The military supervisor's expression darkened. He had been doing quite well in the capital, and being suddenly assigned to this damned supervisory role was frustrating enough. Now even a mere shadow unit member dared to show him disrespect—this was absolutely unacceptable!
"Quite the temper you've got!" The supervisor slammed the table hard, causing teacups to rattle and spill. "You'd better make it clear—who takes orders from whom here!"
Gao Dazhuang moved in a flash, grabbing the man's collar and hoisting him up with a sinister grin. "We're men who lick blood off blades, with our heads hanging by our belts. We're here by The Emperor's command to lend our meager strength to this battle, not to watch you strut around! You'd best sit tight, or I'll skin you alive before we even kill a single Liao soldier!"
The others stood motionless as stone steles, as if they neither saw nor heard anything.
The supervisor's face turned livid with rage, but the bloodthirsty aura radiating from Gao Dazhuang stifled any retort before it could leave his lips.
Seeing this, Gao Dazhuang sneered in contempt before tossing him back onto the chair like discarded trash. "Farewell."
At his words, the rest swiftly exited, vanishing into the moonlight in the blink of an eye.
The supervisor glared at the now-empty doorway, teeth grinding audibly, his expression a storm of unreadable emotions—whether fear or fury, none could tell.
The team stopped in the shadows a hundred paces from the supervisor's quarters, each finding their own perch—some concealed in trees, others on rooftops, a few in dark alleyways...
Silence reclaimed the night, broken only by Gao Dazhuang's muttering from a hidden alley: "Tch, why even bother with that supervisor? Should've just stayed at the manor."
He too would've preferred better accommodations, but the sight of that bureaucrat's pompous air had ignited his temper beyond control. What did these scholars know of warfare? The Song Dynasty would surely fall to these cowardly, self-important fools! The mere sight of such ignorant posturing made his head throb. Yet the supervisor held direct command over him—if the man sought revenge through petty schemes, there'd be little he could do.
Only now did it dawn on him—what's done is done, why make things harder for himself?
Gao Dazhuang realized his lack of composure was practically courting death!
Unbeknownst to him, his earlier "heroics" had successfully salvaged his image from "damned eunuch" status. An Jiu and the others, initially reluctant about his leadership, now tacitly accepted his authority.
Though Gao Dazhuang's actions were far from rational, his words held truth—they were indeed men with heads hanging by their belts. Living with some audacity was their only solace.
"Aren't we meeting the general?" Li Qingzhi asked.
From the alley, Gao Dazhuang replied after a pause, "No orders received."
The Crane Control Shadow Unit strictly followed commands. Without explicit instructions, they couldn't act on their own initiative.
An Jiu hesitated before asking, "Who is this supervisor anyway?"
Still nursing his grudge, Gao Dazhuang initially meant to ignore her, but the topic proved irresistible. "That's Zhao Ling. Passed the imperial exams seven or eight years back with mediocre ranking, completely obscure in the capital. But he's got royal connections. A master at political maneuvering—climbed the ranks effortlessly. Don't know who recommended him as supervisor, but what could such a man possibly know about warfare!"
His anger flared anew as he spoke.They couldn't go see the army commander. After hearing Gao Dazhuang's words, everyone felt a deep sense of helplessness.
A scholar who had never experienced war, only skilled at political maneuvering in court—did he truly understand warfare? As members of the Crane Control Shadow Unit, none of them took their lives too seriously. Yet the thought of possibly dying under meaningless orders felt both tragic and laughable.
Silence.
On the second night of waiting for orders, three light coughs came from Supervisor Zhao Ling's courtyard.
"Everyone move out. Sui Yunzhu and I will show ourselves, while the rest take positions around the courtyard," Gao Dazhuang commanded.
Shadows flitted through the night, reaching the supervisor's residence in the blink of an eye.
Gao Dazhuang and Sui Yunzhu landed soundlessly like Shadow Wraiths two zhang away from Zhao Ling.
Having been threatened by Gao Dazhuang just two days prior, Zhao Ling's pride was still bruised. After waiting a moment without hearing Gao Dazhuang speak, he cleared his throat and said gravely, "These past two days, Liao cavalry have been rampaging through border villages, burning and killing. I want to know the Liao army's troop distribution. You have three days to report back."
"Understood," Gao Dazhuang acknowledged, remaining still.
Zhao Ling added, "That's all."
Gao Dazhuang and Sui Yunzhu vanished.
The others gathered around.
"You heard the mission. Lou Mingyue, Li Qingzhi, and Qiu Yunxiao will handle it," Gao Dazhuang said.
"Yes!" the three replied in unison.
As they departed, Gao Dazhuang happened to spot An Jiu and snapped irritably, "If your lightness skill weren't so abysmal, I wouldn't have to tolerate your presence!"
An Jiu replied flatly, "If you truly despise someone, there's no need for empty words."
Gao Dazhuang paused. Upon reflection, his dislike for An Jiu stemmed from trivialities and an indescribable feeling—nothing deep-seated. He'd merely been venting his frustrations.
Most people struggled to remain composed when insulted, yet she had pinpointed something even he hadn't fully grasped—either she was unnaturally calm or frighteningly perceptive.
The northern winds were sharp, the nights far colder than in Bianjing.
They guarded the perimeter, chewing on dry rations, while Supervisor Zhao Ling enjoyed a late-night meal—six dishes, soup, and a bit of wine.
The disparity rankled everyone—except An Jiu, who devoured her rations without a glance elsewhere.
Gao Dazhuang bit savagely into his dry bread and glared at her. "Pathetic!"
After finishing her portion, An Jiu wiped her mouth and said coolly, "Is drooling over someone else's meal more admirable?"
Gritting his teeth, Gao Dazhuang hissed, "Weak skills, that bewitching face—and now a foul mouth too. You've only survived this long by sheer luck from a past life. Don't waste it, lest heaven reclaims you any moment."
"Thanks for your concern." An Jiu tied her face covering, adding indifferently, "In return, I'll kindly remind you—heaven might find aberrations more interesting."
The implication was clear: he was neither man nor woman. Gao Dazhuang's face darkened instantly, his bread crumbling to dust in his grip.
"Sir, please calm down," Sui Yunzhu interjected quickly.
Gao Dazhuang snorted. "A creature like her, condemned by heaven itself, doesn't need my hand! If you want to plead for her, better start praying to the heavens now!"Sui Yunzhu handed the dry bread in his hand to him, "Sir, please have some."
Gao Dazhuang was about to reach for it when An Jiu remarked coolly, "Someone as accomplished as you still eats dry bread?"
"Not eating! Stay here and keep watch. Follow any orders given, and wait for my arrangements when I return!" Gao Dazhuang ground his teeth as he spoke, then turned and disappeared into the cluster of houses.
Sui Yunzhu sighed. "Mei Niangzi, provoking him like this isn't good."
"He won't do anything." An Jiu had sharp instincts. Though Gao Dazhuang put on an affected manner, he wasn't a petty person—this much was clear from how he spoke of the Liao-Song war.
Seeing Sui Yunzhu still looked worried, An Jiu added, "I feel his temperament is somewhat similar to Li Qingzhi's."
"Similar?" Sui Yunzhu was slightly surprised. What common ground could there be between a burly, forthright man and someone who was overly delicate and prone to sarcastic remarks?
But now that An Jiu mentioned it, Sui Yunzhu suddenly recalled Gao Dazhuang's words when recounting his experiences. That kind of disposition indeed didn't seem like that of a petty person.
At this thought, Sui Yunzhu couldn't help but give An Jiu another glance, realizing he didn't understand this woman before him at all—one who always seemed to speak without a second thought.
The military supervisor was halfway through his midnight snack when an armored general strode in with his men.
This was a man around thirty-five, tall and imposing, his chiseled features half-hidden by a thick beard. A deep scar marked his cheek, and his hair was messily tied into a topknot. Though his armor was relatively clean, there was still an air of dishevelment about him.
What caught the attention of An Jiu and the others was the aura of slaughter that clung to this general—one that could only be accumulated from mountains of corpses. Standing there, he exuded authority without needing to show anger, enough to intimidate ordinary people without lifting a finger.
Someone went in to announce his arrival, and Zhao Ling hurried out to greet him, reeking strongly of alcohol. (To be continued...)
PS: One more update, one more update, one more update—will try to finish before 12.
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