The group made their way down the mountain. The young person seemed to have never known humility, yet while confident, was not arrogant, always appearing to have everything under control. Nevertheless, they could convince others, and so far had delivered on their promises.

The six banners were safely kept in Jiang Jiao’s possession. After walking for some time, when they were far from the peak and nearly at the mountainside, He Yan stopped and said, “Let’s rest here now.”

Everyone sat down, but He Yan climbed a tree to look around. Wang Ba asked, “What are you doing?”

“Scoping out the terrain,” He Yan replied.

“You’re so experienced at ambushing, why bother checking?” Wang Ba snorted with laughter. “Are you just pretending?”

He Yan surveyed the surroundings before climbing down and sitting on a rock, saying, “This should be our final position. Since we’re using strategy, we need to succeed in one strike. Otherwise, with six banners, we might not secure first place.”

“Will they pass through here?” Jiang Jiao turned to look behind them at the dense forest where no one could be seen. “There are so many mountain paths, and the mountain is so vast. What if they take another route?”

“White Moon Mountain only has main roads and small paths,” He Yan smiled. “Those carrying banners will be cautious. Taking the main road would attract attention and risk other recruits trying to steal them. So they definitely won’t take the main road. Among the small paths, this one is the shortest route to the garrison and the easiest to find. Remember, not everyone has a perfect sense of direction, so they’re very likely to take this path.”

Huang Xiong enjoyed listening to He Yan’s explanations and asked, “Is this what you called military strategy?”

“This is called analyzing circumstances,” He Yan picked up a branch and drew on the ground to explain: “The principle isn’t about choosing ground to wait for the enemy, but about using simplicity to control complexity, using constancy to respond to change, using small changes to respond to big changes, using stillness to respond to movement, and using small movements to respond to large movements.”

Wang Ba asked, “So we don’t move at all? Didn’t you say our methods are already exposed? Others might not fall for it.”

“Consider that since they’ve captured quite a few banners, they must have won many battles and their morale is high. If they face us, they might not lose.” Despite these words, He Yan showed no anxiety. “That’s why we came down the mountain to conserve our energy. And find a good place for ambush. Though I think in the end, it might still come down to the strongest fighters competing for the banners.”

“It’s natural that in the final stages of banner capture, the most skilled individuals will have to determine a winner.”

No one could respond to this, except Wang Ba who gave her a sideways glance and said coolly, “How do you know you’re the most skilled?”

“Self-proclaimed,” He Yan answered sincerely.

Wang Ba: “…”

“Anyway, everyone rest and eat here first, then take up positions as we planned earlier. I’ve surveyed this area; the path ahead has advantageous terrain, narrow roads, easy to defend and difficult to attack, all beneficial to us. We can use the terrain, and after I grab the banner, don’t linger in battle, follow me quickly to leave. Once we’re down the mountain, no one can take the banners from us.”

“Understood!” Huang Xiong gulped down half a flask of water. “I can’t wait!”

“Give me the banners,” He Yan said.

Jiang Jiao handed them over, and He Yan tucked them away, saying, “The last group of recruits to appear will likely have their banners with their leader. When the time comes, I’ll have to fight them fiercely. You just need to keep the others occupied and prevent them from getting close.”

“Can you handle it alone?” Wang Ba asked, “There are six banners here. Why not spread them out? At least they won’t all be taken at once.”

“You’re underestimating your leader.” He Yan lightly jumped onto a branch, smiling, “At least in Liang Prefecture Garrison, no one can take what’s mine.”

…

Wang Xiaohan was leading their squad down the mountain.

His clothes were so torn they barely covered his upper body, though fortunately, his pants were intact. His sword had a notch in it, and his face had taken a punch, leaving a black eye. His companions weren’t in any better shape, all sporting bruises and tattered clothing. Anyone who saw them might have mistaken them for refugees from outside the city.

Wang Xiaohan felt desperate.

The banner competition for Liang Prefecture Garrison’s recruits had started with everyone full of confidence and enthusiasm. But once they got on the mountain, they realized it wasn’t at all what they’d expected.

They had to find banners hidden haphazardly on treacherous mountain paths, watch out for wild animals and snakes, and avoid traps and snares set by hunters. They had to compete with other recruits, and while those with gentle methods were manageable, the brutal ones left them battered and bruised.

Although the instructor had promised there would be no life-threatening injuries before they went up the mountain, fighting and struggling couldn’t leave them unscathed. They weren’t in mortal danger, but being beaten like this – Wang Xiaohan thought bitterly – was the worst beating he’d taken in his life!

And all their banners had been stolen. Well, stolen was stolen, Wang Xiaohan had realized their squad just wasn’t as good as the others. Better to get down the mountain safely. Let whoever wanted to join the Vanguard Camp join it. To hell with the Vanguard Camp, to hell with the banner competition!

As he was thinking this, his foot stepped into a pile of dead branches, and something hit his forehead. It didn’t hurt, but gave him a huge fright. Looking up, he saw a youth in red clothes sitting in an oak tree, holding acorns and aiming at his forehead. Seeing Wang Xiaohan look up, the youth smiled and greeted him, “Hey!”

The youth had delicate features and a lively expression, which should have made a nice picture, but Wang Xiaohan felt like he’d been doused with cold water, his heart turning to ice. With a trembling voice, he only managed to cry out: “…it’s He Yan, run!”

His companions turned to flee at his words, and Wang Xiaohan tried to run too, but as soon as he moved, he felt something hit his knees, and then his legs went numb and wouldn’t move. Looking at his companions, they were in the same state.

He Yan leaped down from the tree, still holding the acorns that had been used to hit their pressure points. This was only possible because Wang Xiaohan’s group was already injured, and the steep downhill path had left them exhausted, making them easy targets for He Yan.

He Yan walked up to Wang Xiaohan, who didn’t wait for her to speak before shouting, “We don’t have any banners, not a single one!”

Wang Ba and the others emerged from hiding and searched them, shaking their heads at He Yan, “Nothing.”

“If you don’t have any banners, why did you run when you saw me?” He Yan asked curiously.

“…I was afraid you’d beat me,” Wang Xiaohan said with difficulty.

“Who told you we beat people?” He Yan was even more puzzled, looking at his eyes, “Brother, your injuries look quite serious. Has the banner competition on the mountain become this intense?”

They had avoided particularly fierce confrontations and didn’t know the situation, but seeing Wang Xiaohan’s group’s miserable state, they were all grateful they hadn’t directly engaged with the other recruits.

No one wanted to end up with a black eye.

“We heard you’d taken many banners,” Wang Xiaohan stammered, “and that your methods were underhanded and you were brutal…”

Wang Ba was unhappy: “Who the hell is spreading these lies? If we were brutal, would we be here? Who’s ruining our reputation?”

Wang Xiaohan didn’t dare say that people outside were saying even worse things, portraying He Yan’s group as a pack of scoundrels and foxes.

“You just came down from the mountain?” He Yan asked.

Wang Xiaohan nodded.

“Without a single banner, why come down so early?”

Wang Xiaohan gave up trying to save face: “We couldn’t get any anyway, might as well go back early to bathe and rest.”

“Let me ask you,” He Yan smiled at him, “Besides us, who has the most banners on the mountain now?”

“It’s… Lei Hou.”

“Lei Hou?” Huang Xiong frowned. “Have we heard this name before?”

Jiang Jiao shook his head, “No.”

Stone and Wang Ba also indicated they hadn’t heard of him. Among the tens of thousands of recruits in Liang Prefecture Garrison, outstanding individuals were usually talked about. This Lei Hou must be quite exceptional to have seized so many banners, yet before now, none of them had heard his name.

“Is he formidable?” He Yan asked Wang Xiaohan.

“Very formidable. He has over ten banners now. I think except for the ones in your possession, all the rest are with him,” Wang Xiaohan said.

Over ten banners – He Yan raised an eyebrow, realizing that Lei Hou’s success wasn’t mere luck. She asked, “How does he capture the banners? Does he set traps?”

“No, no,” Wang Xiaohan answered. “When he sees someone with a banner, he just fights them directly. After defeating them, he takes their banner. His companions are about the same as us, but this person is incredibly strong. He alone can hold off several others.”

He Yan was startled – this meant the person was extraordinarily capable. She asked, “Were your injuries from fighting him?”

Wang Xiaohan nodded shamefully.

He Yan clicked her tongue and shook her head.

Wang Xiaohan asked, “What’s wrong?”

“When he hit you, why didn’t you hit him back?”

“I couldn’t beat him!” Wang Xiaohan fumed. “If I had skills like yours, I would have fought him long ago!”

“That’s not it. If your fighting skills aren’t good enough, use your brain,” He Yan patted his shoulder and released their pressure points. “You’ve given us valuable information, and I can’t repay you properly, but don’t worry. I’ll avenge you for the beating he gave you. Brothers,” she turned to call Jiang Jiao and the others, “Stop standing around, let’s get ready for work.”

“You want to fight him?” Wang Xiaohan asked cautiously. After talking with He Yan for a while, he felt she wasn’t as brutal as rumors suggested. Wang Xiaohan felt more at ease and advised kindly, “Since you already have banners, you should head down the mountain. Lei Hou is really strong. If you can’t beat him, you’ll lose all your banners. If you go down now, you can still get second place.”

“Second place?” He Yan shook her head. “Second place might not get into the Vanguard Camp. Don’t worry,” He Yan said, “No matter what kind of monkey he is, in my territory, he can only be as meek as a worm.”

Her laughter was bold, leaving Wang Xiaohan speechless.

…

After being questioned by He Yan, Wang Xiaohan and his group headed down the mountain. Probably afraid of getting caught in the crossfire between He Yan and Lei Hou, they ran very quickly and soon disappeared.

Jiang Jiao turned to He Yan: “From what he said, this Lei Hou is very skilled.”

“Don’t worry,” He Yan said, “I’m better.”

Her confidence left everyone speechless. He Yan estimated that Lei Hou’s group would be coming down the mountain soon, so she urged everyone to hide quickly, not wanting to waste time.

Just after they hid, about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, footsteps approached.

The group consisted of five people, with four in the back and one in front. The leader in front appeared to be in his early twenties, a tall and lean young man with dignified features and piercing eyes. He stopped suddenly at the dense forest, holding back his companions with one hand, saying, “Wait!”

“Brother Lei?” a companion asked.

“There’s a hint of killing intent from the forest ahead. There might be an ambush.”

“An ambush?” his companion found it curious. “Who would dare ambush us?”

Their group, relying on Lei Hou alone, had seized all the banners from other recruits on the mountain. Others wouldn’t dare ambush them; they’d avoid them entirely. They had been quite conspicuous coming down the mountain, hardly concealing themselves because no one could defeat Lei Hou.

“We only have fourteen banners,” Lei Hou said. “Six are unaccounted for.”

“Aren’t the remaining ones with He Yan?”

“Correct.” Lei Hou looked at the dense forest ahead. “So the one setting up this ambush is probably He Yan.”

The group exchanged glances, and after a while, someone asked, “What should we do?”

Everyone in Liang Prefecture Garrison knew of He Yan, who was considered one in ten thousand. Although Lei Hou was also formidable, if these two were to fight, the outcome wasn’t certain.

“Perfect,” Lei Hou suddenly smiled and said, “With him here, we can take all his banners, not leaving a single one for others.”

His words were full of confidence, stirring everyone’s blood. His companions all voiced their approval, and Lei Hou continued, “You deal with the others, I’ll handle He Yan.”

He didn’t know that, coincidentally, He Yan had the same thought.

Lei Hou walked forward a few steps. The path was narrow, with dense forest on both sides. He didn’t advance further but called out loudly, “I am Lei Hou. Come out, He Yan, I know you’re here.”

A youth’s light laughter suddenly rang out from the trees. Lei Hou looked up to see the youth half-leaning against a branch, one hand propping up their head as if taking a light rest. Her gaze showed regret as she said, “Brother, your eyesight is too good. I can’t even hide properly.”

“You hid well,” Lei Hou also smiled. “It’s just that your companions’ killing intent is too strong.”

He Yan thought helplessly, what could be done? A mountain bandit, a gallant from the greenwood, a martial arts school young master, and a hunter born and raised in Shuo Capital – all of them had come through blood and violence. How could they be as calm as temple monks?

“Call your people out,” Lei Hou said. “Let’s compete for the banners fair and square.”

He emphasized “fair and square” heavily.

Having probably heard of He Yan’s group’s “great achievements” at the mountaintop and their preference for taking advantage of the chaos, he wanted to emphasize that no underhanded tricks should be used.

“They enjoy playing hide and seek,” He Yan just smiled and said, “Let your people find them themselves.”

Lei Hou’s smile turned cold. After watching He Yan for a moment, suddenly, a cold glint shot straight at He Yan. She dodged sideways, barely avoiding it, and saw the cold glint return to Lei Hou’s hand – it was a long sword.

So he was a swordsman.

“Brother, you’re too impatient,” He Yan smiled slightly, drawing the nine-section whip from her waist. The whip segments clashed in the air, making crisp sounds. The youth leaped down from the branch, “Very well, I’ll fight you!”

She charged toward Lei Hou.

Lei Hou met her charge. His companions wanted to help, but as soon as they moved, people emerged from all directions – from bushes, behind rocks, beside tree trunks, and from fox holes – presumably He Yan’s companions. Their sudden appearance caught Lei Hou’s people off guard, forcing them to take several hits.

Since coming up the mountain, they had been invincible, never having been beaten before. Their shock exceeded their anger.

Wang Ba swung his axe and charged into the crowd: “Your grandpa has been itching for a good fight, come on, let’s have at it!”

He Yan laughed, “Take it easy, Brother Wang. If it ends too quickly, there won’t be any more fighting.”

“You still have the mood to joke?” Lei Hou found it bewildering, probably angry at He Yan’s lack of focus during combat. He showed no mercy, his sword thrusting straight at He Yan’s chest.

He Yan slightly furrowed her brows, her expression gradually turning cold as she watched Lei Hou.

The recruits’ banner competition on the mountain was meant to be about capturing banners, not fighting. The instructor had repeatedly reminded them not to cause life-threatening injuries. But as soon as she crossed swords with Lei Hou, she knew this person had no such reservations.

No wonder Wang Xiaohan had been beaten so badly and lost hope so early. Among those who had fought Lei Hou on the mountain, Wang Xiaohan probably wasn’t even the worst off. If it had been someone else just now, they would likely have been stabbed.

He showed no mercy at all.

Seeing He Yan’s expression change, Lei Hou’s eyes flashed with contempt. He said, “If you surrender now, I’ll stop fighting.”

“How could I?” the youth smiled sweetly. “I still want the remaining banners in your possession.”

Lei Hou’s expression changed – indeed, all the banners were in his possession. Firstly, because he had captured these banners himself, his companions didn’t object to him keeping them. Secondly, with him holding them, others wouldn’t dare to steal them.

He hadn’t expected He Yan to see through this at a glance.

He gave a cold laugh, moving quickly with his sword tip aimed at He Yan, trying to slash open her front garment to steal her banners. He Yan raised her hand, the tail of her nine-section whip cracking with a “snap” and deflecting his sword tip. He Yan’s toes lightly touched the ground as she stepped back several paces.

She looked down at her clothes – fortunately, they hadn’t been torn. A trace of displeasure crossed her mind. In Shuo Capital, Lei Hou’s action would have been enough to get him sent to the magistrate’s office. Publicly harassing a respectable young woman was the behavior of a hooligan.

“Brother Lei, this is very discourteous,” she raised an eyebrow and said, “I’m getting a bit angry.”