Chapter 32: Zhao Yutu Submits in Awe

Zhao Yutu straightened his long robe, pressed his palms together, and bowed so low that his head nearly touched the ground.

"What are you doing?" Liu Heng tilted his body away, his brow furrowed.

After straightening his back, Zhao Yutu said, "I am deeply grateful to Chief Liu for saving my life."

"Are you spying on our conversation?" Chen Xunping suspected that Zhao Yutu had been eavesdropping on his talk with Liu Heng and reached out to grab Zhao by the collar.

"No, absolutely not!" Zhao Yutu retreated a step, waving his hands repeatedly to deny it. "I only just arrived here myself; I had no opportunity to hear the conversation between you two."

"That’s enough, Second Brother. Counselor Zhao has likely figured it out for himself," Liu Heng said, blocking Chen Xunping from teaching Zhao a lesson.

Hearing this, Zhao Yutu wore a bitter expression. "I, Zhao Yutu, pride myself on being a man of letters, yet I failed to see things as clearly as Chief Liu. Had you not ignored my foolish advice today, we would likely be facing the same fate as Shi Yunhu and his men."

Liu Heng was not surprised that Zhao had come to this realization on his own. Having served as a counselor by Shi Yunhu’s side in the camp, the man naturally possessed his own talents, and his intellect was certainly not inferior to the average person.

Liu Heng smiled and said, "Counselor Zhao is too modest. Even without my interference, you would have realized it eventually."

"It was Chief Liu who shattered that illusory hope, forcing me to calm down," Zhao Yutu replied with a self-deprecating smile.

Chen Xunping glared at him. "Are you implying you blame my brother?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," Zhao Yutu insisted, waving his hands again. "If not for Chief Liu, I would still be trapped in that delusion, unable to pull myself away."

Liu Heng urged, "Second Brother, the Counselor did not mean it that way."

"I should hope not," Chen Xunping said coldly.

"Indeed, Chief Chen is right," Zhao Yutu added. "If Chief Liu does not mind, I am willing to remain by your side and offer my humble services."

Liu Heng laughed. "That is excellent. Counselor Zhao is a man of talent within the camp; I would be delighted to have you stay."

Chen Xunping spoke up from the side. "Brother, we cannot keep this man. It is better to drive him away early. He was one of Shi Yunhu’s men, and today he nearly caused us to share their fate."

"I apologize to Chief Liu and Chief Chen for earlier. Because of me, I nearly put everyone in grave danger," Zhao Yutu said, bowing solemnly to both of them.

Chen Xunping snorted and turned his head away.

Liu Heng smiled. "Enough, Second Brother. Counselor Zhao did not intend for those things to happen during the day, and now that he has apologized, let him stay. The camp is indeed lacking people who can read and write."

"Thank you, Chief," Zhao Yutu bowed to Liu Heng once more.

Chen Xunping remarked with lingering annoyance, "Since my brother Liu has spoken, I will listen to him. But if I find you harboring any ill intentions, don't blame me for being unkind."

Facing the threat, Zhao Yutu remained calm. "Rest assured, Chief Chen. Since I have chosen to stay of my own accord, I will serve Chief Liu with all my heart and dedicate myself to the camp's interests."

Chen Xunping grunted, "I hope it is as you say."

"Stop standing around, let's sit," Liu Heng said, turning his gaze toward Zhao. "I actually have something I’d like to ask you."

Zhao Yutu, who had just sat down, immediately stood back up. "Please, Chief, ask whatever you wish."

"Don't be nervous, sit down. I am not Shi Yunhu; I won't eat you," Liu Heng said. "Earlier, you mentioned you had been to Datong. Do you know where one might acquire iron in Datong, or where the most blacksmiths are located?"

Zhao Yutu was startled. "Does the Chief intend to forge weapons and armor? That would require a vast amount of silver, and if the quantity is too great, it will easily attract the attention of the authorities."

Chen Xunping interjected impatiently, "Just tell him what he asked; enough with the idle chatter."

Liu Heng smiled. "Ignore the other matters for now. Just tell me where I can find what I need."

Zhao Yutu pondered for a moment. "If you are looking for the place with the highest private iron production, it would be Lingqiu. There are many private iron furnaces there, and naturally, many blacksmiths. However, Jin iron is not as good as Min iron. It’s acceptable for farm tools, but it would be inferior for forging armor."

"Lingqiu!" Liu Heng mused. "Are you familiar with the area, Counselor?"

Zhao Yutu replied, "I wouldn't say very familiar, but I have been there once. That place has so many private iron furnaces that people don't even dare to open their windows during the day; a layer of black soot settles on the windowsills by the end of the day."

Chen Xunping asked, confused, "Are we not going to Guangling anymore?"

Liu Heng laughed. "We are certainly going to Guangling, but that doesn't prevent us from visiting Lingqiu as well."

Hearing that Liu Heng truly intended to go to Lingqiu, Zhao Yutu advised, "Perhaps reconsider. Lingqiu is small, yet it is home to several competing factions. There are government officials in the city, and outside the city, there are mine owners who have government backing—none of whom are easy to deal with. Furthermore, there are bandits in the surrounding mountains."

Liu Heng smiled. "I do not fear chaos. The more chaotic it is, the easier it will be for us to establish a foothold."

Seeing that he could not dissuade Liu Heng, Zhao Yutu said, "Currently, we are near Mount Zhuju. At our speed, it will take at least three or four days to reach Guangling, and longer to reach Lingqiu. We must pass through Yangyuan County to get to Guangling, and we must be wary of government troop suppression along the way, which will slow us down further. It might be better to find a place to settle first. There are many forests and mountains within Datong, which are perfect for taking refuge."

Liu Heng laughed after hearing this. "It seems you are very familiar with this region, Counselor."

"I wouldn't call it 'very' familiar," Zhao Yutu sighed. "When my attempts at the civil service examinations failed, I learned map-making to earn a living. I made a habit of recording the distinctive features of every place I visited, so after all this time, I still have some recollection."

"I never imagined you had the skill of map-making," Liu Heng said with delight. "Could I trouble you to draw a map of the places you have traveled along this route? If possible, include the path you took to Lingqiu in the past."

Zhao Yutu thought for a moment. "I can certainly do that. However, when I traveled, I mostly stuck to official roads and county towns. Given that we are now outlaws, the routes we take will differ greatly from what I used back then."

"That is fine. Just having the map is enough; we can fill in the gaps later." Liu Heng had not expected this. In gaining a counselor, he had also gained a cartographer.

Counselor Zhao nodded. "Since the Chief wishes to use my skills, I shall begin drafting the maps for this route according to standard regulations first thing tomorrow morning."

"No rush," Liu Heng said. "We don't yet know if the government troops from Tiancheng Guard have withdrawn. We must hurry tomorrow morning. While Shi Yunhu and his men are under siege, the government troops will be too occupied to deal with us. We should reach Guangling as soon as possible."

Chen Xunping, sitting to the side, added, "It’s not that I look down on Shi Yunhu, but with his limited ability, he’ll be lucky to last through tonight."