Chapter 51: Entering Ironwood Town

On the third day after the army departed from the Wei encampment, Wuji approached, drawing close to Tielin Town. The journey had been arduous, leaving the Wei soldiers thoroughly exhausted. Of course, none of this had any effect on Wei Wuji himself, who had ridden on horseback the entire way, not once dismounting to walk a single step over the hundred-odd miles.

"Young master, we should reach the outskirts of Tielin Town before noon," Wang Xiu reported, urging his horse forward and bowing as he spoke.

"Very good. Tell the men to pick up the pace. The sooner we arrive, the better," Wei Wuji replied offhandedly, as if speeding up were the most natural thing in the world.

Under Wei Wuji’s repeated orders to increase their speed, the soldiers had reached a daily march of forty miles, which was no small feat. Yet even now, he demanded they go faster—a demand that bordered on overkill. After all, military marching was far from a simple hike; with armor, weapons, arrows, and all manner of equipment, each man bore a load of fifty to sixty pounds—a weight not easily borne. Even so, Wei Wuji still pushed for greater speed, a demand that seemed almost oblivious to the soldiers’ limits. Were it not for the respect he commanded, he would have long been cursed behind his back.

Wang Xiu gritted his teeth but relayed the order nonetheless; he too longed to arrive quickly, so he could finally rest easy.

Soon, the Wei army’s pace increased yet again. Observing this, Wei Wuji felt a strange sense of emotion—he recalled his earliest days in this world, when he too had rushed along with the others. Then, fleeing for his life, he had no choice but to join the ranks of those urging the men onward, but as he remembered, few in the column paid him any mind. Now, a single order from him was enough to send the soldiers flying forward. The transformation was immense, something he could never have imagined upon his arrival. Everything that had happened in recent days felt like a dream—so sudden, so miraculous.

By and large, Wei Wuji had achieved all he desired. If there was anything left unfulfilled, it was his vow to return and kill the one who had framed him. He had not accomplished this, nor did it seem likely that he ever would. Still, seeing Wei Chengze’s miserable fate had vented his anger somewhat. There would be time to deal with that scoundrel yet, Wei Wuji told himself; their conflict was now irreconcilable. Once I take that seat of power, I’ll see him dead, he fantasized, the hatred in his heart for Wei Chengze still burning.

Swaying on horseback, Wei Wuji began planning his next steps in his mind, considering what he should do first, then what would follow...

When a man is absorbed in his thoughts, time passes swiftly.

"Young master, Tielin Town is just ahead!" Zheng Dali’s voice rang out beside his ear. Jolted from his daydream, Wei Wuji shot Zheng Dali a fierce glare, displeased at having his reverie interrupted. Zheng Dali, bewildered, wondered what offense he had committed—was there even fault in trying to curry favor? This world, he thought, was madness.

Wei Wuji followed Zheng Dali’s pointing finger and indeed saw, in the distance, a cluster of dark rooftops. Breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of arrival, he reflected that constant travel, while granting a certain freedom, also left him feeling exposed and insecure.

"Order the entire army: target, Tielin Town—advance at full speed!" Wei Wuji drew his sword and pointed ahead with dramatic flair. The scene echoed one from days past, though the circumstances now were vastly different.

With this command, the soldiers’ spirits soared. The sense of accomplishment after such hardship surged in their hearts.

"Charge!" they cried.

In a great wave, the Wei army surged toward Tielin Town. And thus, Wei Wuji’s first experience commanding a charge in his life was over in a flash.

Gazing at Tielin Town in the distance, Wei Wuji found his thoughts drifting to another place—Dashi Town, which he had once abandoned. This time, he silently vowed, he would hold fast; but then he chuckled to himself—this was the true rear of the Wei army, from whence could any attack come?

After all, his mission was to escort provisions, and he had been removed from the main combat ranks. According to the military orders, his task was to send men to meet the supply convoy once it left the county, lead them to camp at Tielin Town for the night, and then escort them onward the next day.

Throughout the operation, his troops’ primary duty was to confront and suppress local resistance from the people of Chen, as well as any remaining Chen soldiers or infiltrating Qin agents. In short, he was to deal with the common people—though the threat of remnants and spies could not be ruled out.

The prospect of anti-espionage work intrigued him; in his previous life, he had watched many such dramas, and had always admired the prowess of their protagonists.

"Young master, should we move on?" Zheng Dali’s voice broke into Wei Wuji’s daydream once more. He was exasperated, but upon looking around, realized only his personal guard of a few dozen remained at his side; the main force had already nearly reached Tielin Town, with some cavalry having entered already.

Without a word, Wei Wuji spurred his horse forward, instinctively wishing to put some distance between himself and Zheng Dali.

Tielin Town, the northernmost settlement of the Chen kingdom, lay within Xianghe County, governing the surrounding villages within a radius of ten miles, with a permanent population of nearly four thousand. In ordinary times, it bustled with life, as people from a dozen villages gathered at the market to trade. But with the outbreak of war, all had grown desolate—many had fled, and the market had long since closed, its stalls abandoned.

Now, fewer than two thousand remained in the town.

Even so, this was the largest gathering of people Wei Wuji had seen since setting out, aside from his own army. Along the way, he had passed many villages, but rarely saw a soul—whether they had all fled or simply hidden at the sight of the army, he could not say.

Tielin Town was ringed by an earthen wall no more than three meters high and two meters thick, with a single gate at the main entrance. Passing through its unimpressive portal, Wei Wuji entered the town.

The streets had already been cleared by the Wei troops; all inhabitants had been driven back into their homes. This irked Wei Wuji slightly—he’d hoped for a chance to make a grand impression. Still, he was not entirely disappointed, for at the far end of the street, he finally spotted a group of a dozen or so townsfolk. Their faces were ruddy and prosperous, their bodies plump—clearly not the toiling poor.

"Young master, these are the wealthy merchants of Tielin Town," Wang Xiu reported as he approached.

The town’s wealthy, then? Wei Wuji mused inwardly.

Wang Xiu pointed to one among them and continued, "The leading merchant is Gu Mu. Not only is he renowned in Tielin Town, but throughout Xianghe County as a dealer in medicinal herbs."

Wei Wuji glanced in the indicated direction and saw Gu Mu looking back at him, bowing obsequiously with a smile plastered on his face.

"What are they doing here?" Wei Wuji asked.

"They say our army has endured a long and arduous march, and have come specifically to offer us their thanks," Wang Xiu replied with a smile.

So, currying favor, are they? Wei Wuji thought. He decided to take the initiative.

"Let them come forward and speak," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," Wang Xiu replied and went to relay the command.

Soon, the wealthy men made their way through the layers of guards to stand before Wei Wuji.

"Greetings, General, we have come to—" they began, bowing low in unison.

But before they could finish, a thunderous shout cut them off.

"Insolence! The young master stands before you, and you dare not kneel?"

The shout crashed over them like thunder from the heavens, so that the merchants trembled in terror. Inwardly, Wei Wuji gave Zheng Dali a mental nod of approval, his favor rising rapidly.

Immediately, the dozen or so personal guards behind him bellowed in unison, "Kneel!"—their voices booming like thunder.

So thoroughly cowed were the merchants that their legs gave way, and they fell to their knees in perfect unison.