42 We Are Fated

As the morning breeze swept through the south of Hmagol, Chinua and her four companions began loading their belongings into the wooden wagon. Just as Khawn was about to jump into the carriage, Chinua grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.

"Does Chinua need anything?" Khawn asked, confused.

Chinua looked at him. "You are on horseback today," she stated.

"I don't know how to ride a horse yet," Khawn admitted, his eyes wide.

"So, you have to practice," Chinua countered. "Anyway, if you want to work under me, riding is a must."

Jeet giggled nearby, barely suppressing his mirth. "Khawn, everyone, big or small, must be able to ride a horse! If we were to go to war, seeing you sitting on a wooden carriage and fight your enemies would be totally ridiculous!" He broke into laughter.

Chinua looked at Jeet's happy face. "Don't laugh too early," she warned. "Today it's your job to teach Khawn, and tomorrow it will be your job, Naksh," she added, looking at the two brothers.

Naksh walked towards Chinua and Khawn. "Why is everything you do related to us?" Naksh asked, feigning annoyance.

"We're going to be together for a long time, so we have to get to know each other," Chinua said simply. She looked at Khawn, Jeet, and Naksh. "Help me exchange my horse with Khawn's horse."

After the two horses were exchanged, Khawn nervously mounted. Jeet and Khawn led the way, with the others following.

"Control your horse with your feet and the leash and command your horse to go in the direction you want it to go," Jeet instructed, a hint of nervousness in his voice as he watched Khawn. "Don't worry, let's take it slow today, and I'll teach you how to ride more steadily tomorrow."

"Thank you," Khawn replied, gripping the reins tightly.

"Don't thank me yet," Jeet quipped. "Thank me after you can ride freely."

Chinua brought her horse alongside Khawn's. "Once you're used to riding a horse, then you must practice archery on horseback," she told him.

"I'll do my best," Khawn promised.

Naksh smiled and teased, "Do your best? You have to do more than your best."

Khawn nodded innocently, then said proudly, "I will do more than my best because I don't want to disappoint Chinua."

Jeet and Naksh exchanged glances, silently suppressing their laughter.

"As long as you try your best, I won't be disappointed," Chinua reassured him.

Hye looked at Khawn, his expression indifferent. "Although Chinua told you this, you have to remember that one day Chinua will take you to the battlefield. It's your job to ensure that every task Chinua gives you won't fail. Having said that, if you can't kill the enemy on horseback, then you're not worthy of following Chinua."

Khawn nodded, his gaze fixed on the vast desert land before them. "I'm still breathing, I have two arms and two legs, and I can meet Chinua's expectations of me," he said confidently.

Hye smiled innocently at Khawn, his tone deceptively encouraging. "Keep it up, kid. If you don't keep it up, your first battle will be your last."

Chinua slowed her horse, pulling back slightly from the group. She looked at Hye. "Why did you say that to him?" she asked, a frown on her face.

Hye met her gaze. "If you show him sympathy, he'll think it's leniency, and he won't try to push his limit." He looked at Chinua pointedly. "One day, when you make a life-or-death decision in the real world, your decision must be firm. If your orders aren't firm and decisive, who will obey your orders in the future?"

"We're not fighting, we're training to ride horses," Chinua countered. "And there's nothing wrong with showing sympathy to my men."

Hye said earnestly, his voice gaining emphasis, "Whether it's horse riding training, rowing, or life and death, if your decision isn't decisive, the result will be a catastrophic failure." He emphasized his tone. "While Khawn is training himself to ride a horse, you also need to train yourself to make quick and efficient decisions."

Chinua frowned. "Your tone sounds like third brother."

Hye smirked. "Good… at least one of us is. You know I'm right, and General Mönkhbat is also right."

"I know you two are right," Chinua conceded. "I never said you were wrong."

Hye said coldly, "Don't argue with me."

"It's good to have you to enlighten me when I'm confused," Chinua retorted, "but it doesn't mean you can speak for me on everything."

Hye leaned in, a knowing smile on his face. "In this way, if the general listens to the advice of his adviser, he'll win ten times in ten battles." He looked at Chinua, a proud smirk playing on his lips. "If the general doesn't listen to the advice of his advisers, nine out of ten battles will end in disaster." He glanced at Chinua, his smirk widening.

Chinua saw the infuriating expression on Hye's face. She grabbed the riding crop beside her and delivered a sharp whack to Hye's horse's hindquarters. The horse lunged forward in pain, startled.

The dashing horse galloped ahead, leaving a trail of dust. "Chinua! Just wait!" Hye shouted, holding onto the saddle for dear life as the horse continued to accelerate.

The other four people burst into laughter at Hye's predicament. "You also have to train yourself to stay on the horse's back when it gallops!" Chinua called after Hye, her laughter echoing through the dry desert.

Naksh pointed ahead. "Khawn, Hye is a perfect example of when a horse goes crazy. You must always be ready." He then looked more closely and saw Hye's horse slowing down, but Hye was no longer on its back. "Chinua!" he exclaimed, pointing at the riderless horse.

Chinua looked where Naksh was pointing and saw that Hye was indeed not on the horse. A wave of worry washed over her, and she galloped forward. She reached out and grabbed the horse's lead rope. She looked back at the three men anxiously.

The four of them hurried forward, fearing that Hye had fallen. As they approached, they saw Hye standing motionless in the middle of the road, watching them with an odd expression.

Jeet snarled, "You're so kind, you actually made fun of us."

Hye's lips trembled. "Back away, don't come any closer," he said, his voice strained.

Slowly, from Hye's side, Drystan stepped out, a weak smile on his face. "Come forward, and I'll chop his neck off," he coughed, his body still frail. He looked at Chinua and giggled weakly. "We are fated, Magoli."

Chinua looked at Drystan, her face grim. "Let him go," she demanded.

Drystan swayed slightly. "Give me some water and food... and then I'll decide whether to let him go or not."

Chinua noticed Drystan's trembling legs. She grabbed a leather water bag and began walking towards him. "You can barely stand up, what makes you think you can defeat us?" she challenged.

Chinua slowly walked closer, her eyes locked on Hye's. Hye stared at Chinua intently, then subtly rolled his eyes to the right, looked down, and then quickly turned to the left.

Chinua maintained her gaze, waiting for the final signal. Hye closed his eyes, then opened them. At that moment, Chinua hurled the leather water bag towards Drystan. "Here is your water!" she shouted, using the distraction to rush forward.

Drystan quickly extended his right hand to catch the water bag. Simultaneously, Hye grabbed the arrow protruding from Drystan's left abdomen with his right hand and pushed it deeper into Drystan's flesh. He quickly escaped from Drystan's grip. Drystan screamed in agony. Chinua delivered a hard kick to Drystan's stomach, sending him to the ground, where he grunted in pain, clutching his abdomen, rolling and cursing.

Chinua rushed forward, her dagger gripped in her right hand. Just as Drystan was about to sit up, Chinua's blade was already pressed against his neck.

"Move and you die," Chinua warned, her voice cold.

Drystan laughed, which quickly turned into a hacking cough. He looked up at Chinua. "Do what you have to do... I'm not begging you, Magoli."

Chinua withdrew her dagger from Drystan's neck and slowly backed away. She picked up the water bag and tossed it back at Drystan. Chinua asked, "How did you become like this?"

"I should thank you for putting me in this situation," Drystan rasped, a bitter laugh escaping him.

Chinua smiled, a hint of defiance in her eyes. "No matter what situation you're in now, it's mainly your own doing. So, don't blame others for your misfortune."

Naksh looked at Drystan, then at Chinua. "Chinua, who is he?" Naksh asked.

"He's a bandit," Chinua replied.

Khawn dismounted, adding, "When we escorted Captain Taban here, he and his gang tried to rob us."

Hye looked at Drystan intently. "Since your mission failed, I bet someone wants to get rid of you," he speculated.

"I already told you, do what you have to do. I'm not talking," Drystan said, chuckling despite the pain.

Hye whispered beside Chinua. "Chinua, his wound is infected. If not treated, he'll die in a day or two. If you choose to help him, given his condition, I can't remove the arrow while he's awake as it would be too painful for him."

Chinua sighed, a heavy weight in her chest. "I hope I made the right decision." She looked at Naksh. "Knock him out."

Naksh smiled, cracking his knuckles. "With pleasure."

Naksh rushed at Drystan. Drystan quickly stood up and began fighting Naksh. After struggling against Naksh for ten minutes, Drystan's weakened body simply couldn't withstand Naksh's powerful punches. Naksh delivered a hard blow to the back of Drystan's neck, and Drystan fell to the ground, out cold.

As the sun began to set, Chinua and her men officially entered Hmagol.

Jeet exclaimed happily, "It's not far from the hut!"

Chinua nodded. "Jeet, take Khawn to see if there's an empty hut for us to stay in."

Jeet and Khawn led the horses and rushed forward.

Drystan grunted, slowly sitting up. He cracked his neck and looked at Naksh with a wild glint in his eyes. He touched his left side and found that it was bandaged. He then looked at Chinua's back.

"Did you bandage me?" Drystan asked, his voice raspy.

Chinua glanced at Drystan. "No, not me. The person you should thank is Hye. Without Hye, now you're vulture's dinner."

Drystan looked to his left and saw Hye riding a horse beside the wooden carriage. "Thank you," he said.

"If you want to thank me, then stop being a bandit," Hye retorted.

Drystan chuckled. "I'm no longer a bandit," he said, a strange mix of relief and bitterness in his tone.

Chinua pressed him. "What happened? How did you end up here?"

"I was hired to kill you, and others were hired to kill me," Drystan revealed, looking up at Chinua. "I can't kill you, so they're getting rid of witnesses." He chuckled, a pained sound. "Karma is a pain in the ass when it comes around and bites you."

Chinua asked, her voice sharp, "Who ordered you to kill me?"

"I didn't ask," Drystan replied.

Hye interjected, "Didn't you ask questions before you accepted this job?"

Drystan looked at Chinua. "I said I didn't ask, but judging from his description of you, he seemed to know you very well."

"You continue to rest," Hye told Drystan. He quickly led his horse forward and rode beside Chinua. "Have you offended anyone recently?" he asked her in a low voice.

"I didn't offend anyone," Chinua said, looking away, trying to avoid eye contact with Hye.

"Do you know who sent this bandit to kill you?" Hye pressed.

"I don't know," Chinua insisted.

"You lied," Hye stated flatly.

Chinua protested, "I'm not!"

"You didn't make eye contact when you answered me," Hye pointed out. "Who is it?"

Chinua sighed, a heavy weight in her heart. "I really hope from the bottom of my heart that the person who wants to kill me isn't the person I thought of." She rode forward quickly, heading for the rest area, leaving Hye to ponder her words.