689. The Compassionate does not Raise an Army

The walking corpse placed the wooden box in front of Xu Qi’an, then turned and left.

“Click!”

Xu Qi’an pressed his fingertip against the bronze lock, using his qi as a substitute for the key, and made the latch spring open.

The moment the box was opened, he smelled medicinal powders for preservation and insect prevention. Inside was a roll of animal hide.

If the maker did not intentionally choose to use animal hide, then this map must be at least two thousand years old. In the era of the Confucian Sage, books were recorded on bamboo slips, and animal hide is even older than bamboo… Xu Qi’an thought, as he unfolded half the animal hide.

Only after unfolding it could he see that this map had been torn in the middle, and was the left half of a complete map.

The map had been drawn in a very peculiar way, covered in twisted, irregular lines, somewhat similar to those in the maps of Xu Qi’an’s previous life.

Apart from the lines, there were no written characters.

I remember when I was still in school, those topographic maps were also a spaghetti of lines… Xu Qi’an looked at Youshi and asked:

“Has the map been deciphered?”

Naturally, this map could not be the same as the topographical maps of his previous life.

Youshi shook his head:

“My father studied it, and believed that the lines in the map symbolised mountains and ley lines, understandable only to arcanists. Even for arcanists, finding the corresponding region on the vast continent of Jiuzhou would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

It was precisely because it was almost impossible to locate that he was so willing to trade it to Xu Qi’an.

After all, if it stayed with the shaman clans, it would most likely remain sealed away forever. Since that was the case, it was better to use it to exchange for that ancient corpse to be preserved in the tribe for a few days.

Thinking about that nearly perfect corpse, Youshi’s heart beat faster and his blood boiled.

Xu Qi’an’s ears twitched and he heard the moaning of a woman deep in the courtyard suddenly grow much louder and more intense.

He paid it no mind, and on the spot, took out the coffin from the Earth Book fragment and put away the wooden box containing the half map.

“By the way, one small plea from me: please don’t do strange things with it, so as not to get entangled in karma. Though, in my opinion, any karma it carried has already been completely dealt with.”

Xu Qi’an reminded him with a smile.

“Youshi” gave him a look with pale eyes and said:

“In our shaman clans, there’s an old saying—those who cannot restrain their desires accomplish nothing.

“Anyone with the hope of reaching fourth rank could resist the temptation of their life Gu. Although our clan does not ban such things, those who behave irregularly with corpses are always useless running dogs.”

…Xu Qi’an’s expression slowly stiffened.

“Youshi” did not notice his odd expression, but remained absorbed in admiring the ancient corpse, waving his hand:

“Go on, don’t disturb me.”

…

Xu Qi’an returned to the Strength Gu tribe. The warm sun hung high, it was 7:45 in the morning. He first went to the house to see Luo Yuheng.

The National Teacher was sitting cross-legged, practising breathing. When she saw him enter, she opened her beautiful eyes and smiled radiantly, just like a peerless beauty smiling among flowers in spring.

Ah, it’s “Joy”… Xu Qi’an breathed a sigh of relief. Like “Sorrow”, “Joy” was a positive persona, always smiling, never harbouring any negative emotion, and during dual cultivation, always willing to go along with him.

“The Southern Marches are wonderful, the climate is warm, the birds sing and flowers blossom, it fills my heart with joy.”

Luo Yuheng said with a gentle smile.

“But there are too many mosquitoes. Last night, I helped National Teacher swat mosquitoes and even reddened your buttocks.”

Xu Qi’an joked.

Luo Yuheng gave him a reproachful glance, feeling somewhat shy, but did not get angry, her face still full of cheerfulness.

If it was the “Anger” persona, you’d have sent me flying already… Xu Qi’an then looked at Xu Lingyin, who was fast asleep on the bed, and asked:

“Why did Lingyin come back here to sleep?”

Luo Yuheng replied helplessly:

“Not long after you left, she ran in, saying she suspected Master Lina wanted to eat her, and was frightened, so she came looking for you, but you weren’t here.”

…Xu Qi’an pondered: “Did she discover bite marks on her wrist?”

Luo Yuheng nodded.

Ever since Lingyin’s advancement, her appetite has significantly increased. When we return to the capital, Auntie will cry… Xu Qi’an did not know what to think, and could only pray for Auntie in his heart.

On the third day, the warriors of the Heart Gu, Corpse Gu, Strength Gu, and Shadow Gu tribes had all assembled.

Of them, the Heart Gu tribe contributed five hundred flying beast riders, the Strength Gu tribe four hundred warriors, the Corpse Gu tribe six hundred skilled corpse controllers, and the Shadow Gu tribe eight hundred elites, a total of two thousand three hundred shaman clans members, plus one thousand extremely powerful walking corpse puppets.

The mighty force of over three thousand set out from the Southern Marches towards Qingzhou.

It was worth mentioning that Lina’s eldest brother, Mosang, was also in the expedition of the Strength Gu tribe.

As for Lina herself, she planned to consolidate her Strength Gu, absorb all the bloodline power from the Gu God, and then head north to Qingzhou to join the war and temper her Gu arts.

The Strength Gu tribe felt both pleased and worried about sending four hundred elite warriors to war. They were pleased because from now on, these men’s rations would be supplied by the Great Feng, so the elders secretly advised the young men before they left:

“Eat, eat as much as you can! Eat those central plains granaries poor!”

They worried, however, that after this group left, there would be a shortage of hunters. Elderly people who used to just farm or idle about would now have to roll up their sleeves and head into the mountains to hunt.

…

Late at night!

Inside a military tent ten li outside Songshan County, Zhuo Haoran sat by the conference table, in front of him a bronze basin contained a freshly roasted mutton leg.

He held the mutton leg in his left hand, tearing at it with force, while his long sabre to the right of him was stained with blood.

On either side of the conference table, the generals sat in silence.

A great battle had just ended. Zhuo Haoran’s Yunzhou army had driven back a night-long assault from the Great Feng garrison. Such surprise attacks had occurred repeatedly in the past few days.

The generals shot furtive glances at Zhuo Haoran, but dared not speak. The atmosphere in the tent was tense and stagnant, with only the sound of Zhuo Haoran gnawing the mutton breaking the silence.

The five-day deadline had long since passed, and Songshan County still had not been taken.

Not only that, but the Yunzhou army had suffered heavy losses.

Zhuo Haoran was a fierce general, displaying both extraordinary personal prowess and outstanding skill at commanding troops. His strategy for taking Songshan County had been to organise refugees and miscellaneous soldiers for the first three days to wear down the defenders’ cannonballs, ballista bolts, and arrows, as well as their rolling logs, fire oil, and other defensive equipment.

During this period, he sent experts to mingle with the refugees, looking for opportunities to climb the city walls and damage the cannons and ballistae.

This tactic had yielded remarkable results.

By the third day of fighting, the defenders had only two cannons and a single ballista left, which was hardly enough to turn the tide. They had to rely on rolling logs, burning oil, and archers to resist the attacking Yunzhou troops.

Seeing this, Zhuo Haoran had immediately sent in his elite infantry, who had lain in wait for three days, to storm the city.

However, as soon as Yunzhou’s elite infantry charged into cannon range, suddenly fire erupted from the ramparts, bowstrings twanged like thunder, and the ferocious fusillade stunned the advancing troops.

The assault ended in failure, with seven or eight hundred men left dead in a hasty retreat.

That Xu Xinnian still had a batch of cannons and ballistae in reserve, but had deliberately held them back for the first three days, even though the defenders suffered heavy casualties during that time.

Judging by the maxim “the compassionate does not raise an army,” Zhuo Haoran had to admit, that fellow was a competent commander.

The chief General had said that the essence of war was to achieve victory at all costs.

Having failed to take the city by direct assault, Zhuo Haoran had then secretly split his forces, sending elites to mount a surprise attack by night from the perilous peaks to the south, only to fall into a mountain full of animal traps and deep pits lined with sharp stakes.

Aside from the experts who could escape, the soldiers suffered grievous losses.

Taking into account that Songshan County had gone more than half a month without rain and the mountains were dry, Zhuo Haoran realised that Xu Xinnian was likely to set fire to the mountain, and so he abandoned the idea of bypassing the peaks to attack the city.

On the fourth night, drums suddenly thundered from the city walls, followed by a great clamour of hooves.

The Yunzhou troops, having failed to take the city and thoroughly exhausted, thought it was another enemy raid and went out to face them, only to find it was a feint, with no attack at all.

After several such incidents, the Yunzhou troops were left utterly fatigued.

At dawn, the drums sounded again, but the Yunzhou rebels paid no heed and sent only a token number of scouts and troops out of camp to investigate.

They were ambushed by a thousand light cavalry, costing Yunzhou over two thousand casualties.

Of the six thousand elite soldiers, a third had fallen.

On the fifth day, Zhuo Haoran launched a desperate all-out assault on the city, only to be repulsed again. Both sides suffered heavy losses.

Yet come nightfall, the defenders once more resorted to their old tricks, harassing the Yunzhou troops to no end.

By now, it was the seventh day. Of the four thousand makeshift troops recruited from refugees, almost all were dead or wounded. Of Zhuo Haoran’s original six thousand elite troops, only three thousand remained.

The defenders still had nearly two thousand men.

Judging from the current numbers, Songshan County could not be taken.

Zhuo Haoran swallowed the last mouthful of meat, swept his icy gaze over the assembled generals, and said:

“Let the men get a good night’s sleep, there will be no more raids tonight.

“After a full rest, we will breach the city at dawn!”

His expression was calm and assured, as if he had absolute confidence that the city would fall at first light.

…

Miao Youfang and Zhu Jun led five hundred cavalry through the gates and returned to the main camp.

“General Zhu, Erlang is cooking beef on the wall, care to join us for a few drinks?” Miao Youfang asked warmly.

Zhu Jun was a thin middle-aged man, quiet and taciturn, Songshan County’s only fourth rank officer, responsible for holding the north gate.

It was precisely because of his presence that Xu Erlang dared to send the cavalry to raid the enemy camp. Without him, it would have been a suicide mission.

He shook his head and said coolly:

“Have Sir Xu send some over to the north gate, no need for the wine.”

With that, he galloped off with his men.

“How dull!” Miao Youfang shook his head, dismounted, and climbed up the wall by the stone steps.

Iron cauldrons were lined up along the roadway, and the soldiers sat around them eating meat.

Their faces shone with happiness as they ate heartily, spirits high.

Looking at the soldiers’ excited faces, Miao Youfang recalled his conversation with Xu Erlang earlier that day.

Xu Erlang had requisitioned the cattle, dogs, and poultry of the townspeople to reward the garrison, offering a little rice as compensation.

At first, Miao Youfang thought this was inappropriate, wasn’t it just another form of looting from the people?

But Xu Erlang told him that in wartime, the soldiers’ interests came first, and the people’s second. The troops had fought bitterly day after day, exhausted. Meat would revive their morale.

As for the townsfolk, if the city fell, their fate would be far worse.

Now, Miao Youfang found himself agreeing.

He went straight into the gatehouse and found Xu Erlang buried in maps, frowning silently.

“Erlang, by your reckoning, they ought to withdraw tomorrow.”

“If they don’t receive reinforcements, yes,” Xu Erlang looked up and replied, “But I think the Yunzhou rebel reinforcements are nearly here.”

689. The Compassionate does not Raise an Army

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