By early afternoon on the third day after leaving Lao-Da Village, the road had become a muddy track. With every step, Chinua's boots sank into the thick mud, making a heavy squelch as she pulled them free. Each step was a labor, the muck clinging stubbornly to the soles, making them heavier and heavier. She let out a frustrated breath and used a bamboo stick to scrape away some of the clinging weight. Even other travelers seemed to be walking past her more easily. Raising her head, she saw her own men ahead – she was falling a considerable distance behind the five of them.
"How did they move so fast under these conditions?" Chinua asked with frustration, turning to look at Khunbish and Khenbish.
"We followed the villagers' advice and walked barefoot," Khunbish replied simply.
Chinua looked down at Khunbish's mud-caked feet and saw he was indeed barefoot. "Is it too late to take off my shoes now?" she asked, looking pettily at him.
"No," Khenbish said. "We still have the mountain to climb." He walked up to Chinua. "Let me carry you on my back."
Chinua glanced at his back, then quickly pulled off her shoes and handed them to him. She managed a small smile. "Here," she said. "If you want to carry something, carry my shoes."
Chinua found that walking barefoot in the mud actually made things easier. Soon, she had caught up with the other five men.
"This is exactly why I said we shouldn't abandon our horses!" Drystan complained.
"We're on a mission," Hye replied. "If we rode in announcing our arrival on horseback, how could we see the real situation?"
"As a bandit, you might never see the ugliness in people's hearts," Naksh stated. "Only by walking can you truly see whether the person in front of you is kindhearted or evil-hearted."
Drystan looked at Naksh. "You speak as if you truly understand the human heart," he said, a challenge in his voice.
Jeet looked at Drystan. "After experiencing betrayal," he said, "you become more cautious about people approaching you. Especially if the one who betrayed you was your own blood."
Drystan met his gaze. "I've seen a lot of betrayal, my friend," he replied. "And if you're betrayed like I was, you learn to care about no one but yourself."
"I don't care who betrayed you in the past, or who might betray you in the future," Chinua said, walking wobbly towards them through the mud. "But if you choose to betray me, you'll have to eat mud for the rest of your life."
Drystan and Jeet looked at her mud-streaked face and burst into laughter. "The way you look right now, General," Drystan chuckled, "we can't take your words seriously!"
"Keep laughing," Chinua said, her voice firm despite her wobbly stance. "I'll make you eat mud." She held out a hand to Khenbish. "Shoes." When she spotted a group of civilians standing not far off, Chinua decided against throwing her shoes at Drystan. Instead, she walked faster towards her men.
Hye stood near the city gate, arms crossed, observing. After some inspection, he noticed a clear disparity in how people entered: some passed through without issue, while many civilians were pushed aside to allow other civilians to enter Anpo City. As Hye watched, a group of ten civilians approached him. He greeted the man at the front, an action that caught the attention of a passing civilian as well.
"Brother," Hye said, approaching the middle-aged man. "Excuse me, why aren't you going into the city?"
The man replied, "Even if we could enter, there's no food, so we decided to go to Lao-Da Village instead."
Hye pretended surprise. "Really?" he asked, his voice laced with feigned concern. "No food at all?"
"They have food," the man clarified, "they just don't have food to feed those who are not purebred Magoli."
Chinua gasped, whispering a few words to Khunbish before continuing to walk. She passed the other fleeing civilians who stood on the side of the road, unsure what to do next.
"We are pure Magoli," Chinua announced, waving to the guards at the gate. Her men quickly followed as she walked ahead, stopping in front of the guards. "Dear sirs," she said clearly. "We are pure Magoli."
The guard looked at Chinua, then over her shoulder. He pointed at Drystan, then looked back at Chinua, asking, "What about him?"
Chinua turned to look at Drystan. She smiled, though her eyes were sharp. "He is not one of us," she stated. She pointed to Khunbish, Naksh, Jeet, and Khawn. "They aren't pure Magoli either, and we don't know them."
"What!" Drystan yelled, his face contorted with anger. He walked quickly towards Chinua, but three guards immediately stepped forward, stopping him.
"Stand down, Alhu!" the guards shouted, pointing their weapons at Drystan. Chinua smiled proudly at him.
Chinua smiled proudly at him.
Drystan glared back. "You remember this," he warned, turning away.
Khawn, not understanding why Chinua would disavow them, started to walk towards her and the others. But Khunbish grabbed his arm. "Let's go back to Naju village," Khunbish said loudly, making sure everyone nearby could hear him. "I've heard the chief villager there is very kind."
"Brother?" A young man approached Khunbish. "Are you telling the truth about Naju Village?"
"Of course," Khunbish replied to the young man. "The Southern General told me Minister Esen has sent people to deliver food, and their first stop is Naju Village. If we go there now, maybe we can get some ourselves." He started to pull Khawn away.
Naksh and Jeet didn't need to ask; they understood Chinua must have left Khunbish a message for them. They each grabbed Drystan's arms on both sides. The brothers turned and followed Khunbish and Khawn towards Naju Village.
As Chinua and her remaining men entered Anpo City, Hye immediately asked, "Naju Village? Why Naju Village?"
Chinua replied, "Naju Village is Minister Esen's birthplace; his family is originally from there. I heard that the current chief is Minister Esen's brother-in-law. Besides that, my brother also sent Minister Enkhjin to Naju Village."
"Minister Enkhjin?" Hye echoed. "Why him?"
"Minister Misheel vouched for Minister Enkhjin," Chinua explained, "confirming his innocence. Moreover, Minister Enkhjin was the minister my brother recommended to serve the court."
Hye smiled knowingly. "So, even Chinua chose a side."
Chinua's expression turned firm. "I always choose a side," she stated. "I choose the side that stands with the people of Hmagol."
As Chinua and Hye entered Anpo City, the atmosphere was surprisingly lively. It seemed few villagers who had fled from nearby areas had settled here.
"Well, it seems the city's citizens weren't much affected by the flooding," Zhi observed.
Hye approached a passing woman. "Excuse me," he said, adopting a weary tone. "We're flood victims from a nearby village. We were told there are shelters and food here; where should we go for help?"
The woman looked at him in confusion. "Help?" she asked. "What help do you mean?"
"The government provides assistance to villagers fleeing the floods," Hye explained. "We heard they sent disaster relief to Anpo City, that's why we came."
The woman looked at Hye, thought for a moment, then said, "We've seen nearby villagers fleeing here, but there seems to be no government assistance."
She looked at Hye and the others, her eyes flashing angrily. "Those government officials in the capital," she spat. "They don't care about us locals! We've suffered so much, but they turn a blind eye." Her voice dropped, laced with bitter certainty. "I know what they're thinking. They probably believe most of us are descendants of Tanggolian ancestors, so they won't provide us any assistance, even though Mayor Orgil has sent so many letters asking for disaster relief."
Chinua asked, "Since this area is under Mayor Orgil's jurisdiction, what has he done to help the people?"
When Chinua mentioned Mayor Orgil, the woman's attitude suddenly changed. She smiled. "Where do I even start?" she said warmly. "Mayor Orgil has helped many local people and fleeing villagers through his own donations. He even launched a donation drive with businessmen in the city to provide food for the Magoli people affected by the flood."
Hye smiled and said, "Wow, he sounds like a truly generous mayor."
The woman clearly felt that Hye and those with him spoke well of Mayor Orgil, making her sure they were pure Magoli. She moved closer to them and lowered her voice. "To be honest," she confided, "you can find food and shelter in the east of the city. Mayor Orgil and local businesses provided it for civilians fleeing the floods."
Hye said with a slight smile, "Sister, why didn't you tell us in the first place."
The woman clearly felt that Hye and those with him spoke well of Mayor Orgil, making her sure they were pure Magoli. She moved closer to them and lowered her voice. "To be honest," she confided, "you can find food and shelter in the east of the city. Mayor Orgil and local businesses provided it for civilians fleeing the floods."
Chinua asked, "Why?"
The woman said, "They are descendant of Tanggolian, not Magoli."
Chinua said, "They lived in Hmagol, so they are Magoli."
"But they are not pure-blooded Magoli," said the woman.
Chinua looked at the woman, her eyes flashing with anger. "Since the day our forefather conquered this southern region," she declared, her voice sharp, "our ancestors made it clear: they are Magoli. So, who has the right to say they are not? You keep repeating, 'They are Tanggolian, not Magoli." Chinua stepped closer, looking directly into the woman's eyes. "Let me ask you this: Is the land you are standing on right now Tanggolia or Hmagol?"
The woman looked at Chinua, uncomprehending. "You...you must be one of those fake Magoli," she accused, pointing angrily. She started to walk away but stopped beside Hye. "If you want a warm bed and food tonight," she advised him in a low voice, "don't bring that fake Magoli with you."
"Thank you for your kind advice, Sister," Hye said, a bright smile playing on his lips.
The woman walked away angrily.
Hye turned back to Chinua. "Let's go see what this mayor has done for pure-blood Magoli."