Wang Chong first called Luo Dayong over and had him lead the Qinghe Gang members out to gather information in the surrounding area. There was no way this cavalry force of over two thousand could have raced a thousand miles without stopping along the way. They had to have a supply camp. Even the Mongol armies on their thousand-mile expeditions did not travel entirely without baggage; they drove livestock along to feed themselves on the march. Though the Qinghe Gang was no great gang, they were geographic ghosts who knew the lay of the land. No one was better suited to this task than Luo Dayong.
He then ordered another search, and only then was his little page dug out of the heap of corpses. Wang Dong had initially managed a modest display of martial prowess, but amid the chaos of battle, he could not get by without real skill. Fortunately, he was neither dead nor wounded, merely exhausted from the prolonged fighting. Once the battle ended, he had toppled over and fallen into a deep sleep. Wang Chong offered the little page a few words of comfort, feeling rather guilty. The boy had only come to work for him, and he had never even paid him wages, yet now the boy was risking his life alongside him. Such loyalty and courage were truly commendable.
Only then did he call Gan Ci over and say, "Help me command these troops for the time being." This was Wang Chong's first time having an army under his command. Whatever else happened, he had to enjoy himself first; he certainly would not disband it lightly. Gan Ci had trained the Hengjiang Tigers so well that he clearly possessed some military ability, and his talents ought to be put to use. Gan Ci thumped