Chapter Fifteen: Astonishment

“Let’s go in.”

After about twenty minutes of gathering and shouting at the entrance, Wang Luo gave this order.

The soldiers were still caught up in excitement. But if they dragged things out any longer, restlessness, irritation, and fatigue would start to spread.

Guo Da had shut himself away. This method—neither denying, nor defending, nor responding—was one of the more difficult scenarios Wang Luo had anticipated.

They couldn’t wait forever. They needed to act while the officers and soldiers around him were still too fired up to think, before their enthusiasm cooled.

Seize the chance; force a resolution.

“Are you sure?” Yang Wentian questioned in his ear.

“Since we’re here, we have to go.” Wang Luo patted his shoulder. “If it all falls apart, it’s up to you.”

Yang Wentian nodded, gripping his blade tightly.

The three of them walked ahead. The generals of the four battalions, along with a dozen personal guards, followed behind.

They might help, joining in to pressure Guo Da—or they might cave, helping Guo Da take us out. Everything depended on my performance.

Wang Luo drew a deep breath, pushing all hesitation, fear, weakness, and anxiety deep into his chest. Then he raised his chin and strode into the Yellow Turban canal leader’s tent with his head held high.

In his mind, he played out the worst possibilities. Perhaps some of those behind him had already colluded with Guo Da; perhaps Guo Da was so enraged by the affront that he planned to kill them here and now. Even if he faced an unmanageable situation, Wang Luo steeled himself for it.

But when he finally saw Guo Da half-collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, his confusion far outweighed his surprise.

What on earth had happened?

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Twenty minutes earlier

“Sir, men from several battalions are gathered outside, saying you’re too greedy and demanding an explanation. What should we do...”

The one who asked this question stammered nervously. The canal leader he addressed was trembling as well.

Indeed, while Wang Luo was worried that his approach was too crude, his target had long since been gripped by even greater panic and confusion.

The Yellow Turban Army—its leaders were, after all, just ordinary folk.

Guo Da had neither ideals nor ambitions. Wang Luo believed most people spent most of their lives not really thinking; but in Guo Da’s case, he had scarcely ever thought at all.

This hadn’t caused him much trouble before. He was not only thoughtless, but also friendly to outsiders, warm to family, loyal to friends.

Unfortunately, thanks to his relatives, he’d joined the Yellow Turbans. Then, due to unforeseen circumstances, his greed was awakened—prompting him to act on desires he’d always kept deeply buried, things he’d never have imagined himself doing.

If he’d been firm enough, selfish enough, shameless enough, he could have swaggered out with his men, using the authority of his office to awe the Yellow Turban soldiers and relying on the other leaders’ fear of the general behind him. Wang Luo was even prepared to compromise, so long as his own position and safety were preserved.

But now, for the same reason—another hidden trait in his heart had been triggered.

Guilt.

That guilt grew inside him, just as before, when his notion that loot should be collected and distributed fairly, with a little extra given to those he valued, had ballooned into a frenzied, irrational, and unnecessary greed for everything.

Now, faced with external pressure, his greed was crushed by protest, resistance, and other possibilities. What ought to have been a minor pang of regret—an issue that a simple apology might have resolved—expanded into a heart-wrenching, tearful, all-consuming remorse, leaving him too ashamed to show his face.

Yes, the resolve, selfishness, and shamelessness of a seasoned politician are not easily achieved. They require time, experience, and a plethora of excuses.

If many colleagues had done such things and gone unpunished;
If he had greedy, impressionable family members, envious of others’ ostentation;
If he’d seen many who’d gotten rich quick mocking and scorning those who stuck to their duties, yet coming to no harm...

If he’d had all that to draw on, perhaps Guo Da could have endured. Seeing others take such liberties, he could have slowly comforted himself, forgiven himself, and brazenly stood up to Wang Luo.

But the Yellow Turban Army was a vast, chaotic, and far-from-successful organization, and it simply hadn’t provided those opportunities yet.

Most of those around him, too, were infected by their leader’s mood—lost, helpless, trembling with fear.

Of course, there were two exceptions.

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Six minutes before Wang Luo entered the tent

“I never should’ve teamed up with you,” A whispered to B.

“I didn’t know it would turn out like this,” B replied, aggrieved.

“What’s with your talent, anyway? I thought it’d be useful against the Yellow Turbans...” A continued to complain.

“I told you before—it just triggers the most intense emotion in someone’s heart. Wasn’t he greedier before? If we’d pushed a little harder then, we could’ve wiped out this whole enemy force!” B retorted.

“I never should’ve teamed up with you,” A repeated. “Everyone says your talent is only good for screwing over teammates; I thought it’d finally come in handy this time.”

B fell silent, staring at their own talent skill, sighing softly but saying nothing.

After a pause, A spoke again. “Why don’t we just take him out?”

“Not enough firepower,” B replied, hesitantly. “No matter how weak he is, he still has the ‘Leader’ skill. As long as there are soldiers loyal to him nearby, the damage will be shared...”

“No kidding! Like I don’t know that?” A snapped. “If the people outside break in, maybe we’ll get a chance to catch him alone.”

“The captain told us to be careful,” B said. “She said we’d only get a shot when the Han army attacks. If you want to try, go ahead—I’m not doing it.”

“Coward! That’s at least three thousand universal points! Even if he’s not a main canal leader, there’s still a chance for a bounty. We’ll never get another opportunity like this!” A grumbled, but didn’t move.

After a while, A sighed, “Forget it—let’s withdraw.”

Their figures gradually faded away. In the midst of the surrounding confusion, they slipped quietly from the tent.