14. Determined to Do Everything

"Here we will take a rest!" The troops stopped at Xiang's orders.

It was already at dusk. They had been on the road for a while, but the mountains were no longer visible. Just a flat forest landscape, except for a few tall, overgrown rocks that protruded from the ground here and there.

After the camp was set up and the night watchers were distributed, Xiang retired on a small hill and watched the darkening horizon.

Guo joined him after a while.

"It's not far away until the city," were Xiang's words to him.

"And what if he catches up with us?" the ox asked behind him.

Xiang smiled. "Our lead is too big. And even if... then that's fine with me."

There was a short pause.

"And you're sure you want to go through with this?" Guo asked unsurely.

Xiang's posture tightened. "He will suffer as much as I did for everything what he took away from me."

"And I thought you blame her."

"Mmpf, her, too. But I can't take as much from her as I can from him. And by the way…" He pressed the palms of his wings very closely together. "... she will be punished soon enough."

He felt Guo's gaze on his back and looked annoyed back at him. "Now let all this be my concern. After we are successful, you will get your tribute soon enough."

"I hope so. The people here have not been bribed for free to take part in this campaign. Breaking out of the work camp many months ago was risky enough. If we are caught..."

"We'll have done everything by then," Xiang cut him off. "Now don't keep talking, just do your work."

With that, Guo left the place and marched over to his tent.

Near the center of the camp, Yin-Yu and the others were in a cage. They froze a little and huddled close together.

Xia and Sheng were almost asleep, only Yin-Yu stayed awake and watched the old goat who was sitting in a corner with her eyes closed. Yin-Yu didn't want to disturb her. She didn't feel like talking anyway. Their only hope was the help from outside. But at the same time, she was plagued by the fear that he would risk too much. And that danger would not only come from Xiang.

"Master! Master!" With despair, the little sheep ran after the lord. "Don't go there! You know what you have to expect there!"

Shen pushed Ling aside angrily. "I know that myself! I know it all the time."

"You aren't allowed to go there!" Ling grabbed his shirt convulsively.

"Stop it!" Shen scolded and tore himself away. "You are just as bad as your great-aunt!"

They were somewhere on a path in the mountains. Shen had taken his sword and was headed straight to Gongmen City, what Ling didn't like at all.

"But master... Shouldn't some of us go with you at least?"

"He expects that I come alone," the lord dismissed him.

"But what will happen to the city if something happens to you?"

Shen paused. They stood near a slope now, where it went further into the valley below the mountains.

Shen sighed deeply. "If I never come back, you will take over the city."

He turned to Ling. Then he put his wings together and bowed. "Goodbye."

The sheep got tears in his eyes as Shen walked to the edge of the slope.

"Do me a favor," he heard Shen say. "Whatever happens..." He looked firmly at Ling. "Never let the panda know."

With these words, the peacock pushed off the cliff and sailed down the mountain with a peacock cry. The little sheep looked after him sadly. He would have loved to notify the Dragon Warrior. But maybe he had problems anyway.