Hye held the old leather map in his hand, featuring Whitefang Peak. His eyes followed the rocky mountains to the end of his sight. He knew that the end of Whitefang Peakwas where he buried his heart with the one, he once loved.
Khunbish stared at Hye for a moment, and he realized that Hye had been staring at Whitefang Peak for some time. "It is time for lunch," Khunbish said, approaching Hye. "What are you looking at?"
Hye sighed, folded the leather map in his hand and said, "When you look at the old place that once left you with a wound, the healed scar starts to bleed again."
Hearing Hye's answer, Khunbish looked to where Hye had been staring. He realized that on the other side of Whitefang Peak is Gimsong Kingdom, and at the end of Whitefang Peak was Nue-Li City that once belonged to Hmagol. He started to worry when he suddenly realized that Hye might be a Ginmiao, and Hye's purpose of befriending Chinua was not pure, because the Ginmiao people was the Magoli people long-term enemy.
"Are you a Ginmiao?" Khunbish asked.
Hye ignored Khunbish's question, but stuffed the leather map into his robe and said, "Did you say lunch is ready? Let's go eat." He turned around and started to leave Khunbish.
"Are you a Ginmiao!" Khnubish shouted, and his hand had already grasped the hilt of the sword. "Answer the question."
Hye knew that Khunbish wouldn't let go until he found the answer to his question. Hye turned and stared at Khunbish. He smiled and said, "What if I am? Or what if I'm not? What does that have to do with you?"
Khunbish stared at Hye, his hand still holding the hilt of his sword. "Ginmiao are not welcome in Hmagol," Khunbish said. "There is nothing pure about your coming to Hmagol and approaching Chinua. Especially when we are still at war with Gimsong Kingdom."
Hye said, "So, what you mean is that every Ginmiao is an enemy of the Magoli people. Apart from your suspicion, what evidence do you have to prove that I am a Ginmiao. If I remember correctly, it was the Hmagol northern soldiers who first invaded Gimson Kingdom and forcibly occupied Nue-Li City. Now that Nue-Li City has returned to its owner, why are the northern soldiers still trying to take it back? Moreover, the city of Nue-Li does not belong to Hmagol in the first place. If I'm wrong, please tell me. If you want to stand there and doubt my identity, fine, but now, I have to go back to eat." He smiled at Khunbish and walked down the hill toward the house at the bottom of the hill.
As much as Khunbish wanted to kill Hye to avoid future obstacles, he couldn't. Chinua entrusted Hye's safety to him before heading to Ntu-Tsua City, so all Khunbish could do now was watch Hye slowly disappear down the hill.
Hye sat at the dining room table with Behrouz and his family, and as he began to eat, he watched Behrouz look at the map, trying to understand the details he had just shared with Behrouz.
Behrouz turned the map from side to side and asked, "Are you sure we can't dig a well?"
Hye stuffed a piece of mutton into his mouth, chewed it and said, "You can dig very deep, but you won't get water because there is a wall of solid rock underneath."
Azad asked, "How are you sure?"
Hye put the water bowl on the table and said, "Because Salran Hill is an extension of Whitefang Peak."
Behrouz asked, "What suggestions do you have?"
Hye said, "Borrow water from Whitefang Peak and build a large reservoir on this hill to preserve water." He looked at Azad. "The paper in your hand is the weapon model used by the southern army down in Lao-Da Pass. If you build some of these weapons, they will help strengthen your defenses on this hill."
Azad said, "With these weapons, it means that if Chinua wants to attack us, she can't."
Hye laughed and said, "No matter how powerful your weapon is, if Chinua wants to attack you, she will definitely find a way to destroy it. Moreover, these are my models, I have a way to destroy them."
Behrouz laughed and said, "If you want to know the way forward, ask the people who have returned." He picked up the bowl of wine and drank it all in one gulp. "It's a pity, you don't drink, otherwise I will drink with you until dawn."
"Hye!" Muunokhoi ran towards Hye. He gasped and looked around. "Where is Khunbish?"
Hye chuckled and said, "I think he is still admiring Whitefang Peak in the west of the village." He handed a bowl of water to Muunokhoi. "Here drink this first. What's the hurry?"
Muunokhoi drank the water in one gulp. He put the empty bowl on the table and said, "Khenbish is back."
Hye was taken aback and said, "I thought Chinua would not come back until next month."
Muunokhoi said with a pale face, "Only Khenbish is back... Chinua will arrive in three days, and you and Khunbish need to return to the base camp immediately."
Hye asked, "Why?"
Muunokhoi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Chinua... Chinua is going to war," Muunokhoi said.
Behrouz asked, "With... with whom?"
Muunokhoi said, "The Razaasia army."
Hye's heart sank, and he suddenly lost his appetite. He dropped the lamp in his hand. He slowly stood up from his chair and faced Muunokhoi. "You are kidding right?" Hye asked worriedly.
Muunokhoi shook his head.
Back at the Eastern Military Camp, Haitao ordered everyone to prepare according to Chinua's instructions. Just as Haitao was about to end the meeting, Hye and Khunbish broke into the tent.
"What's wrong with her! What is she thinking!" Hye said angrily. He quickly rushed to the table where Haitao was sitting and started to look at the map of the southeast of Hmagol. He flipped through the map quickly. "Captain, do you have a map of Umusa Kingdom?"
Haitao quickly flipped through the maps on the table, picked up Umusa's map, and unfolded it on the table.
Hye asked, "In which city are we going to fight the Razaasia army?"
Khenbish said, "In Hosha City."
Hye asked, "What about the map of Hosha City?"
Haitao shook his head and said, "I don't have one."
Hye frowned in frustration. "Well, this map is not helpful. What we need is the map outline of Hosha City."
Jeet said, "If you need the map of Hosha City, I can draw you one, but it won't be very good-looking because my art skills are very low."
Haitao asked, "You have been to Hosha City?"
Naksh smiled and said, "We have lived in Hosha City for many years and know every major road in Hosha City well."
Khawn asked, "Are you originally from Hosha City?"
Jeet said, "No."
Khawn asked, "Then if you are not from there, how do you know the main roads of the city?"
Naksh said, "Okay, kid, where do you want me to start? Should I start from when we were hunted down, or from when we were captured?"
Zhi fearing that Naksh and Khawn would quarrel, so he picked up his paintbrush, dipped it in ink and said, "Draw us those roads."
After sending his children to his parents, Zhi returned to the military camp and found that the candles in Hye's tent were still lit. He walked into Hye's tent and found Hye staring at the map he had drawn based on Naksh and Jeet's memories.
Zhi said, "You have been staring at that map for a day. Do you have any suggestions?"
Hye raised his head and said, "You have more battlefield experience than me, and my suggestions will not be as effective as yours." He poured a bowl of water and pushed the bowl of water towards Zhi.
Zhi sat down and said, "You are worried?"
Hye sighed and said, "Chinua has fought with bandits and hunted down criminals. She has never participated in a real battle before. I don't understand why she wants to go to war. Especially against the Razaasia army."
Zhi said, "Chinua must have her own reasons. You know, Chinua will not do anything without a reason. Moreover, if she only focuses on fighting bandits and chasing criminals all day long, she will never learn how to command an army. You have known Chinua longer than me, and you should know that Chinua is a very determined person once she makes a decision. Also, every decision Chinua makes, she had thought it thoroughly with substantial consideration."
Hye asked, "Have you fought with Razaasia army before?"
Zhi said, "No, but I did train with them when I was under Xin Zhiyuan."
Hye asked, "What are they best at?"
Zhi said, "Archery. Their way of fighting is that the archers usually attack first, then the soldiers, and finally the archers."
"If that is the case, I will need scarecrows. A lot of scarecrows," Hye said.
Zhi doesn't understand why Hye needs scarecrows. He asked, "Scarecrows? Why?"
Hye said, "If we want to help the Musian to fight against the Razaasia, we need something to stop their arrows."
Zhi looked at Hye confusedly and said, "The scarecrow can't stop their arrows. We need shields, but it may be too late to collect enough shields in such a short time."
"That's why I'm replacing the scarecrow with a shield. Also, the shield will damage their arrows, but the scarecrow won't. We can still use their arrows against them," Hye said.
Zhi thought for a while, then said after careful consideration, "In a sense, your approach makes sense."
Hye rolled up the map on the table, turned to look at Zhi and said, "The idea just now is very suitable for this situation." He put the map under a book. "I am sure that the Musians are now running low on weapons. When we go into battle, they will not be able to provide us with any weapons. There are still two days until Chinua arrives. Tomorrow we will gather everyone and unearthing Salran Hill."