Samuel Clark instantly erupted in cheers. This time, William Sutton was finally convinced, and he gave Andrew Thompson a heavy slap on the shoulder, grinning widely as he said, “From now on, you are the Fire Chief of the Fifth Fire. I’ll make sure your military registration is updated.”

He turned and ordered, “Someone, bring him a set of armor.”

……

A certain sage once said that politics is the superstructure of economics. This statement is true, but not entirely so—at least, it doesn’t apply to Andrew Thompson. The Fire Chief is basically today’s squad leader, in charge of ten soldiers. It’s a small position, but still an official one, so his political status has improved. However, Andrew Thompson’s economic status is far from matching his new identity.

He is still the poorest person in the fortress. Although he owns an unnamed gemstone, that gem is like a piece of real estate—unless he sells it, its value will never be realized. He can’t exactly trade the gem for wine!

In fact, aside from that gemstone, his entire fortune amounts to just five hundred coins. He received the eagle-shooting reward from William Sutton—five hundred gleaming coins stored in a clay jar. With these five hundred coins in Bahuan City, he could buy a hundred large meat-stuffed flatbreads, ten bottles of the finest Gaochang wine, or visit the brothel two and a half times.

But if Andrew Thompson wanted to buy a decent bow, like the six-stone bow William Sutton uses, he’d need ten times that amount.

“Fire Chief, have a drink!”

This was the phrase his subordinate Brian Foster said most often after his promotion. Most of his wine ended up as tribute to his new superior, which could be considered a kind of fringe benefit for Andrew Thompson.

“Little He, is there any way to make some money?”

Little Brian was a new nickname invented by Andrew Thompson, though it wasn’t unusual in the fortress. His father had been an old soldier there, and Brian Foster had taken over his father’s post, so being called Little Brian was only natural.

Although Brian Foster had only been a soldier for a year, he had gained plenty of valuable experience from his father. Hearing that Andrew Thompson wanted to make money, he immediately grinned and said, “Fire Chief, you have to make use of what’s around you. Since we’re stationed at the fortress, if you want to make money, you have to skin the passing Hu merchants. That’s what everyone does!”

Those Hu merchants were all loaded, dripping with wealth. There was nothing wrong with skimming a little off the top, but the problem was—where were they?

Andrew Thompson frowned and said, “I’ve been at the fortress for over a month and haven’t even seen a shadow of a Hu merchant.”

“That’s true. There seem to be especially few Hu merchants this year.”

Brian Foster scratched his head, then suddenly remembered something and quickly smiled, “There’s another way, and it’s perfect for the Fire Chief.”

Andrew Thompson perked up. “Tell me, what is it?”

“Go hunting!”

Daniel Thompson’s eyes lit up. That was a good idea. There were grasslands to the south—he could give it a try.

Brian Foster seemed to know what Andrew Thompson was thinking and shook his head with a smile. “The grasslands only have things like roe deer and wild rabbits—not worth much. If you want something valuable, you have to go into Lingshan. My father hunts a few argali there every year. The ram’s head alone sells for over ten strings of coins—a nice little windfall.”

Over ten strings of coins—enough to buy a good bow. Andrew Thompson was tempted. He drained his wine gourd in one gulp and smashed the jug on the ground. “Let’s do it! Tomorrow we’ll hunt a few argali and sell them for cash.”

……

Lingshan is what we now call the Tianshan Mountains, stretching for thousands of miles and dividing the Tang’s Anxi region in two. To the north is the Beiting Protectorate, to the south is the Anxi Protectorate. Countless wild animals live in Lingshan—wolves, argali, red deer, foxes, goitered gazelles, and more. Among them, argali horns are the most valuable. A fine argali head can fetch three strings of coins in Bahuan City.

Hunting in Lingshan is also an important source of income for the garrison soldiers. In fact, the main reason Hu merchants come to the fortress to do business is to buy the game hunted by the Samuel Clark.

Andrew Thompson led his men through Lingshan for a whole day and had a fruitful haul: five argali, six red deer, and over a dozen goitered gazelles. The meat from these animals could improve the Samuel Clark’s meals, and the horns could be sold for dozens of strings of coins.

As night fell, they passed through a mountain hollow. There was no sunlight here, making it cold and gloomy. Huge boulders were still covered in thick snow, and animal bones were scattered in the crevices. The warhorses grew restless, tossing their heads and neighing frantically. An experienced old soldier, Eric Brooks, immediately sensed something was wrong.

“Fire Chief, retreat! Get out of here!”

But it was too late. A pine tree dropped several piles of snow, and from a gap in the branches, a pair of cold, merciless eyes appeared.

……

Chapter Four: The Journey to Bahuan

This was an adult black panther, lying on a thick branch that jutted outward. Its body, as supple as a snake, was pressed tightly against the trunk. Its especially large front paws were poised to pounce at any moment, razor-sharp claws unsheathed and gripping the bark. Its two eyes, gleaming with ferocity, glared with anger and hunger as it waited for the intruders to draw near.

A streak of black lightning lunged straight at the nearest Andrew Thompson.

Caught off guard, Andrew Thompson was knocked to the ground by the panther. The sturdy Mingguang armor on his body blocked the panther’s sharp claws. The panther shook its head, its bloody maw snapping at his neck. Andrew Thompson quickly shoved his bow into its mouth, freeing his hands, and grabbed the panther’s throat with both hands.