Pubang's novel "The night of hunting games" published on Amazon
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Pushing through the thorny bushes, Mo Wen charged ahead desperately. Without saying much, he directed Little Hong forward while loading a bone needle into his weapon. There was no time to apply the poison, so he just fired it off. The bone needle wasn't very lethal, only serving to disrupt their pursuers, but it ended up inciting more anger, making the chasers come at them even faster.
Suddenly, Little Hong noticed that there was no path ahead—it was a steep slope."You fool, what kind of path is this? We're done for now!" he exclaimed in a panic.
Mo Wen stood up, came to the edge of the slope, and looked around anxiously. Little Hong, holding a slingshot, stayed on guard while urging Mo Wen,"Brother, any direction we jump is death. No need to choose!"
The men chasing them, holding machetes, caught up and slowed down when they saw the pair's predicament and overheard their conversation. They began to laugh smugly.
"Run, go ahead and run!" As a dozen men gathered, they sneered and played with their knives, closing in on the two.
Little Hong lifted his slingshot, ready to resist, but Mo Wen snatched it away. Pulling the slingshot back, he released a stone that whizzed through the air. For a split second, he was lost in memories of practicing archery with his father as a child. Back then, he admired his father's precision, and now he had to use that same accuracy against his enemies. As he released the slingshot, he silently repeated his father's teaching:"Every shot, feel the target with your heart."
The lead thug, Teng, heard the slingshot's twang and quickly shielded his face with his arm, twisting his body to avoid the stone.
"Whoosh!" Unfortunately, Mo Wen's aim was off, and the stone flew three feet above Teng's head.
"Hahaha, with such lousy skills, you couldn't hit me even if I stood right in front of you!" Teng taunted as he approached again.
"Look, if you'd let me shoot, at least I could hit one of them!" Little Hong grumbled.
Mo Wen ignored him, threw away the slingshot and the bamboo tube, and pulled Little Hong down the slope. He aimed for a tree root and clung to it, dangling from the steep slope. Little Hong instinctively grabbed a tree branch, his hands getting pricked and bleeding, but he didn't dare let go. Little Hong was bewildered,"If we're escaping, jumping down the slope is risky but necessary. Why are you holding on to a branch and not letting go?"
The thug, Teng, wasn't worried. Jumping down would mean severe injury or death, so there was no rush. As he approached, laughing, a buzzing sound filled the air. Suddenly, a huge wild beehive fell from a tree right into the middle of the thugs. A swarm of angry wild bees burst out, launching an indiscriminate attack.
Mo Wen had spotted the beehive from below earlier. Initially planning to steal honey when they had no food, he now used it strategically. He led Little Hong over and used the slingshot to break the hive. With a loud crash, the beehive 'bomb' exploded, and the furious bees attacked the thugs, stinging them into a frantic retreat. The thugs fled in chaos, covered in painful stings. Teng, the leader, was the slowest and got the worst of it, his face swelling beyond recognition.
Mo Wen and Little Hong buried their faces in the dirt. Mo Wen's hand was also stung by the bees, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. As his fingers swelled and numbed, he eventually lost his grip and slid down the steep slope.
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At the end of the refugee convoy was a Han fortress. Though the city was small, its strategic location surrounded by towering mountains made it a crucial entry point into the Han nation, with over a dozen such easily defensible passes.
In a private room of a tavern within the city, a merchant and a man who appeared to be a steward were whispering to each other, their faces flushed with drink. The merchant finally broached the topic he was most curious about.
The merchant offered another bowl of wine."Brother, I heard that the garrison officer Zhang Ga has been causing quite a bit of trouble lately. What's his background?"
The steward sneered and lowered his voice."Zhang Ga? A country bumpkin with no name back in his village, everyone just called him Ga. Do you know what that means? It's a derogatory term, implying he's a sly and slippery character.
This bumpkin got lucky by following a general's rise to power. As the general's accomplishments grew, Ga began to enjoy more and more perks."
The merchant nodded for the steward to continue and discreetly handed him a pouch of silver.
The steward's eyes lit up as he took the silver and went on,"Since joining the general, this scoundrel broadened his horizons, deliberately learning the tricks of the officialdom, participating in those tea fights and beast duels, and flaunting the noble games he watched in the city to his colleagues and subordinates. Now, he's made a point of befriending the big shots connected to the general. He always slicks his hair back, wears silk robes, supposedly to show his status."
The merchant smiled and nodded."It seems he's quite the schemer."
The steward lowered his voice."I can spot a bad egg from a mile away. The first time I saw his beady eyes, I knew he was no good. Whenever a VIP visits the general's residence, he makes sure to be present, mingling and making an impression. He only associates with people he can use. For the high-ranking officials, he fawns over them, but for the likes of us and the poor soldiers, he treats us like slaves. The soldiers hate working under him."
The merchant took out more silver and quietly asked,"Can you tell me more in detail?"
The steward, satisfied with the additional silver, continued,"He knows the general's preferences well and is good at reading people. He handles the general's unspeakable tasks and dirty work, which has made him more important in the household over the years. At banquets, he flits around like a butterfly, listening to the guests' conversations, gauging their thoughts, skillfully changing topics, and avoiding sensitive issues. With military officers, he shows a keen interest in military matters; with scholars, he acts well-read and knowledgeable."
The merchant, deep in thought, asked,"Then how did he get into trouble recently?"
The steward spat disdainfully and took a sip of wine."The general gave him a cushy job managing military grain—a huge favor for a fellow villager. But this guy is useless in battle and strategy, and social skills mean nothing in wartime. Last year, the general received a tip that the military grain was adulterated with sand and poor-quality grain. The general, who takes army matters seriously, called an emergency meeting and summoned all the officers. The next day, guess what? The warehouse caught fire, and tons of grain were lost.
Although the general publicly condemned the soldiers' poor watch, he was not fooled and suspected Ga. During the meeting, he harshly criticized the soldiers' negligence and even executed several, but clearly disapproved of Ga's excuses. The general reassigned him from managing the grain, and Ga often badmouthed the general behind his back, taking out his frustration on us for trivial reasons."
"And then?"
"Later, the general assigned him to manage old weapons and repair armor. At least this job couldn't catch fire, right?"
The merchant, intrigued, urged,"Brother, you know a lot of inside information. What happened next?"
The steward continued,"After the grain incident settled down, a more shocking news came: Scorpion tribes had weapons that appeared to be from the general's stores. Even though they were old, there were many. The general's investigation confirmed these weapons came from his own armory, ultimately pointing to Zhang Ga."
The merchant nodded thoughtfully."So that's what happened. How did the general handle it?"
The steward lowered his voice further."The general isn't a fool. He immediately placed Zhang Ga under house arrest, awaiting judgment. Knowing he couldn't escape his crimes, Ga tearfully begged for a meeting with the general, but the general refused.
"How did he end up escaping punishment and becoming the city's garrison officer?"