Chapter Thirty-One: Convergence

Without waiting for Zhang Yan to respond, Zhang Xuan called out to Yang Zaixing and Yang Hu, signaling it was time to head off. Zhang Yan was left pondering the meaning behind Zhang Xuan’s words, unable to make sense of them at first. She only saw Zhang Xuan wave his sleeve and walk away. Yet after a few steps, Zhang Xuan turned back and shouted, “This era is about to descend into chaos, but opportunity awaits those who are prepared. Zhang Yan, I hope you’ll be ready and seize your chance.”

Not only did Zhang Yan hear those words, but so did Yang Zaixing, Yang Hu, and the newly arrived Elder Tong and Uncle Yang, who had just ridden up. Zhang Yan had been wrestling with Zhang Xuan’s cryptic remarks, unable to unravel them. She was just about to ask for clarification when he strode away. As she opened her mouth to speak, he turned back, prompting her to think he had something more to say, only for him to repeat, “This era is about to descend into chaos, but opportunity will favor the prepared. I hope you’ll be ready and grasp it.” Zhang Yan silently recited those words to herself, recalling also what Zhang Xuan had said before: “I’m counting on you to make a name for yourself in these times.” She stood there for a long while, watching Zhang Xuan and his companions recede into the distance. Suddenly, she lowered her head and chuckled, then looked up at the sky and shook her head with a wry smile. “Chaos in the era? That rascal Zhang Xuan—what nonsense is he spouting?” Yet there was a glimmer of something new in her eyes.

As for Elder Tong and Uncle Yang, they had ridden over at a brisk pace, slowing only when, from afar, they saw a crowd but no sign of the expected battle. They weren’t even sure if Zhang Xuan and his group were present. After all, they could hardly have imagined that just the three would dare to take on thirty or forty bandits. At that moment, Zhang Xuan and Yang Zaixing were resting against a tree, Yang Hu obscured by the foliage. It wasn’t until Zhang Xuan stood and walked toward Zhang Yan that Elder Tong and Uncle Yang recognized them and hurried over. As they drew near, they overheard Zhang Xuan’s words about the coming chaos and opportunity. Uncle Yang, at first, didn’t pay much heed—his concern was for Yang Zaixing and Yang Hu’s injuries. Elder Tong, however, froze upon hearing that remark, thinking: Does this boy know something? That can’t be. Wasn’t he raised on the frontier? He’s still young, doesn’t even know the current emperor’s name—how could he possibly sense the coming disorder? Nonsense, it must be just idle talk. Zhang Xuan had no idea that his casual warning would provoke so many thoughts in Elder Tong.

Yang Hu, first to spot Elder Tong and Uncle Yang, waved in greeting. When Uncle Yang dismounted before Zhang Xuan’s group, he immediately jumped off his horse and began checking Yang Zaixing up and down, running his hands over his body. “Why is your clothes all bloody? Are you hurt? Where is it?” Zhang Xuan watched this scene, muttering inwardly, “So Uncle Yang is into this kind of thing?” and even pulled a rather indecent face. Yang Zaixing caught the look, perhaps guessing at Zhang Xuan’s lewd thoughts, and shot him a glare, signaling for him to cut it out. Zhang Xuan, seeing the glare, just pursed his lips and looked away.

“Uncle Yang, I’m fine. Most of this blood isn’t mine. I’m just a bit of a mess now, but I’ll tidy up soon. Ouch! Not so hard, Uncle Yang!” As Uncle Yang pressed a few spots forcefully, Yang Zaixing yelped in pain.

“You call this fine? Your body must be riddled with holes. Take a few days to rest and recover. No strenuous activity for a while. Hu, how about you? Are you hurt?” After a few words with Yang Zaixing, Uncle Yang turned to Yang Hu.

“Uncle Yang, I’m all right. My hide is thick, and these bandits are untrained and poorly armed. They couldn’t hurt me.”

“Uncle Yang, you can’t play favorites! Why don’t you ask about me? I feel like half my bones are broken—I can barely stand! Look at me, I’m limping. Do you have any miracle medicine, something instantly effective? If you do, don’t hide it—help me out!” Zhang Xuan hobbled over to Uncle Yang, squeezing out a few tears and looking at him with pitiful eyes.

“Little Xuan, you’re as lively as ever—if I sent you to run a hundred miles, you’d manage it just fine.” Elder Tong approached and, hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, said, “Little Xuan, answer me—what did you mean by saying this era is about to descend into chaos?”

Zhang Xuan froze, surprised that Elder Tong had caught that, and tried to deny it: “Did I say that? Are you sure? I think you must have misheard. There’s no chaos coming. Guys, did you hear me say such a thing?” Yang Zaixing and Yang Hu both nodded, even Uncle Yang nodded, confirming that Zhang Xuan had indeed said it.

Looking at the three of them, Zhang Xuan screamed internally—how had he ended up with such useless teammates?

“All right, I’ll confess. These past few days, I dreamed that in a few years, war would sweep across the Central Plains over and over again, so I just blurted out that this era would get chaotic. That’s all there is to it. I swear, that’s the truth. Don’t believe me? Why are you all looking at me like that? It’s not my fault I’m so handsome, is it?”

Yang Zaixing couldn’t help but give Zhang Xuan the finger—he’d seen shameless people before, but never quite like this.

Elder Tong just scoffed at Zhang Xuan’s explanation, dismissing it as nonsense. Yet, thinking back, he realized he knew Zhang Xuan’s background quite well—after all, he’d rescued the boy himself from the frontier. Zhang Xuan had never been educated, didn’t even know who the current emperor was. Could it really be that he spoke based on a dream? But what a vivid dream! It even echoed what Old Sima had said—that chaos was soon to erupt. Elder Tong shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. Whether the world was about to fall into disorder hardly concerned him, and thinking too much only gave him a headache. Better not to bother. “Come on, let’s get moving. The whole afternoon’s been wasted. Fortunately, there’s a village ahead—we’ll rest there tonight. You three, take care and treat your wounds so there are no lasting injuries, understood?”

Zhang Xuan nodded enthusiastically, while Yang Zaixing and Yang Hu glanced at Uncle Yang and nodded as well.

Zhang Yan, too, saw Elder Tong and Uncle Yang and breathed a long sigh of relief. At a glance, anyone could see these two were seasoned fighters. She looked at the men who had earlier been pestering her for advice and shook her head with resignation—thank goodness she hadn’t listened to them, or the whole lot would have been doomed. Then, seeing that the bandits had finished burying their brothers, she waved her hand, signaling everyone to return to camp. As for how she and Zhang Xuan would meet again in the future—that would have to wait (who knows, maybe this story will be abandoned halfway through—a mischievous grin).