Chapter 125: Vanguard

Pang Yu vaulted down into the riverbed, where some Guards were already fleeing in panic.

"Follow the original path!" Pang Yu bellowed. Behind him, more Guards tumbled down one after another.

Grabbing one, Pang Yu demanded in the Tongcheng accent, "Which Team?"

Those who had run back ahead all gave the correct response. Pang Yu pointed them the way, ordering them to retreat along the river channel.

The shrieks and battle cries behind him drew steadily closer. Several figures shot over Pang Yu's head with a whoosh, plunging straight into the Tong Stream, then began swimming for the opposite bank.

Tongcheng was crisscrossed with rivers, with ponds and lakes everywhere. In the countryside, many children spent their summers swimming and playing in those ponds, lakes, and rivers, so most knew how to handle themselves in the water. Pang Yu guessed those few figures were likely Guards as well.

He immediately shouted after those figures, "Strip your clothes after crossing and get back to the city!"

A sudden burst of panicked cries came from behind him. Pang Yu turned to look: several dark shapes had tumbled down the riverbank, splashing into the water, where they began screaming and thrashing. Pang Yu crouched low. Their accents were not Tongcheng — these were Roving Bandits.

Pang Yu hurried back toward Tongcheng along the way he had come, but in the pitch darkness he could not move fast. He had taken only a few steps when an unending stream of people came rolling down the riverbank. A dark shape slid down right in front of Pang Yu with a shriek, its Waist Saber flailing wildly and slashing past Pang Yu's cotton coat.

Pang Yu instinctively stepped back. At that moment, a clamor erupted atop the riverbank as clusters of people tumbled down, filling the entire path. Two figures were grappling right above Pang Yu's head; they had already lost their balance and were about to come crashing down.

No longer able to keep to the riverbank, Pang Yu threw aside his Waist Saber and leaped into the river. In the cold night of early spring, the river water was bone-chilling. Several people nearby thrashed about, sending up great splashes of water. Pang Yu's vision blurred.

People kept falling into the water behind him. Not daring to linger, Pang Yu swam downstream two or three zhang. After skirting around those struggling figures, he struck out for the opposite bank with all his strength. His cotton jacket was soaked through, but the fibers still trapped some air, providing a measure of buoyancy. Yet his arm and leg movements were hampered, and the drag had increased.

Most importantly, once the cotton jacket became completely waterlogged, it would gain weight. Pang Yu dared not conserve his strength and swam desperately for the far bank. Fortunately, the Tong Stream was not wide in early spring, and he soon neared the other side. The moment his feet touched the riverbed, he scrambled upright.

On the opposite bank, shadows swarmed and battle cries shook the heavens. In the river channel, the sound of bodies hitting the water was ceaseless; cries of thrashing and shouts for help rose from every direction.

The cotton clothes on his body were as heavy as stones. Pang Yu shivered uncontrollably from head to toe. He hurried onto the riverbank and stripped off both the cotton coat and the Constable Uniform. These soaked clothes could not be worn any longer; they would quickly drain his body heat.

Stripping them off brought just as much cold. Pang Yu dared not stop. He bounced in place, ceaselessly moving his limbs to generate more heat. After hastily getting his bearings, the shirtless Constable Pang went bouncing and hopping toward the West Gate.

The next morning, clouds hung low in the sky. Columns of white smoke still rose from the Roving Bandits' camp outside the city. The Tong Stream channel was layered thick with drifting corpses. The camp by the Tong Stream was a scene of utter devastation: most of the tents were destroyed, and the ground was strewn with bodies in every direction. Figures moved about the camp, calling out various names.

Pang Yu stood atop South City, his expression haggard. Last night's raid had yielded a bountiful harvest, far exceeding his expectations. The Camp Howl that erupted in the bandit camp had been earth-shattering. Everyone had plunged into a frenzy, attacking anyone else they encountered, not stopping until utterly exhausted. Countless people had been trampled to death in the camp; those who fell into the Tong Stream and drowned were beyond numbering.

Pang Yu had no particular study of such matters. Camp Howls generally occurred late at night, mostly within armies. They could happen even without an attack, often without the slightest warning, making it difficult to analyze any concrete cause. Generally speaking, stress and tension were the primary factors. In the darkness, when nothing was visible, once triggered, it would form a Camp Howl.

Once it began, it set off a chain reaction. Highly strung people would attack every moving object they encountered, resulting in mutual slaughter until light was restored. Last night, the Zhuang Squad had been shouting that government troops had arrived, which had likely stimulated the Roving Bandits' sensitive nerves. The explosions of the Fire Thunder had also played some triggering role.

The Roving Bandits had three camps in the South Suburb. This camp was essentially destroyed. The other camps, affected by the Camp Howl, had all their Long Family and Post Commander suppressing their Servants, terrified that a Camp Howl might break out in their own camps as well. They had spent the entire night in fearful trepidation and had not organized any offensive even after daybreak.

But the Zhuang Squad's losses had likewise far exceeded Pang Yu's expectations. Of over a hundred Guards, only thirty-one had returned to the West Gate — and that included those who had gotten separated and found their way back later. Even Ruan Jin, who had been bringing up the rear, had not returned. As for the others, no one knew whether they had fled into the mountains or been swallowed up by the Camp Howl.

Wang Zenglu's two Squads had also been halved. But after crossing the river, he had captured a Roving Bandit Long Family who was dazed from near-drowning. Interrogation back in the city revealed that the camp raided last night belonged to the Sweeping King. Most of those inside were Servants recruited in Henan, and it also included a Women's Camp. The Sweeping King's main camp was still two li away and was likely completely unscathed.

He Xianya came up the City Stairs and hurried over to Pang Yu to report. "Second Brother, after daybreak, five more Guards trickled back to the West Gate. They've all been brought up onto the City Wall. But there's still no sign of Ruan Jin."

Pang Yu nodded. That still made fewer than forty men. In terms of the number that had set out, they had lost more than half their force. Proportionally, their losses were even greater than the Roving Bandits'. He did not know whether this night raid had been worth it.

He Xianya, seeing Pang Yu's grim expression, reported cautiously, "The Runners who patrolled the city last night came back and said that two migrant Westerners were beaten to death in the East City and South City last night. They asked if the Constable wants an investigation."

Pang Yu did not respond. In ordinary times, two people beaten to death would have been an earth-shattering matter. But now, with thousands upon thousands of corpses lying outside the city and dozens from the Zhuang Squad unaccounted for, two dead were not even worth asking about.

"Let the Village Elders handle it. The Zhuang Squad suffered heavy losses last night. The Fast Squad will still need to supply more men for the City Wall today."

He Xianya answered in a low voice but did not leave right away. When Pang Yu had returned last night, he had been shirtless, his Waist Saber and clothes all completely lost, his lips blue and his whole body shivering — a rather wretched sight. He had warmed himself by the fire in the West Gate Tower for half a shichen before recovering. Throughout that time, whenever anyone returned, Pang Yu would tally how many were still missing. He had barely slept all night.

The Zhuang Squad's losses were heavy, but the night raid's effect had not been bad either. He Xianya was about to offer his second brother some words of consolation, but before he could open his mouth, the sound of horns rang out from another of the Sweeping King's camps.

A long column marched out from the camp, heading in the direction of the South Wall.

Watching that column, Pang Yu said, "The Roving Bandits still intend to assault the city. Signal the Bell Tower and have the bell rung to alert the whole city to stand ready."

Beneath the low, overcast clouds, the column emerging from the Sweeping King's camp drew closer. Pang Yu studied it carefully and, to his surprise, saw hardly any weapons, nor any siege equipment like bamboo ladders or tables. Scattered around the column's perimeter were some red-clad Roving Bandits, all armed with blades and spears, looking as if they were guarding the column in the middle.

As they drew nearer, he saw that the middle consisted of over a thousand common folk, being herded toward the South Wall by the surrounding Roving Bandits.

Pang Yu frowned and watched for a moment, then turned, went to the Grass Depot behind him, and retrieved two Fire Thunder pots, placing them on the Arrow Crenel. The other Community Soldiers and constables also hurriedly placed stones, Grey Jars, Fire Pots, and other implements within easy reach.

The atmosphere atop the wall was, surprisingly, not tense. Today's scale was several orders of magnitude smaller than yesterday's, and with no siege equipment whatsoever, it seemed utterly powerless. Visually alone, it carried no impact, so naturally, no one felt fear.

The crowd slowly approached. Discussions buzzed atop the City Wall. A few people recognized relatives from outside the city among them and began shouting. Those thousand-plus people were all common folk captured from the vicinity of Tongcheng.

Yang Erming was on the South Wall at that moment. He said to Pang Yu in astonishment, "Why are the Roving Bandits herding commoners here? Could it be they want to exchange them for silver?"

Pang Yu shook his head. "I fear they want the commoners to dig at the wall. Nothing but a despicable trick."

Yang Erming said in alarm, "Then what is to be done?"

"My lord, anyone who damages the wall is an enemy of Tongcheng, no matter who they are." Having said this, Pang Yu shouted to those around him, "Archers, Medicine Crossbowmen, prepare."

"But how can this official give the order to slaughter the people under his governance?"

By now, the crowd had reached ten zhang from the City Wall. The red-clad Roving Bandits followed behind them, propping up leftover door planks from the ground as cover. With bows, arrows, swords, and spears aimed at the commoners, they drove them onward.

Among them, an old man suddenly stopped and kowtowed toward the wall. "Fellow countrymen on the wall, by all means, do not attack! The Thousand Years has ordered each of us to take two bricks. Once we take them, our lives will be spared! Everyone, please, show mercy."

Below the wall, a swath of people immediately knelt, kowtowing repeatedly toward the walltop.

Someone on the wall shouted, "Then run for it! At least some of you can get away."

The old man replied, "These Thousand Years have detained our children and grandchildren in the camp. How would we dare flee? We can only beg our fellow villagers for understanding."

Yang Erming gripped the Arrow Crenel with his hand and murmured, "Utterly devoid of conscience. What is to be done? What is to be done?"

Pang Yu said coldly, "Have the archers loose their arrows."

He Xianya bellowed, "Loose!"

On the City Wall, some Community Soldiers shouted in protest. The archers and Medicine Crossbowmen looked around at each other, momentarily not daring to shoot.

Seeing that the walltop had not attacked, the commoners below began slowly rising and walking toward the City Wall. Some even picked up iron chisels left on the ground, preparing to pry out the city bricks.

Silence fell over the walltop. The Community Soldiers all looked at Yang Erming. Yang Erming kept gazing down at the wall and did not speak.

Mr. Sun, at his side, breathed nervously for a moment, then drew close to Yang Erming and said in a low voice, "Tongcheng has six gates. My lord still has five gates left to inspect. None can be neglected. This place can be left to Constable Pang."

Yang Erming turned his head to look at Mr. Sun. Seeing the urgent look on Mr. Sun's face, he knew he could not allow those people to dig at the wall. But he also dared not give the order to attack. Leaving the South Gate would allow him to shift the responsibility for slaughtering fellow villagers onto Pang Yu, sparing Yang Erming from the impact this might have on his future official career. If someone seized on this point later, he could push Pang Yu forward to take the blame. But it seemed somewhat unfair to Pang Yu.

Pang Yu, seeing Yang Erming still hesitating, stepped forward and cupped his hands. "The East Gate is also under assault by Roving Bandits. I beg my lord to go and take command there. Leave this place to this humble one."

Yang Erming looked at Pang Yu twice, then finally turned and headed for the City Stairs.

The moment his figure disappeared, Pang Yu drew his Waist Saber and strode toward the nearest Medicine Crossbowman.

Everyone nearby looked at Pang Yu. The Medicine Crossbowman, seeing Pang Yu's ferocious momentum, involuntarily retreated a step and pressed back against the battlements.

Lifting his waist saber to point at the Medicine Crossbowman, the tip only inches from his face, Pang Yu stared into his eyes and said, "I'll count to three. If your crossbow still hasn't hit anyone, I'll kill you first. One, two!"