Chapter 25
To road less traveled
An icy river winds through a barren landscape. Semi-wild deer roam the plains, while the cityscape is shrouded in the smoke of its foggy mountains. In the far distance lies the Qinghai state. At the center is Chaka Salt Lake, home to wild swans, where the Chu Jing Kingdom stands.
Snow-capped mountains appear as the first snowfall descends in the morning. The sun hides behind the clouds as snow, rain, and ice herald the coming of winter. The autumn leaves fall, bidding farewell, while a man sits in meditation.
The Yuwen parrot remains quiet, its eyes still sleepy, though the master is awake even with his eyes closed.
Dark hawk birds circle the Chu Jing Kingdom. Though surrounded by thorns and thistles, an hour's journey inward reveals a labyrinth of green tea fields. Hidden beneath are traps, mounted killing machines, dungeons, and finally, the underworld spy headquarters.
Though inactive and less maintained, the underworld headquarters still shows remnants of its former glory, despite its destruction during Yuwen Hao's "Celestial Warfare."
Within the inner courtyard lie the old ruins of the Chu Jing Palace and its training grounds, partially restored by its remaining residents. During the day, the lake mirrors the golden sun, and at night, it reflects the moon's face, a breathtaking sight. Wild swans glide across the quiet waters, where some parts are covered in white snow, and others reveal clear blue waters, calm and pristine.
The lake, known as the "Mirror of the Sky," is a spectacular sight, with flowers and birds of paradise adorning the landscape. From a distance, one cannot help but be awestruck, unable to discern where the lake ends and the sky begins. It becomes impossible to tell if the lake is in the sky or the sky is in the lake.
Before these men awaken from their prisoner-of-war state of mind, Viper had already gathered them in Chu Jing's prison, known as the "Prison with No Walls."
"Brothers, where are we? Why are we here? Where are Zuo and Master Brother?" the men began to question.
"Why is this place so beautiful? How did we…"
Chu Qiao walked on the other side, dressed in a white casual princess Chinese costume. A rattan hat sat on her head, topped with an indigo veil that covered her face. The men saw only her side profile.
They were mesmerized, watching the woman against the backdrop of the distant lake, which seemed to perfectly complement the stunning landscape.
After meditating, Yuwen Yue and the rest of his brothers descended to the scenic landscape. It was an entirely new place, one they had never visited before. It had taken them seven days to reach this area as they traveled back east after already reaching the First Mountain Pass of the Great Wall of China.
"Zuo, in every battle, different tactics must be applied. The women who took our brothers are both brilliant and dangerous. We cannot blow our cover this time, or we will all fall into their hands," Yuwen Yue said, giving a final briefing.
Their previous success felt like child's play, surviving a thousand troops but today, they must grow up to face two women.
While waiting for their five spy brothers, Zuo quickly informed Yuwen Yue of new intelligence. Yuwen Yue's face grew stern as he listened.
"There is no trace of our Rapid Blade, Flashing Spear, and Flying Dagger brothers. However, a dark kingdom lies in the center, still undiscovered. Our spies report that no one dares to approach its perimeter," Zuo explained.
Yuwen Yue gave him a cold look and replied, "Very well. It seems we may need more time to scout the area and study the terrain."
Zuo asked, "Can we walk through hell and still emerge as angels?"
Yuwen Yue responded, "It's not the world that is cruel, it's the people in it."
"Then to the cruel people we go," Zuo said, determined. "We'll teach them a lesson."
"They aren't as cruel as they seem," Yuwen Yue mused. "A crime scene without a crime is the smartest trick of all."
"To hell we descend!" Zuo said in his somber mood.
"We must not arrive at darkness only to find our brothers still missing. Move!" Yuwen Yue commanded as they descended with the cold warriors, spies, and staff warriors.
They blended well with the locals upon arriving in the city, carefully avoiding suspicion while conducting surveillance, hoping for any sign of their missing brothers.
However, a group of bystanders stole from a fruit vendor and placed the stolen goods in the pocket of a stick warrior, framing him for the theft.
When the vendor searched the stick warrior, they found persimmons in his pocket. Despite the warrior's protests, he was blamed for stealing the fruit.
One of the other staff warriors was ready to strike the vendor and the bystander leader, but Zuo stopped him, preventing an escalation. The crowd was growing, and many were watching the scene unfold.
Zuo, eyes still closed, said calmly, "This isn't right. Let my friend go," gesturing with his hand.
The bystander leader accused, "He stole the fruit and must be reported to the Qinghai ministerial office."
"I saw one of your men put it in his pocket," Zuo responded. "He didn't steal it. Let my friend go." Zuo gave them a cold look, his palms twitching.
"No!" the leader shouted, striking at Zuo, who sidestepped the attack with his eyes still closed, effortlessly avoiding harm.
The bystander leader, now furious, ordered his colleagues to hold the stick warrior, but Zuo quickly defended him, tossing the leader aside.
"So, you're a Shaolin monk!" the leader exclaimed, rallying his group to fight Zuo. The marketplace erupted into chaos.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Yue was gathering information when his spies informed him of the fight. He rushed to the scene, arriving just as the Qinghai palace officers detained Zuo and the stick warrior, along with the other brothers.
"What's going on? Where are you taking them?" Yuwen Yue demanded, stepping in front of the guards.
"And who are you?" one of the Qinghai palace guards asked arrogantly, raising his eyebrows at Yuwen Yue.
But as the guard glanced down, he noticed the Poe Yue Jian sword at Yuwen Yue's waist. His face froze in shock, as though he had seen a ghost.
"Are you alright?" Yuwen Yue asked, bending down slightly to meet his gaze.
The guard, shorter than Yuwen Yue, stammered, "Why are you dressed like this, sir? You should have informed us you'd be touring this afternoon."
Yuwen Yue, slightly confused by the guard's words, recalled that the leader of the thousand armies from the other day resembled him. Switching to an aristocratic tone, Yuwen Yue played along, saying, "I would appreciate it if you let my friends go first."
"Yes, sir, but you must come with us," the guard replied.
"No, he can't go with you!" Zuo shouted from behind, furious, his hands bound by the guards.
"We'll let them go, but you must come with us," the guard repeated, smiling, as though he were a father asking his son to return home for safety.
Before Yuwen Yue could respond, Zuo said, "If he goes, then we go too."
The Qinghai guards escorted Yuwen Yue back to the palace, with his brothers following behind. Yuwen Yue saw this as an opportunity to gather more information and hoped to return to his mission before twilight.
As they walked toward the palace, the head guard began to ponder deeply. He thought he had seen that sword before. Although it was his first time seeing it up close, the guard was struck by how much Yuwen Yue resembled the Qinghai 2nd Prince, Viceroy Ra Zheng. He now struggled to determine if Yuwen Yue was indeed the prince or just a lookalike.
Upon their arrival at the Qinghai Palace grounds, Yuwen Yue admired its magnificence. He expected to gather more information about the Middle Kingdom, which he believed was part of this empire and where his brothers were likely detained. Qinghai was structured, grandiose, and heavily guarded, with swords and spears in every corner and guards carrying spears.
Every guard who saw him was surprised by the sword at his waist and bowed their heads in reverence. The band of brothers marveled at the reaction of the palace guards toward their Master Brother, knowing it was because of the sword he carried.
While Yuwen Yue remained vigilant, his raised brows and cold eyes conveyed his suspicion that an enemy lurked nearby within the palace.
The head of the palace guards eventually placed Yuwen Yue in the waiting area, where he could meet the 2nd Prince, Viceroy Ra Zheng. The rest of his band of brothers were untied and waited for Yuwen Yue in the palace grounds, alert and ready to defend their Master Brother if anything went wrong.
A secret spy in the Qinghai palace approached the 2nd Prince Ra Zheng and reported that someone outside, who resembled him and carried the Poe Yue Jian sword, was waiting.
This secret spy was unknown to most of the palace guards and had only ever been seen by the prince. The spy's job was to predict and report any events inside and outside the Qinghai palace.
Prince Ra Zheng, dressed in a pure white silk Hanfu, his eyes cold but gentle, with jade-like skin, looked outside the palace, inhaled deeply, and said, "Is he the crown prince? My little brother? If so, I must see him and introduce myself."
Straightening his back and pinching his cheeks, Prince Ra Zheng felt a surge of excitement and overwhelming emotion. He instructed his servants to bring Yuwen Yue into the palace. The servants quickly fetched Yuwen Yue, who was waiting outside. They did not dare take his sword and allowed him to meet the prince as he was.
The King of Qinghai had released a different version of events regarding his missing sword and son to his ministers and the people of Qinghai. He covered up the story of his son's disappearance by claiming that the crown prince was hidden away in a secret palace and that no one knew his location.
The King had his scribes write that the crown prince was being attended to by royal servants and would one day return to Qinghai with the Poe Yue Jian sword. The King told his kingdom that the crown prince needed to train and focus on how to use the sword to defend the empire in the future.
Yuwen Yue entered the palace and saw Prince Ra Zheng. The prince turned to face him and immediately noticed the sword at Yuwen Yue's waist.
"Crown prince, Ra Yue, welcome back," Prince Ra Zheng said in a warm tone, his gentle brows and cold eyes softening. He quickly walked toward Yuwen Yue and gave him a slight hug.
Yuwen Yue was surprised by the prince's behavior, unsure how to respond. Should he accept this hug from his supposed brother? He had already seen the prince at the First Mountain Pass and had joked that perhaps they were brothers. Yuwen Yue remained speechless, but he sensed the prince's sincerity.
With his arms still resting on Yuwen Yue's shoulders, Prince Ra Zheng asked, "What took you so long to return to our kingdom? You look as handsome as your brother. Come, let's eat together."
The prince called for his servants and whispered to the head eunuch, "Prepare a feast of delicious dishes and invite his private army, who are waiting outside. Do not upset them."
After the warm welcome, Yuwen Yue prepared to introduce himself but hesitated. How should he present himself to the prince when he looked like a peasant, with no Jinhua costume or Yuwen Household buckle to indicate his position and lineage? He felt like no one, defined only by his clothes.
Yuwen Yue decided to introduce himself as the Master Brother and thought the prince might be the best person to ask for help in finding his missing brothers. The prince had called him "Ra Yue" and welcomed him back, leading Yuwen Yue to wonder if the prince had lost his mind or genuinely believed they were twin brothers.
As if sensing Yuwen Yue's thoughts, Prince Ra Zheng said, "I know this is all new to you, but you'll get used to it."
Yuwen Yue was about to speak when the prince invited him to walk toward the banquet hall. Yuwen Yue remained quiet, contemplating how to escape this situation and return to his mission. Suddenly, he saw Zuo and the rest of his brothers waiting in the banquet hall.
Zuo Zong and the others stood and bowed to them. Prince Ra Zheng and Yuwen Yue nodded back. Then, the prince remarked, "Your Highness, are these the private armies Father gave you?"
Zuo and the rest of the brothers were surprised by the prince's words, but Yuwen Yue shot Zuo a sharp, cold look that said, "Stay still."
Yuwen Yue responded, "Prince Ra Zheng, I call them the Band of Brothers. I consider them all my brothers."
The prince smiled and said, "Oh, you must have been through thick and thin together, just like us. We are brothers not only in name but in blood."
Not wanting to upset the prince, Yuwen Yue merely nodded. He didn't have the time to dwell on the prince's statements.
Yuwen Yue then said in front of his brothers, "Your Highness, it is a great honor and pleasure to join your banquet today."
Prince Ra Zheng smiled and replied, "It is a blessed day to finally meet my handsome brother who looks like me. From near or far, we could be twins."
The Band of Brothers exchanged glances, confirming the resemblance between the two men.
The prince invited everyone to sit down. As Yuwen Yue and the prince took their seats, the eunuchs and servants began serving the dishes in a manner befitting a grand feast.
Zuo, the stick warriors, and the cold warriors had never sat at a royal table before, and their eyes lit up with delight.
Prince Ra Zheng raised his jade goblet of wine, and Yuwen Yue did the same. The prince said, "To my brother, the Qinghai Crown Prince Ra Yue," and they toasted in the air.
It was a pleasant afternoon, filled with stories of brotherhood and chivalry, bringing the past to life. At last, the two brothers were face to face, finding comfort in each other's presence.
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