Chapter 58: The Power of the Military Formation

Zhou Gang put away his sabre and said, "Very well. I will wait for you at the parade ground tomorrow to experience the prowess of the Sky Wolf Camp soldiers."

Lin Shize shook his head and replied, "There is no need for such trouble. I will just pick a few random men right here, and we can have our match immediately. The outcome will be decided instantly."

Lin Shize did not even choose soldiers with height and reach; he casually selected ten frail-looking men.

Zhang Jiawen and the others all felt that Lin Shize was being far too arrogant. No matter how poorly trained Zhou Gang's men might be, they were still a group of robust, burly men.

For Lin Shize to simply pick a few random fellows and expect to defeat them was nothing short of wishful thinking.

Lin Shize's formidable reputation had long since spread throughout the main encampment. After all, he had risen from a mere foot soldier to the rank of commander of an independent camp within just a few months, commanding a full thousand men. His surprise attack on Mount Qier and his battlefield slaying of Wu Pingla today were achievements that, even taken individually, were utterly astonishing.

The selected soldiers were somewhat excited yet nervous.

Zhang Jiawen walked over and could not help saying, "Kid, don't underestimate them. Zhou Gang's men are all adept with long sabres. The only reason they suffered against the Mengla people was the inherent disadvantage of infantry facing cavalry. If we speak of infantry alone, their combat capability is by no means weak."

Hearing this, Lin Shize wore a calm expression and said, "I know. The reason I chose these men is precisely to let everyone witness the benefits of military formations."

Zhang Jiawen shook his head. He still felt that Lin Shize was being overly careless, and he held little hope for the outcome.

Lin Shize called the men over, picked up a wooden stick to draw and sketch on the ground, and explained to everyone what they should do upon hearing his commands. Afterward, he led them through a drill before preparing to accept the challenge.

"Commander Lin, will this really work? Commander Zhou's men are all endowed with supernatural strength; I'm afraid we won't be able to hold our ground against them," a soldier holding a wooden shield asked doubtfully, his tone filled with skepticism.

Lin Shize patted him on the shoulder and said, "Rest assured, you have other brothers behind you. Just remember to follow my commands."

The news of Zhou Gang challenging Lin Shize spread quickly, and soldiers from the entire encampment flocked to the parade ground to watch the spectacle. The massive parade ground was packed to the point of impenetrability.

Zhou Gang harbored no malice toward Lin Shize; he simply disliked the words Lin Shize had spoken earlier.

"Brother Lin, are you certain about this? Perhaps you should still go back and summon the brothers from the Sky Wolf Camp."

Lin Shize smiled confidently and replied, "Come on, Elder Brother Zhou. I am fully prepared."

On opposite sides of the parade ground, the two parties faced each other from afar. Zhou Gang's ten burly men each held massive wooden sabres, and their towering physiques alone radiated an imposing and formidable momentum.

In stark contrast, on Lin Shize's side stood ten thin and short soldiers. The soldier at the very front was almost entirely concealed behind his wooden shield.

However, their military formation was quite distinctive. Aside from the standing sabre-wielding infantry in the rearmost rank and the shield-bearers in the front row, there were spearmen in the middle—a rare troop type in the borderlands, with fewer than ten thousand spearmen in the entire frontier region.

The archers in the back row did not come as much of a surprise.

Everyone had smeared white chalk on their weapons to facilitate the scoring of combat results. Any strikes to the torso, head, or neck would instantly be declared a fatality.

Looking at the strapping, brawny men on the opposite side, the men on Lin Shize's side felt a wave of panic.

"Tell me, brothers, can we really pull this off? Commander Zhou has sent out Old Wang; that fellow is notoriously ruthless."

"What are you shaking in your boots for? Just fight!"

Military officers of all ranks and common soldiers alike surrounded the parade ground to watch.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what kind of fight is this? Look at the wooden sabre in that fellow Old Wang's hand—it weighs twenty catties. Those skinny monkeys across from him are in for a miserable time," Commander Qian Zhengliang remarked, shaking his head and sighing.

Zhao Ji, with his arm in a sling, chimed in, "Indeed. If the soldiers from the Sky Wolf Camp were here, Lin Shize might have had a chance of winning. But this bunch of good-for-nothings are notoriously spineless. It's over for them."

"The martial competition officially begins!"

At Zhang Jiawen's command, Old Wang and nine burly men immediately formed an arrowhead formation and charged forward.

Upon seeing this formation, the few men on Lin Shize's side instantly wanted to drop their weapons and flee.

Lin Shize roared angrily, "Shields up! Loose arrows! Anyone who takes a single step back will be beheaded!"

Lin Shize's words sent a jolt through everyone's hearts. The archers loosed a volley of arrows, instantly taking down three men. The shield-bearers in the front rank gritted their teeth, raised their shields, and stubbornly withstood the enemy's charge.

"Spears!"

Hearing Lin Shize's order, the spearmen instantly thrust their long spears outward through the gaps in the shields, taking down two more of the enemy forces.

Realizing the situation was turning against him, Old Wang brandished his wooden sabre, attempting to shatter the shield formation. However, he was firmly held in check by two shield-bearers; though they were steadily pushed backward, they remained steadfastly directly in front of Old Wang.

The spearmen struck out continuously, while the sabre-wielding infantry in the rear began to envelop the flanks from both sides. At this moment, the ten men exhibited an astonishingly tacit coordination.

In less than the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, Zhou Gang's men were completely wiped out, with only a single shield-bearer fallen on Lin Shize's side.

The formations of the Wei Family Army were ever-changing. The shield-bearers were not merely for defense; while moving, they could cover retreating comrades and simultaneously squeeze the enemy's space forward, combining both offense and defense.

The spearmen possessed a longer attack range, capable of disrupting the enemy's formation, and even held a certain degree of defensive capability against cavalry charges.

The sabre infantry could protect their teammates from the rear or charge directly into the enemy lines. As for the archers, they went without saying—capable of both preemptive strikes and decisive follow-up attacks.

Although the Wei Family Army's formation appeared simple on the surface, the combination with the three-man cell tactical system produced an exquisitely subtle chemical reaction. Within the formation, everyone only needed to do their own job well and trust the comrades beside them.

The vast parade ground fell into a dead silence. Everyone stared at the outcome on the field, their jaws nearly dropping to the ground.

They had never imagined that it would end in such a manner.

Even Zhang Jiawen had not anticipated that the battle would conclude in less than the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, and with an outcome the complete opposite of his prediction.

Gazing at the lineup combination and positioning on Lin Shize's side, Zhang Jiawen repeatedly replayed the recent battle in his mind.

To his astonishment, he realized that even if he were in that situation, he would have no certainty of winning.

This... this military formation was terrifying beyond measure! Just a few hastily cobbled-together soldiers had managed to achieve this feat. If the entire encampment were trained in this formation, wouldn't their combat effectiveness multiply manifold?

Having witnessed the entire process, Zhou Gang stood with a vacant stare, wondering if he were dreaming—and worse, having a nightmare.

He had not underestimated the opposing ten men in the slightest; he had dispatched his most capable soldiers and elites, yet they had been defeated with such startling swiftness.

Zhou Gang was not a man who could not afford to lose. Letting out a long sigh, he walked over to Lin Shize and said, "Brother Lin, you have won. My skills are inferior to yours, and I have nothing to say."

Lin Shize cupped his fists in salute and replied, "Elder Brother Zhou is too polite. Your brothers are exceptionally fierce; I merely took advantage of the fact that you were unfamiliar with the military formation. If we were to do this over again, the outcome would still be uncertain."

Zhou Gang waved his hand with carefree magnanimity. "A loss is a loss; there is nothing shameful about that. On a real battlefield, this would cost lives."

Lin Shize said, "Actually, I feel this military formation is even better suited for the soldiers under Elder Brother Zhou's command. They are robust and strong, which would allow them to bring out the full might of the formation even more effectively."

Zhou Gang looked at Lin Shize in utter shock and asked, "Could it be that you are willing to teach us this military formation?!"