Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

“The Three-Three System?”

The strange name left the soldiers bewildered. This was a tactic they had never heard of before.

“The so-called Three-Three System means three people to a group, and three groups to a team,” Luo Yu explained patiently. “In a three-man group, one person attacks while two people defend. The defenders guard the flanks with their lives, allowing the attacker to focus entirely on the enemy in front of them. The three groups then coordinate with one another, acting as mutual supports. In this way, you can attack or retreat with discipline and ease.”

Everyone stared with wide eyes, looking as though they understood yet didn’t quite grasp the concept.

Luo Yu’s gaze swept over them. Meng Hu, Little Wu, and another soldier from Jiming Fortress stepped out of the line. Meng Hu held a wooden staff while the other two carried bamboo shields.

“I will demonstrate it for you now. Any five of you can step forward. Try to knock these three down. If you win, you can take five taels of silver from the ground and leave. Although Meng Hu is large, all three of them are new recruits who have been in the army for less than a month. It isn’t as if they are bullying you.”

Luo Yu stood with his arms crossed, a smile playing on his lips. He had already explained the key points of the Three-Three System to the three of them early this morning just for this moment.

Soon, five men stepped out of the crowd, eager to try. Each gripped a wooden staff. It wasn’t necessarily about the five taels of silver; they were simply curious about this new tactic.

Meng Hu stood in the center. Little Wu and the other soldier stood firmly at his flanks, forming a small, triangular formation. The five attackers, however, were scattered as they surrounded the trio.

“Begin!”

“Go!”

The five men exchanged glances and pounced forward with aggressive shouts.

Little Wu and his partner raised their bamboo shields and shoved outward. They deflected the incoming staves, and Meng Hu swung his own staff, flooring the man directly in front of him with a single blow. The five men attacked in rotation, but no matter how they struck, they couldn’t land a single hit on Meng Hu. Little Wu and the other defender didn’t need to attack at all; they only needed to block the incoming strikes with their shields.

Consequently, Meng Hu could put his full strength into every move without ever worrying about danger from his sides.

The five attackers were a mess, striking here and there without coordination. In contrast, the three-man group had a clear objective. Wherever Meng Hu attacked, the other two followed. The difference in skill was immediately apparent.

In mere moments, the five challengers were all knocked to the ground. This drew a wave of gasps from the crowd.

Good Heavens, this Three-Three System looked unremarkable, yet its practical effect was incredible.

Luo Yu was very satisfied. He offered a silent thought in his mind.

Thanks, Dongye!

Back at Jiming Fortress, he had noticed a significant problem. These border soldiers had received almost no formal training. When a battle started, the new recruits trembled while the veterans relied entirely on reckless, unorganized hacking. There was no sense of organizational discipline.

A system like this could drastically improve the coordination between soldiers, thereby increasing their overall combat power.

Luo Yu held up one finger.

“From now on, all soldiers will be divided into three-man groups. Those who are strong and brave will be responsible for the attack! New recruits and those who are physically weaker will be responsible for defense. Familiarize yourselves with this coordination. Believe me, in just a few days, you will be terrifyingly strong!”

The men might not have believed Luo Yu if he had simply said those words, but after seeing Meng Hu floor five men without breaking a sweat, their confidence soared!

“Does anyone know how to ride a horse? Step forward.”

After teaching the Three-Three System, Luo Yu set his sights on the cavalry. They couldn’t let the captured warhorses go to waste. Moreover, how could they fight the Qiang without cavalry?

Slowly, over twenty men stepped out of the crowd. Luo Yu said in a deep voice:

“Brother Dong, choose ten or so of the sturdiest brothers. Starting today, begin training in mounted combat. I will demonstrate the essentials for you now.”

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Luo Yu flipped himself onto a horse. He held a long spear left behind by Xiao Shaoyou. A straw man had been set up in the distance. To simulate the weight of a real person, several small sandbags had been hung from the straw man, making it weigh over a hundred pounds.

Luo Yu adjusted his posture. An inexplicable surge of restlessness rose in his heart. The feeling of galloping on horseback was truly exhilarating.

However, his knowledge of mounted combat didn’t come from his special memories. It had been taught to him by his half-brother, Wu Rubai, before they parted. He had learned it after seeing it only once.

“In cavalry combat, an inch longer means an inch stronger. Between two warriors of equal strength, a long spear is far superior to a scimitar!”

Luo Yu said solemnly:

“Control the reins with your left hand and hold the spear with your right. Grip it at the midpoint of the shaft. You must grip the horse’s belly tightly with your legs. Do not let your upper body sway, as it is easy to lose your balance. Remember, gather your strength during the charge. Do not make any flashy moves that waste your energy. When the moment of impact comes, you only need one strike. A single strike delivered with all your strength to the enemy’s vitals.”

Luo Yu explained a great deal. Then, he gripped the spear and gave a cold shout:

“Watch closely! I will demonstrate it once!”

He pulled the reins. The horse lunged forward. The long spear rose steadily from a low angle until the tip pointed directly ahead.

The horse passed. The spear thrust. It was a single, fluid motion. The hundred-pound straw man was actually sent flying by Luo Yu’s strike, tumbling several paces back.

Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air. That was simply too impressive!

Those who knew the craft were even more stunned by Luo Yu’s arm strength. That single thrust was far superior to that of an average Qiang rider. Dong Chuan, who had served as a cavalryman in his younger years, asked himself honestly if he could have blocked that strike. The answer was no.

“You all saw that? Practice exactly like that strike!”

Luo Yu pulled the reins to a stop.

“From now on, the cavalry will drill their spear techniques while the infantry masters the Three-Three System. Not a single moment of slack is allowed! Remember what I said: you aren’t just living for others, you are living for yourselves!”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers scattered to begin their intense training. Luo Yu noticed Shen Li huddled in the corner. After a moment of hesitation, he walked over to her.

“The Qiang are coming. Black Ditch Fortress is a dead end. It is too dangerous for you to stay here. How about I give you some dry rations? You should take your fellow villagers and retreat toward the interior.”

His intentions were kind, but Luo Yu still spoke with a cold, stern face.

“What? You think we’re a burden now?”

Shen Li’s face was still covered in mud as before. She huffed. “You said it yourself that you would protect us until we reached safety. Now you’re going back on your word?”

“That isn’t what I meant,” Luo Yu said expressionlessly. “The battlefield is merciless. I simply do not wish for you, refugees, to lose your lives for nothing.”

“Hmph! I don’t care! A man must do as he says!”

Shen Li glared at him.

“Didn’t you say you could lead them to survive? They believe in you, and I believe in you, too!”

She had seen everything Luo Yu did and said just now. There were many things she didn’t understand, but she felt that Luo Yu was reliable.

“Follow us if you want,” Luo Yu said as he turned to leave. “But I will say it again: there is no free food. The task of cooking for the camp is yours!”

Looking at his retreating figure, Shen Li stomped her foot in frustration.

“He’s always so mean! That stinky pervert!”

* * *

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Black Ditch Fortress was a hive of activity. Every soldier trained in the camp from morning until night, not daring to slacken for a moment. The degree of coordination within the three-man groups grew at a visible rate. Even the cavalry began to look the part.

Luo Yu was right about one thing: even if they weren’t living for others, they had to live for themselves.

Luo Yu himself trained with them every day. In his spare time, he observed the terrain surrounding Black Ditch Fortress. Occasionally, he would sit at the camp entrance and stare blankly. No one knew what he was thinking.

At sunset on the fifth day, Luo Yu sat at the camp entrance as usual, gazing into the distance.

I miss my mother.

“Sir.”

Dong Chuan, Meng Hu, and the others walked over with hurried steps.

“The soldiers sent out to keep watch have spotted the Qiang. Over a hundred riders. Their strength is double ours. It is estimated they will reach the outskirts of the fortress tomorrow evening.”

Their expressions were all very tense. Black Ditch Fortress had no defensive barriers. Once the cavalry charged, the fence would collapse. At that point, they would have to use their own bodies to resist the Qiang warhorses. They didn’t know how many people would die.

“What must come will come,” Luo Yu said as he stood up composedly. “Prepare for battle.”

Dong Chuan said in a deep voice, “Sir, I will take the brothers and reinforce the camp fence now. It might be able to block the Qiang warhorses a little.”

“There is no need. Let the brothers rest well. Having enough energy is the most important thing.”

“Wait, no need?” Dong Chuan was dumbfounded. “If the fence isn’t stable, how can we defend Black Ditch Fortress?”

“Defend? Who said I was going to defend?”

A smile suddenly appeared on Luo Yu’s face. He clenched his fist slightly.

“I am going to meet the Qiang army at the outskirts of Black Ditch Fortress. I will swallow them all in one bite!”

NOTES

Three-Three System: A real-world light infantry tactic famously used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). It focuses on small, flexible fireteams to minimize casualties from area-of-effect weapons while maintaining offensive pressure.

Thanks, Dongye!: A historical/humorous nod to the Northeast Field Army of the PLA, which was famous for mastering the Three-Three System.

One inch longer, one inch stronger: A classic Chinese martial arts proverb emphasizing the reach advantage of long weapons like spears over short ones like sabers.

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