The first light of dawn crept over the grassland horizon when Gu Kai was jolted awake by footsteps outside the iron cage. He rubbed his numb legs—last night, though Kalon had loosened the cage lock, he hadn't given them a tent, just left Gu Kai and his ragtag squad to huddle in a pile of straw at the edge of camp.
Opening his eyes, Gu Kai saw Kalon's adjutant standing arms akimbo in front of them, with ten so-called "soldiers" behind him. The sight nearly made Gu Kai laugh out loud—the youngest, Aji, had just turned seventeen; the oldest was a limping herdsman named Batu, his knee shattered by one of Ira's stray bullets last year. The rest? Some shook so badly holding a gun they could barely aim, others couldn't even tell a saddle from a stool.
"This is the 'elite force' the chief gave you?" the adjutant asked with a smirk, nudging the straw pile with his boot. "If you think they're not up to it, Mister Gu, you can still admit defeat now. The chief says it won't be shameful."
Gu Kai crawled out of the straw, dusting himself off. His gaze swept over the squad, landing on Aji's clenched fists—the boy's face was tight, as if afraid of showing weakness first. A crooked grin tugged at Gu Kai's lips, his sharp tongue surfacing again: "Better than you, standing around running your mouth. At least they didn't tuck their tails between their legs in front of Ira."
The adjutant's face flushed red instantly, about to snap back when Batu suddenly coughed. "Mister Gu, let's talk business. Ira's granary's by the north gate, fenced with barbed wire. Guarded tight during the day, but at dusk, during the half-hour shift change, you can maybe get close." He scratched a rough sketch of the depot into the dirt with a piece of charcoal. "Problem is—we got no idea how to get in. Most of us can't even handle a rifle."
Gu Kai squatted down, tapping the sketch beside the granary. "Charging in head-on's suicide. We'll need cover." He lifted his head toward Aji. "You're local. Know anyone who keeps sheep? The more, the better."
Aji blinked, then his eyes lit up. "I do! Grandpa Ba's got over a hundred sheep, just east of here, not far from the granary! But…" His voice faltered. "Half his flock got stolen by Ira's men last year. Now he doesn't trust soldiers one bit."
"Mistrust is better than losing lives." Gu Kai clapped his shoulder. "Come on, let's go see this Grandpa Ba." He deliberately left the adjutant behind—Kalon's tests last night were enough. With a watchdog tagging along, nothing would get done.
The wind carried the sharp tang of sheep dung as they neared Grandpa Ba's fold. A wooden fence enclosed a flock of snow-white sheep. An old man in a sheepskin coat sat by his tent, sharpening a knife. When he spotted them, he shoved the blade into his belt and stood. "You with Kalon's lot? What do you want?"
"Grandpa Ba, it's me, Aji!" The boy rushed forward, pointing at Gu Kai. "This is Brother Gu Kai. He wants to borrow some of your sheep—to help us fight Ira!"
Grandpa Ba's eyes narrowed, sweeping over Gu Kai and the ragtag squad. He snorted. "Fight Ira? Kalon's men said the same last year. What happened? My sheep got stolen, and they didn't dare fart in protest. Now you want more? Sounds to me like you're just feeding Ira with my flock again!"
Gu Kai understood his fear. Instead of explaining, he stepped to the fence, scooped up a stray lamb, and dropped it gently back inside. "Grandpa Ba, I'm not asking for charity." He pulled something from his coat—the fluorescent green sunhat, dirty but still glaring bright against the steppe. "This can buy twenty sheep. And if we succeed, I'll help you get back the ones Ira stole last year. If I fail, you can take my life instead."
The old man stared at the hat for a long while, then at Gu Kai's eyes. There wasn't the greedy gleam he saw so often in Kalon's men—just honesty, stubborn and steady. After a pause, Grandpa Ba sighed. "It's not your stuff I'm worried about. It's fear. Ira's not human. He stole my sheep and killed my son. These sheep are all I have left."
"I know." Gu Kai's voice softened. He pointed to the sketch on the ground. "The granary's right there. These sheep are our cover—we'll tie kerosene-soaked cloth strips to them. At dusk, when the guards switch shifts, we'll drive the flock in. One spark, and Ira's food goes up in smoke. Without grain, they can't hold the west gate. Kalon's men push, Ira runs. That's the plan." He straightened. "If you trust me, lend me the sheep. If not, we'll walk away right now. We won't trouble you again."
Grandpa Ba stayed quiet, then turned back into his tent. When he returned, he carried a sheepskin pouch. "There's kerosene in here. I saved it for my lamps. You can borrow fifty sheep, but hear me: if I lose them and Ira doesn't fall, I'll go straight to Kalon for answers."
Gu Kai took the pouch with a heavy nod. "Don't worry. As long as the sheep reach that depot, Ira won't be standing." He looked to Batu. "Uncle Batu, you've fought Ira before. Know their shift routine?"
Batu crouched and added two lines to the sketch. "They switch, then head to the noodle shop nearby. Always drag it out half an hour. We'll have to get the sheep to the fence before they leave. Once they're gone, we light it up." He hesitated. "But there's a risk—Ira's added patrol trucks lately. They roll by whenever they feel like it."
"Then we hide if they show." Gu Kai pointed to the cave behind the sheepfold. "Grandpa Ba, can that cave hide people?"
"It used to store hay," the old man said with a nod. "Fifty sheep will fit, but it's tight."
"Good enough." Gu Kai clapped the dust off his hands. "Settled. This afternoon we prep the kerosene and cloth strips. At dusk, we'll pay Ira's granary a visit." He turned to the squad. The slumped shoulders from before were gone—now their eyes glimmered with something else.
By sunset, the grassland glowed orange-red. Gu Kai was helping Aji tie strips onto the sheep. Aji's hands trembled, knots slipping loose. Gu Kai guided him firmly: "Tie tighter. If it burns off too soon, our 'sheep vanguard' won't work."
"Kai-ge… you think we can pull this off?" Aji whispered, glancing nervously at the depot in the distance—the silhouettes of Ira's soldiers already visible.
Gu Kai looked up at the sky. The wind was blowing straight toward the granary. "We can." He pulled The Thirty-Six Stratagems from his coat, flipping to 'Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao.' His grandfather's handwritten note glowed in the sunset: Attack what the enemy must save, and you'll break his siege. He closed the book, a sudden calm in his chest. No matter Kalon's tests, no matter the squad's flaws—right now, they had sheep, kerosene, a hiding place, and a band of people willing to fight alongside him.
Just then, the growl of an engine rolled over the plains—Ira's patrol truck.
"Hide the sheep in the cave!" Gu Kai hissed. Aji rushed to drive the flock inside while Gu Kai and Batu ducked behind the fold. The truck rumbled closer. A soldier leaned out the window, scanned the pen, cursed, then drove off.
Gu Kai let out a shaky breath, his back soaked in cold sweat. Turning, he saw Aji poking his head out of the cave, waving—the sheep were safe.
"Half an hour till shift change," Batu said, voice trembling but laced with anticipation.
Gu Kai nodded. From his pocket, he pulled out the lighter Old Mu had slipped him the night before. He clenched it tight, muttering in his heart: Grandpa, whether I make it out alive this time—it all rides on this.
The wind howled harder, rattling the sheepfold's fence. Out by the granary, soldiers were already heading toward the noodle shop.
Gu Kai drew a deep breath, turned to his squad, and said, "Ready? Time for our 'sheep vanguard' to make their entrance."