by Brian Thomas
Li Chin shrugged. “You believe I have no chance to win. So why should I legitimise what even you believe is an execution. Let everyone see the charade for what it truly is, without trying to make it appear more than the brutish application of unjust force you intend.”
Hi Fat was disappointed his opponent would not provide an opportunity for a fight. Executions were far less entertaining and offered little opportunity for him to demonstrate his ability. His disappointment quickly turned to anger at his selected victim’s fatalism, which now threatened to undermine his own showmanship. “You will provide entertainment one way or the other boy. If you will not be man enough to fight, make sure you aren’t rabbit enough to run. Stand and I will make the end quick. Force me to chase you and I will dice you, a slice at a time, until you squeal like a pig.” The warning was intended to unnerve his victim into an unseemly display for Hi Fat’s vainglory and there was no attempt at honouring a man courageous enough to give up his life representing his House. Li Chin did not respond, merely regarding Hi Fat steadily.
Shaking his head in frustration at the stoic resolution of his opponent Hi Fat began a circuit of their impromptu arena facing his men as he walked, his right hand held high to command their attention. “I am Hi Fat. First sword of the Guang Military Academy, captain of Snake Battalion, finest swordmaster of the Guang army. Champion of a hundred contests, my sword arm is mighty and my sword craft second to none!”
The Guang soldiers cheered their captain, many banging their swords against shields. Hi Fat raised both of his hands in acknowledgement of this accolade, a huge smile on his face as he strutted before his men. Everyone else watched Hi Fat in resentful silence while he strode without a break past his soldiers towards the line of Zanwen’s men.
When he drew level with the town walls and the citizens peering down from them, he started again looking up to the spectators. “When you see me and the Snake Battalion, know fear! For we are awesome warriors of a mighty House and none can stand in our way. The House of Guang is the power in this land and you would do well to pay it homage.” Hi Fat drew level with the grim faced guards standing in front of Zanwen’s wagons. “Ordinary men know they cannot stand against us.” He loaded his expression and tone with contempt. “They are right to not even try.”
His chest puffed up like a turkey, Hi Fat had a hand to his sword hilt as he drew abreast of Zanwen, pale and tight-lipped as he watched and listened to Hi Fat. “Others are dogs, only fit to lick the hand of their Guang masters and I am my master’s sword!” He drew his sword from its sheath with a flourish, the blade chiming as it leapt clear. The polished surface flashed as it was held high over Hi Fat’s head and reflected the sun.
Li Chin watched closely as Hi Fat completed his circuit inside the opposing ranks of men, halting between Li Chin and Zanwen with his back to Li Chin in emphasis of his contempt for Zanwen’s champion. Facing the town walls, Hi Fat flourished his sword above his head to add drama to the otherwise disappointing contest as he finished speaking. Gripping his sword double handed Hi Fat braced his feet and built torsion in to his abdomen. He would behead his passive opponent with flourish and in style at least.
While Hi Fat adopted the classic stance ahead of the swing Li Chin took two quick steps then jumped vertically whilst thrusting his legs out parallel to the ground towards Hi Fat. Hi Fat roared for added drama and power as he unwound the pent up power in his abdomen to swing the gleaming sword in a broad arc, turning unsuspectingly into Li Chin’s side kick. Li Chin dropped lightly and without a sound on to his feet, while Hi Fat was flung backwards to crash on his back his sword flying free to land in the dust at Zanwen’s feet. Clawing desperately at his throat with both hands Hi Fat struggled to draw breath, floundering as he tried to sit up before collapsing helplessly back again.
The strike had been a good one. Li Chin had felt the cartilage of Hi Fat’s wind pipe crush under the edge of his foot. Stepping over to Hi Fat’s discarded sword he picked it up, also withdrawing Hi Fat’s short sword still in its sheath on the gagging warrior’s belt. Hi Fat’s eyes blinked away tears while following Li Chin imploringly, his face a deep red with blood vessels in his cheeks and eyes already beginning to rupture.
For those close enough to see it, Hi Fat was finished. Zanwen looked at Li Chin in astonishment and from him to the Guang soldiers. Many of those in the front row had stood in confusion to get a closer look at their fallen captain. Zanwen glanced anxiously back to Li Chin. “It is not over yet, they still might attack.”
Li Chin nodded. “Do nothing that might precipitate an attack. Keep the men still. Wait my word.” So saying Li Chin began retracing Hi Fat’s earlier route towards the increasingly restless Guang soldiers. The impromptu arena was silent other than for the harsh wheezes from Hi Fat and the scraping of his boots as they vainly struggled for purchase in the hard ground. Li Chin ignored Hi Fat, he was clinging on to life but by now they all knew he had been killed.
Many of the Guang soldiers had stunned or confused expressions as they tried to comprehend what had happened. Li Chin intended to make it clear to them, so they would no longer be confused and could choose as they wished. Including all of the Guang soldiers in his gaze but without lingering on any who might feel he challenged them personally, he spoke to them in a clear and reasonable tone. “One man can shame a Great House’s name with his actions.” Li Chin kept walking at the same steady pace as he spoke to the assembled Guang soldiers, his eyes implacable but his manner relaxed, in contrast to Hi Fat’s eager anticipation. “One arrogant man’s actions can make even a Great House forget humility, mistaking a foe’s caution as cowardice, their intelligent response to an untenable situation as intimidation.”
Li Chin was about halfway round the Guang soldiers when he gestured to Hi Fat, who still moved limply. “Look closely at this man and know that others only regarded his foolish arrogance with contempt. Remember, though it takes only the action of one man to tarnish a House, it takes each and every man to raise a House’s honour.” Li Chin walked at a steady pace as he spoke, his even tone disarming and almost hypnotic after the earlier bombast of Hi Fat. “Let the false pride of your House lie in the dust with this arrogant and shallow person. Its true honour now rests in the heart of each man here, in each of you.”
Li Chin came to a halt in front of the factor and the group of remaining officers. His words had been for the officers more than the men and now he actively sought eye contact with each of them, ensuring they realised his message was a personal one to each of them, before fixing on the factor who had placed himself at their centre. “Acknowledge the contest winner.” his voice was now cold and implacable, all reasonableness gone.
The official dragged his gaze away from the now motionless body of Hi Fat. “But he was first sword, how could you…” The factor looked as though he were still expecting Hi Fat to somehow rise and continue the contest, deaf to what Li Chin had said until now.
Li Chin kept his gaze on the official. “He swam in a small pool and mistook himself for a big fish. Acknowledge the contest winner.”
The factor shook his head slowly, if he acknowledged the contest won by Li Chin his own life would be forfeit as soon as he reported what he had conceded to his master. Turning to include all of the officers he commanded tonelessly. “Kill him!”
A young commander reached for his sword but his hand was stayed by a greying lieutenant. The lieutenant bowed to Li Chin and was quickly followed by the rest of the officers. Rising again, the lieutenant stated firmly, “House Guang acknowledges the contest winner, House Zanwen.”
Li Chin held the steely gaze of the lieutenant. “And the bargain?”
The lieutenant turned his palms up. “You are free to go and House Guang will not interfere with Zanwen’s trade.”
The factor turned on the greying lieutenant, his voice rising to a screech as he shouted desperately. “Traitor! Defy me and you will be skinned alive on our return. The rest of you men, kill this man and destroy the c
aravan. Or you will share the lieutenant’s fate!” None of the other officers moved to obey him. Turning pale he began again, “All of your lives are forfeit. Your last chance for redemption is to obey me and I will speak up for you. Kill them all!”
Turning to an aide, the lieutenant flicked a hand contemptuously at the fuming official. “Bind and gag him.” A number of men jumped to obey and were not gentle as they carried out their instructions enthusiastically.
Standing to attention the lieutenant faced Li Chin. “Our master would be interested to hear who defeated his champion, the first sword of the Guang academy and finest swordmaster in the Guang army,” the lieutenant raised an eyebrow as he used Hi Fat’s own accolades for himself, which seemed inappropriate following such an ignominious defeat at the hands, or foot as it may be, of the man now standing calmly before them. The lieutenant struggled to keep the curiosity from his voice as he concluded, “so effortlessly.” Cocking his head inquisitively he asked. “May I tell our master your name?”
They studied each other, seeming to say much without the use of words, recognising the other’s character for what it was. Li Chin’s amusement was clear in his eyes as he responded. “I am known in the House of Zanwen as, Healer.”
Li Chin turned to go but halted when, with a certain amount of irony, the lieutenant began again. “Thank you for reminding us of our honour. But I am curious. If perchance it had remained forgotten what would you have done?”
Li Chin held the lieutenant’s eyes, the two swords still in his grip as he replied confidently but without special emphasis. “I had little doubt that a reminder would be enough, if required at all. But if I was wrong,” the very lack of emphasis coupled with Li Chin’s absolute conviction was chilling in its delivery, “I would have killed you without remorse.”
The lieutenant watched speculatively when Li Chin returned to Zanwen and his men, who erupted into cheers while mobbing Li Chin, ecstatic and amazed at the miraculous turn of events.
The young sub-commander who had moved to follow their factor’s order ventured petulantly. “He chastises our arrogance and then speaks as he does and that after we have been magnanimous in accepting his victory when we could easily have chosen to ignore it.”
The lieutenant regarded Li Chin with a small frown as he thought. “He gave us a warning about our false pride. The first sword of Guang military academy lies in the dust without having landed a blow and he was put there by an unarmed man. I saw no arrogance in The Healer. Merely a statement of his intent. But I sense that we passed some test resulting in our lives being spared.” The lieutenant became aware of the surprised expressions of his officers and was embarrassed at having spoken his thoughts aloud. His frown intensified, his orders coming out brisk. “Form the men in two ranks facing the caravan. Formal salute and then we report home. Go!”
Li Chin was surrounded by the ecstatic faces of the caravan guard, enthusiastically congratulating him and regarding him with a new deference. They parted and quietened as Zanwen approached, bowing deeply to Li Chin. “Our House owes you a great debt, Healer.” They all turned as the Guang forces formed two ranks facing them. The soldiers moved quickly and with discipline, looking practised in their implementation of the manoeuvre. There was a short command and all of the men withdrew their swords as one, the combined screech of their swords clearing sheaths ear piercing and menacing in the sudden quiet. As one, they clashed their sword against buckler and shouted “Ho!” before repeating the salute. Then they turned and began their withdrawal from the town.
The Guang force left, conceding the field to the victor and the town’s spectators high on the walls above began cheering their own appreciation, pleased to see an underdog win the day and a strong House humiliated. None of those watching could fail to see the courage and pride of Zanwen and his men before a stronger enemy. Above all, they appreciated the fine story they would be able to repeat to many a captivated audience for years ahead.
Chapter 23
Zun looked around with interest as their group jostled against the busy flow of traffic. Laulun’s group were entering the village they had been seeking over the last few months, which had since grown into a sizeable town with many new timber buildings part built within the town itself and the surrounding area. Smallholdings had been established immediately surrounding the town, with crops at various stages of growth and new farming plots had been started for as far as he could see. There seemed no central organisation to the town and there were numerous small outlying clusters of buildings in the cultivated land where the dwellers on adjacent plots had haphazardly located their dwellings as they saw fit.
The town was buzzing with activity and there was a continual stream of people busily going about their business. The feeling of excitement was palpable and, to his surprise, somewhat infectious though the disorganised nature of the town’s layout grated on his orderly nature. Drawing closer to the town they had met many more small groups like themselves heading for the same destination, its location apparently a growing open secret amongst the peasants displaced by the various conflicts in the surrounding provinces. Rather than resettle locally, as they would normally have done, an increasing number were heading to this location outside the empire’s existing borders in the hope of establishing a new life from under the heel of their previous masters.
The excited talk between the various groups of travellers along the way fuelled a general sense of purpose amongst the refugees, feeding their dreams of an escape from the thrall of the empire’s masters. Zun shook his head at the scale of the small town which, as yet, avoided detection or interference from the nearest Hansee provinces. These people were naïve in the extreme if they thought they could remain autonomous from the empire indefinitely. Nevertheless, for now it appeared to be as promised, free land without an overlord.
Their group pressed forward, forcing a route against the busy traffic in the streets, though he wasn’t quite sure where to. Now they had arrived at their destination Zun brooded over the months of journeying to get here and what they and he would do next.
The villagers had broken out into wild country rather than stay on the roads and had only recently picked up a track leading to this town. They were a long way from an established province, where a lot of the land between had been farmable but was wild unoccupied terrain. Whichever House might try to lay claim to this new town would be defending an outpost, with extensive supply chains. The town had no defensive walls or regular soldiers and the number needed to provide an adequate defence would be well beyond the town’s commercial or strategic value to the neighbouring provinces.
It was different for these people. The new citizens had lost their homes and were looking for something of infinite value to themselves, a new start and freedom. Zun decided it was probably safe from conquest or annexation by the empire in the short term but vulnerable to bandits and raids by the nomadic barbarians to the north. Unsurprisingly, there was no town militia at all that he could see, fitting in with his general expectations from discussions along the way here. Though there were plenty of toughs and hard cases who didn’t look like they were about to pick up a hoe to start their own farm in a hurry. He mused that just as there would already be wolves circling to make their living off the sheep streaming in that there would also be an established pecking order amongst the wolves, for first choice at the spoils. There seemed no escaping that these people would be under the control of one master or another, wherever they went.
The thought made him angry, causing Zun to again question his motives in still being with the villagers and prompting memories of the morning after his father had died. There was no question of his dereliction of duty now; it had been extended to betrayal of his House. If the details became known to the Sun Palace it would also be cause for conflict between his House and the emperor. He had killed the emperor’s men while in pursuit of their lawful orders. His House would rather he did not come back at all, leaving the imperial soldiers’ death a mystery or credited
to the villagers rather than to one of their own officers.
There was now nowhere for him to go back to. So he had stripped his House uniform down to a simple anonymous gown and remained with the villagers. Part of their group but not of it. He had been sitting away from them on his own in a black truculent mood, as he had often been since the incident. Mengpo had brought over a bowl of food, offering it to him with an odd mixture of deference and comradeship, a smile and a bow. “Eat Lord, last chance before we go.”
Zun had automatically taken the bowl but was gruff in his response. “Do not call me Lord! I was once a warrior who forgot what his priorities were and now I am nothing. I am not fit to be called Lord.” Internally flinching at the pathetic note in his own voice Zun remembered the part played by Mengpo in the brief battle. “You and the other members of this village, however, are magnificent. You fearlessly set about the soldiers and they were completely taken by surprise. You in particular, Mengpo, did well.” Zun looked at Mengpo’s hands, swathed in bandages, blistered and scarred from when they had scooped up the hot coals from the fire. “You have a warrior heart.”
Mengpo wore his habitual broad smile but nevertheless looked especially pleased. “For a moment I forgot I was a peasant and I felt how a warrior must feel. The feeling was good. But I am not fooled, I am only a peasant. But I feel the moment changed me.” The big man cocked his head speculatively. “Perhaps I am a different kind of peasant now.” Mengpo looked quizzically at Zun. “Perhaps it is not so different from you. For a moment you forgot you were a bound warrior and acted like an ordinary man, but you are still a warrior, just a different kind of warrior now. If I could choose a lord it would be one such as you, who also knows what it feels like to be an ordinary man, rather than the one you perhaps were.” It was the longest speech Mengpo had made since Zun had joined them and he was both touched and amazed at Mengpo’s philosophising.