Hidden by the forest's thick foliage, the fifteen-man squad camped out for the night. A team of scouts had returned from their mission.
Circled up around a pit of coals to keep warm, the scouts recalled what they noted in the camp.
The eldest of the lot held his fists over the dim hearth. The shivers in his body calmed down slowly.
"Their numbers are higher than what we expected; the number is close to 350 beggars. As for their rank, the records are vague. We assume there are around 150 pre-manifestation fighters," he leant over from his chair and picked up a bowl of warm soup. His hoarse voice was soothed after a sip.
"A hundred first-rankers and 68 second-rankers. The remaining members are all above the second rank; my team and I couldn't tell those in the third rank, One Law, and the potential Second Synergy masters apart."
Vera pulled out a blanket from his rucksack and handed it to the old scout.
"Scout Tai, based on the enforcer's information, we think there are around three Second Synergy masters, correct?"
Scout Tai, having wrapped himself in the blanket, shook his head.
"The enforcer also estimated that there were only around 250 members. It's more likely that they have grouped up with another camp since we were last informed."
Lin-yu walked over from her tent after she set up the guarding schedule for the night.
"From the enforcer's last estimate, there were around 20 third-rank and 5 One-Law warriors in the camp. Assuming there are at least three Second Synergy masters and that the number of third-rank warriors has not decreased, there are four high-value forces we do not know about."
She pulled a shoddy stool from her right and took a seat.
"The worst case is that all four are Second Synergy masters, and the best case is that they are all third rank. The worst case is extremely unlikely."
Vera passed a bowl of soup over to Lin-yu and picked up from where she left off.
"How much do we know about their formation and battle readiness?"
Scout Tai looked toward Vera as he prodded at the coals with a wet twig.
"Their routine is largely unpredictable; the guard is always active and, much like us, they are using coal over fire. They are highly sensitive and always in squadrons…"
Vera's brows furrowed.
This isn't a good sign.
Highly secretive, always on guard, and maintaining low visibility. Vera dusted the debris off his robes as he stood up. He looked toward Lin-yu.
"They know that we are watching. I think they want to delay our attack. The worst-case scenario is that they have reinforcements on the way."
Lin-yu set her bowl down and looked back at Vera.
"Attacking, given the number difference, without knowing their structure is risky. Scouts haven't seen anything in a three-day distance."
Vera started walking away from the two of them. His voice trailed off as he headed to sleeping quarters.
"We can use stealth and guerrilla attacks for the next few days to cut down the number of low-grade forces. We can hold off a frontal attack until we see reinforcements arriving."
Lin-yu didn't respond to this; instead, she called out to one of her juniors.
A young warrior rushed out from the sleeping quarters and bowed his head to Lin-yu. Having returned the bow, Lin-yu gave out her orders.
"Prepare all the projectile weapons we have on hand and select five disciples who are adept at hit-and-run tactics."
Although she wasn't used to life-or-death battle, being a literary person, she knew how to handle skirmishes.
The young warrior received the order and hurried back to the quarters.
…
Vera sat by a tree, his gaze stuck to his palms. Dull golden flames danced over the base of his hands.
His eyes drooped down.
It's the best way to reduce the risk on our side.
All of the 13 warriors from the sect had families of their own, just like Vera. In a large-scale battle, even the best of fighters would die from stray blows.
But…
The only way to scout in low-visibility battlefields was to observe qi.
We don't know if there are slaves in the camp.
Commoners without qi couldn't be accounted for in this manner. Vera leant into the tree and looked up at the night sky.
The dull flames in his palm ceased. In its place, concentrated orbs of metallic qi formed.
"It won't be as efficient, but I'll have to make do."
Just then the bushes behind him rustled. From it the hidden power of the squad came out. He kicked at the tree Vera rested on.
"Brat, what did the scouts find?"
Vera flung over a sheet containing the rough findings of the scouting team.
"It's problematic."
Zhuge Jin walked over to a boulder that was in front of Vera. He dusted its top and took a seat. His eyes scanned through the report in a breath's time.
As expected, he reached the same conclusions as Vera.
"Based on logic, we would maximise the benefit of hit-and-run strategies when around 108 low-grade troops remain."
Vera's head leant over to his shoulder. He looked at Zhuge Jin with suspicion.
"What logic are you using?"
Zhuge Jin's nostrils flared up as he kicked up mud toward Vera.
"You should also know by this point I'm from the Zhuge clan, one of the most literary clans in the world."
Vera coughed vigorously as he swatted the dirt away from him. His voice ran hoarse.
"I just asked you how you came up with that number."
Jin smirked as he watched Vera's distraught expression. He extended his finger and mimed equations out in the air.
"We take two groups, the first being the value gained from each low grade defeated and the other being the chance of encountering a high-grade troop."
Vera, having removed the dust from his hair and coughed it out from his throat, listened to Jin's explanation carefully.
"Take the growth of each of those values and determine where they intersect. The outcome can change on account of how each group is calculated. My method gave me 108 as the best outcome."
As the explanation came to an end, Vera nodded in astonishment. Although he didn't grasp the exact method Jin used, he understood enough for the reasoning to be sound.
"Amazing, old man, I for one thought you were just an old pervert who followed men to their homes!"
The forest grew silent for a moment. Only the squadron's chattering could be heard. Veins bulged over Jin's temple. His hand slipped to the hilt of his sword. But a phantom of pain stopped him from drawing his sword.
He let out a low sigh and looked toward Vera. His hand rubbed against his skin; although it was scarred, he figured that he didn't look too old.
"Brat… Why do you call me an 'old man'? I just turned ninety."
Vera's eyes widened. His hand pressed against his mouth firmly. He bowed his head to Jin.
"I apologise, esteemed senior! I didn't know you observed the planet's creation."
Jin's face flushed red. The muscles over his back pressed against his robe as he held himself back from drawing his sword.
***
It was afternoon in the forest. The sun glared at the coalition camp with frightening intensity.
Drenched in sweat, most beggars wore hats and had their backs turned to the sun. The tension in the camp had eased significantly. Given that the sun was out, it was unlikely that a third party would attack them.
Beggars gathered around pits of coal, waiting for lunch to be served. Some lay flat on the ground fanning themselves to ward off the heat.
Though, unbeknownst to them, there was indeed someone foolish enough to attack at such a time.
The winds whistled through his ears as he watched the camp. Vera stood atop the winds, his eyes noting those who were the least prepared for an attack.
He positioned himself against the sun, using the glare to mask his silhouette. A thin layer of golden flames covered his body, leaving gaps for his eyes.
Thirty orbs of qi, sharpened to the likes of a blade's edge, stuck closely to his body. Within each sharpened orb lay a fragment of a root.
They really don't notice me… That ancient bastard wasn't just blabbering.
However, Vera wasn't the only attacker. Another five archers were placed at choke points in the forest, each waiting for Vera to make the first move.
His middle dantian pulsed as he marked each movement, aligning the trajectory of his projectiles.
Just then multiple beggars rushed to the dining areas with shoddy wooden plates in their hands. As their plates were filled, they took a seat beside each other, peacefully chowing down on their meals.
Vera's fingers tensed up.
It's the perfect chance for an attack.
But a weight pressed against his chest. As they ate hurriedly, they were just normal people. Vera's fingers trembled…
Are they just normal people?
Each one of them could have a family. They could've taken this role to support their people.
Family?
The rambling of the drunkards at the Rioluo Pavilion came to mind. The way Chun trembled came to mind. The empty markets of the Sixth Sector came to mind.
Vera took a sharp breath. His teeth gritted until blood seeped through his gums.
I'm also doing this for my family…
The reality struck Vera heavily. A weight built up in his throat.
His eyes bore a cold gleam as his palm clenched into a fist. "Qi sword, modified."
Thirty streaks of light burst through the air, their trails as thin as thread. One by one, the beggars fell face-first onto their plates.
Not even a peep from them, only the dull thud that sounded as they crashed into the ground.
The archers knocked their arrows, waiting for Vera's signal. Their shoulders tensed as they waited for crowds to form.
Just as they expected, other coalition members walked over to investigate why their peers fell over without a sound.
As the crowds grew to a notable size. Vera whispered into the air.
"Root explosion, modified."
The root fragments ensconced in his qi were sucking up its remnants. A dense green hue formed around them as they were buried. Some observant ones noticed, but it was too late.
A loud explosion resounded in the air as the root fragments blew up into thin pellets, peppering the members' bodies with holes.
The archers released their bows as the sound reached them. The wind screeched as arrows cut through the air at frightening speeds.
All of the attackers hurriedly retreated into the forest after confirming the total death toll. A total of sixty-three fatalities were confirmed, with twenty fatally wounded. As much as they wanted to whittle down the force, even more third-rank and One-Law warriors were already on their way to the sources of the attack.
Each of the archers lit explosives at their respective choke points, collapsing the paths before pursuers could arrive.
Vera, on the other hand, moved slowly. His location wasn't revealed yet, and even if it was, he was certain that a Second Synergy master wouldn't leave the camp unguarded.
He took the time to observe the higher-grade troops of the camp, mostly focusing on those who stayed at the base.
Seven didn't move…
With a casual glance, he noted distinctive features of each one.
All of a sudden a gaze pierced through his skin. Each moment under its observation was akin to standing ahead of a spear's edge; any hesitance would mean death. The hairs over his nape turned to needles.
Instinct kicked in.
Rings of shattered atmosphere followed behind him. He didn't even linger to see who had caught him.
He ran over ten li north of the camp within the span of five breaths.
The forest turned into a green blur. Not being familiar with void treading, the speed was too much for him to handle in flight. A single step with poor balance caused him to fall to the ground.
Debris rose into a screen of dust as he tumbled twenty paces; a monolithic tree halted his momentum as he crashed into it.
His head throbbed as he pried his way out of the bark. The pressure of the collision caused blood to seep through his nose. Thankfully, his well-trained body, along with fortification, allowed him to come out with no broken bones.
Nonetheless, the impact still clouded his mind. Half concussed, he stood up.
I need to get moving!
A dim rustle sounded from the direction of the camp… It grew louder each second. Vera reached for the pouch in his breast pocket.
It's too late.
He pulled his halberd out of the pouch and entered a battle stance, waiting for his pursuer.
His grip tightened as he zoned in on the source of the rustling.
A voice sounded from the forest.
"Brat! What happened?!"
Vera's tightened grip eased as he slumped into the tree. A breath of relief escaped him. The pursuer wasn't from the camp. Rather…
"Damn brat! Why are you sleeping after making such a ruckus?"
Vera, curled up under the tree's shade, answered lethargically.
"I'll tell you, calm down. And if you don't want me to call you an old pervert, stop calling me a brat."
Whatever caught Vera's trail didn't bother with chasing after him. But it was capable of riling up his instinct.
Vera looked toward the camp with a solemn expression.
"Old man… Can you beat a Third Synergy master?"
Jin walked over to Vera and extended his arm out.
"Of course I can. Don't waste my time with such stupid questions. Get up now. How long should I waste my one arm for you?"