Mere Weeds

"Assemble at once!"

"What are you all dawdling for?!"

"Military orders are as heavy as mountains—are you trying to get yourselves killed?!"

Under the herald's urgent prodding, all three hundred garrison troops had assembled within the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Chen Sanshi was naturally among them.

Commander Xiong and Commander Liu led the force, while Xiang Tingchun was nowhere to be seen.

"Move out!"

At the order, the entire force set out.

"This really came out of nowhere."

This was Chen Sanshi's first time carrying out a genuine mission that involved facing the enemy head-on. "Where's Commander Wang?"

"He isn't here."

Commander Liu walked over and said, "Early this morning, Lord Thousand Households gathered the heads of the four major martial academies at Eight Treasures Restaurant under the pretense of hosting a banquet. Then he had Commander Wang and Commander Luo lead two hundred men to keep them company. They still haven't returned."

A banquet?

This was probably house arrest, keeping the martial academies from interfering with this operation.

It seemed they had truly found the Witch God Cult's hiding place today. Xiang Tingchun was determined to obtain the immortal treasure.

"Looks like I won't have time to improve my strength."

"I'll adapt as things unfold."

As always, Chen Sanshi would not take too great a risk for some treasure.

With Xiang Tingchun personally involved, this was already a conflict among Viscera Refining Martial Artists. Even if he wanted to get involved, he could not.

He would wait for an opportunity.

If a real chance arose, he would give it a try. If not, then forget it.

"Lord Thousand Households is arresting people, so why place the martial academies under house arrest? Does it have something to do with making them bleed?"

Commander Liu and Commander Xiong also felt that something was off.

But if those above did not explain, they would not ask.

Some things were not better known in greater detail.

"Sanshi."

Commander Liu patted his shoulder. "Once we get there, you don't need to charge ahead. Lead your men and stay at the rear to block the road."

"Fatty Wang really treats you well."

Commander Xiong carried a battle axe over his shoulder. "For this, he even agreed—for the first time under heaven—to treat the two of us to Chunman Tower afterward."

"Thank you, Commanders."

Chen Sanshi withdrew and went to find the men under his command.

"Haha!"

Zhu Tong looked rather excited.

He had broken through to Blood Refining several days ago and had been worrying over having nowhere to use his skills. "Let me kill some barbarians too!"

Xu Wencai was visibly trembling. The spear meant for forming up was nothing more than a walking stick in his hands. Stammering, he said, "Sir, I heard the Witch God Cult kills without batting an eye. I don't know the slightest bit of martial arts!"

"Useless trash. Why don't you hurry up and run, then?"

As always, Zhu Tong did not stop berating him. "A thing greedy for life and afraid of death!"

"I, Xu, am not afraid of dying!"

Hugging his spear, Xu Wencai shouted, "I'm only afraid that if I die... die, nobody will know!"

"Tch." Zhu Tong could not be bothered with him.

Warrior Recruit Wang Li was comparatively calm. "Flag Officer, what should we do later?"

"Follow the commanders' arrangements."

Chen Sanshi looked over the men beneath him. "Don't be afraid. It's only a suppression operation. Xiang Thousand Households will handle the true experts. At most, we'll just be blocking roads. Besides, from the day we enlisted, this day was bound to come sooner or later."

"The Flag Officer is right."

Wang Li agreed, "Rather than be at a loss when we truly reach the battlefield someday, we might as well use this chance to temper ourselves."

The group joined the ranks.

The three hundred men marched in mighty formation toward Poyang County.

But their destination was not the County Town.

Five li beyond Poyang County's southern gate stood a temple called Golden Bell Temple. The Witch God Cult's followers had been hiding there these past days. Only yesterday had a Hundred Household Commander who went there to worship Buddha glimpsed something suspicious and reported it to Lord Thousand Households.

Outside the southern gate was a small mountain.

At its foot stood a bluestone stele two zhang tall, engraved with the three great characters: "Golden Bell Temple."

Beside the stele, a winding flight of stone steps climbed ever upward. Devout worshippers stood in line, making their way toward the vermilion temple halfway up the mountain. Though there were many of them, the place was exceptionally quiet. Only from the buildings hidden amid ancient pines and emerald cypresses came the occasional toll of a bell, while wisps of faint incense smoke drifted out.

Outside the temple stood a tea stall for worshippers to rest.

Xiang Tingchun, dressed in fitted plain clothes, sat on a long bench and leisurely sipped his tea.

Beside him sat two Hundred Household Commanders dressed in the same manner.

One was surnamed Feng, the other Zhao.

Commander Feng lowered his head and reported softly, "My lord, the garrison soldiers will arrive within half an incense stick's time and encircle Golden Bell Temple. But... do we not need to evacuate the civilians?"

"Evacuate them?"

Expressionless, Xiang Tingchun turned his teacup in his hand. "Wouldn't evacuating them be the same as warning the Witch God Cult's followers?"

"But..."

Commander Feng looked unable to bear it. "There are more than twenty people in the Witch God Cult. There will definitely be quite a commotion later. If we do not evacuate the people, I fear many innocents will be killed or injured."

Xiang Tingchun's voice was ice-cold. "What does it matter if a few commoners die?"

"Lord Thousand Households... you..."

For a moment, Commanders Feng and Zhao did not know what to say.

"To accomplish anything, one must always pay a price. Is that not so?"

Xiang Tingchun gently set down his teacup and said in a deep voice, "When one general's achievements are forged, ten thousand bones wither. The world has always been this way."

"But they are civilians." Commander Feng gathered his courage and said, "I think we still ought to..."

"Enough."

Xiang Tingchun cut him off. "Feng Yong, Zhao Kang, heed my command!

"The two of you will lead an elite squad and disguise yourselves as worshippers to infiltrate the temple with me. At the same time, Liu Jinkui and Xiong Qiuan must seal every path down the mountain. Let even one escape, and I'll make you regret it!"

"Yes!"

Feng and Zhao did not dare say another word. They sprang away to relay the orders.

After the three hundred garrison officers and soldiers left the city, they dispersed under the command of the various Hundred Household Commanders and surrounded the hill where Golden Bell Temple stood from every direction. The entire process was swift and silent.

Chen Sanshi, General Flag Fang, and fifty others were assigned to a side path leading down the mountain. They lay hidden in the woods on either side, responsible for intercepting any fish that slipped through the net.

General Flag Fang issued orders in a voice just loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Spearmen will seal the road. Archers, find positions with clear fields of vision on your own. Shield-and-blade men will cover the spearmen. The moment anyone approaches, kill them!

"For every Witch God Cult follower's head, Warrior Recruits will receive one bowl of Blood Replenishing Soup, while Formation Recruits will receive three taels of Silver Flakes! Those of higher realms will be rewarded separately!

"When someone on the mountain fires a signal arrow, it means the battle has begun!

"Lord Thousand Households has ordered that not a single living person is to escape!"

Once the arrangements were made, nearly fifty men took their positions.

"S-Sir!"

Xu Wencai's red bamboo hat sat crookedly on his head, and he could barely hold his spear steady. "I really don't know martial arts!"

"Brother Zhu."

Chen Sanshi said, "When the fighting starts, keep an eye on him."

"Brother Chen, you just keep spoiling this old brat!"

Zhu Tong held a spear in his hand, with a Black Iron Hammer strapped across his back—a long weapon paired with the martial art he had chosen to study. Yet he also carried a standard-issue spear.

Before becoming military officers, Warrior Recruits likewise had to integrate into the Battle Formation on the battlefield and could not disrupt its formation. Only military officers could direct the troops and move freely according to the situation.

"Get over here!"

Like snatching up a chick, Zhu Tong hauled Xu Wencai to his side.

Everyone fell silent, and the forest filled with a tense atmosphere.

Many of them had never fought with real blades and real weapons before. How could they not be uneasy? Fortunately, there were enough of them that they were not too frightened.

"Screee—"

No one knew how much time had passed when a sharp cry rang out, shattering the dead silence.