Chapter 230

Inside Yanmen Pass, night. Bonfires blazed in the open space within the garrison city. Tongues of flame licked at the horse meat mounted on iron forks, and fat dripped onto the charcoal coals, hissing and sending up clouds of fragrant, smoky haze. Xia Huai'an sat cross-legged beside the campfire, pinching a piece of roasted horse meat that had turned golden-brown, and sprinkled a handful of cumin and pepper over it. A pungent, spicy aroma instantly filled the air. He took a bite—crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, the spices masking the gamey odor of the horse meat.