"Fugui, be careful!"
Just as Zhou Fugui and the others were burying the bodies and destroying evidence, Xu Mancang suddenly shouted in alarm.
As everyone wondered, the leaves on the trees rustled, and a dark figure leaped from the branches, sword in hand, aiming straight for Zhou Fugui.
The dark figure descended with extreme speed, the sword light flashing. The tip of the sword was less than three paces from Zhou Fugui.
A flash of white light pierced the air. For some unknown reason, and from an unknown source, a masked man in black, of medium to short stature, thrust his sword towards Zhou Fugui's head and face with swift and fierce intent.
Zhou Fugui's skill in grappling and combat, though different from the martial arts of this world, was similar in principle. Moreover, due to his long-term training, Zhou Fugui possessed excellent physical fitness and quick reflexes. Thus, almost instinctively, he raised the waist knife he was holding to parry.
"Clang!" The sharp sword struck the edge of the waist knife. Steel met steel, sparks flying. Zhou Fugui pushed with all his might, sending the black-clothed man and his sword staggering back two steps.
"Kill!" With his life on the line, Zhou Fugui could only fight desperately. Before the black-clothed man landed, he let out a great roar, his wrist flicking as he swung his saber towards the man's waist. To his surprise, the black-clothed man was able to twist and turn in mid-air, lightly flipping over the saber. He landed steadily to Zhou Fugui's right, using the momentum of his landing to crouch and slash his sword at Zhou Fugui's ankles. Zhou Fugui, his face pale with shock, leaped up with all his might, narrowly dodging the blade. Seizing the moment, he raised his saber overhead and chopped towards the black-clothed man's head.
The black-clothed man rolled with the momentum, and the waist knife, grazing his body, struck the ground, gouging a deep crack. The black-clothed man then swept his long sword upwards from beneath, along the path of the waist knife, towards Zhou Fugui's arm. Zhou Fugui hastily dropped his saber, and with a "swish," the sword tip grazed Zhou Fugui's right arm, tearing his sleeve but not breaking the skin.
"State your name!"
Zhou Fugui, startled and in a moment of panic, shouted back, somewhat incoherently.
"Heh heh..." The masked man in black suddenly let out a light chuckle. He cast a dismissive glance at Zhou Fugui, then, holding his sword point down, turned and disappeared into the darkness.
"Don't chase him, we are no match for him!"
In this moment of lightning and thunder, with death lurking so close, after such a brief and rapid exchange, Zhou Fugui realized that they were no match for this person. Earlier, when his waist knife was disarmed, the black-clothed man could have taken his life as easily as picking something up. Therefore, Zhou Fugui stopped Xu Mancang and the others.
Although Zhou Fugui was also a Yan man, he was no Zhang Fei Zhang Yide, whose three thunderous roars on Changban Bridge could frighten away a million Cao Cao's troops...
Why did he spare my life? Zhou Fugui wondered inwardly.
......
"Halt!"
"Where have you been? Why are you returning so late?"
As Zhou Fugui and his companions snuck back to the military camp, they were stopped. Bogekang, the officer in charge of the banner, along with several soldiers, blocked their path.
Li Qing and the others looked somewhat flustered. Zhou Fugui, however, maintained his composure and replied, "We went for a drink. What else would we be doing?"
"Drinking?" Bogekang thrust his garlic-like nose towards Zhou Fugui and then shouted, "You scoundrel, you dare to deceive this general? Speak honestly now."
"What kind of general is Bogekang?" Zhou Fugui asked, feigning extreme surprise. "Deceive you? What are you talking about?"
"Hmph, can drinking blood be the result of drinking alcohol? You've got some skill, boy. Confess now. I've eaten more mutton than you've eaten rice, so don't try to fool me." Bogekang snorted coldly.
Although Zhou Fugui had changed his clothes, the smell of blood still clung to him.
However, Bogekang did not suspect that Zhou Fugui and his group had killed someone, let alone four people, and fellow tribesmen at that.
Bogekang assumed that Zhou Fugui and his companions had been indulging in wild revelry, so much so that they had gotten into a fight and shed blood. What a lively and passionate night! What great joy! Bogekang was filled with intense envy.
As a fellow Xianbei, Bogekang dared not indulge in such carefree enjoyment as Zhou Fugui and his group... or perhaps he didn't have as much money for it.
Zhou Fugui's fellow villagers, who had returned earlier, had already informed Bogekang that Zhou Fugui and his men had earned a large sum of money and had been living it up. Bogekang had also extorted a considerable amount of wealth from them.
Zhou Fugui, as the leader among them, was bound to have some money that could be squeezed out of him.
"They are all rough men. Fighting and brawling is common. Let them pass," Zhou Fugui was still contemplating how to respond when a deep, resonant voice rang out, and a tall, burly middle-aged man, accompanied by others, strode over.
"Tengge Bu Da, why are you here so late at night?" Bogekang's attitude changed drastically upon seeing the newcomer, from arrogant to obsequious. He scurried forward and greeted him respectfully.
"Couldn't sleep, just taking a stroll," the middle-aged man replied with a wave of his hand.
The middle-aged man was named Murong Tengge, the chieftain of a Xianbei tribe. The Xianbei referred to him as Bu Da. The Great Yan army's southern campaign had appointed Murong Tengge as the commander of the Vanguard Battalion, meaning he was the battalion general and the direct superior of Zhou Fugui and his men, commanding two thousand soldiers.
Murong Tengge, clad in bright armor and with his imposing physique and three-strand beard, looked exceptionally majestic, far more so than the leather or beast hide armor worn by Bogekang.
"Young sir, did you have a pleasant night?" Murong Tengge asked kindly, clapping Zhou Fugui on the shoulder and smiling.
"Tengge Bu Da..." Zhou Fugui had seen him when he first arrived in Youzhou for the mobilization, but he hadn't known his name. Now, following Bogekang's address, he replied, "We drank and ate meat. Why wouldn't it be pleasant?"
"Haha, drank and ate meat?" Murong Tengge couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Did you find any women for amusement? Oh, you're not even twenty yet, are you? By Han customs, you haven't even reached the age of manhood. It's still early for seeking women."
"Bu Da is right..." Zhou Fugui nodded. "I still don't know the fragrance of women."
"Haha, you'll know it sooner or later." Zhou Fugui's words were amusing, causing Murong Tengge to burst into laughter again. "When we go south, I'll grant you a Southern girl. Don't worry, I always keep my word."
*Bah, to reward me with a plundered Xia woman? I don't care for it,* Zhou Fugui muttered to himself before replying with a smile, "Thank you for your bounty, Bu Da!"
"Does young sir excel at archery?" Murong Tengge asked, noticing the bow and arrows on Zhou Fugui's back.
"I only know a little. I wouldn't dare claim to be skilled," Zhou Fugui replied with a nod.
"Good. See that lamp there? Can you hit it?" Murong Tengge pointed to a horse lantern on the gate of the encampment.
"I will do my best." Zhou Fugui had been busy all night and had been eager to get into his tent and sleep. However, with General Murong Tengge's order, Zhou Fugui dared not disobey.
So, Zhou Fugui took down his bow and arrows, aimed at the horse lantern, and shot. The horse lantern fell in response, shattering into countless sparks on the ground.
The horse lantern was only about fifty paces from Zhou Fugui and his companions, so hitting it was child's play for Zhou Fugui.
"Good, young sir's archery is commendable." Murong Tengge, seeing this, happily took the bow and arrows from Zhou Fugui and said, "The bowstring tension is insufficient, and the bow's back is hard rather than resilient. It is not a good bow. Guards, bring my treasure bow!"
For some unknown reason, perhaps because Murong Tengge couldn't sleep and was befuddled, especially taken with the handsome and heroic-looking Zhou Fugui, he wanted to give his treasured bow, the 'Chasing Moon Bow', to Zhou Fugui.
Murong Tengge's attendants and Bogekang wore expressions of envy upon hearing this. Bogekang was so jealous his teeth gnashed.
After the Chasing Moon Bow was brought, Murong Tengge solemnly handed it to Zhou Fugui and said, "This is a fine bow I bestow upon you, named 'Chasing Moon Bow.' It scales clouds and chases the moon. This bow's arrows, once loosed, are bound to draw blood. May you not fail this bow's name, fight the Xia people, earn merit in battle, and serve the court."
"Thank you, Bu Da!" Zhou Fugui joyfully accepted the heavy Chasing Moon Bow and expressed his gratitude.
The bow's back, covered in dark patterns, was ice-cold, sending a chill and a sense of killing intent through Zhou Fugui.
However, he was somewhat unwilling to kill more Xia people on the battlefield.
Zhou Fugui had decided that on the battlefield, he would just go through the motions, strive to survive, and seize any opportunity to defect from the Yan army and return home to farm his land...
"Return to your camp," Murong Tengge said with a gentle smile.
After Zhou Fugui and his men left, as Bogekang was also about to return to camp, Murong Tengge spoke to him, "Bogekang of the Lang tribe, our people are Yan citizens, and these Han people are also Yan citizens. Being fellow Yan citizens, there is no need to discriminate."
......
"Form ranks!"
Albu Gu, the banner officer of the Yan army's Vanguard Battalion, rode a sturdy horse, looking imposing, and waved his whip as he shouted loudly.
Time flowed like water, and three days passed in the blink of an eye. The Great Yan army was about to march south. Who knew when they would return, or if they would return at all.
Outside Youzhou City, tens of thousands of troops covered the entire plain like a surging tide. Banners were like clouds, and weapons like a forest. The shouts of men and the neighing of horses created a vibrant scene.
The Yan army's troop types were primarily cavalry, supplemented by infantry, and further divided into archers, spearmen, swordsmen, chariot soldiers, siege weapon soldiers, and so on. They were also divided into regular troops and auxiliary troops. For instance, heavily armored cavalry were elite regular troops, and one heavily armored cavalryman typically required four or five auxiliary soldiers to assist him.
Zhou Fugui and his men, who had been conscripted, could be classified as auxiliary soldiers within the Yan army. Auxiliary soldiers were generally responsible for assisting heavy cavalry, escorting provisions, building bridges and roads, standing guard, and scouting. Alternatively, they were sent to charge into the fray, serving as the first wave of cannon fodder to deplete the enemy's strength.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
A group of soldiers, neither like proper soldiers nor civilians, the Yan army's auxiliary troops, armed with various weapons including long sabers, axes, sickles, spears, and wooden clubs, let out low growls. They gathered in a disorderly fashion, some on horseback, some on foot.
The auxiliary troops were not yet finely divided into cavalry or infantry. Those with horses rode, and those without walked.
Zhou Fugui had a horse, but it was an old plough horse from his family. Zhou Fugui cherished his old horse and was reluctant to ride it, so he led it and stood among the crowd.
For the foot soldiers, those who were tall or strong stood at the front, making the formation appear more imposing and majestic. The next in line followed, and the shortest or weakest stood at the very back.
The Vanguard Battalion consisted of twenty banners, each with over a hundred men, arranged in three rows. Due to his strong build and tall stature, Zhou Fugui stood in the front row of his banner.
Previously, Zhou Fugui had been in another banner of the Vanguard Battalion.
"Why are you coming over here? Go to the back... Huh? Is that you...?"
As Zhou Fugui was assembling, he felt someone push past him and stand close by. He glanced over and saw a short individual. But upon clearly seeing his face, Zhou Fugui's complexion turned ashen, and he broke out in a cold sweat.