The army stretched into a long column, taking several days to march west through the Maming Pavilion Route. Passing Wuxing, they finally reached the foot of Quchi Mountain, west of Xiabian City.
At this point, the Qishan Road was already halfway behind them. The land opened up noticeably, no longer so cramped and suffocating.
Zhang Fei and Pang Tong climbed to a high vantage point and looked out over the surroundings.
"To the east from here lies Wudu," Pang Tong said.
Standing there, gazing at a landscape he had never seen before, Pang Tong could not help feeling a trace of emotion.
After entering Hanzhong, he had, in his spare moments, sought out elderly locals to ask about the great Tianchi Marsh. According to their accounts, when Emperor Gaozu first founded the Han and marched west through the Maming Pavilion Route, the Tianchi Marsh lay not far from here.
A few years after Gaozu left Hanzhong for Chang'an, the earth shook violently. The marsh vanished.
"Our ancestors said," one old man had told him, "that the marsh was a blessing brought by Emperor Gaozu himself. Once he departed for Chang'an, the blessing naturally faded away."
Zhang Fei scratched his head and said, half-serious, half-curious, "I've heard folks say that Liu Huangshu is much like Emperor Gaozu. If he came to Hanzhong, would that marsh come back too?"
Pang Tong had no answer for that.
Standing here now, Pang Tong found himself thinking of Zhuge Liang. Every time the Chancellor passed through this region during his Northern Expeditions, what must he have felt? Did he too lament the disappearance of the Tianchi Marsh, as later generations would?
Zhang Fei's voice grew heavier.
"It was at this city that I kicked off my elder brother's Hanzhong campaign. Using old tricks, I was seen through by that Cao thief, and it cost the lives of my comrades."
When commanding troops, Zhang Fei rarely let his emotions show. Even now, recounting his own humiliation, his tone was flat and steady.
"The loss at Xiabian allowed Cao's forces to withdraw from Hanzhong while forcibly dragging away the people of Wudu, plunging innocent lives into fire and water."
They had climbed partway up Quchi Mountain, granting them a clear view. Xiabian City lay plainly before them. Further east was Hechi; beyond that, Gudao—what the luminous records called the Chencang Route. This entire stretch belonged to Wudu.
Thanks to Pang Tong's administration of Hanzhong, many merchants now traveled frequently along the Qishan Road. Xiabian had become their transfer point, lending the once-remote city a hint of prosperity.
But sentiment only went so far.
The Tianchi Marsh would never return—but the people of Wudu could still be saved.
Not far away, Wei Yan and Huo Jun were stationed at Wuzhang Plains, firmly wedged in place. Cao's troops from Chang'an could not even reach the Chencang Route.
As for Han Sui, whether to show goodwill or simply because cavalry could not easily reach here, he had not extended his hand into Wudu either.
Thus, although Wudu was nominally under Hanzhong's authority, this was the first time its people and merchants had truly seen an army they could call "ours."
After a brief rest, the army set out again the next day, marching along the latter half of the Qishan Road.
Part of the baggage train remained behind, setting up a supply camp beside Xiabian City.
Xiabian was well-suited as a merchant hub—and equally suitable as a logistics relay for an army.
For this remote city, it was rare to have news worth talking about.
Neither last year's conflict between the Yong–Liang coalition and Cao's forces, nor Zhang Lu's fall in Hanzhong, had reached here. As for the Jing–Xiang war, that was even more distant—only fragments carried by passing merchants.
And where exactly Jingzhou was, no one could say for certain.
Now, watching the great army march north, the townsfolk and traders speculated endlessly about what it was all for.
It became Wudu's most talked-about topic in nearly a year.
The last such topic, if anyone remembered, was whether Zhang Lu was truly Liu Yan's biological son.
Zhang Fei and Pang Tong, of course, knew nothing of this.
They continued north. After leaving Li City and passing through a narrow defile, they encountered a neatly arrayed cavalry force.
Both sides eyed each other cautiously. Soon, a single rider from the opposing force rode forward.
"Who is Zhang Fei? Come out and answer!"
A brief stir ran through the Hanzhong ranks, but order was quickly restored.
Moments later, the soldiers parted.
A general with eyes like round bells and a beard bristling like steel needles strode forward, a long spear slung over his shoulder. He moved like a tiger and dragon combined.
"Who are you?" Zhang Fei asked.
The rider studied him carefully, snorted, and replied, "I am Yan Xing."
Zhang Fei grunted.
Then the battlefield fell silent.
Yan Xing stared at Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei stared back.
At last, Zhang Fei spoke.
"Alright. Now I know your name's Yan Xing."
"If you've got nothing else, stop making noise."
"Zhang Fei!"
Yan Xing flew into a rage.
"You lead troops across our borders, yet you dare question us so calmly?"
"Today, there are two matters I demand answers to!"
He pointed his spear at the Hanzhong army and shouted, "First—where is the imperial envoy? Hand him over at once!"
"Second—why have you raised troops to invade our territory without cause?!"
Zhang Fei frowned. Then he remembered Pang Tong's advice: talk first, fight second.
Suppressing his temper, he asked carefully, "What imperial envoy?"
"Don't play dumb!" Yan Xing snapped, sweeping his spear.
"The envoy abducted by that brat Ma Chao! According to what I know, he was sent to Hanzhong!"
"Killed."
Zhang Fei replied evenly.
"He impersonated an imperial envoy. Sentence carried out according to law. If you want, I'll bring you the head next time."
"Use it as a wine cup, or bury it and mourn for three years—your choice."
"Zhang Fei!"
Yan Xing was furious. His legs tightened unconsciously, and his horse grew restless, stepping forward.
"You dare kill an imperial envoy—!"
A flash of light exploded in Zhang Fei's eyes.
He lunged forward.
Twisting his waist, his right hand snapped the spear upward from behind him. The long spear rose in a terrifying arc, and the blade at its tip embedded itself straight into the horse's head.
The fine steed screamed in agony, rearing wildly.
Yan Xing leapt off instinctively, gripping his spear as he charged at Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei, empty-handed, grinned savagely and stepped in to meet him, reaching out with one hand.
Only then did Yan Xing realize his mistake—he should have dropped the spear and drawn his blade. But panic robbed him of the chance. He could only release the spear and meet Zhang Fei's grasp barehanded.
Both men were towering figures. Yan Xing had always trusted his strength.
After all, even Ma Chao—praised far and wide—could not last three exchanges with him in raw power.
But in the next instant, Yan Xing knew he had misjudged.
An overwhelming force clamped onto his wrist and dragged downward, forcing him to one knee.
Humiliation burned through him.
Using that knee as leverage, he barely resisted, sensing a chance to turn the tables—
And then a fist the size of a sandbag smashed into his face from the side.
The world spun.
When Yan Xing regained awareness, Zhang Fei loomed over him, one boot planted squarely on his chest.
The foot pressed down slightly.
Yan Xing's eyes bulged.
Zhang Fei roared like a thunderclap, "Who dares move?!"
Yan Xing's cavalry halted at once.
Zhang Fei snorted, then gave a grudging nod.
"Not bad strength. I'll give you that."
"But hear this—I am Zhang Yide, Grand Administrator of Hanzhong, pillar of the Great Han!"
"What rank are you, what office do you hold, to dare shout at this general?"
His recent promotions—rewarded for Hanzhong and Jing–Xiang—rang loudly in his voice.
"And that so-called envoy was a fraud. Executed by law. Yet you come barking here—"
Zhang Fei leaned down, his voice exploding once more:
"That bandit—was he your father, or your mother?!"
Behind the shield line, Pang Tong covered his face.
Zhang Fei was disciplined in command, yes—but his verbal artillery remained as lethal as ever.
Yan Xing, stunned at close range, was in no state to argue.
Zhang Fei snorted again.
"And this is Han land. I am a Han general. I heard bandits were roaming, so I led troops to suppress them—perfectly proper."
"You dare speak of 'border violations'? Are you trying to carve Han territory for yourself?"
Yan Xing panicked, but Zhang Fei gave him no chance to speak.
He hauled Yan Xing up, drew the man's blade, and slapped the cold steel against his face, slapping the anger right out of him.
"Go back and tell the General Who Conquers the West: a group of bandits has fled to Jincheng. I'd like his help in suppressing them."
"Whether he agrees or not, I'll be waiting for him at Qishan City."
Understanding the message, Yan Xing turned and left at once. He had no desire to argue about whether Qishan truly belonged to Han Sui.
His original mount was long gone. One of his men gave him a horse.
Before leaving, Yan Xing cast Zhang Fei a dark, venomous glance—then rode off without a word.
Pang Tong emerged from behind the shields and sighed.
"Trouble comes with intent."
Zhang Fei waved it off.
"Chen Shi—lead the vanguard slowly toward Qishan City. If Han Sui's troops won't yield, camp nearby."
"Deng Fang—find ground here and fortify the pass. Support Chen Shi as a pincer."
Orders flowed smoothly.
Ahead lay Qishan City. Forty li northeast was Wooden Gate Pass. Though Zhang Fei had never been here, the terrain was already etched in his mind.
North of Qishan City lay Xixian; forty li west of that, Di Dao. Further northwest stood Dongting, Xinxing, Zhongtao, Xiangwu—all held by Han Sui.
To the northeast—Luomen, Jixian, Xinyang, Shanggui, Linwei, Lueyang—all acknowledged Ma Chao.
East and west, the two men split Yong–Liang between them.
Zhang Fei grinned inwardly.
Plenty of land here. Squeeze a bit, and old Zhang only needs enough to raise horses.
After Zhang Fei finished his deployments, Pang Tong remarked quietly, "Yan Xing opened by questioning the Cao envoy. His leanings are obvious."
Zhang Fei scoffed.
"He thinks nearly killing Ma Chao makes him peerless? He's still far from it. Laughable."
Pang Tong clicked his tongue.
Even Guan Yu would hesitate to claim superiority over Zhang Fei in raw strength. What exactly this man had eaten growing up was anyone's guess.
Reining in his thoughts, Pang Tong reflected:
Yan Xing's so-called "imperial envoy" was clearly Cao's man. Hanzhong's advance was no secret; Han Sui must have known already.
Yet he sent Yan Xing, not Cheng Gongying.
The implication made Pang Tong smile.
"Better that he wants to fight," Pang Tong said softly.
"Only fear if he doesn't."