Chapter 25: What Are You Looking At?

The city of Dongping Prefecture was significantly more magnificent than Yanggu County. Its crenellated walls were orderly, clad in blue bricks, and meticulously maintained. Even the gate tower appeared imposing and grand.

Su Wu and Wu Song entered at dusk, just as the local government offices were preparing to close for the day. Since their mission in Dongping was official business, they would have to wait until the next morning to address it. They headed first to the transport depot, which was bustling with the final activities of the day. Su Wu wove through the crowd and traffic, heading straight for the main office.

"Go and call Yu Baosi out," Wu Song ordered.

The clerks and attendants working in the shop all looked up, and a brawny man stepped forward to size them up, though he remained polite. "I wonder..."

"Just tell him that his grandfather from Yanggu County has arrived," Wu Song said, clearly still harboring a grudge against Yu Baosi.

The brawny man's face darkened, but he did not lash out, largely because the heavy pole-arm Wu Song was carrying looked all too familiar. Without another word, he turned and headed toward the back. A moment later, he returned, his dark face replaced by a smile. "Please, follow me. Step inside, please."

Beyond the shop was a courtyard, where Yu Baosi was seen limping toward them from the main hall. Su Wu waved his hand. "No need for you to trouble yourself with a greeting." Yu Baosi, wearing a forced smile, insisted on walking a few more steps.

Once they were seated in the hall, Wu Song looked at the two-meter-tall Yu Baosi and remarked, "My blade was dull that night and I hadn't sharpened it, so I only managed to bruise your muscles and bones. Your skin and flesh are still intact, I trust?"

"Fine, all is fine. I didn't lose much blood..." Yu Baosi nodded repeatedly, signaling for the others to leave. Only then did he ask, "I wonder what brings the Commander here?"

"A matter of killing," Su Wu replied.

"Oh... and whom does the Commander wish to kill?" Yu Baosi asked, his brow furrowing. He knew that once he became entangled with men like these, there would be no easy way out.

"Whoever is easy to kill, we shall kill first," Su Wu said nonchalantly.

Yu Baosi pondered for a moment before answering, "That... Ximen Qing. He is easy to kill."

"See? That's the spirit," Su Wu said with a look of satisfaction and approval.

Wu Song smiled as well. "Good. You’ve got the right idea."

Yu Baosi seemed to relax significantly. He had been hesitant, but once the decision was made, he felt a sense of relief.

"Now, give us a suggestion," Su Wu prompted.

Yu Baosi did indeed have a plan: "I shall find an excuse to invite Ximen Qing outside the city walls. A few men with blades can finish him off there. It would be simple."

Su Wu was even more pleased. "That is an excellent idea, and it suits me perfectly. Since it is your suggestion, shall you be the one to carry it out?"

Yu Baosi gritted his teeth. "Very well, I shall handle it. Once this is done, can the grievances between us and Commander Su be wiped clean?"

"That is easily arranged..." Su Wu waved his hand dismissively and stood up to leave.

"And... when shall we strike?" Yu Baosi asked.

"Just wait for my word," Su Wu said, walking away without looking back.

As Yu Baosi watched them leave, he sighed, wondering if he had made the right choice. A man like Su Wu was surely destined for great things; perhaps this could be considered an alliance. After all, it was only killing a peddler of medicinal herbs like Ximen Qing, not someone like Yun Liwan; surely it wouldn't be much of a problem.

Outside, Su Wu and Wu Song led their horses, looking for a place to stay. Wu Song asked, "Brother, can we trust him?" He remained deeply skeptical of Yu Baosi.

"Regardless of whether he is reliable, this task must be accomplished. If he does the deed, we shall provide backup," Su Wu said. It was his first time proactively orchestrating a killing, and he was being extremely cautious.

"What if he turns around and betrays us?" Wu Song asked—a valid concern.

"That is why we must prepare a contingency. We either wipe them all out or bring him into our fold," Su Wu replied, having clearly thought it through.

"I see. If he offers this as a token of his allegiance, taking him in is not out of the question," Wu Song nodded.

They walked through the streets, in no particular hurry. They headed toward the prefectural office to familiarize themselves with the route for the next morning, also hoping to find a decent inn nearby.

Just as they reached the entrance of the office, a man in armor emerged, cursing loudly, followed by seven or eight soldiers carrying various items. As they drew closer, Su Wu could hear the man grumbling: "A dog with eyes that look down on people! Does he really think he’s too good for me?"

A soldier beside him muttered, "The Prefect is a civil official; naturally, he looks down on us martial men..."

"Hmph!" The officer strode down the street, waving his riding crop in the air as if venting his frustration.

Su Wu and Wu Song stood by the roadside with their horses. The road was narrow, and as the group approached, Su Wu stepped aside to guide their horses and clear the path. As he watched the officer, he wondered: *Could this be Dong Ping, the military inspector of Dongping Prefecture?*

Sure enough, a soldier said, "General Dong, why dwell on this? There are plenty of women; why must it be the Prefect's daughter?"

"What? Is it impossible? I want to marry a scholarly woman from a high official's family—what is wrong with that? With my martial prowess, the moment he has need of me, we shall see how he comes begging!" The officer continued to lash the air with his crop as he spoke.

As the officer reached them, Su Wu was nearly certain. It was indeed the "General of the Twin Spears," Dong Ping. Who else but the military inspector could enter and leave the prefectural office with such ease? Dong Ping had been obsessively seeking the hand of Cheng Wanli's daughter, but Cheng, a fifth-rank civil official, would never marry his daughter to a mere martial subordinate. He had clearly been rejected again.

In the stories, the first thing Dong Ping did after joining the Liangshan rebels was to deceive the guards, open the city gates, and slaughter the entire family of Cheng Wanli before seizing his daughter. These were truly dark tales—the so-called heroes of Liangshan often committed such unforgivable acts.

Dong Ping, noticing Su Wu staring, glared at him: "What are you looking at?"

Su Wu had indeed been staring. Finding Dong Ping’s erratic, almost psychopathic personality irritating, he retorted: "Is it forbidden to even look?"

Without warning, Dong Ping swung his riding crop at Su Wu’s head. Su Wu reacted instantly, reaching up to catch the crop firmly. "Is General Dong really such an unreasonable man?"

Dong Ping yanked the crop, looked at Su Wu, and sneered, "Heh! So you know who I am, and yet you still want to talk to me about reason?" He gestured for his men to step back, clearing a space. He assumed a fighting stance and beckoned to Su Wu: "Come! You look like you have some skill. Let’s see if you have the ability to back up your talk."

*Dammit, I really ran into a lunatic,* Su Wu thought. He had initially considered using Dong Ping—the superior of his enemy Yun Liwan—to solve his problems, but that path was clearly closed now. Dong Ping was not a man of broad character; once offended, there was no chance of reconciliation.

Su Wu hardened his heart. *If I'm going to offend him, I'll do it thoroughly.* He rolled up his sleeves and planted his feet. "General Dong, you are truly bullying people too far."

Su Wu spoke loudly because the street was filling with officials and citizens leaving the office at dusk. With a crowd watching, he needed the moral high ground.

"This wretch dares to blather on! He actually wants to fight me? Watch how I teach him a lesson!" Dong Ping seemed to relish the audience. His peerless martial arts were his pride, and he rarely had the chance to show them off. If that snobbish Prefect looked down on him, he would prove his worth here for all to see.

With that, Dong Ping lunged forward, throwing a punch.