Fang Linyuan quickly stepped forward and reached out to catch the pigeon.

The pigeon finally had a place to land. It flapped its wings a few times before settling quietly on Fang Linyuan’s arm.

Nearby, Zhou Jia couldn’t help but mumble softly as he reached up to rub his head, which had been scratched painfully by the pigeon’s claws.

Then, a soldier not far away laughed and called out loudly, “General Zhou, how come you can’t even handle a pigeon?”

Zhou Jia turned his head and saw that the soldiers sitting on the ground around the steaming cooking pots all had expressions of amusement.

The one who had spoken was particularly bold and was laughing the hardest, while the other soldiers around him chuckled and playfully punched his arm. “That’s General Fang’s matchmaker—how could General Zhou dare to lay a hand on it?”

The soldiers burst into laughter again.

“You brats, have you eaten a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall?” Zhou Jia gritted his teeth in frustration and pointed at them one by one. “General Fang is right here—just wait until he deals with you!”

(NT: Both bears and leopards are fierce, fearless animals, and in traditional Chinese thought, consuming parts of an animal was believed to impart its qualities. The expression is used to reprimand someone who acted too boldly)

But before he could finish speaking, he heard a soft chuckle from the side.

Zhou Jia: “...?”

These little rascals were teasing him, and General Fang was actually amused?

He widened his eyes and turned to look at Fang Linyuan.

There he was, holding the pigeon on his arm, a tiny letter in his hand, with laughter dancing at the corners of his eyes and brows.

Fine, General Fang who had just received a letter from his wife had no time to bother with their nonsense.

Zhou Jia’s lips twitched, and he swallowed back everything he had been about to say.

Meanwhile, Fang Linyuan removed the letter from the golden tube. He was still thinking about how Zhao Chu’s last letter had been so detailed—what new intel could this one contain?

But the moment he unfolded the paper, he was met with a single neatly written line:

[Truly useless, no match for me.]

*

That night, Fang Linyuan summoned Zhou Jia into his command tent.

As soon as Zhou Jia stepped in, he saw a large map spread out on Fang Linyuan’s table, displaying the entire terrain of the Chongzhou Mountain Range.

So they were going to continue discussing the previous battle!

Zhou Jia immediately straightened up, approached the table, and stood beside Fang Linyuan.

“You’re here?” Fang Linyuan asked.

Zhou Jia nodded, about to speak, when he saw Fang Linyuan lift a hand and press his fingertips against the map.

Following his gesture, Zhou Jia looked over—and before he could say anything, he was stunned.

The map was filled with markings, clearly noting the mountain passes, defences, and attack routes. Even the number and distribution of troops in each wing were meticulously recorded.

“General, this is…” Zhou Jia was dumbfounded.

He hadn’t even finished reporting yesterday’s battle to General Fang!

“Tomorrow, you will wear my armour and ride my horse to lead the troops,” Fang Linyuan said.

“I’ve written down all the battle formations, when to advance, when to retreat—it’s all here. Just follow the plan exactly, without any unnecessary moves.”

“This…” Zhou Jia looked at the map, and sure enough, every detail Fang Linyuan had mentioned was laid out clearly.

Since the general had already devised a complete strategy, why wasn’t he leading the charge himself?

Then, Fang Linyuan continued speaking.

“But there are some things I need to warn you about in advance. Listen carefully—if anything goes wrong tomorrow, I will hold you responsible.”

Zhou Jia could only nod repeatedly.

“These mountain bandits specifically target commanders. No matter what happens tomorrow, you must stay behind the main forces at all times and never expose yourself,” Fang Linyuan instructed.

Zhou Jia hesitated. “Let the soldiers shield me? General, I’m afraid that’s not right…”

But Fang Linyuan shook his head.

“Our last battle lasted three days, yet only eight soldiers died. That proves these bandits have some reservations. They won’t suddenly change tactics this time,” he said.

“With our current attack plan, we won’t push into the mountains—only assault the gates. Even if we suffer losses, they won’t be too severe.”

Zhou Jia nodded in understanding.

“But my horse…” Fang Linyuan’s expression turned serious as he stared at Zhou Jia. “They use crossbows. If you expose yourself and let them kill my horse…”

He turned to look at Zhou Jia.

Fang Linyuan had always been easygoing with Zhou Jia, but this was the first time he had ever threatened him so solemnly.

Zhou Jia immediately nodded like a pecking chicken.

“Rest assured, General! Tomorrow, I will protect both myself and your horse—and win this battle for you!”

But Fang Linyuan shook his head. “No, tomorrow’s battle is meant to be lost.”

Zhou Jia froze.

“That’s precisely why I need you to take my place,” Fang Linyuan explained.

Zhou Jia was dumbfounded, staring blankly at him.

“What is it?” Fang Linyuan asked.

He scratched his head with some difficulty and embarrassment as he looked at Fang Linyuan. “General, is it because you never lose a battle that you’ve left this one for me to lose?”

Fang Linyuan was speechless.

“Have you ever heard of a ‘feigned defeat’?” he asked.

Zhou Jia shook his head honestly, staring at Fang Linyuan with anticipation, waiting for him to explain.

Instead, Fang Linyuan gave him a blank look, then swiftly rolled up the map and stuffed it into Zhou Jia’s arms.

“If you don’t understand, then watch and learn properly tomorrow.”

*

The next day, the soldiers, full of vigour, assembled at the foot of Chongzhou Mountain. Two thousand well-trained troops set out in full force, exuding an imposing presence.

The commanding general rode behind the troops, guiding them with confidence. With one hand gripping the reins and the other holding the map, he directed his subordinates with precise gestures, dispersing the army to various locations across Chongzhou Mountain.

The movement of the government troops was quickly reported back to the mountain stronghold by the sentinels stationed at the gates.

Inside the stronghold’s main hall, a tense atmosphere loomed.

Meng Cheng, the chief of the bandits, sat at the head of the hall.

He rested in a grand armchair, while a dozen subordinates stood in neat rows before him. Behind him, a large plaque hung high, bearing the words "Thirty-Seven Strongholds" in bold calligraphy.

The name of the stronghold sounded peculiar, but the sweeping strokes of the script, like a dragon flying and a phoenix dancing, carried an undeniable grandeur.

Reports had arrived from every checkpoint—five strategic passes, not a single one left untouched.

Every visible and hidden entrance of the stronghold had been completely encircled by government troops.

Since its establishment at the beginning of the year, local officials had launched several raids on the stronghold. Even the last deployment from the capital had not resulted in such a dire situation.

With the mountain’s complex terrain and their well-concealed defences, what kind of general could have mapped out all the escape routes within a single day of arriving in Chongzhou? And with a mere two thousand soldiers, how could he have sealed off their stronghold so completely?

“Big Brother, the one leading the troops this time is none other than General Fang Linyuan, who just returned from Yumen Pass!”

The man seated to Meng Cheng’s left stood up with a grim expression.

This was Luan Junren, the second-in-command of the stronghold. According to rumours, he and Meng Cheng had once fought side by side, staking their lives for each other.

The surrounding men all looked pale and tense. After a brief hesitation, Luan Junren clasped his fists and spoke. “You know the extent of this man’s abilities, Brother. Now that we’re in his hands, I fear the worst…”

Meng Cheng abruptly lifted his gaze, staring at him.

Under his icy gaze, Luan Junren pressed his lips together, cutting off the rest of his words.

After a moment of silence, Meng Cheng stood up. “Immediately dispatch fifty more men with crossbows to reinforce all five passes and suppress the government troops’ advance. Divide another group to release the boulders stored at each checkpoint.”

“Yes,” Luan Junren answered promptly.

“The Tiger Ravine hasn’t been discovered yet, has it?” Meng Cheng asked.

“No,” Luan Junren replied with a shake of his head. “It’s extremely well-hidden. I stationed three men there to keep watch, and there’s been no report of enemy activity.”

Only then did Meng Cheng breathe a little easier.

Tiger Ravine was their final escape route. If Chongzhou Mountain fell, they could still flee through it.

…But it would mean another escape.

At this thought, Meng Cheng lifted his gaze toward the plaque behind him—the words "Thirty-Seven Strongholds" standing stark against the wood.

The men in the hall followed his gaze.

These numbers seemed to weigh heavily in their eyes, reflecting an uncertain future filled with grief.

After a brief silence, Luan Junren suddenly straightened and clasped his fists toward Meng Cheng.

“You know my skill with a bow, Brother,” he said loudly. “Rest assured—our brothers are already in position. I will personally lead an ambush in the mountains. The moment the enemy general shows himself, I will make sure he’s sent back to the capital by tomorrow.”

Meng Cheng kept his eyes on the plaque for a moment longer before finally letting out a low acknowledgment.

“Be careful,” he said. “Don’t take General Fang’s life.”

*

At noon, the government troops stationed at the mountain passes received their orders and launched a full-scale assault.

However, the moment they advanced, a storm of arrows rained down from the dense forest, instantly cutting off their path.

No matter how well-trained the soldiers were, they were not made of iron. The narrow trails and steep terrain became natural barriers, and under the relentless arrow fire, the advancing soldiers were thrown into chaos.

Troops began retreating in disorder, with many falling from their horses, the battlefield quickly descending into turmoil.

But with the commanding general in control, new orders were swiftly relayed from the rear.

Within moments, the scattered troops regrouped in formation.

Raising their shields, they formed an iron wall above their heads, creating a defensive formation.

Step by step, the shielded soldiers advanced under the rain of arrows.

This time, the arrows from the forest failed to penetrate their defences. As the arrows rained down one after the other, the formation remained unshaken, pressing steadily up the mountain.

But then—

A deep, rumbling sound echoed from ahead.

The soldiers had advanced only a few more meters when they looked up toward the source of the noise—

Huge, rolling shadows barrelling down the mountain path.

Boulders!

The boulders tumbled down one after another. The soldiers raised their heavy shields over their heads, but they barely had time to clumsily dodge to the sides.

However, the shield formation was too cumbersome. The boulders rolled down swiftly, sending many soldiers flying upon impact. Some soldiers abandoned their shields in an attempt to go around the boulders and continue their advance, but before they could move forward, another rain of arrows descended from above.

The formation fell into utter chaos. The soldiers hadn’t even caught a glimpse of their enemy, yet they were already in complete disarray, unable to even flee properly.

There was no way to continue this battle.

Shortly after noon, the army hastily sounded the retreat.

It was evident that these mountain bandits were truly formidable!

Although the boulders weren’t particularly large and the soldiers were protected by armour, many were still injured by the rolling stones and rendered unfit for battle.

In just this short engagement, over twenty percent of the two-thousand-strong force had been lost. When the battle report reached the city, the governor of Ningbei sighed repeatedly. "They are entrenched in natural defences, and even General Fang Linyuan is unable to do anything about them!"

He sighed, flipping through the battle report over and over.

The emperor would surely reprimand General Fang for this failure, and as the governor, he wouldn’t escape blame either. He could only hope that by the time General Fang returned to the capital, the casualties would be minimal—otherwise, if he lost his position over this, he wouldn’t even know whom to complain to...

At that moment, a messenger rushed in.

"My lord!" The man didn’t even have time to hand over the dispatch before blurting out, "General Fang just reorganized his troops and is marching toward Chongzhou Mountain again!"

*

With the retreat of the government forces, Thirty-Seven Strongholds had technically won their first battle against Fang Linyuan.

But Luan Junren barely had time to celebrate before another report arrived—

The defeated army hadn’t retreated far at all. In fact, they had merely regrouped at the foot of the mountain and were launching another attack!

Who had ever seen such tactics?

An army that had just suffered a loss would naturally have lower morale, let alone one that hadn’t even had time to count its dead and wounded. These soldiers had just been running for their lives, struggling to defend themselves, and were already showing signs of exhaustion—how could they possibly be ready to fight again?

Luan Junren’s face darkened.

If the government forces were weary from battle, his own men were in no better shape.

The crossbowmen still had some arrows left, allowing them to put up a fight, but the stockpile of defensive boulders at the mountain passes was running low. The ones they had used earlier were relatively small; the remaining ones were massive and deadly—boulders meant to crush enemies outright. The chief had explicitly ordered that they should not be used against government troops.

What on earth was Fang Linyuan planning?

But there was no time to hesitate or complain—the enemy was already on the move.

"Tell the crossbowmen to stand by!" Luan Junren ordered urgently. "Send word to the chief—have all the brothers in the stronghold take up their weapons and await further orders!"

This meant preparing for close combat.

As he rapidly calculated the remaining arrows, the number of available fighters, and the stockpile of weapons and supplies, his heart grew colder with each thought.

If Fang Linyuan broke through the passes and his troops stormed the stronghold, even with their own casualties, the government soldiers would still outnumber them at least two to one.

And if it came to close combat, there would be deaths—no avoiding it.

By that point, they would either be entirely defeated or, at best, achieve a hollow victory, forcing them to flee and return to a life of constant hiding.

Luan Junren clenched his fists.

They had to take out the commander.

As long as Fang Linyuan remained on the battlefield, this battle would not end.

But Fang Linyuan had yet to appear in person!

After making arrangements for his troops, Luan Junren remained where he was, pacing anxiously. He needed to find a way to lure Fang Linyuan out. If they could heavily wound him, the entire problem would be solved...

Just then, a commotion erupted in the distance.

Luan Junren looked up and saw a bandit scout scrambling toward him, rolling and crawling in panic, his face full of shock and fear.

"Second Chief, bad news! Bad news!" The man frantically pointed behind him, but his words were so jumbled from fright that they barely made sense.

"What happened?" Luan Junren demanded.

"Our crossbowmen... the crossbowmen at multiple passes—they've been attacked by enemy archers!" the scout gasped.

"We’ve lost seventy to eighty percent of them! The passes won’t hold! The government troops—they’ve already reached the mountain!"

*

Luan Junren's face turned ashen.

At last, he realized Fang Linyuan’s true strategy.

Fang Linyuan... he had lost on purpose!

He had deliberately exposed his own weaknesses, making a grand display of surrounding the stronghold. This forced them into an all-out defence, revealing the positions of their crossbowmen in the process.

 

Fang Linyuan must have known long ago... that the crossbowmen were positioned according to the terrain and would not easily change locations within the mountains. Therefore, once their positions were exposed, they could be easily counterattacked.

But how did Fang Linyuan do it?!

Five mountain passes, a storm of arrows—how could he have confirmed every location and memorized all their positions in such a short time?

Unless... he had already made up his mind beforehand...

A sudden wave of despair and helplessness washed over Luan Junren. His hand clenched and then loosened at his side. After a moment, he turned to the bandits beside him and ordered, "Find out immediately where General Fang Linyuan is! If they are advancing up the mountain, then he must have entered it as well. The moment we find him, surround and attack!"

The bandits immediately acknowledged the order.

With such a massive army, locating the commander would not be too difficult.

But the real difficulty lay elsewhere—soon, beneath the fluttering banners, they saw that the general was leading a force toward the storehouse.

"They’re going to burn our supplies!"

The bandits quickly returned with a report from Meng Cheng: "If the grain is burned and the stronghold is besieged, we’ll have no way out!"

"Where is the chief?" Luan Junren asked.

"The chief has already received the news and is leading the brothers to the storehouse to counterattack! He told you to take your men and escape through Tiger Ravine immediately. Today is a fight to the death—no matter what happens, we cannot stay in Chongzhou Mountain any longer!"

Luan Junren clenched his teeth.

"My brother is fighting to the death, how could I flee first?!" he said. "Take a team of men—we will go support my brother!"

"Yes!"

*

That day, the battle cries on Chongzhou Mountain shook the heavens.

When the bandits charged toward the storehouse, Fang Linyuan knew his plan had succeeded.

After scouting the terrain the previous day, he had already marked every possible location where the crossbowmen might be ambushed.

He had made Zhou Jia pose as the commanding general, using him as a cicada that lured the mantis into the open.

Meanwhile, he had led a hundred archers and stationed them around the stronghold according to his calculations.

By launching a massive offensive, he forced the enemy to reveal their crossbowmen’s positions. Then, when his main forces feigned retreat, causing the enemy to lower their guard, he led his archers in a swift counterattack, breaking through their formation.

With the defensive formation shattered, storming the stronghold was only a matter of time.

But Fang Linyuan had planned one step further—he tricked the enemy into retreating toward the storehouse, where his army lay in wait to encircle them.

In truth, he didn’t need to go through so much trouble.

He had chosen this strategy because he hadn’t forgotten one crucial detail: his entire plan relied on the bizarre principle that these bandits refused to kill government soldiers.

The fact that his strategy had worked proved that these bandits truly refrained from killing government troops.

Since they had shown such restraint, he, too, would spare their lives for now.

Flames erupted on the granary hilltop—the signal Zhou Jia had been ordered to give once the bandits arrived.

Fang Linyuan immediately gave the order: Mobilize all forces and encircle the mountain!

The bandits on the hill soon realized his strategy.

By the time the sun began to set, only a handful of bandits were left, escorting their leader eastward in an attempt to escape.

Fang Linyuan knew exactly where they were headed.

He had already moved ahead of them, blocking their path with his troops.

They were fleeing toward Tiger Ravine, a narrow mountain pass to the east—most likely their designated escape route.

This was his final trap—the closing of the net.

By leaving them a single escape route, he ensured that only a handful of their leaders would try to flee. Personally leading just two hundred cavalry, he planned to block and pursue—securing an easy capture.

As for the rest of the unruly rabble, they would all surrender.

However, a close-quarters battle was inevitable. The bandit leader, cornered and desperate, might very well fight to the death.

Fang Linyuan knew this was the most difficult part of his strategy.

After all, the soldiers under his command were not personally trained by him. Their discipline was inconsistent, and their martial skills were lacking. If they clashed directly with the desperate bandits, casualties would likely be heavy, and in the chaos of battle, it would be difficult to take many prisoners alive.

But with the troops he had, this was the best he could do.

The soldiers behind him stood ready, gripping their long weapons, blocking this escape route.

Yet even as the sun was about to dip below the horizon, the bandits still had not emerged.

Fang Linyuan's brows gradually furrowed.

Why? Had he miscalculated and let them escape through another exit?

After hesitating for a moment, he finally led his men into Tiger Ravine from the outside.

Passing through the narrow, towering gorge, they advanced dozens of feet before the view gradually opened up. Dense forests flanked both sides, and visibility became increasingly poor.

And there, Fang Linyuan witnessed a scene unlike anything he had ever seen before.

A full twenty to thirty bandits were tied up tightly, stacked in the middle of the road like a small hill.

They struggled, but no sound escaped them. Looking closer, even their mouths had been gagged.

Not far away, perched on a tree branch in the darkness, a snow-white pigeon preened its feathers.

Fang Linyuan was so stunned that he momentarily lost the ability to speak. But in his mind, a single figure immediately surfaced—

Zhao Chu!

It could be no one else but Zhao Chu!

Just then, Zhou Jia, who had been leading his troops to sweep the stronghold, arrived as well.

Neither side had known about the other's exact movements, so when the two groups met, they both assumed that this was another brilliant stratagem of General Fang Linyuan.

For a moment, shock, astonishment, and a sense of awe as if witnessing a god descend upon the world spread across their faces.

To have captured all the bandits without shedding a single drop of blood—what an unparalleled strategic mind and godlike military prowess this must be!

After a brief silence, someone shouted loudly—

"The general’s strategy is as divine as prophecy!"

At once, the mountain echoed with cheers, voices rising in unison through the valley.

"The general is a peerless strategist!"

"The general commands like a god!"

*

Fang Linyuan raised his hand, signalling for his soldiers to escort the captured bandits back to camp. Meanwhile, the rest of the troops, under Zhou Jia’s command, continued sweeping the mountains, arresting any remaining bandits and gathering stolen goods.

Fang Linyuan, however, remained behind alone.

"General, is there something else that needs to be handled?" Zhou Jia quickly asked.

But Fang Linyuan simply shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. "I’m just a bit tired. I’ll take a look around and meet you at the bandit stronghold later."

Zhou Jia hesitated, but seeing that Fang Linyuan had already made up his mind, he did not press the issue.

After all, with such flawless strategies at every turn, how could the general possibly need his advice?

Feeling exhilarated, Zhou Jia acknowledged the order and led his troops into the mountains.

Fang Linyuan remained where he was.

Only when the surroundings fell into complete silence—when he was truly alone—did he finally speak.

"Come out."

The stillness around him remained unbroken, save for the rustling of tree branches swaying in the wind.

Only the pigeon on the tree branch flapped its wings and took off.

Fang Linyuan sighed.

"Zhao Chu, do I really have to call you by name?" he said.

"Come out already. I’m not an idiot—I know it’s you."

A faint rustling came from the forest.

This time, there were footsteps—soft but distinct, no longer just the sound of the wind.

--

The author has something to say:

Zhao Chu: I understand now. He wrote to complain about his subordinates because he wanted to see me.

Fang Linyuan, who had just been venting: ...

Zhao Chu: And the pigeon didn’t bring back a reply because he wanted to tell me in person.

Fang Linyuan: ???????

 

Translator : DarNan