Chapter Nineteen: Life and Death Are Predestined, Wealth and Honor Are Determined by Heaven

The sky grew increasingly dim, and bonfires were lit throughout Hexi Fortress, creating a lively atmosphere. The victory in today’s battle had slightly dispelled the gloom lingering in people’s hearts after the Battle of North Mountain, and smiles had returned to their faces. Women busied themselves collecting firewood, while men selected the most severely injured horses to demonstrate their butchery skills. Among the captured warhorses, over twenty were wounded, and several had already died. If they could be saved, they would do their best to treat them; if not, they had to be put out of their misery.

"Hiss—"

Amidst the crackling of the bonfires, a horse let out a miserable whinny. Chen Erqiang raised his knife and brought it down, slicing the throat of a severely wounded horse. Blood gushed out instantly, but someone was already prepared, catching it in a wooden basin below. This was precious—to the Han people of Hexi Fortress, nothing edible could be wasted. This horse blood would be made into blood sausage to be stored and eaten later.

"Erqiang, your horse-slaughtering skills haven't rusted at all," Li Dashan praised.

Erqiang laughed heartily. "If I were slaughtering those Karluk animals, I’d be even more swift and ruthless!"

The men worked together, joking and laughing, and soon the warhorse was carved into pieces of meat. Nothing went to waste; even the hide would be dried and fashioned into leather armor. While not as protective as cowhide, it was better than nothing.

An hour later, pots of steaming horse meat were ready. Tonight, the whole village would feast! Regardless of age or gender, and whether or not they had participated in the battle, everyone was welcome to come to the village entrance and eat their fill.

Soon, Dahu and Erhu were each gnawing on a large leg bone. The day’s fighting had exhausted them, and they were famished. Moreover, this was a horse captured from the Karluks; eating it felt like eating the flesh of their enemies, which made the two boys particularly enthusiastic. This was the first time they had smiled since hearing the news of Li Dahai’s death in battle.

"Brother, now that you’re the Fort Master, Grandpa can’t order me around anymore, haha!" Erhu swallowed a mouthful of meat and chuckled. He cast a glance at Dahu and added, "Dahu, from now on, we can do whatever we want!"

Dahu chuckled as well, though with less bravado. He shook his head and said, "Do what you want, but don't drag me into it," glancing toward the old man who was sitting in the distance talking with a group of elders.

"You're such a bore," Erhu muttered. He dropped the topic and pestered Li Xiao, "Brother, have you thought about how we’re going to get revenge on the Karluks?"

"No," Li Xiao replied. Compared to Erhu’s raw and rugged nature, Li Xiao seemed more refined, using a knife to cut his meat into small pieces before eating. To be honest, it didn't taste good; it was stringy. The lack of spices in this era made it impossible to produce the delicacies of the future. *Even if just for the sake of spices, I must raid India a few times in the future,* Li Xiao thought to himself. *Besides, those people love hiding gold in their temples.* If given the chance, he would certainly conquer the Indian subcontinent and turn those people into his slaves—just to grow grain, spices, and cotton.

Seeing his distracted look, Erhu grew anxious. "How can you not have a plan?"

He added viciously, "The Karluks killed our father. A hundred heads are definitely not enough. It would be best to slaughter every single Karluk in Jinzhou."

Watching Erhu’s murderous intensity, Li Xiao realized that this boy might eventually become a butcher who made foreign tribes tremble. He would certainly kill many people in the future. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Li Xiao shook his head and said calmly to Erhu, "It’s not so easy to kill the Karluk rebels. We were just lucky today to take down a hundred. But there are over three thousand Karluk rebels in Jinzhou. We can’t rely on Hexi Fortress alone; we'll wait until Third Grandpa contacts the other villages."

Currently, the priority was gathering intelligence, scouting the Karluks’ movements, coordinating with other Han villages, and then waiting for an opportunity to strike. One could not win a war by relying solely on hot-headedness and reckless brute force. Li Xiao had no intention of trading the lives of his people for those of the Karluks.

"Regardless, I’m going to be the vanguard when the time comes!" Erhu huffed after hearing Li Xiao’s words. Having survived today’s battle, he felt he had undergone a transformation; next time, he would kill at least ten more.

This gathering at Hexi Fortress celebrated the victory of killing a hundred rebels and the inauguration of Li Xiao as the Fort Master. From now on, Li Xiao would face the turbulent whirlpool of Jinzhou head-on. No one would shield him from the wind and rain anymore; he would become that umbrella himself.

By the hour of the Hai (around 9 PM), as the night deepened, the villagers gradually dispersed to their homes. Li Xiao’s family returned home, but they were accompanied by three strangers: Xiao Yanyan and her two guards.

"I’m sorry you have to stay in the village for a few days. The conditions are poor, so please bear with it," Li Xiao said, dismounting and tying his mare into the stable. He then went to gather the other horses being driven into the courtyard.

In addition to the nineteen Li Xiao had killed, the old man had also killed three, gaining three fine horses and several scimitars and bows. Dahu and Erhu had worked together to kill two cavalrymen, each claiming a horse, a blade, and a bow. In total, they had gained thirty horses and a large cache of weapons. The haul from this single battle was nearly equal to the entire previous wealth of the Li family. The existing stable was certainly not enough; Li Xiao and the others would have to build a makeshift corral soon.

"It’s fine, I’m not that particular," Xiao Yanyan said, walking into the courtyard with a calm smile. A princess of Western Liao was different from those of the Central Plains. Like other nomads, she was used to tents and the smell of horse manure, only better fed and clothed. She hadn't had an easy childhood and hadn't received the treatment befitting a princess until her brother rose to power. Thus, the conditions at Hexi Fortress were perfectly acceptable to her.

However, Xiao Yanyan was surprised to see an Eight Immortals table placed in front of the house, holding a spirit tablet and various offerings. Looking around the courtyard, it was clearly set up as a mourning hall. This sight made her feel a bit uneasy. She wasn't afraid of hardship, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of ghosts.

"Li Xiao, what is this?" Xiao Yanyan stopped at the gate, looking at him with discomfort.

"My father," Li Xiao said blankly. He didn't look at her, continuing to tie the horses to the railings. "He died in the North Mountain a few days ago."

He spoke in a calm tone, while Dahu and Erhu stopped their work and looked at the three strangers in unison. They would never forget that the war was lost due to the erratic command of that Khitan governor, who had tricked Li Dahai into holding off the pursuers while he fled. Li Dahai’s death was entirely the fault of Daga Chuluodo. Consequently, they viewed Xiao Yanyan and her people with disdain.

Li Xiao didn't explain further. Xiao Yanyan didn't know, or she wouldn't have dared to enter the Li courtyard.

"Oh... is that so? That is truly a pity," Xiao Yanyan said softly, feeling awkward. She cursed Daga Chuluodo internally—what a useless waste of space. Fortunately, aside from her two guards, no one in Hexi Fortress knew of her connection to him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to stay for a moment. The villagers didn't care if you were a governor or a princess; they took revenge when they were wronged. The Western Liao court was over two thousand miles away, and even the Eastern Capital was eight hundred miles off; their control over the grassroots villages of Jinzhou was limited. If the Han people of Hexi were pushed too far, they might just revolt against Western Liao and defect to the Naiman.

"There's nothing to pity. Life and death are fated; wealth and honor are in the hands of Heaven," Li Xiao said, setting down his tools and turning to her. "In this place, the lives of ordinary people aren't worth a penny."

He walked out of the gate, and Xiao Yanyan followed, still pondering his words. "Life and death are fated, wealth and honor are in the hands of Heaven? What does that mean?" she asked, puzzled. She knew some Chinese, but only enough for daily conversation.

Li Xiao slowed his pace, turned to her, and gave a faint, chilling smile. "It means: whoever dares to mess with me, I will slaughter their entire family, wipe out their clan, and not even spare their dog. Death is nothing to fear; you just have to do it!"

He chuckled and walked on. Xiao Yanyan stood rooted to the spot, clearly stunned. To openly claim he would slaughter someone's entire clan? Were these Han people in Jinzhou really this barbaric? Li Xiao and the others felt completely different from the Han people she had seen at the royal court. They were fiercer, cruder. Standing before Li Xiao, she felt that she, a Khitan, was the one who seemed weak, and that the Han people of Jinzhou were the true "barbarians."

"Hmph, trying to scare me?" Xiao Yanyan shook her head with a forced smile, habitually lifting her chin to display her confidence and pride, like a defiant white swan. Because of her status, Daga Chuluodo always acted reserved around her. But this young man, Li Xiao, gave her a sense of novelty—crude, savage, and unrestrained.