Chapter 49: An Easy Victory

Page 1 of 3

The group moved steadily through the night without making a sound. Apart from the rustling of leaves, Ning Ye and his men were nearly noiseless.

The men under Ning Ye’s command would only grow more terrifying with time. Everything they had learned followed the methods used to train special forces, and the longer they practiced, the more proficient they would become.

Before long, Ning Ye led them to their destination. As expected, the place below was still brightly lit. Judging by the hour, it was not yet time for sleep. Moreover, this was clearly more than a simple gathering place; it seemed to be somewhere people had lived for a long time.

Even so, Ning Ye was patient. He would not make his move until every one of them had fallen into a deep sleep.

Before the attack, Ning Ye addressed them all.

“I do not know what kind of people you were before, but from this moment onward, you will truly become soldiers under my command. A soldier’s foremost duty is obedience.”

Old Third Hu asked in confusion, “My lord, why bring this up all of a sudden?”

Ning Ye’s gaze swept over every man. Even in the darkness, his eyes shone with keen intensity.

“You should all have heard Old Wang’s report. There are elderly people, women, and children inside. Apart from the men, I hope you will exercise restraint toward them.”

One of the recruits raised his hand. “Reporting, my lord. I have a question.”

“You may ask. What is it?”

“Our instructor once taught us that mercy toward the enemy is cruelty toward ourselves. Since these elderly people, women, and children are living in a bandit stronghold, they cannot all be good people. Why show them leniency?”

Ning Ye nodded. “What you were taught was not wrong. But you need not be so extreme at present. Everything must be judged according to the circumstances. I simply do not want you to harm the weak. But if any of them has a blade in hand, do I still need to tell you what to do?”

The recruit lowered his hand. “My lord, I understand. I have no further questions.”

Old Third Hu’s expression darkened slightly. “My lord, forgive me. I have not educated them well enough in the past, which is why they dared to raise such a question. Once we return, I will discipline them properly.”

“What I need is indeed a group of soldiers capable of carrying out my orders loyally. But I do not want them to be mindless, either. Such soldiers are no more than dead things, and I do not like soldiers like that.”

Page 1 of 3

Ning Ye was not angered by the matter, and Old Third Hu’s expression eased somewhat. When the lights in the distance finally went out, Ning Ye knew it was time to act.

The operation followed much the same pattern as the last one. Ning Ye went alone to capture the bandit chief, while Old Third Hu made certain that no one else escaped.

Beneath the silent night, a host of vengeful spirits once again began a slaughter.

One veteran accompanied by two recruits was more than enough. With three men assigned to each room, they could attack several places at the same time.

Ning Ye easily located the bandit leader’s quarters. The largest room stood at the center of the settlement. If the chief did not live there, who else could?

These bandits lacked even the most basic awareness of defense. There was not a single sentry outside, and Ning Ye’s surprise attack succeeded completely.

The bandit chief was still dreaming when Ning Ye cut off his head. As for the other women in the room, Ning Ye continued to ignore them. He had no way of knowing whether they were innocent, so he chose not to interfere.

By the time Ning Ye stepped outside, more than a dozen men had surrounded him. Terror filled their faces; it was obvious that they were frightened.

No lights had appeared behind him. Even though some of them were shouting themselves hoarse for help, no one had answered.

Old Third Hu emerged from one of the rooms, his entire body drenched in blood. Even his armor was stained a deep crimson.

Old Third Hu grinned. “My lord, it seems only the ones before you remain. We have dealt with everyone else.”

Ning Ye nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent. Deal with these men as well. This was far too easy. It has hardly stirred my interest.”

Just as Ning Ye had said, the operation had been effortless. At the very least, the horse bandits had put up some resistance, whereas these mountain bandits had been slaughtered in their sleep.

There was no comparison at all. If every battle ahead was like this, it would amount to nothing more than a small appetizer. Still, there was no point complaining.

Page 2 of 3

Although these men were undeniably weak, they had not left Ning Ye without a pleasant surprise. At the very least, their hoard was substantial.

After everything they had seized was counted, its value came to more than two thousand silver pieces, not to mention the stores of grain and fodder that could still be used.

There were also quite a number of survivors. Ning Ye paid no attention to what they were thinking. He simply gathered them all in one place and told them that anyone who wished to leave could do so, while those who preferred to remain could wait there for death; no one would stop them.

Ning Ye packed up and carried away every last piece of spoils. He left them not the slightest thing. The fact that he had spared their lives was already an act of mercy.

Of course, that was the only mercy they would receive. Over the following days, Ning Ye began searching extensively for traces of the bandits, usually employing the tactic of luring the snake from its hole.

If the enemy refused to emerge, he would launch a proper night raid. Whether through ambushes or open battle, Ning Ye intended to give his men as much experience as possible.

While Ning Ye was still cutting a bloody swath through the mountain forests, the frontier hundreds of miles away was already in dire straits.

Li Ruochen was stationed atop the frontier wall, while the soldiers around him fought with all their strength.

Looking down, one could see barbarian soldiers streaming endlessly toward the wall. There appeared to be at least ten thousand of them, forming an immense, oppressive black mass.

The battle at the frontier had begun seven days earlier. This time, however, the barbarians had broken with their usual pattern, sending out several times more troops than before.

Siege engines, which had almost never appeared in previous battles, had now taken the field as well. Stranger still, the barbarians handled them with remarkable ease.

Page 3 of 3