After relieving himself, the junior officer dug a hole in the sand and buried his waste on the spot. The entire army did the same in the desert. Then he turned and went back.
About an hour later, the junior officer indeed led a ten-man patrol out.
Inspecting the perimeter and checking for suspicious activity was normal enough. Yet when they reached the shadows cast by moonlight slanting across the dunes, a brief disturbance arose.
When they returned, the ten-man squad had completely changed faces. Taishu Guang, Tie Haodong, and Lu Zheng were mixed among them, each having even shaved off his beard.
The junior officer led them back as though nothing had happened, but the ten men following him were taut with nerves, nowhere near as composed as he was.
The junior officer did not return to the encampment by the original route. Instead, he bypassed his own unit, where there were too many familiar faces and everyone in the unit knew one another.
Afterward, he skirted the edge of the army camp, passing right in front of groups of men and horses, leaving Taishu Guang and the others with their hearts in their throats.
"Old Zuo!" Spotting an officer from a neighboring unit, the junior officer took the initiative to call out a greeting.
The other man turned around and asked, "What are you doing over here?"
The junior officer said, "Sigh, the higher-ups ordered a patrol. Told us to open our eyes wide and take a good look." He directly led his men over to greet the other officer.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, he led the men straight into the encampment from that side. He even kicked someone lying on the ground in passing. "Sleeping like a dead pig."
After that, they wound their way through