Chapter 354: Alone

In the early morning of the twenty-fifth day of the fourth month, the first sliver of light reached the land, outlining the corpses strewn across the battlefield of Chemah.

"What a sin!"

In the mountain region northwest of Tufeng Fort, Tang Ershuan forced his eyes open, pinched his own calf hard, and finally roused a bit of mental spirit. He scratched at his neck, which was covered in welts left by mosquito and insect bites. The campfire at the road junction ahead had burned down to a few ashes, but thankfully the sky was brightening, so there was no need to add more firewood.

Since setting out from Erlang Town, Tang Ershuan had slept only an hour in total, and that was only by privately rotating sentry duty with a comrade guarding the same junction. The Company Commander's order was that no one was to rest, but Tang Ershuan had personally seen the Centurion sneak in some sleep too. It was just that the Garrison Inspector soldiers patrolled closely, so even that hour had been split into two naps.

As the first division in the entire ying to reach full strength, the Land Combat Division's combat assignments were always very saturated. Pang Yu had moved them back and forth across various places in Anqing — they took boats when going downstream and walked when going upstream. Most of the missions were indeed land combat, and this landing at Chang'an Port was true to the name.

In yesterday's Battle of Chemah, the Land Combat Division had originally been placed on the second line and suffered almost no losses in the initial phase. Later, they engaged in a chaotic melee with the Old Camp of the Roving Bandits that had broken through the First Division's battle line, and casualties rapidly mounted. Tang Ershuan's company alone had over thirty dead and wounded. After the Roving Bandits collapsed, the Land Combat Division split into two parts. One part pursued Cao Cao's Old Camp northwest, chasing them almost to Mountain Pass, and then set up sentry posts along the mountain path.

Tang Ershuan's Banner Team's sentry post was positioned in the middle section, at a rural road intersection. The three Squads were further divided to smaller junctions along a north-south line. Too many Roving Bandits had fled from Chemah. Defeated and fleeing for their lives, they ran desperately north, thinking only of evading the Government Troops. They hid in the mountain forests until evening before starting to look for a direction. These men lacked food and clothing at night and were unfamiliar with the terrain, scurrying about like headless flies. Some even blundered into the road junctions heading from west to east.

When captured in the first half of the night, these Roving Bandits still tried to flee. By the second half of the night, most had exhausted their strength. A single shout would make them collapse to the ground immediately. Tang Ershuan couldn't even drag them up. His sentry post alone captured over three hundred men, to be escorted away after daybreak.

A cannon shot rang out from the direction of Mountain Pass to the west. Tang Ershuan's whole body tensed, but then he remembered it was probably their own Small Cannon. After the first shot, many more followed in succession, so dense it seemed all the ying's cannons had gone to the Mountain Pass direction.

Everyone else in the Squad was standing up to look. Squad Leader Lu Pioneer gave a brief instruction and ran off to where the Banner Commander was. After a moment, he ran back and said, "The Centurion just came to say that the Personal Guard Division, the Third Division, and the Cavalry Division are attacking Mountain Pass. One company of the Land Combat Division is tying them down from the east side. Our company isn't going. If Mountain Pass is taken, the Roving Bandits in these mountains will have nowhere to run."

Tang Ershuan responded with an "Oh." He couldn't quite figure out the relationship between Mountain Pass and the Roving Bandits in the mountains anyway, but since the Centurion said so, then that must be how it was.

"Pang Yu's military order: today, the Land Combat Division and the First Division are to search the mountain forests. They must thoroughly clear out the Roving Bandits hiding in the mountains, especially those bandit chieftains. I'll say it again: the great bandit chieftains of all camps, all Sentinels, the Precious Banner, and the High Shine all count as bandit chieftains. Post Commander and team leaders only count as Old Bandits. Servants only count as Bandit Spawn. But don't kill indiscriminately. The Garrison Inspector officers and Clerk Officers are all watching. What was killed yesterday is done, but today, capture if you can. Anyone without a weapon is not to be killed..."

What Lu Pioneer said was all stuff they had heard repeated over and over last night. Although Tang Ershuan had a poor memory, he knew the gist of it. After finishing the mission briefing, Lu Pioneer detailed one man to fetch water, and the Squad began eating breakfast. The Fire Soldier had been reassigned, so no one was responsible for cooking. Everyone could only roast the Steamed Cakes they carried over the remaining campfires, each wolfing down their food.

The cannon fire from the west continued. When they were halfway through eating, Tang Ershuan suddenly saw the Banner Commander sprinting over from the north. The Squad knew something was up and all stood up.

"Third Squad caught a Post Commander who says the Sweeping King is on this mountain." The Banner Commander stopped, pointed at the hill to the northeast, and said while panting, "One man every five paces. No one leaves their post a single step unless they see a Roving Bandit. Even if you have to piss or shit, you do it right there on the path for me. Don't let a single Roving Bandit escape."

He finished speaking and kept running. The Squad immediately burst into discussion. Roughly eighty percent of the Garrison Battalion were Anqing locals. The Sweeping King had a notorious, vicious reputation from his invasion in the Chongzhen Eighth Year. He had a hand in the massacres at Qianshan, Taihu, and Susong. Especially Susong County Town — that was almost entirely the Sweeping King's doing alone. He even burned the houses down before leaving. It could be said there was no one in Anqing who didn't know of him. Among the Anqing men in the Garrison Battalion, the vast majority had relatives or friends who died at his hands. He could be considered Anqing's number one mortal enemy.

Lu Pioneer dared not delay and hurriedly made arrangements. "You two who can shoot arrows, take the third and eighth positions. Tang Ershuan, your Throwing Axe is accurate, so you're on the outermost edge. If you see any Roving Bandits, yell loudly. The two Squad Leaders are at the two ends, I'm in the middle..."

Tang Ershuan took his position at the northernmost point. To his left was a man from another Squad. By now the sky was fully bright. He looked up at that mountain. It wasn't very tall, but it was covered in trees. If the Sweeping King was hiding inside, too few men wouldn't be able to catch him.

"Might as well burn him out with fire," Tang Ershuan was just thinking, when the Banner Commander ran back again, shouting along the small path, "Company Commander's military order: the Land Combat Division must capture the Sweeping King. Whoever lets him get away will be punished for disobeying a military order."

Hearing "disobeying a military order," Tang Ershuan quickly roused his mental spirit. Disobeying orders on the battlefield meant beheading. His drowsiness vanished in an instant. Their blockade line was very thin. Behind them was another hill, equally covered in trees. Maintaining a blockade line like this was far more difficult than guarding a road junction. Tang Ershuan drew his Waist Saber, thought for a moment, then took his Rattan Shield off his back. Fully armed, he stared nervously at the tree line.

Shouts rang out sporadically from other places. Whenever someone was spotted trying to cross the blockade line, the Banner Commander would lead men to provide support. After capture, they weren't escorted to the assembly point like during the night. Instead, they were carefully tied up and then sent to the road junction.

New Land Combat soldiers kept arriving at the road junction, assembling nearby. Clearly, the Company Commander was transferring men from every direction. Once the blockade line was reinforced, they would begin searching the mountain.

Lu Pioneer was clearly very nervous too. He constantly checked his Squad's positions, running back and forth between the two ends. When he stopped at Tang Ershuan's spot, his head was covered in sweat.

The man sent for water hadn't returned yet. Tang Ershuan offered his Coconut Ladle. There was still a bit of water left inside.

Lu Pioneer waved his hand and didn't take it. He said to Tang Ershuan, "Brother Tang, we absolutely must keep a sharp watch. We dare not let the Sweeping King slip away from our section."

"Even if he runs, he still won't have any soldiers left."

"What Pang Yu wants is the bandit chieftain." Lu Pioneer said resentfully, "This is the Sweeping King. Three of my relatives were killed by him."

Tang Ershuan looked at the mountain path. "If he just stays hidden and doesn't come out, how do we find him?"

"He can't hide. Pang Yu is attacking Mountain Pass. Once the Bandit Spawn over there flee, the bandit chieftains trapped here will have no way out. If he goes through the mountains alone, he'll starve to death, or a tiger will eat him. He'll definitely try to reach Mountain Pass today. We must catch him. We can't let the First Division capture him."

"Isn't it all the same no matter who catches him?"

"If the Land Combat Division catches him, it's naturally different. Brother Tang, listen to me on this. Your skill is the best and you run the fastest. Today you must help me keep an extra watch. You'll earn great merit too."

Tang Ershuan didn't say much more. This Lu Pioneer had gone from being his subordinate to his superior, but he had always been very polite to him, calling him Brother Tang in private. He was willing to help this Squad Leader.

Lu Pioneer finished speaking and hurried off again. Tang Ershuan concentrated intently. On the mountain, he occasionally glimpsed figures darting past, and there were shouts, but for the moment, no one continued to charge down the mountain.

The Land Combat soldiers arriving around them gradually increased in number. Some were being moved north to extend the blockade line. The rest were filling in the blockade line. Tang Ershuan figured that once there were enough men, they would search the mountain from west to east. That way they could block the escape direction while capturing people along the way.

Another volley of cannon fire came from the direction of Mountain Pass. The sound traveled through the channels between the hills, carrying a faint echo.

Suddenly, there was a burst of shouting from the south. Then the shouts grew louder and louder, mixed with the sound of blades and spears clashing. Tang Ershuan turned his head to look. A group of people were fighting over there. Anyone who could still break out in a group at this point was very likely a bandit chieftain. Tang Ershuan gripped his saber hilt, waiting for the order to support.

"Roving Bandits! Go help!" Lu Pioneer shouted from the middle position, waving for the men around him to follow as he rushed south. He turned his head and yelled at Tang Ershuan, "Squad Leader Tang, your Squad of Five stays!"

Tang Ershuan had no choice but to stop. The men from the Squad to the north all rushed past him in a flurry. On this stretch of several dozen paces, only his five men remained.

"Squad Leader, we should spread out more."

A soldier shouted at him. Tang Ershuan looked left and right. The gap was indeed too large. Just as he was thinking about what distance to position his men, there was a twanging sound from the grass and trees at the tree line, and several arrows came flying swiftly.

Tang Ershuan reacted extremely fast. The moment he heard the bowstring, he shrank his body and raised his left arm. The Rattan Shield made a thudding sound, and he felt a powerful impact on his arm. From that feeling, Tang Ershuan could confirm it was an Armor-Piercing Awl. Generally, only Roving Bandits who came from the Border Army used those. The ones coming were definitely Old Bandits.

Two miserable cries rang out beside him. Tang Ershuan saw two of his soldiers fall flat on their backs. One of them, who had been holding a Trident-Halberd, was shot in the leg. He quickly crouched down slightly, straightened his Rattan Shield, and peered out from its edge. The grass and trees rustled, and five men burst out.

A soldier nearby shouted loudly to the south, "Roving Bandits are trying to escape!"

The fighting to the south was at its fiercest. No one responded. Two Roving Bandits halted their steps and shot two more arrows. The other three continued to flee. Tang Ershuan braced his Rattan Shield and took an arrow head-on, then strode forward to meet the several men.

The Land Combat soldiers to the south could return as reinforcements at any moment. The several Roving Bandits clearly had no heart for a fight. The three in front didn't pause for a moment, bypassing Tang Ershuan and heading straight for the mountain forest ahead. The two Roving Bandits behind had been delayed by shooting their arrows. They hadn't expected this single Government Troop soldier to dare come at them, and they clearly hesitated for a moment.

The Government Troop soldier before them advanced, bracing his Rattan Shield. The two men fumbled hurriedly to draw arrows. Suddenly, the soldier's Rattan Shield shifted, and then his arm flashed. A Throwing Axe flew out swiftly, striking the chest of the Roving Bandit at the very back dead center.

With a muffled thud, that Roving Bandit fell with a miserable cry. The other Roving Bandit no longer cared about shooting arrows. He took to his heels, following the three ahead and darting into the forest on the opposite side.

Tang Ershuan turned his head to look. Three men in his Squad of Five had been wounded by arrows. Besides himself, only one man remained. He shouted at that soldier, "Go find the Banner Commander and report!"

After shouting, he rushed to the side of the fallen Roving Bandit. The Roving Bandit was coughing up blood continuously. Tang Ershuan bent down and yanked out his axe. The Roving Bandit let out an "Ah!", his body stiffening as blood shot from his chest. Tang Ershuan smashed the axe down on his head, and the sound ceased instantly.

Tang Ershuan lifted his axe and, alone, pursued in the direction the four Roving Bandits had fled into the mountain.