Chapter 83 Formation
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“I’m a bit upset.”
As soon as this sentence came out, Wang Ba and the others all looked at He Yan unconsciously.
Shitou and He Yan were the ones who had been together for the longest time. He knew that He Yan had always been an easygoing person. Even when Wang Ba came to snatch her meat bun, she only protected her food and didn’t express anger so seriously.
Now this unknown monkey had actually made He Yan angry.
Lei Hou chuckled, “Brother He, swords have no eyes, don’t take it personally.”
“Then you’ll have to hurt me first,” He Yan smiled. She flipped backward and was already behind Lei Hou. Her nine-section whip, like a long snake, gracefully swung over. Lei Hou dodged, but the whip seemed to have eyes of its own. It didn’t get shaken off; instead, it brushed across his cheek. In an instant, a red mark appeared on Lei Hou’ face.
As it was the whip’s tail that scraped, there was no blood, but Lei Hou’ expression became rather unpleasant.
“Brother Lei, swords have no eyes,” He Yan gestured toward him with a hooked finger. “Don’t hold a grudge.”
Lei Hou remained silent, his longsword in hand as he lunged forward. His movements were skilled, and his killing intent surged, a stark contrast to the new recruits He Yan had trained with in the martial arts field. The tip of his sword aimed either at He Yan’s throat or her heart, displaying a deadly precision.
In comparison, the young man’s actions were much gentler. Although he was naturally slim and delicate, his maneuvers displayed no signs of fatigue, as if he had boundless energy. He deftly countered and entangled, preventing Lei Hou from advancing even an inch with his sword.
He Yan didn’t intend to harm Lei Hou fatally, but it seemed Lei Hou had different intentions. She pondered her options and realized that unless she completely defeated him, Lei Hou would not give up on trying to snatch the flag from her, as long as he had a breath left in him.
However, sparring with Lei Hou gave He Yan an unusual feeling, one she couldn’t quite put into words. It made her uncomfortable, as if something had been overlooked, and she felt uneasy all over.
Just as she was thinking about this, a flashing sword light came from the side. He Yan was startled and quickly pulled back, her sleeve sliced open, letting a gust of wind in.
Lei Hou stared at her, his eyes piercing. “This doesn’t seem like the time to be distracted, does it?”
“I was just thinking about how to get you to calm down,” He Yan replied. “Brother Lei, has no one ever told you that you can be quite irritating?”
Such blatant provocation, accompanied by her smiling expression, would infuriate most people. Lei Hou’s face darkened immediately, and he thrust his sword at her. He Yan smiled slightly, throwing out her whip. The whip’s tendrils danced around her, like a long snake in flight, preventing the sword from advancing an inch.
She continued to smile as she spoke, “Actually, you guys don’t know that I’m quite skilled with the whip too.”
In an instant, her whip tendrils weaved a complex pattern, sweeping through the air with varying speeds, leaving onlookers dazzled.
The young man’s voice carried a cheerful tone, as if this was not a high-stakes flag-capturing competition but a friendly duel in a martial arts arena. He continued speaking amidst the whirling whip.
“This is called ‘Turning the Elbow Inside and Out.'”
“This is called ‘Left and Right Feigning Horse.'”
“And this, ‘White Snake Spits Venom.'”
“Sweeping Dragon!”
Her movements grew faster and faster, and Wang Ba and the others had already stopped their activities, stunned by her aura.
They had already considered her formidable on the martial arts field, but now they realized she had been holding back.
Lei Hou clenched his teeth, his expression growing uglier by the second.
He had not taken He Yan seriously. No matter how skilled a new recruit was, they couldn’t be proficient in every aspect. He Yan’s sword, bow, and spear skills were excellent, but that didn’t mean she could defeat him. However, now he watched as the young man effortlessly demonstrated various whip techniques, as if he had performed them thousands of times before.
To make matters worse, in the brief time they had fought, He Yan seemed to have identified his weaknesses and relentlessly attacked them. In contrast, he struggled to find her weaknesses and couldn’t get a foothold. Lei Hou felt a growing sense of unease.
The young man’s smile broadened as he continued to manipulate his whip with ease, one motion flowing into the next. Lei Hou felt like he was facing a spinning wheel, or a relentless steel club, both fluid and fierce, ever-changing, and he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.
In the blink of an eye, the whip came at him again, and Lei Hou subconsciously used his sword to block it. But in the next moment, the whip curled around, heading straight for his chest.
Lei Hou’s heart sank. He wanted to use his sword to intercept the whip, but the whip was agile and unpredictable. It slipped past his sword and ended up in He Yan’s hand.
“This one is called ‘Golden Thread Coiling Around a Gourd,'” He Yan said, weighing the flags in her hand and smiling. “Thank you, Brother Lei. You even tied them up for me.”
Lei Hou was self-assured and considered himself invincible among the recruits participating in today’s flag competition on White Moon Mountain. He had been so arrogant that he bound the flags with a rope and put them all in his arms. But now they had all been taken away by He Yan. He couldn’t help but feel a hint of regret. If he had been more cautious and spread the flags out, they wouldn’t all be gone in an instant.
Seeing that everything had been taken away by He Yan, Lei Hou could no longer restrain his darkening expression. Without a second word, he lunged at He Yan.
He Yan took a few steps back, smiling, “Once it’s in my hands, it’s mine. My things, no one can snatch them.”
“What if I want to snatch them?” Lei Hou’s killing intent surged, and his sword was like a shooting star.
“Actually, I don’t like fighting,” He Yan sighed. “But if you insist on snatching, then I’ll have to beat you up.”
The two figures collided in an instant.
Wang Ba and the others, along with Lei Hou’s companions, were already tired from fighting. Moreover, without the flags in their hands, there was no point in continuing. They had already sat down under a tree, watching the scene unfold. They were well aware that this was a duel between He Yan and Lei Hou, and whoever won would be able to take the flags.
“Can you tell who’s more powerful between them?” Lei Hou’s companion asked.
Jiang Jiao shook his head, “I can’t tell.”
“Why bother asking? It’s definitely He Yan!” Wang Ba replied confidently.
“Oh? Brother, why do you say that?”
“I don’t know, just a feeling.”
“…”
“… pine nuts?” Huang Xiong even offered some pine nuts to the other party.
“Thanks, um, they’re really delicious!”
Before they could finish the handful of pine nuts, they heard a “thud.”
Everyone looked ahead together, and the two figures had already separated. Lei Hou’s expression didn’t change, while the young man held the whip with a joyful smile.
A sword laid on the ground.
“You lost,” He Yan said.
Lei Hou’s face turned uglier. He didn’t speak, and after a moment, he said heavily, “You tricked me.”
“All’s fair in war,” He Yan picked up the fallen sword and handed it back to him. She said seriously, “Your leg has been injured by me. Rest here for half an hour before you move. Otherwise, your leg might develop lingering problems, and it’ll be hard to make any progress in your training in the future.”
Lei Hou turned his face away, accepting the sword without looking at her.
“It’s okay,” He Yan patted his shoulder and said with a meaningful tone, “In war, there are winners and losers. Enduring shame and humiliation is the duty of a man. This was just a flag competition. You’ve already done well, but unfortunately, you ran into me.”
She pointed at herself, “I’m the most powerful.”
Wang Ba and the others had heard He Yan say this countless times. At first, they had dismissed it, but now, they had become numb to it. Besides, what she said wasn’t wrong.
He Yan beckoned to Jiang Jiao, “Let’s go.” Then she said to Lei Hou’s companions, “Rest here and make sure to take care of Brother Lei.”
The person looked at her in confusion.
“After beating up so many new recruits on the mountain, when the new recruits come down later and see Brother Lei unable to move, they might team up to fight back. That’s why I say,” she said with conviction, “don’t take small evils lightly.”
…
Lei Hou and his group were left behind, while He Yan and Jiang Jiao and the rest descended the mountain together.
“He accused you of trickery,” Huang Xiong couldn’t help but ask, “How did you trick him?”
“It’s not really trickery. I just intentionally exposed a few flaws to him,” He Yan shrugged, “He wanted my life, but I only wanted to prevent him from catching up to me. He misunderstood my intentions, so…”
“That monkey wasn’t that impressive,” Wang Ba commented ambiguously, “He talked so big but lost so quickly. Quite weak!”
“You’re mistaken,” He Yan shook her head with a chuckle, “He’s actually very formidable. Among the new recruits of Liangzhou Garrison, if it weren’t for me, he would probably be the best.”
He Yan had fought against this person. She didn’t know what his background was, but judging by his age, he was likely in his early twenties. He must have been practicing martial arts for at least a decade. His skill was deep, and his techniques were refined. If there was any flaw, it was that he carried an overly heavy killing intent. Although he didn’t cause any life-threatening injuries, his fighting style could easily lead to severe injuries among his comrades.
Precisely because he was so skilled, Lei Hou’s method of capturing flags seemed crude and straightforward. However, capturing flags was never just about setting up a stage where the last one standing was the winner. Although Lei Hou was formidable, constantly engaging with other new recruits while rushing up and down the mountain had consumed a significant amount of his stamina. When he fought, it was one thing for a short time, but as time passed, his vulnerabilities became more apparent.
On the other hand, He Yan had gone up and down the mountain with her team of five. Wang Ba and the others had earnestly helped as well. He Yan had only engaged in combat a few times herself. As a result, she was full of energy and had plenty of strength to observe Lei Hou’s weaknesses.
“Is he really not going to follow us?” Jiang Jiao expressed some doubt, frequently looking back. “I think we should pick up the pace a bit to avoid him catching up later.”
“Don’t worry,” He Yan said, “Unless he doesn’t want to continue practicing martial arts in the future, he won’t follow us. But you make a valid point; we’d better get down the mountain sooner.”
…
Inside a house in the garrison, a game of chess was left unfinished.
Shen Han’s mind was preoccupied, and he had no interest in playing chess. The young man across from him seemed completely unperturbed, as if he had no concern for the outcome of the flag competition. They casually sipped tea and played chess, their tranquility maddening.
A black-clad guard entered from outside the door, approaching Xiao Jue, and whispered, “He Yan clashed with Lei Hou, engaged in combat with him, and Lei Hou was defeated. He Yan now holds all twenty flags.”
He didn’t avoid Shen Han, so his words were also heard by Shen Han, causing him to take in a sharp breath.
That Lei Hou had caught their attention from the moment he started competing for the first flag on the mountain. This young man had been unremarkable before, and if it weren’t for this flag competition, they wouldn’t have known that there was someone capable within the Liangzhou Garrison. This person was recommended by Du Mao, a relative of the Du family who taught martial arts, and he hadn’t seemed particularly noteworthy before. However, now it seemed he had genuine skill.
This man had been competing for flags since he got on the mountain, engaging in combat with others without suffering a single loss. Unlike He Yan, who was skilled at ambushes and concealment, this man was straightforward, not one to hide his intentions. Fortunately, he had excellent skills and defeated numerous opponents, capturing fourteen flags in one go, twice as many as He Yan.
Originally, Shen Han had been looking forward to a confrontation between Lei Hou and He Yan. He wanted to see these two actually fight, to find out who would win. Shen Han thought that He Yan was clever and used to finding shortcuts, so a direct confrontation might be her downfall against Lei Hou. After all, Lei Hou was indeed very formidable.
But he didn’t expect that Lei Hou would lose to He Yan.
“He Yan and her group have already headed downhill,” Fei Nu continued, “Another half-hour of walking, and they’ll enter the formation.”
Shen Han looked at Xiao Jue.
Initially, he had thought that using a formation against a new recruit wasn’t really necessary. But now, all he could think of was that this young man was capable of everything, of anything. He was afraid that this formation wouldn’t be able to confine him.
Xiao Jue remained calm, lowering his gaze as he picked up one of Shen Han’s white pieces.
Shen Han asked in a low voice, “Commander… he will win, right?”
Xiao Jue curved his lips in a faint smile, “Perhaps.”
…
The sun was gradually descending.
The golden brilliance from midday had transformed into a warm red, seeping through the gaps between branches like large chunks of crimson clouds, soft and radiant. It was like the red veil worn by a young girl.
Sounds of wild birds’ chirping echoed from deep within the jungle. It seemed that winning all twenty flags had put the entire group in good spirits. It was as though they weren’t here to compete for flags on the mountain, but rather, they were enjoying a leisurely outing, getting ready to return home.
Wang Ba：“I wonder if we’ll receive some rewards when we go back this time, apart from the possibility of being assigned to the vanguard camp.”
“Most likely,” He Yan replied casually. “What do you want?”
“Alcohol! Of course, good alcohol! I haven’t had much to drink since coming here, and I’m craving it.” Wang Ba complained, “If we had some alcohol, I’d have even more energy than I do now!”
“It’s alcohol, not a tonic,” He Yan chuckled.
“How about some good weapons as rewards?” Jiang Jiao suggested. “When I joined the army, I didn’t bring any weapons from home. The spears in the training ground aren’t very comfortable to use. It would be great if I could be rewarded with a good spear.”
Huang Xiong touched the Buddhist beads around his neck and said, “I just want to eat a hot and hearty beef dish. Drinking from big bowls and eating large chunks of meat, that’s the way to live!”
Shitou pondered for a while before saying, “Bring Xiao Mai up the mountain for a trip. He has always wanted to hunt rabbits.”
Among the four, three of them had wishes related to food and drink. He Yan didn’t know whether to praise them for their lack of desire or not. Jiang Jiao asked, “And you? What reward would you like?”
“Me? I haven’t really thought about it,” He Yan said. “I would be happy if I could join the vanguard camp.”
“You’re really focused on making achievements,” Wang Ba sarcastically remarked.
“Of course, with my skills, it would be a waste not to make achievements. I also hope to gain Commander’s appreciation and become his personal guard or something.” He Yan thought that if that were the case, she could be close to Xiao Jue and gather information about the He family.
“Keep dreaming,” Wang Ba rolled his eyes, “If you achieve that, I’ll call you ‘father’.”
He Yan: “…”
As they were talking, Huang Xiong suddenly stopped and said, “Have we been circling around this place? I feel like we’ve been here before.”
“Forget it,” Wang Ba quipped, “Do you even know the way?”
“I also feel like we’ve just been here,” Jiang Jiao added.
He Yan remained silent as Shitou pulled out a piece of grass rope from his pocket. He walked up to a nearby tree and tied the rope around it. “Mountain paths are complex, and trees can look similar. Let’s keep walking.”
The group continued walking. After about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, they saw a tree in front of them with the same grass rope tied to it that Shitou had tied earlier.
This time, everyone fell silent.
After a while, Wang Ba finally spoke up. His voice contained a barely noticeable tremor as he said, “Did we run into a ghost hitting a wall?”
He became more animated as he continued, “I heard a senior from our mountain say that he once walked a mountain path at night, and no matter how he walked, he kept going in circles. He was so desperate that he had to sit down right there, and fell asleep in his clothes. And guess what happened the next morning?”
He deliberately built suspense, but no one responded. Wang Ba continued somewhat sulkingly, “When he woke up, he found himself in a graveyard!”
He Yan sighed, “Brother Wang, it’s not the right time for ghost stories.”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Huang Xiong said in a low voice, “I have Buddhist beads, and no demons or ghosts can come near me. It’s you,” he turned to He Yan, “did you remember the route wrong?”
“I didn’t,” He Yan said.
“Then why did we suddenly get lost?” Jiang Jiao also felt puzzled. While White Moon Mountain was large, it shouldn’t be difficult to navigate, especially since they had come up without any problems. So why were they unable to get down now?
“We did go downhill in the right direction,” He Yan said, “but we’re indeed circling around this area.” A thought crossed her mind as she walked up to the tree with the grass rope and looked around.
This was an open field with fewer trees than the mountaintop. Weeds covered the ground, and there were scattered rocks everywhere.
Rocks?
A thought struck He Yan. She took a few steps forward and saw a pile of rocks. She bent down to examine them closely. The boulders were randomly stacked together, shapeless, as if a mountain hunter had moved them here casually to rest.
“Why are you staring at these rocks?” Wang Ba asked, “Do they have any writing on them?”
He Yan straightened up and said, “There’s no writing on them, but this is the reason why we’re unable to find our way out.”
“What?” Jiang Jiao and the others gathered around, all looking at the rock. They couldn’t see anything unusual about it. Shitou frowned and asked, “What does this mean?”
“It’s the Eight Gates of Qimen Dunjia: Life, Injury, Rest, Barrier, View, Death, Surprise, and Open,” He Yan explained. “Someone has set up a formation here. We entered the formation, and that’s why we’ve been going in circles.”
What she said made sense to each individual, but putting it all together made it confusing. Everyone looked at her, not sure how to proceed with their questions.
He Yan was also puzzled. She hadn’t seen Wang Xiaohan anywhere, which meant that he and his group had already gone down the mountain. They wouldn’t be able to break the formation, so they couldn’t have set it up before. So how did it suddenly appear?
Who had set up this formation specifically for her? Shen Han? Or Xiao Jue?
— Side Note —
Here’s a little cold joke: Lei Hou is from Guangdong because “Lei Hou!”
(Note: The joke is a play on words that might not fully translate to English. “Lei Hou” is a common greeting in Cantonese that sounds like “Hello,”. Guangdong people speak cantonese.)
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Future Xiao Jue will regret messing with his wife like this. =P