The day was warm and cloudless, the sky a deep blue. When the wind blew, An Sun could smell the rich scents of grass and earth. After leaving Jinping with a few of his men, An Sun led them on his great red stallion to the Western Empire. The travel was smooth for the most part, especially during the day.
When dusk hit, the nights became slightly colder, yet humid. It was uncomfortable to sleep. But that didn't seem to bother them too much as they suffered worse during their first months of training.
When finally arriving in the Western Empire that night, they settled camp in the woods close to the border. In the morning, they would go farther into the empire. But for now, they rest.
A fire crackled in the center of the campsite, projecting long shadows on the surrounding area. The night brought such a silence that the crackle of the campfire was all that could be heard, like natural music. The flames that licked at the wood and the red sparks both danced in the cool breeze. The men added more wood and poked it with long sticks.
An Sun's face was toasted warm and his back cold, mind relaxed and mesmerized. He looked down at the letter in his hand, its edges slightly wrinkled.
"So, why did all of you join the army?" Fan Mingli suddenly asked while chewing on a piece of roasted pheasant.
One of the men by the name of Yin Changpu lowered against a tree and leaned back, stretching his legs out before him while he plucked at his lower lip in thought. In comparison to the others, he was the most muscular. Even seated, he was tall with long legs, broad shoulders, and a flat stomach.
"I grew up in a poor family. My father died a few years back leaving my elder brother in charge of the household. I don't have many skills, so when I heard that joining offers many benefits to the families who join, I thought, why the hell not!"
Each man looked at Yin Changpu with admiration. It was common for men to join the army to help their families – already showing their great sense of gratitude to the ones they care for.
Fan Mingli finished the last bite of his food before he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I'm not very strong or tall like the rest of you as you can see." His eyes looked around at the men, all who stared back at him without pity or contempt. Just thoughtfulness.
"But I know for a fact I'm smarter than three of you combined." Fan Mingli raised his chin proudly.
The men looked at the young man with dumbfounded expressions.
"You little bastard," Yin Changpu sitting beside him punched Fan Mingli in the shoulder, not too hard of course. "You may be smarter than us, but you're also more of an asshole then all of us combined."
Everyone around the campfire laughed as Fan Mingli glared. An Sun listening on the side couldn't help but smile.
"Captain Sun, why did you decide to enter the army? Compared to all of us, you seem to have the most experience."
Yin Changpu's question led the four men to look at him expectantly. They too were curious as to why their strong, great captain joined. From what they've seen, he was capable enough to be a commander.
Under their stares, An Sun folded the paper in his hand and tucked it back in his shirt before turning to them.
"For the benefits as well, you could say," He said.
"Did you join for your family as well?" Yin Changpu asked.
An Sun looked at him silently for a moment. The flames of the fire had flickered within his gray eyes before he reluctantly smiled from the corner of his mouth.
