Prologue

PROLOGUE

FIERCE WIND RISES FROM

THE DUCKWEED

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In the small town of Yanhui, far out in the frontier, was a place called “Generals' Slope”. Although its name sounded mighty, in reality, it was only a slightly large pile of dirt, one could already look past its top if they stretched their neck out.

The Generals' Slope had not always been there from the start. It was said that fourteen years ago, after Great Liang's Black Iron Camp’s three major factions — the indomitable Iron Calvary — finished the Northern Expedition and silenced the Eighteen Barbarian Man's tribes and they were on their way back to the capital, they took the path through Yanhui Town.

It was here that they had put down their already ruined armor, piling it up into a small mound, and after many years of weathering under rain and wind, sand and dust, it had turned into the Generals' Slope.

The Generals' Slope was a deserted place. Nothing could ever grow on this piece of land, not even wild grass or weeds. Couples could not fool around either, as there was no cover. It simply laid there, no one could think of any good use for it. The elderly all said that this was due to the Black Iron Camp’s deadly aura being too strong. As time passed by, those with nothing to do used this as their basis, from which they started to weave out many ghostly and demonic tales about the frontier. Over time, no one went there anymore.

At dusk one day, there were two young children, about ten years old, running to the Generals' Slope.

The two together—one who was tall and skinny, the other short and fat—resembled a running pair of bowl and chopsticks.

The tall one was dressed in the style of a girl; one had to look carefully to tell that they were actually a boy. His childhood name was Cao Niangzi. Because a fortune teller once said that he was a female born into the wrong fetus, fearing that God would call him back to be reborn, his family was worried that he would not live long and raised him as a daughter ever since.

The chubby one was the youngest son of Butcher Ge, and childhood name was Ge Pang Xiao. His appearance resembled his name; his whole body was faintly glazed with a layer of rich oil, which made him seem wealthy.

The two of them went towards the Generals' Slope to look around, but due to the rumors of the place being haunted, they did not dare to approach too closely.