Chapter Sixty: What Can You Do About It?

“Let me ask again, how did you end up fighting? Are you sure they were chasing you to kill you, or were they just traveling the same route, following along because they happened to be going the same way?” Zhao Yun came over, wanting to hear the answer as well. He had been following as usual, but after just one detour, the two sides broke into a fight.

A guard standing beside Zhao Ding stepped forward; he looked like the leader of the guards. When the fighting broke out, his presence had been quite prominent. “Young Master, let me answer this question,” he said. Zhao Ding nodded, signaling for him to speak.

The man, having received Zhao Ding’s approval, continued, “After we left Master Zhao—that is, the young master’s father—we followed his instructions and returned briefly to Changshan Zhendian County so the young master and the Zhao family could say their farewells. After all, once we set off, who knows when we’ll return. When we left Zhendian County, I noticed a group of people furtively trailing us. We slowed our pace, tried detours, and hastened our journey at times, all to confirm that this group was indeed following us.”

“How far is Zhendian County from here?” Zhang Xuan turned and asked Zhao Yun, since Zhao Yun had come from Zhendian County himself. Zhao Yun gestured, estimating that on foot, it would take thirty or forty days to reach here.

“We arrived at this town yesterday to rest. The locals said that admissions to Yingchuan Academy are limited by time, but they didn’t know the exact deadline. Since we didn’t know either, we decided to arrive early to avoid missing the last chance to enroll. These days, we’ve already been delayed by those people for quite a while. They've followed us for so long without incident, so last night we discussed it and decided to set out early according to our plan. Not long after we left, we saw them following us again.”

The name “Yingchuan Academy” sounded familiar to Zhang Xuan. He thought carefully and suddenly remembered: Xun Yu, Xun You, Guo Jia—weren’t they all from Yingchuan Academy? He pressed Zhao Ding’s arm in excitement. “Yingchuan Academy? Brother Zhao Ding, you’re heading there to study?”

Zhao Ding was startled by Zhang Xuan’s reaction. “Yes, Brother Zhang Xuan. Do you know Yingchuan Academy? Do you know when its admissions period ends?”

“No, I only know its reputation. They say its graduates are ministers capable of governing the world! Brother Zhao Ding, you have a boundless future ahead—don’t forget your brother here when you’re wealthy and powerful! Remember that!”

At that moment, Zhao Yun turned away silently, pretending not to know this fool. Zhao Ding had hoped Zhang Xuan might know something useful about the academy, but hearing he only recognized the name left him a bit disappointed.

The guard leader continued, “Later, the young master realized he had left something at the inn, so we turned back. Perhaps the group didn’t expect this reversal, and so we ran into them. When we met, we heard them muttering about why we had returned. After being followed for so long, with no way to shake them off, we were all a bit irritated. Someone from our side said, ‘We turned back—what business is it of yours? If you’re so tough, stop following us!’ The other side replied, ‘So what if we follow you? If you have the guts, come bite your daddy!’”

Wait a minute—wasn’t this just a variation of, “What are you looking at, try staring again, see what happens, let’s try it”—that sort of exchange? Zhang Xuan could already imagine how things unfolded. In his mind, a million llamas were stampeding by.

He had no curiosity left for the guard’s further explanation or what happened next; it was just the usual: “Looking for trouble? Come try it!” “Try it and see!” A bit of temper flared, and a fight broke out. At first, both sides might have held back, but as the brawl deepened, real weapons were drawn. The group was certainly tailing Zhao Ding’s party; that much was clear. But to call it “chasing to kill” was just inaccurate—it was hardly a pursuit in the deadly sense.

If anything warranted a closer look, it was why this group kept following Zhao Ding and his companions. Chasing to kill was already ruled out; they weren’t simply traveling the same road; covert protection seemed unlikely given the intensity of the fight—especially since the trailing group was completely wiped out. Such protection, if it existed, was poorly executed. After pondering for a bit, Zhang Xuan decided it wasn’t really his concern. He only knew Zhao Ding’s name and his intent to study at Yingchuan Academy; he had no other information. Worrying about their affairs without an omniscient perspective was pointless, so he stuck to the principle of “mind your own business,” and mentally turned the page.

Once the guard leader finished his account, Zhao Ding lowered his head, reflecting on the whole incident, then looked at Zhang Xuan, noticing his distracted manner. It was Zhang Xuan who had raised the question, but now, as answers were given, he seemed indifferent or as if he already understood. Zhao Ding asked, “Brother Zhang Xuan, what are you thinking about? It feels as if you already know how things unfolded.”

Zhang Xuan replied, realizing his demeanor was inappropriate. “I can guess the gist of what happened. I’m just wondering why that group kept following you for so long. Whether they were actually trying to kill you is debatable. But I don’t know your full situation, so if I’m off, just take it as idle talk.”

As Zhao Ding listened to his guard leader’s account, he reflected: if it was truly a pursuit to kill, was it necessary to wait until today to act? Although their sudden return might have caught the group off guard, they had been followed for thirty or forty days. With so many days, if the group really wanted to kill them, they would have found a chance—there would have been an opening. Yet they never acted. Did this mean they never intended to kill him? Zhao Ding dared not pursue the thought further; if they had no intention of killing him, then the misunderstanding was enormous. Why, then, had they followed him all that time? He sank into deep contemplation.

Seeing Zhao Ding lost in thought, Zhang Xuan refrained from disturbing him and headed toward the pit they had dug. He had said all he could; perhaps this was truly a misunderstanding. In any case, Zhang Xuan felt it wasn’t yet time for swords and spears to meet.