The aroma of roasted wolf meat attracted five, six dogs that have been abandoned by their masters; drooling with desire, they waited on the side for Xu and Kou to show pity.

When they entered this village, whose inhabitants had run away, the dogs were not friendly toward Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong at all, until they lit a bonfire in a clearing between houses and roasted the wolf, and then the pack of dogs’ attitude turned from baring-fangs-and-brandishing-claws to meekness.

The hungry wolf was also seeking its own misfortune. With other hungry wolves, unexpectedly it attacked the two boys, and was struck dead by Kou Zhong’s palm, which also dispersed the pack of wolves.

Along the way, wave after wave of refugees were rushing forth in the direction of the Yellow River. Seeing this made their heart unbearably aching, yet clearly they had neither the capability nor a way to change their miserable plight.

Using Kou Zhong’s Moon in the Well, Xu Ziling cut the wolf meat and gave it to the dogs, to let them gorge themselves and eat their meal in delight.

This moment Kou Zhong came with two jars of rice wine and sat by his side. Laughing, he said, “Just like I expected, I found two jars of home-brewed rice wine; our dinner will be a lot more delightful.”

Sweping the dogs, which were resting around after eating their fill – with his eyes, Xu Ziling sighed and said, “They are also the victims of war.”

He took the rice wine that Kou Zhong handed over to him. Kou Zhong pulled the plug of the jar and took two mouthfuls. Gasping for breath, he praised, “Good wine!”

Xu Ziling said, “We will leave the wolf meat here; how long do you think they can eat it?”

Kou Zhong’s gaze fell on the quarter-part of the wolf meat that the dogs had eaten, he said, “It should last two more days? Ay! Your remark made my heart ached. We should just eat the dry rations that we carry instead! Leave the wolf meat entirely to them. This pack of dogs is just like us, two brothers, we will not fight for food; it’s really rare.”

Xu Ziling said, “If it is only one large piece of meat, they might fight for food. Let me cut the wolf meat in equal proportions to reduce the friction among them.”

Kou Zhong appeared to be deep in thought. Watching Xu Ziling moving the blade up and down to make arrangement for the dogs, a profound hard-to-describe feeling welled up in his heart. Handing the wine over to Xu Ziling, he said, “This move of yours will not be effective for people, otherwise Li Shimin would not attack Yuwen Huaji, Tujue people also need not drool over the Central Plain, this big piece of fatty meat.”

Xu Ziling drank two mouthfuls, he said, “Because people’s minds are much more complex; their desires are endless, they are never satisfied. Even respected people who are beyond this mortal world, they are no more than having another cherished dream. It does not mean that they have nothing to seek for, only that they are not doing what they want to do.”

“What about Ling Shao?” Kou Zhong asked.

Xu Ziling sat down. Smiling ruefully, he said, “Right now what I desire the most is to avoid the suffering I see before me, and do not have to think about the future fate of the dogs. Either the dogs encounter Yuwen Huagu’s defeated troops or the hungry people fleeing from calamity, they are doomed to die. However, even if I can physically avoid it, I cannot keep my heart away from it.”

Kou Zhong appeared to have something to say, but in the end he did not say it. Taking out the dry rations that Yang Gongqing prepared for them, he handed it over to Xu Ziling.

Xu Ziling shook his head and said, “I am not hungry!” Suddenly his pair of eyes flashed with refined light.

Kou Zhong was alerted at the same time. His two eyebrows were rising; he spoke heavily, “Which respected person honoring us with your presence? Please show yourself to meet in person.”

A burst of long laughter rang from the forest behind the village. They heard someone said, “Indeed Kou Xiong, Xu Xiong’s names are not in vain. Xiaodi has always flaunted myself as being an expert in hiding-and-concealing technique, yet I still cannot hide from two gentlemen.”

Only at this time did the hair on the dogs’ neck rise up, while deep growl came out of their throat. Xu Ziling hurriedly shouted to tell them to stop.

A man casually came out of the woods. He gave the impression of a bold and powerful, tough and tenacious, intimidating and heroic – man; his skin was dark from exposure to the sun, his appearance sincere and honest. Were it not for the lightning-like brilliant flickers in his pair of eyes, which showed his superior power, he looked no different than a local peasant.

Perhaps it was because of his leisurely attitude, or perhaps because Xu Ziling’s shout was effective, the dogs stopped growling. They stopped moving, but were in a full-alert state. Two of the dogs ran forward to sniff at him. The incoming man revealed a smile, he reached out to lightly stroke their heads, and then spoke cheerfully, “All are obedient and tame dogs. It’s too bad that they were abandoned in here!”

Both his expression and his speech appeared to have come from his sincere heart, so that the two boys had a good impression on him.

“Xiongtai, please sit down and talk,” Kou Zhong said.

The man sat down on the other side of the bonfire; he said, “Xiaodi Zhang Jinshu, a low-level infantryman under Yan Wang [King of Yan] Gao Kaidao.” [Interesting fact: Zhang Jinshu literally mean ‘spread out golden tree’, while Gao Kaidao means ‘high open road’.]

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling did not expect to meet a Gao Kaidao’s man in here; they were both very surprised. Furthermore, from this man’s style of conversation and elegant demeanor, they were sure that this gentleman was not a low-level soldier, but a general or a minister with authority.

Gao Kaidao was from