Chapter 110: The Mad Monk

With Bai Xue by his side, it would not have been easy for Zhang Chi to perish in the blaze. The reason he emerged so late was that he had to save others.

Ordinary soldiers, of course, did not require his rescue, but there were many women who had accompanied him staying at the post house. If he had simply spurred his horse and charged out, what would have become of them?

Therefore, as soon as Qin Bo led the men to charge out of the post house, Zhang Chi immediately organized the guards around him to begin the rescue. Not only did the soldiers scramble to search every room, but Zhang Chi himself did not hesitate. He rode Bai Xue through the sea of flames, the animal’s coat singed by the intense heat. Fortunately, Bai Xue was incredibly fast and agile, moving freely through the complex terrain of the post house. Zhang Chi only had the hem of his robe catch fire occasionally, which he quickly smothered with his hands.

In such chaos, the greatest danger is the loss of one's senses. The women were paralyzed by fear; most dared not emerge in the face of such a fire, not realizing that staying put was the deadliest choice, as they would either be burned alive or choked by the thick smoke.

In a flurry, he gathered everyone into one spot. By then, the fire had grown intense, and everyone was covered in soot and grime, their cries and shouts echoing incessantly.

Wine Maid was doing well; since following Zhang Chi, she had become much more composed. Now, though she coughed incessantly from the smoke, she remained concerned for him, calling out anxiously, "Young Master, please take your horse and leave on your own. Do not worry about us anymore."

Her heart had long belonged to Zhang Chi. If she were asked to die for him, she would have done so joyfully, let alone now, when Zhang Chi had a fast horse but was trapped in danger solely because he refused to abandon them.

"Young Master, please go!" cried Yu’er, who had just been dragged out of the inferno.

Zhang Chi, of course, refused to flee alone. But how were they to break out?

Amidst the roaring flames, the heat and smoke were so dense that he could no longer discern the gate of the post house or judge the direction. Countless scorched beams and debris were crashing down from the roof and walls.

Even though Dark Blade was a formidable martial artist, even the greatest experts feared fire and smoke. She wore a veil, so her face was not as soot-stained as the others, but her eyes were bloodshot from the thick smoke.

"If we don't find a way out now, we never will," Dark Blade said, her voice as cold as ice, showing not a trace of panic.

Decisiveness was required. Zhang Chi had been hesitant, but hearing her words, he knew he could no longer dally. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "If I can't find the exit, I will charge forward with my horse and smash a path to survival. Follow me, and we shall escape!"

With that, without checking the direction, he let Bai Xue gather her strength and charge forward.

There was indeed a wall in the sea of fire, but it had been burning for quite some time; under the force of Bai Xue’s charge, it collapsed with a thunderous roar, as easily as dry wood snapping.

Dark Blade shielded the others as they followed closely behind Zhang Chi. No sooner had they cleared the flames than a deafening crash erupted behind them—the entire post house, unable to withstand the conflagration, collapsed in a heap.

Everyone could not help but gasp. Had they stayed a moment longer, they surely would have been buried in the inferno.

Bai Xue flew out of the fire like lightning, instantly reaching the ranks of the enemy. A soldier, seeing a white horse charge out of the flames, was drawing his bow to fire at the rider when, in the span of a single breath, Bai Xue was already upon him. The horse stopped abruptly, turned, and lashed out with its hind legs, catching the archer squarely in the chest.

With a sickening "crack," the man’s sternum shattered.

With his chest crushed, the man could not possibly survive. This single blow shocked the remaining soldiers. They could not imagine how this horse could have seemingly sprouted wings to fly toward them, and they were even more terrified by the distinct sound of their comrade’s bones shattering.

It must have taken a force of a thousand pounds to produce such a crisp sound of breaking bone.

They froze for a heartbeat, but Bai Xue did not stop. With hooves kicking and stomping, she dispatched or injured countless archers in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that the surprise attack had failed, and noting the extraordinary prowess of Zhang Chi and Qin Bo, the enemy did not linger. Suddenly, a cry went up from their ranks: "Retreat!"

Zhang Chi had only a hundred men, and many had been lost when the fire began, while the enemy numbered in the hundreds. Yet, as soon as they broke out, the enemy fled without a fight. At the shout of "retreat," the soldiers abandoned even their injured comrades and turned to vanish into the darkness.

"Capture them alive!" Qin Bo naturally wanted to take prisoners to interrogate them about their origins and who had directed them.

Following Qin Bo’s order, the soldiers swarmed forward and captured a dozen or so injured enemies.

It went without saying that these men had been ordered to set the fire. Moreover, since the fire arrows ignited upon impact, it was clear that flammable materials had been placed throughout the roof of the post house beforehand; otherwise, the fire could not have spread so instantly.

Zhang Chi pondered for a long time. Could the Liangzhou Inspector have sent them to prevent him from resisting the Hu?

But that didn't seem reasonable. If they truly intended to kill him, why did they flee the moment he broke out? They had hundreds of men; even in a chaotic melee, they would have had the advantage over his small group.

The new moon hung like a hook. While the post house was ablaze, the distance was pitch black. Qin Bo saw the enemy vanishing into the night and, unsure whether to pursue, hurried to Zhang Chi’s horse. "Young Master, should we chase them?"

Dark Blade caught up just then. Before Zhang Chi could speak, she drew her sword and cried, "Someone is there!"

No sooner had she spoken than a chuckle erupted, and a monk emerged from the darkness. The monk was disheveled, his robes open, holding a jug of wine in one hand and resting the other on his bulging belly.

Zhang Chi remembered this monk. They had once crossed the river together on the same boat in Bajun, and the monk had left him a poem: *“War arises in years unknown, I drift and drink, a monk alone. Waves roll beneath the vessel’s floor, mountains fade by the river shore. Three armies cross the mountain pass, ten thousand steeds halt on the grass. Thousands of miles in Bashan’s height, the scholar falls at Liangzhou’s light.”*

Zhang Chi had never understood the meaning, so he kept it locked in his heart.

Only, last time the monk had held a chicken leg, and this time a jug of wine. He lived a free and easy life, shunning nothing.

Zhang Chi and Qin Bo had met him before, but Dark Blade had not. When Zhang Chi had encountered him previously, she had been bedridden with wounds. Having just survived the catastrophe, she instinctively drew her sword at the sight of this scruffy monk.

Zhang Chi pressed down her arm and turned to the monk with a puzzled look. "Master, why are you here?"

The monk smiled without answering and said, "I have come to advise you, Young Master, not to pursue these fleeing men."

"The Master is right; do not chase a desperate foe. Besides, they are numerous; pursuing them may not yield any benefit," Zhang Chi agreed with a nod.

"And release these captives as well."

At this, Qin Bo protested, "We have captured them alive to interrogate who sent them. Why should we let them go?"

"Does the Young Master truly wish to know who is behind this?" The monk looked at Zhang Chi. "Leaving aside that these men came and went at will and abandoned their wounded—they are clearly 'death-warriors' who would reveal nothing even under interrogation. Furthermore, even if you found the mastermind, what could you do about it?"

The monk’s words made sense. The priority now was to raise an army against the Hu. This incident surely had a mastermind, but if he were to dig into it and expose the culprit, what would Zhang Chi do?

If he pursued it deeply, it would surely hinder the campaign against the Hu. The best course of action was to strive for unity in Shu to resist the foreign insult. At this juncture, even if the Liangzhou Inspector were proven to be the mastermind, could Zhang Chi afford to ignore the greater good and fight him to the death?

"Hmm, the Master is right. I will take your advice and release them."

Even though Qin Bo was unwilling, he had to obey Zhang Chi’s order.

"Master, you once gave me a poem by the river in Bajun. I have pondered it in vain. Could you enlighten me?" Zhang Chi was respectful and courteous.

The monk chuckled. "I cannot say. When the time comes, you will know."

Seeing the monk would not say, Zhang Chi did not press him. Instead, he asked, "What is your monastic name? You left in such a hurry last time that I never got to ask."

The monk laughed. "I am a monk, and given my mad nature, my name is 'Monk Mad'."

*Monk Mad*—or perhaps *Mad Monk* would be more fitting, Dark Blade thought, finding the name quite appropriate.

Zhang Chi asked again, "Why are you here tonight, Master?"

"You have an affinity with the Buddha, Young Master, so it is natural that we meet often."

"I have an affinity with the Buddha?" Zhang Chi smiled. "I have no desire to become a monk."

The monk laughed heartily. "Having an affinity with the Buddha does not necessarily mean becoming a monk. In this world, all are equal; the Buddha’s affinity makes no distinction, it lies only in the heart. It knows no heat or cold, no dawn or dusk. It knows no gender, no rank. It knows no folly or wisdom, no layperson or monk. It knows no wealth or poverty. If the heart turns toward the Buddha, all can reach him. The compassionate vessel saves all who are sincere. The pearl clears the muddy water; faith reaches the chaotic heart. A warrior charges into battle; his voice shakes the heavens. You have the roots of virtue, and your blessings are peerless. When one man dons armor, all the people share the spring."

Although the monk looked disheveled, his words were eloquent, and Zhang Chi felt a sense of reverence.

"I wish you success in your northern campaign against the Hu, Young Master. I am off!" With that, the monk turned and walked away just as he had before. Before Zhang Chi could call him back, he had vanished into the night.

The fire burned for a long time before reducing the post house to ashes. Since it was outside the city and there were no other buildings nearby, the flames gradually died down after half an hour.

The night was deep, and the city gates were already closed. It seemed they would have to camp in the wilderness. Zhang Chi did not need to worry about this; soldiers of this era were accustomed to years of constant warfare and were used to sleeping in the wild. Qin Bo gave the order to set up camp, and fearing another attack, he ordered the soldiers to patrol throughout the night, not daring to let their guard down.