Chapter 329: Mountain Pass

The bridge over Erlang River was a clamor of voices. Xiao Wazi watched the passing crowd from a li downstream. This camp head had come from Huangmei, but the boy hadn't seen their banner and didn't yet know which master they belonged to. Yesterday evening, Cao Cao had arrived from the direction of Chenhan Mountain and camped right at the Mountain Pass. This morning, Cao Cao led the Old Camp onward first, already heading to Fengjiadu to join the siege. The Servants and Family Dependents followed behind them. All through the day, columns had been passing through Erlang Town.

He'd heard from Liu Long Family that several more camp heads were still behind. In any case, this Combined Camp was huge in scale. Once they crushed that force of Government Troops at Fengjiadu, there would be nothing left to block them around Anqing. Every faction was hoping to rest and regroup here, then plunder the still-prosperous heartland of Anqing.

A few joyful shouts rang out from the river. Xiao Wazi quickly turned back to look. The riverbank was packed with people hauling all kinds of fishing nets. A few of them had just pulled up a net with two fish caught in it. Looking closer, he saw they were his own Servants. One of them was that Wang Dashan he'd just taken in. It seemed he'd been telling the truth about knowing how to catch fish.

Xiao Wazi felt a surge of Excitement. He'd walked along the Yangtze River bank a few times — rivers and lakes were everywhere. This region of Jiangbei was rich in aquatic resources. This year, the army was desperately short on grain. Whenever they camped near water, everyone hoped to get some meat from it. But it always turned out the same way: there were more people in the river than fish, nets everywhere, and in the end, most people came away empty-handed.

Among the Roving Bandits, each person's power depended on their own ability to protect it. When they broke into a Dacheng, supplies were plentiful, and the Post Commander might distribute some. But right now, every Long Family was short on supplies. Second Locust had his own people to feed. As a young Team Leader, Xiao Wazi had never had many Servants. In Henan, he'd had seven. During the flight through Huguang, he'd been allotted four more. But after circling back to Huangmei and staying there a while, three had starved to death. At Susong, he'd taken in Wang Dashan and his wife, so for now he had ten.

Only a little grain remained. Xiao Wazi himself could only eat one meal a day lately. His Servants ate once every three days. If he wanted to maintain the size of his servant retinue, he needed to get more supplies. The Susong area was utterly devastated, grain production nearly at a standstill. Everyone was waiting to wipe out that force of Government Troops so they could plunder the grain-producing regions in the Anqing heartland. But given the current situation, those two fish might be enough to keep two of his Servants alive.

Catching two fish today was extremely precious. Xiao Wazi's Excitement hadn't yet faded when chaos suddenly erupted in the river. The other Servants nearby swarmed over, throwing Wang Dashan and his companions down onto the riverbank. A chaotic scramble followed. Xiao Wazi saw Wang Dashan screaming in terror, desperately trying to snatch back one of the fish. But the other Servants, driven mad by the sight of the catch, fought over it with countless hands. Wang Dashan vanished into the crowd in an instant. A moment later, two Servants burst out of the mob, clutching the fish tightly. The crowd chased after those two. Wang Dashan scrambled up miserably from the shallows, coughing up water without pause.

Xiao Wazi took two steps forward, his hand slowly settling on the hilt of his Sword. He was ready to take back the food his own Servants had fished out. A voice suddenly spoke beside him. "Xiao Wazi, let the Servants fight over what they fight over. We Long Family have to keep some face. Don't go down there and scuffle with the lowlies yourself."

Xiao Wazi turned his head to look. It was a Team Leader who also served under Second Locust. He didn't know the man's name, only his surname — Xu. He was a deserter from Henan who hadn't been here long. But because his riding skills were good, he'd quickly entered the Old Camp and was under Liu Wenxiu's command.

"Eight Master said it plainly: if you take a man to feed, you're responsible for his food and clothing. Naturally, you can't let others bully him either." Xiao Wazi stared coldly at Xu Guandui. "Today someone robs my Servant's fish. Tomorrow someone will come to seize our grain stores. What face would I, your old man, have left as a Long Family?"

Xu Guandui gave a dry laugh. "When your own Servant is useless and gets his things taken, a Long Family taking them back doesn't earn him any face either. That just breaks the Rules. Other Long Family might well feel obliged to take things back themselves. Damaging the goodwill between Long Family over a few fish — and if someone gets hurt, that's even worse."

Xiao Wazi fixed his eyes on him. "So the Servants who grabbed the fish belong to Xu Guandui. Old Camp Chief Liu's words were clear: what you get from outside depends on your own skill. In our Sentinel, theft and robbery are strictly forbidden. The one breaking the Rules isn't me, old man."

By now, the scramble at the riverbank was over. The two Servants, shielded by several accomplices, had kept their catch. Seeing no further opportunity, the others went back to casting their nets. Only Wang Dashan remained at the bank, weeping bitterly.

Xu Guandui's smile faded. "They are indeed my Servants. If you want to blame someone, blame your own Servant for not being able to fight for it. If you mean to draw your Sword and take it by force, I naturally can't stand by and do nothing either."

"Then let's not ask the Servants. We two Long Family will settle it directly." Xiao Wazi turned around to face Xu Guandui.

Xu Guandui glared fiercely at Xiao Wazi for a moment, then suddenly spat. Turning back to his horse, he took down a round Shield covered in cowhide and drew his Waist Saber with his other hand.

Xiao Wazi also fetched his own Shield. His round Shield was smaller than his opponent's, but also lighter. After securing it on his arm, he advanced slowly. Neither man rushed to attack. Xiao Wazi had spent years dancing with death. After escaping from Chuzhou last year, on the road to Henan, he'd fought and killed men over grain twice like this. His experience could be counted as ample.

Second Locust was not here at the moment. Some of the nearby Team Leaders saw what was happening and came over one after another to dissuade them, stepping between the two to separate them.

Liu Wenxiu disliked private duels within the Sentinel. The two men did not press the matter relentlessly. But Xiao Wazi had lost the fish after all, and he kept cursing under his breath. Just then, Wang Dashan came ashore hesitantly, his gaunt, emaciated body trembling without cease. He was covered in mud and water from head to toe and still wiping away tears.

Xiao Wazi looked at Wang Dashan with utter disgust. After a moment, a murderous glint appeared in his eyes. "Eight Master said that the people you feed have to be useful. You can't even hold onto a fish. I'll kill you and be done with it."

Wang Dashan didn't dare raise his head. He dropped to his knees with a thud. "This lowly one can dig up lotus roots... The ones now are all rotten, but in a few months when new ones grow, this lowly one can dig up lots. This lowly one can also swim. If Thousand Years wishes to learn, this lowly one can take Thousand Years out a few times and it will surely be done."

Xiao Wazi's eyes shifted several times. He recalled the scene at Puzikou. The General Officer of his current Sentinel, Liu Wenxiu, was a northerner, but his skill in the water was very good. That day at Fierce Tiger Bridge, when they were blocked by the Anqing Army, he hadn't seen where Liu Wenxiu went at the time. Only later did he learn that he'd swum across. If he himself could swim, he wouldn't have had to go to that bridge and face near-certain death. Now, with the north in complete ruin everywhere, the various camps were coming to Jiangbei more and more often. Even if they headed toward Sichuan, there were many rivers there too. Learning to swim would greatly increase his chances of staying alive.

Although he decided to spare Wang Dashan's life for now, Xiao Wazi's lingering anger had not subsided. He gave him a vicious kick. Wang Dashan didn't dare get up, lying on the ground sobbing quietly.

"What foul luck." Xiao Wazi cursed and was about to mount his horse when the sound of urgent hoofbeats came from the road to the south. Two Horse Soldiers in red came flying up to him at speed. Their horses were drenched in Sweat. The first one, seeing Team Leaders nearby, immediately called out a question. "Have you seen where Liu Long Family is?"

Xiao Wazi didn't answer him. The other Team Leaders all shook their heads. Xu Guandui lifted his Chin and said, "What's the matter that's got you in such a rush?"

"A bunch of Government Troops came by boat. They landed on the shore of that big lake to the south."

"How many troops?"

"Had to be Several Hundred at least. The whole lake was covered with boats."

Xiao Wazi stopped in his tracks and looked up at the Team Leader on horseback. "Mounted or infantry?"

"Not many on horseback. They're all on foot."

Hearing they were infantry, everyone let out a breath of relief. In their understanding, infantry meant they weren't Household Retainers, so their fighting strength was limited. Moreover, they were slow, so dealing with them wouldn't be hard.

"Did you see which way these Dog Officials' troops went?"

The Horse Soldier didn't want to be questioned so much by these Team Leaders. Impatiently, he said, "No time to watch. Has anyone seen Liu Long Family? Finding him to report is what matters."

By now, more Team Leaders had gathered, all asking each other for news. The scene was chaotic. Hearing the Horse Soldier's question, they all started answering at once. Some said Liu Wenxiu was inside the Camp Ground. Some said he was at the Mountain Pass. Some said he'd crossed the bridge to Huangmei to receive a new Camp Head. Others said he'd gone east to some shop or other.

According to the Western Camp's usual Rules, scouts reported directly to the Sentinel officers of each Sentinel, and the officers then reported to Eight Great Kings. But today, with the Combined Camp at Erlang Town, people were everywhere on both banks of the river. Even the Mountain Pass north of town was covered with camps. Because the main force was ahead on the post road, there were no warning signals at all around Erlang Town. So although Liu Wenxiu had set up a Camp, he had taken no precautions whatsoever. Even he himself was not in camp.

These Two Days, Liu Wenxiu had been constantly liaising with the follow-up camp heads and also had to send supplies forward to the West Camp Old Camp at Fengjiadu. The organizational work was extremely heavy. No one knew where he was at this moment.

"He took some of the old Post Commander and went toward the Mountain Pass." Xiao Wazi stepped forward and said to the Horse Soldier. "Second Chief went with him. He told me clearly when he left. Go look for him at the Mountain Pass."

Having gotten this information, the Horse Soldier hurriedly headed north. Everyone watched him go, then stayed where they were and started discussing. Most were guessing which Government Troops had come. Some among them guessed it was the Anqing Garrison Battalion — they'd come by boat at Puzikou too. They couldn't agree on the troops' identity, but their guesses about the purpose were more consistent: they were coming to rescue that force of Government Troops at Fengjiadu.

Xiao Wazi didn't join their discussion. Liu Wenxiu's Sentinel was considered part of Zhang Xianzhong's Old Camp, but it wasn't yet among the most core units. After the great battle at Chuzhou, they'd replenished with some new men. Xiao Wazi was the only one here who had personally witnessed the Garrison Battalion's landing. The vast, dense fleet of boats on the river had left a deep impression on him. Now that Government Troops had landed by boat here in the Anqing region, Xiao Wazi's gut guess was that it was the Anqing Garrison Battalion. From the moment these troops landed, to the bloody battle at Fierce Tiger Bridge, to the great battle by the Pure Stream River, he had witnessed this Jiangnan Army through it all. He knew their fighting strength surpassed that of common Government infantry. Their numbers also couldn't possibly be just Several Hundred. If it really was them, it would be no small trouble.

Xiao Wazi knew nothing of the roads and terrain around Susong. The Horse Soldier just now had said the Government Troops were heading toward the county town. Xiao Wazi thought they might indeed be going to rescue the surrounded troops. But he felt they might not necessarily succeed. With so many camp heads besieging them, and without that Commander Lu there, it would be best to wipe out the Garrison Battalion along with them.

At this thought, a fervent heat rose in his heart. After the Chuzhou battle, Xiao Wazi had heard that the General Officer of the Anqing Garrison Battalion was that yamen runner from Tongcheng. He'd been promoted to Garrison Commander for his merit in defending Tongcheng. The man who had killed his brother was surely in this very battalion. Xiao Wazi touched the hilt of his Sword, hoping to rush to the siege site and kill these Government Troops with his own hands.

The other Team Leaders, without this personal vendetta, were in a more relaxed mood. A force of Government infantry was still over thirty li away. No one was in a hurry to return to camp. They'd wait until Second Locust came to summon them.

Xiao Wazi was preoccupied with his own thoughts and still didn't join the discussion. He told Wang Dashan to go back to fishing and sat idly by himself outside the circle of Team Leaders. Only a short while passed before another Horse Soldier came from the south. They too had come from the direction of the big lake. He said the Government Troops had indeed headed for the county town, and there were also a few scouts.

Upon hearing the enemy had scouts, the atmosphere grew slightly tense. Two cautious Team Leaders called their Servants ashore to go back to camp and prepare weapons. After that, Horse Soldiers continued to return along the road one after another. The information about that force of Government Troops grew more and more detailed. Their numbers had swelled from several hundred to three thousand. Everyone began calling their Servants back to camp. Some Team Leaders even had their Servants saddle the horses.

As more and more Horse Soldiers returned, the reported number of Government Troops gradually became confused, with estimates ranging from two thousand to ten thousand. The news spread around the southern camps. But to the vast mass of people around the entire Erlang Town area, the news of the Government Troops' arrival was still completely unknown.

He anxiously awaited Liu Wenxiu's swift return so they could hurry off to join the siege of the Government Troops. Just then, another Horse Soldier came from the south. The crowd quickly stopped him. The Horse Soldier slowed his pace and shouted, "The Government Troops have reached Susong County Town! They have cannons — several cannons!"

Xiao Wazi was now certain that the ones coming were the Anqing Garrison Battalion. His heart was filled with both anxiety and tension. The first two Horse Soldiers had left quite a while ago. He had heard neither a Drum Sounding nor anyone coming to relay orders. Clearly, they hadn't found Liu Wenxiu, nor had they found the great banner. And High Shine was already dead.

His mood growing more and more anxious, Xiao Wazi couldn't help but tug at his collar to make his neck more comfortable. As he twisted his head, his eyes suddenly stopped on the Erlang Bridge not far away. The scene at Fierce Tiger Bridge surfaced again in his Memory. Xiao Wazi stood frozen. It abruptly came back to him — a few days ago, High Shine had been dragged into the water. Liu Wenxiu had flown into a thunderous rage over it and beheaded High Shine's guards on the spot. The Post Commander of every faction had turned out in force, and in the end, they'd found High Shine's body downstream on the opposite bank. There were signs he'd been interrogated under duress.

High Shine was dead. The news had spread through the entire camp. There were all sorts of rumors, most of them about Water Demons. These Two Days, no one dared go to the deep water downstream. If it weren't for the real lack of grain, they wouldn't even have come to the nearby riverbank to forage for food. After Second Locust returned, he'd calmed everyone down and guessed it was Government scouts. But even so, no one had ever imagined the Government Troops would attack this place, because the various camp heads had already blocked the post road ahead. The Government Troops were all besieged over there.

Now that the Garrison Battalion had suddenly appeared, could the ones who captured High Shine have been the Garrison Battalion's Night-Not-Returning scouts? They hadn't just randomly caught High Shine — they'd been probing the true situation at Erlang Town. This bridge might be their most favored target. A numbing tingle spread across Xiao Wazi's forehead. He stared at the Erlang Bridge ahead and murmured, "They're coming here..."

Erlang Town, following the post road east and west, was densely packed with camps. To besiege the Government Troops ahead, every Camp Head had taken away their Old Camp, Horse Soldiers, and their best infantry. All that remained in the camps were Family Dependents and Servants. The crowd was dense and chaotic. Xiao Wazi didn't understand theory, but years of experience naturally made him grasp that if this place were attacked, it would surely trigger a massive catastrophe.

He still saw no mustering of men in the camp. Only some Post Commander nearby were assembling their own Team Leaders. In the camps of other Camp Heads farther away, everything was as usual. Many starving Servants lay sprawled haphazardly in the fields. Horses were still grazing and Drinking, not even their tack fitted. The entire Erlang Town was still almost completely unguarded. And the latest Horse Soldier to return had seen the Government Troops reach the county town before he left. During the time it took him to get back here, the Government Troops had naturally also been marching. The distance was no longer far. Cold sweat beaded on Xiao Wazi's back, soaking through his clothes before he even realized it.

"They're going to strike here!" Xiao Wazi shouted. The other Team Leaders stared at him in shock, not understanding what he meant.

"All of you, go find Liu Long Family! The Government Troops are coming to this town!" Xiao Wazi waved his arm violently. Not caring whether they understood or not, he leaped onto his horse at lightning speed and bolted toward the Mountain Pass. All the way, he swung his riding crop, lashing at anyone blocking the road. Even Team Leaders in his way got whipped just the same. It even drew two men to chase after him on horseback.

He couldn't be bothered with any of that. After passing through Erlang Town, he galloped two li along the riverbank. Once he rounded the slope on the right, a wide expanse of flat wilderness opened up ahead. The road from Guangji cut through the layered mountains, passed Chenhan Mountain, followed the Sanxi River, and reached this flat wilderness known as the Mountain Pass, finally merging into the post road at Erlang Town. The Sanxi River also converged here to form the Erlang River.

Xiao Wazi stared blankly at this Mountain Pass. The flat wilderness, ten li wide and five li deep, was filled with camps as far as the eye could see. Looking out, there was only a jumbled mess of shanties. Tens of thousands of people were interspersed among them. It was even more chaotic than when he'd come yesterday. It must be because Cao Cao's Servants and Family Dependents had been added. Finding Liu Wenxiu in this situation was like searching for a needle in the sea.

"Receiving the camp heads on the road." Xiao Wazi wiped away a handful of Sweat. He lashed out madly with his crop at the people on the road, squeezed his legs against the horse's flanks to speed up, and raced north along the road.