Chapter Eighty-One: The Kitchen

“Kill!!”

Blood splattered, weapons shattered, and the soldiers faced death without fear, their eyes filled with grim determination. Warhorses charged, piercing and tossing enemy bodies into the air. Weapons barred their path, but a swift blow broke horses’ legs, sending men and beasts tumbling.

When a soldier fell to the ground, he was immediately surrounded by foes; several spears pierced him through the chest. Desperate, they swung their broad blades wildly, their eyes bloodshot— the more enemies they slew, the greater their chance for merit and, perhaps, survival!

A young officer’s spear struck, breaking through a heavy shield, his gaze fixed on Sun Ce and Cheng Pu.

“Quick, save the Chancellor!”

“General, Chancellor, this way— hurry!”

In the chaos, Sun Ce was invincible, his Conqueror’s Spear cutting through the enemy ranks as if they were mere weeds. Blood splashed across his own armor.

His eyes burned with resolve, but his arms grew weary. After cutting down three enemy officers and repeatedly breaking through encirclements, his strength was waning.

Each parry in this melee demanded tremendous effort. Already, he had slain thirty men!

Sun Ben’s face twisted with ferocity, wielding broadswords in both hands, hacking and slashing through the enemy like a meat grinder, carving a path for Cheng Pu and the others.

“Chancellor, Demou, this way— quickly!”

Sun Ce’s spear danced like a dragon, forcing back the encircling foes as he shouted to his warhorse, spurring it on in a cloud of dust.

With a crash, his horse barreled straight into a soldier, sending him flying in a spray of blood. The surrounding enemies scrambled to clear the way, their spears thrusting toward him in vain.

With another sweeping blow, Sun Ce swung his Conqueror’s Spear, knocking aside the weapons in his path.

Ji Ling raised his blade, furiously beheading a young officer, then snatched an arrow from his horse, nocked it, and fired in Sun Ce’s direction as he tried to flee.

“Strike!”

“You dare harm my lord!” cried the veteran Ling Cao, cleaving the arrow in two with his broadsword. “Ji Ling, you wretch, face me if you dare!”

“Insignificant fool!” The ambush thwarted, Ji Ling felt a surge of irritation and met Ling Cao’s charge, blade flashing.

Sun Ce dashed back into his own ranks. “Shield me!”

The soldiers rushed forward, holding off their pursuers and bringing Sun Ce and Cheng Pu safely back inside the formation.

—

Sun Ce’s blood was boiling, his spirit soaring. After giving his orders, he charged out of the lines once more.

Ling Cao’s broadsword was swept aside by Ji Ling’s trident, his body barely evading the deadly arc. Cold sweat drenched his back; he had not expected such a fearsome warrior among Yuan Shu’s men.

Ji Ling’s furious blows with the trident swept all before him, awe-inspiring on every side.

“Old knave, you dare threaten my father?!” A young general dashed forward, bearing a strong resemblance to Ling Cao, only younger— Ling Tong, silver spear in hand, broke through the chaos to engage the enemy.

“Rabble and riffraff! Just another head for my tally!” Ji Ling, after driving Ling Cao back, swung his trident toward Ling Tong.

The deadly tip loomed large in Ling Tong’s eyes. His heart tightened; he swiftly twisted aside in the saddle. The trident swung back, clashing against Ling Cao’s broadsword.

Ji Ling faced father and son, one in front and one behind, holding them both at bay in a fierce contest that lasted over forty rounds.

But as the two pressed him harder, Ji Ling began to tire. “Taste my blade, fiend!” Ling Cao’s broadsword slid along the trident’s shaft, sparks flying and a harsh screech ringing out.

“You old dog still have strength left!” With a cold snort, Ji Ling released his trident momentarily, the broadsword nearly brushing his hand. He leaned back, kicked Ling Cao’s blade upward with his left foot, caught his own trident as he rose, and swung down with savage force.

Ling Cao’s arms trembled as he roared, his steed neighing in panic.

Ji Ling swiftly parried Ling Tong’s silver spear and spurred his horse to flee.

“Where are you running, villain?!”

Ling Tong stabbed down three enemies beside him and gave chase, but Ling Cao shouted, “Gongji, fall back!”

The enemy soldiers raised their weapons to bar Ling Tong’s way, forcing him to curse and return to the ranks, continuing the fight.

A soldier kicked an enemy to the ground, slashed his neck with a long knife, then rolled away, blood and a severed arm flying through the air.

Roaring, the one-armed soldier hefted a blade from the ground, hacking at the foe before him.

“Kill!!”

The might of Sun Ce’s army grew ever more intense, while Ji Ling’s forces faltered, their morale withering as the old generals amassed fresh triumphs.

Seeing the tide of battle turn against him, Ji Ling hesitated.

“Kill!!”

“Full assault!!”

……

Lujiang Post Station.

—

A soldier set down the dishes and winecups on the table. “Sir, as the front lines are preparing for battle, we could not provide better fare— I beg your pardon.”

A quiet-looking middle-aged man replied, “Bring another set of bowls and a winecup, please.”

The soldier nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Hoofbeats sounded outside the post station. The soldier halted the rider; Jiang Wen looked up, gazed inside, then dismounted and entered.

“Here are the bowls and winecup you requested, sir.”

As Jiang Wen stepped inside, the soldier arrived with the items and placed them before him, saluted, and withdrew.

Sun Jing, beaming, beckoned him over. “Please, Libationer, join us.”

Jiang Wen sat across from Sun Jing. “General, I’m sure I’ve kept you waiting.”

“Hahaha, not at all,” Sun Jing replied with a smile, shaking his head. “To see off a scholar of your talents is worth any wait. If I had not done so, it would have been a lifelong regret.”

Jiang Wen nodded slightly. Sun Jing poured cloudy wine into the cup. “Libationer, you’ve shared Du Kang’s brew with Bo Fu for so long, your palate must be refined by now. Still, I hope you’ll not refuse a cup of humble wine.”

Jiang Wen smiled. “How could I refuse wine poured by the General? Please.”

“Please.” Sun Jing drained his cup; Jiang Wen, glancing at him, followed suit without a word.

Only three simple vegetarian dishes graced the table. Picking up a chopstick, Sun Jing said, “Though I’m here to see you off, with my brother dead and the fighting intense at the front, we can only keep things simple. I hope you don’t mind.”

Jiang Wen tasted some winter greens. “Though the fare is plain, with skillful hands, even humble ingredients become a rare delicacy.”

“Indeed,” Sun Jing nodded, “though these dishes are simple, there’s no shortage of master chefs in the land. Who knows whose hands will craft such a dish next?”

Jiang Wen smiled lightly. “Every master chef has their own methods and ingredients, so each flavor is unique. Even if you give a complete recipe to someone who’s never cooked, following every step, the taste will be entirely different.”

“Here and now, the food we share is delicious; if another were to make it, it would be delicious in a different way. Yet, if my finicky palate gets used to one flavor and it’s changed, I’d find it tasteless.”

Sun Jing and Jiang Wen both fell silent, quietly observing one another for a time.

Finally, Sun Jing raised his winecup with a gentle smile. “Though your journey takes you far to Fuchun, Bo Fu spoke in anger— I’m certain that before long, we’ll meet again at court.”

“Safe travels, Libationer.”

ps: There have been many inspections lately; I’ve heard even too much battle and killing in writing can get you banned—several books have already been taken down...