Chapter Fifty-Three: Training the Troops

As for the missing weapons, Zhou Xing was not worried in the slightest. He could simply attribute the losses to the previous attack by Black Bear, and besides, with his status as a trusted confidant of the chief of Wolfheart Mountain Stronghold, who among the bandits in charge of military supplies would dare deny him replacements upon his return?

At the foot of Wolf Fang Mountain, Zhou Xing led three large troops on their way, while Hu San, accompanied by several newly appointed captains, came to see him off.

“Brother Zhou, our Wolf Fang Stronghold is poor as can be, lacking in weapons. You know the character of the Third Chieftain—getting arms from him is harder than climbing to the heavens,” Hu San said, his eyes bleary with drink as he gave a hearty laugh and leaned in to whisper, “If, in the future, you have any damaged or surplus weapons, just bring them to me. I’ll pay you a fair price. I may lack for many things, but I have some silver and gold saved up.”

After a bout of hearty drinking, the relationship between Hu San and Zhou Xing had warmed, at least on the surface, and they now called each other brothers. Though it was mere formality, it allowed for more candid conversation.

“Rest assured, Brother Hu, as long as I’m around, I’ll make sure you never lose out,” Zhou Xing replied with a wink. After all, no one ever has too much silver and gold. In his mind, Hu San’s proposal was merely a means to solidify his own position within Wolfheart Mountain Stronghold. He never suspected Hu San might harbor ambitions of his own, so he found this transaction appealing—there was no breach of principle, and it promised a steady stream of wealth, a rare opportunity indeed.

As farewells echoed around them, Zhou Xing led his men away. Once their figures had vanished from sight, the drunken haze in Hu San’s eyes cleared entirely, leaving not a trace of inebriation.

“Third Brother, can Zhou Xing really obtain weapons?” Zhao Feng asked, licking his lips with a hint of hesitation. “If the Third Chieftain finds out, we might not be able to go through with this deal.”

Hu San shook his head. “You underestimate Zhou Xing’s ambition. All he needs is an opportunity—a chance to become a true warrior. Once he seizes that opportunity, people like the Third Chieftain will be left in his wake. And now, that chance is right before him.”

“As long as he has ample gold and silver, he’ll quickly gain prestige in the stronghold. And sometimes, reputation and merit go hand in hand; once he’s accumulated enough of both, his path will be clear. Until then, he won’t let this trade be interrupted.”

With that, Hu San changed the subject. “Summon all our men to the hidden valley in the back hills. I have something to announce.”

“Yes, sir,” Zhao Feng replied, withdrawing quickly. Soon, all seventeen remaining bandit units—seventeen hundred men in total—were gathered in the valley.

Hu San, dressed in close-fitting attire, stood atop the old arena. His voice was low but carried to every ear: “Many of you have heard of my reputation, and though tales grow in the telling, they are not far from the truth.”

“Both Longbow Zhang and the bandit Zhong died by my hand. Xiongba and White Bear too can be counted among my kills. All told, I’ve slain hundreds, if not a thousand, bandits with my own hands. As for other important figures, there are those I’ve killed as well, but I’ll leave that for you to ponder.”

“The chief has sent me here to garrison Wolf Fang Mountain, intending to make it an impenetrable fortress, a shield for our Wolfheart Stronghold. I owe the chief a great debt and will not betray his trust. Therefore, whoever makes a mistake, I will kill.”

There were no threats of slaughtering families or flaying skins—just a simple promise of death. Yet, given Hu San’s fearsome record, it sent a cold shiver through the assembled bandits, silencing any thoughts of dissent.

“In this Wolf Fang Stronghold, my word is law. Disobey my orders, and your fate is sealed—not even appealing to the chief or the Third Chieftain will save you. If you doubt it, you’re welcome to try.”

“From this day forward, I’m reappointing all seventeen captains and choosing new vice-captains. If you have any objections, voice them to me directly. But if I hear of any scheming behind my back, there will be no forgiveness.”

“Do you understand?”

Hu San’s shout echoed through the valley, startling the bandits into snapping to attention.

“We hear and obey, Commander!” they bellowed in response, their voices booming and reverberating off the mountainsides.

“Good. Now, for the appointments. Liang Quan, you remain captain of the First Unit. Lin Hu, you’re promoted to vice-captain. Qiong San, still captain of the Second Unit. Tan Yue, vice-captain of the Second Unit…”

Hu San proceeded to distribute his loyal followers among the various units. Youngsters like Lin Hu, Tan Yue, Lei Ming, and Snake Fang, who lacked the authority to lead, were made vice-captains. Seasoned veterans such as Zhao Feng, Yan Fei, and Liang Chuan were promoted to captain, while former captains became vice-captains.

After further personnel adjustments, he consolidated the seventeen units into sixteen, relegating the weakest—the old, the sick, and the infirm—to a support unit responsible for logistics and patrols.

Naturally, the former captains resented these changes, but Hu San’s reputation ensured none dared voice their displeasure. They all knew these new appointees were his trusted men, so they had no choice but to force a smile and feign acceptance.

Thus, Hu San brought the seventeen hundred men firmly under his command, ready to begin his campaign of expansion.

Before that, he appointed Zhou Zhu as head of the training camp, responsible for daily drills—this camp was, in fact, composed of the sixteen main units.

In Hu San’s view, a bandit force need not be elite; as long as it possessed certain key qualities, victory would be within reach in most situations.

First and foremost: courage. Bravery in battle is the essential quality of a warrior and the most important one. A force lacking in courage, no matter how skilled its fighters, will struggle to win.

Second: discipline. Order on the march, calm in the face of battle. While individual self-control may not always ensure courage, rigorous discipline, once internalized, will.

These two, Hu San believed, were the keys to victory for a bandit force. Other factors—uniform equipment, superior fighters, overwhelming strength—were important, but not achievable in the short term or immediately necessary. For now, he set them aside.

His most urgent task was to instill courage and discipline.

Once he achieved that, he was confident that, unless faced with a force of true warriors, his men could hold their own.

As for how to achieve these, Hu San and Zhou Zhu consulted military treatises and devised several rules.

First, formation: neat ranks and uniformity are the foundation of discipline and foster courage.

Second, standardization of weapons: uniform arms became an immediate priority.

Although weapons were still in short supply, Hu San divided his sixteen units accordingly. Spears, being easy to make, were most abundant, so he organized ten spear units for frontal assaults.

He also formed four broadsword units, each man equipped with a long blade, tasked with breaching and raiding.

Those bandits who specialized in unusual or mixed weapons were grouped into two special units, best suited for complex combat situations.

With this, Hu San’s force was fully organized, and each morning he personally led their training.

Day after day, through relentless drills, he executed several troublemakers, eradicating any thought of slackness. The remaining bandits gradually abandoned their half-hearted attitudes and accepted the new order.

After half a month, the men could stand in formation with impressive order, and the spear and broadsword units adapted to their roles, displaying formidable fighting spirit.

It was then that Hu San began the next phase.

The previous training had forged them into a fighting force, but to hone their skills further, real combat was needed—lots of it.

And in the Qilian Mountains, if anything was lacking, it was not opportunities for battle. Around Wolf Fang Stronghold alone were six or seven minor bandit dens, let alone throughout Wolfheart Stronghold’s territory and beyond.

These small strongholds were run by ordinary bandits, ruling over a village or two, occasionally paying tribute to Wolfheart Stronghold, which left them alone, understanding that clear water holds no fish.

But now, as Hu San embarked on his campaign of training through battle, their luck had run out.

On the slopes of Little Reed Mountain near Wolf Fang, at North Moon Stronghold, the shouts and clashes of battle threatened to tear the air asunder.

The chief of North Moon, Pale Moon, sat ashen-faced on his throne. Although it was early autumn, sweat streamed down his brow like a waterfall.

Suddenly, a lackey stumbled into the hall, breathless.

Pale Moon, seeing this, ignored the man’s breach of decorum and rushed to his side, grabbing him by the collar. “Well? Did Brother White Blade agree to send reinforcements?”

“Chief, I never even saw Chief White. By the time I arrived, White Family Stronghold was gone. I made some inquiries and heard all three chiefs of White Family were killed by Hu San—not one survived. They say Chief White even fled deep into Wolfheart territory, but Hu San still hunted him down and killed him. Even the commanders of Wolfheart pleaded for his life, but it was no use.”

The lackey, panting, delivered his report, head bowed, not daring to meet his chief’s eyes.