Seven days was enough time for He Yan’s leg injury to heal. Although the wound on her hand hadn’t fully recovered, it didn’t interfere with daily activities as long as she avoided practicing with bows, crossbows, or spears.
During these seven days of waiting, the day of the flag competition finally arrived.
The night before the competition, Liang Ping came to check on He Yan, asking about her condition. Fearing she wouldn’t be allowed to participate, He Yan hastily replied, “Very good, excellent, perfect! Would Training Inspector Liang like to spar with me?”
Remembering their previous horseback archery match, Liang Ping felt embarrassed and quickly coughed, “No need. As long as you’re fine, join the others up the mountain tomorrow.”
After he left, He Yan nearly shouted with joy.
Hong Shan laughed, “Now you’ve finally got what you wanted.”
“I wonder what the flag competition will be like,” Xiao Mai looked at He Yan pleadingly, “Brother He Yan, you must tell us everything in detail after you come down from the mountain.”
“Isn’t your brother going up the mountain too? Why only ask He Yan?” Hong Shan asked.
“My brother won’t tell us anything,” Xiao Mai pouted.
Among the tens of thousands of recruits in the Liangzhou Guard, not everyone could participate in the flag competition. Since it was for selecting members of the Vanguard Camp, only those who had shown exceptional performance in the training ground were chosen. Xiao Mai and Hong Shan were only of average talent and weren’t selected. In their room, only Shi Tou and He Yan were chosen to go up the mountain.
“Your hand hasn’t fully healed,” Hong Shan worried for He Yan, “Don’t force yourself when the time comes. If you can’t win, just run. Everyone in Liangzhou Guard knows you’re capable, and it doesn’t matter if you lose this one time.”
“That’s so unfair for Brother He Yan,” Xiao Mai felt indignant, “If Brother He Yan wasn’t injured, first place would be his.”
“Don’t worry,” He Yan comforted them, “Even with my injury, first place will be mine.”
Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
“Here we go again! Our Champion He is going to set up another arena on the mountain. Anyone want to bet some dry pancakes?”
“Bet your head! I haven’t even paid back what I lost last time!”
Amidst the clamor, He Yan felt slightly more relaxed. She hadn’t participated in a “flag competition” for a long time, and her last memory of it wasn’t particularly good. She hadn’t been the most outstanding participant then, and no one knew what the result would be this time.
However, more important than the competition’s outcome was one’s performance during the process. Entry into the Nine Banners Camp didn’t solely depend on this one result. Presumably, all the training instructors would be hidden on White Moon Mountain, observing their every move. The person who showed the most impressive performance might have a chance to enter the Nine Banners Camp.
So rather than calling it a competition, it was more like a performance, and there was only one audience member throughout – Young Master Xiao. She had to be extremely focused and execute every step beautifully and thoroughly to win Xiao Jue’s favor.
She should be able to do it.
…
Outside the guard post, Shen Han cupped his hands to Xiao Jue: “Commander, everything is prepared.”
Green Ear stamped its hooves twice beside them. Xiao Jue patted its head and said, “Let’s begin.”
Shen Han nodded, suddenly remembering something: “About Young Master Cheng…”
“I’ve already arranged people to protect him secretly, don’t worry.” He looked toward White Moon Mountain, “It’s about time, let them set out immediately.”
Shen Han responded, “Yes.”
…
When He Yan arrived at the training ground, she didn’t see Liang Ping but found Du Mao, who held a register and called out He Yan and Shi Tou’s names. They went forward and saw Jiang Jiao, Huang Xiong, and Wang Ba standing to one side.
“The flag competition has five people per group, you’re all in the same team,” Du Mao said. “After one incense stick’s time, you’ll depart on foot from here toward White Moon Mountain. You cannot cross over the mountain. Red flags are planted in various locations on the mountain. You must return here before sunset.”
He paused, then continued, “This flag competition has thirty groups of recruits going up the mountain. Victory will go to the group that returns with the most red flags.”
“There are weapons on the rack, quickly choose one that suits you. Bows and crossbows are not allowed. When competing for flags on White Moon Mountain, you cannot harm your fellow soldiers – just touch to count. Be careful not to cause fatal injuries, and always remember the brotherhood between fellow soldiers.”
Everyone nodded together.
Jiang Jiao chose his specialty, the long spear. Huang Xiong carried his golden-backed broadsword. Although Wang Ba excelled at archery and crossbow, since they weren’t allowed in this competition, he chose a phoenix-head axe, which looked quite impressive. Shi Tou took an iron-headed staff. Everyone looked at He Yan, expecting her to take her paired swords, but surprisingly, she chose a nine-section whip from the rack.
“You…” Shi Tou hesitated. They all knew He Yan was good with swords, archery, crossbows, and spears, but they didn’t know how she was with a whip. A whip didn’t look as imposing as a swords.
“You’ll see when we get to the mountain,” He Yan smiled, “Let’s go.”
Each carrying their weapons, they rushed toward White Moon Mountain.
Du Mao called out loudly behind them: “I’ll wait here for your good news! Go forth, young warriors!”
Birds in the forest scattered in alarm as the group disappeared into the trees in the blink of an eye. Ma Damei and Liang Ping approached from afar, each leading a horse. Ma Damei said to Liang Ping, “It’s about time, let’s head out too.”
…
With thirty groups, over a hundred recruits on White Moon Mountain were like fish in a vast sea, impossible to spot. Just as they entered the forest, Wang Ba suddenly called out, “Wait!”
Everyone stopped and looked at him: “What?”
“Others have already entered the mountain before us. What if they’re lying in ambush in the forest? What if we fall into their traps?”
“Don’t worry,” He Yan smiled, “The competition has just begun, everyone’s busy trying to capture flags. We don’t have any flags in our hands right now, so there’s no point in ambushing us. I bet everyone is heading toward… the white rock in the southern mountain.”
“Why the southern white rock?” Jiang Jiao asked.
“Shi Tou, show them the map,” He Yan looked at Shi Tou.
Shi Tou pulled out a roll of paper from his chest and slowly unfolded it. They saw several red dots roughly marked on the paper, showing only approximate locations. Each group of competitors had a map showing the flag positions, but only general directions were marked. The map was quite crude, without even trees or rivers marked, only the four cardinal directions.
“Look, there are twenty flags in total,” He Yan pointed at the lowest red dot. “This flag, closest to the foot of the mountain, should be on the mountainside. Recruits entering the mountain will naturally try to capture the closest flags first. There’s a small stream near the southern white rock, the area is open with no trees for cover, so this flag should be the easiest to find. That’s why I think most of our brothers who entered before us have probably gone to find this flag.”
“How do you know it’s at the southern white rock?” Huang Xiong asked suspiciously, “There’s only a dot here.”
“It’s just my guess, but don’t worry. When I patrolled the mountain before, I memorized the paths, so even if there’s some deviation, we’ll find it after searching a bit.”
“Weren’t you chased by wolves during that patrol?” Wang Ba couldn’t help asking, “You still remember the way?”
“Yes, I looked at the paths while being chased by wolves, and I memorized them again on the way back, so I’m very familiar with them,” He Yan smiled at him. “You should trust your leader, there won’t be any problems.”
Hearing this, Wang Ba turned away in annoyance, refusing to look at He Yan.
He Yan laughed. Remembering the terrain and paths on the battlefield was essential. She had been in the Vanguard Camp before, and the most important principle was to understand the enemy situation and surrounding environment at the start, to make proper arrangements.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go straight to the southern white rock and grab the flag!” Huang Xiong shouldered his broadsword, “Which way?”
He Yan: “…” This one didn’t know the way.
“We’re not going in that direction,” He Yan said.
“Why not?” Huang Xiong frowned.
“Right now, there must be many people fighting for that one flag. There are too many opponents to compete with, it’s not worth it,” He Yan shook her head. “Let’s not join that crowd. We’ll go in this direction.” She pointed to a red dot in the opposite direction on the map.
“This area has dense forest, the path is steep, and it’s easy to get lost. I thought about it – unless someone remembers the path very clearly, it would be hard to find this flag. So it probably won’t be taken easily. Let’s go there directly and secure this flag first.”
“There are only twenty flags in total. I think if we can get more than half, we’ll win. So at the start, let’s look for these hidden flags that few people notice, and save some energy. After all, in flag competition, what you need isn’t necessarily physical strength, but this.” She pointed to her head.
Was this a roundabout way of bragging about being clever? Everyone felt somewhat speechless. Huang Xiong asked, “You remember the way?”
“Absolutely,” He Yan winked and said, “I never forget a path I’ve taken.”
The youth wore a crimson fitted outfit, and though slight and seemingly frail, had an especially cunning and lively pair of eyes. Sunlight filtering through the forest gaps fell on him, making his whole person seem to glow.
“Alright, alright, let’s go then,” Wang Ba spoke first, “Hurry up, if we’re too late, others will take all the flags, and what will we compete for then?”
Shi Tou and He Yan were already a team, so naturally had no objections. Jiang Jiao was young and had developed a respect for He Yan after their spear competition, so he had no disagreements either. Everyone agreed, and even Huang Xiong, the oldest, said nothing – most importantly because he was completely directionally challenged and could wander in there for three days and nights without finding his way.
So these five people, without prior agreement, ended up following He Yan’s lead.
They climbed the mountain together, and since they weren’t on horseback and the mountain path was treacherous, everyone initially worried that He Yan wouldn’t be able to keep up. But seeing her move with light steps and maintain a relaxed expression without any signs of strain, they gradually set their minds at ease, realizing that He Yan’s stamina would probably be sufficient to reach the mountaintop.
And as He Yan had said, she seemed to know White Moon Mountain’s paths as if she had walked them countless times. She avoided every main path where they might encounter other groups, specifically taking small trails. Though these paths were more difficult to traverse, they were much shorter. Moreover, every seemingly impassable thicket, once pushed aside by her, revealed another path.
“You all need to think several steps ahead,” He Yan sighed. “Does a path have to be straight? Can’t it be winding? Must people always walk on the ground? Can’t we climb walls like geckos? Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Use your minds a bit, and many things aren’t really that complicated.”
Everyone: “…”
Huang Xiong said glumly, “I’m forty-six this year.”
He Yan responded while walking, “Mm-hmm.”
“You’re only sixteen.”
The implication was clear – how dare a sixteen-year-old brat lecture his elders? The salt I’ve eaten is more than the rice you’ve eaten!
He Yan replied, “But you still don’t know the way.”
Huang Xiong couldn’t counter this. What kind of person was this, completely impervious to both weapons and reason?
As they talked, they climbed over an earthen mound and saw a small flag hidden in the bushes, standing lonely on the ground.
“Found it!” Jiang Jiao’s eyes lit up as he stepped forward and grasped the flag, “It’s here!”
“We found it,” Wang Ba muttered. He saw the youth leaning against a tree, saying leisurely, “I told you, I never forget a path.”
The observers hidden far from the bushes stepped out and discussed in low voices: “What’s going on? How did they find it so quickly?”
Logically, this flag was hidden deep, and the path was difficult. At this time, most people should be fighting for the flag at the southern white rock. But at this hour, this group had come straight here from the start and hadn’t encountered any obstacles. Had they… known the flag locations in advance?
“Never mind, quickly send the report,” the observer hastily wrote a few words on a note and sealed it in the copper tube on a pigeon’s leg.
…
In a room at the guard post, black and white pieces were scattered across a chess board as two people played.
A pigeon flew to the young man’s shoulder, cooing twice. He removed the copper tube from its leg and read the note.
Shen Han looked over questioningly.
Xiao Jue handed him the note. After reading it, Shen Han exclaimed in shock, “They found it so quickly?”
“As expected,” Xiao Jue smiled, his eyes growing clearer. He said, “Given the current time, he must have headed straight there from the start.”
Among the twenty flags on White Moon Mountain, the closest one was by the southern white rock. Although people had discovered it early, there were too many competing for it, so no winner had emerged. Instead, the flag in He Yan’s hand became the first to be found, because no one else had come to claim it.
“He remembered the path?” Shen Han wondered dubiously. Even with the initial patrol, it was impossible for someone to remember the paths so well, especially since the recruits didn’t know the patrol’s purpose and wouldn’t have deliberately memorized the routes. Remembering roughly half would already be impressive.
“Not necessarily. Perhaps,” Xiao Jue said, “he knew about today’s flag competition in advance.”
Knowing in advance meant he would have deliberately memorized the paths during a patrol, or thinking more deeply, He Yan might have obtained a detailed map of White Moon Mountain from the start. So upon seeing the flags, he would know their exact locations.
Shen Han frowned, “In that case, he is indeed suspicious. What should we do next?”
“Continue,” the young man smiled faintly, unhurriedly placing a chess piece, “It’s not over yet, the outcome is unknown. We’ll only know the result when we reach the end, no need to rush.”
…
After finding this flag, He Yan led the other four further up the mountain. Her routes seemed shorter than others, and when they couldn’t avoid encountering other groups of recruits, He Yan would have everyone hide in the grass or behind bushes before being discovered, avoiding confrontation.
Wang Ba was somewhat dissatisfied. Having been a bandit leader, he had never been so cautious, and said, “We’re not afraid of them, why hide? I say we stop hiding and just go rob them directly!”
“It’s still early,” He Yan patiently explained to him. “The other recruits we meet might not have flags, but we do. If conflict breaks out, winning might not yield any spoils, but losing would mean losing our flag. Wouldn’t that be very unwise?”
Seeing Wang Ba still reluctant, she opened the map to show him: “I’ve looked it over. Like the one just now, there are three flags hidden in the dense forest. We’ve already got one, leaving two more. Going this way, we should be able to find them easily, with the last one near the summit.”
“Let’s get these three first. After we get them, we’ll be at the summit,” she said. “When we reach the peak, we can plan our next move.”
This somewhat convinced Wang Ba. He said, “You said it. There should be two more flags. If there aren’t,” he waved his fist, “you’ll be sorry!”
He Yan showed no fear, smiling as she moved his fist aside: “A little brother shouldn’t be so disrespectful to his leader.” She looked into the distance: “Let’s go.”
The sun had risen higher.
Though the dense forest wasn’t as hot as the foot of the mountain, the rough terrain had everyone sweating profusely. The mountain was full of birds, beasts, insects, and ants, and they encountered several snakes along the way. Surprisingly, He Yan handled these unexpected situations with ease. Compared to Wang Ba, she seemed more like the mountain’s master. If they hadn’t all known He Yan was a recruit from Shuo Jing, others might have mistaken her for a hunter born and raised on White Moon Mountain.
She hadn’t lied either. Though the path she led them on was rough, she did indeed find the other two flags without hindrance. As Jiang Jiao secured the last flag, Huang Xiong looked ahead and said uncertainly, “The summit is ahead.”
He Yan nodded: “Correct.” She looked down the mountain, “We took shortcuts, and from what we’ve seen, we haven’t met any other groups moving faster than us. We should be the first to reach the summit.”
While other recruits were busy fighting for flags, they avoided others and only searched for flags, making their journey both convenient and time-efficient.
Wang Ba sat down under a tree, unscrewed his water flask, took a big drink, and said, “All we’ve done is kill two snakes along the way, haven’t done anything else. These two axes were carried for nothing. I’d say we came to find things, not rob things, right?”
This sneaking around avoiding others and searching for things felt rather frustrating. Though Huang Xiong and Jiang Jiao didn’t speak, their expressions showed they agreed with Wang Ba.
Shi Tou spoke up: “Winning is what matters, the method isn’t important.”
“Brother Shi Tou is clever,” He Yan smiled, “If you want to compete, why not go challenge others at the training ground? Flag competition tests more than individual skill.”
She clapped her hands and smiled at everyone again, “However, I never said we’d hide here forever.” He Yan said: “Everyone gets ready.”
“Ready for what?” Jiang Jiao asked, confused.
He Yan smiled slightly: “To rob.”