The rough, open-air journey was hard, but Zhou Yuan could profit from it. Three days out, his running ability finally became a skill, letting him gain even as he traveled.
【You have comprehended "Brisk Stride" and mastered a life skill.】
【Brisk Stride, Lv1 (1/10)】
【Effect: Strength springs from the waist and drives to the feet; walking nurtures endurance, running raises speed.】
The most visible effect of Brisk Stride was a faster pace; its greater worth was the endurance-nurturing function. By now Zhou Yuan held three life skills — Food Replenishment, Recuperation, Brisk Stride — and two attack skills — Mighty Mountain-Cleaver and Spear Thrust. Still unsatisfied, he gathered small dead twigs along the road, snapped them to finger-length, and practiced throwing.
"Shitou, stop chucking twigs at me. If you've nothing to do, gather more firewood and save us hunting for it at the next station."
"Bear with it, Uncle Dahuang. A little twig on the body doesn't hurt — just take it as me playing around with you."
"Qiaoxi squad leader, are you training your eye — looking to learn archery? I'll tell you now: learn the bow and you won't go home. Anyone who can draw and shoot is an elite soldier; before old age and frailty, the camp will never let them go."
In the wild the bailiff leaders were oddly easy-going, with no casual beating of the conscripts. When something happened, they'd pass it to each village's squad leader to handle. Zhou Yuan could tell: fearing the fellow villagers would make trouble, they meant to toss the friction of management to the villagers to digest among themselves. So these bailiffs got on very well with Zhou Yuan day to day; once acquainted, they often gathered to chat.
"I'm young and strong, and I've been made conscript leader — most likely I can't dodge the regular-soldier roster. Better to learn a real skill and become a well-treated marksman."
"So that's it. The army prizes courage and esteems archery; if you can draw a hard bow and shoot true, an officer is sure to lift you up. But a word of advice, friend — those who'd rise by archery and valor are many. Valor takes a chestful of hot blood; archery takes talent. By bitter training alone it's hard to surpass the comrades beside you."
"Thank you for telling me. I won't force it — I'll try as I go."
Martial skill emboldens; boldness clears the spirit. Watching the dashing youth before them, the bailiffs suddenly felt this lad really might not come back. Among the lowborn with ambition, some fall on the battlefield, some waste their years toiling up the hard climb.
"Quicken your pace. Dusk is falling; the wild grows damp and chill at night, ill for sleeping — best reach the station soon."
The party joked and made the best of hardship, mostly talking of fields back home, a few pouring out longings for the army. Only the bailiffs knew: without a few measures of valor and blood, military service was worse than corvée. After all, that army tent was full of killing men; in the end fists did the talking — the weaker the more wretched, the stronger the more flourishing.
Walking at the column's side, watching the bustling village men, Zhou Yuan knew these were the people he had the best chance of winning over. Auxiliaries served three years, regulars ten; even if all these men were auxiliaries and never made regular, they'd be in the army a full three years. These were his fellow villagers — let him become the strongest among them, and they'd gather round him of their own accord, to be commanded, to serve him.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
Just before nightfall, Zhou Yuan's party finally reached the next post-station — only its gate was shut tight, no lamp lit, so the bailiffs had to go knock.
"Why so late? Get in. There's no food left, but there's hot water — make do."
An aged station-hand opened the gate and led the bailiffs into the yard.
"Why only you? Where are the other hands?"
"They ran off long ago. My old arms and legs can't run, so I'll just eat this official grain till I die."
Having let everyone into the yard, the old hand turned back, shut the gate, and shoved a thick wooden post against it.
"Our station keeps no lamp at night and bars the gate at dusk. Once you're in the yard, don't go out. There are blind-bears about here — not up to the great brown bears of the north border, but fierce all the same. Have your strong men keep good watch; if a few of the old or young get carried off, it's big trouble."
"With so many of us, would a blind-bear — unless truly blind — dare come hunting?"
"Heh, there you're wrong. It's precisely many that make good hunting. Those blind-bears are cunning, often roving in packs of five or six; they pounce on one, snatch it, and go. Dare chase, and they'll ambush you on the way."
The old hand's words chilled the bailiffs' spines. This station, built in the wilds as a waystation, had nowhere even to hide if beasts struck.
"Beasts maiming people, disrupting the station — such a big matter, and your county yamen does nothing?"
"What can they do? Armored soldiers come, the beasts flee; the soldiers leave, the beasts return. Sealing the mountains and roads takes endless effort — better to bar gates and shut doors."
"Fine. We'll try not to go out at night, and we'll block the doors and windows."
The station's rooms were limited; a hundred-odd people crammed onto straw-mat floors could just fit, but the twenty-some wheelbarrows had to stay in the yard. The village men weren't fools; heeding the advice, they hauled the odds and ends and dry rations from the barrows indoors.
"I've said all I can. Be careful tonight; if someone's hurt, don't blame me."
The old hand swayed back to his room, leaving a crowd of village men at a loss.
"Shitou, what do we do? By day we mightn't fear those beasts, but at night it's hard to say."
The Qiaoxi men instinctively handed the decision to Zhou Yuan, asking their nominal leader to make a call. Zhou Yuan waved them quiet and turned to question the bailiffs.
"Officer, could you lend me your iron spear? Beasts hunting aren't picky about whom they take — we can't all sleep; we need a few bold men on watch."
"Sure, take it. If you can really wound a beast, I'll give it to you outright."
In beast country the bailiffs hadn't the nerve to stand watch, but lending out a blade and spear they could manage. With their help, Zhou Yuan got not only the iron spear but organized a watch-team armed with batons and hatchets. The other conscripts made ready too — at one word, all would take up the weapons beside them and drive the beasts off.
The cold moon and brilliant stars shed faint light, so the night was no longer a murky black. Zhou Yuan and the watch-men hid in a large room, eyes fixed through the windows on the yard within and without. Around the hour of Zi, the men on watch grew drowsy, yawning and tearing now and then.
"They're here. Six bears."
"Where? We don't see them."
"Ring the gong, wake everyone. If we can't scare them off, tonight we fight for our lives."
Zhou Yuan's sight differed from the conscripts'. He saw six health bars closing fast on the station's wall. Two of those bars even carried blood-red writing.
【Level 3 Mountain Crescent-Moon Bear】
"Levels, even. They should yield experience."