blows. At the first clash of the giant axe and the ring-pommeled sword, Feng Fu's heart was filled with dread.
This man possessed immense strength.
Against this Feng Fu, Huo Tingshan used no particular sword technique. He simply hacked blindly, fiercely and swiftly, striking blow after blow at the head of Feng Fu's giant axe.
Seeing the man had no technique, Feng Fu gradually relaxed.
Well, thought he'd met a skilled one, but it turns out he has no moves at all. To deal with this type, just block his first few strikes, wait for him to tire slightly, then counterattack.
His plan was set, but then Feng Fu suddenly heard a faint "crack" sound, as if something was breaking.
Feng Fu steadied himself, trying to locate the source of the sound, but the night was dark, and he couldn't see clearly. It wasn't until a piece of the blade of his giant axe suddenly chipped off that Feng Fu belatedly realized, and he was instantly horrified.
His giant axe was actually breaking!
Feng Fu was utterly astonished, and in his extreme shock, he inadvertently left his vital points exposed. Huo Tingshan glanced, but instead of directly slitting his throat, he delivered two more "clang, clang" strikes at the giant axe.
After two more hits, the giant axe in Feng Fu's hands shattered into scrap metal with a crash.
"Your sword..."
Blood spurted. The head, its expression still frozen in shock, tumbled and rolled to the ground.
Huo Tingshan flicked his ring-pommeled sword, drawing a few lines of blood on the ground, then carefully sheathed it.
"Leave a few alive. Don't kill them all," Huo Tingshan turned. He initially intended to go down the mountain, but as if remembering something, he turned back after a few steps and headed towards the house Feng Fu had emerged from.
Huo Tingshan guessed correctly; that building was Feng Fu's residence.
As a forest bandit leader colluding with Luoyang officials, who knew how many "fat sheep" he had robbed in the past, Feng Fu's inner rooms were piled high with various treasures.
Huo Tingshan held a candleholder, opening chests one by one, quickly scanning them. Finally, he took one that gleamed golden and tucked it into his robe.
When he came out again, Huo Tingshan instructed Xiong Mao and Chen Yuan, "There are many good things inside. Be careful when sorting them. I'm heading back first."
The two acknowledged the order.
Huo Tingshan went down the mountain alone, mounted Wu Ye, and galloped back to camp under the night sky.
Pei Ying had just placed a skewer of roasted meat on a clay plate when she suddenly heard someone call out loudly, "The General is back!" She paused slightly, raising her eyes to look in the direction Huo Tingshan had left.
Besides the burning campfire, braziers for illumination were also placed around the camp.
At the boundary between light and dark, Pei Ying saw a burly figure rapidly approaching on horseback.
The thin veil of darkness quickly receded as he drew near. The man's sharply defined features were revealed in the firelight, and his armor reflected a faint, cold gleam under the illumination.
Pei Ying had no phone, no watch. The ancients determined time by the moon, a skill she still hadn't mastered. She couldn't estimate exactly how long Huo Tingshan had been gone.
But...
Lowering her gaze, Pei Ying looked at the roasted meat on the small clay plate. She had grilled six skewers of lamb. The first one had been ready for some time; she didn't know if it had gone cold.
Huo Tingshan rode right up to the campfire, dismounted deftly, and immediately spotted the small plate beside Pei Ying. He laughed, "Bringing my wife on campaign indeed ensures no worries about food or clothing."
Sha Ying, sitting across from them, seemed to think of something, his gaze unconsciously dropping. But seeing Huo Tingshan wearing armor today, unlike his usual casual clothes, he didn't see a certain little mascot symbolizing abundant food and clothing.
Sha Ying rubbed his nose.
"Back so soon?" Pei Ying was genuinely surprised.
Huo Tingshan sat down beside her. "Your husband took to the field personally. Those couple hundred forest bandits couldn't withstand more than a few blows from him."
Pei Ying handed him the small plate. "Try it. The one on the left was grilled first. If it's cold, warm it over the fire again."
Huo Tingshan first took a bite of the leftmost skewer of roasted lamb. "Not bad. I didn't break my promise to my wife."
The roasted mutton was cut with a short blade. Considering the soldiers' hearty appetites and the need for simplicity while on the march, each piece was cut not particularly thin but was instead substantial in portion.
Seeing him begin to eat, Pei Ying intended to roast more meat. However, before her fingers could touch the wooden skewers, something heavy was suddenly placed in her arms.
Pei Ying looked down in surprise.
They sat around the campfire, the orange-yellow flames casting light on everyone's faces and bodies, with occasional sparks leaping into the air. In the bright, blazing firelight, she saw a gleaming armlet.
The armlet was multi-coiled, crafted from gold, winding around roughly three or four times. The outer side of each coil was adorned with intricate patterns, and at regular intervals, gemstones served as embellishments.
"Huo Tingshan?" Pei Ying asked, puzzled.
The man bit into his meat skewer, his canine teeth looking somewhat wolfish in the firelight, yet his tone remained gentle: "I saw it in the bandits' den. Probably looted from some unfortunate merchant. I thought it looked quite pretty, so I brought it back for you to play with."
And pretty it certainly was. Made of gold, studded with a circle of gemstones, both dazzling and sparkling—it was exceptionally eye-catching.
Pei Ying fell into thought.
This man, on a small outing, had actually brought back a souvenir.
Seeing Pei Ying holding it and looking at it with a somewhat inscrutable expression, Huo Tingshan raised an eyebrow. "Don't like this one? Later, when the other goods are transported back, Madam can pick another that catches your eye."
Pei Ying placed the multi-coiled armlet into a small pouch she carried with her. "It's not that I don't like it."
Huo Tingshan chuckled softly and leaned towards Pei Ying slightly, as if casually, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Then, Madam, wear it for me to see tonight."
