Chapter Twenty: Uncle Yang’s Choice

Zhang Xuan saw that Old Master Tong truly intended to ignore him, so he had no choice but to redirect his plea. "Uncle Yang, surely you won't abandon me and Brother Yang, will you? If they come at us with overwhelming numbers, you would at least lend us a hand, wouldn't you, Uncle Yang? Look at me and Brother Yang, we've barely seen the world, right? You can't bear for us to just end up here like this..."

"He won't help you either, so give up on that idea," Old Master Tong interjected. He truly feared that Uncle Yang, out of concern for Yang Zaixing, would get carried away and agree. That would be a disservice to both Zhang Xuan and Yang Zaixing; they needed this challenge for their growth. It was better for him to answer on Uncle Yang's behalf.

Uncle Yang looked at Old Master Tong, meeting that firm, unyielding gaze. "Since Old Tong has spoken, you'll have to bear the consequences of the trouble you've caused. The three of you are on your own. Old Tong and I will stay well away. Remember, Zhang Xuan, you three must look out for each other. If you can't win, run for it. With the speed you three have, no ordinary man could catch you. Ah Xing, Yang Hu, don't blame me for this decision," Uncle Yang said, turning to Yang Zaixing and Yang Hu.

"Uncle Yang, this is our own mess, and we'll take responsibility. If they really outnumber us, we'll run for it and won't let ourselves get hurt. Don't worry, Uncle Yang," Yang Hu nodded in agreement.

"Xuan, don't even think about hurrying on. You three just wait here for them. Old Yang and I will head into the town, scout around, and find a place to stay for the night. Once you've dealt with your affairs, come find us. Let's go, Old Yang," Old Master Tong said, mounting his horse and riding off. Uncle Yang followed suit.

"Old Tong, do you think they'll get through this?" Once they'd gone a distance, Uncle Yang couldn't help but ask.

"Although Zhang Xuan and Zaixing seem young, they are quite capable. Ordinary people won't be able to handle them. You have to give them a chance to try for themselves—how will you know what they're made of if you never let them try? You said it yourself: if they can't win, they can run. Honestly, on foot, there are few in this world who could outrun those three. And even if someone did, I doubt they'd be able to beat them. I admit, I'm a bit worried myself, but the truth is, we can't protect them forever. When it's time to let go, we must. There might even be a surprise in store. Especially that Zhang Xuan—sometimes, I can't quite figure him out. I'm truly curious to see where his limits lie," Old Master Tong mused, recalling his encounters with Zhang Xuan in Zhang Family Village and their time together since.

"I really want to see what kind of man he'll become."

"I understand you, Old Tong. I've always known I can't protect Zaixing forever. Especially that night we met Zhang Xuan—I was ready to give my life for Zaixing's chance at survival. It's lucky we met Zhang Xuan that night. Maybe it's fate's best arrangement. Come, Old Tong, I know you want to go back and see how they'll handle all this. How about we make a bet—will they fight head-on or run and take revenge later?" Uncle Yang dismounted as he spoke, and Old Master Tong followed. They tied their horses and began to walk back slowly.

"Let's not bet. For all we know, they've already run off. We might get back to find only a few smoldering campfires, or perhaps they'll be waiting, ready for a fight. I can't predict what Xuan will choose. You can see it too—though Zaixing is the eldest, when it comes to decisions, he usually follows Xuan's lead. Not just Zaixing—even we sometimes end up following Zhang Xuan's ideas. He talks a lot, but his actions are reliable. Maybe he really does have some kind of persuasive magic."

"Indeed, Zhang Xuan has a special kind of power. Old Tong, I have no idea where you picked up such an 'odd fellow,'" Uncle Yang laughed. Old Master Tong chuckled as well, "That term must have come from Xuan himself. I have no idea what's in that boy's head—where does he get all those strange words?"

After Old Master Tong and Uncle Yang had walked off, Zhang Xuan went straight to the campfire and sat down. Yang Zaixing, seeing how calm Zhang Xuan was, couldn't help but ask, "Xuan, what's your plan? Are we really going to fight them? You want us to just wait here for them to come? Honestly, I'm not afraid of the original bunch, but if too many come, we might wear ourselves out before they're even beaten. Maybe we should hide first, see how many they bring, and then decide."

Zhang Xuan sat by the fire, tilting his head as he poked at the embers. After a moment, he glanced at Yang Zaixing and Yang Hu. "To be honest, I'm eager for a fight—just to see my own limits. But I'm not dumb enough to just sit here waiting, especially when we don't know how many are coming. Big brother, Brother Hu, come here," he beckoned.

The three of them huddled together, whispering their plans. When they finished, Zhang Xuan gave Yang Hu a signal. Yang Hu nodded, picked up his spear, and darted off.

"Big brother, do you know if there's a law rewarding the capture or killing of bandits? How are the rewards set up? If there is a reward, what do we have to bring to claim it?" Zhang Xuan vaguely recalled that during the late Han dynasty, bandits could be turned in for rewards.

Although the Yellow Turban Rebellion had not yet broken out, the Han dynasty was already rotting at its core. In recent years, epidemics and famines had spread throughout the land, the Ten Eunuchs held power at court, and even if there were policies to combat disaster, they were rarely implemented—or perhaps there were no solutions at all. Maybe those above simply had no idea how dire things had become. To make matters worse, merchants hoarded grain for profit, and all these factors combined turned many disaster victims into rootless wanderers. Some strong and able-bodied men turned to banditry, seizing mountains and becoming outlaws. The bandits became so numerous that the counties and prefectures couldn't wipe them out, and so many commoners or noble families suffered at their hands. As a result, some local authorities or powerful families offered rewards to righteous men who would help suppress the bandits. Zhang Xuan recalled that there were even official edicts about this in the late Han, which was why he asked.

"Maybe there is, but I'm not sure," Yang Zaixing replied, admitting he'd never had any dealing with such matters and had never cared to know. "Why do you ask, Xuan? You want to turn in these bandits for a reward? Forget it. Who knows where the authorities are? If we tie up live bandits, we have to feed them and guard them so they don't escape. If you want to take their heads, I can't stand sleeping next to a pile of severed heads every night." The thought made Yang Zaixing shudder.