The Test

The Shattered Lands. The diplomatic convoy from the State of Zhao was traveling at an unhurried pace. Although this was a lawless land crawling with bandits as numerous as ox hairs, the horse bandits were not fools. The moment they spotted the escort of over a thousand armored cavalry and the fluttering banner of Zhao from afar, they obediently melted away. Zhao's armored cavalry was renowned throughout the world, and the bandits had no desire to test the sharpness of their blades with their own necks. Just then, an army appeared ahead of the envoy caravan. Their armor was bright and banners stood like a forest, all emblazoned with the character for Jin. Spotting the force from a distance, the general commanding the escort spurred his mount forward to meet them and bellowed, "Who bars our path ahead?" Feng Lin rode out on horseback and said, "This humble general is Feng Lin, Vice General of Western Jin! I was ordered to wait here specifically to escort the Princess through the pass!" The vanguard general returned to the royal carriage to report, and a voice from inside replied, "Have him come forward to speak." Feng Lin rode alone to the front of the Princess's carriage and dismounted to pay his respects. He dared not show the slightest lapse in etiquette; the person before him was not only Zhao's Princess Ningguo, but also the younger sister of Consort Yuan. A princess of Zhao might not be able to do much to him, but a single word from Consort Yuan could have his head lopped off ten times over. "What territory is this?" "To answer the Princess, we are still within Anzhao Commandery and will soon enter Bianning Commandery." "Anzhao Commandery..." The Princess inside the carriage murmured the name a few times before saying, "Lead the way." Feng Lin said, "Bandits are rampant in this region, and some possess formidable forces. I intend to detail an elite unit to guard Your Highness's carriage, just to be completely safe." "I dislike having people around my carriage. Do not block my view." Since the Princess had spoken, Feng Lin dared not insist. He divided his troops into two contingents: one cleared the path ahead, while the other marched parallel to the envoy convoy several li to the flank, guarding against any bandits that might appear from the west. Looking out through the carriage window, the young woman let out a soft sound of surprise. "Those soldiers are actually quite well trained. Didn't they say Western Jin troops are utterly useless apart from the northern border army? Oh, but the ones leading our way up front aren't very impressive." The old man yawned and said, "Western Jin is vast and has plenty of capable men. There will always be someone trying to accomplish something. Still, his formation is a bit strange. I suspect he has other motives." The young woman asked, "Will bandits really come to rob the convoy in a bit?" "Not just bandits, but two separate groups." The young woman immediately grew excited. "Really? Can you let me take command?" The old man shook his head at once. "Maneuvering troops and laying out battle arrays was just something this old man taught you in private for amusement. If your sister found out you enjoyed this sort of thing, guess how many days she'd lock you up once we reach the Jin capital?" The young woman slumped back reluctantly. "I know! Isn't it just because she's afraid of scaring those young lords of Jin? I've heard they're all effeminate as can be; I really have no interest in them anyway. How about telling me about the arrangements this time instead? The bandits are coming soon—surely I'm allowed to know now, right? Knowing a little more won't ruin my sister's plans." Her beauty was truly rare in the world, and her current look of aggrieved innocence could melt anyone's heart. The old man sighed helplessly. "Your sister had that exact same look when she left the capital back then. Ah, fine, I'll tell you a bit more. Aside from the congratulatory gifts, we brought along an object this time. That thing cannot leave the ground, nor can it travel too quickly, which is why it's traveling with our diplomatic mission." "Ah! What kind of treasure is it?" The young woman's eyes sparkled with intense curiosity, like a kitten spotting a ball of yarn. The old man chuckled. "It isn't any treasure; in fact, it's a harmful thing that you mustn't see. Quite a few people in our court know we brought it along, and plenty know it is to be given to the King of Jin. When the bandits arrive, they will seize it from our hands, and then deliver it to the King of Jin." "I understand," the young woman said. "The King of Jin doesn't want people to know he acquired it, right?" The old man nodded. "Indeed." "Isn't that cover-up a bit too obvious?" The old man smiled. "As long as there is no direct evidence proving it ended up in the King of Jin's hands, it is enough." "The bandits take the blame?" The old man chuckled. The young woman asked again, "Then why are there two groups of bandits?" "The first group of bandits can't yet be considered our people. This old man needs to gauge his strength and see if he's worth winning over. If his capabilities pass muster, I will hand the item over to him. But if he cannot withstand the test, there is still the second group of bandits—and they are truly our people. They will take the item and deliver it into the King of Jin's hands." Her curiosity flared even brighter. "Who is in the first group? How do you plan to test him? Do you need me to take action?" The old man laughed. "Has our Great Zhao fallen so low that Princess Ningguo herself must take the field? The bandit coming shortly is named Wei Yuan, that lad who planted the boundary stone in the west. As for this old man's test, it is very simple. "In chaotic times, individual strength and the art of rallying followers are equally vital. In a moment, as long as he can withstand a strike carrying thirty percent of this old man's dao power, and provided he has thirty Dao Foundation cultivators among his followers, he passes." The Princess exclaimed in surprise, "Thirty percent of your dao power? Isn't that equivalent to a top-tier late Dao Foundation cultivator?" "Not that exaggerated. I am old, and my cultivation has regressed somewhat over the years. Thirty percent of my dao power is merely at the level of a late Heaven Tier consummation cultivator. This old man won't make things difficult for him—so long as he can withstand it, he passes." "Wei Yuan, Wei Yuan..." The Princess repeated the name, then suddenly recalled something. "I think I saw reports on him before. Hasn't it been less than a year since he formed his Dao Foundation? Isn't this standard of yours a bit too much of a bully?!" The old man said leisurely, "That is why I said, as long as he can withstand it, he passes." Right then, the ground trembled faintly. A veteran of countless battles, the Zhao escort general immediately ordered the convoy to halt, having his cavalry rally together in a defensive formation. On the distant horizon, a cloud of dust surged into the sky as a massive horde of horse bandits rolled forward in astonishing numbers. Feng Lin also galloped back to the convoy. Seeing the horde of horse bandits appear, he narrowed his eyes and immediately ordered the troops marching along the western flank to form up on the spot and hold their ground against the bandits. The Zhao general frowned at once. In his view, the best approach would be to pull those men back to defend around the convoy, while he personally led the cavalry to provide flank support. Now, several thousand infantrymen were deployed in open ground several li away from the convoy, with no fortifications, no abatis, no powerful bows or heavy crossbows, and barely any Dao Foundation captains among them. Facing horse bandits like this, weren't they simply courting death? Every one of these soldiers was tall, broad-shouldered, and robust—the kind of troops that the seasoned Zhao general loved to see. He could hardly bear to watch them thrown away like this. But they were not his soldiers, nor were they Zhao's, so he could say nothing, only hoping the incoming bandits were mere rabble. The churning dust approached rapidly, and the bandits within could now be clearly made out. Well equipped and mounted on fine steeds, with heavy crossbows slung at their sides, they numbered around four to five thousand. The Zhao general's expression turned solemn. Were horse bandits in the Shattered Lands this elite? Even in Zhao, these riders would qualify for the main cavalry corps. With a thousand armored cavalry under his command, the Zhao general did not fear the several thousand incoming bandits, though it would certainly be a bitter fight. Mounted on his horse, Feng Lin watched the surging tide of bandits, a sinister sneer curling at his lips. He was eager to see what expression Yue Qilin would make when he found out the troops he had personally trained had died like this. A moment later, several riders appeared at the foot of a distant mountain, followed by more and more horsemen emerging from the mist blanketing the base of the mountain. Rounding the foot of the mountain, Wei Yuan saw two armies already locked in bloody combat in the distance, and was thoroughly puzzled. He hadn't even arrived yet—how were they already fighting?