The Strategist Xi Zhicai
It had been exactly eight days since we left Guancheng's gates that early morning. My subordinates and I had cut down every single Heishan bandit we encountered along the winding paths to Dongmuyang, leaving not one alive. Perhaps because rumors had spread that we showed no mercy whatsoever, we arrived at our destination—Dongmuyang fortress—far more easily than expected.
"Halt right there! Th-this is Dongmuyang's military camp, a place outsiders can't just waltz into! Wh-who the hell are you people?!"
"S-suspicious bunch! Drop your weapons and state your identities now!"
The gate guards stammered in terror. The peasant soldier trio flinched at their harsh shouts, dropping their weapons and the massive sacks as big as their bodies, throwing their hands up high.
...I hadn't realized it on the way here. But seeing us through their eyes, we don't just look suspicious—we look downright horrifying.
"Captain, looks like they've mistaken us for a bandit gang. Should I clear the way?"
"Clear the way? What, you gonna punch a hole to the express train to hell? Shut up and wipe your face."
At my words, Le Jin—who was drenched head to toe in dark red blood—pulled a faded cloth from his bosom and wiped his face. Even so, he growled like a beast off its leash, glaring at the gatekeepers while fidgeting with the hilt of his ring-pommel sword as if ready to draw it any second.
—Whack!
"Ow!"
Le Jin's head snapped back from the solid hit to the back of his skull.
"Well, well, still not learning. Those folks aren't handing out merit points."
"Eek! S-sorry, Captain! After days of nonstop bandit-slaying without rest, I just...!"
Clutching his head, Le Jin jolted in surprise and quickly let go of the sword hilt. The guards paled, leveling their spear tips at our gruesome crew. As the peasant trio let out shrill screams in fear, I hurriedly pulled out the wooden tally Xiahou Dun had given me and waved it.
"We're the detachment from Guancheng. I'm Captain Lee An. I came ahead of the others to deliver this tally from General Xiahou to the Quartermaster."
"Hmm... Y-yeah, it's definitely an allied tally, but more importantly..."
Were they doubting it came from Xiahou Dun? The guards alternated glances between my face and my men behind me before speaking up.
"The others, fine, but why are you so clean?"
"'Cause I hate getting dirty."
"......"
Me, cut off ears from corpses? Forget the filth—how would I even do that?
"You're allies for sure, so we'll let you in. Wait here a moment."
One of the sturdy guards at the camp entrance dashed inside, spoke to a higher-ranking man, then beckoned us to follow.
The guard led us deep into the camp, to a large tent.
"Wait here quietly."
As he entered the tent, a sudden bellow echoed out. We waited a good while before finally being allowed inside.
"A detachment from Captain Xiahou... Never heard of any such unit, but who might you be?"
A man in neat gray official robes sat at a desk, writing on bamboo slips. He addressed us but showed zero interest, his brush never stopping.
"Sir, these are conscripts from Guancheng, handpicked elites by the Captain himself. Here's the tally from her."
At "tally," the man paused his brush and looked up. He examined it closely, then scowled at my face in annoyance.
"Detachment? Just one lowly captain and four village soldiers? Where's the rest?"
"We're all there is—the five of us."
"Oh? Lord Yuanrang must have a twisted sense of humor, sending such a ragtag bunch."
"......"
The man snorted, eyeing me up and down.
"I'm the Quartermaster Assistant. More importantly, what's that revolting stench from you lot? Don't foul up the camp—get out!"
He pinched his nose and snapped.
"We ran into a Heishan bandit pack on the way, so we cleaned them up. My men insisted on carrying trophy ears to prove their merits. Figured I'd humor them and brought a 'bit.' The smell's from that."
"Heishan bandits? You five? Ha! Lucky catch of maybe three or four stragglers who wandered off."
The assistant dropped his gaze back to the slips, waving us off dismissively.
"Dump the ears in the corner and go wash up. Tch, as if you have more than a handful."
He scoffed incredulously and picked up his brush. I nodded to the peasant soldiers behind me.
"Boys, His Excellency says dump 'em here."
"Yes, Captain!"
—Thud!Splat!Crash!
A thunderous roar shook the tent like the world was ending. The peasant trio hurled their massive shoulder sacks to the floor. Loosely tied with ragged cloth, the bags burst open on impact, spilling their contents in a heap.
"What the— you mad...!!!"
The assistant's brush clattered to the ground. He bolted up and rushed to the sacks.
"Eek! Th-this... H-how many are there?!"
Not just him—the guard who'd brought us also foamed at the mouth and toppled backward. What they'd thought were mere bundles were sacks stuffed to bursting with the ears we'd collected from the Heishan bandits.
Then, Le Jin—smeared in blood—stepped to my side, straightened ramrod-stiff, and bellowed so the tent rang.
"Reporting! Captain Lee An and four others! By the Captain's martial prowess and shining insight, we beheaded over two hundred Heishan bandit remnants on the road to Dongmuyang and took these ears as proof!"
"Th-this... isn't this the work of a killing demon?!"
The assistant stared at Le Jin, his face screaming, These lunatics!
You have completed the Faction Quest!
100 Yuanbao, 200 Merit Points, and Favorability granted.
Quest Overachieved! Additional Merit Points have been batch-settled!
Acquired a massive amount of Merit Points (+860)!
Xi Zhicai's Favorability has reached 20!
Acquired 50 Yuanbao!
Leaving the dazed Quartermaster Assistant amid the tent's foul stench and the piles of sacks brimming with hundreds of trophies, we exited the camp.
"Captain, you sure it's okay not to help with cleanup?"
"That's their job. What can we do? Hurry up—we gotta meet the Quartermaster."
Le Jin nodded.
"The Quartermaster is scouting terrain from the hills outside camp, sir. Make haste!"
The guard who'd come out with us had glued himself to our side like one of us. He clearly wanted no part of cleanup either. My crew and I headed for the steep hill behind the camp that he pointed out. Covered in blood, we clanked our way up.
As we climbed, cherry blossoms bloomed profusely on dozens of trees, and below them stood a petite silhouette.
Approaching it, a woman emerged amid the swirling petals.
"......Who goes there?"
Sensing us, she slowly turned. I approached, cupped my fists in salute, and said,
"Captain Lee An of General Xiahou's detachment from Guancheng."
——
General Information
Name: Xi Zhicai (戲志才)
Rank: SSR
The Quartermaster was none other than Cao Cao's strategist, Xi Zhicai.
"......Guancheng? My lord was set to arrive around Qingming in early April. Has something major happened?"
Her drowsy yet intellectual purple eyes turned to us. Xi Zhicai's gaze passed over the blood-soaked Le Jin and peasants, finally settling on my face. I told her everything that happened in camp.
"Hmm... I see. You must have had it rough. The soldiers except the captain—head down the mountain and rest. Tell the Assistant I sent you; get a tent."
"Yes, Quartermaster!"
Le Jin and the peasants all looked to me. Treating me like a superior, huh... Nice guys. I smirked and nodded; they saluted and descended.
I watched my men go for a while before the Quartermaster called me.
"Lee An, was it...?"
"......Yes."
"Closer."
I approached and looked at her face.
And in that instant, the word slipped out before I could stop it.
"Pretty..."
Wait, it already did?
Her black crossover upper garment in ruoyi style and flowing skirt swayed in the spring breeze, harmonizing with her ebony hair. An ornate han dynasty buyao hairpin with shell flowers beside her elegantly pinned-updo accentuated her nobility. With her black leather-gloved hand holding a black beauty mark under her lower lip, she gazed at me with aloof, refined, sharp eyes.
"......"
"That slipped out—sorry!"
"A slip of the tongue means..."
She looked at me and continued,
"...that I lack appeal as a woman?"
"Not at all. I just thought it was rude."
Xi Zhicai's Favorability has slightly increased.
"Then, that's a relief. You're the first man to speak to me so bluntly..."
Xi Zhicai lifted the beauty mark to cover her mouth, her formerly impassive eyes curving into a soft smile.
"...It almost stirred my heart, just a little."