The Rise of Phoenixes

“We will collect the supplies.” Feng Zhiwei signaled for Yao Yangyu and the others to step forward and follow as Chunyu Hong called forward a vice general.

“Brother Wei must be tired after a long month of fighting. Will you come into camp and rest? The Military Inspector from the Imperial Court may be arriving tonight, and perhaps we can prepare a dinner to welcome you both together.”

“We will see.” Feng Zhiwei replied lightly. “We never planned to stay in the main camp. It is not convenient for us, and we have set up our own camp to the north.”

Chunyu Hong knew that when the Hu Zhuo Tribe’s men had been betrayed, a Tian Sheng spy had played a role. It was very natural that the Hu Zhuo army would be suspicious of Tian Sheng hospitality, but how had an outsider like Wei Zhi managed to gain control over the ferocious Hu Zhuo soldiers?

The questions whirled around inside him, but he chose to hold his peace, returning to his post in his tent as Feng Zhiwei followed Zhu Shirong to the warehouse.

A couple piles dotted the area around the warehouse entrance, and Yao Yangyu was having his people loading the supplies when he cried out in surprise.

He lifted a piece of leather for Feng Zhiwei’s inspection and easily rubbed a hole through the armor.

Rotten leather.

Feng Zhiwei’s eyes gleamed.

Yao Yangyu’s face turn icy, and he picked up a spear, gently shaking it and dislodging the spear-tip.

The metal clattered loudly to the ground, and Yao Yangyu slowly turned to stare at Zhu Shirong.

The Quartermaster awkwardly met their gaze. A good portion of the supplies he had prepared was indeed of poor quality despite Chunyu Hong’s orders to provide the best they had.

Zhu Shirong was a selfish man, and his brother-in-law, Vice Minister Hu Shengshan’s Second Son, was serving in the Yu County garrison as vice-general. This brother-in-law had asked Zhu Shirong to keep some of the high quality equipment for his vanguard while he prepared a formal request to the Supreme Commander. Zhu Shirong had mixed in bad with the good, thinking that the Hu Zhuo horsemen would be fighting across hundreds of miles in different fronts and would not come after him for a few dozen pieces of poor armor. He had not expected the young master to check over everything so carefully, inspecting every single piece of armor.

As he met Yao Yangyu’s icy eyes, Zhu Shirong’s heart pounded, but he still thought little of what he had done. He forced a smile and began explaining: “BRother Yao, all the good leather we have is here. We don’t have enough to meet your request, what with every camp asking us for supplies, I have difficulty…”

Feng Zhiwei cut in, her voice indifferent as she asked: “All the good armor is here?”

Her eyes made Zhu Shirong’s heart skipped a beat, but he gritted his teeth and loudly replied: “Yes!”

Entering the supply warehouse required the Supreme Commander’s approval, and if he insisted that all the good leather armor was already prepared for them, Wei Zhi could do nothing.

Feng Zhiwei eyed the man before tipping her head towards Young Master Gu.

Young Master Gu waved a sleeve and sent out a cold light, shattering the huge lock on the warehouse gates, a large piece of which fell down and almost smashed Zhu Shirong’s foot.

The shocked Quartermaster cried out: “What are you doing! Forcing your way into the warehouse is a capital crime…”

The vice-general Chunyu Hong had dispatched hurriedly stepped forward to stop them, but Feng Zhiwei only smiled as she replied: “Who said we would go in?’

Both of them men could only watch in stunned shock as Young Master Gu floated forward and gently pressed his hands into the air, pushing open the heavy doors. Leather armor was stacked on the nearest wooden shelf, and Young Master Gu waved a hand and pulled one of the pieces into his hand.

Zhu Shirong’s face paled like ash at the casual display of telekinesis, while Feng Zhiwei casually continued: “We never entered…”

Young Master Gu flexed the leather armor, its luster bright and its strength pliable and tough.

Yao Yangyu kicked Zhu Shirong to the ground!

“What are you doing!” Zhu Shirong yelled loudly, “I am the Quartermaster! Arranging military supplies is my jurisdiction! You stinking, sweaty barbarians are not worthy of the good armor…”

“It was these stinking, sweaty barbarians who killed over ten thousand Da Yue soldiers this past month!” Yao Yangyu shouted, slapping Zhu Shirong’s teeth out of his mouth. “More than you all have achieved this past year!”

Zhu Shirong spat blood, mumbling and yelling through the pain as Yao Yangyu grabbed a piece of rotten leather and jammed it into his mouth.

“The Da Yue horsemen neared us to the east of the dam, and we did not have enough good armor for everyone! Everyone wanted someone else to take the protection, and in the end they had to settle the stalemate by wrestling, and everyone tried to lose!” Yao Yangyu almost screamed as he stepped onto Zhu Shirong’s chest, spitting into the man’s face. “In the end a squad leader abused his position to give others his armor, and in the battle a spear went straight through his chest as he took down the enemy with him — a motherf***er like you only knows how to hide away like a turtle, and you dare to give bad armor to the steppe brothers who bleed for you!”

Yao Yangyu’s bloodshot eyes gleamed like daggers as he eyed Zhu Shirong with the furious gaze of a wolf.

The Hu Zhuo horsemen around them held back tears, gritting their teeth as they thrust their chest out proudly.

“Why explain?” Feng Zhiwei’s cold voice cut through the silence, her smile nowhere to be seen. “Must I remind you how we deal with those who disobey military orders?”

Yao Yangyu’s eyes flashed and Zhu Shirong felt his soul shuddering with fear. The man blustered, “I didn’t disobey military orders! I didn’t! I didn’t! You aren’t the commanding general, you have no right to kill me…”

“General Wei!” Chunyu Hong’s vice general called, stepping in front of She Zhirong. “You cannot just kill him! This is the Tian Sheng Camp, and if Zhu Shirong’s crime must be judged by the Supreme General! Killing him without orders is a capital offense!”

Yao Yangyu hesitated, turning to Feng Zhiwei. He cared nothing for his career, but he would not cause trouble for Wei Zhi.

“Master Wei!” A second vice general came, having heard about the altercation. The man whispered quickly into Feng Zhiwei’s ear, “He is Grand Secretary Hu’s son-in-law… and His Highness Prince Chu’s…”

But the vice general found that before he could finish explaining, Wei Zhi had stepped forward, smiling.

His smile was thin and cold like moonlight on the horizon, and the young, seventeen year old general spoke slowly and with great power: “He is His Highness Prince Chu’s man?”

The vice general stared blankly at the curve of Wei Zhi’s eyes, bewildered at the sudden change as he nodded.

“Very good.” Feng Zhiwei’s smile gentled. “His Highness is wise, how could he allow such scum be his subordinate? We ministers cannot allow this trash to besmirch His Highness’ august name. Since His Highness has not been able to act, we must act for him… Yangyu!”