Volume One, Chapter 19: The Blood-Stained War Drums
As the year drew to a close, a faint festive atmosphere lingered in the air of the county town.
Faded red lanterns hung outside the grocery shops, vendors selling candied melons called out with their necks hunched against the cold, and even beggars resting by the city walls had acquired an extra battered bowl. Passersby would casually toss a few copper coins their way, hoping for good fortune in the coming year.
At the city gate, several guards lounged like masters, swords slung across their hips, scrutinizing every person entering the city with sharp eyes. Bundles were searched, belts patted down, and even elderly wood gatherers had to unload their bundles for inspection. Who dared to protest? This was the custom at year’s end, ostensibly to “prevent spies,” but in reality, it was an excuse to extort a little extra.
Crack!
Suddenly, a regimented sound of footsteps cut sharply through the wind and snow.
A sentinel on the city wall peeked out and gasped in sudden chill. A troop of soldiers was advancing through the snow, each bearing a bloodstained sword at their waist. Behind them, a sled carried more than twenty corpses neatly stacked. The frozen scabs of dried blood glistened dark red in the snowlight, a chilling sight to behold.
“Enemy attack?!”
Someone shouted, and immediately the guards on the wall grew alarmed, stringing their bows and aiming arrows downward.
The gate guards slammed the city gates shut with heavy iron bolts, the sound booming like thunder.
Yet, the approaching group seemed oblivious to the tense standoff. They strode boldly to the military drum at the foot of the wall and struck it fiercely with blood-soaked fists.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The booming of the war drum pierced the wind and snow, echoing over the county town.
This was the highest alert of the Jingbian army, not to be sounded except in utmost emergency—or else... execution!
Liu Yun Zhao, the commanding officer on the wall, clad in shimmering armor, hurriedly appeared. This armor was crafted from thin iron plates linked by copper wire, reflecting a delicate shimmer under sunlight, more refined than scale armor, and reserved for officers of his rank.
He glared at the bloodied soldiers below and barked, “Who are you? How dare you sound the war drum without permission? Do you not fear military punishment?”
“Reporting to Captain Liu! I am Corporal Zhang Mu Yang, under Captain Chen’s command, with urgent military intelligence requesting an audience!”
“Zhang Mu Yang?” Liu Yun Zhao paused, then recalled, “You’re the new recruit who lifted the three-hundred-pound stone lock, aren’t you?”
“That’s correct.”
“Wait here!”
Liu Yun Zhao did not dare delay. The drum sounded so urgently; this must be a serious matter. He immediately sent his guards to notify Chen Xiu Cheng, while he fixed his gaze on the scene below. The coarse cloth garments on the corpses looked familiar, though he could not place them at once.
Soon, the hurried clatter of hooves came from within the city.
Chen Xiu Cheng rode swiftly to the city wall, followed closely by Tian Chong, Wei Wen Tong, Qi Zhi Yuan, and others, all with grave expressions. Seeing Zhang Mu Yang and eighteen others, bloodied yet holding their swords aloft, even battle-hardened Chen Xiu Cheng frowned deeply.
“You were supposed to have returned to your village for the New Year! What happened?” Chen demanded.
“Please, Captain, we seek your judgment!”
Zhang Mu Yang suddenly dropped to one knee; Su Ying, Zhang Xiao Bei, and the others followed suit, all pressing their swords horizontally against their necks. The blades caught the snowlight, casting cold shadows across their faces, emanating a fierce and unyielding spirit.
“What are you doing? Speak plainly and put your swords down!” Chen Xiu Cheng raised an eyebrow.
“Sir, please allow me to explain!”
Zhang Mu Yang lifted his head, his blood and melted snow staining his face, but his eyes shone brightly. “We intended merely to return to our village for the New Year. But as we reached Ten-Mile Slope, we were suddenly ambushed by a band of brigands wielding curved swords from Northern Yan, their arrows poisoned, attacking us mercilessly!”
He paused, then pointed toward the sled carrying the corpses, his voice rising sharply. “We are grateful for your teachings, Captain—we fought these brigands to uphold the dignity of the Jingbian army, battling to the death until we had slain them all! Yet to our shock... their leader was Liu Wu, a squad leader under Wei Du Bo! They were not brigands at all, but Wei Du Bo’s own troops!”
“What?!”
A murmur erupted among the crowd.
Wei Wen Tong’s face instantly darkened, his gaze sharp as a blade.
Tian Chong stepped back half a pace, his eyes wary of Wei Wen Tong.
Chen Xiu Cheng’s gaze swept over the corpses, and sure enough, he spotted the identification tags of Wei Wen Tong’s personal guard tucked inside their collars. He waved his hand. “Open the city gates!”
The massive gates creaked open slowly. Chen Xiu Cheng stepped out, knelt down, and brushed aside the tangled hair covering Liu Wu’s face. Though frozen and purpled, it was undoubtedly Liu Wu.
As for the others?
They too bore identification tags—none but Wei Wen Tong’s personal guards!
Chen Xiu Cheng rose and spoke calmly, “Wei Du Bo, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Wei Wen Tong stepped forward and kicked Liu Wu’s chest fiercely. “Liu Wu! You have great audacity, disguising yourself as a brigand and attacking Corporal Zhang! Who gave you this order?!”
“I...” Liu Wu spat blood, his eyes dimming as he looked toward Wei Wen Tong, lips trembling without a word.
“Hmph! Seems you won’t confess!”
Wei Wen Tong suddenly drew his blade, a cold gleam flashing as he swiftly cut Liu Wu’s throat.
Blood sprayed on the snow, yet Wei Wen Tong sheathed his sword as if nothing had happened, bowing to Chen Xiu Cheng. “Captain Chen, this failure in discipline is due to my negligence. Please punish me accordingly. I will investigate thoroughly and avenge Corporal Zhang’s honor!”
A perfect move to silence the witness!
Zhang Mu Yang sneered inwardly, though he wore a fitting expression of shock.
Wei Wen Tong was decisive, but the act was too contrived... Who would kill the only living witness before hearing the full story? This was tantamount to openly declaring himself the true mastermind. Yet, as a relative of Wei Song, advisor to the Northern Jing Prince, Wei Wen Tong was untouchable without solid evidence.
Chen Xiu Cheng said evenly, “Wei Du Bo is also a victim here. I believe you, Liu Wu deserved his fate.”
“Thank you for your clear judgment, Captain Chen!”
Wei Wen Tong exhaled in relief, forcing a concerned expression. “Corporal Zhang, are you all right? You have suffered unjustly.”
Zhang Mu Yang bowed. “Thanks to the Captain’s grace, we survived by a hair’s breadth.”
Wei Wen Tong’s eyes scanned the corpses, suspicion evident. “Corporal Zhang, you are skilled indeed, leading a group of new recruits to annihilate over thirty veteran soldiers, even killing Liu Wu yourself. That seems... rather implausible, doesn’t it?”
A remark that struck at the heart of the matter!
Not only Tian Chong and Liu Yun Zhao, but even Chen Xiu Cheng nodded slightly. Liu Wu was a powerful warrior at the “Heavy Squad” level, capable of lifting eight hundred pounds, and the thirty guards were seasoned veterans—how could a group of new recruits wipe them out without a single casualty? It was simply impossible.
All eyes turned to Zhang Mu Yang.
Prepared, Zhang Mu Yang produced an oilcloth-bound booklet from his pocket, handing it to Chen Xiu Cheng with both hands, speaking loudly, “Our survival is due entirely to your excellent guidance, Captain! This is the ‘Jingbian Army New Recruit Survival Guide’ compiled from your and Squad Leader Tian’s instructions. Thanks to the methods in this booklet, we were able to prevail by a stroke of luck!”
“Thank you, Captain, for saving our lives!”
Su Ying, Zhang Xiao Bei, and the others shouted in unison, their voices ringing loud enough to make the snow tumble from the trees.
Such flattery was both loud and precise!
Chen Xiu Cheng accepted the oil-paper bundle and peeled back its layers, revealing a thin booklet filled with illustrations and brief captions, resembling a comic strip. From morning runs to formation drills and training, each entry contained just a few simple sentences, yet captured the essence clearly and understandably.
Most striking was the inscription on the title page: “Tactics personally taught by Captain Chen Xiu Cheng, illustrated and compiled by Zhang Mu Yang.”
A smile broke across Chen Xiu Cheng’s face. “You can read and write?”
Most soldiers in the northern borderlands were illiterate, many barely able to write their own names, let alone compile such a manual.
“I learned a few characters from the village schoolmaster as a child,” Zhang Mu Yang replied modestly.
“Good! Very good!”
Chen Xiu Cheng grew more pleased, giving Zhang Mu Yang’s shoulder a heavy pat. “Copy this booklet a hundred times. I want it distributed to all squads for study!”
“Understood, sir!”
“Ha ha!”
In high spirits, Chen Xiu Cheng declared loudly, “Zhang Mu Yang, by order of command, you are hereby promoted to Squad Leader, in charge of the third squad of new recruits!”
“I do not agree!”
Wei Wen Tong spoke coldly, “Captain Chen, the rank of Squad Leader is not so easily granted! By regulation, a Squad Leader must be at the Heavy Squad level, with strength of at least eight hundred pounds! Zhang Mu Yang is a fresh recruit—does he truly possess such strength?”
Suddenly, Qi Zhi Yuan stepped forward, hand resting on his sword’s hilt. “Wei Du Bo speaks truly. I volunteer to test Zhang Mu Yang’s skill. If he wins, he may naturally become Squad Leader. If he loses… he should not blame me for ruthlessness under the blade!”