Chương 83: The Weight of the Golden Fang!

As I took the banner from Xhife's hands once more, he asked me how I had felt when the gate of his house opened, and what it felt like to begin our current journey. I explained what i saw with my own eyes, that the gate was operated by two thick ropes extending from the watchtowers; they ran upward before being pulled below by four strong men, two on each side. Their muscles bulged like iron cords under sweat-glistening skin as they heaved with coordinated roars, veins standing out on their necks and arms.

The massive wooden and iron gate groaned like a waking beast, chains rattling and wood creaking in protest before it slowly rose with majestic reluctance. Dust and morning light poured through the widening gap. Emotion surged in my chest: a mix of anticipation, the heavy burden of debt, and the quiet pride of carrying something greater than myself, like this banner. This was not just an ordinary gate to me.

It was the threshold to proving my worth after the humiliation I had faced, and I gripped the banner even tighter. Once the gate opened, I saw immediately that we were standing atop a hill. Around us rose towering mountains, sharp and majestic like the spines of ancient dragons, their peaks shrouded in mist and their slopes covered in dense forests of dark green and grey stone.

They stretched endlessly in every direction, massive and imposing, creating a labyrinth of valleys and ridges that made the world feel both grand and isolating. And now, we were back where we left off, slowly descending the hill. The banner's weight turned into an acceptable amount of strain, but the real trouble was its height; it was twenty-two meters tall and could not be moved freely, as it carried this company's soul. Yet, I would carry it by its right, if only to prove my own worth.

Our leader wanted us both to fail, eager to throw us to the wolves and make an example of us for his men. I could feel it in the way Hifui's eyes lingered on us with cold calculation, even when he seemed to open up a bit. We were still playing into his hands, performing a task deliberately designed to make us scapegoats, meant to reprimand and break us publicly if we faltered; this was a grim reality that Xhife understood just as well as I did.

As we both carried the flag, the weight pressed not just on our shoulders but on our pride. Xhife's face was tight with determination, while mine burned with quiet defiance. The general was hoping for our misfortune, yet we marched on. As I moved toward the carriage carrying the item and the twelve selected personnel, my eyes remained sharp, keeping watch even on the leader now. After we had covered a distance of thirty kilometers, the trees around us suddenly started shaking.

The warriors of our escort, clad in gold and red clothing, unsheathed their weapons: curved sabers, with the leader drawing his specially made Zhongguodao longsword. The blades gleamed ominously in the sunlight, their edges sharp enough to drink blood at the slightest touch. Tension hung thick in the air. Every man was alert, hands tight on their hilts, ready for the violence that always lurked on these roads.

All of a sudden bandits (that had green turbans on their heads, looking like wild rebels in ragged yet fierce clothing) jumped out from the treeside before attacking. The boss came, looking 1. 88 m, bigger than our Leader Hifui who was 1. 81 m tall, also tall but nothing to that corpulent, rather looking rowdy fella with a thick beard and scarred knuckles. He spoke without respect, his voice a low, mocking growl that dripped with contempt.

"Fifty silver toll, old man. Pay up or bleed. We own these roads now." Our Leader Hifui came closer, trying to look cooperative, a sly glint in his eye as he reached for his coin pouch with deliberate slowness.

"Of course, of course… fair trade for safe passage on such dangerous paths," he said smoothly, his tone honeyed but his fingers already selecting lighter coins, hoping to shortchange them without it being noticed.

"We are simple escorts. No need for bloodshed between honest men." The bandit boss's eyes narrowed instantly, his scarred face twisting into a sneer. He spat on the ground.

"Honest men? You think I'm some fool to be bought with cheap words and lighter pockets? I can smell the deceit on you from here, old fox. You were planning to pay with copper and call it silver, weren't you?" Hifui's hand froze for a split second, the sly mask cracking just a little.

"Now, now, friend. Let's not jump to conclusions. Fifty silver it is, full weight." The bandit leader snarled, realizing the full intention of the bullshittery.

"You think I'm blind as well as stupid? Try that shit again and I'll take your head instead of your silver!" He countered Hifui's hidden swing with a brutal parry, his axe whistling through the air like a thunderclap. The clash of steel rang out sharp and clear, sparks flying as the real battle began. Our battle started. The green-turbaned bandits swarmed us like a wave of wild dogs, axes and swords raised high, their ragged clothing flapping as they leaped from the trees.

I charged straight into them, my legs pumping with powerful kicks that sent the first two flying backward, their ribs cracking audibly as my boots connected with brutal force. One bandit tried to swing his axe at my side, I spun and delivered a rising kick under his chin that lifted him off the ground, his jaw shattering as he crashed into his comrades. Xhife fought beside me with effortless grace and visible joy, even while carrying part of the heavy Golden Tooth banner on his back.

He dodged every strike with fluid movements, his staff spinning like a living whirlwind. He cracked heads with precise, almost playful strikes with one bandit's skull dented and with a wet crunch as the staff connected, eyes rolling back before he collapsed. Xhife laughed under his breath, using his legs in perfect harmony with the staff adding a spinning heel kick that shattered a bandit's knee while his staff simultaneously swept another off his feet.

He never dropped the banner, balancing its massive weight with incredible core strength while turning the fight into a dance of controlled violence. The twelve colleagues fought like true professionals. Their long sabers flashed in the sunlight, cutting clean arcs that severed limbs and opened throats with surgical precision. One veteran impaled a bandit through the chest and used the body as a shield against two more attackers before kicking the corpse free and slashing the next.

Hifui, our grizzled fifty-nine-year-old leader, was a force of nature. His longsword moved like an extension of his arm, parrying heavy axe blows and countering with devastating thrusts that pierced armor and vital organs. He roared with every strike, his voice hoarse with battle fury, cutting down three bandits in quick succession without taking a single scratch. For ten long minutes, the fighting was intense and unrelenting.

Steel rang against steel, blood sprayed across the dry grass, and the air filled with grunts, screams, and the wet sound of blades meeting flesh. We protected the carriage and the precious pearl with perfect coordination, ensuring no damage to the product and no serious injuries to our own. The bandits finally broke, turning tail and fleeing into the forest with panicked shouts.

I wanted to follow and finish them, the fire in my blood still burning hot, but I understood that we could not afford to do so on an escort mission. We had a job to do. The cargo came first. After that, we took a one-hour break. I was relieved, because by that point, the banner had become increasingly difficult to carry; not being able to move my arms freely was agonizing.

The massive five-hundred-kilogram flag felt as though it had grown exponentially in weight, its tall crimson silk pulling down on my shoulders with relentless force. Every step sent sharp spasms through my arms and back, the golden fang emblem seeming to mock my struggle. Sweat poured down my face, mixing with the dust of the road, and my breath came in short, labored bursts. Yet, I refused to complain. The leader, Hifui, walked over to us, his face tight with reluctant respect mixed with lingering disdain.

He stopped in front of Xhife and me as we sat on a rock drinking fresh water from a satchel, his grizzled features softening just a fraction.

"I played a game with you both," he admitted, his voice rough like gravel but carrying a note of sincerity.

"I wanted to see if the Suren and the runaway would break under my pressure. I pushed you hard to test your limits. But the danger has risen now, because the Green Bamboo bandits active in this region will become even more aggressive after this scuffle. They are the kind who do not forgive easily." He reached into his satchel and pulled out the hidden locks for the carriage where the banners were supposed to be mounted.

With rough, almost angry movements, he attached them himself, securing the massive flag properly so it no longer swayed dangerously. I understood I was the outsider, the Suren here who did not train for this work nor did I do the correct anointment measurement tests to be a part of this agency, but to make a mockery and foolery of a man who wanted a different occupation. The weight of that realization settled heavily on me.

Yes, I knew I was unproven and untrusted, carrying a symbol I had no right to yet, but it still sat wrong in my heart with Xhife's situation, who took it lighter on the chin than I expected, since i thought he would destroy the carriage out of rage. The young master Xhife wanted to explode. His face flushed red with barely contained rage, fists clenched at his sides as he stared at the veteran leader.

"You tested us like this, now telling us openly trying to make yourself feel better? After everything? You nearly got us killed for your little game!" His voice cracked with betrayal and anger, the pain of years of being looked down upon boiling over. Hifui gave a long explanation, his tone firm but not unkind.

"This life is not kind. The road does not care for blood or excuses. I needed to know if you two could survive when the agency's reputation is on the line. You both passed. Barely. Now cool down. We have a job to finish." Xhife breathed heavily, his shoulders trembling with suppressed emotion, but after a long silence he nodded. We cooled down as we did and mounted the banners properly, the heavy crimson silk now secured and fluttering with renewed dignity.

Right before departure, one of the banners was struck by a fire arrow, but it had not been shot by a man. We took that opportunity to run ahead. Our reason was that we did not want to fight from a bottleneck position, so we ran while looking behind us, seeing nothing. When we stopped at the edge of the outpost, we scanned the surrounding hills and tree lines for any sign of an ambush. Hifui's eyes were sharp, his hand resting on the hilt of his longsword as he barked orders to the twelve personnel.

"Eyes open! These green bastards love to strike when you think you're safe." We looked carefully in every direction; nothing moved except the wind through the dry grass. There were no shadows, no glints of metal, and no unnatural silence. After several tense minutes, the veteran nodded.

"Clear. Move out." The carriage started rolling again, the massive Golden Tooth banner swaying heavily between Xhife and me. We had taken only a few steps when, from a long distance, around twelve kilometers away on a distant ridge, a single flaming arrow arched high into the sky like a burning comet. It was engulfed in roaring flames even from afar, a deliberate and mocking declaration of war.

The arrow whistled down with terrifying accuracy and struck the second luxurious crimson banner with a sickening thud, embedding deep into the heavy silk right above the golden fang emblem. Flames immediately began licking greedily at the fabric, hungry orange tongues spreading rapidly across the pride of the agency.

"Ambush, take your Positions!" Hifui roared. Reinforcements from the Green Bamboo bandits arrived quickly, surging from the trees and ridges like a tide of green turbans and steel. We had to fight once more. Even though my arms were spasming violently from the banner's weight during each clash, I drew my weapon and attacked with burning motivation, with the young master Xhife right behind me, his staff already spinning. The battle was fierce and desperate.

My arms burned with every swing, spasms shooting through my muscles like lightning, but I pushed through the pain with gritted teeth. My sword-axe carved wide arcs of fire and steel that left trails of flame in the air. Each strike felt heavier than the last, the banner's weight still dragging on my shoulders even as I fought off the bandits. Beside me, Xhife fought with grim determination, his staff a blur as he protected the carriage.

Several bandits charged specifically for it, completely ignoring the men, but Xhife's precise, almost joyful strikes cracked the skulls of that ignorant, ragtag bunch and swept their legs out from under them.

"Not today! You won't touch our material anymore!" he shouted, his voice fierce yet laced with the thrill of battle.

"This item stays with us!" But as time wore on, more of the green bandits came in waves, their turbans flashing in the sunlight like venomous snakes, their axes and swords hungry for blood. They screamed curses and war cries, leaping from the ridges with wild abandon. We held the line with everything we had, the weight of our duty fueling our blades to ensure they would never get what they had been seeking from us.

Hifui roared orders from the front, his longsword flashing as he cut down two bandits in one fluid motion.

"Protect the cargo! No mercy for these dirty dogs!" The twelve personnel fought like seasoned veterans, their gold-and-red uniforms stained with blood but their formation unbroken. One colleague took a slash to the shoulder but kept swinging, shouting, "For the Golden Tooth! I won't let it down!" I felt a deep, burning resolve in my chest. This wasn't just about the pearl or the banner anymore.

It was about proving I belonged with them, matching their grit and gaining their trust, however reluctant, that had been extended to a Suren like me. Xhife glanced at me during a brief lull, breathing hard.

"You fight like you owe the world something, Erumes." I replied through clenched teeth, "I do fight with a burden on me. And I'm not letting it break me; I will use it to excel and push my strength further, just wait." After what felt like an eternity of clashing steel and roaring pain, the bandits broke. They fled into the forest with panicked shouts, leaving their dead behind. We still had some small attacks on the road after that, quick ambushes that tested our resolve, but after two more they stopped.

Our intensity was just too much. We made it to the goal, bringing the item the merchant sought after. His place looked well guarded with elite soldiers around all around the estate looking like forty-six of them were there, standing tall in polished armor with sharp, disciplined eyes. The merchant himself, thirty-two-year-old Faihzu, looked strong and capable, a man who had clearly seen his share of danger. His small daughter clung to his leg, wide-eyed and curious as we approached.

We went inside, got paid, and were offered food. We accepted gladly, especially me; you don't need to ask me twice to devour a meal and fill my belly. The meal was simple but warm, consisting of rice, roasted meat, and fresh vegetables tossed in a flavorful oil. We shared a pleasant conversation, the fourteen of us together, since the leader did not sit with us but spoke to the merchant, Faihzu, in private. Hifui spoke of past runs and close calls, his voice gruff but respectful.

Faihzu then stood up, leaving the private conversation to join our side, and shared stories of the roads he had traveled, thanking us for delivering the pearl safely.

"Not many would fight so hard for something that isn't theirs," he said, raising a cup.

"Especially for an agency that's on the decline, having slowly lost some of its clientele over the months and with many bills to pay to the government," he mumbled the last part to himself with a smile. I replied to the men quietly, "Sometimes the debt makes it yours, and you want to show your own capabilities." Xhife smiled beside me, the shared exhaustion bonding us further. For a moment, the weight of the banner felt lighter.

After the filling and satisfying meal, we were about to return to the carriage when we saw a small, amber-hued girl thief stealing our coins from the wooden box. We immediately alerted the others with a loud roar. It was now evening; the sun was sinking low, painting the sky in deep oranges and reds as rain started to fall, light at first but growing heavier. As we ventured outside, we saw a two-thousand-strong bandit force awaiting us, a sea of green turbans and raised weapons stretching across the road.

The small girl stood beside the boss, handing over the stolen goods with a triumphant grin. The air grew thick with tension under the steadily falling rain, which was quickly turning the ground to mud. It was time for a massive battle to commence. The bandits roared their challenge, axes and swords raised high. Hifui gripped his longsword tighter, voice steady but filled with grim resolve.

"Form up! Protect the carriage and estate at all costs!" Xhife stood beside me, eyes burning with determination to break some skulls.

"We've come this far. We're not losing now." I felt the fire in my chest flare once more, the debt, the duty, and the growing bond with these men pushing me forward. The rain started to be mixed with sweat on my face as I raised my sword-axe, ready for whatever came next.