Chapter 770.1: Taught By The Same Fellow

In the central region of Tiger State, beside a densely forested valley, a centurion of the Fierce Tiger Army held up his binoculars and stared at the northern mountain pass, dumbfounded. A vast mass of figures was crossing the churned-up mud.

They moved quickly and appeared young. Presumably, they were the final group.

It took him a long while to force out a single sentence. “Fuck... Did these peasants take the wrong medicine?!”

The countless people fleeing north were naturally the Moon Clan members who had been hiding deep within the mountains and forests. Or, to put it another way, they were the sheep the Fierce Tiger Army had kept inside its pen.

No one had expected those bark-chewing sheep to suddenly kick down the pen’s gate and trample the watchdogs guarding it.

As for what exactly had happened, the story began with the heavy rain the previous night...

Late the previous night, a 100-man unit from the Fierce Tiger Army had set out to relieve the troops stationed near the Moon Clan village.

Calling it a change of guard was somewhat generous. In reality, the troops merely watched the village from nearby. Whenever they saw something valuable, they went over and took a basketful. If there was nothing worth taking, they simply waited.

The Moon Clan refugees normally hid in the wilderness. There was not even a proper village nearby, only a scattering of estates and farms belonging to minor nobles. A few dilapidated dirt paths worn down by footsteps connected them, and none led directly to the Moon Clan settlement.

No one wanted to be stationed in such a miserable place filled with paupers. Naturally, the commander responsible for suppressing the bandits did not want to be there either. Besides, such remote terrain, where supplies were difficult to deliver, was unsuitable for stationing a large force.

Thus, he normally remained in a nearby settlement, eating and drinking well. Following his superior’s instructions, he merely sent men to keep an eye on the Moon Clan, ensuring that they did not cause too much trouble. Occasionally, his troops would beat them down a little, making it easier for the Fierce Tiger Army to complain to the Xilande Empire about how difficult their work was trying to suppress the New Alliance.

This change of guard should have been another routine matter. He had even brought along some newly enlisted young men, hoping to find an opportunity for them to practice firing their weapons.

However, torrential rain struck halfway through their journey, turning the roads into mud. The bastards were delayed for too long and stumbled directly into a Moon Clan ambush, where they were hammered by a chaotic burst of gunfire.

When the 100-man unit stationed near the Moon Clan village heard shots ringing through the rain, it immediately realized that something had gone wrong. The troops hurriedly abandoned their position and rushed to provide support.

However, they encountered the same problem. The storm delayed their march, and by the time they arrived, the relief force had already been driven away. Before they could recover their senses, they discovered that they themselves had entered an ambush.

According to the centurion who escaped, while the fighting was underway, someone shouted through the rain, “If you don’t want to fight, throw your equipment on the ground and run! Everyone can make money together!”

The soldiers thought about it and realized there truly was no need to risk their lives. They were in the Tiger State, where the Tiger Clan formed the majority. Could a group of Moonfolk who had been trampled into the soil truly overturn the heavens?

Even if they allowed them to win once, or a hundred times, peasant bandits would remain peasant bandits.

Deciding that their lives mattered more, the soldiers simply threw their equipment onto the ground and fled through the opening deliberately left in the encirclement. The weapons had been seized from Moon Clan members in the first place. Losing them meant little.

Just like that, a gap appeared in the net surrounding the sheep pen they created.

By sunrise the following morning, it was already too late. Without giving the Fierce Tiger Army any opportunity to recover its dignity, the Moon Clan appeared determined to attempt something enormous. They had emptied the entire village...

The sheep had stopped eating grass and begun eating meat!

The commander’s right hand gripped his binoculars so tightly that his knuckles creaked, while his teeth ground together.

The adjutant beside him was equally stunned. After a long moment, he swallowed and broke the silence. “Sir... Should we give chase?”

“Chase them? Chase my ass!” The commander lowered his binoculars furiously.

As the saying went, seeing a mountain could exhaust a horse before they reached it. He could barely see those people even through the binoculars. Furthermore, heavy rain had fallen the previous night, making the already ruined dirt roads even muddier. By the time they caught up, the fugitives would have vanished without a trace!

There was no doubt about it. It had to be that bastard who greeted everyone’s mother every time he opened his mouth!

The commander bitterly regretted allowing the man to pass through. But saying anything now was already too late...

“What do we do now?” The adjutant had also realized the severity of the situation and looked solemnly at his superior.

“We withdraw. Return and report to the Corps Commander. This is no longer something we can handle.”

The Corps Commander was naturally the general of the Fierce Tiger Army. It was not an official title, but a popular local form of address.

The Fierce Tiger Army had absorbed some officers from the Gray Wolf Army. It had learned not only the new Wislander military doctrine brought by General McClennan, but also some of the Army’s less desirable habits. As a result, many Fierce Tiger Army soldiers compared themselves to the Eastern Army.

The Black Panther Army, meanwhile, could barely be considered a mighty fighting force.

Thinking about the money that had flown away, the commander felt his heart ache and could not resist cursing again. The Fierce Tiger Army had always been able to take a share of the weapons and money sent from Port Gallon.

When Wutuo Xilande heard that the Moon Clan resistance was active in Tiger State, he became even more terrified. Ship after ship of Xilande Coins flowed into the Corps Commander’s pockets.

Now that the two-legged sheep had escaped, both streams of income were probably gone.

The more the commander thought about it, the angrier he became. He wished he could vent his fury upon the person who had bribed him.

When the nearby minor nobles saw the military lord turn to leave, they immediately panicked.

The highest-ranked among them was merely a baron. Some “quasi-barons” could not even truly be considered nobles. Their nonhereditary titles had been purchased from the Governor, their family farms covered only 50 or 60 acres of land, their slaves could be counted on one hand, and the private guard protecting their estates possessed only a single rifle that could not fire.

No matter how pathetic the Moon Clan resistance might be, defeating insignificant people like them would be effortless.

A fallen baron was pushed to the front. As he trembled, he blocked the commander’s path and pleaded bitterly. “My lord, you cannot simply abandon us! Those Moon Clan people are rebels personally condemned by His Majesty. You are His Majesty’s subject. Is suppressing rebels on his behalf not part of your duty? You cannot merely take the money and refuse to fulfill even the slightest obligation.”

“My duty?” The commander laughed as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world. He actually stopped and reached out to stroke the baron’s face. “You dare speak to me about obligations? My military salary is paid by the Corps Commander. Helping him resolve his troubles is my duty. What the hell are you?”

Every soldier laughed as they watched, including the adjutant beside the commander. All wore expressions like people observing a dead man’s joke.

In this godforsaken wilderness, even if two people died, the deaths could simply be blamed on the Moon Clan.

How did these bastards dare breathe so loudly?

The group of minor nobles immediately panicked and shuffled backward, abandoning the unfortunate man they had pushed forward as though he were a worn-out shoe. They hurriedly distanced themselves from him.

Unfortunately, it was too late to leave. A group of soldiers had already blocked their retreat and shoved them back.

The baron stared blankly at the commander. Terror filled his eyes as his expression changed repeatedly and his body trembled.

“Obligation? Wait, was I imagining it? That word sounds rather New Alliance-like. You wouldn’t happen to be a New Alliance spy, would you?”

“H-how can that be?!” The baron sweated profusely and looked ready to cry.

This was the middle of nowhere. Did the New Alliance truly have so much money that they would send spies over? What could they possibly gain?

The commander patted the baron’s face with a calloused hand and admired the man’s timid expression as he barely dared breathe.

So what if His Majesty had granted him the title of baron? So what if he was a noble lord? Before genuine power over life and death, wasn’t he still nothing more than a dog?

The commander’s eyes suddenly turned, and he grinned. “Still, what you said makes some sense. I remember now. Part of the Fierce Tiger Army’s funding comes from the Imperial Court, and that money ultimately comes from people like you. We do indeed have to protect you... What was that word again? An obligation?”

Cold sweat nearly formed a small stream down the baron’s body. Seeing that the demon appeared prepared to spare him, he hurriedly thanked him in relief. “Y-yes, my lord... No, no, my lord is burdened by countless affairs. How can I trouble you with something so insignificant? We can simply endure it.”

He no longer dared mention the Moon Clan. He only wanted to survive the immediate danger. After all, the Moon Clan stole money and grain but did not kill people. The soldiers before him, however, might genuinely murder them to vent their anger or claim credit.

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