Chapter 41

This was a night of a full moon, with not a cloud in the sky. The round moon hung high, casting a cold, clear light. Standing on Hat Mountain, one could clearly see the brilliant lights of Anyang City in the distance. It was originally a bustling metropolis, a hub on the western border of the Great Chu. In recent years, due to the presence of the Western Border Army led by Zuo Lixing, the Western Qin had not set foot in this area for many years. This allowed the prosperous region to develop rapidly. But now, it seemed that everything was about to turn to smoke and ashes.

Outside Anyang City, there were scattered campfires, here and there, where refugees from various places had gathered. The capacity of Anyang City was limited, and since yesterday, the city gates had been closed, no longer allowing refugees to enter. These people had nowhere to go and could only gather at the foot of the city, desperately pleading for the city guards to open the gates. Of course, these pleas were in vain.

Even in the woods at the foot of Hat Mountain, many refugees had gathered. After all, there was still a Chu army here. Shuchang, who couldn't sleep, stood on the mountain peak, looking down at the shadows of people in the woods below. A pained look flashed in his eyes. He knew that the Suicide Corps couldn't help these refugees.

The ground trembled slightly, and Shuchang was startled. He looked up into the distance. Having been in the military for a long time, he knew very well what this ground tremor meant.

On the horizon, a line of lights suddenly appeared and quickly approached Anyang City. Shuchang was about to wake up Zhang Xiaomao, who was still sound asleep, but when he looked down, he found that Zhang Xiaomao had already silently appeared beside him, staring intently into the distance.

"It's the Thunder Army. Only they have so many warhorses. The Qin border troops are all poor, they can't have such good equipment," Zhang Xiaomao said solemnly.

Not long after, the previously quiet Hat Mountain suddenly became lively. Countless people emerged from nowhere, silently taking their positions. The sound of swords being drawn and arrows being nocked echoed in Shuchang's ears.

Flames also began to burn on the mountain. A large fire was lit beside Shuchang, illuminating the Suicide Corps' military flag, which fluttered in the night wind, turning red.

Compared to the lively scene on Hat Mountain, the refugees in the woods below suddenly became quiet. From the mountain, no more movement could be seen.

As they drew closer, Zhang Xiaomao's expression grew increasingly serious. Over ten thousand cavalry appeared in his field of vision, an astonishing number. Behind the cavalry, even further away, countless torches appeared on the horizon, seemingly connecting heaven and earth. It was unclear how many enemies had crossed the Luoying Mountains.

"Such a large scale?" Shuchang exclaimed. "Is the Western Qin preparing for a large-scale war with the Great Chu?"

"I don't know," Zhang Xiaomao shook his head. "We little people can't guess the thoughts of the big shots. Whatever, we just need to do our job."

Shuchang smiled. "It seems we can't do anything now."

Zhang Xiaomao was taken aback and nodded. "You're right. Apart from passively waiting to die, we can't do anything. I wonder what Qin Lao Da would do if he were here."

"He would lead us straight into the city," Shuchang said. "Otherwise, he wouldn't be Qin the Madman."

Zhang Xiaomao laughed. "What Qin Lao Da can do, I can't. Sigh, being cautious, I will never amount to much."

"You're blaming me," Shuchang smiled. "Because I didn't let Scissors kill his way into the city."

Zhang Xiaomao shook his head. "If we fight among ourselves before the enemy arrives, it would be a laughingstock. If Qin Lao Da were here, Yang Yi wouldn't dare to stir up trouble. We don't have that level of skill!"

"The enemy is coming our way," Shuchang's tone was slightly tense.

Zhang Xiaomao glanced at him. "It's fine. This is just the enemy's scout. They've discovered us, but they've only sent a small squad to investigate. There won't be any fighting tonight."

"Why?"

"Because it's the Thunder Army. Bian Wushuang is cautious in his military strategy. He plans everything before taking action. In the dark, they don't know how many soldiers are on this mountain or if there are any traps, so he won't move at night. If there's a fight, it will be tomorrow. Sleep, let the brothers sleep!" The last sentence was directed at the monk.

The monk grinned. "Xiaomao, how can we sleep? The Thunder Army, we've never fought against them, have we?"

"No, when the Thunder Army fought the Great Chu army, the Suicide Corps didn't exist yet. Later, the Thunder Army became the emperor's personal guard in the capital, and never appeared on the front lines again. This is the Qin's elite army."

"How do they compare to our Suicide Corps?" the monk asked.

"Even if we were evenly matched, they could overwhelm us with numbers," Shuchang said.

"Doctor Shu, can't you say something to make me feel better?" the monk complained.

"Those who can't face reality will collapse faster."

"Whatever!" The monk gave Shuchang the middle finger.

A group of over a hundred cavalry approached Hat Mountain, circling the small mountain once, and then more troops came from a distance. They set up camp a few miles away from Hat Mountain. From the mountain, everyone could clearly see the Qin soldiers lighting campfires and setting up camp under the bright lights.

"At this moment, if we charge down, we might gain some unexpected victories," the monk was eager to try.

"If you dare to go, you won't come back," Zhang Xiaomao sneered. "Do you see? It looks lively, but how many are actually working? In the darkness where the firelight doesn't reach, the enemy is waiting with bared fangs for you to attack. How many of us can we afford to waste? Stay quiet. No matter what tricks they play, we have only one move: defend Hat Mountain. We might not be able to hold it, but we can turn Hat Mountain into a nightmare for the enemy. We can die, but at least we'll make them pay with several times the number of men."

"That's a bold statement, I like it. It has a bit of Qin the Madman's style," Shuchang clapped in admiration. "We really don't need to do anything or think about anything. Just stay here and be a tough, unbreakable, uncrushable, and indomitable copper pea."

The monk giggled. "Even if they swallow us, we'll chip their teeth."

The Qin army made a lot of noise for a while, but finally quieted down. As Zhang Xiaomao said, they had no intention of attacking at night. They were really setting up camp. The lights went out one by one, and the dark shadows made it impossible to see what they were doing from the mountain.