Jungle Battle

The cold blade and the tragic deaths of his men sent a chill down Wali Ge's spine. His voice trembled as he stammered, "Brother, let's talk this out. My men are everywhere. If you raise an alarm, you won't make it out alive."

"Oh? Is that a threat?" Luo Yu smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. The once-proud Qiang centurion now cowered before him like a lamb awaiting slaughter.

At the sight of Luo Yu, Shen Li slumped against the tree roots, an inexplicable sense of relief washing over her.

"Wait, wait!" The blade pressed closer, and Wali Ge panicked. "We soldiers fight just to survive. I can give you silver—mountains of it! If you tell me where someone is, I'll pay you more than you could earn in a lifetime!"

Clearly, Wali Ge mistook Luo Yu for an ordinary soldier.

"Oh? And who might that be?" Luo Yu feigned interest, loosening his grip slightly.

"Luo Yu. Ever heard of him? A garrison soldier who retreated from Chicken Crow Stockade. That bastard killed my younger brother. Tell me where he is, and I'll give you a hundred taels of silver!"

"A hundred taels? That's quite the sum!" Luo Yu pretended to be tempted. "As it happens, I do know where he is. I hope you'll keep your word, Commander."

"Of course! The silver's on my horse. I'll take you to it later."

The blade withdrew, and Wali Ge rubbed his neck, his fingers subtly inching toward his waist. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

Luo Yu's lips curled into a smirk.

"I can do more than just tell you where Luo Yu is. I can help you with one more thing."

"Help me? With what?"

Luo Yu's gaze turned icy as he swung his scimitar in a deadly arc.

"Sending you to reunite with your brother!"

Thud!

Just as Wali Ge's fingers brushed the hilt of his knife, Luo Yu's blade sliced across his throat. Blood sprayed in a crimson arc.

The flicker of hope in Wali Ge's eyes extinguished instantly. Clutching his throat, he staggered forward, realization dawning.

"You… you are Luo Yu!"

His body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

The gruesome scene drained the color from Shen Li's face. Tears still glistened in the corners of her eyes, and the cold night wind sent shivers down her spine.

Unsure how to comfort her, Luo Yu simply draped his outer robe over her shoulders.

"Stay here. Don't move. I have killing to do."

Somewhere in the silent night, screams erupted—sharp, piercing, and bloodcurdling.

The women who had appeared to flee in panic were now leading the Qiang soldiers straight into an ambush. Frontier soldiers lurked in the darkness like vengeful spirits, striking from the shadows.

The night raid had begun.

Some Qiang soldiers stumbled into pre-dug pits, impaled on sharpened spikes. Others, lost in the forest, were struck down by arrows whistling through the trees. Massive boulders plummeted from above, crushing skulls beneath their weight.

The Qian army fought in coordinated trios—the first real test of the three-three system.

A young soldier named Xiao Wu and two fresh recruits formed one such trio. They clashed head-on with two Qiang warriors. The earlier screams had rattled the enemy, but upon seeing only three opponents, the Qiang soldiers sneered.

"Just three of you? Not even enough to whet my appetite."

Arrogance was their downfall.

Xiao Wu tightened his grip on his scimitar, assuming the offensive role. His two comrades raised bamboo shields, guarding his flanks. All three took deep breaths, steadying their nerves.

Despite their training, facing the Qiang soldiers directly sent their hearts racing.

"Kill!"

Xiao Wu—once a coward—now led the charge. With a roar, he lunged at one Qiang soldier, his comrades following closely.

The Qiang warriors struck from both sides. A scimitar slammed into a bamboo shield with brutal force, but the shield held firm, its wielder shoving back and throwing the attacker off balance.

Seizing the moment, Xiao Wu drove his blade into the chest of the other Qiang soldier. Blood splattered across his face.

The remaining Qiang warrior froze in shock. Since when did these spineless Qian soldiers fight like this?

The sight of blood banished the trio's fear, replacing it with a feral determination.

"Kill!"

Another strike. Another corpse.

Similar skirmishes played out across the darkened forest. A few days of training couldn't forge them into master swordsmen, but it had honed their teamwork.

Advance together. Retreat together. Live or die—together.

"Ahhh!"

"Ambush! The Qian army's ambushing us! Stay sharp!"

The screams grew shriller, the Qiang soldiers' shouts more frantic. Battles raged everywhere, the forest alive with unseen enemies.

A dozen cavalrymen guarding the warhorses exchanged uneasy glances. Their squad leader cursed.

"What the hell's going on? How did they set up an ambush? Where's the Centurion?"

"I—I don't know."

"Useless! Send two men to scout the mountains! Find out how many enemies there are!"

The Qiang soldiers hesitated. With the situation unclear, who would willingly march into certain death?

"Damn cowards!"

Amid the squad leader's curses, a shadow moved silently overhead.

Meng Hu peered down from the trees, his brothers close behind. The Qiang cavalry's horses stood directly below them—so close they could hear every word.

Luo Yu's orders were simple: Scatter the horse herd. Without their mounts, the Qiang soldiers would be like toothless tigers—powerless.

A soldier whispered, "Brother Hu, how do we drive them off? There are over a dozen guards. We can't take them head-on."

Meng Hu grinned, pulling out a jar sealed with oiled paper. A fuse protruded from its mouth.

"Brother Yu gave us something special."

"Kerosene? What's the fuse for?"

"Not sure. He said light it, count to ten, then throw." Meng Hu mimed the motion. "When it explodes, the horses will bolt."

"Throw it?!"

The soldiers nearly choked. The jar weighed at least twenty catties—impossible to hurl that far.

Unless…

Meng Hu struck a flint, igniting the fuse. Sparks crackled.

His muscles tensed as he counted silently.

"Look out! Someone's up there!"

The flickering flame betrayed them. Qiang soldiers scrambled for their crossbows.

"Now!"

With a roar, Meng Hu hurled the jar—straight above the enemy's heads.

The Qiang cavalry gaped as the object arced toward them.

BOOM!

The jar erupted midair, flames engulfing the herd like an inferno.

"Damn it!" Meng Hu's voice rang out from the trees. "That was too close!"