The corpse fell to the ground, and the smell of blood spread through the forest.
The other five veterans were stunned, holding their curved blades in confusion. They never expected Luo Yu to be so ruthless, killing Wu Mazi at the first disagreement.
Luo Yu wiped the blood from his blade and coldly stared at them:
"Who else wants to steal military credit? Step forward! Let's bet on whether you can win five against one."
Facing five opponents, Luo Yu was enveloped in an aura of killing intent. They couldn't understand how a rookie could radiate such murderous energy.
"I'm with you!"
Meng Hu, equally startled, came to his senses and resolutely stood beside Luo Yu.
A warm feeling surged in Luo Yu's heart. Despite Meng Hu often appearing simple-minded, he truly stepped up when it mattered.
The five men panicked, and one of them was the first to kneel down, repeatedly begging for mercy:
"Brother Luo, spare us! We didn't mean to steal your credit; it was all Wu Mazi's malice! If we didn't listen to him, we would be punished when we returned to the fort; we are all being forced!"
"Yes, yes, it's all him! He often bullies us thanks to Zhang Gui backing him up. He even steals our military credit, which is disgusting!"
"Please spare us, Brother Luo! We truly don't want to become your enemies. If you let us go, we promise not to say a word about tonight's incident!"
The men were terrified. Although there were only two of them across, one was decisive and cold-blooded, and the other was as strong as an ox—neither was someone they could take on.
Luo Yu's gaze sharpened; he believed them. He had witnessed Wu Mazi bully these men, and regular soldiers typically wouldn't dare to turn against their comrades.
"I believe you."
Luo Yu softened his tone slightly:
"If you want to live, it's not impossible, but you have to do something."
The men widened their eyes, curious about what he wanted them to do.
"Staying alive is simple enough."
Luo Yu pointed at Wu Mazi's corpse: "Each of you stab him once, and this matter will be settled."
The men's pupils constricted; stabbing once would bind them to Luo Yu completely, and they couldn't back out or reveal anything.
However, they were also afraid that Luo Yu and Meng Hu might stab them first. Gritting their teeth, they picked up their blades and walked over, each stabbing Wu Mazi's corpse once.
Five blades, ten wounds.
"Very good. When you return, you'll say I killed the Qiang soldiers, and Wu Mazi died in a fierce battle with them."
Luo Yu smiled in satisfaction:
"According to military regulations, three Qiang heads should net six taels of silver; the military credit will belong to me, and we'll split the silver among the six of us. After all, we fought together, and everyone deserves a share."
"Thank you, thank you, Brother Luo!"
The previously disheartened veterans suddenly brightened and expressed their gratitude. One tael of silver was a significant amount for a soldier.
Luo Yu smiled slightly; this was the response he wanted. A stick and then a bit of sugar made it easier to win people over. After all, what he sought was military credit; the silver didn't matter much.
The atmosphere became more amicable, and one of the veterans leaned in, whispering:
"Brother Luo, let me offer some advice. Wu Mazi was Zhang Gui's trusted man, and in past missions, he always stayed back while others went to fight. If Wu Mazi is said to have died in combat with the Qiang, Zhang Gui won't believe it and will definitely come after you. But the situation shouldn't be too bad. Our company leader has always had conflicts with Zhang Gui; he might speak up for you."
Being veterans, their combat skills might not be impressive, but they were well-informed.
"Thank you for the reminder."
Luo Yu narrowed his eyes, gazing in the direction of the fort:
"Zhang Gui, you'd better not come to provoke me!"
...
"What! Wu Mazi is dead?"
Inside Jiming Fort, six soldiers who had gone on a mission stood in a row, three Qiang heads displayed on the ground.
In fact, killing four soldiers to eliminate three Qiang soldiers was already a good result, but instead of praise, they were met with Zhang Gui's cold questioning.
"Responding to the Deputy Leader, Wu Mazi led us to ambush the Qiang soldiers. We seized our opportunity to charge, but the Qiang were too fierce; they killed three of our comrades first, and then they surrounded Wu Mazi. In the struggle, Wu Mazi unfortunately took a fatal blow…"
Luo Yu vividly described the fierce battle and even feigned a hint of sorrow on his face.
It didn't seem to have any flaws, yet Zhang Gui's brows furrowed deeper:
"Your name is Luo Yu, right? You killed all three Qiang soldiers?"
"Yes!"
"You're just a young new recruit. How can you possess such skills?"
Zhang Gui scrutinized the others with suspicion:
"Is what he said true?"
"Deputy Leader, every word is true!"
A veteran who was with them quickly nodded:
"Brother Luo has practiced martial arts; his skills are excellent. We all witnessed him defeat the three Qiang soldiers clearly."
"Is that really so?"
"Absolutely!"
Zhang Gui's icy gaze swept across the others' faces before finally landing on Luo Yu, his intense eyes seeming to try to see through him:
"Boy, do you know that in a battlefield, misrepresenting military information is a serious crime? I advise you to come clean!"
"Hey, Lao Zhang, what are you doing?"
Wang Shuang, the company leader, who had been sitting on the side, suddenly stood up with a smile:
"Brother Luo has exceptional skills; killing three Qiang bandits is a significant accomplishment. If it weren't for him, this mission would have failed. Don't scare the kid with your tone."
"Company Leader, I suspect there's something fishy about this!"
"Hey, what could be fishy? So many people witnessed it; are you saying they're all blind?"
Wang Shuang ignored Zhang Gui's words and patted Luo Yu on the shoulder happily:
"Well done! I've seen the roster of new recruits; you seem to know how to read? A man of both letters and martial skills—hahaha, I like talents like you!"
With Wu Mazi out of the picture, Wang Shuang appeared completely unconcerned and even delighted, waving his hand:
"Jiming Fort is in need of talent right now. According to the rules, you can be promoted by one rank, and the silver reward will be given later. From now on, you are the squad leader; all the remaining new recruits will work under you. Make sure to do a good job for me!"
"Thank you for your recognition, Company Leader!"
Luo Yu bowed and cupped his hands, glancing at both squad leaders. It seemed that, as the veteran said, the two of them were not as harmonious as they appeared on the surface.
Hearing about Luo Yu's promotion, Zhang Gui's face darkened, but without evidence, he could only swallow his anger.
"Woo!"
"Woo woo!"
A piercing horn suddenly echoed in their ears, causing Wang Shuang and Zhang Gui's expressions to change drastically.
This was the signal for the Qiang soldiers to attack!
...
Jiming Fort was on high alert; all the soldiers held their blades on the walls, extremely tense.
Nearly two hundred Qiang cavalry surrounded the isolated fort, countless blades glinting in the air mingled with the sounds of furious shouts echoing across the sky.
Clearly, the Qiang had found out about the demise of their scouting team; revenge was coming.
Luo Yu's heart tightened. Two hundred might not sound like a lot, but when witnessed firsthand as two hundred cavalry riders rushed forth on towering horses, it would surely induce fear.
Without the protection of the fort walls, the dozens of garrison soldiers would undoubtedly be trampled into paste, with no chance of survival.
"Don't panic! There will be reinforcements! We just need to hold the fort!"
Wang Shuang shouted loudly, trying to stabilize the morale. Smoke signals had been lit on the beacon tower; by custom, Yunyin Pass and the nearby forts would send reinforcements as soon as they saw the smoke.
Amidst the nervousness and vigilance, a robust figure from the Qiang cavalry galloped forward and roared at the fort walls:
"Attention, troops of the Qian army! Our heavenly soldiers have arrived, and Jiming Fort has become isolated! I advise you to surrender quickly, or face the day when the fort falls."
"Not a single one shall escape!"