Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

The wind and sand howled; the setting sun hung isolated in the sky.

Several long spears were planted obliquely in the sand and stone. Impaled on their tips were human heads. The blood and the setting sun interwove, a scarlet color that pierced the eyes.

Jiming Fortress stood lonely in the yellow sand, weathered and beaten, like a silent guardian.

The remaining thirty-plus garrison soldiers sat paralyzed against the corners of the walls, unwilling to move a muscle. The corpses of their fallen comrades were piled to one side, and the mottled bloodstains from the previous fierce battle still stained the walls.

Most of them wore expressions of grief, their eyes despondent. A mood of despair shrouded everyone’s hearts.

Another two days had passed. Not only had the Qiang soldiers not attacked, but half their forces had withdrawn. The reason was simple: the eastern and western flank fortresses had been breached. Jiming Fortress would receive no reinforcements in the short term. The nearly one hundred cavalry remaining were more than enough to trap the defenders inside until they died.

The Qiang soldiers weren’t idle either. From time to time, they sent a few roaming riders to provoke and insult the defenders, trying to force the Qian army to attack. Wang Shuang, helpless, could only keep the gates tightly shut and hold his ground.

Everyone understood that the Qiang army intended to starve them to death.

The most despairing part was that Jiming Fortress didn’t have much stored grain. After being besieged for five days, their supplies had already run out. Now, each person receives only half a piece of naan bread and a bowl of water per day. That wouldn’t be enough for a farm woman, let alone soldiers who had to kill with blades.

Luo Yu leaned against a pile of sandbags, pondering how to deal with the current crisis. In his view, the most urgent task was to boost morale.

If the defenders lost their spirit, how could they talk about holding out to the end?

Grooowl~

Meng Hu’s stomach growling came from beside him. The burly man smiled awkwardly.

“Brother Yu, I’m hungry again. If only there were something to eat.”

Luo Yu was helpless; he couldn’t conjure food out of thin air. He could only change the subject.

“Tiger, why did you become a soldier? I remember you signed up voluntarily.”

“Damn it, don’t get me started on that!”

Meng Hu cursed indignantly.

“The clerk recruiting soldiers lied to me. He said the food on the front line was good and there was meat every day. I packed my bags without a second thought. Who knew that after getting to Jiming Fortress, I’d go hungry for nine meals in three days!

“I was cheated badly!”

“Hahaha!”

Several new recruits around them burst into laughter. Everyone knew Meng Hu had a huge appetite, but to be tricked by such a simple excuse showed just how simple and honest he was. Little Wu even teased him, “Brother Tiger, if there really were meat every day, everyone would be fighting to be a soldier. Would it even be our turn?”

Meng Hu felt a bit embarrassed and scratched his head. “Brother Yu, then why did you become a soldier?”

Luo Yu’s eyes flickered. He thought of his conversation with Madam Chang that day and murmured softly:

“Why should a man not wield the Wu hook to trample the beacon smoke and pacify the Nine Provinces?”

“Ma Dai sealed tight… eat wine and meat?”

Luo Yu’s voice was too soft, so Meng Hu only caught a rough approximation. He looked blankly at the hemp sacks behind him.

“It is sealed tight. Where’s the wine and meat?”

“Hahaha!”

Luo Yu had lines of black hanging down his forehead. The laughter around them grew louder.

Although Luo Yu had been decisive in killing over the past two days and appeared fierce to outsiders, as a squad leader, he treated the new recruits well. As they gradually got to know him, they were no longer as restrained as before.

“The enemy is at the gates, and you still have the mood to laugh?”

A cold, sharp voice suddenly rang out. Zhang Gui stood before them with several confidants, looking quite aggressive.

“May I ask Leader Zhang, is something the matter?”

Zhang Gui had been making things difficult for him both openly and secretly over the past few days. Luo Yu knew very well that Zhang Gui was certain he had killed Wu Mazi and was deliberately picking a fight.

“Of course there is.”

The corner of Zhang Gui’s mouth hooked into a sneer. He extended a hand and pointed at Little Wu in the crowd.

“During the Qiang attack, this person feared battle and refused to advance. He acted as a turtle-hiding deserter and almost caused the fortress wall to be breached. His crime cannot be pardoned!

“Arrest him!”

Several fierce soldiers swarmed forward, dragging Little Wu out of the crowd without explanation.

Little Wu panicked instantly. Helpless and flustered, he was lifted out like a little chicken.

“Leader Zhang, what are you doing!”

Luo Yu stood up abruptly.

“It is human nature for a new recruit to be afraid on their first time on the battlefield. Is this necessary?”

“According to you, being a deserter is justified?”

Zhang Gui said coldly:

“Let me tell you the truth. With a formidable enemy before us, I will absolutely not allow anyone in this fortress to cling to life and fear death! Today, I will execute this cowardly deserter on the spot as a warning to others!”

The corner of Zhang Gui’s mouth curled up slightly, carrying a mocking expression. Luo Yu understood that Zhang Gui was taking this opportunity to retaliate against him!

Hearing that he was to be executed on the spot, Little Wu was scared out of his wits. His legs began to tremble again.

“Leader Zhang, spare me! This lowly one won’t dare do it again! If the Qiang soldiers attack again, I will definitely fight them to the death! I beg you, let me go.”

“Oho, now you know regret? What were you doing before? Drag him to the fortress gate and execute him!”

“No, don’t kill me!”

Little Wu’s face was drained of blood. He could only turn to Luo Yu.

“Brother Yu, save me! Save me!”

“Let him go!”

Luo Yu rushed into the crowd and pulled Little Wu behind him.

“Leader Zhang, military regulations clearly state that for a new recruit fearing battle for the first time, the maximum punishment is five military strokes. It never said anything about beheading!”

“Audacious! Are you planning to rebel?”

Zhang Gui’s eyes glared wide with rage.

“You are merely a squad leader. How to punish soldiers is not for you to dictate!”

Meng Hu and several other new recruits all gathered behind Luo Yu, furious. Anyone with eyes could see that Zhang Gui was deliberately making things difficult for Little Wu just to slap Luo Yu’s face.

The argument between the two grew more intense. The garrison soldiers of the entire fortress cast curious and shocked glances their way.

It was the first time they had seen a squad leader dare to argue with a vice standard commander. However, Luo Yu had become quite famous in the fortress recently. Counting the two Qiang soldiers he killed during the siege two days ago, he already had five heads’ worth of military merit in his hands, ranking first in the entire standard.

“Silence! What is all this noise!”

Wang Shuang finally appeared.

“The enemy is at the gates, yet you are arguing noisily. What kind of discipline is this!”

“Commander, you’ve come.”

Zhang Gui spoke first to lodge his complaint.

“New recruit Little Wu feared battle and refused to advance, acting as a deserter. Your subordinate was about to punish him severely to warn others, but Luo Yu strongly obstructed me. Isn’t he showing too little regard for military regulations?”

“Military regulations? The regulations never said to execute him directly!”

Luo Yu protected Little Wu, arguing based on reason.

“It’s normal for new recruits to fear battle; we all went through it. If you want to give him five military strokes, I have absolutely no objection! But to kill him, I disagree!”

As the two argued back and forth, Wang Shuang frowned and waved his hand.

“Alright, stop arguing! Ahem, Vice Commander Zhang, I think Luo Yu is right. He is a new recruit; we should give him some time to grow.”

Knowing Wang Shuang would side with Luo Yu, Zhang Gui brought out his prepared rhetoric.

“Commander, if it were a minor skirmish in peacetime, his fear of battle could be overlooked. But now, a formidable enemy is before us. The slightest mistake means the fortress is destroyed and everyone dies. If the defense line is breached because of his cowardice and the Qiang soldiers break into the fortress, all the brothers in the fortress will suffer the Qiang’s brutal hands.

“Can he bear that responsibility?

“Or perhaps, Commander, can you bear that responsibility?”

Wang Shuang’s face slowly turned cold. This Zhang Gui actually dared to undermine his authority in front of all the soldiers. Suppressing the anger in his heart, he said:

“We are in dire need of manpower right now. Arbitrarily executing our own comrades is inappropriate by both emotion and reason. This Commander believes we should still give him a chance.”

“Commander, I stand by my words. Only by killing him can we make the soldiers of the entire fortress fight to the end! Otherwise, if Jiming Fortress falls, none of us will live!”

Zhang Gui cupped his fists and shouted loudly:

“I request the Commander to punish the new recruit, Little Wu, severely!”

Several of Zhang Gui’s confidants behind him shouted in unison:

“We request the Commander to punish the new recruit, Little Wu, severely!”

The entire fortress fell into a dead silence. It smelled heavily of a mutiny.

NOTES

“Ma Dai sealed tight…”: A homophonic pun. Luo Yu recites “Ma ta feng yan” (Horses trample beacon smoke), but Meng Hu hears “Ma dai feng yan” (Hemp sack sealed tight). It highlights Meng Hu’s lack of education and obsession with food.

“Why should a man not wield the Wu hook…”: Repeating the poem from Chapter 1 to reinforce Luo Yu’s motivation.

Forced abdication/mutiny: Literally “forcing the palace,” referring to ministers forcing a ruler to abdicate or submit. Zhang Gui’s use of the soldiers’ safety to pressure Wang Shuang is a direct challenge to command.

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