Han Ji

The grinning human head from Black Wind Cave hung on a newly erected wooden pole in the settlement wall for three days, attracting swarms of flies.

A gust of wind blew, and a foul stench filled the air.

The barbarian retaliation did not keep anyone waiting long.

It wasn't a small cavalry raid. When the scouts stumbled and crawled into the Shuxian County government office, their faces were ashen.

"They're here...so many! Probably over a thousand! Pan Du from Black Wind Cave is leading the group himself! And behind them...it seems there are people from other caves as well!"

The air in the main hall of the prefectural government building instantly tensed up.

Lu Zhi waved for the scouts to leave, his gaze sweeping across the hall below. There were the remaining key officials of the prefecture, the newly promoted military officers, and Liu Bei.

"We heard you all." Lu Zhi's voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's hearts. "Tell us."

A bearded officer stepped forward first. He was a newly promoted cavalry commander and a veteran of the north: "My lord! No doubt about it! Gather all the able-bodied men and fight those barbarians! Before they can gather into a large force, we'll devour them piece by piece!"

A local clerk standing nearby immediately shook his head, his face turning pale: "No! Over a thousand barbarian soldiers! How long have our county troops been training? They might be able to defend the city, but in open battle... wouldn't that be like throwing eggs against rocks? I think we should hold the city firmly and immediately request reinforcements from the prefecture! And... send someone into the mountains to negotiate, offering them money and provisions; perhaps that will persuade them to withdraw..."

"Bullshit!" the cavalry commander glared. "What's the difference between going to negotiate now and kneeling and begging for mercy? The barbarians will only think we're scared! And they'll push their luck even further!"

"We can't win a fight, so what can we do if we don't talk? Are we just going to stand by and watch them burn, kill, and loot?"

"you……"

The room was filled with noise.

Lu Zhi didn't speak, but tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Liu Bei stood silently to the side and behind Lu Zhi. He looked at the simple map of Lujiang on the wall, his gaze shifting between the area where Black Wind Cave was active and the locations of several other barbarian strongholds.

"Xuande," Lu Zhi suddenly spoke.

The argument stopped abruptly. Everyone looked at Liu Bei.

Liu Bei stepped forward, walked to the map, picked up a small wooden stick, and pointed to the location of Black Wind Cave.

"The students believe that if we launch a full-scale crackdown, our military strength will be insufficient; if we simply try to appease them, we will appear weak and face endless troubles in the future."

The wooden stick moved, pointing towards several nearby villages.

"The barbarians are not a monolithic group. Pan Du of Black Wind Cave is fierce and has a long-standing feud with the neighboring White Water and Green Wood Caves. Although they were coerced into coming here by Pan Du, they may not be truly willing to fight for them."

He turned to the crowd, his eyes calm.

"We should employ both suppression and appeasement, dividing and weakening them. We should send eloquent individuals to secretly meet with the leaders of Baishui and Qingmu villages, explaining the advantages and disadvantages, promising that after defeating Heifeng Village, their tribes would receive a portion of the profits from the salt and iron trade, and promising not to hold them accountable for their involvement in this military campaign. Simultaneously, we should concentrate our main force, focusing solely on attacking the treacherous Heifeng Village! We must inflict heavy losses upon them! We must subdue them!"

The room fell silent for a moment.

The cavalry commander's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea! Smuggle some in, then beat others!"

The local official hesitated: "This...is it feasible? Those barbarian chieftains are fickle..."

Lu Zhi stood up, walked to the map, and looked at the route that Liu Bei had just drawn.

"Let's go with this plan." He said decisively. "Liu Bei, you are in charge of selecting people and drafting the story for contacting the Baishui and Qingmu tribes."

"yes!"

"All units, listen up! From this moment forward, the entire army is on high alert, and scouts are deployed at double the frequency! Prepare weapons and provisions, and march on Wild Boar Ridge in three days!"

"Wild Boar Ridge?" someone asked, puzzled.

Lu Zhi pointed intently to a mountain range on the map: "Reports indicate that the main force of the Pan Du is moving in this direction. The terrain there is complex, easy to defend but difficult to attack, but also easy to... ambush. We must force them into a decisive battle before they can establish a firm foothold!"

Three days slipped through my fingers like sand.

The atmosphere inside and outside the prefectural government building was somber.

Liu Bei was busy selecting envoys to go to the barbarian tribes. The candidates needed to be clever, fluent in the local language, and bold. In the end, he chose an old local hunter and a minor barbarian chieftain who had surrendered and had some connection with Baishuidong. He repeatedly explained his message, made promises, and gave them some gold and silver as a gift.

"Remember, safety first. If things don't go well, come back alive." Liu Bei escorted them to the back door.

The old hunter grinned, revealing his yellow teeth: "Don't worry, Mr. Liu, I know the mountain roads well."

The two figures disappeared into the night.

Liu Bei turned and went to the military camp. Torches lit up the drill ground, where soldiers were inspecting weapons and armor, and moving arrows and provisions. The air was filled with the smells of leather, rust, and tension.

Lu Zhi, dressed in full military uniform, personally inspected the drill ground. He didn't speak, just watched. His gaze swept over the face of every soldier, examining every weapon. Upon seeing him, the soldiers instinctively straightened their backs, their movements becoming more agile.

Liu Bei walked up to him.

"Have all the men been sent out?" Lu Zhi asked, his gaze still fixed on the soldiers who were cocking the crossbows.

"It's been sent out. We should get a response by tomorrow night at the earliest."

Lu Zhi grunted in agreement, reached for a crossbow, pulled back the string, and checked the sights: "Are there enough arrows?"

The officer in charge of ordnance quickly replied, "Your Excellency, the arrows in the arsenal have all been distributed, thirty to each person. However... the bows are generally weak, and their armor-piercing power is questionable..."

Lu Zhi put down his crossbow without saying anything. Even a clever cook can't cook without rice.

He walked up to a row of spearmen, picked up a spear at random, weighed it in his hand, and ran his fingers over the tip. The tip was fairly sharp, but the wooden shaft was somewhat old.

"Are you scared?" he suddenly asked a young soldier in front of him.

The soldier froze for a moment, his face turning bright red, then he puffed out his chest and cried out, "No... I'm not afraid!"

Lu Zhi looked at his slightly trembling legs and patted him on the shoulder: "It's like this the first time you're in battle. Remember, listen to orders and stick close to the person in front of you. If you survive, you won't be afraid."

The soldier nodded emphatically.

Before dawn, the army set off.

There was no music, no farewell. Only the clatter of footsteps, the sound of horses' hooves, and the creaking of wheels on the road, mingling in the darkness before dawn.

Liu Bei rode on his red cloud, following Lu Zhi's central army. He now held the title of military advisor, participating in military strategy.

The column marched forward in silence. The new recruits' faces showed tension, while the veterans were mostly numb. Only the few hundred personal guards from the north brought by Lu Zhi maintained a vigilant marching formation with sharp eyes.

The closer you get to Wild Boar Ridge, the more difficult the road becomes. The mountains are steep and the forests are dense, turning the official road into a narrow dirt track, sometimes requiring axemen to clear the way ahead.

Scouts raced back and forth like a revolving lantern, bringing news from the front.

"Report! No sign of barbarian soldiers has been spotted within ten miles ahead!"

Everything seemed normal.

At noon, the group took a short rest in a river valley, where they ate dry rations and watered their horses.

Liu Bei moved closer to Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi chewed on the dry, hard biscuit, his gaze sweeping over the lush mountains on either side. "Speed ​​up, get through Wild Boar Ridge as quickly as possible."

After resting, let's continue.

Before you've gone five miles, a narrow canyon stretches out before you. The cliffs on both sides are sheer, and the passage is only wide enough for two horses to walk side by side. This is the entrance to Wild Boar Ridge, commonly known as "A Line of Sky".

The former cavalry commander dispatched two squads of swordsmen and shieldmen to enter the canyon first and occupy the high ground on both sides. After a long while, a safety signal came from the top of the canyon.

The army filed in one by one, forming a long, thin line.