203 Before the Breach
[POV: Chen Enlai]
Several hours before the invasion.
New Willow was calm that morning, eerily so.
The streets were quiet but alive beneath the haze of dawn. Flags fluttered above windowsills, and smoke curled from chimneys into the golden sky. At the eastern gates, local militia traded jokes between shifts rather than standing watch with anxious faces. Produce carts rattled along stone-paved roads while children chased iron hoops, laughing without a care.
To an unknowing eye, it was peace. A slice of heaven carved into a chaotic world.
Chen Enlai leaned against a lamp post, adjusting the rifle slung over his shoulder as he gazed across New Willow's rooftops and stone terraces. Five years ago, this had been a struggling hamlet barely clinging to relevance. Now it resembled a city in miniature. Its buildings were reinforced with stone, and copper-lined irrigation channels carried low-grade qi for filtration. Even Head Council Wan Peng had admitted it could soon rival a small prefectural capital.
Not bad for a village.
It was hard to believe he'd been born here.
Harder still to believe Da Wei had built it.
Chen Enlai exhaled slowly. The memory still lingered; Da Wei stepping forward and challenging his own father for the right to take his place in the conscription. It had been reckless, brave, and unforgettable.
Back then, Chen Enlai had thought he could do the same. With all the confidence of a ten-year-old, he'd picked a fight with his foster father. The result had been a cracked rib, two missing teeth, and a week spent drinking soup. His strength had meant nothing against real training.
But the lesson had stayed with him.
Four years later, only one man returned from that conscription.
Da Wei.
Shaking off the memory, Chen Enlai approached a modest wooden house near the village center. Scratch marks still scarred the door from Da Ji's childhood tantrums, back when she could afford to be unruly.
He knocked twice, then once more.
"Hey, it's me," he called. "Your brother's looking for you. Said to find you quick."
A muffled thump sounded inside, followed by an excited shriek.
"I'm coming!"
An exasperated voice answered from deeper within.
"Don't be a nuisance to your brother, girl," Lin Wei barked. "You're not a child anymore."
The door flew open.
Da Ji stood there with one boot on and the other half-laced, her hair only partially brushed and her robes slightly crooked. She grinned as though the world existed solely for her amusement.
"Lead the way!"
Chen Enlai blinked, staring at Da Ji up and down.
Five years had passed, yet Da Ji remained unchanged in the ways that mattered most… and transformed in all the ways that could ruin a man. She still wore that same radiant, disarming grin and carried the same reckless impulsiveness, but now those qualities shone from a body that had blossomed far beyond her heart’s maturity.
Slender, graceful arms. Long, elegant legs. A delicate neck left daringly exposed by the cut of her robes. The village gossips had spoken only the truth. Da Ji had become a breathtaking beauty. Almost dangerously so.
A sharp cough cut through his thoughts.
"You enjoying the view, soldier?" Lin Wei asked from inside, her eyes narrowing.
Chen Enlai nearly dropped his rifle. "N-nowhere! I mean, I wasn't looking—"
"At my neck?" Da Ji asked sweetly, tilting her head. "Or was it lower? You're not very subtle, you know."
Why was she like this?
"Let's just go," Chen Enlai muttered, turning away to hide his burning face. "Hurry up."
As he started walking, Da Ji's laughter followed close behind. "Wait, wait! I need to pick up my piece from the smithy!"
A moment later, the clomp of mismatched boots hurried after him.
Not long ago, Chen Enlai had been a brat. He was snobby, reckless, and far too full of himself. He'd strutted around with a chip on his shoulder, puffing out his chest like he ruled the world. In a way, he was no different than Da Ji. But life had a way of grinding arrogance out of people.
In New Willow, growing up wasn't a choice. It was survival.
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Da Wei was only a few weeks older, yet it felt like he belonged to an entirely different generation. At fifteen, he was already a veteran of skirmishes. His name was spoken alongside stories of slain demons and shattered formations. He possessed that rare kind of quiet charisma that made people trust him.
Even Chen Enlai had to admit the guy was like something out of a storybook.
That didn't mean Enlai had to become Da Wei. But surely he could make something of himself. Escorting Da Ji around was a good start. It was the least he could do.
After a short walk through the bustling market district, they arrived at the smithy. The air smelled of soot and oil, and sparks occasionally flashed from within the blackened workshop.
Da Ji skipped ahead, calling for the forge master before he could even greet her. Moments later, she emerged carrying her "piece". It was a pair of strange firearms no longer than two palms, snug in holsters at her waist. Sleek metal gleamed beneath a fresh coat of oil, plum blossoms engraved near each muzzle.
They looked nothing like Chen Enlai's long rifle.
He whistled.
"Strange little things, aren't they? Not much to look at compared to this bad boy." He patted the polished stock of his rifle. "Mine's bigger."
Da Ji rolled her eyes as she tightened her belt.
"Yeah, and slower. These have better penetration and reload faster. They're called revolvers. At least, that's what Brother calls them."
She twirled one around a finger before smoothly returning it to its holster.
Chen Enlai scratched the back of his neck and laughed. Somehow, everything sounded cooler when Da Wei's name was attached to it. Every mention of him was another reminder of how absurdly high the bar had been set.
Inventions. Martial prowess. Leadership.
Da Wei had it all.
Meanwhile, Chen Enlai was trying not to stare at his sister's collarbones.
"Yo!"
A familiar voice called from the alley beside the smithy. A round figure jogged toward them, sweat beading across his forehead and a crooked grin plastered on his face.
Ke Zhen waved a bulging leather pouch.
"Wait up! I got the rest of your stuff!"
"Zhen?" Chen Enlai blinked. "Didn't think we'd see you this early."
Ke Zhen grinned proudly.
"I've been up since third bell. Master Xun had me sorting the armory all morning. He's letting me handle distribution now, so..."
He opened the pouch, revealing extra bullets, a powder flask, and several wrapped pills.
"For you two. Standard issue, plus a few healing pills. Don't tell anyone I gave them out early."
Da Ji tilted her head.
"Isn't this special treatment?"
Ke Zhen snorted.
"You get enough of that from your brother already. Besides, everyone knows you're not just tagging along anymore."
He jabbed a thumb toward Chen Enlai.
"You've got Enlai here, and your aim's better than most hunters. If anyone complains, I'll tell them the truth. Enlai's the strongest in our cohort, both in shooting and martial arts, and you're no slouch either."
Da Ji puffed out her cheeks, clearly trying not to look pleased.
Everyone in the village knew she'd once hated martial arts, even after the Chief lifted the ban. Most assumed she was lazy. And then the demonic beasts came. When beasts prowled beyond the walls, even the laziest flower had to grow thorns.
Fortunately, Da Wei had offered another path: firearms. Guns, as he called them. They demanded discipline, precision, and patience rather than brute strength. For people like Da Ji, they were a blessing.
Chen Enlai still found it ironic. These strange inventions had become deadlier than most martial techniques he'd seen. Yet somehow people treated them as less violent than a clenched fist, even though both could kill just as easily.
"Oi." Ke Zhen nudged him with an elbow. "Share those bullets with Duyi when you find him, alright? I packed extras for his model too. He's still carrying that modified musket."
"Got it."
Enlai nodded and slung the pouch over his shoulder.
With supplies in hand and their load a little heavier, Chen Enlai turned toward the northern road. The village wall loomed ahead, lined with makeshift barricades and training dummies. They were evidence of drills that had become part of daily life.
The stairs leading to the wall creaked beneath their boots, worn smooth by constant use.
Halfway up, they crossed paths with a familiar figure lounging beside a stack of sandbags. Mai Duyi leaned against the stone, long-limbed and scrawny as ever, a calm, calculating look in his eyes.
Most people underestimated him.
Chen Enlai knew better.
Duyi might have looked like a stiff breeze could snap him in half, but he was the best marksman of their generation. Maybe the best in the entire village.
"Oi, Enlai." Duyi flicked a lazy salute. "Got any spare rounds?"
Chen Enlai opened the pouch Ke Zhen had given him and tossed over a cloth bundle.
"Yeah. Compliments of Zhen. Don't waste them showing off."
Duyi caught it effortlessly and flashed a rare grin.
"No promises."
His gaze shifted to Da Ji.
"Little piggy. Try not to get shot."
Da Ji smirked.
"Try not to get bent like a twig."
The banter earned a snort from Enlai before they parted ways. Duyi headed toward one of the sniper perches while Enlai and Da Ji continued climbing. At the top, New Willow stretched beneath them. Neat rows of houses, smoke curling from chimneys, and the distant sounds of preparation drifted through the morning air.
It looked peaceful.
Fragile, but peaceful.
Then he spotted Da Wei.
He stood near the edge of the wall beside Strategist Wen Yuhan, who studied the horizon through a bronze spyglass while the wind tugged at her robes.
Da Wei turned as they approached. His eyes landed on Enlai, and a grin spread across his face.
"Man, what did you eat to get taller than me?" he asked, walking over. "I thought we were supposed to be about the same age."
Chen Enlai straightened awkwardly.
Da Wei hadn't changed much physically, yet everything about him felt different. He carried authority as naturally as breathing.
"I, uh... ate well," he muttered.
Before the awkwardness could settle in, Da Ji bounded forward.
"Brother!" she called. "You asked for me?"
Da Wei nodded. "Yeah. The southern wall's going to collapse. When it does, I want you holding the breach for a while."
Chen Enlai's jaw tightened. That sounded suicidal, so he stepped forward, ready to object, but Da Ji answered first.
"Understood."
He blinked. There was no hesitation, no argument, and somehow Da Wei accepted her answer just as readily. The brief silence that followed was broken by Wen Yuhan.
"You seem conflicted, soldier."
Her gaze settled on Enlai, and he froze. The look wasn't merely sharp but predatory, like a hawk sizing up prey, and instinctively his fingers twitched toward his rifle.
Da Wei sighed. "That's not funny, Wen. Are you throwing killing intent at him? He's only at Martial Tempering."
Wen Yuhan's expression softened immediately. "I was merely observing."
Chen Enlai swallowed and stepped forward. "I volunteer to fight beside her."
Da Wei blinked before a faint smile appeared. "I'm glad you're willing to go that far for my sister, but I wasn't planning on sending her alone. Yuen Fu's unit will support her."
Wen Yuhan folded her arms. "I have a better suggestion. Assign him to Ding Shan's unit."
Da Wei raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Yuen Fu's squad specializes in mobility and evacuation, which means close combat martial arts. Chen Enlai here is a capable marksman with close-combat training. Ding Shan's unit needs people who can hold ground, while maintaining ranged superiority and a level of flexibility that transforms offense into defense, and vice versa."
Da Wei rubbed his chin for a moment, then nodded. "Makes sense. It's decided, then. You'll be with Ding Shan's unit, Enlai."
Chen Enlai saluted. "Understood."
