Chapter 119: Not Spending Money Is Not an Option

When the Owl Cavalry was notified to fully arm themselves, bring three days' marching rations, and assemble, they still thought it was just like the West Great Camp, going out for a drill; besides Ling Yin, no one knew what the mission was.

At Mao hour sharp, Da Wang appeared on time.

He wore a neat black casual outfit, a gold crown on his head, sat on Little Jujube's back, his Cover Sky perched on his shoulder, his Sun-shooting Bow slung behind him, and Little Jujube's saddlebag still held the heavy sword he never parted with these days—quite an impressive setup.

Da Wang could barely control the corners of his mouth now—indeed, White Brother was right: not spending money is impossible; this money has to be spent, after all!

Seeing a cavalryman leading a horse, standing neat and tidy, Da Wang would have jumped up and cheered if he weren't afraid of breaking his image under everyone's gaze—so imposing!

Who's got their blood boiling?

Bai Yang always said the most precious thing is life; training a good soldier costs more than buying all those things. If you want the cavalry to charge ahead, logistics must keep up—you can't let soldiers lose their lives over other factors. So Da Wang forged the finest blades and spears, gave them the best treatment, and exchanged the best thousand horses in You Prefecture for them.

That also wasn't lacking the finest armor.

Upon learning they were still wearing the thin iron-sheet black armor brought from Ever Peace, Bai Yang suggested he first order a batch of good ones, phase out the black armor to the newly recruited soldiers or the You Prefecture Guard. Equip the cavalry first; later, when there's money, give other soldiers a little replacement.

After Da Wang got the money from the treasure ship's sea voyage again, he ran to that weapon shop and ordered a batch of new armor, referring to the most exquisite armor style Bai Yang had found for him. The sole requirement: it must be sturdy enough that his custom-made blade cannot cut through it.

That weapon shop soon produced a rough sample; Da Wang brought his White Brother to hack at it, but couldn't cut it.

Da Wang was quite convinced by the shop's smelting technology, ordering three thousand sets at once, later using future orders as an excuse to haggle a bit more; the final price was thirty yuanbao per set.

This first batch of a thousand to be delivered is the first time seeing them wear it!

Previously Da Wang thought it a bit pricey, but now Da Wang thinks three hundred taels is nothing; the deterrent power of wearing this set is worth a hundred taels.

Just standing there without moving, this unit already makes Da Wang feel quite intimidating.

Clad in profound black armor, faces covered with matching owl-bird masks, holding silver-tipped long spears that reflected a piercing cold light in the early morning sun.

Da Wang is now especially pleased with that metal owl-bird mask; originally he didn't understand why White Brother added a mask and spent extra money, nor did he grasp the overall design, but now he seems to get it.

Once the mask covers, only two eyes are exposed, giving a sense of distance and deterrence; outsiders can't even tell who it is—quite marvelous.

Da Wang, in his heart, mimicked Meng Meng scattering flowers for a while, then urged Little Jujube forward to their front.

"We are now setting out to carry out a mission. I have found a whetstone for the Owl Cavalry—the bandits of Rock Sparrow Mountain. The mission lasts three days, including the round‑trip route, attacking the bandit stronghold, and post‑battle handling. I'll share the intel I know: the stronghold has about four to five hundred adult men and one hundred to one hundred fifty women and children. They have the terrain advantage; we are the regular army. If we can't take it down in half a day, the mission fails. So you'd better think whether you're worthy of the gear you wear. I hope everyone stays safe—fall back, all units, move out!"

After he finished speaking, the sound was clanking (milk) clanking (voice) having (milk) strength (air)—actually the soldiers beneath the masks were still quite startled; that's the mask's benefit, making them look remarkably calm and breezy.

Da Wang charged ahead first under Zhao Bao's worried, anxious gaze; Ling Yin followed directly, and the rest of his deputies led the whole unit out.

Da Wang exited North Splendor Gate, passed the North City Gate, then turned east and went south, very much afraid of running into his cousin drilling outside the West City.

The twelve personal guards closely following Da Wang, plus Ling Yin's horse, couldn't catch up to Little Jujube; Da Wang was overjoyed. With hardly anyone on the roads outside the city, Da Wang, who'd been cooped up at home for over a month, let loose and had a frolic.

After he'd run enough and slowed down, Ling Yin finally caught up; his first words were: "My lord, give me a different horse."

Da Wang had just splurged yuanbao on three thousand sets of armor and hadn't recouped the cost yet; hearing this, he grew anxious and regretted running so fast. Every horse in the market made the impoverished Da Wang hesitate. He had originally meant to swap mounts for Zhang Tu and Zhao Chuan, but that got postponed too.

"What do you think of eighty thousand taels?" You also didn't say what horse to swap…

Ling Yin: "……If I can mount it without my legs dragging on the ground and still keep up with you, that would also work."

Da Wang: "……Got it." On this outing, not a single bandit had been slain yet, and he lost a horse.

Rock Sparrow Mountain lies south of You Prefecture; past Tongshui County, that's it. The Owl Cavalry set out at fifteen minutes past Mao hour and arrived before noon.

This troop of cavalry, on the road, made passersby who caught a glimpse turn and flee, unsure which army they were—but they certainly looked hard to mess with, pitch black from head to toe, faces indiscernible, extremely ferocious!

That very day, Tongshui County spread the rumor of the Northern Bearded heading south; the whole county fell into dead silence, and those living near the mountain had already fled up onto it.

Da Wang still felt smug, thinking he was incredibly imposing; as he galloped past, many townsfolk he encountered threw themselves to the ground in reverence—you wouldn't believe it!

When they reached the foot of Rock Sparrow Mountain, this mighty host, Da Wang saw from the map that the enemy personnel responsible for guarding the mountain had already been spotted, panicking and fleeing back to report.

In high spirits, Da Wang asked Ling Yin about the newly promoted second‑in‑command of the Owl Cavalry, Cavalry Colonel Zhou Ke.

"Stay put and replenish dry rations. Colonel Zhou, if you were to command this encirclement and suppression, how would you fight? Direct assault or clever stratagem?"

Zhou Ke had trained with Da Wang at a camp for over a month; stepping forward to reply, he was still nervous. "Reporting to Your Highness, I feel… with so many of us stopped right at the mountain base, we've already alarmed the bandits; clever tactics would be difficult, so for now we can only mount a direct attack…… If we move at night and first capture a bandit to learn the mountain's situation, it might be… more conducive to drafting a battle plan." His Highness's high‑profile manner he actually didn't much agree with, alas he had no say. Such a complex‑terrain stronghold is better approached after scouting the specifics, but His Highness seems to have everything figured out and is being very high‑profile.

Da Wang listened, very pleased. Not bad, right—his cousin even said he was a simpleton; this isn't very honest, where's the simpleton-ness!

"What you said is correct, Lieutenant Ling's eye is also good. Today is the Owl Cavalry's first battle; I'll help you cheat a bit to secure an auspicious opening victory. The terrain of Rock Sparrow Mountain is complex, the stronghold lies on an easy‑to‑defend, hard‑to‑attack cliff top, but there are only two routes to the bandit stronghold. One goes up from this mountain hollow; at over sixty meters there's a broken cliff where guards are stationed—normally four or five, now likely many more. The other is the descent route behind this hollow, the eastern side of Rock Sparrow Mountain. I've told you the answer—Colonel Zhou, do you dare to command this mission? I and Lieutenant Ling will cover your rear."

The nearby cavalry were already dumbfounded, as if…… there's nothing His Highness doesn't know! When did they send people to scout this thoroughly?!

"Your subordinate dares!"