The touch of his fingertips was Ninth Son's still young cheeks.
In his past life, Ninth Son was the first to die in battle.
The boy died because he was too soft-hearted.
Because he was soft-hearted, he died young without growing up.
Ninth Son was a bloody lesson for his brothers, and a bloody lesson for Ye Suijin.
No one could be ruthless and cold-blooded from the beginning, not even the children of prominent families.
They had all come this far in the same way.
From then on, on the battlefield, there was only the wrathful vajra, no merciful goddess.
Later, the minister Duan Jin said the "killing was too heavy".
Ye Suijin really disliked these civil officials.
If Duan Jin didn't have the vigor of blood and flesh, how could he have killed his way up to the position of Grand General?
What did it matter if his hands were drenched in blood, as long as he came back alive each time?
Now, this was how she treated her brothers too.
Ye Suijin drew back her hand and looked towards the garrison.
The flames had risen, and the clamor had started too.
The people inside the garrison had watched Ye's army drilling outside for days. Their minds had relaxed. Some even hoped they would "play" enough and withdraw on their own.
Who knew that fire rockets would rain down from the sky in the middle of the night? It was October, in the dry season. With one spark, the flames blazed up immediately.
The garrison was small, so the fire attack was very effective.
The garrison gates opened as expected. Men in hurried dress charged out wielding weapons.
What greeted them outside was the crane wing formation standing neat and tidy, lying in ambush.
As the gates opened and the enemy charged, the commander gave an order:
"Fire arrows!"
Sharp arrows shot out like meteors to meet the first wave of attack.
The front chargers were shot down from their horses. Without their masters, the horses instinctively changed direction and fled to the sides of the battlefield.
The bolting horses obstructed the charging cavalry's path. Without gaining speed, the cavalry lost their advantage.
The crane wings closed in and surrounded them. The Blue Coats attacked together -
Outnumbering the enemy.
Third Son's spear thrust out like a dragon, parrying several men in succession. His gaze swept across the battlefield. The basic combat units of three or five men with spears, sabers and shields grappled and surrounded the enemy. After days of live combat drills, the new recruits were shedding their clumsiness and timidity. There was no longer chaos or disorder in their formations.
The shield bearers protected while the spearmen thrust.
On the drilling yard they had stabbed straw men. On the battlefield they reaped human lives.
None of their own troops were isolated.
One on one combat was the worst tactic when lacking manpower, with undoubtedly the highest casualty rate.
With sufficient troops to overwhelm the enemy, only a fool wouldn't exploit their superior numbers.
Ye Suijin's tactics lacked challenge, but Third Son liked it.
Although not the family head, he was the eldest brother of this generation. His thinking was similar to Ye Suijin's - the younger brothers were the first priority, then their own officers and soldiers.
The crushing tactic indeed lacked excitement, but casualties were minimized.
At Fang City, Ye Suijin had shown no quarter. Afterwards some in Ye Manor also whispered about it.
No matter how well you do things, there will always be people who disapprove of your methods - they'll say you're just a woman, yet also too ruthless and sinister, as expected of a woman instead of a man.
But Third Son stood firmly by Ye Suijin's side, firmly supporting her.
In the battle at Fang City, Ye's army had only single digit fatalities, mostly light injuries.
So what if Du Jingzhong's men were wiped out? Ye's army returned whole and intact. Their parents, wives and children stood anxiously in the fields, watching expectantly. When they saw their living husbands, sons and brothers return, they were overjoyed with tears.
Nothing was more important than this.
Some felt Ye Suijin's slaughter was too heavy, sinister and terrifying.
But to Third Son, his sister gave him such assurance - she was willing to spend however much money and resources rather than carelessly waste even one footsoldier's life from Ye's army.
A blade flashed towards him. Third Son's long spear thrusted out.
An inch longer, an inch stronger!
The Ye family used nine-bend spears, which were ten feet long cavalry spears.
Before the enemy's blade could touch him, Third Son had already unhorsed his opponent. Then his spear tip pierced the heart.
There was no more suspense on the battlefield, just methodically reaping lives.
By daybreak, Ye Suijin was already sitting in the main hall of the garrison manor, listening to a woman's weeping.
This garrison was originally called Tang Manor after its former master. The weeping woman was Tang Manor's lord's daughter.
A few years ago during the turmoil, a banished retainer colluded with some rebel troops and evil slaves from the governor's mansion to kill Tang Manor's lord and seize the manor.
The Tang family was nearly wiped out except for Miss Tang, who had since borne two children for that man.
Upon learning that the man she hated was now dead outside the garrison, Miss Tang wailed, "I dare not die before avenging this huge enmity for even a single day."
Even Duan Jin listening felt it was tragic. As soft-hearted as Ninth Son, his eyes reddened and his fists clenched.
Third Son also felt pity. But looking up, he saw that Ye Suijin remained as calm as ever.
How could she remain so calm?
In that moment, Third Son felt he couldn't understand his sister either.
It wasn't that Ye Suijin lacked sympathy for Miss Tang. Her emotions simply wouldn't fluctuate due to these matters.
Because she had seen too many similar things in her previous life.
Once the heart hardened, it became very difficult to soften again; once aged, it became very difficult to be young again.
Ye Suijin's heart had long since grown cold and hard.
"I can kill whoever you hate in your place. I'll avenge you. You can go wherever you like in my domain. I'll provide for you and your children," she said. "From now on, Tang Manor will be surnamed Ye."
Miss Tang had no objections, but she bowed down deeply. "There is one more thing I wish to entrust you with."
Ye Suijin said, "Speak."
Miss Tang looked up with tears streaming down her face, "I wish to entrust my brother to you."
The Tang family should have been wiped out. How could there be a surviving brother? Everyone was baffled.
Ye Suijin was also curious. "Where is he?"
Miss Tang wept, "At the bottom of the well in the backyard."
There was an abandoned dry well in the backyard.
When the treacherous retainer had massacred the Tang family, Miss Tang and her father's concubine - the boy's birth mother - had lowered the youngest boy into the well to save his life.
The concubine had died. Miss Tang was taken by the retainer, but secretly and sporadically tossed food into the well.
Afraid of leaving trouble for the future, the retainer had searched for years after finding the former lord's son missing. So the boy had been forced to live in the well for years.
Tenth Son and Duan Jin hauled him up together. His gaze towards everyone was filled with terror - aside from his sister secretly bringing him food over the years, he had not seen anyone else.
He could barely speak anymore, only daring to shiver in his sister's embrace.
His whole body reeked, with patches of moss growing on his skin. Except for his sister, no one wanted to go near him.
"Please allow me to tidy up my brother first," Miss Tang pleaded guiltily, "Then let him pay his respects to you."
Of course no one would deny her this. Ye Suijin let the siblings have time alone. She still had many things to handle.
She had come to Shangma, Cixiu and Biyang because their locations formed a horn facing northeast.
And northeast was where the capital laid.
Tang Manor's location and size were perfect. With some minor repairs and modifications, it would serve well as a military garrison for her.
She was busy until daylight before sleeping. She slept until afternoon before being woken by her lady attendant.
"Miss Tang hanged herself," they said softly.
Ye Suijin sat up and scrubbed her face with a hot towel, then hurried over.
Most of the brothers were napping or on patrol outside. Only Third Son and Duan Jin were there, heads craned back looking at Miss Tang's body swaying slightly.
The bald teenager was huddled in the corner, patches of moss on his skin. His sister had washed him and shaved his head this morning since the lice in his hair were too severe, all tangled and stiff.
He hugged his knees curled up like a helpless little animal, staring blankly at his sister's dangling embroidered shoes.
Ye Suijin gazed at Miss Tang for a moment. Her hand went to her waist and flicked out. Her dagger glinted as it sliced through the sash and embedded itself into the ceiling beam.
Miss Tang fell silently.
Ye Suijin opened her arms to catch her.
She placed Miss Tang in the inner room bed and went out to order, "Find two old women to tend to Miss Tang."
Third Son sighed, "She really didn't have to..."
Whether the enemies were killed or captured, her younger brother would see the light of day again. Ye Suijin had promised she would take care of her. They could still live a good life afterwards.
But she chose death.
Ye Suijin stood silently at the door, looking into the yard. Suddenly she looked up, "What about her child?"
Duan Jin's expression changed as he rushed out.
But it was too late.
The child was found in the well where their uncle had hidden him for years.
Their mother had thrown them down there and stoned them to death before hanging herself.
The Ye family's joy at winning the battle and capturing a fortress faded away. They just didn't feel like celebrating anymore.
But anyone would feel the same.
The young Tang master remained curled in the corner, ignored by all.
His skin was so revolting that no one but his sister wanted to go near him.
He watched people come and go, collecting corpses, cleaning up filth, not knowing what to do or how to react.
Until a pair of boots appeared in his vision.
The young master looked up.
This woman was taller than his sister and did not seem as gentle.
She gave off a cold, hard feeling. Her gaze made him want to lower his head and avoid her.
He was afraid of her.
Ye Suijin said, "Come with me."
The young master got up trembling and followed her to the front courtyard of the main hall. He vaguely remembered playing here as a child.
Now the yard was filled with kneeling, bound people.
"Since you were very little then, let me tell you what happened to your family," said Ye Suijin.
She recounted everything she had heard from Miss Tang - how the Tang family was destroyed by traitors colluding with evil servants. She told the young Tang master the whole story straightforwardly.
"The mastermind was beheaded on the battlefield last night," Ye Suijin pointed to the kneeling people. "These are his accomplices."
The young master knew she was telling the truth. Because this morning, as his sister bathed him, she had told him the whole story.
"That woman's surname is Ye. She's very powerful," his sister had said. "From now on this fortress is hers, because she's so powerful."
"You should follow her from now on."
"She promised me she would take care of you."
Ye Suijin drew a blade from her waist and held it out to him, hilt first. "Go, kill them. Avenge your sister, your parents, your family."
Having lived in darkness for so many years, the young master's speech had deteriorated badly. He could hardly talk.
He took the blade with a shaking hand.
He tried it out, then decided it wouldn't work. So he pointed the tip at the man's chest instead.
Suddenly a tall young man came over and nudged the blade aside. "Here, the heart is here. Use force."
He nodded, gathered his strength, and stabbed with all his might.
But it was very difficult to stab in. The tip only went in a little before it wouldn't go any further.
Perhaps he was still afraid, after all. Afraid of villains, and afraid to kill.
Another young man, even taller and more handsome, came over and grasped his hand. "Follow my lead and use force."
The handsome young man was very strong. Perhaps he had mastered the knack of using force. In any case, the blade pierced through the villain's body.
With his mouth gagged, the villain could only make muffled squeals like a pig being slaughtered, writhing desperately but held down by the shoulders so he was stabbed to death.
After killing the first man, he was no longer so afraid.
See, villains could be killed too. He could kill them.
The second time, he didn't need the young men's help anymore. He stabbed the man to death himself.
And so he killed all the enemies.
He didn't really understand why his sister hanged herself. Hadn't they been saved?
But he knew that if not for these people, he would still be the young Tang master of Tang Manor, with parents, aunts, brothers-in-law, sisters, and babbling baby nephews and nieces.
Now all of that was gone.
His sister had bathed him clean and explained everything clearly before taking him to bed. "Sleep, you haven't slept in a bed for so long. Sleep, and everything will be different when you wake."
He shouldn't have slept. Shouldn't have indulged in the soft bedding.
If he hadn't slept, if he had stayed with his sister, perhaps she wouldn't have hanged herself.
After stabbing the last man, Young Master Tang was gasping for breath, exhausted.
He went back to return the blade to Ye Suijin.
That blade was so sharp. It slid smoothly into human flesh when stabbing.
Duan Jin took the blade and wiped it clean before presenting it to Ye Suijin with both hands.
Ye Suijin accepted it and spun it gracefully before sheathing it again.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"Ming...Jie," the young master's voice was hoarse, and he spoke haltingly. "I'm...called, called...Tang, Mingjie."
"Tang Mingjie," said Ye Suijin. "Your sister has entrusted you to me."
"I will raise you to adulthood. Whether you want to study literature or martial arts, I can arrange for you to learn."
"Tell me, what do you want to study?"
Tang Mingjie was at a loss for a moment, unable to answer right away.
But he saw the blade at Ye Suijin's waist and remembered the feeling of killing his enemies with his own hands.
If he could have killed those people before everything happened, none of the tragedy would have occurred.
"Mar...tial arts," the youth said through tears. "I, I want to...learn, learn martial arts."
"Good. Then you will learn martial arts," said Ye Suijin. "When you grow up you can follow me onto the battlefield, kill enemies, and win glory."
She then asked how old he was. Tang Mingjie replied, "Eleven."
Miss Tang had told him everything that morning.
Knowing her brother had lived in darkness down the well, afraid his mind would become simple, she had explained everything clearly. And after watching him fall asleep, she had tucked him in before going to hang herself.
Ye Suijin nodded.
"I am Ye Suijin of Dengzhou."
"Tang Mingjie," she said. "From today onward, you are my adopted son."
