The dust kicked up by twelve hundred hooves hung in the air like a brown fog. The Great Drive had begun.
Li Wei rode point, his eyes scanning the horizon. Behind him, the herd moved with a surprising rhythm. The Westland Rangers, now mounted and wearing their distinct leather hats, flanked the cattle like border collies guiding a flock of sheep.
"Keep 'em tight!" Old Zhang bellowed from the rear, his voice carrying over the lowing of the animals. "Don't let the lead cows stray! We move as one!"
The terrain had shifted from the lush green of the valley to the scrubland of the foothills. The road was wide but rough, carved by centuries of trade caravans.
Li An rode up beside Li Wei, his face already streaked with dust. "Brother! The wagon is rattling too much! Gao is yelling that the pots are going to spill!"
"Tell him to wedge them tighter with blankets!" Li Wei shouted back without turning. "And tell him to save the biscuits for lunch! We have a schedule!"
The sheer logistics of moving a living mass of beef was a nightmare Li Wei remembered from documentaries, but experiencing it was different. It wasn't just moving weight; it was managing tempers. Cows were stubborn. If one stopped, they all stopped. If one panicked, they stampeded.
But the Westland cattle were different. Perhaps it was the high-protein Napier grass, or perhaps it was the System's influence, but they moved with a purpose. They were calm, almost eager.
And in the center of the herd, flanked by four riders, was Atlas. The giant steer walked with a slow, imperial gait, his massive frame parting the stream of smaller cows like a boulder in a river.
***
**POV: Su Qing**
Su Qing rode near the chuckwagon, her horse matching the vehicle's lumbering pace. She had exchanged her silk robes for a practical outfit Li Wei had commissioned for her: a sturdy riding skirt that allowed for astride riding but maintained modesty, paired with a long-sleeved tunic and a smaller version of the leather hat.
She felt ridiculous. She felt powerful.
The city walls had faded hours ago. Now, there was only the sky, the dust, and the endless sea of black cattle.
She watched Li Wei ride ahead. He sat his horse with an ease that seemed innate, his body moving with the animal's gait. He would occasionally let out a strange, yipping sound—"Yee-haw!"—that made the local rangers jump, but the cattle seemed to understand it instantly.
"Water break!" Li Wei's voice echoed back.
The herd slowed as they approached a shallow stream. It was a tributary of the main river, running fast and clear.
"Li An! Check the crossing!" Li Wei ordered.
Li An galloped ahead, splashing into the water. He prodded the bottom with a long pole. "It's firm, Brother! No quicksand! Waist deep!"
"Good! Drive them across!"
The cattle hit the water with a splash. The cool liquid was a relief after the dusty road.
Su Qing guided her horse to the bank, watching the organized chaos. This was logistics in its rawest form. No ledgers, no ink, just manpower and momentum.
She dismounted to stretch her legs. Her thighs burned from the riding.
"First day is the hardest on the legs," Li Wei said, appearing beside her. He dismounted and knelt by the stream, splashing water on his face.
"How far today?" she asked, her voice raspy.
"Twenty miles," he said. "We made good time. We're ahead of schedule."
"General Zhao?" she asked quietly.
Li Wei looked up the river, toward the north. "They took the high road. They'll be at the pass before us. Let them. We have the herd. We can't rush nature."
He stood up and whistled. A ranger brought the chuckwagon to a halt nearby.
Gao jumped out, looking frazzled. "Cooking in a moving cart is a nightmare! I have burns on my arms!"
"Quit complaining and set up the coffee," Li Wei said.
"Coffee?" Su Qing asked, wrinkling her nose. "That black mud?"
"It's not mud," Li Wei grinned. "It's fuel. Try it."
Gao set up a small fire and placed a blackened tin pot on the grate. The smell that rose from the pot was dark, roasted, and incredibly strong—nothing like the floral teas Su Qing was used to.
Li Wei poured a cup. It was thick and steaming. He handed it to Su Qing.
"Sip it. Don't gulp. It's hot."
Su Qing took the tin cup. She sniffed it cautiously. It smelled bitter, like burnt wood. She took a tiny sip.
The bitterness hit her tongue first, sharp and aggressive. She grimaced, about to spit it out, but then a wave of warmth washed over her. Her fatigue seemed to recede instantly. Her mind sharpened.
"It's... awful," she said, taking another sip. "But I feel awake."
"It's a soldier's drink," Li Wei said, pouring his own cup. "We have a long night ahead. The trail doesn't sleep."
***
**POV: Captain Lei**
Captain Lei of the Iron Guard spat on the ground. He stood on the ridge overlooking the river crossing, his armor clinking in the wind.
Beside him, a scout pointed down. "General Zhao's orders were to let them pass, but keep them in sight."
"I see them," Lei grunted. He watched the column of cattle moving across the stream. It was a pathetic sight to him—slow, plodding food animals. Horses were grace. Horses were speed. This... this was a butcher's parade.
"The Scholar has discipline," the scout noted. "Look at the flanking riders. They hold the line perfectly."
Lei scoffed. "Farmers playing soldier. When the real pressure hits, they'll fold. The General wants them to reach the hunt. He wants to see the look on the Scholar's face when the Emperor rejects his 'beef' in favor of our stallions."
"What if the Emperor likes it?"
Lei laughed coldly. "The Emperor is traditional. He won't eat cow. He will see it as an insult to the sacred plow animal. Li Wei is walking into a trap of his own making. We just need to make sure he doesn't delay us."
"Sir, the bridge at Twin Dragon Creek is out. The storm last week washed it away."
Lei smiled cruelly. "Is it now? Then they'll have to take the mountain pass. The narrow one. With a herd of cattle? It will take them days. They'll miss the opening ceremony."
"Should we tell them?"
"Why would we do that?" Lei turned his horse around. "Let them figure it out. We take the high road. They can take the long way."
***
**POV: Li Wei**
The afternoon sun beat down relentlessly. The road had narrowed, winding up into the foothills.
Li Wei rode ahead to scout the path. The map showed a bridge crossing at Twin Dragon Creek—a crucial choke point that would allow them to bypass the dense mountain forest.
He crested the hill and looked down.
The bridge was gone.
Only a few splintered pilings remained in the rushing white water of the creek. The storm damage was recent; the mud on the banks was still fresh.
Li Wei pulled his horse to a stop, his stomach dropping.
"Damn it," he hissed.
"Boss?" Old Zhang rode up behind him. "Why are we stopping?"
"Bridge is out," Li Wei pointed.
Zhang looked at the rushing water, then at the steep cliffs on either side. "We can't ford that. The current is too fast. The cows would panic. We'd lose half the herd in the rapids."
Li Wei pulled out his map. He traced the lines with his finger. If they couldn't cross here, they had to go around.
"The mountain pass," Li Wei said. "It adds... forty miles. And it's narrow. Single file."
"We'll never make it in time," Zhang said grimly. "We'll lose two days just getting through the pass."
Li Wei looked back at the herd, stretching out behind them like a black snake. He thought of the deadline. He thought of General Zhao.
"This wasn't an accident," Li Wei said, his voice hard. "Zhao's men passed through here. They knew."
"Sabotage?" Zhang's hand went to his sword.
"We can't prove it. But we can beat it."
Li Wei turned his horse around. He rode back to the column. He signaled for a halt.
"Li An! Su Qing! Rangers! Gather round!"
They gathered in a tight knot, dust swirling around them.
"Bad news," Li Wei announced. "Bridge is out. We have two choices. We turn back and go home, admitting defeat. Or we take the mountain pass."
A murmur went through the men. "The pass? It's treacherous, Boss!"
"It's rough," Li Wei admitted. "But we are the Westland. We don't turn back."
He looked at Gao. "Pack the wagon tight. We're going to need high energy food."
He looked at Old Zhang. "We ride through the night. We rest the cattle for four hours, then push hard. We make up the time on the other side."
He looked at Su Qing. "Can you handle the rough terrain?"
Su Qing lifted her chin. "I told you, Li Wei. I am not made of porcelain. I will keep up."
Li Wei nodded. He tipped his hat back.
"We have a deadline, people. The Emperor isn't going to wait, and neither is General Zhao. We move. Now!"
"YEE-HAW!" Li An shouted, trying to imitate his brother.
The shout was picked up by the rangers. "YEE-HAW!"
The herd lurched forward, turning toward the looming shadow of the mountains. The drive had just become a race against time.
**[System Alert: Route Obstacle Detected.]**
**[Time Penalty: 2 Days.]**
**[Condition: Forcing March.]**
**[Herd Morale: Stable.]**
**[Current Objective: Traverse the Mountain Pass in record time.]**
Li Wei kicked his horse into a gallop, leading the way. He wouldn't let a broken bridge stop him. Not when he was this close to changing the world.