Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

The icy edge of the blade and the sudden deaths of his subordinates left Walige paralyzed. He spoke tremblingly, “Brother, let’s talk this out. My men are all around us. If you alert them, you are a dead man too.”

“Oho, threatening me? I’d like to see what happens after I kill you.”

Luo Yu looked at him with a playful glint in his eyes. The dignified Qiang centurion had instantly become a lamb for the slaughter.

Seeing Luo Yu appear, Shen Li’s body went limp, and she slumped against the tree roots. An inexplicable sense of relief washed over her.

“Wait, don’t!”

The slight pressure of the blade terrified Walige. He spoke hurriedly, “Isn’t serving in the army just a way to get a meal? I can give you silver, a mountain of silver! If you can tell me the whereabouts of a certain person, I will give you more silver than you could earn in a lifetime!”

It seemed Walige truly mistook Luo Yu for an ordinary grunt.

“Oh? Who is it? Someone so valuable?”

“Luo Yu. Have you heard of him? He’s a garrison soldier who retreated from Jiming Fortress. That bastard killed my brother. If you can tell me where he is, I’ll give you a hundred taels!”

“A hundred taels? That much!”

Luo Yu seemed moved. He loosened his grip on the hilt. “I actually do know where he is. I hope you don’t go back on your word, Leader.”

“Rest assured, this lord always keeps his word. The silver is on my horse; I’ll take you to get it in a moment.”

The blade moved away. Walige rubbed his neck and quietly reached for the scimitar at his waist, a murderous look flashing in his eyes.

Luo Yu’s lips curled up slightly. “I can not only tell you where Luo Yu is, but I can also do one more favor for you.”

“A favor for me? What else?”

Luo Yu’s gaze chilled. He swung his scimitar horizontally. “I’ll send you to reunite with your brother!”

Splurt—!

Walige’s palm had just touched the hilt when Luo Yu’s backhand strike slashed across his throat. Blood sprayed out in a violent arc.

Hope had just ignited, only to be crushed by a single blade. Walige clutched his throat, reaching out desperately. “You… you are Luo Yu!”

His body collapsed softly to the ground.

The bloody scene left Shen Li’s face pale, and tears shimmered in the corners of her eyes. The terrifying situation just now had truly shaken her. The cold night wind made her entire body shiver.

Luo Yu didn’t know how to comfort people. He simply took off his outer robe and draped it over her. “Stay here and don’t move. I’m going to go kill some people.”

* * *

One after another, screams pierced through the silent night, chilling the bones.

The women who appeared to be fleeing in panic were actually leading the Qiang soldiers into a pre-arranged trap. The frontier soldiers hidden in the darkness were like ghosts, weaving through the trees.

The night raid had begun!

Some Qiang soldiers stepped into hidden pits and were impaled by sharpened stakes. Others lost their way in the woods only to be struck in the throat by arrows flying from the darkness. Massive stones suddenly fell from the trees, crushing skulls and sending brain matter flying.

The Qian soldiers worked in teams of three, striking everywhere in the night. This was the first practical application of the Three-Three System!

Little Wu and two other new recruits formed one group. They ran into two Qiang soldiers. The screams in the distance had already rattled the Qiang, but when they saw they only faced three opponents, they laughed.

“Only three of them? That isn’t even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth.”

The Qiang were used to being arrogant; they often fought many opponents alone.

Little Wu gripped his scimitar, acting as the offensive spearhead. His two companions held their bamboo shields firmly, protecting his flanks. All three were taking deep breaths, trying to steady their nerves.

Even with all their training, facing the Qiang in person still induced a wave of panic.

“Kill!”

Little Wu, once a coward, was now the first to launch an attack. He roared as he charged a Qiang soldier, his two companions following close behind.

The Qiang soldiers were no amateurs. They attacked the three-man team from the left and right. The soldier on the right slammed his scimitar heavily against a bamboo shield. Though the strike was powerful, it failed to draw blood. Instead, he was shoved back by the shield and stumbled.

Seizing the moment while the two Qiang soldiers were out of sync, Little Wu lunged forward. He plunged his blade into the chest of the Qiang soldier on the left, blood splashing across his face.

The strike was successful. The other Qiang soldier was dumbfounded. When did these Qian cowards become so brave?

The sight of blood washed away much of the panic in the trio’s hearts, replaced by a surge of ferocity.

“Kill!”

Another slash, another corpse!

Small-scale skirmishes like this continued to play out across the Black Woods. A few days of training couldn’t give them peerless swordsmanship, but it had refined their coordination to a high degree.

The three-man team advanced and retreated together; they lived and died as one!

“Aahhh! Help!”

“The Qian have an ambush! An ambush! Everyone, be careful!”

The screams grew more shrill. The roars of the Qiang echoed incessantly. Fighting was happening everywhere in the forest; no one knew exactly how many Qian soldiers were hidden in the shadows.

The dozen riders guarding the horses were stunned. The leading corporal cursed loudly, “What is going on? How can there be an ambush? Where is the centurion?”

“We… we don’t know!”

“Useless! Send two men into the mountain to see how many enemies there are!”

The Qiang soldiers looked at each other. None were willing to move. The screams made their hearts race with unease. With the enemy’s strength unknown, who would dare enter the woods to seek death?

“Damn it, a bunch of spineless cowards!”

Amid the cursing, shadows were stealthily creeping above their heads.

Meng Hu poked his head out of the darkness, his brothers following behind him. The Qiang horses were directly below their hiding spot. They could even hear the Qiang soldiers speaking.

The mission Luo Yu gave him was simple: disperse the Qiang horses. Qiang soldiers without their mounts were like tigers without teeth, nothing to be feared.

A soldier whispered, “Brother Tiger, how do we drive the horses away? There are over a dozen riders guarding them. I’m afraid the few of us can’t win a fight.”

“Heh, no need for a fight. Brother Yu gave me something good.”

Meng Hu smirked as he brought out a jar of fire oil. The mouth was sealed with oiled leather, with a length of thin rope sticking out.

“Wait, fire oil? What can that do? And why is there a rope?”

“Brother Yu said this is a fuse. I don’t really know what that means. He just told me to light it and throw it.”

Meng Hu gestured wildly with his hands. “He said once the oil jar explodes, the horses will be spooked and scatter.”

“What! Throw it?”

The soldiers nearly dropped their jaws. A jar of fire oil that large probably weighed twenty pounds. A man could lift it, but throwing it that far seemed like a joke.

At least, they couldn’t do it.

Sizzle!

Meng Hu moved quickly. He took out a fire starter and lit the fuse. The sparks danced along the cord.

He gripped the jar with one hand and held his position. The muscles in his arm bulged as he gathered his strength. Luo Yu had told him to count to ten in his head before throwing.

His companions felt their scalps tingle. They held their breath and didn’t dare move. If the jar exploded now, they would all be buried in a sea of fire.

“Careful! Someone is above us!”

The Qiang weren’t blind. The sudden light made them wary. Several scrambled to reach for their bows.

“Haahh!”

Meng Hu roared. Under the shocked gazes of his comrades, he hurled the heavy fire oil jar a great distance. It flew perfectly over the heads of the Qiang soldiers.

The group of Qiang looked up blankly. What kind of thing was flying at them?

BOOOM—!

The oil jar exploded in midair. Fire rained down like a descending hell, swallowing the horse herd in an instant.

“Shit!”

Meng Hu’s voice came cursing from the forest. “That even gave me a fright!”

NOTES

Three-Three System (三三制): Luo Yu’s modern infantry tactic. It emphasizes small-unit coordination to overcome individual skill gaps.

💝 Support the Team

possible odoabuchi

✍️ Translator

☕ Buy Me a Coffee