Chinua had only watched the mountain from a distance while sightseeing with Haitao. As they climbed, she looked around and saw the trees and bushes growing greener with every step.
Chinua suddenly asked, "Do you two think there's water on this mountain?"
"I don't know," Ge Ming said with trembling lips.
Chinua turned around and found that the person behind her was not Khunbish and Khenbish. She saw the pale-faced man walking slowly behind her. She walked back to Ge Ming. "How do you feel?" she asked. "Are you able to walk up the mountain?"
"I'm fine," Ge Ming insisted. He took two steps forward and slowly fell to the ground.
Chinua stood there, looking down at Ge Ming. She did not know what happened to the soul of a dead soldier; whether his soul would truly return to his homeland, or if it would be a wandering spirit in a foreign land. If the souls of dead Magoli warriors all become stars after death, what about the souls of dead Tanggolian soldiers? What will their souls become? Chinua sighed, picked Ge Ming up, carried him on her back, and began to walk up the overgrown mountain road with the unconscious man.
Ge Ming was awakened by the cold wind on his face. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a small bonfire in front of him. He looked up at the dark sky full of stars, and a full moon gazed down at him. He slowly turned his head, looking around until he found a person not far from him. He knew in his heart that this must be the Magoli soldier. Through the moonlight, he could clearly see the Magoli soldier, standing a few feet away, begin to undress.
Chinua took off her robe, set her clothes down, and began to untie her hair. She stepped into the pond and began to bathe. She looked down at the clear water, seeing her own image appear. She sighed and murmured, "So dark... so chubby... so unwanted... and yet, I am so ambitious."
After her bath, Chinua got dressed, walked back to the small campfire, and sat down. She used a stick to dig out the buried yams, then grabbed two and threw them at Ge Ming.
The moment the hot yams touched his chest, Ge Ming's eyes fluttered open. He quickly pushed the two yams onto the ground. He looked at Chinua, who was sitting not far from him and had already started eating. Then he looked down and found two yams. He reached out and picked them up.
Ge Ming looked at Chinua and nodded. "Thank you." He gestured to Chinua. "You brought me here?"
"Yes," Chinua replied.
Ge Ming smiled at Chinua. "Thank you."
"Do all Tanggolians smile like you?" Chinua asked.
Ge Ming chuckled. "Tanggolians use their smiles to express how they feel. There's a saying in Tanggolia: 'You can see a person's heart by the way they smile.' Why don't Magoli smile?"
"In Hmagol, a smile is genuine," Chinua explained. "We only smile to our parents, family members, and our significant others. It shows that we care and cherish them. Smiling at strangers is a sign of weakness."
Ge Ming took a bite of his yam. "No wonder women in the south say that northern men are more masculine."
"You are quite handsome yourself," Chinua countered. "With your looks, many women should be drawn to you, no less than northern men." She looked at Ge Ming. "What kind of woman do you have in mind?"
"Tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine," Ge Ming suggested.
"No preference, maybe just someone who can cook."
Ge Ming sighed. "For me, I want someone like me—someone who can keep up if I have to run all night."
"I heard from others that Tanggolians take male mistresses. Is that right?" Chinua asked.
"Yes, but not always. Sometimes, you just need a person on the same level as you to communicate effectively." He took his last bite of yam. "You should go to the South; it has some of the most beautiful women in the land."
"One day I will go south," Chinua said. She looked at Ge Ming. "To sneak into the most heavily guarded camp of Hmagol and try to assassinate its second prince... you must have immense courage."
"This is a duty," Ge Ming replied. "If such an opportunity arose – to sneak into the Lion Camp down south and assassinate General Li – I believe you would do the same."
"That's right," Chinua chuckled.
"Soldier, what's your name?" Ge Ming asked.
Chinua looked at Ge Ming. "Chinua," she replied.
"Your archery is very good," Ge Ming said, pointing to the wound on his left shoulder. "I'll remember Chinua's arrow striking me here."
"Next time, be a man; step onto the battlefield," Chinua advised. "Don't use dirty means. Your death will be more meaningful."
"I'm sure Chinua has more tricks than any other soldier in the camp," Ge Ming retorted, a smile playing on his lips.
Chinua's face changed suddenly. "What do you mean?" she demanded.
Ge Ming smiled at Chinua. "Even if clouds and mist obscure my sight, through them I can still glimpse the figure of a golden lotus atop her pad. Even if the night turns dark, I can still see the golden lotus through the moonlight's sparkle." He sighed. "Chinua, why did you save me? If I die here, you'll have one less enemy."
"I don't take advantage of those who are at a disadvantage," Chinua said, staring at Ge Ming. "You still haven't answered my question."
"I did," Ge Ming stated simply.
"Let me put it another way... why do you think it would be good for your country to assassinate Prince Dzhambul?" Chinua pressed.
Ge Ming stared at Chinua, who was staring at him coldly. Ge Ming had known and killed many people over the years, but he had never seen a look that made his spine shiver like this. It was a seductive stare, like a good book where you want to skip to the end to know how the story finishes, but you're afraid to turn the page because you might miss the best part.
Ge Ming shook his head and chuckled. "What do you think?"
Chinua lifted her head and stared at Ge Ming. "I think your attempt to assassinate Prince Dzhambul has two meanings," she began. "If you succeed in assassinating Prince Dzhambul, you'd actually be killing two birds with one arrow."
"Why do you think so?" Ge Ming asked, leaning forward slightly.
"If Prince Dzhambul dies, you'd destroy our coastline with your navy, knowing Prince Chimgee wouldn't have the support of the northern army," Chinua stated. She stared at Ge Ming. "If your assassination attempt fails, most court officials wouldn't allow King Batukhan to send Prince Dzhambul to help Prince Chimgee if you attack the coastline, fearing another assassination attempt on the beloved Prince." She stared at Ge Ming. "Am I right?"
Ge Ming scoffed softly. "Chinua... Chinua... What you just said sounds like you planned it yourself." He stood up slowly. "Are you going to arrest me and take me back to camp for a reward? If you come to Tanggolia with me, I'll give you ten times the reward the King of Hmagol would offer you."
Chinua stood up slowly. "Go and tell your generals," she said, "if they want to meet the Magoli army, they just need to cross our southern border." She threw the knife at Ge Ming. "There's a saying in Hmagol: 'Defeat a man at a disadvantage, gain no honor.'" She slowly walked away from Ge Ming.
"Chinua!" Ge Ming shouted. Chinua turned and looked at Ge Ming. "Thank you for saving my life."
"If you truly want to thank me, tell me who your mole is," Chinua replied.
"You know I can't tell you. How do you know?" Ge Ming asked, baffled.
"You told me yourself. Have you forgotten?" Chinua challenged.
"When did I tell you?"
"The northern army is heavily guarded," Chinua explained. "Without a mole, how could you enter the main camp so easily and know exactly where Prince Dzhambul's tent is?" She chuckled lightly.
"Someone like you shouldn't be just an ordinary soldier. Come with me," Ge Ming urged.
Chinua smiled. "Today I'm just an ordinary soldier, but the future is uncertain," she said.
Ge Ming grabbed the jade tied around his neck and threw it to Chinua. "If you get into trouble down south," he said, "take this to the government agency, and they'll help you."
Chinua nodded. "Mmm...."
"I truly wish to meet you down south one day," Ge Ming said, a hopeful tone in his voice.
"I hope we never meet again, in the South or here," Chinua replied bluntly.
"Why?" Ge Ming asked, surprised.
"If I step foot down south, it means I'm there to take and to stay," Chinua said, putting her hands behind her back and walking slowly down the mountain.