38 War on the Horizon

An eerie quiet presided over a valley near the town of Crystal Meadows. The trees here were different than those near Green Leaf City. While both cities were situated in the Song Kingdom, they were separated by several hundred li. Here, the trees were conifers. Their thin green needles were frosted despite the absence of snow on the ground. The morning frost would last for another two months, until the end of winter.

Crystal Meadows had two main industries. The first main industry was livestock. Specifically, they raised sheep for wool and meat, since eighty percent of the surrounding land was only suitable for grazing. The remaining twenty percent near the river was used to grow vegetables and potatoes. Any grain required by the residents was imported.

The second industry was the crystal glass industry. While the town was not very large, it had a deep artistic tradition that produced many famous crystal glass artisans. They produced a variety of decorative objects such as cups, vases, and stained-glass windows. These goods were sold across the continent for considerable prices.

Within the valley, a squad of lightly armored men was traveling by horse along the main road. The road was made of clay. It weaved through the grazing pastures, which the local farmers would use as feed for the sheep. It was also more or less dry, since there wasn't much rain in the winter.

Every so often, a crackling sound broke out, indicating that one of the men had guided his horse to break one of the few shallow puddles that froze over every morning. Every time this happened, the guilty soldier was chastised by a fierce gaze from the squad leader. He was a short, well-built man, the graying hair at his temples a testament to his experience in battle. Being a forty-year-old army veteran, Captain Chou Tai was strict and did not allow for carelessness.

After traveling on this road for a few hours, the captain held up a closed fist. The well-disciplined squad instantly came to a halt. Once everyone had stopped, he lowered his hand closer to the ground, indicating that everyone should quiet their horses. The older man frowned; something didn't feel right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Sergeant," he said to the young beside him, "what do you make of the situation?"

The young man was his second in command, and while he rode beside the captain, he always made sure to stay a foot or two behind to indicate their difference in rank.

Unsurprisingly, the young man was also concerned. "Captain, it doesn't feel right. No birds are flying or chirping, and I've seen no squirrels, mice, or foxes. There's only an eerie quiet. Also, isn't Crystal Meadows known to have many sheep? Where are the sheep?"

The older man nodded. "Yes, Sergeant Feng, you are correct. The lack of sheep is concerning. While they could easily be pastured elsewhere, how could the grass get so tall?"

The grass by the road had grown to a foot in height, which was abnormal for any pasture. The farmers should have relocated the flock to take advantage of the surplus grass, which was always in short supply on these infertile plains.

Feng Ming nodded. "Captain, perhaps we should inquire with the villagers? They might be able to clarify this strange situation. In addition, they may have also have first-hand news regarding the rebels."

"Yes," the captain replied. "However, we must be quick about it. We are a scouting squad, and this intelligence is of utmost importance to the kingdom. It is always best for a scouting squad to return safely, even without new information, so that the commander can have confirmation either way. Even a single missing squad can jeopardize the fate of the entire army."

"Yes, sir!" Feng Ming saluted. He deeply admired the captain's strict disposition and his dedication to his duty.

"Move out!" the captain instructed. The six dozen men followed behind him as he led the way. Eventually, they arrived at a small town. The village was surrounded by short stone walls. It didn't even have a main gate at the entrance, nor did it have guards monitoring entry into the village. Surprisingly, they discovered a small flock of sheep just outside the city gate. They were locked in a pen, their fearful bleating mixing in with the sounds of the frigid wind.

Strange, the captain thought. Are they locked up in this pen for slaughter? How wasteful. Normally this would not happen until after shearing season.

The squad proceeded into the small village through a gap in the stone wall. The clay road continued through the village. Clearly the traffic did not warrant stone or gravel roads. As they continued, they observed that the streets were not very busy. This was expected; it was winter, after all. A plume of smoke could be observed coming from each chimney. Some select buildings, supposedly the crystal glass shops, had much larger plumes. This was due to the intensity of fire required to produce the crystal glass. This normal occurrence reassured the captain.

"Sirs, are you perhaps from the army?" A pleasant voice sounded out from behind them, revealing a beautiful lady and one of the town's guards. It was not a festival day, but nonetheless, the lady was well dressed and dolled up.

"Yes, madam. Who might you be?" The captain's voice had softened considerably. He was harsh to his men but was impeccably polite to the fairer sex. The woman smiled at his polite response.

"My name is Li Piao . I am the owner of the Clearglass Inn, and I double up as the mayor in town. Our town is so small that a normal lord wouldn't be bothered with it. Nevertheless, the revenue here is plentiful thanks to the crystal glass industry. Therefore I manage the town while reporting directly to the Fairweather County lord," she explained dutifully.

This was surprising, as the captain had expected to be escorted to the local mayor or lord's house. Female leaders were extremely rare.

"Then you're just the person we're looking for. Do you have an office where we can discuss some official business in private?" While the captain didn't think the conversation would lead anywhere, due diligence saved lives.

"Yes, of course. I'll lead you back to the inn where we can discuss things in my office. I assume you'll want to stay the night?"

"Let's go back to the inn and discuss first. We'll make a decision on staying the night once we're done there." Although the captain hadn't stayed in a decent inn in days, he didn't want to waste time staying in this small town. However, it would have been rude to decline directly, even though Li Piao did not seem to care either way.

The squad followed the beautiful lady and her guard back to the inn. They saw many cheerful faces along the way, all of whom waved at the squad and Li Piao. It seemed she was quite popular in town. These were not the faces of rebels, and these people certainly didn't look mistreated. If anyone in the squad had turned around and looked back, however, they would have come to a different conclusion. As soon as each villager passed the guard squad, their cheerful expressions instantly disappeared. They had been replaced with expressions of suspicion, caution, and fear.

Chou Tai and Feng Ming were seated at a small wooden tea table just outside Li Piao's office. Li Piao was at the host's seat, pouring herself and Chou Tai a cup of tea. Feng Ming had refused a cup. Ever since he was young, he had despised hot drinks, only drinking them when formalities required it. Of course, he still had an inkling that something wasn't quite right about this town, further cementing his refusal.

After taking a few sips, Li Piao started off the conversation. "Captain Chou, you mentioned that you wanted to discuss official business. Is anything the matter?"

"There may or there may not be, Madame Li," he said. "Have there been any major problems around here lately? Any unusual circumstances?"

"This… well, there was one unusual thing that happened recently." Chou Tai and Feng Ming edged forward to listen. "You see, two weeks ago, there were a few reports of missing sheep. Originally, we didn't make a big deal of the matter, thinking that it was just hungry wolves in the middle of winter." Madame Li took a sip of her tea and refilled the captain's cup and her own.

"Unfortunately, we were wrong. We soon discovered that they had been stolen by a new bandit group, ten strong in total. They are based a half day's ride toward the west, where they have established a small camp. Unfortunately, the county lord has been unresponsive to our request to drive away these bandits. We have been forced to bow our heads down in fear, lest they attack our small town. We only have five guards here, and we are very reliant on the county lord's guards for our security." She appeared demoralized, and her fatigue was evident despite her best efforts to cover the bags under her eyes.

Chou Tai frowned. This was indeed strange. While they shouldn't go investigate directly, perhaps they should go pay a visit to the Fairweather County lord prior to reporting in.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" he involuntarily blurted out.

That's strange, he thought. Why would I try to help them so easily? We're on duty and can't get sidetracked. But she seemed very helpless and alone, as if there was no one else in the world she could rely on. How could he abandon her in her time of need?

Madame Li's expression lit up when she heard this. "How generous of you, Captain. However, I'm sure you have important work to attend to," she said, reluctantly declining. Nevertheless, she continued pouring tea for herself and the captain. Her expression indicated that she had accepted their fate.

The captain felt guilty now. If he declined to help, wouldn't that make him heartless? "It's decided," he said. "We'll go in the morning and investigate. However, I can make no promises. If they are normal rabble, we can take care of them. However, if the group is larger or well armed, we can't jeopardize our mission. We can, however, confirm our findings with the county lord and instruct him to dispatch guards. I do have a certain amount of authority in the army."

Despite his words, the captain was confused. Why do I care so much about this? And why am I trying to impress her? This isn't like me.

"Thank you ever so much," Madame Li said while standing up. She was glowing with joy, to the point where she seemed like she could cry at any moment. "I'll go arrange for a feast tonight to celebrate! Please make yourselves comfortable for a quarter hour while I make the necessary arrangements." She left the two of them alone in the tea room and began to run around, busily giving out orders.

"Captain Chou, why did you agree to help her?" Feng Ming asked. "This isn't like you. You always say that it's best to be cautious, lest we endanger the mission. Any delay in providing information can lead to the loss of many lives."

"You're right. I understand your concern. However, I've already agreed, and she is already preparing a feast. It would be a little awkward to refuse now, wouldn't it? I don't want to tarnish the Royal Army's reputation." Chou Tai knew he had made a mistake. Feng Ming sighed as well.

"Besides, these bandits could be affiliated with the rebels. Even if we don't fight them, we can at least confirm their location and attempt to extract information from them. Failing that, we could possibly obtain information on rebel banners." While the older man justified himself calmly, he knew that he was only making excuses.

"What's done is done. However, we need to agree that there can be no drinking at the feast, and no overeating. We're on duty, and it's best to be cautious," Feng Ming warned the captain once more.

"Right, right," the captain said tiredly. "Tell the men. We need to make sure everyone stays sober and is ready to leave first thing in the morning."

"And they need to stay away from pretty girls. Something doesn't feel right." Feng Ming insisted on this. Chou Tai's reaction to the innkeeper seemed unnatural.

Chou Tai hesitated for a bit, then nodded. "Yes, please let the squad know on my behalf. Your caution is admirable, Sergeant." He didn't notice his own hesitation.

The feast began four hours later. It was already dark outside, as the winter days were much shorter than in the summer. Feng Ming looked around the inn, admiring the decorations that had been hastily set up. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that they had spent days preparing. Not only was the place impeccably clean, rare pieces of art were prominently displayed on the walls. The chairs were all covered in bright, decorative fabric. Unsurprisingly, the plates, bowls, and utensils were all crafted out of beautiful pieces of crystal glass. The crystal glass had been shaped and carved to resemble mythical creatures, like dragons and phoenixes. Not a single piece was the same.

The captain sat at the seat of honor, while Li Piao sat in the host's seat. She had changed for the occasion. Her beautiful, lithe figure was showcased by a form-fitting, low-cut reddress. Her curves were accentuated by carefully placed slits along her legs, back, and upper chest. Although Feng Ming would have thought it impossible, she was even more dolled up than previously. Among other things, she had painted her eyelids with a light coat of red glitter, which matched her cherry-red lips and her red dress. A passerby would think they were attending a traditional wedding ceremony.

The only other guests called to the feast were three of the town's five guards. Due to their large frames, they looked quite menacing. They did, however, express their gratefulness to the captain for helping them deal with the bandits. Clearly the presence of the bandits had placed a significant amount of pressure on these guards.

Once all the guests were seated, Li Piao stood up and lifted her cup, which was filled with tea. The captain had insisted that tea be served instead of liquor to maintain compliance with military regulations.

"Thank you all for attending this feast that we've prepared for you. You'll have to forgive me for the meager fare, but all of this was prepared on very short notice. Now, I would like to join our guards in a toast to these brave soldiers who will go out to investigate the bandits tomorrow." She quickly downed her cup of tea, regretting that it was not wine. The guards and soldiers joined in as well. "Let the feast begin!" she yelled. This was followed by a cheer from the soldiers and guards.

Immediately after her announcement, a half dozen maids flooded into the room bearing large dishes and serving tea. There were several vegetable dishes, most of them involving local produce that could last the winter, such as onions, carrots, potatoes, taro, and the like. The meat dishes mostly featured sheep and goat meat, likely obtained from the pen outside. Given only four hours of preparation, such a grand spread was very impressive.

The soldiers and guards chatted and ate, and while they didn't drink, they became intoxicated with the atmosphere. The cautious Feng Ming sniffed at his tea cup. He also lightly rolled some of the liquid around his tongue. It didn't seem poisoned, which reassured him. The guards had cultivations no higher than the fourth level of qi condensation, which reassured him as well. What didn't reassure him was how friendly Captain Chou was getting with Li Piao, and how forward she was being with him. Neither was he reassured with the half dozen maids' overly friendly behavior, and their too-perfect appearances. How could so many pretty maids appear in such a small town? Why hadn't they been snatched up by some local lord? Heck, with so much local talent, the town could support a professional matchmaking agency.

He also didn't like the way the guards looked. He occasionally spotted vicious glints in their eyes, which leaked through their friendly façade. Some looked hungry while others looked angry, but invariably these emotions were quickly suppressed by another before they continued chatting and joking. Was it… fear? Unfortunately, it was difficult to come to any conclusions, as guards were fighting men and could easily have their own traumas.

The feast continued for two hours. At some point, one of the maids took out a guqin, a pleasant stringed instrument. She was quite skilled, and she immediately became popular with the men and guards alike.

"I didn't know she knew how to play! What a surprise!" one of the taller, lanky guards said.

Before long, the soldiers and guards were singing along. Even the captain couldn't help himself. Eventually, one of the guards brought out a flute, which he used to accompany the maid. Seeing the joy in the room, Feng Ming had second thoughts. Perhaps he had been overthinking things.