Chapter 143: Complex and Intricate

He Lingchuan looked at them, feeling quite pleased with himself. It wasn't easy to get on friendly terms with these man-eating monsters. His original plan was to use the turtle pearl, but then he had a sudden inspiration, made a promise of an official post, and secured the Crocodile God's help with mere words.

Ah, power! This kind of force was incredibly effective—no wonder his father was so engrossed in it.

By the time He Lingchuan’s initial arrangements were complete, the mountain bandits had also finished their discussions, and Wu Shaoyi approached with his subordinates.

“Does the unit under Manager He’s command have a name?”

“Yes, it does,” He Lingchuan took a sip of water. “It’s called the Expeditionary Force.”

This was the result of discussions between He Chunhua and his advisors. He had originally intended to name this direct lineage unit, which he personally led to Xiazhou, the Blackwater Army. However, He Yue and his advisors strongly objected, deeming a name based on the place of origin too petty.

“We are willing to join, but I need at least a vice-general position, and my brothers must also receive ranks.”

“That can be arranged,” He Lingchuan considered. “Given General Wu’s experience, a vice-general position in the army is perfectly suitable. But I must say beforehand that your men might be dispersed and integrated into the main army when the time comes.”

This was standard procedure to prevent them from forming exclusive groups. Wu Shaoyi did not object; in fact, He Lingchuan’s caveat made him feel more assured about the promise. If the young man had agreed to everything so readily, it would have been an empty promise.

“Then let’s discuss the next plan,” Wu Shaoyi found a tree stump and sat down.

He was just recovering from severe injuries. Although he had used forbidden arts to displace his wounds, the significant blood loss was real and had not yet been fully recovered, leaving his face still pale. He had already swallowed several pills to replenish blood and restore energy, and was still chewing aged ginseng, which prevented him from falling into the predicament of blurred vision and shortness of breath. He knew well that at this moment, it would be best to have a large pot of ginseng soup with an old hen, consuming both the soup and meat, then lie down and sleep for a day and a night. Sleep was the best way to replenish blood.

Unfortunately, objective conditions did not allow it. The Governor’s eldest son, right before him, was waiting for him to achieve his first major merit since pledging allegiance.

So Wu Shaoyi picked up a branch and began sketching on the beach:

“Speaking of the West Mountain Road, the leading groups of troops have already gone far. It won’t be easy for us to catch up on horseback, and we probably won’t be able to rendezvous with Governor He.”

He Lingchuan saw that he was drawing the nearby mountain terrain on the ground.

“Because we planned to meet at Xianling Village, I sent people ahead to scout the nearby terrain. Here, the mountains follow the water, and from Desheng Town to Xianling Village, the mountains generally border the upper reaches of Xianling Lake,” Wu Shaoyi explained. “The land route is difficult, so why don’t we take the water route instead?”

“By boat?” He Lingchuan turned to look at the wooden pier by the lake. “Are there enough boats?”

There were only seven or eight boats by the lake, one of which was quite large, but even that could only carry a little over a hundred people at most. Otherwise, Lu Yao would have abandoned his horses and taken boats to intercept the government troops long ago.

“No, not enough, but don’t forget them,” Wu Shaoyi pointed to the giant crocodiles on the shore. “People can stand on their backs, especially the Crocodile God; it alone can carry sixty or seventy people.”

The Crocodile God was over five zhang long (17 meters), longer and wider than some ferries on large rivers. If the men stood on its back, holding hands and squeezing shoulder to shoulder, dozens of people could still fit. Lu Yao had not dared to consider using it at the time because his agreement with the Crocodile God was complete, and it had no further obligation to help him. But He Lingchuan was different; now the Crocodile God was the state’s property—no, the state’s crocodile.

“The first batch of over two hundred people will go by water. Whether it’s for a surprise attack or support, this can address the immediate crisis,” Wu Shaoyi continued. “The remaining people will go by land, on horseback.”

Seeing He Lingchuan deep in thought, he added, “The most crucial task right now is to contact Pei Xinyong.”

“Contact Pei Xinyong?”

“Exactly. He commands sixteen hundred troops and is currently the most important force on the West Mountain Road. If he helps the government troops, their chances of victory increase significantly; if he helps bandit Lu, Governor He will be in deep trouble.”

He Lingchuan’s expression suddenly changed. “You’re right!”

At this point, the Crocodile God, who had been left aside, slowly spoke up, “Where are you going?”

“The seven hundred men Lu Yao stationed at Whistle Rock have not appeared, which means Pei Xinyong successfully completed his interception mission. Unable to advance east, these seven hundred men must retreat west,” He Lingchuan analyzed, pointing at the mountain shapes on the ground. “Therefore, we must not only get ahead of the government troops but ideally also get ahead of Pei Xinyong.”

“It’s still several li from Xianling Village to Whistle Rock. Moreover, from the moment Lu Yao’s signal arrow was fired last night, Pei Xinyong should have started three hours earlier than us.”

Pei Xinyong had intercepted the Whistle Rock ambush in the dark, and now the sun was already high.

Upon hearing this, Wu Shaoyi chuckled. “The mountain roads are rugged, so they wouldn’t have gone far. If we take the water route, we can catch up quickly.” The mountain roads here were not just winding, they were impossibly winding. In contrast, the wide lake offered freedom to roam. That’s why villagers in Xianling Village, when entering or exiting the mountains, preferred to travel by boat, whether transporting people or goods.

He poked a spot on the map. “The water route should ideally end at Desheng Town. It’s along the river, so there should be a pier.” A pier meant there was a suitable path for people and carriages.

“That place is occupied by bandit Lu, and they say hundreds of people are guarding the town,” He Lingchuan questioned. “Are we still going there?”

“Even if we reach it by water, we won’t have horses, so how can we chase Pei Xinyong?” Wu Shaoyi laughed. “Lu Yao always keeps his elite troops with him. The ones left in town are probably weak soldiers, their purpose being merely to guard the rear. Our two hundred men can take them by surprise.” This young Manager He was still inexperienced in warfare. If coordinated well, a surprise attack by two or three hundred men on a large camp of two or three thousand was not uncommon.

He continued, “According to my division of labor with Pei Xinyong last night, I was to capture bandit Lu, and he was to intercept the seven hundred ambushers at Whistle Rock. Afterwards, he was supposed to come and rendezvous with me. So he won’t chase all the way to Desheng Town; at most, he’ll turn back at Dismount Slope. That place is easy to defend and difficult to attack; if he leaves two hundred men and horses there, they can hold out for a while even if Lu Yao’s remaining forces launch a counter-attack.”

He Lingchuan nodded. “We also estimate that the seven hundred ambushers Lu Yao stationed at Whistle Rock, after being attacked, will flee towards Desheng Town. People have an instinct to avoid harm, and fleeing back to their main camp allows them to be offensive or defensive. So Pei Xinyong will likewise chase them towards Desheng Town. To prevent him from turning back midway, Governor He’s army will turn into a side road earlier and head to Qianteng Town.”

When He Chunhua formulated this strategy, he had to anticipate the risk of Pei Xinyong defecting. After all, he was a bandit leader with over a thousand troops; if he encountered government troops head-on, wouldn't he be eager to fight? Fortunately, there was only one path into Xianling Village for the latter half of the journey, but there were several岔 paths leading out of the village, especially to the west, which provided He Chunhua’s forces with more strategic flexibility.