Volume Two: Bandits of This Realm Chapter 105: Providence Unfolds Naturally

The letter from Anma City had actually arrived long ago, yet Du Zhaolin remained silent after a long moment of pondering.

He furrowed his brow as a servant carefully draped a fur coat over his shoulders and cautiously asked, "Are you worried about General Chu Ji? In my humble opinion, this might be a ploy by the bandits from Sishan to sow discord."

"Who wouldn’t see through it? But if the scheme is uncovered, is there any reason to continue?" Du Zhaolin murmured softly, shaking his head with a bitter smile. Ultimately, in matters of war, he still felt somewhat inadequate.

Du Zhaolin’s self-awareness was always both clear and vague. For example, in military campaigns, he acknowledged his shortcomings but never specified exactly what gaps he needed to fill.

"Have the troops from the three western garrisons moved?" he inquired.

"Master, not yet. Originally, the plan was to wait until General Chu Ji was drawn into a full deployment of elite forces at Weinan Mountain before we sent out our hidden cavalry. But judging by the current situation... if I may be so bold, I fear Lin Yuan has already received the letter and laid out a trap, waiting for us to fall into it."

Du Zhaolin gave no reply. He lit an oil lamp—an old relic from years past, discarded by the great families of Anma City, though he alone held it in fond regard.

"The reasoning is sound, and reality seems to follow it as well. According to the rules set by Heaven, we should withdraw the hidden cavalry from this contested ground."

The crisp rustle of turning pages punctuated his words as he rapidly flipped through dozens of them, as if trying to drown out his own lack of confidence.

"Master... your reasoning is sound. Should we then recall the hidden cavalry? Order them to retreat east to Luoyou Mountain, or perhaps head southward to cross Mangyang Mountain and assist General Chu Ji in securing Weinan Pass?"

The servant remained bowed at the waist, never once lifting his gaze, his figure flickering in the lamplight.

One does not fear evil, only respects virtue.

Yet the great families of Anma City were not to be trusted. The newly appointed magistrate was a son of a concubine, and that alone doomed him to a lifetime of groveling before the noble houses.

Behind the scenes, they awaited his downfall like a spectacle, eager to witness how this arrogant bastard would fail against an old man lying in a coffin.

Surely madness of the highest degree, but unfortunately, Yu Wenruo lay buried and could not know these things. Otherwise, even separated by life and death, he would not rest in peace.

"Taor, retreating to Luoyou Mountain is certainly safe, but it will give rise to gossip. However... if we take Mangyang Mountain, tell me, is our hidden cavalry afraid of ambushes?"

Du Zhaolin looked at his servant earnestly, expecting a reply, as if he saw no great divide between them.

For him, to not be ashamed to ask questions beneath one’s station was not even a concept.

"Mangyang Mountain's terrain is hardly treacherous. If it were ordinary, weak troops, they would surely falter there—such as the noble families of Anma City. Their entire force was wiped out by ambush, and Lin Yuan seized the three western garrisons. After much thought, it was either their impatience or their shortsightedness that doomed them. The hidden cavalry, how could they be of the same ilk as those commoners? To place tigers and wolves together only invites trouble. After all, the name Chu Ji carries weight that needs no elaboration."

Du Zhaolin listened with interest and then smiled at Taor. "The great families pride themselves on their educated and well-mannered servants, but if you compare them to my Taor, it’s like a petty sorcerer facing a great wizard."

"Well taught, sir. Taor would never be greedy for credit," the young maid stuck out her tongue, pleased that Du Zhaolin had changed his form of address.

"Hmm, it seems Taor has truly grown up—learning to exchange pleasantries with his master. Alas, the mischievous sprite is no more. What a pity, what a pity."

Du Zhaolin clutched his chest in mock sorrow, making the girl laugh with eyes sparkling like spring, her delicate hand framing her face in delight.

"Hey, why are you baring your teeth? If those old rogues saw that, they’d break your limbs for sure!"

Seeing her laugh so freely, Du Zhaolin feigned sternness and lightly tapped her forehead with a serious tone.

"But Taor belongs to Master Du’s household and won’t take orders from anyone else! Besides, in Anma City... everyone praises the good and curses the bad alike."

"What kind of saying is that? Taor, could you explain it to my wooden head so it might finally understand?"

Taor puckered her lips, small but clever, straightening her back as if she were a venerable sage—though perhaps just a bit playful.

"There’s a nursery rhyme in the north that praises the new policies and laments the old rites and scholars. People in Anma City feel fortunate to have a marshal like ours suppressing the great families; yet they also feel sorrowful that such a fierce hero has become so civilized."

"Well said, so clear and enlightening—like a splash of cold water on the mind. It even reminds me of an old story," Du Zhaolin laughed. Without waiting for her reply, he continued, "General Chu Ji is a hero, but even he fears the marshal’s rebuke. One day, when things were going well and the marshal didn’t scold him, the young man was actually terrified. He wished the marshal would chastise him harshly, even strike him."

Taor gazed at Du Zhaolin; her youthful heart was easily captured by tales and gossip.

"And what did the marshal say?"

"Just one sentence: 'Why don’t you go die alongside the eight thousand men at Luoyou Mountain?'"

Du Zhaolin shook his head, laughing wildly, his coldness hidden beneath the surface, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Taor was right—the marshal had truly become civilized.

"Don’t be afraid; sir is just recalling old times. My Taor speaks truly—why fear ambushes? When reason and reality align, with Heaven’s blessing, we shall take Mangyang Mountain!" Du Zhaolin wiped his eyes with his sleeve, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

Taor understood the unspoken words: I, Du Zhaolin, fear no surrender.

...

Lin Zhao returned with blood on his body.

The commanders at Weinan Pass originally intended to mock him and then grumble while carefully applying healing ointments.

But upon seeing the enemy troops following behind Lin Zhao, they all gave him thumbs up and sincerely praised, "You really are the son of a dog; how did you not die?"

Lin Zhao grinned, gritting his teeth as he retorted, "Whoever looks down on me should first face the hidden cavalry in battle!"

The young man was happy. Though he came back dirty and bruised, few of his troops had fallen under his command. More importantly, this battle made Lin Zhao keenly realize that these once ragtag villagers had become worthy of respect.

If Marshal Lin asked him, "Can your peasants become killers?" Lin Zhao would confidently beat his chest and answer loudly, "Even if made to fight as a lone army, I don’t mind!"

The hidden cavalry was fierce, but not ostentatious.

Their banner was not raised in the center of the army but often led the vanguard, tended by a so-called lucky man. Wave after wave of hunters surged forward; even in the fiercest battles, the banner never broke.

From charges, raids, encirclements, to massacres, their greatest achievement was seeing the enemy collapse without even a fight.

Outside the pass, Chu Ji was pleased, rubbing his hands and folding his sleeves to inspect the veterans he had personally trained.

Qi Liao and Qiu Shaoan were also joyful. For a moment, they even entertained the thought of their general becoming a warlord.

Beyond the pass, there was jubilation. They paid no heed to the enemy generals who came out to challenge; instead, they busied themselves welcoming and celebrating the hidden cavalry.

Lin Changtian stood atop the pass, wearing a bitter smile, knowing that the delicate balance between the two armies was broken as of today.

He stamped the solid ground beneath him. Was he to place all hope on the natural defenses of the terrain?

Fortunately, the hidden cavalry was poor at siege warfare—perhaps the only solace amidst a sea of bad news.

Hmm, did Heaven deliberately intend to make things difficult for me? This is terribly unlucky!

...

Lin Changtian’s thoughts drifted wildly, the grievance on his face almost spilling over the edge of the pass.

Why did all his strategies prove correct, yet fate, at the critical moment, mock him and all of Sishan with a cruel joke?

Success is in Heaven’s hands, but planning is man’s endeavor.

"Neither reason nor reality seems to side with me," Lin Changtian muttered, then lay down on the hardened earth to stretch luxuriously.

I refuse to serve anymore! He longed to curse the heavens and quit outright, but if the pass fell, only he could escape; the rest would perish.

There was an old saying in Sishan: when a man feels lost and helpless, he needs a woman who understands people’s hearts to stand by and comfort him.

Regrettably, Lin Changtian had no woman, but he did have someone who understood human nature.

Xu Yong ambled over slowly and sat beside him, teasing Kuisheng, "Fat Kuisheng always thinks of himself as a lone ranger behind enemy lines, but in reality, his duties always involve ‘guarding’ something."

"True enough, the fellow always dreams of charging out with his sword, but once he climbs the pass, he realizes he’s just a thousand-year-old turtle crouching on the battlements shooting arrows. Going down to engage in close combat would be suicide."

Leisurely, Lin Changtian squinted his eyes like a man who, after seeing a naked woman in bed, happily undresses himself.

"Hey, actually there’s someone in Sishan who swears allegiance to Heaven as his father, calls himself the chosen one, but in the end... hmm, even your father has abandoned you?"

Xu Yong’s words cut sharply; he hoped to stir this salted fish back to life.

But the chosen one did not follow his wishes. Glancing at the drifting clouds, he pursed his lips, thinking those fluffy things were as lazy as himself.

Only they had an end, while he had yet to find his direction.

"Don’t worry, what of the hidden cavalry? Our turtle shell is solid; they can’t get through!"

"Old Xu, aren’t you afraid Kuisheng will pin you against the wall and punish you with the sheer difference in weight?"

Lin Changtian yawned, truly unafraid of these hidden cavalry. No matter how fierce, they were still just fools when they acted recklessly within a hundred li.

"I’m quite scared, but I’m more worried Kuisheng’s shell won’t withstand their blades and axes," Xu Yong said seriously. He enjoyed teasing Kuisheng endlessly, perhaps because a bald, fat man was just too cool.

"Your cunning is much greater than mine. If the shell can’t hold, then there must be other ways to use it."

Lin Changtian asked casually, not expecting Xu Yong to devise any breakthrough.

After all, they were all frogs in warm water, talking about fighting to the death with Ma Hui, but with Sishan’s resources, things could easily end in ruin.

Hmm, slicing Kuisheng into ninety-nine pieces might hold out for a while, the strange thought popped into Lin Changtian’s head as he imagined the bald, fat man again.

But Xu Yong actually nodded. This absurd idea was even more ridiculous than fairly dividing Kuisheng into several parts.