Chapter Sixty-Four: Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Should he inform Wu Laoliu and his team of the hunting squad about the group approaching from due south? If he did, the purpose of this training exercise would be lost; it would shift from independent action to joint operations, and the hunting squad would inevitably become mere auxiliaries and logistics for the guard team.

But if he withheld the information, he’d be putting them against nearly a hundred well-armed veteran border soldiers! Even setting aside everything else, those dozen archers alone—if any possessed even half the skill of Wang Dahu in his prime—the hunting squad, still blissfully unaware, would surely suffer casualties.

Zhao Hengyi knew well that losses in battle are almost unavoidable; his concern was that sacrificing his men solely for the sake of training, letting them fall on a battlefield against bandits, was simply not worth it.

“Didn’t the master say earlier that the Drill Mountain Earth Dragon bandits are too weak to properly test the hunting squad?” Wang Dahu, unaware of Zhao Hengyi’s inner turmoil, spoke up, “With these hundred or so border soldiers added in, they’re not so weak anymore. It’s just right.”

His casual remark struck Zhao Hengyi like a thunderclap.

Yes, even with an extra hundred border soldiers, even with their superior equipment and archers, what of it? Not all border troops belonged to the elite Xuan Battalion; not all veterans were members of the guard team!

The young men of the hunting squad trained hard every day. He had brought out training methods from future generations, techniques used to prepare special forces. There was no reason they should lose to a bunch of rabble who once served on the border.

Their opponents might be well-armed, but the hunting squad was no less equipped! Each official member was issued simple leather armor, a long saber, a dagger, and a hand crossbow. Other gear was adjusted according to the training curriculum and mission needs.

In terms of equipment, except for the absence of longbows, the hunting squad was not inferior even compared with the Xuan Battalion.

Moreover, if Wu Laoliu and the hunting squad truly found themselves at a disadvantage in a skirmish, the hidden guard team would not stand by idly. A timely intervention could prevent any casualties.

He preached the importance of real combat every day on the training grounds. Now, when real combat appeared, as their master, he hesitated and vacillated—how shameful.

With his mind made up, Zhao Hengyi ordered the guard team to stay well hidden and avoid detection by the newcomers from the south. As for Wu Laoliu and the hunting squad, he’d let them act freely.

Ignoring the rabble of Drill Mountain Earth Dragon, the hunting squad’s numbers matched those of the southern group. Facing such an enemy would surely achieve the purpose of training.

Scouts continuously relayed reports from the front, confirming Wang Dahu’s suspicions: the hundred-odd men from the south, by their marching style, weapon habits, and instinctive formation on the move, all revealed their identity as border soldiers.

Zhao Hengyi had a rough idea of their origins. Drought had driven the grassland tribes to raid early, catching the Yan Empire’s border troops unprepared. Except for the Yonggu Fortress line, all other defenses had been breached by the tribal cavalry, and the border troops scattered in retreat.

Half of these fleeing soldiers would die in raids triggered by the drought; the other half, most would be rounded up and reorganized by officers after reaching safety. But a few would choose to disappear, leaving the military behind.

Such men, either terrified by the tribal horde—preferring to live as undocumented fugitives rather than return to the barracks—since in these circumstances, “missing” equaled “dead.” Others, loners without family, seized the chance to escape.

These soldiers, turned fugitives due to the tribal invasion, were the most likely to become bandits. Willingly or not, they had undergone some training in the barracks. To survive the chaos and escape the tribal blades, they must be competent fighters.

Crucially, they possessed weapons, sometimes even armor. If three or five banded together, they could easily take charge of a local bandit gang like the one in Second Creek. If thirty or fifty joined, they could establish their own stronghold and become a force no one dared ignore.

Yet no matter what, these men dared not venture deep into the Yan Empire’s heartland. If their identity was discovered, relentless pursuit would follow.

The Yan Empire took a hard stance against deserters, tightening discipline and reminding commoners of the dread of conscription and border duty.

These hundred-odd border soldiers, rebranded and suddenly appearing in Dang County under Jiangling Prefecture, seeking to join Drill Mountain Earth Dragon, could not be a coincidence or spontaneous act.

Someone was gathering defeated border troops, reorganizing them, and sending them across the land—transforming border soldiers into mountain bandit chieftains!

The more he thought, the more Zhao Hengyi sensed that the person or organization behind this was no simple matter. The waters ran deep; would his disruption of their plans bring trouble?

It shouldn’t! As long as he followed his usual method—leave no survivors—who could know these bandits were killed by him?

Moreover, people in high places always act based on their interests. If it were him, he would suspect that whoever wiped out his hard-won bandit recruits must be an ally of rival bandits—after all, only such people would be competitors.

Having considered all sides, Zhao Hengyi relaxed and settled in to watch the unfolding drama.

The arrival of a hundred border soldiers from the south completely upended Wu Laoliu’s plans.

He had intended to defeat Drill Mountain Earth Dragon and his weak rabble decisively, with the hunting squad not only winning but doing so beautifully.

Like Zhao Hengyi, Wu Laoliu aimed for zero casualties. The hunter-turned-leader even hoped to capture a number of prisoners to show off before his comrades back in the village.

If Wu Laoliu dared share this idea with Wang Dahu, he’d be met with merciless ridicule.

Did he not know what kind of person their master was? Bringing prisoners back to the village... the grove behind the village could barely hold another burial!

The sudden appearance of a hundred-strong party was soon detected as they approached within range of the hunting squad.

But lacking military experience, Wu Laoliu and the hunting squad could not guess their origins.

That hardly mattered, though; all they needed to know was that these new arrivals intended to join Drill Mountain Earth Dragon.

Faced with this unexpected enemy, Wu Laoliu and the hunting squad were in an awkward position. If they let the newcomers go, the addition of so many well-equipped reinforcements would make Drill Mountain Earth Dragon’s stronghold nearly impossible to seize.

But if they intervened now, they risked being caught between two forces.

Confronted with this situation, Wu Laoliu decided to take a gamble.