Volume One: The Wild Child Chapter Seventy-Three: Destiny

(1/3)

"Based on today’s battle, the enemy’s casualties far outnumber ours. If this continues, General Kuisheng’s counterattack should be enough to decide the outcome in a single engagement. Still, there’s something I don’t understand—those forces at the foot of the mountain are still Feng Hui’s men. How could they be so feeble?”

Lin Changtian glanced at the perplexed expression on Qi Yong’s face and chuckled. “General Qi, you see Feng Hui as a formidable opponent, but Feng Hui may not even take us seriously. Ultimately, neither side has truly found its proper place yet.”

“Oh? What do you mean by that? Forgive me if I’m slow, but I’d appreciate your explanation…”

“No trouble at all—if I don’t explain it, it won’t cost me any effort. But look at the time, everyone else has already returned to their beds to warm themselves, and you’re still pestering me here. What’s the matter, is your own bed too cold and you want me to find you a woman? Go wash off the blood, get some sleep in your own tent, and when the campaign’s over, I’ll go with you to the village and ask Widow Wang for her hand on your behalf. I know you’ve been lurking around her wall for ages…”

Qi Yong: …

Whew. The commander must be exhausted, using humor to relieve his fatigue. Qi Yong comforted himself and let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing Qi Yong still standing in front of the table lost in thought, not moving an inch and even grinning foolishly from time to time, Lin Changtian felt a chill run down his spine and grumbled, “Why are you still standing there, blocking my signal? Grinning like an idiot—what are you daydreaming about? Wait, you’re not really interested in Widow Wang, are you? Let’s not talk about her age—her looks are nothing to write home about, and as for her figure, she’s nowhere near plump no matter how generously you praise her. She’s got no curves at all. Honestly, your taste is truly unique.”

Qi Yong reluctantly turned away, shuffling a few steps toward the tent’s entrance like a crab, his body facing outward but his heart still clinging to the spot.

“Commander, I’m leaving now.”
“Go on.”
Qi Yong took another hesitant step, his voice a bit louder: “Commander, I’m really leaving now.”
“Go on.”
This time Qi Yong barely moved half a step, raising his voice yet again: “Commander, I—”
Lin Changtian slammed the table and glared in irritation. “Are you going or not? And why did you stop talking this time?”
Qi Yong scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. “I’m not much of a scholar; I’ve run out of fancy words.”

This time, Qi Yong didn’t move. Meeting Lin Changtian’s helpless gaze, he clasped his fists and said, “If you won’t tell me, I won’t ask. But I’ve had a habit of getting to the bottom of things since I was a child. If you don’t satisfy my curiosity, I’ll be restless all night.”

“Fine, I’ll explain. You look so unconvinced, but think about it—do we still have the prestige we enjoyed in Sishan when Yu Baili was here? Not anymore, right? So why would they see you as an equal adversary? As for Ma Hui, he adapted quickly to the new situation, but after I took command of Sishan and pacified Zhang Yi, he still dares to treat us with such arrogance and contempt…”

Lin Changtian trailed off, looking expectantly at Qi Yong, as if waiting for something.

Qi Yong scratched his head. Seeing Lin Changtian remain silent, he thought deeply, then put on an expression of sudden realization. “I get it. You mean that the dynamics of attack and defense have changed, but the people have not adjusted in time. Just like the old days when two heroes faced off—Xiang Yu never found his proper place and ended up defeated at Gaixia. Similarly, Ma Hui hasn’t adjusted his position; he still thinks he’s facing the old Sishan, which could barely protect itself. That’s why his defeat tomorrow is inevitable—is that what you meant?”

“Qi Yong, for a rascal, you’re quite the historian,” Lin Changtian sighed in mock exasperation. “Shouldn’t you be praising me right now—‘Commander Lin is wise and mighty, destined to rule the world for generations’ and so forth?”

“With all due respect, Commander, I, Qi Yong, am an honest man. Your virtues are so well known, I would never repeat them, not even at the cost of my life. By the way, about Widow Wang—I do have some objections. I think your assessment is a bit unrealistic.”

“Oh? What do you mean by that?”

“In times like these, as long as she’s useful, who cares if she’s good-looking or not…”

……

The sun rose early that day.

(2/3)

Guo Huai gripped his long sword, silently comforting himself. “The enemy may fight well, but they’re few in number—after several skirmishes, there can’t be many left. With rich rewards for these lads today, if we wear them down a bit more, perhaps the battle will end soon and we can all go home. That’s what he thought.

‘The first to break through the Sishan defenses—all men in his unit will be promoted three ranks. I’ll report it to Commander Feng and recommend them for top honors!’ Guo Huai shouted. The adjutant by his side, who had taken the blow from Lin Changtian’s blade for him yesterday, relayed the orders. Yet, awkwardly, not a single officer or soldier in the entire army responded.

Yesterday, with blood running hot, they dared to challenge those mountain butchers, but now, with clear heads, who’d willingly throw themselves into a slaughterhouse?

Guo Huai said no more. He knew he’d looked pitiful the day before. Drawing his sword, he shouted again, “Any who shrink from battle—if their commanders fail to punish them, all will be beheaded! The families left on the mountain will be treated as captured livestock!”

Still, no one answered, but the soldiers’ feet began to shuffle toward the battlefield. A trace of satisfaction appeared on Guo Huai’s face. Though he was less skilled in battle and command than others in Ma Hui’s corps, when it came to coercion, he was second to none. Many times, when Guo Huai found himself surrounded, this method had saved his life. He’d even rescued Ma Hui himself during a bitter fight, earning a place in the warlord’s command tent.

Taking such a small Sishan—shouldn’t it be as easy as ever?

With this thought, he hid far to the rear, watching the Sishan officers still leading from the front, a cold sneer on his lips.

Guo Huai was shrewd, with several personal guards by his side, horses ready, his retreat all prepared.

“General, look at that huge cloud of dust rising behind us,” remarked Qiu An. Since his defeat, Qiu An had been stripped of rank and kept in Guo Huai’s camp for errands. It was a merciful fate. If not for his family’s influence, Guo Huai might have executed him alongside Wang Li on Mount Weinan.

Guo Huai followed Qiu An’s pointing finger. Indeed, a vast dust cloud was rising, as though something formidable was approaching. “You pampered young master, you’ve seen nothing of the world. That’s a land-whirlwind—a common sight in the north. If you don’t even know that, why are you here fighting? Wouldn’t you rather be living it up in the city?” Guo Huai cast a disdainful glance at Qiu An. Born of humble stock, Guo Huai and his men had clawed their way up from the edge of death, so he held a particular contempt for the few scions of great families in the north.

Qiu An forced a bitter smile. He recognized the sarcasm but still saluted and said, “General, I know what a land-whirlwind is, but look at that formation—it stretches for miles. It’s clearly a cavalry force. We must be on guard.”

Guo Huai’s face twisted with ridicule. “Such military insight, and yet you suffered defeat at Weinan Mountain? Besides, in the southern north, only us or the besieged Sishan band could muster such a force. By your logic, after handing over so many cavalry, Sishan still has enough strength to hold off Ma Hui’s best troops?”

The crowd burst out laughing, their mock whispers loud enough for all to hear.

“Let me give you some advice, Qiu An—when you get back, pull some strings and get yourself transferred elsewhere. I, Guo Huai, dare not keep you. Anyone who loses with twice the numbers and the advantage of surprise is wasted in my camp.” Guo Huai saw Qiu An’s resentment and decided to provoke him further. “Here, turn around and take a good look at that land-whirlwind. Once you’ve had your fill, come see me defeat the enemy at the front!”

His voice rang out as if he, too, were leading the charge alongside Lin Changtian. But the smugness on his face soon turned to puzzlement, then shock, and finally terror as he scrambled away, rolling and crawling toward the front lines.

The soldiers locked in combat ahead didn’t understand—they thought Guo Huai was personally charging into battle, and, shouting his name, their fighting spirit surged.

(3/3)

“General, you’re truly righteous! The front is so dangerous and yet you’re running for your life—it’s so admirable. If you’ll have me, I’ll gladly follow behind your horse and warm your saddle!” A sharp-eyed young soldier dashed over, lavishing flattery on Guo Huai. Perhaps his education was lacking, for he couldn’t even get the phrase “before and behind the saddle” right, so he just blurted out whatever came to mind.

Guo Huai was too busy fleeing for his life to care about direction; his guards had long since scattered, none caring that he was the commander of the army.

Guo Huai glared at the little soldier, speechless, hearing screams erupt behind him—no doubt the cavalry had arrived. He hastily shed his commander’s robe, grabbed a piece of armor from a corpse, and pointed at the soldier: “If anyone asks, do not say I was the general. If we survive this, there will be a rich reward!”

The soldier replied solemnly, raising his hand to the sky: “Rest assured, General. If I ever betray you with my mouth, may my whole family drop dead and never know peace!”

……

With the generals all gone, the remaining soldiers had no will to resist. As soon as Kuisheng’s cavalry made contact, Guo Huai’s troops surrendered en masse.

Staring at the sea of bowed heads, Lin Changtian was momentarily stunned—the speed of their surrender outpaced even the cavalry’s charge.

Kuisheng, biting his lip, looked helpless. “These fellows are something else. Before I even broke through, their weapons were already piled on the ground.”

“Who could disagree?” Lin Changtian nodded in agreement.

Qi Yong, gripping his sword, strode up before the surrendered soldiers and bellowed, “Anyone know the whereabouts of your general? Useless in battle, but quick to run! Whoever provides information will be handsomely rewarded—by Commander Lin himself!” Lin Changtian curled his lip, ignoring this oaf, and surveyed the captives, his expression unreadable.

Guo Huai broke out in a cold sweat, staring hard at the young soldier beside him. The soldier, catching his meaning, gave him a reassuring smile—then, to Guo Huai’s utter shock, promptly raised his hand.

“Sir, I report: the man disguised next to me is our army’s commanding general, Guo Huai!”

No sooner had he spoken than Guo Huai leapt up, only to be pinned to the ground by several Sishan soldiers, cursing furiously. “You’ve doomed your whole family! If I die, your kin will be buried with me!”

The young soldier chuckled, wiping away a stray tear—whether from laughter or something else was impossible to say. “Thanks to you, General, my family’s long dead. For someone of your stature, I suppose it’s easy to forget when you stepped on a few ants.”

This time, it was Guo Huai’s turn to stand frozen, momentarily forgetting to struggle.