Isolated town in northern border region

When Luo Daniu received the order, he was cleaning his machete in the barracks.

His square face was reflected on the blade, with thick eyebrows, a straight nose, and downturned lips, like a rope that hadn't yet decided whether to tighten. He flipped the knife over, tested the edge with his thumb, then sheathed it, stood up, hung the knife at his waist, and turned to leave the barracks.

The sky outside was overcast, and a wind blew in from the south, carrying the damp smell of earth, as if it were about to rain but hadn't yet. He stood at the entrance of the barracks, took a deep breath, and said to the adjutant who followed him out, "Let's go. The Prince wants us to investigate the banditry."

The lieutenant asked, "General, how many men will you bring?"

Luo Daniu thought for a moment: "Three hundred. More would be conspicuous, less wouldn't be enough. Three hundred is just right."

When the three hundred riders set off from the northern frontier military camp, the dust kicked up by their hooves stretched into a long, yellowish-brown trail in the morning light, extending from the camp gate all the way to the end of the official road, like a scroll that had not yet been fully unrolled, slowly unfolding along the undulations of the road.

Luo Daniu rode at the very front of the group, the cleaver at his waist swaying gently with the swaying of his horse, the scabbard tapping rhythmically against the saddle. He didn't turn around, but he could feel three hundred pairs of eyes staring at his back. He knew those people trusted him, just as he trusted Xiao Lie; no reason was needed, no explanation was required, they just needed to follow.

The first stop was a county town in southern Cangzhou.

When Luo Daniu led his troops into the city, there were several notices posted at the city gate that read "Engineering Academy Enrollment." The edges of the paper were curled, as if they had been posted for some time. He reined in his horse and paused in front of the notices, recognizing the handwriting—it was Xiao Lie's—and below it was the official seal of the Imperial Academy. He glanced at it and then spurred his horse forward without lingering.

But he had only walked less than three miles when he heard someone crying by the roadside.

It was an elderly woman with gray hair, squatting on the edge of the field, clutching an empty rice sack, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Luo Daniu dismounted and went over to her, asking, "Auntie, what's wrong?"

The old woman looked up at him, then at the soldiers with knives behind him, and shrank back in fright.

Luo Daniu squatted down and lowered his voice, saying, "Don't be afraid, I was sent by the King of the Northern Frontier. Tell me what's wrong."

The old woman's eyes lit up when she heard him say "King of the Northern Frontier," then tears welled up again. Pointing to a large, gray-walled mansion in the distance, she said, "That's the Zhao family's estate. My family's three mu of land was still in my name last year, but this year the Zhao family claimed it as theirs. I went to reason with them, but they chased me out and said they'd break my legs if I dared to come back."

Luo Daniu looked in the direction she pointed. The courtyard wall of the manor was very high, and several sharpened bamboo sticks were stuck into the top of the wall, like a row of teeth that hadn't yet retracted. He looked away and asked the old woman, "Where's the land deed?"

"They took the land deed."

"Is the government not going to do anything?"

The old woman gave a bitter laugh, a laugh tinged with a resigned acceptance born of hardened experience: "The county magistrate is the Zhao family's son-in-law."

Luo Daniu was silent for a moment. He stood up and extended his hand to the old woman: "Auntie, come with me."

The old woman hesitated for a moment, then offered him her hand.

When Luo Daniu led the old woman to the gate of Zhao Family Village, the gatekeeper stopped him. The gatekeeper, dressed in a silk robe, sized Luo Daniu up and down, scrutinizing his faded old armor, and snorted, "Who are you?"

Luo Daniu showed his waist tag without saying a word.

The gatekeeper glanced at the iron plaque engraved with the words "Northern Frontier Vanguard Camp," his expression changed slightly, but he didn't bend his back: "General, this is the Zhao family's private residence. If you don't have official documents..."

Luo Daniu interrupted him: "I have official documents."

He took out Xiao Lie's document, "Inspection of Bandits in Various Prefectures," from his pocket, unfolded it, and pointed to a line of text, saying, "By order of the Northern Frontier King, all those who disturb or harm the people are subject to inspection. The Zhao family has occupied this old lady's land; I've come to investigate."

The gatekeeper took a step back, no longer daring to stop him.

Luo Daniu led the old woman into the main hall of the manor. The Zhao family patriarch was sitting in the hall drinking tea. When he saw Luo Daniu enter, his teacup paused, and a drop of tea spilled onto his robe. He put down his teacup, stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "General, what brings you to my humble abode?"

Luo Daniu had the old woman explain the land deed.

After hearing this, Master Zhao chuckled and said, "General, this land belongs to the Zhao family, as evidenced by the county government's documents."

Where are the documents?

"It's stored at the county government office."

Luo Daniu said, "Then send someone to fetch it. I'll take a look when it arrives."

Master Zhao's smile faded slightly. He turned and winked at a man who looked like a steward, who quickly left. Luo Daniu stood waiting in the hall, the old woman standing behind him, her fingers clutching the empty rice bag until her knuckles turned white.

Half an hour later, the steward returned, carrying a document stamped with the county government's official seal. Luo Daniu took it and glanced at it. The ink was fresh, the inkpad was fresh, but the date written on it was three years ago.

He placed the document on the table, looked up at Master Zhao, and said, "This document was just written today."

The smile on Master Zhao's face vanished completely: "General, what do you mean by that?"

Luo Daniu didn't answer him. He turned to his deputy and said, "Go to the county office and invite the magistrate here. If he doesn't come, bring him here by force."

The lieutenant took his orders and left. Master Zhao's face turned from white to green, then from green to red. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Luo Daniu had already pulled the old woman to sit down on a chair next to him, crossed one leg, and placed the cleaver across his knee, waiting.

When the magistrate was brought in bound, his legs were as weak as two noodles that had been boiled. He was pressed to the ground in the main hall of the Zhao family. Before Luo Daniu could even open his mouth, he saw Master Zhao's ashen face, glanced at the newly printed land deed on the table, swallowed hard, and lowered his head.

Luo Daniu walked over, squatted down in front of him, spread the land deed on the ground, pointed to the date on it, and said, "Did you sign this?"

The magistrate remained silent.

"I'll ask you one more time, did you sign it?"

The magistrate shuddered and nodded.

Luo Daniu picked up the paper and, in front of the magistrate and Master Zhao, tore it in half, then into quarters, before throwing it into the charcoal brazier beside him. The flames licked up, turning the scraps of paper into black ash, which shrunk into a small clump of curled residue at the bottom of the brazier.

He stood up, looked at the magistrate, and said, "Return the land to her. The interest must also be paid. The interest will be tripled. If I hear you haven't handled it properly within three days, I'll come looking for you."

He finished speaking, turned, and walked out. As he exited the village gate, the old woman cried out behind him and knelt down, about to kowtow. Luo Daniu helped her up, saying, "Auntie, don't kowtow. It's enough that the land is back."

The old woman cried, "General, you are such a good man..."

Luo Daniu shook his head: "I'm not a good person. I'm just here to investigate the case."

He mounted his horse and continued south.

Over the next two months, he traveled to six counties in the southern parts of Cangzhou, Youzhou, and Qingzhou. Everywhere he went, he encountered similar problems—powerful families seizing land, government officials protecting them, and the common people daring not to speak out. He investigated and dealt with each case meticulously, never drawing his sword, but his square face always remained taut like a hammered iron plate, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper, the line at the corner of his mouth becoming increasingly straight.

He arrested three county magistrates, two clerks, a head constable, and more than a dozen stewards and thugs from various estates. When they were tied up and taken to the county jail, some cried out for their innocence, some cursed, and some tried to intimidate him by mentioning their powerful backers.

Luo Daniu ignored all of this.

He only said one sentence: "Whether it's a case of injustice or not isn't up to you to decide. Let's wait until the investigation is complete before making any decisions."

But he began to notice something in those who were arrested.

Almost everyone—whether a county magistrate, a clerk, or a steward or thug on the estate—had the same tattoo on the inside of their left arm. The tattoo was small, only the size of a fingernail, shaped like a coiled snake with its head biting its own tail, forming a circle with nothing in the middle.

When he first saw it, he thought it was a coincidence. But after the same mark appeared on the second, third, and fourth ones, he stopped thinking it was a coincidence.

That night, he lit an oil lamp in his tent and carefully examined the sleeve of the thug he had captured during the day. He pressed his finger against the tattooed skin; the lines were somewhat blurred, the edges slightly greenish, as if it had been there for many years. He lowered the man's arm and whispered to his adjutant, "These men all have this. It's like a mark. Like an organization's mark."

The lieutenant leaned over and took a look: "General, what does this mean?"

Luo Daniu turned the lamp wick up a little brighter, stared at the tattoo for a long time, and said, "I don't know. But I have to find out."

He spread out a sheet of paper, picked up a pen, and wrote a secret report to Xiao Lie, detailing his discoveries over the past two months—the aristocratic families seizing land, the government's cover-ups, the suffering of the people, and the snake-biting-tail tattoo on those people's left arms. He added at the end of the letter: "Your Highness, this matter is not simple. There may be someone pulling the strings behind these people."

He sealed the letter, handed it to the messenger, and said, "Deliver it to the capital by fast horse, day and night."

The messenger took the letter, mounted his horse, and the sound of hooves quickly faded into the night, like an arrow shot into the distance, flying in a predetermined direction, not yet reaching its destination.

On the day the letter arrived in the capital, Xiao Lie was grading the second batch of students' assignments.

After reading the secret report, he sat at his desk for a long time, reading the letter twice from beginning to end. Then he put the letter down and closed his eyes for a while. The light outside the window changed from afternoon to dusk, and the shadow cut by the window frame on the desk slowly moved half the width of the tabletop, but he didn't move.

He didn't open his eyes until Xu De came in to light the lamp, and said, "Have Zhou Xun go there. Luo Daniu is straightforward and easily led astray. Have Zhou Xun investigate for him."

Xu De was taken aback: "Your Highness, do you think there's a trap over there?"

Xiao Lie stood up, walked to the window, opened it, and looked at the darkening sky outside. He said, "It's not just a feeling. It's certain. Those tattoos, the snake biting its tail, those are the marks used by Jiang Jun's spies in Jing Kingdom. I've seen them. Luo Daniu doesn't know this; he only knows how to act recklessly."

He turned to Xu De and said, "Have Zhou Xun set off tonight. Take fifty men, travel light. Tell him to hold Luo Daniu down as soon as he arrives, and prevent him from making any rash moves. The case needs to be investigated, but not haphazardly."

Xu De responded and turned to leave.

Zhou Xun was reading in his residence when he received the order. He closed the book, put it back on the shelf, stood up, stretched his wrists, and said to the soldier who brought the order, "Tell the prince I'm leaving tonight."

When he left the study, the night had not yet fully fallen, and a sliver of dark red light remained on the horizon, like the edge of a wound that was closing.

But he was too late.

The day Luo Daniu received the intelligence, he was stationed in a town in southern Qingzhou. A middle-aged man dressed in plain clothes knocked on his camp gate in the middle of the night and handed him a note, saying that he had seen it while gathering firewood in the mountains—in Qixia Mountain on the border of Qingzhou, there was a cleared area with more than a dozen shacks built on it. At night, he could see firelight and hear voices, like a bandit camp.

Luo Daniu read the note under the lamp and then asked the middle-aged man a few questions—where was the camp roughly located, how many people were there, had he seen any weapons, and had he heard any warhorses neighing? The middle-aged man answered each question in detail, even mentioning how many dogs were kept in the camp.

After listening, Luo Daniu nodded and said to his deputy, "We'll set off tomorrow morning. Take three hundred men with us."

The lieutenant hesitated for a moment: "General, should we report to the Prince first?"

Luo Daniu folded the note and put it in his pocket: "It's too late. By the time we report it and wait for a reply, everyone will have run away. Let's surround the area first."

Before dawn the next day, three hundred riders set off. Qixia Mountain was thirty li away from the camp, and the mountain road was rugged, so the cavalry could not travel fast. They did not reach the foot of the mountain until Chenshi (7-9 AM). Luo Daniu reined in his horse at the foot of the mountain, looked up at the dense forest on the hillside, and was about to order his troops to split up and encircle the enemy when he heard a series of chaotic footsteps coming from the mountain.

Then he saw the people running down the mountain.

The first group consisted of seven or eight men, barely clothed, covered in bruises and scratches, stumbling and falling as they ran. The second group was a dozen or so women, their hair disheveled, their skirts torn in several places by tree branches, some barefoot, some wearing only a thin garment, some carrying a child. Then came the third and fourth groups, dozens of people of all ages, who surged to the roadside like a flock of sheep driven down from the mountain. Some collapsed to the ground, panting; some leaned against tree trunks, shivering; some squatted by the roadside, dry heaving.

Luo Daniu dismounted and strode forward to stop a young woman who ran past him. The woman looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old; her face was covered in bruises, her sleeve was torn in half, and a bloody scratch was visible on her forearm. Luo Daniu helped her up and asked, "Miss, what happened on the mountain?"

The woman looked up at him, her lips trembling, then burst into tears: "The mountain... the mountain is a bandit's den... they kidnapped us there... they were drunk today... that's why we escaped..."

Luo Daniu gripped her arm tightly then loosened his grip, afraid of hurting her: "How many people?"

"Forty or fifty...no, maybe more...they drink every night...and when they're drunk they beat people up..."

An old man slumped on the ground looked up at Luo Daniu, his voice hoarse: "General, you've come to suppress the bandits, haven't you? Please... those beasts on the mountain... they took my daughter..." He couldn't finish his sentence, burying his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking violently.

Another middle-aged woman who had run down knelt on the ground and grabbed Luo Daniu's trouser leg, her face upturned with snot and tears streaming down her face: "General! My husband was beaten to death by them! Just because he protected me and wouldn't let me touch him! I don't even know where he's buried!"

The sounds from all directions surrounded Luo Daniu. Some were crying, some were cursing, some were tearing at his armor, and some were kneeling and kowtowing. Every word spoke of the cruelty of the bandits on the mountain, and every detail was like blood seeping into his ears. The young woman was still trembling in his arms, and a thin layer of blood was slowly seeping from the scratch on her bare forearm.

Luo Daniu's face turned from ashen to bright red.

He helped the young woman to sit down by the roadside and said to his adjutant, "Take them back. Back three miles away."

The lieutenant asked, "General, and what about you?"

Luo Daniu mounted his horse, drew his machete from his waist, and gripped it tightly. The blade flashed a blinding white light in the midday sun. Looking at the dense forest on the hillside, the long-strained expression on his lips finally cracked, and he forced out a voice through clenched teeth: "I'm going up the mountain."

Half of the three hundred cavalrymen stayed at the foot of the mountain to gather the people, while the other half followed Luo Daniu up the mountain path. The path was narrow, and the branches on both sides constantly scraped against their armor, making a rustling sound. The horses' hooves kicked up sparks as they trod on the gravel. Luo Daniu charged at the front, the blade of his cleaver pointing forward. The light on the blade was fragmented and pieced back together by the shadows of the trees, shimmering as a flowing silver light in front of him.