Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

Nightfall descended slowly. Within Black Ditch Fortress, countless torches were lit, driving away the gloom of the evening.

A full one hundred and fifty Qiang riders approached the outskirts of the fortress in silence. Their cold iron scimitars shimmered with a frigid light in the dark, looking utterly sinister.

Leading them was a Qiang centurion, Walige. If Luo Yu heard this name, he would certainly find it familiar, for only a few days ago at Jiming Fortress, he had just killed Walige’s younger brother.

“Boss, the defenders in Black Ditch Fortress seem quite numerous. Look at those torches; they are everywhere.”

From the perspective of the Qiang soldiers, the entire Black Ditch Fortress was engulfed in firelight. Figures seemed to stand all along the camp fences, giving the impression that a heavy force was stationed within.

“What is there to fear? The soldiers of Qian are as cowardly as mice. There is nothing to dread!” Walige’s face was cold. “Is the fellow who killed my brother at Jiming Fortress also hiding here?”

“Most likely. The Qian army withdrew all the routed soldiers from five or six frontline fortresses to this location, and Jiming Fortress was no exception.”

“Excellent. Today, I shall avenge my brother. What was that man’s name again? Luo Yu, was it?” Walige’s eyes were filled with a murderous glint. “Once we breach the camp and capture him, I will hack him into ten thousand pieces!”

“Boss, perhaps we should still be cautious,” his deputy urged at his side. “Let us wait for the scouts to report the situation before we attack, lest we fall into a trap.”

“Fine, fine. You are far too talkative.” Walige suppressed his impatience and waited for half an hour, but the scouts he had sent out were like clay oxen entering the sea; they showed no signs of returning.

“Damn it, I’m not waiting any longer!” The agitated Walige gave a cold shout. “Attack! Raze Black Ditch Fortress to the earth!”

“Boss…”

“Shut up!” Walige cursed. “Just because we suffered a small loss at Jiming Fortress, you’ve already lost your gall? I want to see what these Qian soldiers are truly capable of!

“Kill them all!”

Over a hundred Qiang riders drew their blades one after another, charging into Black Ditch Fortress under the cover of night.

No arrows were loosed, nor were there any roars or shouts from defenders. What awaited them were over a hundred straw men propped up on sticks. Not a single living soul was in sight.

“Damn it, where did the Qian army go?” Walige roared. “I can’t see a single ghost! Where are they! And look at you, scared out of your wits by a few straw men!”

Unable to find a trace of the Qian army, Walige took out all his anger on his deputy, cursing him up and down.

“Boss, we’re back!”

Several scouts ran over, panting heavily, only to be met by Walige’s interrogation.

“Where the hell were you lot? Why didn’t you report that there were no defenders? You made me wait for so long!”

“This humble subordinate discovered a group of refugees and followed them to force out the location of the Qian army. Please forgive us, Lord Centurion.”

“Just a few refugees. Why chase them? A complete waste of time!”

“Boss, it was a group of women. There was a young wench among them who was quite well-proportioned, a real beauty.”

“Oh?” Walige’s eyes, along with those of the surrounding Qiang riders, lit up instantly. “Where are they!”

Consider this: these soldiers had been out at war for so long they hadn’t even seen a sow, let alone a woman. Every single one of them was hungry and thirsty. It would be a wonder if they weren’t excited at the mention of women.

“They… they ran.” The scout lowered his head sheepishly. “We had just caught them, but they escaped the moment we looked away. Those little wenches ran quite fast.”

“Useless! You can’t even keep watch over a few women!”

“But we found the location of the Qian army. Those wenches said the soldiers retreated along the gully toward Yunyang Pass.”

“Then what are we waiting for? After them!”

* * *

Shen Li and several other women fled through the mountain gully, holding a torch high as if afraid the Qiang soldiers wouldn’t see them. They had deliberately let themselves be caught by the Qiang riders earlier, and Shen Li had escaped after weaving a few lies while the scouts were distracted.

The faint sound of horse hooves came from behind. A large patch of firelight in the night looked like a small fire dragon, with ghostly shouts echoing through the air.

The women felt panicked, but Shen Li quickly shouted, “Don’t panic! We must act according to the plan!”

The Qiang soldiers followed the torchlight all the way. Two legs could never outrun four, and they soon caught up to the refugees. From a distance, Walige saw a graceful figure among the group, and his eyes lit up on the spot.

“She truly looks like a beauty! Catch them! If we can’t catch the Qian army, we’ll at least have some fun with these Central Plains women! It’ll give the brothers a taste of something sweet!”

“Thank you, Lord Centurion!”

Amid the lewd laughter of the Qiang soldiers, the women suddenly split up and fled. Instead of continuing along the gully, they darted into the dense forests on either side.

The Qiang cavalry pulled their horses to a halt. Walige frowned as he examined the terrain. In the pitch-black woods, nothing could be seen, and not a sound could be heard.

“Boss, do we still chase?” The deputy frowned. “The forest is too thick, and the slope is steep. If we keep going, we’ll have to dismount and go on foot.”

“Chase them! Of course, we chase them!” Walige said coldly. “Today, I am going to catch those wenches and vent my fire!”

“But didn’t the Qian army flee along the gully? If we stop the pursuit just to catch a few women, isn’t that a waste of time?”

Slap!

The volatile Walige struck him across the face.

“Is your brain filled with dung?! The Qian army is mostly infantry. How could they possibly escape if they fled along a flat path like this gully? If it were you, would you be stupid enough to wait for death on level ground?

“I suspect they must be hiding right here. Those wenches were clearly lying!”

The deputy clutched his cheek in grievance, not daring to say another word.

“Leave a few men to watch the horses. The rest of you, dismount and enter the mountains! Kill any Qian soldiers you find, but leave the women alive!”

“Yes, sir!”

* * *

The silence of the Black Woods was broken by a sudden commotion. Over a hundred Qiang soldiers were scattered across the mountainside trying to catch the refugee women. Shouts and ghostly yells erupted here and there as the Qiang force became increasingly spread out: some in small groups, some entirely alone.

Walige was the shrewdest of them. He kept his eyes fixed on Shen Li’s silhouette and finally cornered her at the base of a large tree.

“Haha! A beauty indeed!” Walige and two other Qiang soldiers wore hideous grins. “I’ve hit the jackpot this time. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen such looks.”

To their eyes, the fair-skinned Shen Li with her delicate features was an absolute treasure.

Faced with the Qiang soldiers at such a close distance, Shen Li finally panicked. She pulled out her little broken axe and pointed it at the three men.

“Don’t… don’t come over!”

“Hahahaha! She even has a weapon!”

“That little axe is quite cute. This lord is truly ‘terrified.’ In a moment, I’ll let you know just how powerful this lord really is!”

The Qiang soldiers roared with laughter. At the thought of such a beauty begging for mercy beneath him in a moment, Walige felt a fire rising through his entire body. He stepped forward, his eyes already consumed by lust.

“Don’t be afraid. If you serve this lord well, perhaps I’ll let you keep your life.”

“No! Stay back!”

Shen Li trembled all over, swinging her axe wildly, which only drew more mockery from the Qiang soldiers.

“Come now, let’s have some fun!”

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound of breaking wind suddenly rang out. Two sharp arrows shot from the depths of the forest, killing the two accompanying Qiang soldiers with lethal precision.

Walige was stunned. He scrambled to reach for the scimitar at his waist.

Before he could make a move, he felt a cold edge pressed against his throat. The voice that came from beside his ear made his entire body tremble.

“Care to guess whose blade is faster?”

NOTES

Centurion: A military rank commanding 100 men.

Vent fire: A vulgar slang term meaning to satisfy one’s sexual lust or release pent-up frustration.

Clay oxen entering the sea: A Chinese idiom meaning something that disappears without a trace or never returns.

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