Gao Wu Da Ming: Starting as a military household and ascending to the rank of Martial Saint

The two walked and talked, and before long they arrived at Tumen Mountain.

Once he reached the top of the mountain, Yu Shaowu discovered that there were actually more people on the mountain than at the bottom, and they were all busily preparing to hunt down the wolves.

Yu Shaowu estimated that there were at least a hundred people who came to hunt the wolves, and all of them were young and strong.

Having dealt with wolves for many years, the hunters of Northwest China have their own methods for dealing with wolf packs. At this moment, many people are busily setting up traps and fortifications. Others are out on lookout duty, running errands, preparing food and equipment, and so on. Everyone is doing their job, and the organization is very tight.

The man who had led Yu Shaowu up the mountain looked around the crowd, searching for the leader, Ji Shouyi, when suddenly a man approached them, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "You must be Yu Shaowu from Yaomaodun, Young Master Yu?"

Yu Shaowu returned the greeting with clasped hands and asked, "Who are you, sir, and how do you know my name?"

The man said, "Young master, you must have a bad memory. I am He Huan, the son of He the blacksmith. Last year when you came to Baode Prefecture, my father took me with him to pay a visit, but you didn't notice at the time."

He spoke these words with a hint of reproach, as if he was still holding a grudge against Yu Shaowu for his rudeness that day.

Yu Shaowu cupped his hands again and said, "So it's Brother He. I was caught in a sudden uproar and spoke inappropriately. Please forgive me."

He Huan was stunned when he didn't expect that the arrogant person from the past would apologize to him so naturally today. The resentment he had accumulated earlier dissipated in an instant.

He nodded, letting the matter drop, and said, "This Tumen Mountain is no place to go. I would appreciate it if Young Master Yu could return. Losing your life here would be a terrible mistake."

Yu Shaowu smiled slightly and said, "I am also good at archery. Please assign me a task, Brother He."

He Huan remembered his father's words that he should take care of Yu Shaowu, and seeing Yu Shaowu's insistence, he had no choice but to say, "In that case, you can go and stay in the archery group over there."

As he spoke, he pointed towards the low hill behind them. That hill was located on the edge of Tumen Mountain, very close to the foot of the mountain, so if anything happened, they could quickly escape down to the foot of the mountain.

This can be considered as fulfilling my father's instructions.

Yu Shaowu nodded, not asking for anything more, and thanked the hunter who was leading the way before heading towards the low hill. As soon as he climbed up, he discovered several archers already lurking there.

These men were fully armed and ready for battle, their eyes gleaming with sharp light; they were clearly skilled archers.

Yu Shaowu immediately spotted a prime spot, but it was already taken. He stepped forward and politely asked, "Excuse me, may I sit next to you?"

The man turned his head and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Yu Shaowu from Yaomaodun."

The man looked him up and down and laughed, "Goodness, I was wondering who dared to take my place. They really do have some connections."

Before Yu Shaowu could speak, someone beside him angrily said, "Young man, this is Lin Li, the sixth master of Tianxing Martial Arts School, the best marksman. I don't care who you are, if you disturb Master Lin's performance, you'll regret it."

"Alright, alright," the hunter known as Sixth Master Lin waved his hand and said, "Ignorance is no excuse. Don't make things difficult for the young man."

Yu Shaowu could tell he was only in his early twenties, yet he spoke with great confidence. However, these people seemed to be from the Tianxing Martial Arts School, so he couldn't afford to argue with them. After all, they were all brothers on the same side now. Whether they were strong or weak would soon be revealed in their fight.

He climbed a nearby shrub, and after making all the necessary preparations, he ate his dry rations while gazing into the distance.

In the distance to the north, three lines of defense were set up outward from the first hill at the entrance to the mountains.

The first line of defense consisted of a combination of pits and spikes, covering a wide area and causing extensive damage. The second line of defense was a trench, which effectively held back the wolves, giving the archers time to fire. The third line consisted of pine wood and firewood soaked in grease, which would be lit to create a wall of fire once the wolves attacked, slowing their advance and giving the hunters time to escape.

Once the third barrier is activated, it signifies a failed wolf hunt, and the entire Tumen Mountain will be reduced to ashes. This is a last resort.

Yu Shaowu saw an extremely robust man standing on a high point, directing the troops, and everyone was meticulously carrying out his orders. This man must be Ji Shouyi, the leader of this operation.

Behind him stood two assistants, one of whom was He Huan. At this moment, they were directing everyone to strengthen these defensive lines, striving to stop the wolves' advance as much as possible before they arrived, and to intercept them outside the third line of defense.

Not only that, Ji Shouyi's other assistant was distributing red talismans to everyone one by one. After receiving them, everyone stuck them on their foreheads, appearing extremely solemn.

Yu Shaowu was also aware of these talismans. Extraordinary beings existed in this world; these talismans, crafted by skilled practitioners of Qi, often had miraculous effects when affixed to soldiers. Even the imperial court employed such measures.

Yu Shaowu still remembers hearing veterans tell stories of fighting Japanese pirates alongside Yu Dayou when he was a child. In their words, these talismans often played a significant role in dealing with those Japanese ninjas.

However, Yu Shaowu didn't have high expectations for the talismans in Ji Shouyi's possession. As the court's regulations gradually collapsed, the management of talismans became increasingly lax, leading to rampant fraud and a flood of fake talismans.

These days, even talismans issued by the government can be faked, let alone those issued by ordinary people.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, the fact that Ji Shouyi could produce these talismans at this moment showed how much he valued the wolves. Coupled with the fact that so many mountain people were working so hard to build a defensive line, Yu Shaowu couldn't help but feel tense.

He couldn't help but wonder what size wolf pack it was that would make these people take it so seriously.

While Yu Shaowu was observing Ji Shouyi, Ji Shouyi was also asking He Huan about Yu Shaowu's situation.

He had initially thought that Yu Shaowu, as Yu Dayou's grandson, should possess some skill. However, upon learning that Yu Shaowu was merely a scholar who had never learned martial arts, his initial expectation immediately faded considerably.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Old Fang and the others are guarding the foot of the mountain. For this Young Master Yu to be able to get in, he must have some ability. He Huan, your arrangement is acceptable. Let him stay on the hill behind. If our team really collapses, it won't be his turn to feed the wolves. If we win, after this matter is over, when the reward money comes down, we can give him some."

He Huan was relieved and bowed, saying, "On behalf of my father, I thank you for your care, Senior Brother."

Ji Shouyi waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities. My father and I share the same thought; after all, he is the descendant of a hero, so we should help him if we can. Let's leave this matter here and continue to strengthen our defenses."

"Yes, Senior Brother," He Huan replied in a deep voice.

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After another two hours of preparation, the sentry post closest to these defensive lines finally sounded again.

The wolves were closing in and could attack at any moment. The mountain people who had been sent to do odd jobs all went down the mountain to hide, leaving only a few dozen hunters who were truly ready to fight.

From Ji Shouyi down, everyone was on high alert. Those wielding swords for close combat stood behind the trenches, their task being to slow the wolf pack down as much as possible, perhaps already prepared to die; while those wielding arrows for ranged attacks were behind the walls of fire, their task being to kill the wolves within the trenches.

The wait before the decisive battle was extremely long, but the hunters remained calm and composed, and not a single person made a sound throughout the entire Tumen Mountain.

After waiting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a stench finally wafted in from afar on the wind.

The wolf pack had not yet appeared, but the smell alone made one instinctively feel uneasy, and even made one's heart clench.

Before an incense stick could burn, the first wolf appeared in Yu Shaowu's field of vision.

The wolf moved with light steps, as if strolling leisurely. As soon as it appeared, its eyes were fixed on Ji Shouyi, the leader. Its senses seemed to be very sharp, as if it had instantly locked onto the leader of the human group, and then slowly scanned all the humans around it.

The two were about a hundred paces apart. Ji Shouyi calmly stared at the wolf, neither provoking nor intimidating it. He knew that the wolf pack also had scouts; the real leaders were yet to come.

Sure enough, after scouting the situation, the wolf returned the way it came and quickly disappeared from sight.

"Everyone, prepare for battle." Ji Shouyi's deep and solemn voice came from afar, and everyone picked up their weapons.

Before long, a second wolf darted out of the forest, followed by a third, a fourth, a fifth... One after another, the wolves emerged from the depths of the dense forest in a seemingly chaotic yet orderly formation.

As more and more wolves emerged, the hunters finally began to falter. Some began to breathe heavily, and even their legs trembled slightly. An atmosphere of fear gradually spread through the crowd.

Normally, a wolf pack consists of about a dozen, at most thirty. But this wolf pack in front of us has at least a hundred. And new wolves keep appearing, seemingly endless.

Even Ji Shouyi, the initiator, began to break out in a cold sweat.

"Brother Ji, there was a problem with our previous reconnaissance!" a hunter said to Ji Shou in a trembling voice, "Should we retreat first?"

"Withdraw?" Ji Shouyi gave a bitter smile and gritted his teeth, saying, "How do you think we can withdraw now? We have no choice but to rely on the pits and fight to the death."

He knew that the hunter responsible for close combat was already very close to the wolf pack. If he ran away rashly, it might trigger the wolf pack's hunting instincts, and he might die even faster.

The only course of action now is to unite as one and fight to the death.

Thinking of this, Ji Shouyi raised his voice and shouted, "Brothers, there's no turning back now! Let's fight them to the death! Kill as many as we can! I believe Prefect Hu will definitely provide compensation for our families! For our parents and children, let's fight these beasts to the bitter end!"

He meant to boost morale with these words, but few responded. Several archers on the hillside behind him even fled down the mountain.

Their position was relatively far back, and no one could stop them once they were spotted. They could only watch helplessly as these people ran rapidly down the mountain.

"You damn cowards!" Ji Shouyi roared angrily, "You bastards, remember this: if any of us make it down the mountain alive, we'll tear you to pieces!"

"Brother Ji, you should think about how to survive first!" A mocking voice came from afar from the archers descending the mountain; they had clearly already broken off all pretense of civility.

The remaining archers looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

Ji Shou continued to roar, "Those who want to leave, then leave now! I'm not going to die with cowards like you!"

Lin Li, the renowned marksman atop the low hill, shouted, "Don't worry, Senior Brother! Those who left were all incompetent. We are willing to follow you, Senior Brother, and we swear to never retreat!"

Hearing this, Ji Shouyi was greatly comforted and laughed heartily, "Good, good, Sixth Brother, you're a man of guts."

However, his laughter lasted only a few breaths before it abruptly stopped.

From the depths of the dense forest, a colossal beast slowly emerged. Wherever it went, the gray wolves all prostrated themselves on the ground, welcoming their great wolf king.

This wolf king can no longer be called a wolf. It is twice as tall as the other gray wolves. When it is on all fours, the height of its back is almost the same as that of a human.

Its head was held high, almost touching the leaves of the poplar tree next to it. Its huge mouth was open, dripping with saliva, and its sharp teeth were the size of ivory, as if it could pierce through a grown man with just one bite.

What was most disheartening was that his neck and chest were covered with a layer of black armor. The armor, made of some unknown material, clung to his skin, rising and falling as if it were part of his body.

At this point, Ji Shouyi's will to resist had been extinguished. Not only him, but all the hunters were filled with utter despair.

Only now did Ji Shouyi finally realize why the prefect Hu Nan had sent his own civilian team to deal with the wolf pack.

Just by looking at this armor, you can tell that this wolf king was raised by a master, and the hunters in the mountains were merely its fodder. This whole affair was a setup from beginning to end.

Just then, a chilling scream came from afar. It turned out that some wolves had sneaked around and killed all the hunters who had fled.

"My wife just gave birth to a big, healthy baby boy two days ago. If I die here, what will happen to them...?"

"My poor, blind old mother is still waiting for me to come home. Mother, your son is unfilial and has disappointed you."

The hunters were utterly despondent; some, thinking of their elderly mothers and children at home, couldn't help but sob. The atmosphere of despair from moments before had transformed into an oppressive sense of hopelessness.

Amidst this despairing and chilling atmosphere, Ji Shouyi stood before the crowd, holding a large sword, pointing at the wolf king and laughing, "Brothers, what's the use of crying now? Watch me, I'm going to leave this beast with a scar just like the one on my face!"

Faced with the human's provocation, the wolf king slowly walked to the edge of the pit, tilted his head slightly, and looked at the human with mockery and amusement. His expression was as if he had become a spirit.