Chapter Sixty-One: Stirring Up Something Big

Ji Wu nodded in agreement, and Liu Sanyuan was overjoyed.

Although the past month had brought remarkable victories, those achievements were almost entirely due to Ji Wu and the volunteer army—imperial forces had little to show for themselves. Even when they entered the forests together to suppress the bandits, the speed and efficiency of the volunteer forces were in a league of their own. There was nothing to be done about it; when a man earns his merit by his own abilities, others can only look on in envy.

As the commander-in-chief, Liu Sanyuan cared little for personal accolades. So long as the bandits were eradicated, it mattered not to him whether the credit went to Ji Wu or the imperial troops.

Yet, even this approach was beginning to lose its effectiveness. After the first two major victories—where Ji Wu crushed groups of rebels numbering over a thousand—there had been no further triumphs of such scale. This was hardly surprising. The Rebel Laureate had eluded imperial capture for years and still managed to gather followers; such a man could hardly be an incompetent fool who learned nothing from his defeats.

The first time, Ji Wu chanced upon a pillaging squad—nothing to remark upon. But after the second foray into the woods, if the Rebel Laureate had failed to alter his tactics, it would have been laughably unrealistic. As a result, Ji Wu's subsequent victories were less dazzling, but he compensated with sheer frequency. All told, he and his volunteers had so thoroughly harassed the Rebel Laureate's forces that they could scarcely find a moment's peace.

With imperial troops guarding the forest's edge and Ji Wu, a formidable warrior, leading his men and his strange beast within, Liu Sanyuan surmised that come harvest season, the Rebel Laureate would either make one last desperate stand or seize the chance to escape. If the former, Liu Sanyuan was prepared—he was confident the rebels would not even manage a final, desperate struggle. The real fear was that the Rebel Laureate, in a fit of resolve, might lead his remaining followers deep into the mountains or resume their marauding across the land, an outcome Liu Sanyuan wished to avoid at all costs.

Now that Ji Wu had agreed to serve as bait to lure the Rebel Laureate, and given the trouble he had caused the rebels over the past month, there was a real chance for success. Of course, such a dangerous task could not be forced; Ji Wu had to be willing.

As soon as Ji Wu agreed, Liu Sanyuan grasped his hand and began to draw up a plan, covering every precaution—where to lure the enemy, where to set ambushes without alerting the Rebel Laureate’s scouts, and so forth. Everything was meticulously considered: Ji Wu’s survival if things went awry, and the ultimate success of Liu Sanyuan’s scheme. There was no room for carelessness.

Ji Wu remained with Liu Sanyuan until dusk before finally departing.

Over the next several days, he ventured deep into the forest with Xiong Ba, leaving even his loyal volunteers behind. His stated reason was to scout the terrain, but in truth, he used the opportunity to make secret contact with the Rebel Laureate—meeting him face-to-face even.

Both the Rebel Laureate and Liu Sanyuan were men of genuine talent. The Rebel Laureate was quite impressed by Liu Sanyuan’s plan to lure him into a trap: he himself had been pondering how to stage a grand gesture for Ji Wu before making his escape, without arousing suspicion. Liu Sanyuan’s proposal suited him perfectly.

One, a former imperial laureate; the other, a man who had achieved top honors three times—the two of them scheming together for Ji Wu naturally made the plan easy to devise.

“It’s settled: Luanshan Woods.”

The Rebel Laureate quickly chose the place.

Luanshan Woods was a tangle of jagged rocks and dense undergrowth—an ideal spot for an imperial ambush. But it also contained a hidden underground spring; holding one’s breath for a few moments allowed escape along an underground river. By the time Liu Sanyuan’s men realized what had happened, the rebels would be long gone.

“With you aiding me behind the scenes, my strength is redoubled!” Ji Wu beamed with gratitude.

Though he’d previously claimed to be acting on the order of an immortal, that was only his word. The Rebel Laureate, on the other hand, was about to risk everything he had painstakingly gathered. This was a debt Ji Wu could not ignore.

“Liu Sanyuan is a difficult man to deal with, and the court sees me as a dire threat. I was never likely to keep my little domain for long,” said the Rebel Laureate with equanimity. “If there were any chance left, I wouldn’t choose such a risk. But everyone knows: those who first rise in rebellion rarely come to a good end. And I’m already marked by the court; whatever I attempt, they’ll seek my destruction.”

He smiled wryly. “Still, if I can cause trouble for the court, I’ll gladly do it—riches and glory mean nothing to me now. Otherwise, why would I have cut down a high minister in the first place?”

“Now your fame is rising, and the name of ‘youthful hero’ echoes across Xishan Commandery,” the Rebel Laureate said, his gaze fixed on Ji Wu. “Whether you seek glory, wealth, or office, you now have all you could wish for.”

“What do you mean by this, sir?” Ji Wu’s face showed confusion, genuinely unsure of the implication.

“I ask you again: are you certain an immortal truly sent you? And that next spring, you’ll really introduce me to this immortal you speak of?” The Rebel Laureate’s eyes did not waver, and his tone grew solemn. “If you deceived me before, I’ll let it pass—these men are yours now, and it matters little. But on this point, I must have a clear answer.”

“When have I ever deceived you, sir?” Ji Wu replied without hesitation. “Come next spring, I will ensure you meet the immortal!”

“Very well,” the Rebel Laureate nodded, seeing Ji Wu’s unwavering confidence.

“If you had doubts, why agree to work with me? And if you truly believed, why ask this now?” Ji Wu pressed his question.

“At first I was half-convinced, half-doubtful. Liu Sanyuan is a formidable man; coming with the might of the court, I had no choice. When you sought me out, it was no trouble to agree—after all, there’s no way I could spirit so many men away under the court’s watchful eye.”

He continued, “Now I ask again, because you have all you desired. If your words were a lie, the time for the charade is past, and laying a trap for the court would do you no harm.”

“I have spoken only the truth. You shall see for yourself!” Ji Wu answered firmly.

“Then there is a second matter,” the Rebel Laureate continued.

“Oh? Please, enlighten me,” Ji Wu said eagerly.

“If you truly have an immortal’s aid, then I too can use that power to accomplish things I could never have dared before.” The Rebel Laureate glanced at Ji Wu again. “But if your claims are false, then not only will I be in mortal danger, but you—and perhaps your family as well—will face unpredictable consequences.”

Ji Wu’s smile stiffened. Even though he spoke the truth, his heart skipped a beat. Anyone who had evaded the imperial manhunt for more than a decade was not to be trifled with.

“The immortal has instructed me, and I trust you, sir. So long as your actions do not violate heaven’s will, there should be no harm in using that favor,” Ji Wu replied.

“In that case, let us…” The two conferred in hushed tones.

A few days later, Ji Wu led Xiong Ba and his volunteer soldiers into the woods as usual. As before, Ji Wu and Xiong Ba advanced at the front, relying on their skill to scout the terrain. Inevitably, they ran into rebel scouts; after fierce fighting, more and more rebels were drawn in—until they stumbled upon the main force led by the Rebel Laureate himself!

When old enemies meet, tempers flare—what more needs to be said? The battle was on!

This time, Xiong Ba fought with his customary valor, and even Ji Wu’s volunteer soldiers could not keep up. The Rebel Laureate’s men soon gained the upper hand. In the confusion of the forest, Ji Wu fled in disarray toward the depths of Luanshan Woods...