By the time our troop entered Peacock Valley, evening had already descended. The setting sun cast a distant glow over the dense, overgrown woodland; golden light still danced through the gaps in the canopy above, but the mountain path beneath our feet had already surrendered to deep, heavy shadows.
Aside from the sound of our own footsteps, the world around us was deathly silent. Not even the chirp of a bird or the drone of a nocturnal insect could be heard. This unnatural stillness felt pregnant with some unknowable danger, tightening the chests of every man in the unit.
Clearing out bandits from this mysterious valley was the final objective of today’s exercise—an objective that had been added at the very last minute after the formal drills had concluded. It was an unexpected turn of events.
The original plan I had coordinated with Shen Pei included formations, hand-to-hand combat, and simulated rescues. Such an exercise was unprecedented for the Imperial Guards of the Flame Heaven Kingdom, and when it concluded, Ming De appeared quite pleased. Not only were Shen Pei and I commended, but every soldier received a reward. The affair should have ended on that high note. However, a gaunt Surveillance Commissioner named Xiao Yi suddenly stepped forward from the ranks of the civil officials, denouncing our display as "flowery fist and embroidery kicks"—mere showmanship. His rhetoric was immediately echoed by the Left Chancellor, Han Gao, who offered a stirring critique before proposing that I lead my men into Peacock Valley for a taste of "real combat." According to him, local residents had repeatedly petitioned the government regarding a band of marauders in the valley who frequently preyed upon passing merchant caravans.
"Captain," Shi Yun whispered, pulling up beside me. "Is this really a bandit sweep? Something feels off."
I raised my arm, signaling the men behind me to halt.
Even without Shi Yun’s prompting, I had sensed the anomaly. According to the map Han Gao had provided, this was supposed to be a well-traveled trade route frequented by caravans and mountain folk. Yet, as I looked around, there was nothing but lush, primeval forest. The weeds and brambles beneath our feet were so thick and tangled that even making headway was becoming a struggle.
As I stood there wavering, Zhu Bao hurried forward and murmured, "Captain, this isn't right."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Zhu Bao frowned. "There isn't so much as a rabbit here. You don't think there's some kind of apex predator lurking about, do you?"
His words triggered a memory of a television show I had once seen, where three detectives entered a city sewer only to find it eerily clean—no rats, no cockroaches—only to discover it was the hunting ground of giant mutant rodents. The thought sent a shiver crawling across my skin.
Using the last glimmer of the fading sun, I opened the map Chancellor Han had given me once more. It was drawn on a strange piece of hide no larger than a handkerchief. The moment I unfurled it, a peculiar, pungent fragrance wafted into my nostrils. I couldn't help but scowl.
Topographically, the entire Peacock Valley was shaped like a peacock facing west. The "beak" to the west was the highest point of the valley, a precipice known as Soul-Falling Cliff. To the east lay vast stretches of uninhabited virgin forest. The trade route where the bandits supposedly operated should have been right beneath our feet, running north and bisecting the valley.
Shi Yun’s finger landed on the peacock’s underbelly. "Are we here?"
I nodded. On the peacock’s back, a prominent red circle marked the supposed bandit lair. But at this moment, the eerie silence of the valley made me deeply skeptical of the "bandits'" existence. If, as Zhu Bao suggested, there were predators in the valley, continuing our "encirclement plan" through the jungle after sunset would be suicide.
My finger traced a small path beneath the peacock’s neck up to the beak. "Soul-Falling Cliff is the highest ground, and the trees are thinner there. We’ll head there first to set up camp."
Shi Yun and Zhu Bao both nodded. I tucked the strange hide back into my tunic, and we moved swiftly toward the cliff.
The winding path bore faint traces of previous foot traffic. As we ascended, the trees thinned out, giving way to hard, black rock. The terrain rose steadily until a full moon, round as a silver plate, appeared above us, drifting in and out of a sky filled with lotus-shaped clouds. In the mercury-like moonlight, Soul-Falling Cliff looked as though it had been hewn by a celestial axe; the drop-off was so smooth it was nearly a right angle. The faint sound of rushing water rose from below, but even in the bright moonlight, the pool at the base of the cliff remained a void of impenetrable black.
We stopped to rest in a recessed hollow near the cliff's edge. We had left our horses outside the valley, and our thirty-one men were divided into three groups for rotating watch. Uncertain of what lay in the valley, we didn't dare light a fire, opting instead to eat our dry rations in the dark.
I took the first watch with Shi Yun and a few others. Below us, the lush jungle seemed submerged in sleep, silent enough to make the heart race. Such a quiet forest easily invited dark imaginings, though the bright moonlight offered a small measure of comfort.
Suddenly, a very faint rustle echoed from the distant woods—the sound of a nocturnal beast accidentally snapping a twig. In that absolute silence, the noise set us instantly on edge.
Shi Yun, who had been idling with a butterfly blade, exchanged a look with me. He reached down, picked up a small stone, and flicked it toward the source of the sound. The force wasn't great, but it was enough to elicit a muffled cry of pain. There was no doubt now: people were stalking us in the night.
Almost simultaneously, a faint but unmistakable killing intent began to converge on Soul-Falling Cliff.
With a precipice on one side, any ambush could only come from the direction of the forest. We quickly roused the resting men, and the thirty of us retreated silently to higher ground.
The world suddenly brightened as the silver moon broke through the clouds. On the treeless slope, dark silhouettes appeared like ghosts. There were roughly a hundred of them, dressed in night-traveler gear and wielding weapons. Their movements were disciplined and orderly—they didn't look like common highwaymen, but rather like well-trained soldiers.
The killing intent thickened. Cold sweat began to dampen the palm of the hand gripping my blade. With the cliff at our backs, there was no retreat.
At the front of the black-clad group, a tall man raised his arm in a "halt" gesture. He seemed to realize we had vacated our initial resting spot and was scanning the area in the moonlight, trying to pinpoint our exact location.
In a situation like this, distinguishing friend from foe was paramount. I signaled to Zhu Bao. He slid behind a nearby rock and shouted, "Ho there! Listen well! We are the Imperial Guard on official duty. Unauthorized persons, depart at once!"
The leader of the night-travelers seemed startled, but his only reply was a whistling arrow aimed at Zhu Bao’s position.
I silently took a bow and arrow from Zhu Mo and carefully sighted the leader.
With a sharp *thrum*, the arrow flew. The leader collapsed backward. His death caused only a minor ripple of commotion in their ranks. Another arm reached out from the shadows, making a firm "advance" gesture. The black tide began to surge upward.
"We are the Imperial Guard!" Zhu Bao shouted again, persistent. "If you do not heed our warning, we will be forced to use lethal force!"
A cold, sharp voice cut through the night, reaching our ears with chilling clarity: "Kill them! Leave no survivors!"
Our archers released their volleys simultaneously, the hiss of arrows shattering the night's peace. The front rank of silhouettes fell, but those behind them continued to charge with unwavering resolve. Seeing their formation, I felt a sudden pang of regret for not bringing poisons or paralytics—I had truly thought this was just a routine exercise.
I notched two arrows at once and fired toward the voice. In the chaos, I couldn't tell if I hit anything. They were closing in. With such lopsided numbers, we would have no advantage in close-quarters combat.
"How much fire oil do we have left?" I turned to ask Zhu Mo.
"I have two pouches!" he replied urgently.
I quickly tore two strips of cloth from my hem, tied them to the arrowheads, and soaked them in the oil. I handed one to Shi Yun. "You hit the first pouch, I'll hit the second!"
As I spoke, I struck a flint to light the cloth, then commanded Zhu Mo, "Throw both pouches over their heads! Now!"
The high-grade Iron Dragon fire oil erupted in the night sky like festival pyrotechnics. Two great blooms of flame burst forth, raining countless burning droplets down onto the unsuspecting attackers. The charging crowd fell into instant disarray.
"Charge!" I drew my silver blade and roared, leading my thirty men as we struck from the left and right flanks. This was the best opening we were going to get.
The scent of blood and the acrid stench of burning flesh filled the air, making my stomach churn with revulsion. I had just cut down two men in black when a spray of hot blood hit my face. Another man collapsed right beside me; by the flickering light of the fires, I could see the wound in his chest still pulsing.
I finally reached my limit. Propping myself up with my blade, I turned aside and began to retch.
A pair of large hands steadied me from behind. Zhu Bao’s frantic voice reached my ears: "Captain? Are you alright?"
I shook my head and used his strength to force myself upright.
The battle was essentially over. The ground beneath us was littered with corpses, some still smoldering, the air thick with the smell of charred meat. Shi Yun, along with Li Chunjiang and Zhu Mo, was busy binding the ten or so remaining captives.
When Shi Yun dragged them over, he couldn't resist delivering a vicious kick to the leg of the man nearest him. "Damned lunatics," he cursed. "Savage bandits."
To my surprise, the man in black snarled back, "You're the damned bandits! I'm a commissioned Lieutenant of the Land Army, sent here specifically to wipe out outlaws!"
Shi Yun froze. "What did you say?"
The man spat back angrily, "We were acting under the orders of Left Commander Han Chong to eliminate the bandits who have been harrassing merchants under the guise of the Imperial Guard. You bold, desperate outlaws—"
I didn't hear the rest of his words. My head was spinning, a dull roar filling my ears. Left Commander Han Chong served under Han Sheng, the Commander of the Nine Gates—both of whom were kinsmen of the Left Chancellor, Han Gao. The web of connections was so intricate that the mere thought of it made me dizzy. I looked up to see Shi Yun staring down at a brass waist-token in the man's hand. Even from a distance, I could see the cloud-patterned border and the fiery red tassel. It was a token of the Commander of the Nine Gates. There was no mistake.
Shi Yun’s face went deathly pale. A murderous glint suddenly flashed in his eyes. Without a word, he raised his blade and cut the captive down. Zhu Mo and the others seemed to share a silent understanding; they drew their blades and lunged almost simultaneously. In a matter of seconds, a dozen fresh corpses lay on the ground.
My mouth hung open. Whether from horror or the overwhelming scent of blood, I collapsed again and vomited until nothing was left.
Zhu Bao carefully helped me up. Shi Yun’s voice was like ice. "Captain, now is not the time for a soft heart. We couldn't let them live. They were truly men of the Nine Gates Commander. Dammit, we’ve been set up. If we let even one of them live to return to the capital, none of us would survive the week."
I knew he was right, but to actually accept it...
"Something's wrong. Retreat!" Shi Yun’s expression shifted again. He grabbed my other arm, practically dragging me. "Quick! To the top of the cliff!"
The air around us was once again thick with danger. A rustling sound erupted from the forest, growing louder and louder, like a derailed train crashing through the timber. Simultaneously, a bizarre, musky stench began to permeate the air.
We retreated to our previous hiding spot. Once we were concealed, I began a head count. All our men were present, though Li Chunjiang had taken two blade wounds, and five or six others were injured. I hurriedly pulled out medicine to dress their wounds.
"Good God!" Zhu Bao let out a terrified gasp beside me. I looked up to see him staring, wide-eyed and incredulous, at the area behind me.
I spun around and felt the air leave my lungs. In the faint light of dawn, two behemoths the size of trucks were crawling out of the forest. Their black-and-red scales shimmered with a metallic luster. With long, pointed snouts and thick, powerful limbs, they looked like giant monitor lizards from some prehistoric nightmare.
The two giant lizards moved with a grace that defied their massive bulk, heading straight for the pile of corpses. Their thick tongues flicked in and out of their snouts with a rhythmic *hiss* before they tore into the smoldering bodies.
I instinctively closed my eyes. I felt Zhu Bao’s grip on my hand tighten. The sound of the lizards crunching through bone was sickeningly clear. I covered my mouth, desperately suppressing the urge to retch again. I prayed that once they were full, they would leave. With our strength, I couldn't imagine the consequences of a direct confrontation.
The chewing stopped.
My heart sank. I looked up to see the two lizards agitatedly lashing their massive tails, peering toward our hiding spot.
With the cliff behind and beside us and the bottomless pool below, jumping would likely mean certain death.
"Who has fire oil left?" I whispered.
No one answered. The two lizards began to lumber toward us. I could clearly see their evil, cold red eyes.
"I have twelve butterfly blades left," Shi Yun said slowly. His words reminded me of my own weapons, and I fumbled for my throwing knives.
The blades struck the lizards' hides with the metallic *clink* of steel on stone, bouncing off harmlessly. My plan to blind them failed as they swung their heads with surprising speed. My final knife struck the brow of the lead lizard, which only served to enrage it. It lowered its head and charged our position.
The men around me began hurling stones, but the lizards ignored the hail of rocks. They charged relentlessly. My hand dove into my tunic, and the only thing I found was the map. Without thinking, I crumpled it into a ball and threw it. To my surprise, the charging lizard lunged upward, snapping its jaws shut around the map mid-air. Before it could land, the second lizard lunged at it, slamming into its side. The two massive beasts became a tangled mess of scales and claws. With a thunderous *crack*, they smashed through a boulder at the cliff's edge. Unable to check their momentum, both lizards plummeted over the side and into the pool below.
Before the splash from the lizards had even settled, we were already retreating from Peacock Valley at a dead run.
As we neared the valley entrance, the usually taciturn Li Chunjiang suddenly spoke up. "Dammit, that map must have been drawn on musk-rat skin. Did you all smell that weird fragrance?"
"What's musk-rat skin?" Zhu Bao asked.
Li Chunjiang spat on the ground, his voice full of resentment. "I heard the elders talk about it. Giant lizards love nothing more than the scent of musk-rats. Those beasts were lured out by that skin."
My mind flashed back to the smiling face of Left Chancellor Han Gao when he handed me the map. He had said, "There is only one such map. Captain Xi must keep it on her person."
He had specified *on my person*!
I looked at Shi Yun. He was looking back at me, his deep gaze filled with a coldness I had never seen before.
I came to a halt, my heart feeling as though it were being shredded.
Zhu Bao grabbed my arm, his voice anxious. "Hold on just a bit longer, we're almost out of the valley."
I looked at Zhu Bao and the brothers around me, then at Shi Yun’s grim face. In that moment, I truly wished I were dead. I pulled my hand from Zhu Bao’s grip and said hoarsely, "I'm sorry. It was me. I've dragged you all into this."
Zhu Bao looked at Shi Yun’s dark expression, and he seemed to understand everything. He grabbed me again, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "We've bled together; we're brothers for life. We've come this far—don't talk about dragging us down. Old Shi, isn't that right?"
Shi Yun gave a noncommittal grunt and turned away.
Zhu Bao clapped me hard on the shoulder, his voice ringing with bravado. "Captain! I, Zhu Bao, am a man of my word. No matter what happens, I'm on your side!"
The other brothers crowded around, echoing his sentiment.
Tears began to fall, one by one. I wanted to say something, but the tears blurred my vision until everything was lost in a haze.
***
**Glossary**
