The night was as dark as ink, with the moon obscured and stars sparse.
In the withered forest, branches swayed as if ghosts roamed the night. Sparse black shadows crawled along the ground, inching forward against the yellow sands.
Luo Yu's face emerged, dressed in military attire and wielding a sharp blade.
On his first mission at seventeen, he should have appeared childish, but there was an intensity in his eyes that belied his age.
Five veterans and five new recruits, with Squad Leader Wu Mazi in the lead—this was a sparse arrangement of old leading young. Meng Hu was beside Luo Yu; though initially reluctant to come, he bravely stepped up when he saw Luo Yu joining.
After crawling forward for a short distance, they stopped, their breaths becoming hurried. A bonfire flared up ahead, accompanied by indistinct voices.
Qiang soldiers!
The so-called scouting team consisted of only three men, their tall horses tied to tree trunks, and curved blades resting nearby.
Though there appeared to be only three, the garrison soldiers wore serious expressions; the Western Qiang were notorious for their bloodthirst and brutality. Many had died during their invasions of the border.
The Great Qian border, from ordinary civilians to soldiers, regarded the Qiang as a fearsome threat, treating them as a flood or a beast.
Wu Mazi stared blankly at the new recruits: "You will go kill the Qiang soldiers; I'll cover you."
The new recruits panicked. Wouldn't it be better for the veterans to engage first?
"Go! Defying orders on the battlefield is a death penalty!"
Under Wu Mazi's icy gaze, Luo Yu was the first to grip his blade and move toward the Qiang soldiers. The others hesitated but eventually followed, trembling.
The veterans remaining behind offered a warning: "Leader, those three Qiang soldiers are tough; we can't just let the new recruits go alone. They're not reliable at all."
"Patience."
A cold smile crept onto Wu Mazi's lips. "Let them wear out the Qiang's stamina first; I hope these useless fools can prove useful."
The ominous atmosphere in the dense woods thickened.
The five new recruits cautiously approached the bonfire while some of the others visibly shook with fear, their terror evident.
Yet Luo Yu maintained a calm demeanor, moving lightly; memories of being a scout for mercenaries made this seem like second nature.
"Ouch!"
Before they could reach the bonfire, the leftmost new recruit tripped over a log and fell clumsily.
The startled Qiang soldiers immediately jumped up, looking towards the forest. However, upon realizing that they were just scared new recruits, they erupted into laughter.
"Hey, you bunch of turtles, daring to come out of your fortress?"
"What a coincidence! We're bored; let's take a few heads for fun."
"Go!"
With fewer people, the Qiang soldiers took the initiative to attack. Except for Luo Yu and Meng Hu, the other three new recruits screamed and turned to flee. The Qiang soldiers, sensing easy targets, swiftly killed the fleeing recruits in an instant.
The situation had gone from five against three to three against two, and Wu Mazi, hidden in the shadows, cursed under his breath at the incompetence of the recruits!
Luo Yu and Meng Hu stood back to back. The Qiang soldiers waved their curved blades mockingly: "You two little turtles should kneel and beg for mercy; that might save your lives. You could end up as slaves in the grasslands. Otherwise, your deaths will be ugly."
Despite Meng Hu's burly figure, the Qiang soldiers didn't take him seriously; they didn't even bother with the frail-looking Luo Yu.
"Huozi, can you handle one?"
"Absolutely."
Meng Hu nodded but then was astonished: "Brother Yu, you want to take on two?"
"Go!"
Before Luo Yu could reply, the three Qiang soldiers lunged simultaneously.
The blades sliced through the air with a swooshing sound. Luo Yu leaned slightly, feeling the blade brush past his shoulder, bringing a gust of cold air. Without hesitation, he gathered his strength in his right leg and delivered a powerful kick to the Qiang soldier's abdomen.
"Thud!"
What seemed like an unthreatening kick sent the Qiang soldier flying several paces, crashing to the ground, unmoving.
Both the Qiang soldiers and the veteran hiding in the bushes stood dumbfounded—how could such a kick possess such force?
"You little bastard, you're asking for death!"
Another Qiang soldier shouted in fury, leaping upward, his blade aimed at Luo Yu's head.
Luo Yu's gaze turned icy. With a twist of his wrist, he deflected the oncoming blade with his own, the clash resulting in sparks flying.
The powerful impact sent jolts through the Qiang soldier's arm. As their blades crossed, Luo Yu yanked back, sliding his blade along the Qiang soldier's wrist.
"Thud!"
The sound of blade meeting flesh echoed as the Qiang soldier's right hand was severed at the wrist, blood gushing forth, his curved blade clattering to the ground.
A swift and clean cut accompanied by a wretched scream filled the night. Without giving him a chance to breathe, Luo Yu delivered a kick to the soldier's chest, shattering bones and extinguishing life.
"Brother Yu, watch out!"
Before Luo Yu could catch his breath, he heard Meng Hu shout. He felt a chill creeping up his back.
The last remaining Qiang soldier, enraged by witnessing the deaths of his comrades, abandoned Meng Hu and charged at Luo Yu, focused on killing him.
Luo Yu didn't even glance back, slightly shifting to the side as a curved blade just barely grazed his scalp—a hair-raising escape. Seizing the Qiang soldier's wrist, he executed a powerful throw that sent the nearly two-hundred-pound soldier crashing to the ground.
"Thud!"
The Qiang soldier lay on the ground, blood pooling, staring at Luo Yu in shock and despair. How could someone who seemed so frail possess such strength?
Luo Yu licked his cracked lips, adjusting the soldier's head and placing his blade against his throat, mimicking the Qiang soldier's derisive tone: "One-on-one, huh? Are you in a hurry to be reborn?"
"Thud!"
As the blade mercilessly sliced through the Qiang soldier's throat, Luo Yu felt no disgust or fear—only a sense of satisfaction.
Meng Hu's mouth fell open, shock written all over his face.
Three kills? Was this really just a new recruit?
"Clap, clap, clap!"
Wu Mazi stepped into the fray, clapping his hands in admiration. "Luo Yu, right? Good skills! Little brother, have you trained in martial arts?"
The veterans exchanged looks of surprise; to have killed three Qiang soldiers like that was something they hadn't seen even after years of service.
"I learned a few moves from an old soldier in my village; please pardon my clumsiness," Luo Yu chuckled, but the coldness in his eyes was unmistakable. He knew well the intentions behind these veterans who had chosen to stand by and watch.
A new recruit? No, merely cannon fodder.
"No wonder you had the guts to step forward; it seems you do have some confidence," Wu Mazi said, the smile on his face growing wider. "I'd like to discuss something with you."
"What is it, Squad Leader Wu?"
"We're just rough people whose lives are on the line here at the front; all we want is to earn some merit for promotion and fortune," Wu Mazi said, casting a glance at the three corpses. "The heads of the three Qiang soldiers belong to me. Consider it a gesture of friendship. From now on, I'll protect you in the fort; no one will dare to trouble you. How about it?"
Luo Yu's expression turned icy in an instant; the military merits from three heads wasn't a small number. Forget about the bounty; it could easily earn him a promotion to squad leader.
"Why should I?"
Before Luo Yu could respond, Meng Hu interrupted angrily: "Those three bastards were all killed by Brother Yu! You guys stayed back and watched, now you want to come and take the spoils? There's no way that's right!"
This guy, usually tough and bold, even dared to confront the deputy leader outright.
Wu Mazi's gaze turned colder by the moment. "Let me give you a piece of advice: the army is not the place for reasoning."
"Clang, clang, clang!"
Five veterans drew their blades, fanning out to surround the two of them.
Luo Yu's heart sank, his expression darkening. These guys would actually dare to kill their own comrades just to seize credit?
Meng Hu was nearly furious, pulling out his curved blade and cursing loudly, "Brother, let's fight them!"
The atmosphere turned tense, electric with hostility.
The flickering flames cast shadows on their faces, and the air grew thick with murderous intent.
"Huozi, don't act rashly." Luo Yu held back the impulsive Meng Hu, wearing a smile. "It would be my honor to befriend Squad Leader Wu. How about we share the military credit for the three heads?"
Seeing Luo Yu back down, Wu Mazi grew even bolder, lightly tapping Luo Yu's chest with the blade. "What do you think you are? Do you think you can negotiate with me?"
"Thud!"
Before Wu Mazi's mocking grin could fade, a short dagger was thrust into his throat, blood splattering everywhere.
Luo Yu clenched the dagger tightly, coldly staring at Wu Mazi, who was now filled with despair. "What did you just say? I didn't quite catch that."