Chapter 1

At the border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, outside the Wu Pass,

In a dense forest, figures were scattered, all holding bows and crossbows, with sharp blades hanging from their waists, as if waiting for something. Suddenly, a bold voice rang out: "Xiao Yuezi, are you nervous? Have you ever killed anyone?"

After speaking, he glanced at the young man beside him, who had a greenish complexion.

"No, I joined the army three months ago. This is my first mission. Squad Leader, how did these barbarians sneak in? Is a big battle about to start?"

The young man responded while his eyes darted around. His hands, gripping the bow and arrow, were already sweating, and it was clear he was very nervous.

The squad leader shook his head and said nothing, then looked at the centurion beside him, who was dressed differently from the ordinary soldiers. Centurion Wang Gui was a veteran, having served for ten years and fought in many battles, but his achievements were all taken by his superiors, or he would have been promoted to a major long ago.

The centurion spat and said, "The border has been relatively peaceful in recent years, but since the beginning of autumn this year, the Yanrong have been continuously reinforcing their troops at the border. This group is probably enemy scouts, gathering military intelligence. We finally discovered them, and they will pass by here before sunset. If we kill them, I can be promoted to a major. This time, whoever dares to take credit from me, I will turn against them! You all need to be sharp. There are many new recruits, and I'm unlucky to have lost many of my men to reinforce General Zhou's army, and now I have a bunch of kids!"

Everyone nodded in response, and the forest returned to silence as they waited patiently.

About an hour later, the sound of hooves came from the distance. "They're here!" The young man, previously called Xiao Yuezi, straightened his body, and his bow and arrow began to follow the movement of the cavalry. The cavalry, about twenty to thirty riders, slowed down as they entered the forest, looking around and gripping their sword handles.

The centurion knew they were a well-trained unit and cursed under his breath. As the enemy slowly entered the ambush, he shouted, "Fire!"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" arrows shot from all directions in the forest, and over ten of the Yanrong cavalry fell off their horses. The leader, seeing the situation was dire, spurred his horse to charge through.

An arrow shot towards him, piercing the belly of his horse, which fell to the ground, and the leading scout rolled off the horse. At this moment, many figures jumped down from the trees, tackling the remaining riders to the ground. To prevent them from gathering any intelligence, the centurion had made thorough arrangements.

"Kill!" The centurion roared and charged forward first. Xiao Yuezi also drew his saber and rushed forward. The remaining ten or so enemies formed a circle, ready to fight to the death, with the leader showing no fear.

The two sides engaged in close combat. Due to the presence of several dozen new recruits, a few of them were injured upon contact. Seeing this, the centurion, who was not in a good position, charged towards the leading scout, but the barbarian dodged and kicked the centurion's calf, causing him to stagger.

Another barbarian took advantage of the situation and raised his saber, about to strike the centurion's head. Xiao Yuezi rushed forward and slashed the barbarian's back, causing him to fall.

As everyone rushed forward, the remaining ten or so enemies were killed in the desperate fight, with none escaping.

After the battle, the centurion panted, still shaken, and looked at the trees and grass stained with blood. He spat again and walked to Xiao Yuezi, patting his shoulder, saying, "Good boy, you saved my life. Is this your first time killing an enemy? Are you scared?"

Xiao Yuezi wiped the blood from his clothes: "Not scared, everyone is here, what is there to be afraid of?"

"Ha ha, well done. Clean up the battlefield and check for any letters or intelligence." The centurion turned to the others and ordered.

Seeing that over ten of their own were injured, the centurion was puzzled. These men were skilled; they still had such strong combat power even when ambushed. They must not be ordinary scouts.

What were they doing after infiltrating Wu Pass?

Xiao Yuezi, whose real name is Chen Yue, is from Fengyang County, Liangzhou. He joined the army three months ago and, after a brief training, was assigned to the centurion's unit. This was his first mission and his first time killing someone. Saying he wasn't scared was a lie. Recalling the scene of blood splattering, he was still a bit frightened, but as a tough man, he couldn't show fear.

After cleaning up the battlefield, they found a letter. The centurion muttered, "I can't read, I don't know what it says." Chen Yue squeezed in and took a look: "It seems to be the defense deployment of Wu Pass."

The centurion was stunned, first puzzled that a common soldier could read, then frowned, deep in thought. Chen Yue was also shocked. Wu Pass is a crucial border pass of the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could a group of scouts gather such intelligence? Could it be?

Chen Yue shook his head; this wasn't something a common soldier should consider.

The group then set off, preparing to return to Wu Pass. To pursue this group of enemy scouts, they had moved far from Wu Pass, almost into Yanrong territory. Their horses were hidden in a valley not far from here, and it would take time to retrieve them. This place was not safe to stay, and if they encountered a large enemy force, they might not return. However, now it was still a small-scale skirmish, so the odds of such a bad luck were low.

The squad leader came to Chen Yue's side: "Not bad, kid. You have good skills and can read. Maybe you can become a major one day. Remember to give your brother a hand then. Tell me, why did you join the army?"

Chen Yue scratched his head: "The past few years have been bad, and the harvest at home has been poor. Joining the army can exempt us from taxes and provide a military salary. When I save some money, I'll go home and get married."

"Ha ha ha, you're still a kid and already thinking about getting married. When we return, I'll get you a Yanrong woman. One at home and one outside, you'll be a double bridegroom!" Everyone laughed, easing the tension from the battle.

The centurion also smiled. In the army, joking with each other meant they were part of the group. He then led everyone towards Wu Pass.

This is the fourth year of Wu De in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The world is divided into four countries: Great Zhou, Northern Jin, Southern Yue, and Yanrong.

Among them, Great Zhou has the most extensive territory, located in the Central Plains, occupying fertile land, and divided into forty states. It borders the other three countries. Southern Yue and Northern Jin have smaller territories and have been relatively peaceful, rarely engaging in conflict with Great Zhou. Only Yanrong, originally a group of nomadic tribes, rose to prominence and unified the grasslands in just ten years, establishing the Yanrong Kingdom. The ruler, Mu Yun Canglan, called himself the Golden Khan. After unifying the grasslands, he was still unsatisfied and gathered his tribes to reinforce the border, intending to invade Great Zhou.

In recent years, the internal situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty has been unstable. The major families in the court have been vying for power, leading to frequent political struggles and self-interest. The army, due to a long period of peace, has lost its edge, except for the border troops, which still have strong combat power. Other garrisons are often corrupt, with embezzlement and withholding of military supplies being common.

With Yanrong's movements, the border has been in constant friction with nomadic tribes. However, now facing a unified nomadic nation, the Great Zhou Dynasty must be cautious. To prepare for any eventuality, in addition to mobilizing the border troops, the Great Zhou Dynasty has urgently conscripted soldiers from the surrounding states. Chen Yue was conscripted during this recruitment.

Chen Yue's home is in a small village in Liangzhou. Liangzhou is known for producing warhorses, but the land is poor, so the people there have always been fierce and many men practice archery and riding from a young age. The army composed of Liangzhou soldiers has always been highly combat-effective.

Chen Yue is the only son in his family. His parents are simple and kind, always farming and occasionally raising a few horses to sell to the government as warhorses. He was betrothed to Ma Cong's daughter, Ma Ling'er, from a young age. Ma Ling'er is a year older than Chen Yue, so he has always called her "Sister Ling'er."

Due to the poor harvest in recent years, both families were struggling to make ends meet and couldn't afford to pay taxes. When the recruitment came, after much consideration, Chen Yue joined the army. Serving in the army not only exempted his family from taxes but also provided for both families. The night before he left, Chen Yue gently hugged Ma Ling'er and said, "Sister Ling'er, wait for me."

Ma Ling'er, with red eyes, replied, "You must come back alive. When you return, we will get married." Chen Yue nodded and hugged her tighter, savoring the peace before his departure.

Thinking of this, Chen Yue's eyes welled up, and he looked in the direction of home, softly murmuring, "Wait for me." Then he spurred his horse and caught up with the advancing group.

[Author's Note]: This is the beginning of a new book. I hope you enjoy it. The battlefield is filled with passion and valor, and who will stand out?