Chapter 264: Wild Ferry

On the riverbed south of Physics Bridge, Pang Yu spurred his horse through a lingering pool; its hooves splashed up red water, and a thick stench of blood drifted in the air. From the site of the great formation just now all the way to the riverbed, corpses of every color lay strewn, nearly blotting out the very hue of the earth.

Countless wounded writhed and wailed on the ground; a few who had recovered slightly struggled to their feet. Government infantry in red coats were scattered across the battlefield, chasing down those who stood and hacking them to death, while masterless horses bolted blindly about.

Guo Fengyou was not far behind, straining to hold a horse's reins. After a brief struggle the horse submitted to him, and now Pang Yu had three mounted personal attendants. On the way back from the ferry crossing to Physics Bridge, those signalmen and drummers had long since vanished.

Lu Xiangsheng's great banner had just crossed the bridge. Pang Yu reined in his horse's head — this was not the moment to see Lu Xiangsheng. With the Roving Bandits utterly routed, Lu Xiangsheng would surely be busy pressing the victory. A glance at the corpses around Physics Bridge told him this was the most significant victory over the Roving Bandits since last year, one that might reverse the situation in the Central Plains in a single stroke.

Compared to Lu Xiangsheng, with his full complement of signalmen, drums, and banners, Pang Yu had fought in utter disarray. Not only had he lost all his baggage and banners, but his artillery had been nearly wiped out.

Around Physics Bridge, only a one-sided slaughter of scattered bandit foot soldiers by government troops remained. The Garrison Battalion's men were nowhere in sight; they had surely pursued the bandits across the river and into the bandit camp west of Physics Bridge.

For Pang Yu, the most urgent task now was to find his own troops. He spurred his horse up the western riverbank. Not far off, every kind of crude shack spread out before him, red flames flickering among them, columns of smoke rising through the camp. Tens of thousands of the bandits' family dependents were shrieking and fleeing in all directions, pursued and beaten by government soldiers in red padded jackets.

Amid this scene of utter chaos, Pang Yu had no choice but to stop, pull out his telescope, and sweep it slowly, searching for the banners of the First Division and the Second Division.

Smoke blurred his view. Pang Yu looked for a long while before finally spotting one Garrison Battalion military flag, then a second. The two divisions seemed to be half a li apart already, and Pang Yu noticed that some Garrison Battalion squads had also separated from their Banner Captain flags.

Pang Yu, sword in hand, rode through the dense cluster of shacks. Corpses littered the ground everywhere; more and more shacks were being set alight, and visibility was poor in every direction. Guo Fengyou and the other two guarded him, ceaselessly cutting down refugees who drew near, though now and then a fleeing refugee would burst frantically from between the shacks and crash into Pang Yu's mount.

Ming Army soldiers in groups chased and hacked everywhere. Many clutched bundles stuffed with all manner of valuables. These Ming soldiers did not even bother to make way when they saw Pang Yu, continuing to rummage on their own for precious items.

Pang Yu, his nerves taut, carefully maneuvered his mount, pursuing in a rough direction through the chaotic camp.

After skirting a stretch of burning shacks, Pang Yu emerged from the smoke and at last saw the first soldier of the Garrison Battalion. The soldier wore the Garrison Battalion's distinctive round helmet, his whole body bathed in blood as he raised a heavy javelin, roaring and stabbing at two bandits on the ground.

Pang Yu halted his horse five paces away and bellowed, "Which division?"

The soldier acted as if he had not heard, stabbing wildly at the ground on his own, a scene of flying flesh and blood. Nearby, a terrified refugee struggled to his feet and stumbled away northward. The soldier raised his javelin and chased after him, vanishing among the shacks.

Guo Fengyou rode up two steps and took a protective position beside Pang Yu. Ahead and to the right, Pang Yu saw more Garrison Battalion soldiers. They were chasing bandits with no formation whatsoever; some spear soldiers in iron armor leaned on their spear shafts, gasping for breath.

Pang Yu approached cautiously in that direction. Fortunately, that banner had been flying high all along. Following it, Pang Yu finally spotted Yao Dongshan. The First Division's Banner Captain had lost his helmet, and his hair was matted into strips by dried blood.

"Yao Dongshan, what are you doing? The First Division is scattered everywhere!" Pang Yu, furious, roared at him. "Assemble your men at once."

Yao Dongshan stood stunned for a moment before realizing his superior officer had arrived. He spun around looking for a while and finally found his own signalman. The clanging sound of the gong rang out, and First Division infantry gradually began returning to the banner.

Only now did Pang Yu feel a sliver of safety. After catching his breath a moment, he ordered Guo Fengyou, "Go find Wang Zenglu. Tell him to assemble his troops, including the Ninth Company."

The gong continued to sound. More and more First Division soldiers gathered around; officers shouted, reassigning the men back into their units.

Pang Yu's face was grim. In his heart, some regret stirred. The Garrison Battalion was not a mature force, and its command structure was especially thin. As a commander, going personally to rescue the Seventh Company had been an impulsive decision. In that brief time, the Garrison Battalion had lost its command, and its organization had been thrown into chaos.

Battle cries still shook the heavens around them. Not far off, a Liao Army cavalry unit of several hundred had just passed, attacking toward the northwest. The nearby bandits, seeing a large cluster of soldiers, all veered away and fled. Ming infantry in padded jackets came and went all around, paying no heed to this several-hundred-strong Garrison Battalion, intent only on their own looting — some of them even low-ranking officers.

This was a far cry from the grand battle Pang Yu had imagined. While fighting raged fiercely all around, the Garrison Battalion was here assembling its ranks. He waited a full quarter of an hour, yet the First Division still numbered only a hundred or so men. Yao Dongshan could only send men out again to summon them.

Instead, it was Guo Fengyou who found Wang Zenglu, and with him came Chen Rulie and Chen Yuwang.

Wang Zenglu cupped his hands. "Greetings, my lord."

Pang Yu turned to Wang Zenglu. "Your troops are not scattered everywhere."

"Replying to my lord, the Second Division's three companies all advanced according to regulation, maintaining the banner team as the smallest unit. After receiving your lordship's order, assembly was completed."

Pang Yu cast a cold look at Yao Dongshan. Yao Dongshan hastily lowered his head. With all the First Division men present, Pang Yu did not rebuke him.

"That guide — has anyone seen him?"

Wang Zenglu quickly said, "He has been with your subordinate the whole time."

"Call him over. The Second Division will rest and reorganize on the spot. Order the Ninth Company to come here immediately."

By the time Wang Zenglu brought the Ninth Company and the guide over, the First Division had mustered roughly two hundred men. Many had lost their helmets; some carried scavenged weapons. The formation was utterly disordered. The Ninth Company was in far better shape, maintaining its full organization and formation — it could be considered Pang Yu's most intact unit at the moment.

Pang Yu had no time to speak with the others. He summoned the guide at once. "The Roving Bandits have fled from here in defeat. Where can they go?"

The guide, having taken part in such a great battle, still wore rather clean clothes and showed no sign of panic. He came over and saluted with polished courtesy. "This humble one just saw several bandit chieftains' banners, all heading northwest. They must be taking the official road we merchants use, passing through Pure Stream Pass and Zhulong Bridge toward Dingyuan. Apart from that, all roads are difficult. To go from here to Pure Stream Pass, one must first cross the West Stream; the nearest bridge is Black Rabbit Bridge."

Pang Yu drew out his telescope and looked northwest. The view was a sea of people — not only fleeing bandits, but pursuing government cavalry as well. His own Garrison Battalion could only follow behind and eat their dust.

"Is there another road that can reach Pure Stream Pass?"

The guide narrowed his eyes, lifted his head, and said composedly, "This humble one has traveled far and wide, north and south, and naturally knows. From here, going west, there is Yedu Bridge. Though the road is narrower, one can still cross the West Stream. Beyond the bridge, there is a path to Guanshan."

Pang Yu gave an "Oh," and after a moment's thought said to Wang Zenglu, "I will take the First Division and the Ninth Company. You have full authority here, including the Eighth Company, the Marine Corps, the Personal Guard Unit, and all Garrison Battalion personnel remaining in Chuzhou. Find the bandits' main camp; collect those valuable supplies on the battlefield — horses first. Then use the horses to load supplies: gold, silver, cloth, and the like. Best if every soldier can get two or three horses. Afterward, pull back to White Armor Bridge and set camp."

"Your subordinate understands. I will send someone at once to inform Banner Captain Zhuang at River East."

Pang Yu nodded. Originally, he had planned to leave Yao Dongshan on the battlefield, but after seeing the First Division's condition, he felt Yao Dongshan still lacked the ability to handle things on his own. Now Wang Zenglu had immediately thought of contacting Zhuang Chaozheng — that showed a commander's awareness, which put Pang Yu slightly at ease.

He glanced behind Chen Rulie: only a dozen or so cavalry remained. Chen Yuwang's cavalry also had only twenty riders left.

Pang Yu cupped his hands toward Chen Yuwang. "The bandits' horse soldiers have all fled. Only servants remain in the camp. Would Lord Chen be willing to join me in pursuing those bandit chieftains?"

……

"Lord Pang, look over there — that is Wild Ferry Nunnery. Wei Yingwu's line 'Spring tides bring rain, swift as evening falls; at the wild ferry, an unmanned boat drifts crosswise' was written about this very place. In spring and summer, it's thronged with visitors. Good that the Roving Bandits haven't burned it."

Pang Yu gave the guide a rather strange look. This tour guide was certainly diligent, still remembering to introduce scenic spots at a time like this. If not for that ancient-style clothing, Pang Yu suspected he might even lead him inside Wild Ferry Nunnery to shop.

He had no interest in Wild Ferry Nunnery. Fortunately, Yedu Bridge was still there. There were also quite a few fleeing bandits in the vicinity, but this place was several li from Physics Bridge. Many bandits, after fleeing for their lives, had already collapsed from exhaustion. Seeing the Garrison Battalion approach, they could only barely stumble a little way off the road. Some old and weak refugees simply lay by the roadside, offering no resistance, looking as if they were waiting for the soldiers to take their heads.

The Garrison Battalion soldiers paid these people no heed, pressing on toward Yedu Bridge at a forced march pace. This Yedu Bridge was a wooden bridge. Presumably, Wei Yingwu's poem had drawn considerable traffic, and it had indeed developed into a scenic spot. The ferry crossing could no longer meet the demands of the new situation, so this bridge had been built — but the essence of the wild ferry was lost. Pang Yu felt there had been a problem with the necessity argument for this bridge.

But for Pang Yu, this bridge was very necessary. Black Rabbit Bridge on the official road was already jammed full of bandits and government troops. Thanks to this bridge, Pang Yu could quickly cross the West Stream and pursue those defeated bandit horse soldiers.

"After crossing Yedu Bridge, which road goes to Pure Stream Pass?"

"The road on the left is the one. That pavilion by the roadside is Youcao Pavilion, also from Wei Yingwu: 'Alone I love the secluded grass growing by the stream; above, an oriole sings deep in the trees.'" The guide narrowed his eyes and shook his head with an air of savoring the memory.

Hearing this, Pang Yu instinctively glanced at a large tree beside him and felt a twinge of disappointment seeing no oriole there. He had never been here in his previous life, and even if he had, he would not recognize these places. The terrain west of Chuzhou had changed greatly over several centuries; because a reservoir had been built, the West Stream watershed had become West Lake, while Wild Ferry Nunnery and Youcao Pavilion had long since been destroyed in modern warfare.

Pang Yu studied him curiously. This tour guide was a small merchant, seemingly somewhat educated, but he had certainly never seen battle. Yesterday he had nearly lost his life; today, right from the start, he had witnessed a great battle involving hundreds of thousands, watching corpses pile the ground — yet he was completely unaffected, still acting as if he were sightseeing, while explaining the roads and terrain with perfect clarity. Either he was uniquely gifted or possessed an extraordinary natural courage.

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, Pang Yu would have found it hard to believe such a person existed. But looking back, it was not just luck. When they had recruited guides at Puzikou, everyone knew they were going after hundreds of thousands of Roving Bandits. Puzikou was a city of tens of thousands, with no fewer than several thousand traveling merchants on the roads, yet fewer than ten had come to volunteer. Anyone who was not this type of person probably would not have dared to come at all.

At this thought, Pang Yu could not help asking again, "Then where do you think the bandit horse soldiers will camp tonight?"

"The soldiers at that pass city are all Green-Skins making up the numbers. When the Roving Thieves attacked, they surely handed the bandit spawn an empty city. The Roving Thieves will naturally occupy Pure Stream Pass." The guide frowned for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands. "The Roving Bandits are a mere rabble; they will never sacrifice themselves to cover the rear. The Chuzhou official road cuts straight through Guanshan — from south to north, for fifteen li, there is only this one road. Only after crossing Zhulong Bridge can one be considered out of danger. The bandit chieftains will certainly spend the night at Zhulong Bridge."

Pang Yu pondered for a moment. Pure Stream Pass was something the two guides had mentioned repeatedly before — a place of sheer thousand-ren cliffs, with only a single official road passing through, a ready-made pass city.

In theory, as long as the Garrison Battalion cut off the southern exit of the Guanshan road, they could trap the bandits. But the Garrison Battalion had no baggage or supplies whatsoever. If they spent a night stationed in the bitter cold wilderness, probably fewer than half would remain by morning.

The Garrison Battalion had also fought fiercely all day; they absolutely needed a place to spend the night. He turned to Yao Dongshan beside him. "We must reach Pure Stream Pass before nightfall and cut off the bandits' escape route. The First Division will force-march along the road. Do not leave the road to pursue bandits. We are racing the bandits on foot — the sooner we arrive, the more bandits we can trap."

With that, Pang Yu turned to Chen Rulie. "Don't wait for the infantry. Continue with Lord Chen as the vanguard. As long as Pure Stream Pass can be passed, you must pursue all the way to Zhulong Bridge today. If I have not caught up by tomorrow morning, pursue on your own with Lord Chen. The Roving Bandits have lost their nerve after this great defeat — chase boldly and cut them down."

Chen Rulie answered and crossed the bridge, heading off with Chen Yuwang along the left-side road. Pang Yu drew a breath, turned to the guide, and said, "From this moment on, you will stay by my side."