Loading...
The bottom of the gorge was pitch-black, the kind of darkness that swallowed light whole. After groping about for a while and realizing there was nothing more to discover, He Lingchuan and Shan Youjun made their way back toward the base of the cliff. Guided only by touch and the faint rasp of their boots against stone, they found the rope still hanging where their comrades had left it and climbed back up to the plateau.
The return trip went surprisingly smoothly.
* * *
By the time He Lingchuan reached the army encampment outside Xinhuang Town, the place blazed like daylight. Torches and lanterns flickered everywhere, soldiers and laborers hurrying through the smoke-stained air. The tension had not lifted in the least.
Fires still needed to be stamped out, the wounded needed to be bandaged, prisoners had to be locked up and interrogated, loot and provisions required to be counted, and dispatches had to be exchanged with the county yamen. Yet under He Chunhua’s command, all of it moved like clockwork.
When he spotted his son, He Chunhua broke off his conversation with a local official and came over at once. “How was it? Did you manage to take Dong Rui down?”
He Lingchuan shook his head and answered, “No. He managed to slip...
Unlock free chapters every day
Bookmark your novel and never lose track of your progress
Share your thoughts with your favorite translator in the comments.
