Fang Dingwu had truly come to believe he was the reincarnation of a jinx.
He had worked as an armed escort, risking his life for years until he finally became an armed escort team leader. However, just as he reached that position, the entire escort agency was wiped out. He had gone into hiding, enduring countless hardships, only to finally reach the North Watching Pass to avoid the pursuit of the authorities... and now Northern Qiang was invading.
He had been in the North Watching Pass for over a month and went by the name Wu Dafang. The locals quickly accepted him. No one seemed to care about his past or why he was here.
The North Watching Pass was accustomed to new faces like his. Every year, people like him would arrive... those who had committed crimes in the Central Plains or offended powerful people. They all shared one thing in common. Staying in the Central Plains was not an option.
Fang Dingwu remembered that day well. He had left the escort agency, bringing most of his savings, and rode through the night toward Luzhou, hoping to warn Ye Beizhi and Chi Nanwei to flee.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t even find a trace of them, so he went to the residence of the great scholar Li Muxian, intending to demand their whereabouts. He was unceremoniously thrown out by the guards and servants without even being allowed inside.
He lingered in Luzhou for a day, but with no other options, he had to return to Jiading.
As soon as he entered Jiading’s city gates, Fang Dingwu sensed something was wrong. There were few people on the streets, and an air of tension seemed to hang over everything.
Something had happened.
Fang Dingwu’s chest tightened.
The closer he got to the escort agency, the more soldiers he saw on the streets. Abandoning his horse, Fang Dingwu continued on foot, hurrying down a few side alleys on his way to the agency.
As he turned the last corner, the battered gate of the agency came into view.
He took a deep breath, using all his strength to keep himself from collapsing. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, his teeth chattering in his mouth.
What happened? The agency’s gate was wide open, half of it lying in the dust. The golden characters of the "Changfeng Escort Agency" signboard still glinted, but a smear of crimson blood stained it, glaringly obvious.
Bloodstains trailed from the entrance deep into the agency, and the courtyard was dyed dark red. The stench of blood was so strong that Fang Dingwu could smell it from where he stood, making him feel nauseous.
Every so often, officers with fish-scale-patterned uniforms and swords on their waists would go in and out. Fang Dingwu recognized them as the Imperial Guardians. Struggling to control his emotions, he put on a calm expression and walked slowly past the agency entrance.
Two Imperial Guardian guards at the gate scrutinized him as he passed, and did not dare to take a look inside. His hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly, fingernails digging into his palm until blood ran. The pain helped to keep him steady.
Jiading was no longer safe.
Fang Dingwu kept his head down, silently praying that no one would recognize him.
As he reached the city gate, he saw a notice. "Wanted: Survivors of the Changfeng Escort Agency. Rewards for information leading to capture: 1,000 silver taels."
Fang Dingwu froze. He didn’t know where he could go.
Fang Dingwu steeled himself. No matter where he went, it would be far from here. Surviving was the only way forward.
He hadn’t yet found Brother Ye or Little Sister Chi. Logically, they should still be in Luzhou, which meant they were probably alive, but Fang Dingwu knew he had to look after himself first and didn’t have the time to worry about others.
His escape was filled with hardships and twists that he couldn't bear to recount. In the end, he accepted a suggestion from a fellow traveler and came to the North Watching Pass, a city the Imperial court didn’t bother to control.
On the way to the North Watching Pass, Fang Dingwu couldn’t help but wonder nervously what kind of city it would be. Was it a place ruled by tyrants? A place where murder and arson were everyday occurrences?
It was none of those things. Fang Dingwu had imagined countless versions of what this city might be like, yet he never expected this... neighbors living in harmony, people secure and content. Despite the hardships of life in the desert, everyone seemed genuinely happy.
So Fang Dingwu settled down here, naturally, as if it were meant to be. He found work as a blacksmith, earning enough each month to support himself. Without the fighting that marked every day of his old life, he found each day passed easily. He felt he could almost never leave this place.
If he hadn’t seen that person earlier, today would have passed just as peacefully as any other.
Closing the door, Fang Dingwu leaned against it, breathing heavily. He had recognized that man with a single glance. He would never forget that terrifying puppet and the man’s thunderous fingertip strike.
As the footsteps outside faded, the weight on Fang Dingwu’s chest lightened... Apparently, the man hadn’t recognized him. He remembered the man’s name... Forsaken Phoenix Tang Jinnian.
Thinking of him inevitably brought back memories of Brother Ye, Little Sister Chi, and the people from the Changfeng Escort Agency he had treated like his own family. Fang Dingwu pressed his lips together; some things couldn’t be forgotten, no matter how hard he tried.
He wondered to himself whether Brother Ye and Miss Chi were alright and if they had escaped the court’s pursuit...
"Dafang!" his neighbor, a man named Xing, shouted from outside. After a month, Fang Dingwu had become close with him, and they had arranged to drink and eat together at Xing’s place that evening.
"Coming!" Fang Dingwu replied from behind the door.
When he opened the door, a man stood outside, smiling. Seeing Fang Dingwu, he teased, "What’s the holdup? Are you avoiding my place because you don’t like my wine?"
"Not at all!" Fang Dingwu laughed, throwing an arm around the man’s shoulder. "Big Brother Xing’s wine... ah, that flavor!"
Brother Xing laughed and scolded him, "You talk too much for someone who can’t hold his liquor! Instead of wasting time yapping, drink some more with me. Hurry up! My wife has made some snacks, and if you dawdle, they’ll be cold."
Fang Dingwu patted Brother Xing’s shoulder as they went inside.
After a few cups of murky wine, the two men began chatting freely.
Fang Dingwu took a sip of wine, frowning slightly. "The Northern Qiang army is almost here, but you don’t seem worried at all?"
"Worried?" Brother Xing rolled his eyes at him. "What’s there to worry about? When the sky falls, there’s always someone taller to hold it up. Why should I be worried? Besides, when hasn’t the Northern Qiang stirred up trouble around here? It’s not like the court’s troops can’t handle them."
"The Northern Qiang army’s right on our doorstep, yet there’s no sign of the court’s troops," Fang Dingwu muttered, "If the Northern Qiang really breaks into the city, won’t we common folk be the ones to suffer?"
"You’re just worrying for no reason." Brother Xing downed his cup in one go and exhaled contentedly. His breath carried the heady smell of wine.
"Worrying for nothing..." Fang Dingwu sighed. "War isn’t something to joke about, Brother Xing. People actually die."
Brother Xing shot him another look, and complained gruffly, "I never went to school, so I don’t care who’s doing the worrying... I’m not worried.
"Think about it... North Watching Pass is the first town on the border. Do you think the court would ever let the Northern Qiang take it?"