Chapter Thirteen: Peace in the World Is Won Through Bloodshed
Inside the Xilin military camp, Sergeant Jiang clutched his injured face, his complexion darkening to an extreme. In a burst of fury, he shattered the wine jar before him into fragments.
“That Lei Yan! How dare he! A mere servant, lucky enough to become a general! Yet he actually had the audacity to strike me!”
The soldiers nearby, seeing Sergeant Jiang’s expression, dared not utter a single word. They knew they couldn’t afford to offend Jiang, but even more so, they must avoid crossing Lei Yan.
“Sir Jiang, all of this stems from Li Ping’an,” one attendant whispered cautiously. “If we were to make a move against the Tiger Might Battalion, wouldn’t that be even better?”
“If Lei Yan continues to favor Li Ping’an, but this Li Ping’an’s collusion with the barbarians is exposed, he will surely be dealt with under military law. And if Lei Yan shows partiality, then Sir Jiang would have grounds to report him, wouldn’t he?”
Sergeant Jiang clapped his hands sharply upon hearing this, a spark of excitement flashing across his face.
“Good! That’s a clever move!”
“This matter is yours to handle. Framing and shifting blame—surely I don’t need to teach you how to do that!”
He looked coldly at the attendant beside him and snorted.
“Understood!”
...
Deep into the night.
Jiang Hongluan and the others were like frostbitten eggplants, utterly drained of spirit. Their eyes were filled with despair.
“Captain... we really can’t hold on any longer!”
Guan Qing looked at Su Mu beside him, wailing mournfully.
It was torment beyond words.
They had initially thought the hardest task was running ten laps around Qinghe Town, but they soon realized that was the easiest by far.
The horse stance and standing still afterward drove them to the brink of madness.
Each posture required them to hold their weapons aloft.
If only for a brief moment, it might be bearable—yet these stances had to be maintained for hours on end.
Now, they could barely lift their arms.
Su Mu glanced at them and smiled faintly.
“After today’s training, I have a rough idea of each of your limits. I will tailor the training plans accordingly.”
“Now, apply this ointment to your bodies and enter your rooms for a medicinal bath to speed your recovery. Tomorrow’s training will proceed as usual.”
Relieved, they took the ointment from Su Mu. They had feared he might unveil the next stage of their regimen.
At this moment, the corpulent Li also clicked his tongue in admiration.
“You should be grateful! Each soak in this medicinal bath costs one or two silver coins! The expense is steep! Only Brother Su here is willing to spend like this.”
“Train well and don’t disappoint his expectations.”
At Li’s words, the others glanced at the ointment in their hands and toward their rooms.
The resentment they had felt during the day dissolved in an instant.
...
“Thank you, Captain!”
“We will strive to improve our strength and fight alongside you on the battlefield!”
Their spirits rekindled, they spoke with determination.
Su Mu waved them off.
“All right, off you go.”
As Jiang Hongluan and the others departed, Li pondered for a moment and said to Su Mu, “Brother, have you noticed something? The barbarians are attacking more frequently than before.”
“Before, there might be just one raid crossing the border each month. Now, there have been three in seven days. Besides the band you wiped out, two other squads slaughtered entire villages.”
Su Mu, holding a flask of wine, sat at the edge of the martial stage.
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Qinghe Town cannot hold out much longer because a large-scale barbarian assault is imminent.”
Li’s face darkened at this.
Although he was at odds with Lei Yan, he knew Lei Yan’s character well.
He would fight to the death for every single citizen of Qinghe Town!
If the barbarians launched a full invasion and the court didn’t send reinforcements, it would be like striking a stone with an egg.
“Brother, why do you think the barbarians will launch a major offensive?”
Li asked stubbornly.
Su Mu gazed toward the city walls and shook his head.
“In recent years, the Daliang Empire has been on the defensive, with no one daring to take the initiative.”
“In this situation, the barbarians have been slowly probing our weaknesses.”
“On the other hand, aside from their basic identity, recognition, and combat ability, how much do you really know about the barbarians?”
Li was completely stumped by Su Mu’s question.
Indeed!
In all their impressions, barbarians were simply barbarians.
They only knew them as fierce and ruthless invaders.
But beyond that?
Their force composition, how they relay information—none of these were known.
“In my understanding, no one has ever heard of anyone ruling the world by pure defense. Nor can peace be achieved only through counterattacks.”
Su Mu stood, hands behind his back, his gaze deep.
“Peace in the world is won through killing!”
Li clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them.
Looking seriously at Su Mu, he said, “For the countless people of Qinghe Town, I hope you will contribute.”
“Find a way to resolve this lurking threat from the barbarians.”
“As a condition, this house... is yours.”
Su Mu glanced at Li, who appeared earnest, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“That’s your own promise.”
Li looked at the courtyard with some regret and exhaled deeply.
“Of course!”
Su Mu patted Li’s shoulder.
“I want to see the general of the Xilin army!”
...
Inside the Xilin army camp.
In the dead of night, Lei Yan sat within his tent, a flickering candle casting shadows.
The white at his temples and the wrinkles on his forehead betrayed his troubled mood.
An elderly man beside him looked worried.
“General, the barbarian centurion we captured still hasn’t revealed anything.”
Lei Yan glanced at the old man and set down his brush.
“Tell the interrogators to hasten their work! They must pry open that barbarian’s mouth within a day and gather all the intelligence!”
The old man hesitated, about to speak further, when a soldier appeared at the tent entrance, saluting solemnly.
“General! Captain Li has brought a soldier who wishes to see you.”
Li? A soldier?
Lei Yan’s eyes narrowed.
If his guess was correct, this must be the very cause of his current headache.
“Let them in!”
“As you command!”
Shortly after, Li entered the tent, accompanied by Su Mu.
Lei Yan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Su Mu carefully.
Upon meeting his gaze, Su Mu showed no trace of fear.
He stood calm and composed.
Most strikingly, Lei Yan detected a hidden pride burning quietly within Su Mu’s eyes.
Lei Yan fixed Su Mu with a steady gaze, nodded lightly, and said with casual ease:
“So, you’re the one Captain Li is so desperate to protect!”
“The barbarian you captured alive this time—was it you as well?”