Chapter 25: The Jianghu Is Not Just About Fighting and Killing

Hulü Jin led his tribe westward in flight, intending to seek refuge with Polo Han Baling.

Upon reaching Shiwu, they were stopped by someone.

A squadron of purely black cavalry blocked Hulü Jin's path.

"She Di Gan, what is the meaning of this?"

Like the Er Zhu clan, the She Di tribe's ancestors rose alongside Tuoba Gui, and were granted a hundred li of land at Shanwu La Wu Mountain for their military merits.

After Emperor Xiaowen moved south to Luoyang, those military merit families in the northern border who did not follow south fell into decline.

By She Di Gan's generation, though his reputation remained heavy, a gap had opened between him and Er Zhu Rong.

Hulü Jin knew She Di Gan well; he was famously single-minded, and Hulü Jin did not believe he would wage war against him for the Northern Wei court.

"I was entrusted by someone to stop you here!"

"Who?"

As the words fell, a sound of vigorous horse hooves rose from the distance.

"General Hulü, wait!"

A squadron of cavalry rushed forward at high speed, with Yu Jin at the head.

Hulü Jin had initially thought they were sent by Yuan Shen and felt some hesitation, but when the squadron drew near, he realized they were not troops from Take Pingcheng, but from Ma Yi.

"Adjutant Yu, what is your purpose in coming?"

"General, you have always been loyal and righteous; why go to join the rebel traitor Polo Han Baling?"

"Within the tribe, hunger and cold come every year; I cannot bear for the old and young to freeze and starve, so I am going west."

Hulü Jin did not mention that Yuan Shen had filed those few confessions; he simply stated a reason very common in the northern border.

Yu Jin naturally did not believe him, yet did not wish to probe deeper.

"If you join Polo Han Baling, will there be grain? Although the lands around Woye Town are fertile, they cannot support such a large army."

In Yu Jin's view, Hulü Jin actually had another choice.

Join Ma Yi!

At least, in that case, the court would suffer no loss.

However, Hulü Jin clearly did not wish to make that choice.

Deep within Hulü Jin's heart lay his own pride, which would not allow him to bow to a Han man.

Therefore, after giving up on Yuan Shen, he would rather choose Polo Han Baling.

"Since matters have come to this, more words are useless!"

Hulü Jin did not wish to push things to the extreme; he looked at She Di Gan.

"The person has arrived; let me pass!"

She Di Gan did not move a muscle.

"The person who entrusted me is not him!"

"Then who is it?"

"The governor of Ma Yi, Brother Daye Shuang!"

A surge of anger rose in Hulü Jin's heart.

"Your She Di tribe is also a noble house; why listen to a Han man?"

She Di Gan looked utterly confused, glancing left and right.

A personal guard beside She Di Gan whispered a few words in his ear, and She Di Gan suddenly realized!

"So he is a Han man!"

"..."

"I don't know either; he speaks Xianbei like a pro!"

Hulü Jin had been filled with anger, but seeing She Di Gan's expression, he had nowhere to vent it.

"Now, can you let me pass?"

She Di Gan shook his head.

"Whether he is a Han man or someone else, since I have promised him, I must keep my word."

Hulü Jin looked at She Di Gan, found no way, and then turned his gaze to Yu Jin.

"What does Li Shuang want with me?"

Yu Jin shrugged, wearing an equally ignorant expression.

"He only asked me to stop General Hulü first; as for what he specifically wants to do, I do not know."

As time passed, Hulü Jin grew increasingly impatient.

For no other reason: his tribe had little stored grain and could not afford to waste time on the road. If they failed to reach the rendezvous point at the scheduled time, lacking food, a large number of people in the tribe would surely die.

"She Di Gan, he cannot come; let me pass quickly!"

"No!"

Hulü Jin grew somewhat furious.

"If so, do not blame me for being ruthless!"

"Come on!"

She Di Gan showed no panic at all, taking up a fighting stance. The warhorses of his unit were all black, and they had been well-fed these past days; She Di Gan was simply bored with nothing to do.

"Hulü Jin, I have heard you are a famous general; I have long wished to test my skills against you!"

Hulü Jin, enraged, cursed:

"You fool!"

Just as both sides were about to engage, the sound of a horn blared.

Li Shuang finally arrived with several hundred cavalrymen and more than twenty carts.

"So this must be General Hulü!"

Drawing near, Li Shuang, his face beaming with smiles, clasped his hands and said.

Having been dragged out for so long, Hulü Jin felt deeply displeased, yet looking at this youth before him and seeing his extraordinary bearing, he still responded.

"Indeed!"

"I heard the General intends to join the True King. The road ahead is high and distant; I have specially prepared over twenty carts of grain, medicinal herbs, and various common necessities, which is why I arrived late. I hope the General will forgive me!"

Yu Jin looked utterly shocked, staring at Li Shuang with a face full of disbelief.

What is this lord up to?

Yu Jin had originally thought Li Shuang intended to suppress bandits, but now, looking at the situation, it didn't seem so at all!

Could it be he also intends to join Polo Han Baling?

Soon, Yu Jin dispelled this absurd thought from his mind; raising his head again, he looked at Hulü Jin, who was visibly moved.

In these times, anyone can speak pleasing words, but actually handing over real gold and silver is exceedingly rare.

Even Guangyang Wang Wang Yuanshen thought only of base methods to control people.

Hulü Jin is loyal and righteous, not a fool; how could he not see clearly?

Yet this Han man, whom he had never met before, risked danger in the ice and snow to deliver so many supplies, moving Hulü Jin deeply.

"Why does the Governor of Ma Yi do this?"

"The General is a hero of his generation, now intending to travel west to join the True King. I do not know the rightness or wrongness of the matter inside, so I am not fit to judge. I have merely prepared a humble gift with no other intent, only hoping the General has a smooth journey."

At this moment, emotions surged in Hulü Jin's heart; a thousand words and ten thousand phrases were choked in his chest, finally simplifying into just two words.

"Thank you!"

Having spoken, Hulü Jin led his horse away.

Li Shuang waved his hand from behind.

"General, take care! Please convey my greetings to the True King for me!"

The troops of the Hulü tribe departed, but having gone only halfway, Hulü Jin, accompanied by a youth, suddenly turned back.

"Army Master, this is my son, Hulü Guang. The road ahead is long and distant; he is still young. Would the Army Master be willing to look after my son?"

Hulü Guang, who would later become one of the three heroes of the Northern Qi, was at this moment only a child of eight or nine, yet sitting on a horse, he did not in the least fall short of others.

"General, rest assured; I will certainly not let Hulü Guang be bullied by anyone."

Hulü Jin nodded.

"Hulü Guang!"

"Father!"

"From now on, treat the Army Master just as you treat me!"

"Yes, Father!"

"From now on, you shall be the guard by my side!"

Hulü Guang glanced at Li Shuang, clasped his hands, and said:

"Yes!"

In his movements, he did not seem like a child at all; his etiquette was impeccable.

"Farewell!"

This time, Hulü Jin truly departed.

Just as Li Shuang and his men were about to leave, She Di Gan quietly approached.

"Governor of Ma Yi, I heard you are a Han man?"

Li Shuang looked strange.

"You only know this now?"

She Di Gan scratched his head, his face full of embarrassment.

"I only just found out myself. If you are a Han man, then some matters must be discussed differently."

"What, you don't want to work with me anymore?"

"Not at all!"

A flush of red spread across She Di Gan's simple face; he acted shy and bashful, and only after a long while did he swallow out a few words.

"You have to add money!"

To this, Li Shuang smiled and simply replied with two words.

"Get lost!"

Li Shuang slapped his horse and rode off; She Di Gan, panicked, chased after him shouting:

"Governor of Ma Yi, some matters can be negotiated. You don't know our customs here; if you don't add money, that's fine, but you must at least give more food and drink!"