Chapter 133: Another Three Catties

"Attack tonight!" shouted Military Commander Wu.

The subordinates looked at each other and asked in unison, "How shall we attack?"

"Attack three catties! *Hiccup*—" Military Commander Wu let out another alcoholic hiccup, then slumped into his chair, his eyes half-closed as his body slowly slid down the back of the seat.

The deputy commanders and garrison captains sighed in unison. They were already well accustomed to Military Commander Wu's habits, knowing that the old man loved to have a little nightcap, and ten to one he was drunk again now.

Although his orders had been given for them to attack, they did not know who should go, nor how many men should be sent, and they dared not make presumptions. If Military Commander Wu woke up tomorrow and found his subordinates acting without authorization, it would probably result in another thorough scolding.

Thus, the deputy commanders helped the commander into his room to sleep. When they got up the next day, Military Commander Wu had a splitting headache, and no one dared to disturb him. Military Commander Wu also forgot all about the "Spider Hero" completely; the superiors didn't mention it, and the subordinates didn't dare to bring it up either. The matter seemed to be heading toward being dropped, and had Kou Guo not already sneaked off to his garrison to become a common foot soldier, it would have seemed as though this incident had never caused any ripples at all.

...

Early the next morning, day broke very early. Everyone in Luhe Gully rose early to kindle fires and cook meals. Although the grain on hand was only enough for a few days, Xu Wenshan still encouraged them to eat their fill so they wouldn't have to carry it themselves when marching.

The soldiers noticed that Xu Wenshan seemed quite relaxed, humming something about "no rifles, no cannons, the enemy makes them for us."

During the night, he had already gathered intelligence from Pang Xing regarding all the surrounding garrison outposts. According to his verification, the fat man had not lied. Several of those outposts had large stockpiles of grain, armor, and clothing.

Xu Wenshan also had the help of small spiders domesticated by the spider spirit. Before every attack, he would direct the small spiders to scout ahead, eliminating the need to dispatch scouts and removing any worries of being detected. Therefore, he had absolute confidence in catching the enemy off guard.

The only strange thing was that the surrounding garrison outposts seemed entirely indifferent to the events of yesterday, remaining completely unprepared with security so lax it was as if they were deliberately trying to lure him into an attack.

The dozen or so wounded soldiers captured in the previous battle had their conditions stabilized after a night. Because Xu Wenshan had instructed that alcohol be used to sterilize their wounds, most of the wounded recovered quite well, and some with minor injuries were already able to jump around.

Xu Wenshan still distributed one string of cash to each of these men as before, adding an extra string to those who were wounded, and instructed them to return home on their own before leaving his quarters.

...

Confirming that the enemy had laid no ambush, Xu Wenshan tentatively set his next attack target at a garrison outpost eighteen li east from here. Grain was plentiful there, along with over a dozen sets of armor. If he could get his hands on them, his troops' equipment would be complete—something even the elite troops of the state of Cai could not achieve across their entire army.

The Luhe troops launched a rapid march, and in less than half a watch, the entire force reached the target. To Xu Wenshan's surprise, until now, the soldiers in the garrison outpost remained utterly unprepared, seemingly entirely oblivious to the surprise attack by Xu Wenshan's forces.

Such a level of control over the controlled territory was truly jaw-dropping, yet this could not entirely be blamed on the incompetence of the Cai commanders. In this era without telecommunications, medium-distance communication relied fundamentally on shouting, and long-distance communication relied fundamentally on walking. Furthermore, the garrison forces were insufficient in number, deployed primarily for defense within the cities, leaving the villages and fields outside the walls poorly defended—which was somewhat understandable.

At Xu Wenshan's command, the soldiers of Luhe Gully charged forward valiantly, breaking into the garrison outpost. Even though the outpost soldiers struck the alarm bell, they had no time to mount any response. All fifty or so men inside the outpost were captured by the Luhe guard unit, which suffered only a few minor injuries.

Naturally, Xu Wenshan offered consolation to the routed soldiers once more, distributing money and attending to their injuries appropriately. Unknowing who initiated it, before leaving, all the soldiers collectively bowed deeply to Xu Wenshan in unison, praising his virtues and even declaring their intent to spread the title of the "Spider Hero" throughout the southern lands.

...

"What is the meaning of this?" Military Commander Wu stared with wide eyes, glaring at his subordinate generals and shouting, "How is it that another garrison outpost has been lost? Hey, why did I use the word 'another'?"

At the same time of day, with the exact same intelligence, Military Commander Wu felt as though he had seen this scene somewhere before.

The deputy commanders below dared not even draw a full breath. Finally, an honest fellow stepped forward and said, with a hardened scalp, "General, at this exact time yesterday, you were also informed that a garrison outpost had been lost."

Military Commander Wu's expression changed drastically: "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"We did tell you, but yesterday Commander, you... were not in a good state, so you didn't take it to heart..."

"Not in a good state? You say I wasn't in a good state?" Military Commander Wu flew into a rage. "Drinking is drinking! When has old Wu ever feared what people say? Speak to me directly!"

The subordinates muttered in acquiescence. Military Commander Wu puffed his beard and glared for a moment before demanding, "Have you investigated what kind of faction this is? Where did these bandits come from?"

A deputy commander replied, "Yesterday, it was reported by Garrison Captain Kou, who said it was someone called the Spider Hero. Today, the returning remnant soldiers reported that they were also attacked by the Spider Hero."

Military Commander Wu muttered the name "Spider Hero" to himself a few times, furrowed his brow, and asked, "Where is old Kou? Why didn't he come?"

A deputy commander stepped out, cupped his hands, and said, "Kou Guo is no longer a garrison captain. He went to the garrison to become a common foot soldier, and I have now taken over his vacancy."

"Who are you? Where is old Kou? Who ordered him to step down?"

The faces of the men below flushed alternately red and white. "You gave the order yourself..."

Military Commander Wu's face did not turn red. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Since I gave the order myself, though I cannot remember why, I suppose it must have made sense. So be it then... To which garrison does the outpost lost today belong? Step forward!"

Another general stepped forward. This was what he feared most, and by now he was trembling with fear and drenched in sweat. Military Commander Wu pointed at him and said, "For failing in your defense, you shall become the deputy garrison captain, and your former adjutant shall be the garrison captain!"

The former garrison captain let out a sigh of relief; this punishment was at least not as severe as Kou Guo's, and he immediately expressed his gratitude. Military Commander Wu then continued, "I will give you a chance to redeem yourself through meritorious service. Mobilize all the troops in your garrison that can be mobilized, and go annihilate this band of thieves. Then I shall restore your original rank. If you cannot do it, remain an adjutant for the rest of your life!"

The former garrison captain was ecstatic. He immediately kowtowed deeply, took the military tally handed over by Military Commander Wu, and returned to his garrison to mobilize the troops.

At this moment, commanding a majestic presence, Military Commander Wu sat squarely in his chair with a grandiose posture and declared, "My fellow garrison captains and generals, the task of guarding outside the city falls entirely upon old Wu. This burden is heavy! Do not fear work; feel free to share the pressure for old Wu. After all, only when you do your jobs well can my mission be fulfilled, and only when I am well can you all be well. Tell me, is this not the logic?"

The generals below nodded one after another. Military Commander Wu then asked, "So, how do you plan to act?"

The deputy commanders below looked at each other and said in unison, "Your subordinates request to lead troops to assist in the suppression!"

Military Commander Wu nodded with satisfaction. He distributed military tallies separately to them. The generals below summoned their respective adjutants and returned to their garrisons to muster men. When all the soldiers were assembled and a headcount was taken, it surprisingly amounted to over eight hundred men. This force of eight hundred marched forth imposingly toward the garrison outpost newly occupied by Xu Wenshan.