Liu Bei time-travels to become the Heavenly King Chao Gai

Chapter 56 "Leading the Brothers Up the Mountain".

That night, around the second watch.

There were no lights in the camp. Yang Zhi ordered everyone to pack up in the dark, taking away any weapons they could carry, and piling up all the grain and miscellaneous items they couldn't take in the open space. The more than four hundred men moved in and out in complete silence, like a group of ghosts.

Wang Cheng, along with several soldiers, poured oil around the camp.

At midnight, the first group of people began to board the boats. Ruan Xiaoqi led more than a dozen small boats, which were moored at the waterway southeast of the camp. The boats were small, each crammed with twenty or thirty people, who stacked their weapons at the bow and sat close together at the bottom.

Yang Zhi stood on the shore, watching the last group of people board the ship.

Wang Cheng walked over: "Supervisor, the kerosene has been poured."

Yang Zhi took the torch from him and walked to the pile of miscellaneous items in the center of the camp.

He stood there for a moment.

Once this fire is lit, he will no longer be a military officer of the imperial court. A descendant of three generations of generals and the five marquises of Yang Linggong, from now on he will be nothing more than a bandit.

He threw the torch up there.

"boom--"

The kerosene caught fire and instantly ignited. Flames shot into the sky, and waves of heat washed over Yang Zhi, who took two steps back. The tents, provisions, and wooden fences were all ablaze. Flames licked at the night sky, and thick smoke billowed, visible for miles around.

Yang Zhi turned around and strode towards the water's edge.

Wang Cheng followed behind. The two boarded the last boat. Ruan Xiaoqi pushed off with the pole, and the small boat left the shore, gliding into the darkness.

Yang Zhi sat at the stern of the boat, looking back at the flames. The camp had been engulfed in flames, turning half the sky red.

"Commander," Ruan Xiaoqi said softly, "Sit tight."

Yang Zhi did not answer.

……

At Liangshan Wharf, it was still dark.

The dock was made of wood, not large, but sturdy. Several small boats were moored by the water, and lanterns were lit on the shore, illuminating the wooden planks of the dock. Wu Yong stood on the dock, with Lin Chong standing behind him.

Lin Chong changed into clean clothes, his hair was neatly tied up, and a broadsword hung at his waist. He stood half a step behind Wu Yong, expressionless, but his back was ramrod straight.

The first ship has docked.

The soldiers on the boat jumped off, their feet thumping on the wooden planks. They wielded oars and carried rifles, their faces weary and bewildered. Once ashore, unsure of where to go, they stood on the dock, looking around in confusion.

Wu Yong stepped forward and pointed towards the foot of the mountain: "Brothers, let's go up the mountain. There are shelters, hot water, and dry rations at the foot of the mountain. Let's rest for a while."

The second ship docked. The third. The fourth…

Ruan Xiaoqi's boat was the last to dock.

Yang Zhi jumped off the boat and landed on the wooden planks of the dock. His cloak was blackened by soot, and his face was also blackened, only his eyes were bright.

He saw Wu Yong, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Scholar."

Wu Yong returned the greeting: "Commander, you've worked hard."

Yang Zhi's gaze passed over Wu Yong and landed on the person behind him. Lin Chong stood in the lantern light, his expression unclear, but he would recognize that broadsword and that physique even if they were reduced to ashes.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

The dock fell silent. The soldiers who had just landed stopped, looking at their commander, then at the burly man with the leopard-like head and piercing eyes. Some recognized Lin Chong, and their faces changed. In the battle at Huangni Ridge, some of them had been shot by Lin Chong, and some had witnessed him kill.

Lin Chong spoke first.

"Commander Yang."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was very steady.

Yang Zhi took a deep breath, walked over, and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Instructor Lin. What happened in the past—"

Lin Chong interrupted him.

"Nothing like it used to be here."

He looked into Yang Zhi's eyes.

"My brother has prepared wine in the mountain stronghold."

Yang Zhi was stunned for a moment. He looked at Lin Chong, whose face showed neither smile nor hostility. There was only one general looking at another with such calmness.

Yang Zhisong opened his fist, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said nothing more.

He turned around and said to Wang Cheng behind him, "Take the brothers up the mountain."

Wang Cheng responded and beckoned the soldiers to head down the mountain. The footsteps faded into the distance, leaving only Yang Zhi, Lin Chong, and Wu Yong on the dock.

Wu Yong smiled.

"Commander, please."

……

The village wasn't large, but it was kept very clean.

The main hall was a wooden hut, larger than the other rooms, with a cloth curtain hanging at the entrance. Wu Yong lifted the curtain and invited Yang Zhi inside.

Several oil lamps were lit in the room, making it brightly lit. In the center was a square table with several dishes and a pot of wine on it. Liu Bei was sitting at the table when he saw Yang Zhi enter and stood up.

"Commander Yang, you must be tired from your journey."

Yang Zhi clasped his hands in greeting: "Chao Baozheng."

Liu Bei pointed to the stool opposite him: "Sit."

Yang Zhi sat down, Lin Chong sat to his right, and Wu Yong sat to his left. Liu Bei personally picked up the wine pot and filled the three of them's cups.

"This cup of wine is for the Supervisor to calm his nerves."

Yang Zhi picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. The wine was strong, burning his throat, but he didn't flinch.

He put down his wine cup and looked at Liu Bei.

"Lord, there's something I'd like to ask you in person."

"Speaking."

"You helped me, saved my brothers and their families. What do you want in return?"

Liu Bei did not answer immediately. He picked up his wine cup, took a slow sip, and put it down.

"Commander, do you believe in fate?"

Yang Zhi remained silent.

"I believe you," Liu Bei said. "Some people are not born to be bandits. You are from a military family, and Instructor Lin is an instructor in the Imperial Guard. You should be generals fighting on the battlefield, not pawns being manipulated."

He looked into Yang Zhi's eyes.

"I don't want anything from you. I just want someone to be with me to protect those people when the Jurchens march south one day."

Yang Zhi fell silent.

"Lord, have you seen the Golden Man?"

"I've met you." Liu Bei didn't elaborate.

Yang Zhi remained silent for a moment. He stood up, took a step back, and knelt on one knee in front of Liu Bei.

"From this day forward, Yang Zhi's life belongs to Baozheng."

Liu Bei quickly stood up and helped him up, saying, "Commander, please rise. There's no need for that."

Yang Zhi did not get up. He raised his head and looked at Liu Bei.

"Guardian, I have a request."

"explain."

"Don't scatter my brothers. They've risked their lives for me, and I promised them we'd die together."

Liu Bei glanced at Lin Chong. Lin Chong nodded slightly.

"Alright." Liu Bei helped Yang Zhi up. "You have over four hundred men under your command. Form a separate camp. I'll take care of the provisions and weapons. As for daily training and discipline, you're in charge."

Yang Zhi clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Chief Administrator."

Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder and told him to sit down again.

"Commander, the conditions on the mountain are simple, please make do for a few days. We'll figure out a way to settle your family members once they arrive."

Yang Zhi picked up his wine glass and drank another cup.

"Lord, how many of your family members are still on the way?"

Wu Yong interjected, "The first batch of 316 people has already arrived. There are still more than 500 on the way, and they will be sent in batches. It will probably take about ten days for them all to arrive."

There were still over five hundred. Yang Zhi's heart sank. Could Liangshan accommodate so many people? Would they have enough provisions? Would the authorities come after them?

Liu Bei noticed his worry.

"Rest assured, Commander. Liangshan's eight hundred li of marshland can easily hold several thousand people. I'll take care of the provisions. The government won't be paying attention to this place for the time being."

Yang Zhi nodded.

"Chief, there's one more thing."

"explain."

"Regarding my sending someone to the Privy Council in Tokyo to deliver a letter, the head of the government said that the letter might cause trouble."

Liu Bei looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

Yang Zhi lowered his voice: "Zhang Cheng, the lieutenant who delivered the message, hasn't returned yet. I'm afraid something has happened to him."

Liu Bei pondered for a moment.

"The military commander gave me Zhang Cheng's address. I sent someone to inquire about it."

Yang Zhi took the list out of his pocket and pointed to the top line.

"Here. Zhang Cheng, in the south of Daming Prefecture, in Tianshui Lane."