Chapter 4: Dealing With The Foreign Race
Chilian Mountain Range, Yangquan Mountain, that is, the frontline camp supplied by Xuan Chong Grain Station.
There is a majestic military fortress here. Six watchtowers with upturned eaves and a large number of half-person-high stone barricades form this camp occupying two li of land.
This camp normally only needs five hundred people to hold it, relying on merchant caravans and locally grown taro for self-sufficiency. Now it requires additional grain supply from the rear.
Inside the camp, columns of armored soldiers gripping bronze-handled war knives patrol between the military tents.
Wu Hanluan’s personal soldiers, during their daily camp patrols, joke around with the various centurions, then take ropes to mark out lines, using white lime to draw temporary lines on the ground.
These lines are key to ordering the camp. Currently, the camp is crammed with five times the normal number of people and a large number of horses. The crowding requires a set of traffic rules to ensure smooth troop movements and supply transport in the camp.
It can be compared to elementary or middle school. With often over a thousand people, on the first day of school, the principal requires class teachers to take turns bringing each class out in order, lining up first at the classroom door, then following the previous class downstairs only after it has gone out; if they swarm like bees, they block the road.
Back to the present, in this military fortress of the Wu Family Army, there are major drills every six days and minor drills every three days, to maintain combat effectiveness and vigilance.
These major and minor drills take place in rotation on the training ground after daily roll call.
The Wu Family’s senior generals teach their disciples in this practical way: If a certain camp team is going to the drill ground for roll call and maneuvers today, then the food for this camp is different from the other camps not drilling today. After coming out from the drill ground, they walk along fixed routes. The white lime lines become thicker and blurrier after being trampled, but the thickness is very even. If soldiers from other non-drilling tents mix in with the returning drilling troops to eat meat food, and then slip back to their own tents after eating, the lime on their feet will cause burrs on the lines, which is easy to spot from the high platform.
From an even higher perspective, planning such routes allows the camp’s generals to intuitively understand the strength and quality of each camp’s soldiers. Elite orderly ranks are neat, while loose new recruits have chaotic steps; the traces left by these two types of ranks on the white lines are different.
This is the feudal era, where feudalism follows: My subordinates’ subordinates are not my subordinates. Specific case, Cao Cao was under Emperor Xian of Han, but Cao Cao’s subordinate Xiahou Dun was unwilling to be a Han minister.
As a feudal lord, maintaining balance of power among subordinates is basic practice. That is, after a great war, some camp teams can still remain intact, while some camps are left with only a few stragglers. At this time, some must be transferred from intact camps to supplement the short-handed ones. At the same time, ensure that strong combat camps always have sand mixed in.
Many peasant rebel armies at the end of the Ming Dynasty had this problem; gathered together, after several great wars, some camps suffered heavy losses without supplements, while some became strong with their own mountain tops, strong enough that “the battalion commander dares to fight the brigade commander.”
In the Wu Family Army’s military rules: Soldiers not following the formation lightly receive dozens of military cudgels, heavily are locked in the great prison, and directly beheaded for sacrifice to the flag when deploying.
Of course, such military rules are only enforced before great wars; such high pressure in peacetime would cause camp mutinies. So other methods are needed in daily times to understand the corps’ condition.
In the military classics Wu Fei studied in this world, the opening clearly states: A qualified military strategist should proficiently use “Yao Calculation” to meticulously plan camping and fortunes, and manage a camp of two or three thousand people as flexibly as arms and legs.
Thus in the Da Yao Dynasty, military family retainers are centuries-old inheritances; even the lowliest combat-ready soldiers in the retainers have taken over the fixed routes of “drawing pay, raising heirs” from their fathers, belonging to good families under military family protection.
…Perspective shifts to this military tent…
At this time in the brightly lit central military camp, Wu Hanluan, wearing armor, leans against the side of a Winged Tiger. This Winged Tiger is as big as a rockery in a park, lying there with a body not counting the tail at a full two zhang; it seems asleep, but every few seconds its breathing roars like “rumbling” thunder, shaking the entire military tent.
Wu Hanluan is reading a letter made of “gauze silk”-like material, covered in tiny regular script; if looked at closely, this “gauze silk” is actually a piece of snake skin.
The content on this snake skin is simple: The snake people’s shaman spoke with many tribes last night, proposing to strongly attack the grain station. — Wu Hanluan has “agents” lurking among the snake people.
Speaking of which, Wu Hanluan’s main force this time is out burning hatcheries, forcing the snake people’s main force into a decisive battle for a purge that can secure the southern region for several years. How could he let the snake people’s main force sneak attack the army’s great warehouse?
In the military tent, the personal soldiers see their own general’s face break into a smile. As if making a brilliant move in a chess game!
Wu Hanluan is satisfied with Wu Fei! His nephew has been earnestly working silently at the grain warehouse for half a month without any mistakes. He didn’t panic facing the snake people’s harassing troops, suppressing the restlessness in the army; he’s good material for leading soldiers.
In the wooden box on the left, there is just a report from beside Wu Fei, recording: “At chen hour, dozens of enemies appeared; at you hour, one cavalry camp was dispatched to drive them off; this repeats daily, but recently the numbers have dwindled.”
…The hook is baited, the fish keeps nibbling tentatively, and after multiple attempts, prepares to open its big mouth…
Xuan Chong thinks he’s guarding “Jieting,” but isn’t Wu Hanluan also using this grain station to fish?
In the previous half month, the snake people harassed the grain station every time; by common sense, more troops should be sent to defend, but actually not done! Instead, always mobilizing food and grass, without increasing the garrison. Tempting the snake people itchingly.
Now the snake people suddenly stopped harassing the grain station for three days. It seems like giving up, but Wu Hanluan as a veteran knows: The enemy can’t find any mobile phone opportunity here, now it’s impossible to hastily abandon that grain station.
…The Winged Tiger senses its master’s killing intent, shakes itself, rubs its big face against the master’s armor…
Wu Hanluan puts away the table: “Zhao Tu, Wang Xi!” Then the two cavalry officers under the desk respond: “Here.”
Wu Hanluan: “You two, bluff in Yangquan camp. Ensure to fool the snake people here within three days.” Then he looks at the other eager generals: “The rest, return to camps to organize; at hai hour (around nine at night), await my orders.”
After waves of “Yes” in the military tent, the entire camp bustles like an engine starting, with clinking of armor adjustments and creaking of cart axles, like a person who was meditating suddenly exuding killing intent.
…Campaign divider…
In the grain station, Wu Fei is still unaware that his grain station is now the most dangerous place in the “campaign.” At this time, Wu Fei is puzzled by some “small matters”—oh, small to Wu Hanluan, but heart-pounding to him.
In a new batch of food and grass delivered, a batch of beans sprouted due to poor preservation. — After Wu Fei’s inspection, it’s determined to be due to “mist curse” during transport, that is, the ship team was infiltrated by snake people shamans en route for sabotage. And he didn’t notice.
Xuan Chong is a bit panicked; military strategists emphasize meticulous planning, a slip-up here, his uncle Wu Hanluan absolutely won’t show mercy. Thus, while starting to sun-dry the grain for salvage, pondering how to fill the gap; while comprehensively inspecting the grain, screening out the sprouted beans for sun-drying treatment.
The grain officer of the military warehouse, besides receiving grain from the accounts, must guard against various losses, such as rat infestations, and miasma-type magic rotting the grain.
Wu Fei doesn’t know that decisive battle time is almost here! Still thinks this southern assignment will last quite a while.
On Wu Hanluan’s army side, each camp drills every three days minor, every six days major to maintain combat power, not daily, because grain can’t support it.
After pondering a bit, Xuan Chong looks at his dragon horse mount, grits his teeth, tries grinding a piece of dried meat into powder mixed into rice and flour to feed it; confirming the beast eats happily, he makes a conscience-defying decision.
In the great warehouse, Wu Fei, now wearing a mask and butcher outfit, along with his three personal soldiers, is dismembering a large piece of “meat.”
Five-meter snake person, head nailed to a wooden frame, starts skinning, then guts, then strips out muscle. Segment-cut, dried, and smoked—that’s a piece of “fish meat.” Xuan Chong labels it after packing as for dragon horse feed, with processing method attached, needing stone grinder handling.
One night processes all captive snake people clean; outwardly claimed as salted snake heads. To prevent leaks, this meat isn’t given to grain station soldiers, but all “meat” sent to the camp.
Because though “meat jerky” is horse feed, in these times soldiers stealing horse feed is common.
Wu Fei gives his three personal soldiers a death order.
Wu Fei: “If you dare leak to the outside, I’ll make you into meat jerky.”
That night in the dim meat processing workshop, Wu Fei bares white teeth with such a threat, very much like a horror movie butcher.
…These shady meats actually can’t fool smart people.…
Two days later, Wu Fei receives a “commendation letter” from army lord Wu Hanluan, along with a small bone; the messenger casually says the general recently ate meat and got stuck by this small bone.
Wu Fei suddenly understands; his great uncle has fought so many years, surely has eaten “barbarian meat.”
Wu Hanluan as army lord chews out the taste, naturally sends someone to check food safety.
Thus, under the messenger’s gaze, Wu Fei has to eat a piece of his own handmade “smoked meat,” then chugs a big cup of wine, afterwards chatting amiably with the messenger for a full shichen.
Why a full shichen? This messenger doesn’t give Wu Fei a chance to induce vomiting afterward.
As Wu Fei doesn’t avoid, keeps accompanying, the messenger’s teasing gaze gradually fades, becomes serious, sighs, and goes back to report. The messenger says on leaving a seemingly baffling phrase: “He didn’t vomit.”
After that, it seems like nothing happened!
Actually in the camp, Wu Hanluan doesn’t care what the “shady meat” Wu Fei sent is. As a border general, hunger-eating barbarian meat is an unspoken rule not to be spoken aloud. Wu Hanluan actually cares more about Wu Fei’s motive in sending this meat; if really to make up frontline military grain, it’s perfectly reasonable, even gratifying. But if embezzling military grain, then military law must be enforced.
Of course, Wu Hanluan knows Wu Fei doesn’t have the guts to embezzle military grain, but needs the camp to believe, so his messenger is actually not his personal soldier, but an elite crawled from corpse piles.
And these officers and soldiers crawled from dead piles actually don’t care if the sent horse feed is snake person meat; after seeing Wu Fei not lecherous-looking, no anger in heart, but “concern” for this “young master” stuffed by Wu Hanluan in the rear, whether he knows the hardships of the battlefield. And when Wu Fei silently swallows that bloody meat, the last bit of resentment disappears.
Subsequently, certain rumors in the frontline military camp vanish completely.
Several months later, after commenting on Wu Fei’s this behavior, Wu Hanluan emphasizes: “Military officials cannot be merciful.” Subtext: This is no big deal, don’t keep it in your heart.
…Meat floss stuck in teeth divider…
Speaking of now, Wu Fei quickly adapts to the snake person dismembering process. And during dismembering, discovers something.
Under skylight illumination, Wu Fei uses a knife to pick up the snake person’s innards, muttering: “This doesn’t seem like a snake.”
Wu Fei uses knife tip to pick up bone tissue, carefully compares system-provided data, and after seconds says: “This is lizardmen? Seems like human physiological structure welded with cold-blooded animal body tissue.”
Nearby is the assembled skeleton, but placement has some changes. Under Wu Fei’s deliberate arrangement, this thing no longer looks like snake, but upper body still distinguishable as human bones and heart-lung, lower body like velociraptor. Perhaps before a series of “evolution,” these bones were dragon, and those evolved snake people have some skeletons more like twisted by some power.
Next, Wu Fei witnesses the power in this world that can “twist” organic lifeforms.
……
In the great warehouse camp, a special woman comes before Wu Fei; this woman wears Jade Brave armor. Slender figure, snake demon face, but obvious snake scales below cheeks.
Wu Fei squints at this eerie woman, asks: “Are you a hybrid?” This woman says: “My lord, I am snake people.”
Wu Fei widens eyes: Snake people? Snake people don’t have this human head; he’s eaten and seen, warehouse salted snake person heads have contours like Komodo dragon heads.
Seconds later, this snake demon’s purple lips part lightly, giving the answer: “Qi Ling Dan.”
Wu Fei gazes oddly: “Hm?” Then tentatively sniffs: “‘Hun Yuan Stone’ refined?”
This woman nods. Wu Fei takes a deep breath, sizes her up again.
“Hun Yuan Stone” is a spirit stone fallen from heaven, or also called magic stone. It contains powerful energy, but most creatures if touching Hun Yuan Stone will mutate; for example, a rat swarm encountering Hun Yuan Stone is very likely to continuously devour and evolve within two weeks into upright-walking big rats that can wield weapons.
In Da Yao, some ancient alchemists master using “Hun Yuan Stone” to refine pills, controlling mutation. Qi Ling Dan is such a strange technique creation, making mutation controllable, turning some foreign race creatures humanoid, twisting bones into human shape.
Of course, creatures taking Qi Ling Dan have nine deaths to one life, and in Da Yao Sitian Cheng definitions, even humanoid are still demon species.
Thousands of years ago, still previous dynasty, there was once a palace coup; Qi Ling Dan was banned, involving that era’s Son of Heaven, so specifics unexaminable, only known that Son of Heaven’s harem had fox, pheasant, and pipa snake. Monarch impossible furry fan; group of demons entering harem reason is “Hun Yuan Stone”-refined Qi Ling Dan.
Wu Fei silently thinks: “This world has mysterious power twisting creatures, then twisting race forms?” —Thinking to here, as if a voice teasingly praises Wu Fei for realizing this “dangerous and fascinating” knowledge.
But! This teasing flashes and is cut off. Wu Fei abruptly silently recites his real name “Xuan Chong” and snaps back, and unknowingly, system interface activates before him, with “antivirus software” running scheduled scan.
Xuan Chong glances at the system.
Wu Fei asks the arriving “Xiao Qing”: “What are you here for?”
Xiao Qing: “By army lord’s order, to assist young master guard the great warehouse.”
Wu Fei doesn’t take the general’s order she draws from the bamboo tube at her waist, but stares at her asking: “You are snake people, I somewhat don’t believe.”
This snake demon woman purses purple lips smiling; during smile, snake tongue tip licks from lip edge, retracts into mouth, then half-smiling half-mocking says: “You should believe the general.”
Wu Fei pauses (looks at system interface), then nods: “Alright. These days stay in central military tent, no order from me, don’t leave tent; as for food and treatment, equal to my deputy general, daily pay hundred cash.” Then leaves tent.
This snake woman lowers head respectfully seeing off the young general’s departure.
……
For foreign race loyalty, Xuan Chong is repelled, but system pops up a historical allusion.
Xuan Chong: “Li Guang hard to enfeoff? What meaning?”
Then sees system-given “history lesson.” That is, old general who fought border defense wars properly before Emperor Wu of Han, yet accomplished nothing in expedition against Xiongnu. Xuan Chong sighs: “Got lost ah.”
System: “Why get lost?”
Xuan Chong: “Bad luck?”
System: “Why did Huo and Wei have great fortune?”
Yeah, why these two point where hit where on grassland? War can’t be explained by “luck.” Li Guang very likely had his own ideology conflicting with “navigation system.” In 21st century there are cases: some wilderness climbing teams, shouting independence and awakening slogans, shunning skilled guides, aren’t they just getting lost?
System: After 23rd century, historiography has a conclusion: Li Guang in border defense had localized thinking, Li Guang xenophobic to Xiongnu, this simple “ethnic” positioning unites with border army in heart and virtue, hence border defense morale very strong, but offensive strikes no good.
Wei and Huo opposite, gathered Xiongnu under command, thus under “Han traitor” navigation, completed brilliant strikes.
Xuan Chong directly closes system interface, somewhat argumentatively asks: “Your meaning is, if I don’t change ideology, same as Li Guang?”
System doesn’t answer, or disdains to.
And Xuan Chong ultimately keeps this blue-scaled woman.
…The person is sent by Wu Hanluan, stuffing a foreign race at this time, what’s the meaning?…
On the second day of snake demon woman arrival, a palace attendant riding dragon horse lands at great warehouse entrance from sky; dragon horse’s flank scale-wings during dive landing stir up dust wave spanning fifteen zhang, rolling up ground sand and residual grain husks from unloading. Camp on-duty soldiers choked coughing; these soldiers go to where the palace attendant can’t see, deliberately curse audibly: “Damn thing from heaven, sooner or later fall dead from sky.”
Wu Fei expression stiffens slightly; his subordinates too arrogant and reckless, thus Wu Fei shows apology to palace attendant, but palace attendant pretends nothing happened.
This palace attendant also comes from the camp, is Wu Hanluan’s sent deputy, simultaneously brings Wu Fei a task he must personally complete.
Wu Fei looks at the task, reconfirms the seal on the clerk document, asks this personal soldier: “Have me scout? But here?”
Personal soldier: “Here I temporary manage,” then adds, “After you complete general’s task, I’ll hand it back to you.”
Xuan Chong looks at this personal soldier, asks: “I remember you surname Zhao, what name?”
Personal soldier cups hands gaze calm: “Family butchers pigs, lowly one favored by military family, single name Tu.”
Xuan Chong slightly stunned; this name very straightforward. Then nods: “Zhao Tu, come with me for personnel handover.”
Thus, sends people to knock wooden mallets at each camp team, summoning each captain to meet Zhao Tu.
