Three years had passed since Ri Yami first crossed the gates of the Li Military Academy.
He was thirteen now.And although he had yet to raise a sword on a real battlefield, he was already spoken of among instructors and officers as if he were one of them.
"That boy from Zui... the one who lost his father. He has the mind of a general and the eyes of an assassin."
His days were marked by a routine of iron.He woke before dawn. Trained until his muscles screamed.Spent hours on the shooting range, perfecting his aim with double war bows—heavier than those used by other cadets.And when the sun set, he devoured military scrolls: campaigns of the Great General Wang Yi, the sieges of Zhao, the western battles against Han.
Ri Yami was preparing for war. But not as a soldier. As a strategist.
Instructor's TestThe tactical classroom was filled with maps, figurines, and wooden tokens.At the front, Instructor Han Bu held a sheet of paper.
—"Two days ago, scouts from southern Wei advanced toward the Qin border. Their intention is to test the defense of the He River line.Who can say how to give them a memorable welcome?"
One of the best students, Li Shen, spoke up:
—"We could hide a thousand men in the eastern forest and surround them as they cross."
Han Bu shook his head.
—"Too direct. They will see it coming."
Everyone fell silent, until Ri Yami stood up.
—"I would let them cross."—"What?" Li Shen frowned.
—"I would let them cross, inspect, even return. But one... just one, I would catch alive.I'd interrogate him in secret, learn his language, his rank, and then...I'd let him return too.With a poisoned message:'The He River will swallow all who dare cross it.'"
The others remained silent.
Han Bu smiled for the first time in weeks.
—"That is the thinking of a commander.That is the thinking of someone who no longer sees battles, but war."
The Black BowOne afternoon, on the training field, one of the veteran archers—Sergeant Xu Tian—approached while Ri Yami was adjusting the string of his new longbow.
—"They say you strategize like a commander... but great generals also kill."
Yami didn't answer. He just raised the bow.
His fingers were covered in calluses, his shoulders tense from years of shooting.
Over a hundred steps away, a wooden figure shaped like a rider galloped down the hill, mounted on wheels.
Ri Yami fired.
First arrow: to the eyes.Second: to the neck.Third: to the horse's leg.Three shots, three lethal hits.
Xu Tian whistled, crossing his arms.
—"If you stay alive... you'll become dangerous."
Yami lowered the bow, emotionless.
—"That's the goal."
A Shadow GrowsThat night, while reading by the light of an oil lamp, Han Bu received a letter sealed with the emblem of the royal palace.He broke the seal and read, frowning.
"Young Ri Yami has been evaluated by senior officers.He is authorized to participate as a strategic observer in a real campaign.Advanced instruction. Under military supervision."
The instructor looked up toward the window, where the moon illuminated the field.
—"The Kingdom of Qin is about to need monsters.And you, Ri Yami...Are ceasing to be a child."