The Reticent Blade-Chapter 97 - Wine-Stealing Escapade

Northern Qiang was gearing up for the coming war; even the military camps outside Yuanyang City were becoming tense.

Xue Qiming learned this in the village from a farmer's chatty wife.

Xue Qiming naturally knew that Northern Qiang would send troops to the border every year to fight for food and land, so he didn’t take it too seriously.

However, some snippets he heard from the Qihuang Society recently felt like a thorn in his side.

But entering the city was too difficult at the moment, not to mention discovering the whereabouts of the Qihuang Society’s Cheqianzi.

Since there was nothing he could do, Xue Qiming didn't plan on overthinking things and settled comfortably in this small village outside the capital of Northern Qiang. What worried him the most now was where he could satisfy his craving for alcohol.

Xue Qiming leaned against the threshold, and Xue Niang came out of the house and sat beside him.

Xue Niang looked up at the brooding Xue Qiming. "Are we not going back?"

"Eh?" Xue Qiming looked down at the girl. "Going back to where?"

Xue Niang propped her chin and gazed at the distant field ridge. "There is going to be a war... Are we not going back? After all, we are from the Ruen Dynasty, right? Is it safe to stay here?"

"What are we going back to do? We aren't soldiers. Can we go back and help fight? Eh... that's right!" Xue Qiming slapped his thigh and suddenly stood up.

Xue Niang was startled by him and stared at him with wide eyes. "What now?"

"Hehe..." Xue Qiming ruffled her hair, messing up her short locks. "Nothing."

Xue Niang shook her head, brushing away his big hand on her head. She shot him a glance and then went back inside by herself.

Watching Xue Niang enter the house, Xue Qiming chuckled again. He knew where to get some wine.

Drinking is prohibited in the army because soldiers often cause trouble when drunk. However, this doesn't mean there is no alcohol in the military. In fact, there is plenty to drink in the army, and the quality is not bad at all.

However, wine is more often distributed as a reward in the military. For example, after a great victory in battle, soldiers might be permitted to drink a certain amount, but even then, it is limited. Of course, some senior officers can also drink as they wish.

That's right, Xue Qiming had audaciously set his eyes on the fine wine locked away in the military camp!

As a nation of horses and plains, Northern Qiang is renowned for their fierce cavalry. Among the Qiang cavalry, the "Non-returning Arhats" were the most esteemed.

This cavalry unit, that numbered just over eight thousand, is the pride of Northern Qiang. Every soldier in this army is a carefully selected veteran who has survived countless battles. They are also Yelü Jiejia's personal guards.

The term "Non-returning" does not mean they will never return alive once they are on the battlefield. This elite cavalry unit does not harbor suicidal thoughts of dying for the cause.

They are a group that truly understands the ways of the battlefield. How to kill the enemy with the least effort, how to kill more enemies at the lowest cost, and how to survive... in order to continue killing.

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The Non-returning Arhats have a reputation for being unbeatable. Although they may have participated in many battles, they have never been defeated.

The citizens of Yuanyang were only vaguely aware that troops had begun to gather outside the city in anticipation of a great war, but they had no idea that the cavalry stationed outside today were Non-returning Arhats.

After dinner, Xue Qiming changed into a set of dark clothing in the house and was about to go out.

Xue Niang looked up and asked while tidying up the table. "Are you going to steal wine again?"

Just as Xue Qiming stepped out the door, he froze upon hearing this and chuckled awkwardly, "What? I’m just going out for a stroll... hehehe."

Xue Niang pursed her lips and turned away, ignoring him.

Taking advantage of this moment, Xue Qiming turned around and vanished outside the door.

Once he left the village, Xue Qiming loosened his limbs and ran briskly toward the military camp he had heard about.

After running for about an hour, the outline of the military camp finally appeared in Xue Qiming’s sight. Under the gray sky, wisps of cooking smoke rose from the camp. These wisps were particularly conspicuous and indicated that dinner was about to be served.

A wooden fence enclosed the scattered tents within the camp. Even during mealtime, the entire camp seemed quiet, with hardly any conversations heard. Only the occasional sounds of movement and the clinking of pots and pans proved that the camp was full of soldiers.

Many soldiers were also patrolling outside the camp, indicating that they operated on a shift system even during meals.

"Do they really need to be so guarded? This doesn’t seem like an ordinary army," Xue Qiming muttered to himself while hiding in the bushes not far away. "Oh well, let’s just get in first."

Xue Qiming carefully circled around the back of the camp. Not far away, a patrol of soldiers turned the corner, and he quickly climbed over the fence and entered the main camp.

This was the back of a tent, and Xue Qiming hid in the shadows. Not far from the tent, a few soldiers were gathered in a circle eating.

Xue Qiming cautiously peered out.

Although these soldiers sat together, none of them spoke. Even the sounds of chewing were barely audible. Xue Qiming also noticed that none of these men were drinking alcohol either.

"It seems that to find wine, I still need to locate an officer."

Xue Qiming thought to himself. He looked into the distance, where a significantly larger tent stood in the center of the camp. The person who stayed inside must hold a higher position.

Having found his target, Xue Qiming set off. He held his breath and maneuvered behind the tents until he finally reached the edge of the large tent, swiftly hiding in the wood pile beside it.

"Damn it... this is way more thrilling than stealing wine in the city..."

Xue Qiming wiped the sweat from his forehead. His smooth infiltration was due to coming at mealtime, when there were fewer soldiers around.

Through the tent, Xue Qiming could see shadows moving, and there was more than one at that. He crouched down and slowly pressed his ear against the tent, and fragmented voices began to emerge.

"This time, our king has allowed our Arhat army to be the vanguard. It seems he has made up his mind," a gruff voice said.

"Well when the time comes, I’ll lead a thousand troops to take the vanguard," a muffled voice replied indistinctly, seemingly chewing on something.

"I have the same thought... but I will only give you six hundred troops. If you can’t take the North Watching Pass, you can just die."

"Uh-huh, six hundred it is..." With a gulp, this person swallowed what was in his mouth. "After all, they will feign defeat and retreat, so five hundred should be enough to deal with them..."

North Watching Pass?! Outside the tent, Xue Qiming was taken aback. This term reminded him of someone... Someone with white hair who had guarded North Watching Pass alone for many years.

"This time, our Great Qiang will mobilize heavy troops. This battle is essential and cannot be taken lightly," the gruff voice spoke again.

"Rest assured, General, do you not trust me?" The muffled voice seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

At that moment, Xue Qiming suddenly heard a strange sound behind him. As he turned around, he saw a small soldier carrying a bundle of firewood, looking at him in shock!

"You! Who are you!" The small soldier called out, "Help! Enemy—"

Xue Qiming lunged forward and instantly snapped the small soldier's neck, silencing him.

But it was too late; the big tent was already silent, and countless footsteps approached.

The entire military camp stirred as if awakened like a fierce beast. Soldiers densely soldiers surrounded him.

Xue Qiming stood up from the pile of firewood and swallowed hard.

"Damn it... I messed up."

Soldiers swarmed in from all directions, so there was no time for Xue Qiming's thoughts to wander.

The hurried, chaotic footsteps echoed throughout the camp. Xue Qiming dared not linger any longer, scanning around and quickly choosing a direction where there seemed to be fewer people.

If these soldiers were on the battlefield in regular times, donning heavy armor and riding fine horses, they would be unstoppable killing machines. But at this moment, in front of Xue Qiming, they were just ordinary soldiers with decent skills.

When these soldiers saw Xue Qiming charging at them, they bravely blocked his path without fear.

Xue Qiming was also unceremonious, charging right up to the nearest soldier in the blink of an eye. The soldier reached out to grab him, and in Xue Qiming's eyes, even the malicious grin on his face and the trembling of his eyelashes were clearly visible.

Just as he was about to speak, the soldier's hand had only reached halfway when Xue Qiming suddenly shouldered through him!

Bang!

The force of the impact was so great that the soldier was actually sent flying into the air!

In the dim light, it was unclear how high he flew, but a moment later, a thud, like a sack being carelessly tossed to the ground, was heard.

The nearby soldiers looked down and saw that the soldier's entire chest had caved in, his ribcage shattered. He was already dead by the time he landed.

There was a moment of silence at the scene. Just as Xue Qiming was about to feel relieved that these soldiers had been subdued, the camp erupted into a bloodthirsty commotion!

"Catch him!"

"Make him pay!"

"Light the signal lantern!"

"Draw him up! Quarter him!"

"Kill him!"

Xue Qiming was instead startled, not expecting these people to be so fierce. At this moment, even he realized that he wouldn’t be able to escape if he didn't find some way to leave right now.

He quickly maximized his internal qi, darting agilely between the soldiers. Whenever he couldn’t bypass someone, he would shoulder charge through them.

If they were lucky enough to survive, anyone he collided with would be rendered incapacitated!

Yet, these soldiers still fearlessly surrounded him. These people couldn’t be described as moths to a flame. They were more like waves crashing against rocks, fully aware that the outcome would be disastrous, yet pressing forward nonetheless!

By this time, the sky had completely darkened. Shadows moved and thronged in the camp under the flickering light of several scattered bonfires.

Xue Qiming surfed through the waves of soldiers. He always managed to leap and rise above the crowd just when they thought their endless tides would drown him.

Even so, Xue Qiming was in a difficult position. Surrounded by thousands of people, he constantly faced dangers.

The light was already dim, and with so many soldiers blocking his view, he could no longer tell which direction he was moving in the camp, relying solely on instinct to navigate toward the edge.

Just as Xue Qiming silently prayed not to head in the wrong direction, the sound of neighing reached his ears.

Xue Qiming was overjoyed!

He was now certain that although this was not the direction he had come from, it was now the best path to ensure his escape.

So this was a cavalry camp, Xue Qiming thought to himself. The braying he had heard earlier came from a startled group of horses. The distinct smell of horses also wafted over now that he was closer. He had unknowingly escaped to the cavalry yard within the military camp.

Xue Qiming was so happy he nearly laughed out loud. The heavens are helping me!

This was already the edge of the military camp, and very few soldiers could keep up with Xue Qiming.

Xue Qiming leapt on a railing, landing in the cavalry yard. Squatting on the railing, he grinned and turned back to the soldiers chasing after him. "Hey, I’m not playing with you anymore. You can play with yourselves!" With that, he jumped and landed on the back of a gray horse.

"Giddy-up!" Since the battle had not begun, the horses had not been saddled up or given a bridle and bit. Xue Qiming could only grab the horse’s mane and squeeze its belly with his legs, ready to ride off heroically into the distance.

The gray horse neighed loudly, rearing up on its front legs. Xue Qiming was thrown to the ground with a thud.

Rubbing his backside on the ground, he was secretly astonished! This beast actually recognized its owner?! What kind of army is this?! Xue Qiming cursed inwardly.

Xue Qiming did not dare to fool around any longer as the sounds of shouting and calls for his blood came from behind him again. The soldiers finally caught up, scrambling over the railing of the cavalry yard.

Cursing his bad luck once more, Xue Qiming performed a backflip and disappeared into the vast grassland under the cover of night.

***

Bang!

The door was pushed open forcefully, and the night wind howled in.

Xue Niang was sitting at the table, looking at the newcomer, her face glowing red in the light of the oil lamp.

It was Xue Qiming.

"Xue Niang, we need to go," Xue Qiming said, slamming the door and looking at the little girl sitting at the table.

The girl tilted her head and nodded. Then, just like before, she went into the inner room to pack her things without asking anything.

Xue Qiming sat down at the table and gulped down the tea in front of him, and his expression turned a bit ugly.

He reflected on everything that had happened since he arrived in Northern Qiang.

Things had become increasingly confusing since he met those three from the Qihuang Society. Qihuang Society, covert intelligence, the war between the two countries, North Watching Pass, the feigned defeat of the Ruen Dynasty... there seemed to be invisible threads connecting it all.

Rubbing his aching head, Xue Qiming decided not to think about it anymore, but his intuition told him he couldn’t stay here any longer.

He had already figured out where to go. He would head to the oasis in the desert at the border. Since Northern Qiang was going to attack North Watching Pass, they inevitably couldn’t avoid that person. He still intended to let that person know what was coming after all.

Xue Niang emerged from the inner room with a bundle as he was planning their next steps. Since the two of them didn’t have much to begin with, packing up was quick.

Xue Qiming took the bundle from Xue Niang, slung it over his back, took her small hand, and pushed the door open to go outside.

"Huh." Xue Qiming took in everything before him. He rubbed his forehead as his headache intensified.

In the darkness, surrounding the small house, stood a dense crowd of people, like ghosts crawling out of the underworld, standing there without making a sound.

An intense and almost visible malevolence enveloped them, sending chills down their spines.

It was unknown how long they had been standing there. Surprisingly, not a single household in the village had been awakened by the swarm. Not even Xue Qiming had not realized how long these people had been at his door.

Of course, this was related to his distracted state of mind, but it was still quite terrifying that such a huge army could manage such a feat.

Xue Qiming glanced around. Although there were fewer people here than in the military camp, hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers were still waiting at the ready.

Xue Qiming furrowed his brow in confusion; he had carefully confirmed that no one had been following him when he returned... So how had they found him?

"Hehe..." The crowd let out a hoarse, sinister laugh. Xue Qiming looked up to see the mass of soldiers parting for a man who was built like a small mountain.

"When you came into my Arhat Army’s camp, did you think we would just let you go?"