Chapter 5

As night slowly enveloped the earth, Aunt Wei picked up some firewood to start a fire. The flint, worn smooth from use, failed to produce a spark. Yun Xiao took out a windproof lighter and a block of alcohol from his backpack, easily igniting a large pile of firewood.

The bonfire was lit, and the orange flames drove away the cold, illuminating everyone's face. Aunt Wei looked at Yun Xiao in amazement, considering his skills almost divine. The two children were even more in awe of Yun Xiao, clapping and shouting with excitement, completely devoid of the dignity befitting the future Empress and the Grand General.

Aunt Wei took out two black lumps from her package, with green things on top that looked like wild vegetables. The sight was enough to kill one's appetite, yet the two children chewed them with a crunch, making Yun Xiao's teeth ache. Aunt Wei then handed another lump to Yun Xiao, hesitating before breaking half of it for herself.

"You are growing, eat more."

Yun Xiao did not take the black lump but instead took out the last two cans of beef. He used a Swiss Army knife to open them and handed them to the two children and Aunt Wei.

Seeing the pink contents, the three of them hesitated, staring at Yun Xiao.

Xiao Bai, seeing the beef cans, excitedly pounced on them. Yun Xiao slapped him away and threw the last sausage to him.

Yun Xiao took out a stainless steel spoon and fed a piece to Wei Qing.

As soon as it entered his mouth, Wei Qing's small eyes widened significantly. He opened his mouth, full of rotten teeth, and shouted to Aunt Wei, "Auntie, it's salty."

Without using the spoon, he grabbed a piece and stuffed it into Wei Zifu's mouth, not even noticing when the sharp edge of the can cut his finger.

Aunt Wei used the spoon Yun Xiao handed her and scooped up a piece. Her eyes lit up as well. The other can was already being devoured by the two children, their cheeks bulging like squirrels.

Xiao Bai whined, looking at the shiny can with resentment, and angrily attacked the sausage in front of him.

After a few bites, Aunt Wei said she was full and pushed the can to Yun Xiao, who smiled and said he wasn't hungry. He then pushed the can to the two children, who were eagerly watching. This time, it was Wei Zifu who licked the can.

"Child, what is this? It has so much salt. I have lived for so many years and have never eaten so much salt in one meal."

Salt, a necessity, has always been a state-controlled item for thousands of years. However, saying you've never eaten so much salt in your life is a bit exaggerated. You must be close to fifty, right?

"Do you not usually eat salt?"

"We eat ghost salt."

"Ghost salt? What is that?"

"Twenty miles from here, there is a place covered in salt. But after eating the salt from there, people gradually develop large bellies and die from bloating. The elders say that place is formed by the resentment of the dead, and eating ghost salt will claim your life.

But people can't live without salt. We peasants can't afford real salt, so we eat ghost salt. We can only eat a little at a time, but even then, we will die from bloating in a few years."

Yun Xiao scratched his head, not understanding what was happening.

After eating, the siblings were fascinated by the zippers on the backpack. They played with the zippers all night long. Yun Xiao didn't dare take out his phone, imagining the scene of the future Empress and Grand General playing Tetris would be quite amusing.

Looking at these future high-ranking figures, Yun Xiao closed his eyes.

A red sun rose on the horizon, and birds chirped in the trees, as if holding a conference. Yun Xiao was woken by the birds' chirping, rubbed his eyes, and was startled to see several bloodied moles lying neatly beside his head, their teeth bared, which scared him badly.

The birds in the trees were startled by Yun Xiao and flew away in a flurry, much to Xiao Bai's chagrin. He let out a few baby-like roars and climbed to a higher branch, clearly not planning to come down anytime soon.

With no food left in the backpack, Yun Xiao had no choice but to take the black lump from Aunt Wei. He tentatively took a bite, and the taste nearly drove him mad. It was bitter and sour, and had a rancid smell. After gagging a few times, he handed it to the siblings.

The siblings pushed it back and forth, but in the end, they split it and ate it. Watching them eat so pitifully, Yun Xiao was silent, realizing how hard life was for the people of the Han dynasty. The news always said we were a nation that had suffered many disasters, and now it seemed true.

When it was time to leave, Xiao Bai was still sulking in the tree, refusing to come down no matter how Yun Xiao tried to coax him.

Frustrated, Yun Xiao climbed onto his horse, pretending to leave. Xiao Bai quickly jumped down and into Yun Xiao's arms, acting cute.

After comforting the little guy who had just been sulking, they continued on their journey.

Suddenly, a dazzling white expanse appeared by the roadside, blinding Yun Xiao in the bright sunlight.

"That is the Ghost Salt Plain, where the ground is covered in ghost salt. We will pass by there."

Aunt Wei noticed Yun Xiao's curiosity.

The vast salt sea was truly spectacular. Yun Xiao dismounted and tasted a bit. It was indeed salt, but it had a taste of quicklime. He spat it out, and his mouth felt hot, sour, and bitter.

He understood. The salt here contained a large amount of calcium carbonate. It seemed this area was once a lake, and after the water evaporated, the calcium carbonate settled on the surface of the salt. With little rain, the calcium carbonate did not dissolve, making it a slow poison for anyone who ate it.

"Brother Xiao, don't eat it, or you will die."

Wei Qing's voice was very young, and who would have thought this child would become the Grand General who would conquer the Xiongnu.

Yun Xiao patted Wei Qing's head.

"Brother Xiao won't die."

Ma Yi was a large border town with a population of no less than ten thousand. The court had sent Li Guang, known as the Flying General, to command an army of twenty thousand troops stationed there, supporting the northern border with Yun Zhong and Dai Jun.

The guards saw Yun Xiao's unusual attire and the four tall Xiongnu horses he was leading and approached to question him.

Yun Xiao didn't waste words, throwing a gold plaque at them.

The guards, who were used to the border, were startled by the Xiongnu script on the plaque.

After years of border warfare, they had seen Xiongnu soldiers' bone plates and chieftains' wolf-tooth plates. This gold plaque was a symbol of a high-ranking Xiongnu official. Could this be a Xiongnu envoy? But it didn't seem right; a Xiongnu envoy wouldn't come with just a few people and no guards.

Yun Xiao took out the head of the Xiongnu Left Great Chieftain from his backpack and said, "This is the head of the Xiongnu Left Great Chieftain. Take me to General Li Guang."

The guard captain kicked away the soldiers blocking the way and stared at the head. After a long moment, he knelt down.

"Heaven has eyes. I, Liu Cheng, thank the young hero for slaying this villain."

He bowed to Yun Xiao, and the guards and civilians followed suit.

Yun Xiao quickly dismounted and helped Liu Cheng up.

"What is the young hero's surname?"

"My name is Yun, and my given name is Xiao."

On the way to the general's residence, Yun Xiao learned from Liu Cheng why the guards and civilians were so moved.

Five years ago, the Xiongnu invaded. The Left Great Chieftain broke through the defenses of Ma Yi, plundering nearly ten thousand people. Ma Yi, with thirty thousand households, almost became a living hell overnight. Almost every family had lost or had a relative killed, making the people of Ma Yi hate the Left Great Chieftain with a vengeance. Seeing Yun Xiao enter the city with his head, they could not help but bow.

On the way, Liu Cheng carried the head of the Left Great Chieftain, and the civilians on both sides of the street bowed in gratitude to Yun Xiao.

At the entrance of the general's residence, Li Guang personally greeted them. To Yun Xiao's surprise, the legendary Flying General was actually fat and short, standing six feet tall with a waist of the same size. His head was directly connected to his body, without a neck, possibly to avoid being beheaded. His beard was thick and lush, making it hard to see his face, leading Yun Xiao to wonder if he had fully evolved.

Li Guang had a passionate fondness for the head of the Left Great Chieftain. Despite its corruption, he held it lovingly, spitting on it.

"You have met your end. Did you think of this when you harmed my people in Ma Yi?"

It seemed Li Guang wanted to take a bite, but Liu Cheng timely reminded him, preventing Yun Xiao from witnessing a disgusting scene that would have made him vomit.

He ordered the forensic officer to process the head quickly and send it to Chang'an to claim credit for the court. The historical records praised Li Guang, so Yun Xiao was not worried about him taking credit for his achievement.

"Bring a sheep. I will entertain this brave Yun."

Li Guang shouted loudly.