Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The sunset dyed the barren mountain ridges crimson.
Birds were flying back to their nests, wild wolves were roaming in the wilderness, and bharals were scampering up to the precipitous cliffs. The land that had been baked by the burning sun during the day time started cooling down now. The valley was in absolute silence. Only the birds flying over the mountain would occasionally chirp.
In the twilight, the troop of less than 300 men was hidden on the hillside to the north of the valley. Most of them were excitedly and nervously preparing themselves.
“Check your bows and arrows! Don’t grip your bow right now. Otherwise, your hands will get sweaty and the bow will slip easily…!”
“You may take out a few arrows and stick them into the ground in front of you so that you can conveniently reach for them later…!”
“Don’t stay in the same position for too long or else your body will go numb. After staying awhile on the ground, change to another posture…!”
“If you’re feeling nervous, then take a few deep breaths…!”
Yan Liqiang kept an eye on the group of young people and constantly corrected the young soldiers on the things they should pay attention to at this time. He even patted those who were nervous on their shoulders and gave them a few words of encouragement. It was only at this moment Yan Liqiang realized that he wasn’t really worried about the Transportation Office’s cavalry that he was about to face. He was more worried about the two hundred men he brought here instead. Most people in this battle formation were inexperienced. Therefore, they were not as calm as the seasoned ones who had been through the battlefield.
It was only when Yan Liqiang was put in this position that he understood the difference between a commander and a solo fighter. A solo fighter could do whatever he pleased as he was only responsible for his own actions. However, as a commander who led several hundred men on a battlefield, he was responsible for all these men. Although casualties were inevitable on battlefields, Yan Liqiang secretly wished he would be able to bring back everyone he brought here.
Looking at those youthful faces, Yan Liqiang felt the burden on his shoulders grow even heavier. He finally understood how those commanders in history maintained their composure during wars — most of them were definitely forced to be like that during the first few battles. They put on a facade because they knew they were being watched by countless men. Any hint of nervousness would cause panic in the soldiers who were watching them. This effect would then be magnified by ten or a hundred times, affecting the morale and possibly turning the tide of battle.
Therefore, they had to appear unperturbed, calm, and perfect from every angle, just like that one historical figure who always pretended to be calm while playing chess at the rear while the frontline was fighting a war. However, when the battle outcome was announced, he’d be so excited that he’d even lose his shoes. This was a pretense, and a man had to know how to pretend!
At this point in time, Yan Liqiang wasn’t the one who knew how to put up the best pretense. It was those soldiers from the manufacturing bureau instead. They were not holding warbows in their hands, but powerful crossbows. Yan Liqiang had mixed them in with the two hundred people. Although many of the manufacturing bureau’s soldiers were also very nervous, they behaved like they were ‘veterans’ in front of those ‘newbies’ who followed Yan Liqiang here. Every single one of them pretended to be relaxed.
“There’s nothing to battling in formation. Let me tell you all this: the Protectorate General recently led us in taking down the Vice Transport Commissioner who came to cause trouble at the manufacturing bureau. That so-called Vice Transport Commissioner was actually an official with higher status than that of a prefectural governor! You didn’t even see how arrogant and domineering they were when they first arrived at our manufacturing bureau! They acted like they were the Emperor who came to patrol the place! Then, when the Protectorate General displayed his might, ahahahaha damn, it sure got them wetting their pants on the spot! They literally pissed their pants! Those bastards from the Transportation Office were really asking to be killed. All they knew was how to bully the citizens, and they actually have the guts to snatch what’s ours now! So we decided to fight them to the bitter end! Guess what happened to the Vice Transport Commissioner after that? The Protectorate General killed that son of a b*tch at the manufacturing bureau’s dining hall in front of everyone…!”
A soldier from the manufacturing bureau, who was lying on the ground on his stomach near Yan Liqiang, was telling a few people around him about the incident that transpired in the manufacturing bureau like it was not a big deal. The blood of those who were listening to him surged, but their anxious hearts unknowingly calmed down. If even a high official like the Vice Transport Commissioner wet his pants and got killed, then what was there to be afraid of with the rest from the Transportation Office?
On the other side…
Another ‘veteran’ from the manufacturing bureau secretly whispered to a few ‘newbies’ next to him. “Guess what’s in my carriage?”
“Aren’t they supplies?”
“Hehehe, bet you didn’t know this. I’m transporting the Protectorate General’s weapon. It’s a really huge spear…!”
“A spear that needs a carriage to transport it?”
“See, that’s what I call inexperienced. Did you think that the Protectorate General would use ordinary spears like the ones we have? Let me tell you this, his spear actually weighs about four hundred jin! You can’t even hold it in your hands. Even most rhinodrake steeds struggle under its weight. That’s why we can only transport it with a carriage. I reckon there’s no spear heavier than his in this world. If you get hit by a spear like that, you’ll definitely die or suffer bad injuries! I can hardly wait to see the Protectorate General kill his enemies with this spear…!”
The young men next to him were fascinated by the information they heard…
Seeing how calm the veterans from the manufacturing bureau around them were, the young men who were on the battlefield for the very first time also gradually calmed down as they looked forward to the upcoming battle.
After scanning around him once, Yan Liqiang returned to his spot which was next to a huge boulder on a hill.
Shi Dafeng was eager to battle while Shen Teng had his eyes closed to maintain composure. The powerful Horned Python Bow that the Emperor bestowed upon Yan Liqiang was on the ground, with thirty quiverfuls of arrows placed beside it. There were also many arrows stuck in the ground around him. Yan Liqiang had two veterans from the manufacturing bureau stay here so they could pass him arrows during the battle later.
“Liqiang, can we charge up against the enemies later?” When Shi Dafeng saw that Yan Liqiang had returned, he leaned closer to him. He licked his lips and whispered his question.
Yan Liqiang cast a glance at Shi Dafeng, then replied to him emotionlessly, “No!”
“Even at the end?” Shi Dafeng looked at Yan Liqiang with hopeful eyes.
“No!” Yan Liqiang firmly shook his head, not giving in. “If you are not going to listen to orders, then I’ll have no choice but to pull you out of this battle! I’ll either knock you out or tie you up and let you watch from the side!”
Shi Dafeng’s countenance instantly changed as he hurriedly waved his hands. “No, no, no! I’ll listen to orders, of course I will! I was only asking! In this kind of situation, it’s only exciting if we get to charge up against them…”
Shen Teng opened his eyes and smiled. “This is an ambush. We have so many crossbows that can kill our enemies. Why would you want to charge out there? Wise people do not use their weakness to challenge the strength of others!”
“You dare imply that I am stupid?!” Shi Dafeng glareed at Shen Teng.
“I didn’t say that, you said it yourself!”
Shi Dafeng rolled his eyes. “Hehe, I saw your pinky jerking just now. Are you secretly scared? I guess this is Lord Shen’s first experience in something like this!”
This time, it was Shen Teng’s turn to glare at Shi Dafeng. When he was about to retort back, Yan Liqiang made a gesture and Shen Teng immediately kept quiet.
“Get everyone ready, our prey is coming!”
Dust could be seen flying up the wilderness in the distance. A silver falcon was flying around in circles above, watching the wilderness beneath it through its keen eyes…
By now, the Transportation Office’s cavalry of about a thousand men had been traveling for nearly one whole day. Both men and steeds were already exhausted. No one expected people rush into Yin Province and wait for a few days just to ambush them here…
The ending seemed to have been decided from the very beginning.
Sure enough, about a thousand cavalrymen dressed in eye-catching dark red uniforms appeared at the valley’s entrance half an hour later. The cavalry formed a long line of three to four hundred meters and defenselessly barged into the valley without any hesitation.
To them, this valley located in the common boundary between the Gan and Yin Provinces was the usual road they had traveled countless times before. It wasn’t like there’d be anyone brave enough to lay a finger against people from the Transportation Office…
