Another great chapter. The description of the barbarian border was awesome, it really set the scene. I really like the last two paragraphs too, particularly the narrator's realisation that he has made a mistake.

Great chapter! Wen Tao also seems like a very intriguing character. The details are really good and give the story a feeling of place.

Great work! The dialogue sounds right and I really like the atmosphere. Both Francois and Alexandre seem like very interesting characters. I'm looking forward to the next chapter!