Chapter 291: with translation of chapter title

Xu Guanshan's volunteering, however, gave Chen Wuji a not-small problem.

His awareness is higher than most villagers by an unknown amount, but Chen Wuji really doesn't dare put him in the army. This guy's mind is sometimes bright, sometimes not; going into battle truly is just sending him to death.

"Xu Guanshan, just don't go; stay and guard the village for us." Chen Wuji said.

Xu Guanshan's eyes flared hard, "No, I want to kill the enemy!"

"When the barbarians invade, how could I just scrape by? My master said I've been scraping by for too long; it's time to use my life. That bird language I couldn't understand before—I didn't know what it was saying, but now I know: I just want to kill the enemy."

"You still have a master?" Chen Wuji asked in surprise.

"Yes, I have several masters—old ones, young ones, and even a little master shorter than my leg, who either cries all day or makes me dig grass roots for him; he's really hard to serve." Xu Guanshan twisted the corner of his mouth, his speech not very clear, but his description was vivid.

Chen Wuji suddenly had an idea: "Since you have a destiny-bound thing to do, then count you as one; from now on stay by my side."

Having him go straight into battle to kill the enemy definitely won't work; better to have him stay by my side as a Personal Guard, and later we'll see how to place him.

Xu Guanshan was overjoyed, grinning as he trotted up to Chen Wuji, reaching out to snatch the knife from Wushuang's hand: "This knife likes me; give it to me, and you go find another."

Wushuang shook his/her head repeatedly: "This one won't do; I'll get you a better one later."

"You're lying to me."

"I'm not lying to you, really!"

……

Chen Wuji ignored the argument behind him and asked the others again: "Is there anyone else willing to volunteer to go into battle and kill the enemy?"

No one spoke.

The remaining people had varied expressions, but their attitudes were quite clear.

"Wuji, we may have some strength from farm work, but we're truly not material for battle; just spare us, don't waste your energy on us." said the middle-aged Yuan family person with a thick-skinned face, "Although we don't know how to fight, we'll contribute the strength we should; we'll discuss later, and each household will definitely contribute twenty catties of grain for your military rations."

"Twenty catties of grain—indeed not a small amount." Chen Wuji sneered.

"But sorry, I really don't look down on your charitable bit of grain; since no one volunteers, I'll have to offend you all."

"Chen Wu Yin!" Chen Wuji suddenly shouted loudly.

Xiong Paozi stepped out from a side corner: "I'm here, sir!"

I don't know how he feels himself, but Chen Wuji really is somewhat unaccustomed to his appearance.

"These people I entrust to you; I don't care how you handle them, but if anything goes wrong I'll come after you." Chen Wuji ordered.

"If anyone dares to resist, don't pity the knife in your hand—cut if you should. Since they've given face and then rejected it, don't bother with it; they don't know how to fight, do they think the rest of us are born warriors?"

Xiong Paozi gave a vicious grin, then fiercely swung his left hand forward.

The Chen Clan Troops surged forward instantly, tightly encircling the village's able-bodied men.

The crowd instantly fell into chaos; someone shouted angrily at Chen Wuji, cursing his ancestors eighteen generations, those foul words being free, and a wave of madness burst outward.

Xiong Paozi picked his ears: "All of you shut up; curse again and I'll dig a hole and bury you all!"

The crowd instantly fell silent.

But there are always hard-headed people in this world.

In the midst of the crowd's silence, a voice suddenly rang out: "You're just using power to bully people, oppressing the good; by what right do you stop us from speaking? I will speak—your Chen clan ought to be completely exterminated! You're pursuing your ambitions; by what right do you drag us all into it?"

"When the Qiang people come, the Court's own troops will deal with them—what does it have to do with us? And what does it have to do with you? Do you need to meddle like a dog catching mice? You treat your cheap lives as nothing, but we still want to live; if you have the ability, just kill us, kill us all……"

He hadn't finished his last sentence when his head dropped off.

The Chen Clan's knives are swift—cutting hair and splitting hair, with smooth surfaces, so fast that pain is only an instant.

"Anyone else with objections?" Xiong Paozi asked with a vicious grin.

When blood sprayed out, the village's able-bodied men's expressions instantly became much more honest.

Chen Wuji didn't look at them again.

He actually felt a little puzzled by their actions.

People dying isn't the first time; why do they never learn?

Could it be they really think that facing fifteen hundred troops, these hundred-odd people could actually achieve 'no punishment for many'? Shouldn't normal thinking be worrying about leaving no chickens or dogs?

I can't figure it out, really can't.

At night, Chen Wuji didn't go home again, but stayed in the camp.

If he went back tonight, Huo Sanniang and the others would surely cry again; he really couldn't stand it, so he'd better hide.

Besides, he also needed to confirm tomorrow's tactics with a few Duilu—also a solid reason.

The anxiety of impending battle made the camp's atmosphere not very good.

After Chen Wuji held a meeting with Xiong Paozi, Wu Bu Yong, and a few others, he then went around the soldiers' Camp Tents, learned a bit about their concerns, and personally handed out the settlement fees to them.

Morale boosted by money won't last; Chen Wuji had long wanted to eliminate that, yet he also needed soldiers to see concrete benefits. After thinking it over, he decided to link silver and Military Merit contributions—more work, more gain; less work, less gain; no work, no gain—making rewards and punishments clearer.

And this sum of silver today is a one-time thing, meant for their families.

For the army's first battle, the settlement fee also settles their morale.

This money isn't only for the Clan Troops and the Tianchi Pass Provincial Troops; the Qian Family's brave fighters and Liu Tiechui and three others also get it—Chen Wuji showed no favoritism, leveling the playing field completely.

The only ones who didn't get any were those able-bodied villagers.

Those forcibly conscripted still wanting silver—don't even think about it.

Next day, at the Chou hour.

Before the sky had brightened, there was already movement in the camp.

The soldiers cooked meals, ate and drank their fill, then took down the Camp Tent, packed up all the Luggage and Supplies to be taken, and immediately, in groups, carrying torches, left the camp and wound their way up South Mountain.

A force of seventeen hundred formed a long Fire Dragon, stretching from the village all the way into the mountains, then gradually disappearing into the sky-covering forest.

When daylight fully broke, Chen Wuji leading the army had already penetrated deep into Shenxian Ling, reached the outlet of Gu Zhandao, and immediately the main force turned west, heading for Elephant Trunk Ridge.

When they were about ten li from Elephant Trunk Ridge, Chen Wuji encountered the scouts lying in wait there.

"Any movement from the Qiang people?" Chen Wuji called the scout over and asked.

"They..." the scout's face looked like he was constipated.