Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 8 The Battle of Pingnan
Historical records state that on October 29th of the 23rd year of the reign of Emperor Wu of the Great Court, Wu Hanluan, the Marquis of Qiansuting, intercepted and killed more than 10 snake people who had rebelled in the Chilian Mountains, achieving a great victory.

In fact, during this battle, Wu Hanluan only managed to block the snake-people forces from the mountains, totaling only 1,800 men. This number precisely represented the main force of the able-bodied men from the three snake-people tribes.

The 6,000 count includes the elderly and weak from the snake-people tribes who were killed in the previous and subsequent sweeping operations, as well as the snake-people who came to harass the Wu Fei granary camp in the past few days. All of these will be classified as kills in battle and reported.

Why report it this way? Because the heads of those killed in battle are worth a lot. And the heads of those who massacred entire villages would inevitably be the subject of discussion among the Confucian and Legalist officials in the court.

This is similar to Xuan Chong's past life: when it comes to reimbursing the cost of a cup, it's easier to get it reimbursed if it's categorized under "laboratory beakers" than "entertainment teacups." This is because research funding sounds more reasonable than entertainment expenses.

To digress, the fact that heads taken in battle are valuable reflects the fact that the chaos on the frontier will ultimately be settled by a decisive battle.

The specific details of the underground battle are as follows…

Standing on the Wu family army's side and looking across, you can see the snake-men swarming about. Although these snake-men are chaotic, they move quite quickly. It's like a bucket of very wild eels that, after encountering "left zero and right fire," explode and dart around wildly.

Wu Hanluan witnessed all of this, calculating that by killing them all, he could ensure ten years of peace in the Southern Frontier! — It takes time for the snake-men's eggs to hatch.

Armored crossbowmen with shields sat in a row on the high slopes on both sides of the tunnel, using a foot-operated method to load arrows into their five-stone crossbows. The "wind-controlling patterns" on the arrow shafts were also activated. These arrow shafts with wind-controlling pattern talismans were unobstructed during flight and could easily leap 180 paces.

The Great Yao Dynasty possessed firearms. The heavy cannons pulled by four oxen behind the Wu family army's lines were their most sophisticated firearms. However, muskets did not replace bows and crossbows. This was because arrows engraved with wind-riding patterns had a longer range than projectiles propelled by gunpowder.

Musket bullets cannot be engraved with wind-riding patterns, not only because the bullets are too small and time-consuming, but also because the runes that can withstand the burst flames of the gun barrel require expensive "purple copper" to make. —The finest talisman paper is already expensive, let alone pure, unblemished purple copper!
Therefore, the range of a musket is one hundred paces, while that of a crossbow is one hundred and sixty paces.

…Once the formation is complete, the initiative is secured…

Once the armored crossbowmen confirmed that the snake-man vanguard had collapsed and retreated to their own ranks to avoid the arrows, they stood up and marched forward in their formation.

Meanwhile, on the ceiling of this underground cave, stalactites began to secrete molten water, which caused the snake-men climbing to fall due to the slippery liquid.

When the crossbowmen were three hundred paces away from the head of the snake swarm.

Boom! A violent roar echoed through the cave, flames erupted from the heavy cannon, whose walls were a full hand's thickness, and the projectile was blasted eight hundred paces away.

In the Serpent Legion, within the array of Python Clan monsters, three Python soldiers were instantly severed from their bodies by bouncing cannonballs, their bodies spurting blood. Their upper bodies clawed at the ground, while their lower bodies hung in the shallow limewater river beside the cave, leaving trails of blood.

The leader of the snake people was no longer able to rally his troops, and could only send his trusted clansmen to lead the entire force forward in a chaotic frenzy.

Calling the snake people's commander a "commander-in-chief" is actually giving them too much credit.

Because a commander must be skilled in leading troops. The Snake People, this primitive tribe, didn't have that skill; they relied on their strength or witchcraft to keep their word.

While each individual on the snake-man's side did not understand the battle formation of the yarrow-man in front of them, they all knew that if they did not follow their leader, they would all be bombarded and scattered.

If the hissing panic among the snake people becomes the noise of a tsunami, then everyone will have to compete to see who can run the fastest.

Looking at the chaotic swarm of snakes rushing towards his crossbow firing range, Wu Hanluan couldn't help but stroke the mane of the winged tiger.

On the other side of the battlefield, the Daoist Xiandao, who had received the Wuhanluan Flag Order, stood on the altar. As he finished his ritual, a force began to cover the weapons of the armored halberdiers in the front row, and the sharp points of the weapons emitted a cold, colorful light that resembled a special effect.

This is a group spell that increases the sharpness and armor-piercing ability of halberds, similar to sharpening all the spearheads before battle, making them sharp even if they're not very sharp.

The crossbowmen unleashed the first torrential rain of arrows at the charging snake-men.

The snake-man leader felt as if a massive, dark mass of arrows was rushing towards him, and then he was pinned to the ground and trampled by the other snake-men.

The snake-men at the forefront, though not killed by the rain of arrows, staggered to their feet, pulling out the arrowheads and twisting their bodies. However, this process halted their charge. These tribal snake-men didn't charge relentlessly; they followed their own warriors. When a warrior fell, they would check on his condition, and if he could stand, they would charge again.

This situation might be manageable for a small group fight, but now it's a battle involving thousands of people. After the front ranks stopped, they clung together with the snake-men behind them. At that moment, the second round of artillery fire opened fire on this "knotted" snake swarm. The shells pierced through, and blood, flesh, and bones flew everywhere. In an instant, the snake-men's morale plummeted, and their charge slowed down even further.

With the second volley of crossbow bolts wiping out the vanguard of the snake-men warriors, the group began to retreat. But soon, a powerful snake-man joined the retreating ranks, and the snake-men regrouped and continued their charge.

The swarm of snake-men, amidst the retreating waves and surging tides, approached the Wu family army's position.

One hundred steps, eighty steps, fifty steps—with each step forward, the snake-men lay dead. Finally, in the last ten steps, the armored crossbowmen completed their final volley. Within ten steps, the powerful crossbows didn't even need aiming; they reaped a whole row of snake-men like scythes.

The snake-man, who had been holding his breath and preparing for close combat, was stunned by his last bit of ferocity.

After this round of firing, the halberd phalanx in the center of the crossbowmen's formation strode forward from the front line, "bulging" out, and the formation then formed several "品"-shaped sections linked together.

The halberd infantry formation was the top "mouth" of the character "品" (pin). Under the command of the drums and flags, this "mouth" quickly transformed into the top of the "一" (yi) line.

The halberds clashed and swung, like a crusher, holding back the serpent-men's charging wave. The leading, powerful serpent-men used stone weapons to deflect one, two, and three halberd thrusts, but were finally struck on the head by a fourth halberd and fell to the ground.

As the leading serpent-man was engulfed by the blood wave of the vanguard, the subsequent human chieftain weapon formations, like a meat grinder, took turns entering and exiting through the flesh and blood.

…Ha, Zha (a shout of exertion), *splat* (sound of weapon entering flesh), gradually the rhythm becomes unified…

The peasant soldiers temporarily conscripted by Wu Fei, wielding red-tasseled spears, engaged in a simple, basic battle formation technique that could be mastered in three months. In contrast, the killing skills of Wu Hanluan's halberd-wielding soldiers required three years of dedicated training. This is the essence of the saying "raising an army for a thousand days."

Half an hour of hand-to-hand combat.

After making contact with the enemy, the halberdiers quickly repelled the first wave. After the snake-men fled, they heard a "buzzing" sound behind them, which was the crossbowmen of the Wu family army firing after they had finished resting.

As the snake-man fled, the way it twisted its tail with its back to its pursuers was particularly conspicuous. Especially its striped tail, which flashed like a spiral light outside a barbershop as it twisted. Now was the perfect time to aim! The crossbow bolts seemed to have eyes, relentlessly pursuing and firing. The snake-man struck by the bolts collapsed to the ground, its body becoming elongated.

Some snake-people with yellowish-brown tails were lucky; although they couldn't compete with the colorful snake-people in courtship, they were able to escape this mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood.

As the fleeing snake-men frantically searched for narrow caverns to hide in on the side of this underground battlefield, they would climb aimlessly for a while, only to find the entrance ahead getting smaller and smaller. Then, trying to turn back, they discovered the path they had come from was blocked. Most of these fleeing snake-men perished trapped in underground dead ends… The scales of victory tipped decisively in favor of the Wu family army…

With the artillery ammunition exhausted, Wu Hanluan aimed at the gap in the snake-men's retreat and charged in on his winged tiger. Like a knife twisting in a wound, he widened the rout even further.

As the tiger roared in terror at the last snake-man who was putting up a stubborn fight, Wu Hanluan rode his flying tiger toward the snake-man sorcerer who was trying to perform a ritual, and with a swift stroke of his blade, he beheaded the old snake-man who was wearing deer antlers and impersonating a blue dragon.

When Wu Hanluan flew back to the formation carrying the snake's head, the soldiers, having regained their senses, shouted "Victory!"

Under the commander's tent, Xian Daoren offered his congratulations, saying, "The martial arts family has been passed down through generations."

Wu Hanluan looked at the "eccentric genius" who had joined his ranks and said with a smile, "Thanks to the bravery of the soldiers!"

Xian Daoren: "General, the young general has also won a great victory. Not only is the warehouse safe and sound, but 357 people have also been beheaded."

Wu Hanluan pondered for a moment: "What does the Master have to say?"

Xian Daoren: "I heard that the young general also encountered witchcraft. Although he escaped danger, it was still a matter of being on the verge of death."

Wu Hanluan frowned: "He was assigned to guard the city this time, so there was no one else to help him."

Xian Daoren said, “General, I have a junior sister who has been cultivating for ten years. Her skills in exorcising evil are no less than mine. If you need anything, I can send her here with a letter to help my army pacify the south.”

Wu Hanluan paused slightly, his gaze fixed on the Daoist Xian Dao who had distinguished himself in battle. —His gaze implied, "What are your intentions?"

This military expedition to the southern border is to demonstrate the court's current stance on the imperial edict, and also to train the next "military leader" of the Wu family.

Wu Hanluan's assessment of Wu Fei's performance in the southern campaign: Overall, it exceeded his expectations. He remained calm and composed under pressure. He has certainly passed the test! Yes, Wu Fei is quite talented!
…Wu Hanluan: This child not only seems to have a strong birth chart, but also an aura of malevolence…

Military strategists cultivate successors through a process where the successor gradually gains the approval of the generals through experience. This is a very complex process.

In contrast, for noble families, arranging a marriage for a girl simply involved bestowing a title and selecting a suitable family of equal social standing—a straightforward and quick process.

In aristocratic inheritance, women inherited titles, while men inherited connections.

In other words, every problem Wu Fei encounters during his southern expedition is actually a test, and the examiners are not only Wu Hanluan, but also the generals of the Wu family army.

Even if there are reasons for not doing anything, such as running out of food, being surrounded, or having subordinates who are not following orders, it would be tantamount to abandoning the task if Wu Fei used these reasons to refuse to act.

As long as things are arranged properly, even if there are some unsavory aspects, it shows the general's talent. As for those "things that cannot be mentioned," war is inherently dangerous. On this perilous battlefield, everyone's priority is to ensure their own survival, not to become morally perfect. If something cannot be mentioned, then no one should mention it!
Before this southern expedition, everyone in the army called Wu Fei "Little Sparrow," but now all the generals in the camp are calling him "Young General."

The generals in the camp also saw this and were certain that he (Wu Fei) was a reliable successor to the Wu family army. Therefore, when Xian Daoren mentioned this "junior sister" at this time, it had a bit of a clinging meaning to him.

Wu Hanluan recalled that he had just sent his nephew a "snake maid" as amusement for the young man to play with when he was bored in the camp. Now, he was going to give him a female cultivator as well. Was it too easy for this nephew? He was young; could he handle it?

However, there was an irresistible reason for the Taoist's suggestion. According to the battle report from Da Cang, Wu Fei needed a "magician" in his camp as he was about to take charge on his own.

Wu Hanluan originally intended to have his son, Wu Hengyu, who was learning Taoism, lend a helping hand to Wu Fei.

For members of the Wu family, their own brothers are always the most reliable. When a general encounters an unusual event, as long as a letter is sent to the mountain gate, his fellow clansmen, cultivators, will come down the mountain with their swords to help.

However, at present, Wu Fei's growth rate in military affairs is slightly faster than that of his cousin Wu Hengyu in learning martial arts on the mountain.

The tiger's tail lashed across his back, the vibration waking Wu Hanluan. Facing Xian Daoren's "good intentions," Wu Hanluan raised his hands and clasped his fists, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Immortal Master."

……

Back in Dacang, Wu Fei breathed a sigh of relief after receiving news of his uncle's great victory at Chilian Mountain.

Xuan Chong (Wu Fei) muttered, "Finally, it's stable. I haven't been able to eat or sleep well these past few days."

Then, as if remembering something, Xuan Chong suddenly turned over, sat up, and asked the system, "The battle is over, the mission is complete. What's the reward?"

System: "No reward."

Xuan Chong: "Didn't you say you were going to give me cultivation manuals? You said to preserve your primordial yang, to inhale dew in the morning and gaze at the stars in the evening. Give me a proper method, don't just recommend 'radio exercises' and 'nutritional diets'!"

System: "Who promised to give you cultivation manuals?"

Xuan Chong: "You clearly—"

At this moment, blue light flickered in Xuan Chong's pupils, and his tone became somewhat impatient.

However, in that instant, the blue light was suddenly pulled from his pupils. Xuan Cong was suddenly confused. Then he lowered his head and thought, "Um, when did the system promise to give me cultivation manuals? Could it be that I dreamed about it? Hmm, I've been under too much pressure these past few days, I've been having a lot of dreams."

After calming down, Xuan Chong asked, "How many credits do I have?"

System: "Your current credits are 3.2. Would you like to spend 1 credit to exchange for a cultivation manual? Friendly reminder: Once you enter the immortal sect, you will unlock a large number of required courses. Each required course has an exam."

Xuan Chong lowered his head and pondered carefully, weighing every detail. His expression was like someone who had saved up some pocket money, came to a store, looked at the dazzling array of things, and wondered whether he should make an impulsive purchase.

Xuan Chong finally gritted his teeth and uttered three words: "No exchange." He silently thought to himself, "I'm a freebie, zero recharge."

(End of this chapter)