Chapter 26

“Is this General Daye Shuang’s force ahead?”

After bidding farewell to Hulü Jin, Li Shuang was preparing to return to Ma Yi with his men.

On the way, they were stopped by a band of Xiongnu cavalry.

“Who are you?”

“Our lord wishes to invite the General to rest briefly at our tribe, as a token of gratitude for your hospitality.”

The man spoke fluent Xianbei, yet his attire clearly marked him as Xiongnu.

Hearing this, Li Shuang recalled Gao Ang’s account of the three thousand elite Xiongnu cavalry—today, he saw it was no lie.

The Xiongnu cavalry before him, whether in soldier quality or equipment, far surpassed the decayed northern warlord clans of the steppe.

Indeed, they were even stronger than the imperial guards of Luoyangcheng.

“Kedidi Gan, your tribe is a major one, and you’re someone who could serve as palace guard in Luoyang—do you know who they are?”

Kedidi Gan whispered beside him:

“I only know they’re a minor tribe subordinate to the Po Liuhan clan; their chieftain is a famed shaman of the steppe, incredibly efficacious—named Du Gu Ru.”

“A shaman?”

Li Shuang’s interest sparked instantly. He bowed to the Xiongnu riders:

“Then we’ll trouble you!”

Pingcheng.

In a smoky, dim chamber, Yuanshen knelt on the ground.

Opposite him sat the Great Shaman Liu Ling.

Liu Ling now wore a solemn expression, muttering incantations in a ritual of prayer.

The once-mighty Prince of Guangyang raised his head, face filled with anxiety and fear—like a child awaiting punishment.

Liu Ling held a willow branch damp with dew, waving it through the air.

Yuanshen had attended too many such rituals to miss a single detail; the moment Liu Ling lowered the willow branch, he blurted out anxiously:

“What did the Heavenly God say?”

Liu Ling exhaled slowly:

“The Heavenly God says: if the Prince sincerely repents, writes down his sins honestly, places them in this box, and burns them to the heavens, the gods will forgive you—provided no sin is concealed.”

“Good!”

Liu Ling closed his eyes. Yuanshen took a silk scroll and wrote many lines, glancing frequently at Liu Ling to ensure he wasn’t peeking.

When finished, Yuanshen swiftly placed the scroll into the box before him. Only then did Liu Ling slowly open his eyes.

“Then I shall begin.”

Yuanshen watched as the box was cast into the brazier, until it turned to ash before his eyes, then murmured:

“Now the gods will forgive me, won’t they?”

Liu Ning nodded.

“If the Prince concealed nothing from the gods, he will be forgiven.”

Yuanshen produced a gold ingot and placed it in Liu Ling’s hand, then hurried from the chamber, his body noticeably lighter.

Watching Yuanshen’s retreating back, Liu Ling smirked, reaching beneath the table where the box had been, and twisted a mechanism.

The mechanism turned—the silk scroll, meant to be burned with the box, now lay in Liu Ling’s hand.

Liu Ling glanced at the scroll and smiled faintly:

“So Yuanshen has been having an affair with the Princess of Chengyang Yuan Hui!”

“The Heavenly God says: if the General sincerely repents, writes down his sins honestly, places them in this box, and burns them to the heavens, the gods will forgive you—provided no sin is concealed.”

Inside the tent, Du Gu Ru, no longer dressed in red robes but in shamanic attire, radiated an aura of sacredness!

She held the willow branch, gazing at Li Shuang before her, and spoke slowly:

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“Then I’ll write?”

“Write. These words are the bridge between you and the gods—I won’t read them.”

“But…”

Seeing Li Shuang still hesitating, Du Gu Ru asked:

“General, what concerns you?”

“The paper you gave isn’t enough!”

“...”

After completing the ritual, Li Shuang exhaled in relief and looked at Du Gu Ru.

“Your method truly works—I feel much lighter now.”

“To assist the General is my honor.”

“Then I’ll continue to trouble you.”

Li Shuang rose and stepped out. Du Gu Ru’s hand slid beneath the table and turned the mechanism.

But too many sheets had been inserted—the mechanism jammed.

Du Gu Ru grew irritated, cursing under her breath:

“I want to see just how many wicked deeds you’ve committed—ten sheets still aren’t enough!”

“Shengnü…”

A call rang out—Li Shuang turned back.

Du Gu Ru panicked, hurriedly sat upright, tidied her disheveled hair, and tried to appear composed.

“Shengnü, what’s wrong?”

“I just communed with the Heavenly God—drained too much spiritual power. General, why have you returned?”

“I just wanted to confirm: the tribal elders said after the ritual, you’d provide me and my men free meals—is that true?”

Du Gu Ru forced a polite, awkward smile.

“Yes!”

“Then I’m relieved!”

Nightfall.

Du Gu Ru clutched her head, looking utterly miserable.

Beside her, the tribal elder stared at the dozen pages of Li Shuang’s confessions. Old and weary, he read aloud unconsciously:

“From childhood, I was poor, yet vowed to save the world and benefit the people.”

“At three, I helped my neighbor’s aunt wash jujubes…”

“At five, I took orphans from my village to catch frogs in the fields…”

“At ten, my virtuous conduct earned me unanimous acclaim as the First Good Man of Jin Province—from Taipingzhuang and dozens of surrounding villages…”

“At twelve, I began my enterprise; over four years, I turned Taipingzhuang into the wealthiest village in all of Shanxi…”

“Looking back on my turbulent decades, though I’ve achieved minor success, I still fall short. My personal small steps have brought negligible progress—nowhere near leading all living beings forward by a single great stride. I deeply regret this.”

“I haven’t done enough for the people of the world!”

“I pray the gods forgive me, and grant me the chance to continue striving for their prosperity and happiness in the years ahead.”

The elder finished reading, a tear slipping unnoticed down his cheek.

“In this age, there still exists a General as noble as Li Shuang!”

Du Gu Ru lifted her head, watching the emotionally moved elder, and couldn’t help retorting:

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Aru, what do you mean?”

“That Daye Shuang? He’s a complete scoundrel!”

Du Gu Ru sighed, wondering why she wasted such precious time in her life playing along with this brat.

Worse still, she grieved over the grain and rations Li Shuang and his men had consumed for free.

“It’s time to crank up the pressure on him.”