The convoys of the White Shark and Orca Battalions churned up the plains, a slow-moving river of steel and dust. Inside her vehicle, Captain Qin Bing was growing tired of the oppressive male presence, even from her driver. With a sigh, she'd once again summoned Xiao Ke to take the wheel.
Xiao Ke, a centurion by rank, was now playing chauffeur. He didn't complain. He just drove, his hands steady, his focus absolute, as if the slightest jolt might disturb the captain's icy composure.
Qin Bing stared out the window, her gaze distant. "That private army that blocked the road," she said, her voice deceptively casual. "What was their story?"
Xiao Ke blinked, surprised by the question. "A young man with features too fine for this dusty road," he began, a smile touching his lips. "An older, effeminate man with a high-pitched voice, and a few dozen private guards. No family crests on their clothes or vehicles, so it's hard to say. But the fabric of their uniforms, even on the grunts, was top-shelf. My guess? Some high-ranking noble's son, maybe even from one of the Great Houses. They all hear the rumors—big rewards for wiping out the zombie horde, a shot at the Glory Military Academy for top performers. It's enough to make every blue-blooded kid with a private army come running to 'help the Empire.'"
His logic was sound, but Qin Bing wasn't convinced. As they had passed the armed party, a shiver had traced its way down her spine. The guards weren't just well-dressed; they radiated a quiet, lethal energy. Every single one of them was a Xiao Jiang—a Valiant General. It was a hum of contained power you only recognized if you possessed it yourself.
And the old man with the shrill voice and smooth neck? The power rolling off him in subtle waves was terrifying. Though he tried to mask it, Qin Bing, an eighth-level Xiao Jiang herself, could feel the terrifying primal force coiled within him. She'd been stunned. That effeminate old man, she suspected, was at least a ninth-level Xiao Jiang. He might even be a tenth-level Da Jiang—a Grand General. A man of that rank could be a deputy commander of an entire legion.
That's why she'd asked. She'd wanted to know if Xiao Ke, a mere Battle Soldier, had sensed any of it.
Clearly, he hadn't. To him, they were just rich kids playing soldier.
But Qin Bing knew better. Even the most powerful Great House wouldn't field an entourage where every guard was a general and the butler was a grandmaster. And they were so deliberately low-key about it, which was even more suspicious. It suggested their true power was far greater than what they showed.
A shocking thought bloomed in her mind: Could they be from the Qilin Imperial Family?
The more she considered it, the more it fit. The young man could be royalty. The old, effeminate man… a palace eunuch.
Xiao Ke noticed her expression darken. "Captain? Is something wrong?"
She shook her head, pushing the thought away. "No. Just… surprised to see so many noble families willing to join the fight."
"They're all chasing that ticket to the Glory Military Academy," Xiao Ke said. "You should have seen Qiao Mingxuan's face when he heard the name. His eyes practically lit up."
"In the army, your name doesn't matter. Only strength," Qin Bing said, her words carrying a heavy weight. "If you prove yourself, that opportunity could be yours."
Xiao Ke just smiled. "I appreciate that, Captain. But I'd rather learn from you. You're the best teacher I could ask for."
As dusk bled across the sky, Qin Bing called a halt. The battalions made camp, the familiar sounds of men and machines settling in for the night. A river snaked nearby, and Xiao Ke, along with his men Duan Canglong, Luo Hou, and Liu Jinquan, headed for its cool embrace.
Stripped down to their shorts, they hit the water with the joyous abandon of men who'd been stuck in a metal box all day. Their laughter echoed in the twilight.
They didn't notice the quiet approach of the noble young man, his ever-present attendant Old Li, and a few guards. The young man watched them, a look of profound envy on his face.
"My Lord," Old Li whispered urgently. "The river may look calm, but it's full of hidden dangers—rocks, venomous creatures, who knows what pollution. A man of your station cannot risk swimming like… like them."
The young man let out a bitter laugh. "It's like you can read my mind, old friend. The moment I have a desire, you're there to extinguish it."
Old Li dropped to his knees. "This old servant would never dare presume! I am only doing my duty. If you wish to replace me, I will accept it. But as long as I serve you, I must speak the truth, even if it earns me a death sentence. It is my responsibility."
"Get up, Li," the young man said, his voice soft. "If I truly wanted you gone, you would have been gone long ago. I know I'm impulsive. I like to push back against you and the elders. But truthfully… I'm grateful. Without you all reining me in, who knows what kind of trouble I'd have caused by now."
You're the Emperor of the entire Empire, Eunuch Li thought, and you snuck out of the palace to come kill a single zombie in the southern provinces. We're already neck-deep in trouble.
By then, Xiao Ke and his men were climbing out of the river, triumphant. They had managed to catch two large carp while they were swimming. For soldiers used to a diet of compressed rations and boiled beans, this was a feast. Xiao Ke, who had grown up poor, was a natural at this. He expertly started a fire with dry branches, and soon the fish were sizzling over the coals, their skin turning a perfect golden-brown, filling the air with a mouth-watering aroma.
Just as they sat down with their rations and freshly cooked fish, the young nobleman and his guards appeared.
Xiao Ke frowned. "You again? If you want military honors, go hunt zombies. Why are you shadowing us?"
"I go where I please," the young man said with a grin, his eyes fixed on the fish. "That… smells incredible. Can I buy it from you? A hundred gold coins."
Xiao Ke's men froze. A hundred gold coins were ten years' pay. This kid wasn't just rich; he was so rich that money had no meaning to him.
Seeing their stunned silence, he thought he'd offended them. "Is that not enough? Five hundred, then."
Duan Canglong and Luo Hou shot Xiao Ke with frantic looks, practically begging him to take the money. But Xiao Ke noticed the effeminate old man smirking, his eyes full of contempt, as if mocking him for being a greedy commoner. A short distance away, the nobleman's own servants were setting out a lavish spread of caviar and cured venison.
He has a feast waiting for him, but he wants our simple food?
Xiao Ke made his decision. "It's not for sale," he said evenly. "But if you're hungry, there's room by the fire."
The young man's face lit up. "Excellent!" He immediately sat down cross-legged on the dirt, mirroring the soldiers, and grabbed a bowl of rice. Eunuch Li looked horrified but was too slow to stop him.
He took a bite of the grilled carp, and his eyes went wide. "Amazing! But… what are these little sharp things?"
"They're called bones," Xiao Ke said dryly. "Fish have them."
The fish I eat in the palace are never this delicious, the young man thought, and they never have bones.
Sharing food has a way of dissolving barriers. Soon, they were all laughing and eating together like old friends. As the mood peaked, a sound drifted from the main camp—a low, powerful melody. Soldiers were singing as they ate. The night wind carried their voices.
"What are they singing?" the young man asked, captivated.
"The Song of Qin," Xiao Ke explained with a smile. "It's the oldest song of our empire's soldiers."
As if on cue, Luo Hou cleared his throat and began to sing, his voice full of passion:
"How can you say you have no clothes?
I will share my robe with you.
The King raises his army, we mend our spears and shields.
We share a common foe!"
Xiao Ke and the others put down their food and joined in, their voices rising to meet his:
"How can you say you have no food?
I will share my meal with you.
The King raises his army, we mend our armor and blades.
We march together as one!"
The young man watched them, his heart pounding with an emotion he'd never felt before. This raw, unfiltered patriotism, this brotherhood…
This is why he'd slipped the palace walls, he thought. To see this. To feel this. It was worth it. Every risk, every lie—it was all worth it.
When the meal was over, the nobleman finally asked, "I never got your name."
Xiao Ke hesitated for a beat. "I'm Xiao Ke. And you?"
The young man smiled, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. "My name is Jiang Ning."
The name echoed in Xiao Ke's mind, but found no purchase. He mentally scanned the lists of high-ranking nobles and Great Houses he knew. None was named Jiang. He gave up. "Well, Master Jiang, we have duties to return to. If fate wills it, perhaps we'll meet again."
"Perhaps," Jiang Ning said with a nod.
Back at the camp, Xiao Ke was immediately summoned to Captain Qin Bing's tent. He found her staring at a military map, but her focus was a thousand miles away.
"Captain," he announced himself.
Her gaze snapped back to him. "Is the noble's entourage still with us?"
"For now, yes," Xiao Ke said. He then added, "I spoke with their leader. He said his name is Jiang Ning. Does that mean anything to you? Is there a Great House with the surname Jiang?"
The name struck Qin Bing like a physical blow. Jiang. The surname of the Imperial Family. Jiang Ning. The name of the new emperor, who had taken the throne less than three years ago.
The world seemed to narrow to a single point. Commoners might share the emperor's name without consequence, but for the nobility, it was an unthinkable taboo. Any aristocrat named Jiang Ning would have changed his name the day the emperor was crowned. It was a fundamental sign of respect.
That, combined with the presence of a powerful, high-pitched eunuch… There could be no other explanation.
She struggled to keep her voice steady. "What… what did you talk about?"
"He wanted to buy our dinner. I told him it wasn't for sale but invited him to join us instead."
Seeing the storm on his captain's face, Xiao Ke asked, "What is it? Did I do something wrong?"
Qin Bing shook her head, forcing a calm she didn't feel. "No. Nothing's wrong. This Jiang Ning… he's clearly from an important family. A connection with him could be valuable. Don't offend him. In fact, if the opportunity arises, it wouldn't hurt to… flatter him."
Xiao Ke recoiled. "I can't do that. If I'm going to flatter anyone," he said, the words tumbling out before he could stop them, "I'd rather… well, I'd rather be flattering you, ma'am."
A flicker of embarrassed anger crossed Qin Bing's face, and Xiao Ke immediately realized how his words sounded. But she knew he was guileless. She let it slide, changing the subject. "We're in the Yinma Plain now. The zombies will become more frequent. We move slower, clear what's in our path, and coordinate with the main army to wipe this horde out for good."
Later that night, as Xiao Ke prepared to practice his cultivation, Duan Canglong and Luo Hou crept into his tent.
"Boss, are you really just going to sit there and cultivate?" Duan Canglong hissed.
"What else would I be doing?"
"Think, man! Military merits are doubled on this mission! And the best soldiers get a shot at the Glory Academy!"
"The Academy is a long shot for guys like us," Luo Hou cut in. "But the merits are real. Every zombie we kill is worth two. That's cash and promotions right there for the taking."
Xiao Ke was still confused. "I plan on killing plenty of zombies. But the battle hasn't started yet. This is our downtime."
"Ugh, you're hopeless," Duan Canglong groaned. "The camp is clear, but the plains aren't. You didn't know? Qiao Mingxuan, that snake. He took his best men out 'on patrol' right after dinner. He's out there racking up kills while we sit here."
The realization dawned on Xiao Ke. "He's that hungry for a spot at the Academy, huh?"
"He's getting a head start!" Luo Hou urged, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "We can't let him leave us in the dust. Let's go, Boss. Let's go hunting."
Xiao Ke considered it for a moment, then nodded. The three of them geared up, grabbed an armed jeep, and told the gate guards they were running a perimeter check for straggling zombies. The vehicle roared out of the camp and into the darkness.
In a small, separate camp nearby, a guard hurried to Jiang Ning. "My lord, the one called Xiao Ke and two of his lieutenants just left the camp in an armed vehicle."
The young emperor, Jiang Ning, felt the familiar itch of restlessness. Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He'd come all this way to kill a zombie with his own hands.
"They must be on patrol," he said, a decision already forming. "Little Li, get a vehicle ready. Bring two guards. We're going to follow them."
Eunuch Li paled. "My lord, just two guards? Is that wise?"
"You'll be there, won't you?" Jiang Ning retorted impatiently. "And we'll be close to the main camp. What's there to worry about?"
Though still deeply concerned, Li knew his own strength—and the emperor's stubbornness. He bowed. "As you wish. I will prepare the vehicle."
"Quickly," Jiang Ning urged, a thrill running through him. "Before we lose them."