Walking the Ten Thousand Daos

Chapter 9: The Army

Lu Shan gathered his men, leading more than forty strong laborers from the Strong-Force Gang. Under the cover of night, they set off in haste.

Such a large-scale gang operation was rare, something that might not occur even once every four or five years. And the fact that it was initiated by the lowest-level haulers’ gang made it all the more unusual.

Yet these forty-some individuals faintly exuded the air of a military force.

They all kept their mouths shut, pressing close together, hiding in narrow alleys, avoiding main roads and moving cautiously outward.

Hardly a sound was made. Among these forty-odd men, only the occasional gasp or the noise of accidentally kicking something could be heard.

After all, they were port haulers and not real soldiers, there was still a wide gap in discipline.

But even so, the discipline of the Strong-Force Gang was far superior to that of the Wave-Breaking Gang and the Water-Horse Gang. One glance made it clear that serious effort had been put into their training.

The Strong-Force Gang weaved their way through the alleys.

Along the Li Prefecture River, small docks dotted the banks. Though modest in size, they were numerous, receiving a vast number of cargo ships and travelers. The area was a chaotic mix of various factions and guilds, swarming with haulers, sailors, manual laborers, and itinerants.

In the layout surrounding the Li Prefecture, small paths and alleys were tucked behind buildings and away from main streets. This was to ensure that garbage and beggars would not inconvenience the merchants, because after all, merchants were the lifeblood of this place.

Due to financial constraints, most of the houses here were short and square. Some had slanted roofs. Because stone was expensive and difficult to acquire in bulk, most of the dockside buildings were made of planks. Only a few were constructed from stone, and truly refined residences were nonexistent in this district.

The alleys beside the docks were cramped and filthy, littered with garbage. These twisting, irregular paths formed a tangled knot. Unless one had lived here for years, navigating them was near impossible.

Such road conditions bred a great deal of darkness, making the area’s law and order poor. But for that very reason, it also became an ideal place to hide.

Through these winding alleys, one could avoid main roads and head straight to the Wave-Breaking Gang’s headquarters.

It was discreet, safe, and wouldn’t alarm the authorities.

This plan to launch a surprise attack on the Wave-Breaking Gang and the Water-Horse Gang was not something he conceived on a whim. He had considered it more than once and had even had his gang brothers test it out in practice.

It was all in preparation for one day launching a successful ambush.

Lu Shan had always been an ambitious man. Like Li Qi, he never resigned himself to a life as a mere hauler. He wanted to rise and had worked hard for it.

So when the temptation of spell technique was placed before him, he agreed without hesitation, not caring whether it was a baited hook.

Even if it was a hook, he would eat the bait first and deal with the consequences later.

The Strong-Force Gang advanced soundlessly, well, not completely soundlessly, but with minimal noise, through the alleys.

No one spoke. Everyone knew what they were going to do tonight.

From time to time, small noises arose, but none were enough to hinder their movement.

Until the group reached about two-thirds of their journey, arriving at a patch of open ground.

This clearing was a spot used by dock laborers to stack cargo. Large volumes of goods that couldn’t be moved immediately were temporarily stored here. However, they never stayed overnight, usually cleared out by the end of the day. So at night, the place lay empty.

It was a suitable gathering point for people, a place Lu Shan had designated to temporarily regroup and take roll call.

According to his plan, once they reached this point, the haulers would gather, exchange a few words, boost morale, take a short rest, and then launch an all-out assault under the cover of darkness, piercing through the Wave-Breaking Gang in one swift strike!

“Brothers, do you all know what we’re here for tonight?” Lu Shan stood in the middle of the clearing, speaking to the people around him.

The surroundings were pitch black. He couldn’t see clearly, only the shadows of several dozen figures. So he simply spoke out loud.

“To kill Li Qi, because he stole our spell technique!” one hauler shouted in reply.

“That’s right. This time, Li Qi stole a technique that belongs to us. He has to die,” Lu Shan declared.

The art of warfare lies in morale.

So-called “strike with a single drumbeat” means seizing the moment when the troops are at their most impassioned.

And to build such morale, one must have just cause.

Just cause means having a reason for war, a shared goal, only then can morale rise.

Thus, what united the Strong-Force Gang’s haulers at this moment were shared interests, and the righteous cause of “reclaiming a stolen cultivation method.”

With such righteous justification, backed by collective interest, the strength of the haulers could be bound into one rope, transforming a rabble into a fighting force.

“Still remember what I taught you all before?” Lu Shan asked again.

“We remember it all!” the haulers nodded at once.

“Good. Then tonight, put that stuff to use. Try to catch them off guard and take them down in one go! The Wave-Breaking Gang just finished dredging the river earlier today, worked hard all day, then had food and drink at night, they’re definitely full and resting. By now, deep in the night, they’ll all be sound asleep,” Lu Shan instructed the haulers of the Strong-Force Gang.

“So be quick, be ruthless! But don’t use weapons. Only wooden sticks! We must not give the authorities any handle against us. Strive to kill only Li Qi. Don’t cause excessive bloodshed.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, this is life and death tonight. If anyone drags us down, don’t you dare call yourself Strong-Force Gang ever again. Or I’ll break your legs!”

He issued these warnings to the haulers.

Watching as the haulers all nodded, though he couldn’t make out the faces of those further back, they should’ve all heard him clearly.

Having explained what needed doing and given a proper warning, he eased his tone:

“Kill Li Qi. Then we practice our technique for a year. After that, the only hauler gang left in the city will be us. We’ll be able to raise prices, eat meat every day, every one of us can take a wife! Even build new houses!”

“If Li Qi survives, it means the Wave-Breaking Gang will have the technique too. They’ll compete with us. And when that happens, we’re finished! You all know how much clients can undercut us when two gangs compete, right? What we earn is sweat and blood, who wants to be lowballed?”

“Tonight, if we succeed, better days lie ahead!”

As he said this, Lu Shan gazed at the haulers, carefully sweeping his eyes over those whose faces he could make out, watching their expressions.

Threaten with power and entice with gain, that’s how one stirs a man’s blood, how one gets them to risk death in battle.

After his speech, he clenched his fists and said at last, “Now, is everyone here? I’ll take roll call. Don’t let anyone go missing.”

With that, he started counting heads.

Such things had happened before.

The alleys were pitch black. The haulers could see nothing at night, many suffered from night blindness. While weaving through the alleys, it was common for some to go astray.

The Strong-Force Gang was used to this. They always stood in clusters, and taking roll call was routine.

Boss Shan seemed to enjoy taking roll. So they’d all grown accustomed to it.

Lu Shan began his count.

But the more he counted, the more his expression changed.

When he reached the last person, he inhaled deeply.

“Only twenty-six!? Where are the rest!? Did all ten-odd guys get lost!?” He roared in fury, stomping in rage!

(Chapter End)