Chapter 30: Requesting to Join the Battle

The training ground echoed with the thunderous cries of soldiers, their morale surging like a rising tide.

Sun Zheng could not help but marvel, "A magnificent force indeed. To have drilled the troops to this level in such a short time—Lin Shize truly knows how to lead."

Wu Tian curled his lip in disdain, opening his mouth to retort, but his words were stifled by the rhythmic, booming chants of the soldiers. The other battalion commanders watched Lin Shize with equal astonishment; these men appeared even more ferocious than the elite personal guard of the general himself.

The spirit of an army cannot be feigned. When the tri-edged arrows and armor-piercing spikes punched clean through the targets, Zhang Jiawen could no longer remain seated.

"What is this? The power is extraordinary."

Lin Shize picked up a tri-edged arrow and said, "This is called a tri-edged arrow. At a hundred paces, standard leather armor cannot withstand its point, and within fifty paces, it can pierce the iron armor of the Mengla."

He then lifted an armor-piercing spike. "This is an armor-piercing spike. Within twenty paces, it can punch through heavy plate."

Zhang Jiawen took the spike, weighed it in his hand, and suddenly exerted force, hurling it toward a distant target. It pierced through completely.

"Bravo!"

The soldiers on the training ground erupted in cheers at the sight, stirring a long-dormant fire in Zhang Jiawen’s blood.

"What is the cost of these two items?" Zhang Jiawen asked.

"The arrowheads and spikes are forged from refined iron," Lin Shize replied. "The cost is extremely high."

Zhang Jiawen sighed, suppressing the urge to equip his entire army with such gear. "You didn't just call me here for a simple inspection, did you?"

Lin Shize bowed. "General, the soldiers of my Sky Wolf Battalion share an irreconcilable hatred for the Mengla. Our brothers and sisters have all suffered cruelly at their hands. We implore the general to grant us permission to march against the Mengla, that we may offer their blood as a sacrifice to the spirits of our kin."

Behind him, over a thousand soldiers roared in unison, "We beg the general’s permission!"

Zhang Jiawen drew his saber in a surge of emotion, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the soldiers. These were true warriors. What defines a fierce soldier? It is the one who, knowing he is in a death trap, fights without retreat. In Zhang Jiawen’s eyes, these men already possessed the mettle of elite troops; after a few real battles, they would become the sharpest blades on the frontier.

"I feel your resolve," Zhang Jiawen said, "but the Mengla are exceptionally brutal. A direct confrontation is not wise."

"General, please step this way to the command tent," Lin Shize invited.

No sooner had Zhang Jiawen entered the tent than his attention was captured by the sand table. He walked quickly to it, crouching down to study the mountains and rivers, even spotting the model of his own main camp.

Lin Shize explained to the stunned crowd, "We spent a full month constructing this. It details the precise enemy deployments."

Zhang Jiawen saw the clear markings for Mount Qier and Mount Bate and immediately understood their intentions. "You have your sights set on Mount Qier and Mount Bate?"

"Indeed."

Zhang Jiawen stood up and shook his head. "Though those two peaks house only a few thousand troops combined, they are the elite of the Mengla. I have suffered heavy losses at their hands before. You have only a thousand men; it is impossible to take both positions. The mountains are high, the terrain is treacherous, and they are easy to defend but hard to attack. You possess neither the advantage of time, location, nor the support of the elements. Mere bravery will not suffice."

Lin Shize replied, "I do not intend to meet them head-on. It is early spring, and the rainy season on the frontier is approaching. The Mengla’s pride—their cavalry—will be forced to remain stationary in their camps. This provides a perfect window for a surprise strike. General, if you can lure the enemy from Mount Qier toward Mount Bate, I will take only five hundred elite soldiers to storm Mount Qier. A swift, decisive strike will secure the victory. Our entire camp of tens of thousands will achieve glory, and you, General, will have your revenge."

Wu Tian scoffed from the side, "You speak with such ease. The Mengla are not mountain bandits to be slaughtered at your whim. Your men were once mere garrison guards at signal towers; the rest are scraps from the old camp who have never seen a major war. This is all just for show. To ask the general to risk the lives of his men for this—how can you treat military matters so like a child's game?"

Lin Shize turned a murderous gaze toward Wu Tian. He had heard about this bastard from Sun Zheng. Wu Tian was among the officers bribed by Lin Feng, but he had survived only because he hadn't directly participated in the illicit trade with the Mengla. Now, resentful over the punishment he received for the incident, he repeatedly spewed sarcasm. Lin Shize could tolerate insults directed at himself, but he would not stand for the belittling of his brothers.

Wu Tian felt a chill under Lin Shize’s lethal glare, but bolstered by the presence of the general, he puffed out his chest.

"Wu Tian," Lin Shize said coldly, "you may look down on me, but you shall not look down on my brothers. Yes, Liu Wu and the others were once guards at signal towers, and yes, we have had our conflicts. But on the battlefield, we are brothers of life and death. We have never feared killing the Mengla. I, Lin Shize, swear that on the battlefield, we are soldiers of the Great Qi, and we shall not retreat a single step."

Lin Shize’s passionate words failed to move Wu Tian.

"Battalion Commander Lin," Wu Tian sneered, "my words may be harsh, but they are the truth. If you can take Mount Qier, then I could take Mount Bate."

Lin Shize suddenly smiled, a look that filled Wu Tian with a sense of impending dread.

"General," Lin Shize said, "I am willing to sign a military pact. If I fail to take Mount Qier, I accept the penalty. Battalion Commander Wu, do you dare to do the same?"

Wu Tian had not expected Lin Shize to be so reckless as to sign a military pact in public. He was now backed into a corner. "Fine, I will sign. But it is unfair that you ask me to lure the enemy to Mount Bate."

"You only need to contain them so they cannot provide reinforcements," Lin Shize replied.

"Fine! It is a deal!"

Wu Tian inwardly cursed Lin Shize as a fool. He could ask the general for help, and with tens of thousands of troops at his disposal, Lin Shize would be left to face the meat grinder with only five hundred men.

Zhang Jiawen watched Lin Shize with an inscrutable expression. He admired the man’s bold, blood-blooded nature, but he also marveled at his strategy. With a simple taunt, he had maneuvered everything into place. He hadn't even officially agreed to the campaign yet, but now, with a public military pact between the two officers, he was forced to approve the plan, and Wu Tian had essentially volunteered to be the supporting force.

It was no wonder he had managed to bind a thousand scattered soldiers into a cohesive unit in such a short time; even his own tens of thousands were being led by the nose. From the moment that first military report arrived, everything had been in this bastard's control. With such methods and such a deep understanding of the way of officialdom, if this man did not rise to the highest echelons of the empire, Zhang Jiawen would pluck out his own eyes.

It was mealtime, and Lin Shize prepared to host the officers. A basket of coarse flour cakes, a basin of thin porridge, and two plates of wild vegetables were served. Zhang Jiawen picked up a cake and ate it with gusto, seemingly unbothered.

However, he grew concerned and asked, "Is this what you eat every day?"

Lin Shize rubbed his head, slightly embarrassed. "The combat troops are actually better fed."

Zhang Jiawen took a sip of the rice water. "And you treat your superiors to this?"

Lin Shize quickly protested, "General, this is what I eat when we aren't training. We are poor, and there are thousands of mouths to feed."

Zhang Jiawen laughed, chiding him, "Stop your damn complaining, you brat!"