Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

The night was heavy, and over twenty men groped their way forward in the darkness.

Xiao Shaoyou had told them to set off for Black Ditch Fortress early the next morning, but Luo Yu led his men out that very night. Only ghosts knew when the Qiang soldiers would come; it was better to be as fast as possible.

After rushing for half the night, everyone was tired. Luo Yu led them into a withered forest to rest, tying over a dozen tall horses to tree stumps.

Originally, there were no horses in Jiming Fortress. But after annihilating nearly a hundred Qiang soldiers, they had captured a batch of warhorses in passing—a small gain, at least. Unfortunately, not many of the garrison soldiers knew how to ride. Otherwise, Luo Yu would have organized a cavalry unit to keep by his side. Just look at the cavalry following Xiao Shaoyou—how majestic they were.

The night was deep and silent; all sounds were hushed.

Most people were asleep. Luo Yu leaned against the base of a tree trunk, closing his eyes in deep thought. Too many things had happened in the half-month since he joined the army. He had hovered at the gates of hell several times, and then, inexplicably, transformed from a new recruit into the leader of dozens of garrison soldiers.

In this half-month, he had seen through two things:

Just from the conduct of low-level officers, such as corporals and standard commanders, one could see that the so-called Great Qian Border Army had deteriorated to a certain degree. If the lower beams were crooked like this, could the upper beams be straight?

Furthermore, the Qiang army was truly formidable. They had smashed so many frontline fortresses without blowing away any dust. One could clearly sense an instinctive fear of the Qiang soldiers among the rank and file.

In such a situation, how could he fulfill the Five-Year Pact and become a border general?

Should he climb his way up through flattery and bootlicking or work solidly with his feet on the ground, relying on military merit?

Luo Yu felt the first path seemed easier, but he knew his father hoped he would rely on true ability to become a member of the Wu family.

Rustle, rustle.

Suddenly, a strange noise drifted into his ears. Luo Yu’s gaze turned cold. He turned his head to look into the pitch-black, dense forest. A black shadow flashed past, seemingly having taken something from a saddle.

Luo Yu frowned but didn’t alert the opponent. He quietly crept over alone because the feeling the black shadow gave him wasn’t that of a Qiang soldier but of a thief.

The shadow shuttling through the forest was somewhat frail, carrying a bundle in hand—obviously stolen from the camp. Luo Yu followed silently a few dozen steps behind, his footsteps light and agile. The person didn’t notice a thing.

After a short while, the shadow stopped, seeming to rummage for something in the bundle.

“There’s food!”

The voice was as thin as a thread but carried uncontrollable excitement. The little thief was probably starving; they immediately broke off a small piece of naan bread and stuffed it into their mouth to chew.

“Are you full? If you’re full, give it back to me.”

Luo Yu’s voice suddenly came from behind, startling the guy. The figure spun around violently, face full of panic.

“You… who are you? Don’t come over!”

The little thief’s face was covered in mud and soot, making their features unclear. Their figure was thin and weak, a bit shorter than Luo Yu, and their clothes were full of patches.

The slightly hoarse voice gave Luo Yu a very unnatural feeling. He said expressionlessly:

“I don’t want to make things difficult for you. Give me the stuff, and I’ll let you go.”

Judging by the clothes, this was a refugee. The stolen bundle contained the last bit of dry rations from Jiming Fortress; Luo Yu couldn’t let him steal it all.

“The stuff is mine now!”

The guy hugged the bundle, refusing to let go, and actually pulled a small axe from his chest, pointing it at Luo Yu.

“Leave quickly! Or… or I’ll hack you to death!”

Luo Yu almost laughed. The wooden axe handle wasn’t even as long as a blade, and the axe edge was blunt—zero deterrent force. The key was that this guy was trembling all over; despite the baring of fangs and claws, he was terrified inside.

“What are you laughing at! Leave quickly!”

“That axe of yours… it hasn’t hacked anyone before, has it?”

“Bullshit! I’ve hacked several people to death! Go away!”

Luo Yu extended his palm and casually took a step forward.

“How about this: you take two pieces of bread and leave, and give the rest back to me. Deal?”

“You… don’t come over! Go away! I’ll hack you!”

Amid a shrill scream, the guy really swung the axe—except he did it with his eyes closed.

Facing the utterly unremarkable attack, Luo Yu casually raised his left hand and caught the axe handle perfectly. Their strength was on completely different levels. His right hand pushed forward with the momentum, patting the little thief lightly on the chest.

The moment his palm touched the body, Luo Yu inexplicably felt an extremely comfortable softness. At the same time, a scream pierced the night sky:

“Ahhh! Pervert!”

Luo Yu stood dumbfounded.

“It’s actually a girl!”

* * *

Several torches lit up in the forest, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

All the garrison soldiers had been awakened. Each man held a blade, forming a circle to surround a group of commoners in the middle.

The little thief wasn’t alone. Dong Chuan had caught seven or eight accomplices in the forest. These so-called accomplices were either elderly or women and children, all emaciated and sallow from hunger. If they weren’t desperate from starvation, who would dare steal food from soldiers?

The cold, gleaming blades made the old, weak women and children tremble with despair.

Luo Yu looked at the little thief and asked coldly, “Where are you from? Why are you wandering outside the pass?”

Logically speaking, this was outside Yunyang Pass; there shouldn’t be commoners here. This group looked particularly suspicious in his eyes.

“Why should I tell you!”

The little thief, cross-dressed as a man, glared at Luo Yu with puffed cheeks, still hugging the little broken axe. Her eyes looked as if she had suffered a monumental grievance.

“Not talking, huh?”

Luo Yu casually picked up a scimitar and weighed it in his hand a few times.

“If you don’t talk, I’ll arrest you as Qiang spies!”

“Bah! You’re the Qiang spy!”

The little thief huffed angrily. “Have you ever seen spies made up entirely of the old, weak, women, and children?”

“Then who are you?”

“Slave Court! We came from the Slave Court! Are you satisfied now?”

“Slave Court?”

The strange name left Luo Yu blank-faced. He had lived in a mountain village for over a decade and actually didn’t know much about the surrounding geography.

“You actually came from the Slave Court? Refugees, right?”

Dong Chuan was stunned, seemingly knowing the place.

“Where is that?”

“It’s a bit complicated to explain.”

Dong Chuan looked sorrowful and actually started pleading for them:

“Sir, these are just a bunch of pitiful people. Why don’t we let them go?”

Luo Yu hesitated slightly but lowered his guard and waved his hand.

“Fine. You can go. Next time you steal, at least keep your eyes open. Don’t throw your lives away.”

But the group didn’t leave. Instead, they looked with pitiful eyes at the bundle Meng Hu was holding, their stomachs growling.

Meng Hu understood the feeling of hunger best and was very sympathetic.

“Sir, give them something to eat.”

Luo Yu was helpless. No matter how hard-hearted he was, he couldn’t just leave commoners to die, right? He turned to the little thief.

“Right now, the Qiang army is pressing on the border, and roaming cavalry could enter at any time. If you run into Qiang people, you will die without a doubt.

“How about this: you follow us to Black Ditch Fortress for now. I’ll give you a bite to eat. Once we reach a safe place, you can leave on your own.”

“Bah! Who wants to follow you!” The little thief glared. “You per…”

She didn’t say the word “pervert” in the end. As a girl, she couldn’t let everyone know Luo Yu had taken advantage of her, could she?

“Think clearly.”

Luo Yu spoke nonchalantly.

“The Qiang soldiers aren’t as easy to talk to as us. You have several women with you; you should understand what will happen if you fall into their hands.”

Several women in the crowd turned pale with fright. Qiang soldiers committed rape, pillage, and every evil imaginable. Falling into their hands would mean a fate worse than death.

“Then… Fine.”

The little thief panicked, too. After hesitating for a long time, she said cautiously, “You said it yourself—you’ll give us a bite to eat.”

“Of course. One spit, one nail.”

Luo Yu held up a finger.

“But the food isn’t free. You know clearly how important grain is at the border. You have to do what you can.

“Cooking, washing clothes, feeding horses—only if you work will there be food!”

“Agreed.”

“By the way, I haven’t asked your name yet?”

“You didn’t say yours either, so why should I tell you!”

Probably because she had been taken advantage of, she had to retort to everything Luo Yu said.

Luo Yu smiled helplessly.

“Luo Yu.”

“Shen Li!”

NOTES

Upper/lower beams: A Chinese idiom: “If the upper beam is not straight, the lower ones will be crooked.” It means if the leaders are corrupt, the subordinates will be too. Luo Yu uses it to critique the entire border army structure.

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