Chapter 30: Dew on the Shallots

With pride soaring to the heavens, one looks out from the heights, where the vast landscape stretches out in desolate splendor. What true man would fear being buried in the green hills?

Kou Qianzhi, a renowned general of his generation, Deputy Military Commissioner of the Tang Dynasty’s Taining Army, Prefect of Mizhou, and General of Loyal Martial Prowess of the Fourth Rank, had breathed his last on the battlefield at the age of thirty-seven.

Zhu Wen let out a long sigh. He finally understood what kind of man Kou Qianzhi was. He was, in the end, nothing more than a stubborn fool who did not fear death. In these chaotic times, such fools were destined to die—if not by his hand, then by another's. Yet, after using Kou Qianzhi’s life to validate his own path, a heavy, suffocating discomfort welled up in Zhu Wen’s chest. Given their opposing sides, he had no choice but to use Kou Qianzhi’s death to cement his own prestige. But the blockage he felt in his heart now—was it not because Zhu Wen knew that he, too, had once been such a fool?

Only men like Kou Qianzhi, whose original intentions remained unchanged throughout their lives, could command the selfless, death-defying loyalty of twenty-eight of the realm’s top knights. But such a man, whether in times of peace or chaos, would always find life exhausting. Perhaps that was why Kou Qianzhi seemed to have found liberation in his final moments.

"By all rights, our army should sever Commander Kou’s head to display to the masses before letting any of you go," Meng Kai declared.

The soldiers of Kou’s unit, the Nebula Twenty-Eight, turned pale. They had not expected this valiant young man, who had just accepted Kou Qianzhi’s final wish to pursue his killer, to now desecrate the commander’s remains.

"If that is the case, we would never accept the charity of you rebels!" the "Vermilion Bird," clad in fiery red armor, shouted. "Even if we must fight to the last man to shield his body, we shall ensure Commander Kou remains whole."

Beside her, tears were visible in the eyes of the "Azure Dragon." She was a woman who seemed tougher than any man, yet at the moment of Kou’s fall, her eyes had instantly turned red, forcing her to wipe her face with her cloak to hide her grief.

The soldiers echoed her, surrounding Kou Qianzhi’s body, fists clenched, their eyes burning with lethal intent and resolve.

But Meng Kai continued, "However, the imperial army’s defeat is now irreversible, and the news of the Commander’s death cannot be suppressed. If you wish to take his remains with you, so be it. Green hills abound to bury loyal bones; summer heat hastens decay, so buy a casket nearby and lay him to rest. Once I have fulfilled the Commander’s final wish, I shall come to pay my respects at his grave."

Hearing this, the soldiers’ anger turned to relief. As the leader of the Nebula Twenty-Eight, the "Azure Dragon" was the first to bow in gratitude: "We misunderstood you. General Meng is truly a hero of unmatched magnanimity and profound righteousness."

"I, Tian Jun of Weizhou, owe General Meng a debt. If there is ever a need in the future, I would not hesitate to repay it with my life."

*Tian Jun*—so that was the "Azure Dragon’s" true name. A fine name, full of spirit, Zhu Wen mused.

His junior sister, Duan Hongyan, smiled brightly: "Big Brother, you are rough on the outside but delicate within. Though you are usually reckless, you handled this with grace when it mattered."

Meng Kai looked proud. "Naturally, Hongyan. Do you not know what kind of man your senior brother is?"

The rebel ranks parted, creating a path. They watched in silence, offering a salute to Kou Qianzhi’s remains; even as enemies, such a hero was worthy of respect.

The "White Tiger" removed his cloak, wiped the blood from Kou Qianzhi’s body, wrapped it with care, and lifted him up. Together with his comrades, they stepped through the gap and moved slowly away into the pale, drizzling rain.

The falcon that had been inseparable from Kou Qianzhi circled above, its sharp eyes fixed on its master’s lifeless form. It let out a few mournful cries, then slowly descended. With a long, piercing shriek, it slammed into a stone on the ground, its skull shattering instantly as it died to follow its master.

A warrior among the twenty-eight, seeing this, was overcome with grief. "Are men not lesser than a bird?" he lamented. "Once the Commander’s funeral is arranged, I, too, shall cut my throat before his tomb to repay his kindness in raising and keeping us!"

The others looked on with sorrow, yet no one spoke to dissuade him. Even in these times of crumbling order, there were still those willing to trade their lives for the grace shown to a gentleman. If Kou Qianzhi had not been a peerless man of honor, how could he have won such devotion?

"Dew on the shallots, how easily it dries. Dry it may, but tomorrow it falls again; when a man dies and departs, when shall he return?"

As the imperial column wound its way along the ridges, the mournful song of *The Dew on the Shallots* rose from the throats of the soldiers who had lost their leader. Even the mountains and woods seemed to share in their sorrow. The rebel troops, touched by the atmosphere, began to hum the ballad in low, soft voices. Two armies, once bitter enemies, now shared a single, somber melody that drifted together in the twilight.

Near the main body of the imperial forces, the remnants of the army slowly retreated under the cover of Qi Keyang.

Huang Chao strode swiftly, reaching Wang Xianzhi at the front of the army. He pulled him into a powerful, bear-like embrace, his eyes gleaming with uncontrollable excitement.

"Brother Xianzhi, we have won!"

"Yes, we have won," Wang Xianzhi murmured. "Since we took up arms, this has been our most resounding victory! The formidable Commander Song Wei and the 'Snow General' Qi Keyang have both been defeated by our hands. The imperial court will be shaken to its core. The blood shed and lives given by our brothers over these years have finally been worth it..."

Thinking of the many loyal brothers who had been buried in foreign soil over the years, Wang Xianzhi was filled with profound emotion.

Huang Chao said, "Although Qi Keyang set up a formation to cover their retreat and block our pursuit, the Taining Army had limited soldiers and could not protect all of Song Wei’s forces. The flank camps were also broken by us. Our righteous army is still pursuing them with caution; in this battle, we have surely slain nearly ten thousand of the imperial troops."

"As long as we stand united, who says the dragons and snakes of the wilderness cannot withstand the heavenly armies of the court?" Wang Xianzhi said proudly, his eyes sweeping over a twisted, unrecognizable heap on the ground.

That was the mangled remains of the armored cavalryman, "Heavenly Blade" Song Jue. Though a peerless master of great renown, he could not escape the crushing force of a palm strike that shattered both bone and sinew.

Huang Chao and Wang Xianzhi clasped hands, their affection genuine and unfeigned. After all, they had been close friends since their youth, over forty years ago. Beneath the vast sky, amidst the chaos of the world, how many souls can walk the dusty path together, never to part in life or death, sharing both prosperity and woe?

Huang Chao wiped the raindrops from his helmet and turned to his soldiers, raising his arm high. "Today, our two armies stood as one, shattering the imperial forces and driving them into retreat. The peaceful world for which you have all longed is not far off!"

"We have seized countless supplies in this battle. Once the battlefield is cleared, there will be rewards for all, but neither I nor Alliance Leader Wang will take a single penny! I only ask that you put yourselves in the shoes of others, sympathize with the suffering of the common people, and do not harass or bully them."

"In this world, we seek only fairness. Since the court will not grant it, we shall lift our swords and, with our own seven-foot frames, carve out that fairness ourselves!"

"Long live the Alliance Leader! Long live Commander Huang!"

The soldiers cheered in unison, their spirits soaring. The roar of their voices rolled out, carrying far, far away into the endless drizzle.