Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 10: On the Road

According to Taklai’s description, the destination of this expedition was about a three-day walk from Anxi Garrison. However, Huang Qianzong wasn’t as impatient as he was. He had long made it clear that this expedition would also include a hunting trip along the way, so even though not a single day had passed and they hadn’t traveled far, most of the soldiers were already carrying a few rabbits or pheasants on their backs. These small game animals weren’t worth much, but they made for a nice snack during the march. Everyone had brought ten days’ worth of rations, and the Thousand-Captain and the armored soldiers had prepared additional provisions sufficient for the entire group for three days—which, in theory, should have been enough. But in military campaigns, provisions come first; one should save where possible, and having a bit more meat to eat is always a good thing. There were no established trails in the vast forest. To ensure a sufficient hunt, the troops could not be crammed together in a single group. Therefore, the entire force was organized into squads of three platoons each, divided into left, center, and right columns, advancing side by side with a spacing of about two to three hundred meters between them. They could not spread out any further in the forest; otherwise, the columns would be unable to communicate in time, and in the event of a surprise attack by enemies or wild beasts, they would be unable to provide mutual support. Ou Yang belonged to the left squad. The other two squad leaders in his squad were Song Wenmu from the 7th Squad and Wang Hongguang from the 6th Squad—a chubby man who was always smiling. He had once been a small merchant traveling between the interior and the Western Regions, but somehow he’d been completely smitten by a young foreign woman. After bringing her home, he doted on her in every way, and she proved to be a good mother, giving birth to two sons in less than three years. Her status rose through her sons, and she spent her days constantly talking about her family, who were still serving as border garrison slaves. Unable to resist her nagging, Wang Hongguang shut down his business, used his money to buy a position as a border-post commander, and even bought her entire extended family into his village. The standard-bearer currently by Wang Hongguang’s side is that young woman’s younger brother. Technically, he should be considered Wang Hongguang’s brother-in-law, but no matter how much the “Wang-class” soldier looked after him, since he had never performed any meritorious deeds, he remained a slave. Wang Hongguang had the temperament of a merchant; he always wore a smile and avoided conflict with anyone. Song Wenmu, on the other hand, had no interest in hunting or warfare; going on campaigns felt more like fulfilling official duties, and when dealing with Ou Yang, he positioned himself as a junior classmate. Consequently, although Ou Yang was a newcomer among the “Pai Jia,” he had already been tacitly recognized as the temporary commander of the Left Squadron’s hundred-plus men. At dusk, the first noteworthy prey appeared. It was a cold weasel about one chi in length, with a horn over two cun long on its head, snow-white fur all over, and blood-red eyes. This was a demon beast capable of wielding ice magic. When Ou Yang spotted it, the creature was gnawing noisily on a rabbit frozen solid, devouring it whole—bones, fur, and ice shards alike—in a ravenous rush. It seemed completely unafraid of humans; upon seeing the humans closing in from all sides, it even raised its head and let out a threatening snarl at the hunters. But as more and more humans arrived, the beast finally grew fearful. Wukeshan, the sharpest archer among them, drew an iron arrow and fired it as the beast leaped toward a large tree. Just as the beast reached a height roughly at shoulder level, the arrow pierced its left eye and emerged nearly halfway through the right. The arrowhead, still carrying residual momentum, embedded itself with a “thud” into the trunk of a nearby oak tree. The prey only had time to let out a “squeak”; its limbs twitched convulsively like nerves before it slumped limp and motionless. Its lighter body swayed gently in the breeze, like a small flag planted on the tree. The crowd erupted in cheers for Wukeshan. This single arrow proved that he had reached the pinnacle of power, accuracy, and timing. Wukeshan stepped forward, shook the arrow feathers, then pulled the arrow from the tree with a sudden jerk. Cradling the prey in both hands, he knelt before Ou Yang and said, “This servant offers this to Your Excellency. It’s a pity this beast hasn’t fully grown yet; its hide is only enough to make a collar for Your Excellency.” Hu Lanshan, the coachman, chimed in from the side: “This beast may be only half-grown, but the demon crystal within its body and the horns on its head are rare treasures. Sold within the Pass, they’re truly worth their weight in gold.” The unfortunate cold weasel’s eyes had been reduced to two blood-soaked sockets, a sight that made Ou Yang feel waves of nausea wash over him. Yet he knew this demon beast was worth a fortune; even as a juvenile, its pelt, crystal, and horn combined would easily fetch several dozen taels. He waved his hand, signaling the hunters to prepare the kill, and, masking his revulsion, said, “Wukeshan truly lives up to his reputation as the top archer in this company. In my opinion, there isn’t a second archer in all of Lingxi who can match your skill. You may keep this bow and arrow for yourself; consider it a reward from me.” A low murmur of astonishment rippled through the crowd. Everyone knew that both the compound bow and the iron arrows had been lent to Ou Yang by Huang Qianzong and were due to be returned upon his return. Setting aside the iron arrows, the bow alone was worth two yuan in Lingxi. To have it awarded to Wukeshan with a single sentence was practically a ticket to a comfortable life. No one was more thrilled than Wukeshan. With such a fine bow and a commendation from the Captain, he might even be able to ask the Captain to help him find a wife when he returned. If it hadn’t been for Hu Lanshan behind Ou Yang frantically signaling him to hold back, Wukeshan would have nearly let out another howl. After finally managing to hold it in, he stole a glance at Ou Yang’s expression and realized that if he’d actually let out a howl, he’d be in for at least twenty military canings. Ou Yang ordered all units to continue on, and Wukeshan hurriedly stood up to make way. On the sled, Hu Lanshan pulled out a dagger and began to butcher the game. As he skinned the animal, he whispered to Wukeshan, “Our Pai Jia is a scholar; he doesn’t care for your wild howling. Even if you can’t help it, you must hold back. Otherwise, getting caned is the least of your worries—if you get injured and delay the march, you might not even survive!” Even a simpleton could tell that Hu Lanshan was speaking in his best interest. Wukeshan replied in a low voice, “Uncle, thank you so much for this. I’m a barbarian and don’t understand these things, so I hope you’ll keep giving me guidance. When I return, I’ll bring two plump rabbits to your family.” Hu Lanshan couldn’t draw a bow and had no musket. Ever since he saw the new squad leader arrive and immediately set out on a hunt, he’d been looking for an opportunity to mend fences with the village’s warriors. So he explained, “You used to hate me for collecting your grain, but you didn’t realize that this is the law of the Empire. How could an old commoner like me dare to disobey it?” Old Hu glanced around. Seeing that the squad leader had already walked far ahead, he whispered, “Look at that Heheli—when have you ever heard him howl during this hunt? It’s only because his Han wife reminded him to. From now on, you’d better be on your guard. Never do anything the squad leader dislikes; otherwise, even your archery skills won’t save you!” In truth, what Ou Yang disliked most were these expeditions led by Huang Qianzong—which were called military campaigns but were really just hunting trips. He always felt that a military campaign should be swift and decisive; hunting could easily be done after the mission was completed. This stop-and-go pace lacked any sense of urgency for battle. But since everyone else wanted to hunt, he couldn’t risk incurring their wrath. That evening, Hamuha put his keen sense of smell to good use and tracked down a bear’s den. Several men lit pieces of bark and tossed them one by one into the den. Before long, a furious roar rang out, and a massive bear burst from the den. The veteran hunters waiting at the entrance fired a volley of arrows—all from war bows with iron-tipped arrows—and every shot hit its mark, bringing the beast down with ease. Everyone was elated; this single bear alone made the expedition worthwhile. Valuable items like the bear pelt, paws, and gallbladder were, of course, to be turned in. But this bear would yield at least 150 jin of meat, and the share each man received would ensure they had a prosperous New Year. Moreover, once the bear den was tidied up a bit, it became warm and comfortable—far better than sleeping out in the freezing snow—and served as the perfect resting place for the Lord of the Biaojia that night. About a hundred-plus li from the marching force, a Di-Qiang tribe was holding a banquet to celebrate their latest conquest of a Yi tribe. This was already the third banquet since the snow began to fall. The first was held to welcome the distinguished guest, during which the tribal chieftain hosted a welcome banquet and formally pledged the tribe’s allegiance on behalf of the entire clan. The subsequent two feasts were held to celebrate the conquest of hostile tribes with the guest’s assistance, which had yielded a vast haul of able-bodied men, women and children, cattle and sheep, grain and fodder, and valuables. The tribe, which had previously lived a hard life, was now willing to slaughter more than a dozen sheep to roast over the campfire. This tribe originally had over a hundred able-bodied men, but after the honored guest’s arrival, two small Di tribes had joined them. Now, with both able-bodied men and half-able-bodied men, their numbers had grown to over two hundred, making them the most powerful tribe in the region. Armed with the iron weapons bestowed by the honored guest, the chieftain had even begun to dream of unifying all the tribes of the Western Regions. A piercing scream rang out from the thatched hut nearby where female slaves were held captive. It came from several green-skinned, fanged attendants brought by the distinguished guest, who were taking their frustrations out on the female slaves. The tribe’s able-bodied men gathered around the fire pit, eating roasted mutton while listening to the screams and debating which slave had the fairest and smoothest skin; bursts of laughter erupted from time to time among the crowd. The Han people referred to anyone whose appearance differed from their own as “Di.” According to the honored guest, in the distant West, races like his own—which resemble humans but possess certain animalistic features, such as claws, ears, horns, or tails—are called “Beast-like Humans”; races like the honored guest himself, with more pronounced animalistic features, are called “Beastmen,” such as lion-men, minotaurs, and jackal-men;and then there were the humanoids whose appearances differed greatly from both humans and beasts—such as ogres, goblins, and those green-skinned goblins (earth goblins) who were currently tormenting the female slave. The West does not discriminate against the Di people as much as the East does. This is because, under the leadership of the great Orc royal family, most orcs, beast-humans, and humanoids have united to establish the Oak Empire. Having suffered several crushing defeats at the hands of the Oak Empire, humans naturally dare not discriminate against the people of the Empire. On this occasion, you, our honored guest, have come specifically to the East to help the oppressed Di people here defeat the humans and turn them into slaves. The wails from inside the thatched hut gradually grew weaker. An elder sighed and said to the tribal chieftain, “We have to kill a few every time—all of them women of childbearing age. It’s truly a pity.” A burly, green-skinned, fanged goblin emerged from the thatched hut. Gripping a woman’s foot, he dragged out a naked, deathly pale female corpse as if it were a dead pig. The chieftain cackled with his toothless, lisping voice: “As long as we crush a few more barbarian tribes, we’ll have plenty of women—not to mention…” The green-skinned goblin flung the corpse aside, and two hyena-like werewolves immediately pounced on it, tearing it apart. Blood and flesh flew everywhere. “It’s not exactly a waste, is it?”