Atop the mountain peak, the lonely pile of stones stood quietly. It bore the weight of a long-sealed past and buried Zhang Gan, the close friend who had once fought side by side with Xu Lin.
That fierce battle against the rebel army felt as though it were replaying right before his eyes, the air choked with smoke and the deafening cries of battle piercing the heavens. Zhang Gan and Xu Lin had stood shoulder to shoulder, fighting valiantly against the surging tide of rebels. Yet fate had taken a merciless turn in the heat of that combat; Zhang Gan was tragically poisoned and ultimately perished.
Back then, overwhelmed by grief, Xu Lin had resolved to take Zhang Gan's remains with him. Only after his father's earnest persuasion did he finally leave Zhang Gan behind in the very place where they had once fought together.
Chapter 104