The train screeched.
"Whir! Screech! Screech!"
Steel ground against steel as the iron beast slowed from a mad sprint to a reluctant crawl, then finally came to a stop in the middle of nowhere.
No village ahead. No inn behind. No farmland. No factory. Just endless yellow loess stretching out on both sides of the railway like the skin of a dried earth dragon.
Inside the carriage, Hong Chengchou frowned.
"What is this?"
Across from him, San Shier sprang to his feet in one smooth motion.
"Conductor! Conductor! What happened?"
The conductor came running down the aisle, waving his hands.
"Dear passengers, please remain calm. The train has encountered a minor malfunction. We are troubleshooting and will begin emergency repairs immediately."
That was the wrong thing to say.
A burly man shot up from his seat.
"Are you kidding me? My eighty-year-old mother is dying. I'm rushing back to see her one last time. If I miss it because of your broken scrap heap, will you take responsibility?"
"My wife is in labor!"
"I have a contract to sign today!"
Within seconds, the carriage turned into a marketplace riot. At least a dozen people in Hong Chengchou's section alone began shouting.
Hong Chengchou merely tightened his brow.
He was not in such a hurry. Yes, he carried an imperial mandate and must enter the capital. But in the old days, horses were slow and roads slower. Traveling from Ningxia to the capital could take months. No one panicked over that.
If necessary, he could simply disembark and continue on foot. He had never intended to rely entirely on this Great Iron Train anyway.
The conductor raised both hands.
"Please don't be angry. We will refund everyone's tickets."
And to everyone's astonishment, he actually began refunding them on the spot.
At the same time, two more conductors pushed a small cart into the carriage. On it stood rows of porcelain bottles, neatly arranged. Each bottle bore three bold characters.
Tianfu Cola.
The conductor announced brightly, "Due to the inconvenience, not only will we refund your tickets, but each passenger will receive a complimentary bottle of a heavenly beverage bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun. Everyone gets one."
He began distributing the bottles.
Hong Chengchou stared at the porcelain container in his hand.
What strange object is this?
Caution had kept him alive through countless political storms. He did not drink random liquids handed to him in open country.
Yet around him, no one hesitated.
A passenger uncorked his bottle, took a huge gulp, then burped loudly.
"Refreshing! Fine, since you've given us Tianfu Cola, I won't make a fuss. Fix the train slowly. I'll wait."
San Shier accepted his bottle, took a sip, and grinned.
"Lord Hong, this is truly nectar from the heavens. Will you not try?"
Hong Chengchou scanned the carriage. Every single person was drinking. No fear. No suspicion.
Perhaps I am being overly cautious.
He glanced at one of his household guards.
The guard understood immediately. He opened the bottle, took a tentative sip, then his eyes lit up.
"Master, it is delicious. Not wine. It will not intoxicate you."
"Very well."
Hong Chengchou raised the bottle and took a careful mouthful.
A cold, fizzing surge rushed across his tongue and down his throat. It spread through his limbs like cheerful lightning.
"Hm. Quite good."
Soon the entire carriage was drinking Tianfu Cola. Not a soul looked wary.
One bottle per person. Even the two hundred household soldiers under Hong Chengchou's command each received one.
They all drank.
After some time, a passenger asked, "How long until repairs are complete?"
The conductor gave an awkward smile. "In the short term… I'm afraid…"
The man snorted. "Forget it. You refunded my ticket anyway. I'll walk along the tracks to the next station."
Passengers split into two factions. Some stayed on the train to wait. Others disembarked and began walking east along the railway.
Hong Chengchou considered briefly.
"We will walk as well."
He stepped off the train. From several carriages behind him, his household soldiers poured out, forming a protective ring of two hundred men as they advanced along the tracks.
Other passengers walked nearby, muttering complaints.
Something feels… off.
If only his group had been forced off the train, he would have immediately suspected conspiracy. But commoners had been affected too. Many were walking beside him.
Surely no one would harm so many civilians just to target him?
As that thought formed, unease deepened.
After walking for a while, blood circulation quickened.
Then his head began to spin.
Hong Chengchou's heart lurched.
"The drink… something was wrong with the drink?"
He glanced around. Several passengers staggered. One collapsed with a dull thud. Others swayed, eyes unfocused, the world clearly tilting around them.
He looked at his soldiers.
One by one, they stumbled, their steps unsteady.
"Damn it. The Tianfu Cola… it was drugged…"
At that moment, three passengers ahead stopped walking.
They turned around.
Their faces broke into arrogant grins.
"Hong Chengchou. Take a good look at who we are."
He forced his blurred vision to focus.
His pupils shrank.
"Ji San'er. Wang Hu. Xie Lang!"
The three burst into laughter.
"That's right. The very same. Back then you bullied the three of us mercilessly. Now it's our turn to repay the blood debt."
Hong Chengchou trembled with fury.
"You bandits… you vile…"
His guards struggled to stand in front of him, even as their knees buckled.
With the last of his strength, Hong Chengchou demanded, "You sabotaged the train… poisoned all the passengers… just for me?"
Ji San'er threw his head back and laughed.
"Exactly. We deliberately broke the train and mixed knockout powder into the Tianfu Cola. No matter how cautious you are, Hong Chengchou, you cannot defend against indiscriminate mass poisoning. Hahaha!"
"Madmen… utterly depraved…"
Ji San'er grinned.
"Fall."
Wang Hu echoed, "Fall."
Xie Lang added cheerfully, "Down you go."
The sky spun. The earth tilted.
Hong Chengchou crashed to the ground.
Around him, his two hundred loyal household soldiers collapsed in succession.
The last thing they saw was Ji San'er stepping forward, hoisting Hong Chengchou onto his shoulder.
Then darkness swallowed everything.
—
Who knew how much time passed.
The household soldiers slowly regained consciousness.
They lay scattered on the ground. Some passengers nearby were still unconscious. Others had just woken, sitting up and staring blankly around, unable to comprehend where they were.
The guards scrambled upright.
"Master!"
They searched frantically.
But it was obvious.
Hong Chengchou was gone.
Ji San'er and his two accomplices had successfully abducted him.