Five Stabs, Ten Wounds

The corpses lay on the ground, blood spreading through the forest.

The other five veterans were stunned, holding their scimitars uncertainly. They never expected Luo Yu to be so ruthless, killing Wu Mazi without a word.

Luo Yu wiped the blood from his scimitar, staring coldly at them:

"Who else wants to steal the credit? Step forward! Let's see if you can win five against one."

Facing five men alone, Luo Yu radiated killing intent. They couldn't understand how a new recruit could have such a murderous aura.

"I'm with you!"

Meng Hu, equally shocked, recovered and stood firmly beside Luo Yu.

Luo Yu felt a surge of warmth. Don't underestimate Meng Hu's usual clumsiness - when it mattered, he was truly loyal.

The five men panicked. One of them knelt first, the others quickly following suit, begging for mercy:

"Brother Luo, spare us! We didn't mean to steal your credit, it was all Wu Mazi's doing! If we didn't follow him, we'd be whipped back at the fort! We were forced!"

"Right, right, it was him! He usually bullied us in the fort, even stealing our credits. He's despicable!"

"Spare us, Brother Luo! We really don't want to be your enemy. If you let us go, we promise not to say a word about tonight!"

They were terrified. Despite only two opponents, one was decisive and ruthless, the other as strong as an ox - they couldn't win.

Luo Yu's eyes narrowed. He believed them. He had personally seen Wu Mazi bullying these men, and ordinary soldiers wouldn't dare harm their comrades.

"I believe you."

Luo Yu's tone softened slightly:

"You want to live? It's not impossible, but you need to do something."

They widened their eyes, curious about what he wanted.

"Want to live? Simple."

Luo Yu pointed at Wu Mazi's corpse: "Each of you stab him once. Then we can put this behind us."

Their pupils contracted. This stab would bind them to Luo Yu's fate - they couldn't betray him now.

But they feared Luo Yu and Meng Hu more. Biting their lips, they picked up their knives and each stabbed the corpse once.

Five stabs, ten wounds.

"Good. When we return, you'll say the Qiang soldiers were killed by me, and Wu Mazi died in the battle with them."

Luo Yu smiled satisfied:

"By military law, three Qiang heads earn six taels of silver. The credit will be mine, but we'll split the silver six ways.

After all, we all fought together - everyone gets a share."

"Thank you, Brother Luo!"

The previously terrified veterans now had bright eyes, thanking him repeatedly. One tael was a lot for a common soldier.

Luo Yu smiled. This was the reaction he wanted. A carrot after the stick made it easier to win their loyalty. He wanted the credit, the silver was irrelevant.

The atmosphere improved. One veteran even came forward, whispering a warning:

"Brother Luo, let me warn you. Wu Mazi was Captain Zhang's confidant. He always hid in the back during missions, sending others to die.

Saying he died in battle won't convince Captain Zhang. He'll likely target you.

But it won't be too bad - Chief Wang has always been at odds with Captain Zhang. He might speak up for you."

The veteran was right - his skills might be poor, but he was well-informed.

"Thank you for the warning."

Luo Yu's eyes narrowed, looking toward the fort:

"Captain Zhang, you'd better not mess with me!"

…

"What? Wu Mazi is dead?"

Inside the Rooster Call Fort, the six returning soldiers stood in a row, three Qiang heads on the ground.

Killing three Qiang soldiers with four deaths was a good result, but they received no praise, only Captain Zhang's cold questions.

"Reporting to Captain, Head Wu led us to ambush the Qiang soldiers. We attacked when the time was right, but the Qiang soldiers were too fierce. They killed three of our comrades first, then surrounded Head Wu. In the battle, Head Wu was unfortunately stabbed…"

Luo Yu vividly described the battle, even forcing sadness onto his face.

It sounded plausible, but Zhang's frown deepened:

"You're Luo Yu? All three Qiang soldiers were killed by you?"

"Yes!"

"You're young and a new recruit. How could you have such skill?"

Zhang looked suspiciously at the others:

"Is this true?"

"Reporting to Captain, every word is true!"

A veteran quickly nodded:

"Brother Luo is skilled in martial arts. He cut down all three Qiang soldiers. We all saw it clearly."

"Really?"

"Absolutely!"

Zhang's icy gaze swept over them, finally landing on Luo Yu. His deep eyes seemed to pierce through him:

"Boy, do you know this is a battlefield? Lying about military matters is a capital offense! I advise you to tell the truth!"

"Hey, Old Zhang, what's with the attitude?"

Chief Wang, who had been sitting aside, suddenly stood up smiling:

"Brother Luo is skilled, killing three Qiang bandits. He's a great hero. Without him, this mission would have failed.

Your tone is scaring him."

"Chief, I suspect something's wrong here!"

"Hey, what could be wrong? Everyone saw it clearly. Are they all blind?"

Wang ignored Zhang's words, happily patting Luo Yu's shoulder:

"Great job. I've seen the new recruits' records - you can read? Both literate and martial, ha ha ha, I like people like you!"

Wu Mazi's death didn't upset Wang at all - he was actually happy. He waved his hand:

"The Rooster Call Fort needs men. By law, you get a promotion and silver. I'll give you the silver later.

Also, from now on you're a squad leader. The other new recruits are under your command.

Work hard for me!"

"Thank you, Chief!"

Luo Yu bowed, glancing at the two captains. It seemed the veterans were right - these two weren't as friendly as they appeared.

Hearing Luo Yu's reward, Zhang's face was cold. But without evidence, he had to swallow his anger.

"Whoo!"

"Whoo whoo!"

A shrill horn sounded suddenly, making Wang and Zhang's faces change.

This was the signal for a Qiang attack!

…

The Rooster Call Fort was on full alert. All defenders held their knives on the walls, extremely tense.

Nearly two hundred Qiang cavalry surrounded the isolated fort. Countless blades waved in the air, mixed with angry shouts that shook the sky.

Clearly, the Qiang soldiers had discovered their scout team's death. This was a revenge attack.

Luo Yu's nerves tightened for the first time. Two hundred men didn't sound like much, but seeing two hundred cavalry charging on tall horses was terrifying.

Without the fort walls, the dozen defenders would be trampled to death, with no chance of survival.

"Don't panic! Reinforcements are coming! We just need to hold the fort!"

Wang shouted loudly, trying to stabilize the troops. The beacon tower was already sending smoke signals. By custom, the Yunyang Pass and nearby forts would send troops when they saw the smoke.

Among the tense and alert faces, a muscular Qiang rider emerged from the crowd, charging to the fort walls and shouting:

"Qian soldiers inside, our heavenly army has arrived! The Rooster Call Fort is isolated!

I advise you to surrender early, or when the fort falls."

"Not a single living thing will remain!"