Chapter Fifty-Five: The So-Called Family Letter

Qin Cheng glanced at Wei Dalei and saw a flash of cold light—the dagger was already at his eyes! Wei Dalei had maintained a calm demeanor all along, quietly present while Zhang Shiyou shouted and opposed Qin Cheng at every turn. Amid such chaos, it was easy to overlook him. Liu Mu’s intention had been for Qin Cheng to interrogate him thoroughly, but upon turning his attention, he was startled into a cold sweat.

In the heat of the moment, Qin Cheng leaned back, and the dagger swept across right in front of him. Using the momentum, he flipped backward, landing on his feet, barely steady before retreating swiftly, widening the distance between himself and Wei Dalei.

Wei Dalei, having missed his strike, watched as Qin Cheng retreated. Unwilling to let him escape, he advanced rapidly, lunging with the dagger once more, aiming fiercely at Qin Cheng!

Qin Cheng had been caught off guard earlier, which allowed Wei Dalei to capitalize. Now, having retreated several steps, he would not make the same mistake. Without any unnecessary moves, he simply drew his long blade with his left hand, just a fraction, preparing to unsheathe it fully. Wei Dalei, knowing Qin Cheng’s prowess, thought to himself that if Qin Cheng drew his blade, there would be no hope of victory. So, before the blade was completely out, he stabbed at Qin Cheng’s left arm with his dagger!

Qin Cheng sneered inwardly. He sidestepped, increasing the distance between his left arm and Wei Dalei, and with lightning speed, kicked out with his left leg, landing a solid blow on Wei Dalei’s right ribs!

Wei Dalei, caught off guard, stumbled back several steps from the force of the kick, barely managing to steady himself. As he prepared for another bout, he saw a flash of cold light—the long blade was already at his chest!

Wei Dalei’s expression tightened; instead of retreating, he advanced, deflecting Qin Cheng’s blade with his dagger, aiming to get close. He knew that if the distance widened, he would gain no advantage. Only by closing in could he utilize the dagger's strength in close combat, disabling Qin Cheng’s ability to wield his long blade effectively.

As soon as Qin Cheng engaged Wei Dalei, he realized this was no ordinary man; his skills were formidable. Seeing Wei Dalei intent on closing in, Qin Cheng naturally wouldn't allow it. He withdrew his blade, then swept upwards from the center line.

While the two fought fiercely, Liu Mu and the soldiers who had rushed in did not intervene. Liu Mu even ordered the soldiers out of the tent to avoid getting injured or giving Wei Dalei a chance at taking hostages. Watching the tussle, Liu Mu judged Wei Dalei’s skills were likely not inferior to his own.

Yet, Wei Dalei showed no intention of escaping or seizing hostages; he simply attacked Qin Cheng relentlessly. This left Liu Mu, standing by, feeling superfluous. He considered helping but thought better of it. He knew Qin Cheng’s strength well—after all, during the capital trials, Liu Mu had conceded after just three moves. If he stepped in now, he would undermine the reputation of the Cavalry Captain; it would be disgraceful if word spread that such a figure needed help to subdue a troublemaking soldier.

As Liu Mu watched the fight between Qin Cheng and Wei Dalei, he kept an eye on Zhang Shiyou, wary that the latter might attempt something unexpected.

With blade in hand, Qin Cheng quickly gained the upper hand, slashing a chunk of flesh from Wei Dalei’s thigh within a few exchanges. Qin Cheng aimed to capture Wei Dalei alive, knowing that a fatal outcome would be detrimental to the ongoing cavalry evaluations and the development of the cavalry force.

Wei Dalei, wounded in the thigh, uttered not a sound, his eyes growing redder. Realizing he could not defeat Qin Cheng, he went berserk, ignoring the blade slicing toward his chest and stabbing his dagger at Qin Cheng’s throat!

Qin Cheng’s blade was about to cut into Wei Dalei’s chest; if it landed, and if Wei Dalei was ruthless enough, his dagger could still pierce Qin Cheng’s neck—a classic exchange of life for life!

Liu Mu was shocked by this, never expecting Wei Dalei to be so savage, willing to risk his own life to injure Qin Cheng, as if Qin Cheng were his mortal enemy. But it was too late for Liu Mu to intervene, sweat breaking out on his brow.

At the critical moment, Qin Cheng leaned back, withdrew his blade, and kicked out, his body forming a perfect T-shape!

The kick carried tremendous force—Wei Dalei was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground. As Wei Dalei struggled to rise, Qin Cheng’s blade was already at his throat!

Wei Dalei looked up, locking eyes with Qin Cheng; both saw the ferocity in each other's gaze. Suddenly, a glint flashed in Wei Dalei’s eyes, and he tried to thrust his neck against Qin Cheng’s blade!

He was attempting suicide!

Qin Cheng seemed to have anticipated this. As Wei Dalei moved, the blade shifted aside, and Qin Cheng kicked him again, this time in the chest.

Wei Dalei spat blood, rolling backward and collapsing in a heap.

As Wei Dalei rolled away, Qin Cheng swiftly closed in, chopping at his neck with the edge of his hand, knocking him out cold.

Having subdued him, Qin Cheng called toward the tent door, “Someone, bind this man, gag him, and assign three guards for close watch. Don’t let him die!”

He picked up his blade, sheathed it, and said to Liu Mu, “This fellow truly has guts—he was determined to spill blood, even at the cost of his own life. He’s a real man.”

Wei Dalei had not uttered a sound since the incident began, nearly causing a fatal outcome. As the saying goes, it’s always the silent dog that’s the most dangerous.

Liu Mu breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at Zhang Shiyou, and said anxiously, “Thankfully, none of these men caused fatalities on the training ground. Had they decided to make trouble there, it would have been impossible to guard against—ah, if their accomplices caused deaths at the training ground, that would be disastrous!”

His face, already pale, grew whiter still, and he was eager to rush out and check the situation at the training ground.

“Don’t worry,” Qin Cheng said. “Squad Leader Li is there; nothing will happen. Their accomplices should now be under control. I’m concerned there might be escapees, but with Li and Qin Qingzhi’s sharpness, there shouldn’t be any issues. Go ahead and check the training ground.”

“Why not simply suspend the evaluation, sort matters out, clear out these troublemakers, and then resume?” Liu Mu proposed.

“No,” Qin Cheng replied firmly. “The evaluation cannot be suspended. The progress of the cavalry must not be hindered.”

Qin Cheng would never allow the development of the cavalry to be obstructed by any incident, especially at this crucial beginning. Any delay would be a huge blow to his reputation as the newly appointed Cavalry Captain, making subsequent tasks much harder and possibly preventing desired outcomes—truly a loss outweighing any potential gain.

At this point, Qin Cheng glanced at Zhang Shiyou. Zhang Shiyou now lay slumped on the ground, eyes closed, feigning unconsciousness.

Liu Mu agreed and prepared to leave the tent, but as he turned, he remembered something. Qin Cheng called out, “Wait—did you find anything in Zhang Shiyou’s quarters?”

“Nearly forgot. These were found in his quarters.” Liu Mu handed the items to Qin Cheng.

Qin Cheng took them, nodded, and signaled for Liu Mu to go.

“General Qin,” Liu Mu was about to leave when Li Hu entered, followed by several law enforcement soldiers escorting two bruised sentries. Both had their mouths gagged and continued struggling, showing no respect or restraint upon seeing Qin Cheng, their eyes full of arrogance.

“These two attempted trouble; fortunately, Qin Qingzhi discovered it early and we apprehended them,” Li Hu reported.

Qin Cheng glanced at them, about to speak, when he noticed they looked at the slumped Zhang Shiyou and sneered at Qin Cheng, heads held high in defiance.

Damn fools, Qin Cheng cursed inwardly. He moved quickly, delivering a hard kick to each soldier’s chest, sending them flying toward the tent door, and out of the tent entirely!

Ignoring the shocked gazes, Qin Cheng turned to the table, and said coldly, “Take them away, keep them separated.”

He added, “Take Zhang Shiyou as well, gag him, bind his arms behind him—don’t let any of them have a chance to commit suicide.”

Qin Cheng knew he wouldn’t get anything out of them quickly; they were likely death-defying loyalists like Wei Dalei, liable to kill themselves if provoked. Qin Cheng didn’t bother questioning them further, instead having them taken away for now. With Liu Mu’s confiscated letters in hand, Qin Cheng hoped to glean some clues.

Once the law enforcement soldiers had taken Zhang Shiyou and the others away, only Liu Mu and Li Hu remained. Not seeing Qin Qingzhi, Qin Cheng assumed he was still maintaining order at the training ground. Qin Qingzhi had done well without seeking credit, and Qin Cheng’s impression of him improved.

Li Hu saw Qin Cheng focused on the letters and quietly left to continue his duties at the training ground. As Liu Mu prepared to leave, Qin Cheng looked up and said, “Liu Mu, stay.”

Liu Mu shot Qin Cheng an annoyed glance. Seeing Qin Cheng engrossed in the silk letter, he asked, “Any discoveries?”

Qin Cheng looked up and handed the silk to Liu Mu. Liu Mu took it and glanced through, disappointed—it was nothing more than an ordinary family letter, discussing trivial matters at home. “This seems to be a typical family letter, nothing special.”

Qin Cheng frowned slightly. “Where did you find these?”

“In a hidden compartment beneath Zhang Shiyou’s bed—well concealed, took some effort. I thought it would be something useful, but it’s only these useless family letters,” Liu Mu recalled. Then, feeling uneasy, he muttered, “But that can't be right. If it were just an ordinary letter, why hide it so carefully?”

He turned the silk over again, murmuring, “But there’s nothing unusual about it. How odd.”

Qin Cheng rested his chin in thought, took the letter back, and read it carefully:

My son, as I read your letter, the matters you mentioned are known to us at home. It has been over two years since you joined the army; we miss you greatly. Take care, achieve merit, do not worry for home; all is well here. Recently, a stray dog came to the house, vicious and biting many cattle and sheep. In recent days, it tried to bring other wild dogs to attack the house. All say this is a great threat, and it must be dealt with. Following your second brother’s advice, we selected a few weak sheep, applied medicine, and placed them outside the wall to lure the wild dogs. Once the medicine took effect, everyone came out and killed the dogs. Your second brother killed the lead dog. The next day, we spread word in the village and hung the dog’s head on the big tree at the village entrance, so the dogs dared not return. You are in the army, many difficulties; be careful, seek help from others when needed. Remember the family teachings when joining the army, heed them well.

Qin Cheng read through the letter several times, sensing something amiss but unable to pinpoint it. After pondering, recalling the day's turmoil, a sudden realization brightened his gaze.

Liu Mu noticed Qin Cheng’s change in expression and hurriedly asked, “Have you found something odd, General Qin?”

“Almost certainly,” Qin Cheng replied, setting the silk aside.

“Then tell me quickly, stop keeping secrets!” Liu Mu urged.

Qin Cheng glanced at Liu Mu, a mischievous smile on his lips. “You really want to know?”

“Of course! Tell me now,” Liu Mu demanded.

“Hmm,” Qin Cheng nodded theatrically. “But I don’t want to say.”

“What?” Liu Mu was momentarily stunned. “Are you teasing me? Speak up!”

Seeing Liu Mu truly anxious, Qin Cheng couldn’t help but tease him, remembering his usual stern demeanor. “I’ll tell you, but you must agree to a condition.”

Liu Mu’s expression cooled, “No. Say it if you wish, otherwise forget it. Don’t try to threaten me.”

“Oh?” Qin Cheng raised an eyebrow, chuckling. “Then I won’t say.”

“You…” Liu Mu was exasperated, snorting and turning away, refusing to look at Qin Cheng.

“Haha…” Qin Cheng was amused by Liu Mu’s flushed face. “Actually, it’s not hard to spot the oddity—the answer lies in this letter.”

“This is just a normal family letter. What’s so odd?” Liu Mu retorted, but he had already turned back.

Qin Cheng handed him the silk, waved his sleeve, and said, “Try to imagine the section about fighting the wild dogs.”

Liu Mu looked down, puzzled. “Imagine? How?”

“Picture the lead dog as myself, the cattle and sheep as infantry and charioteers, the family as Zhang Shiyou and his ilk, the other wild dogs as the camps supporting the cavalry. Imagine the wild dogs attacking the cattle and sheep as cavalry selecting new recruits. What do you see?” Qin Cheng explained.

Liu Mu stared at the silk for a while, his face suddenly turning pale as he looked at Qin Cheng in disbelief. “You’re saying this letter contains instructions for Zhang Shiyou and the others’ actions?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Qin Cheng rolled his eyes.

Liu Mu took a deep breath and exclaimed, “What a cunning method, what a malicious mind! When Zhang Shiyou and the others made such a commotion, I was puzzled—now I see it’s the ‘spread word in the village’ from the letter. They wanted to amplify the impact, hinder the development of the cavalry, and even used Liu Shanhe as a scapegoat to make the turmoil seem justified, in line with ‘seek help from others when needed’ in the letter. Truly despicable! These people are so scheming, it’s chilling!”

“Indeed,” Qin Cheng agreed. “Every line in this letter seems trivial, but each has substance. The closing lines about remembering family teachings suggest these men joined the army with impure motives. Their depth of thought is impressive.”

“Who could be so deliberate, so intent on undermining our Qiansang camp? If we hadn’t controlled the situation quickly and handled the aftermath well—even if Wei Dalei had died—it would have been a disaster!” Liu Mu exclaimed.

“At best, the cavalry’s progress would be delayed; at worst, the entire reform of military units at Qiansang would be ruined,” Qin Cheng replied calmly. “If these people are so calculated, even a single mistake on our part could escalate the situation beyond control, given their influence.”

“There’s still one question unanswered,” Qin Cheng continued. “Just…”