Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Li Yan sheathed his long sword at his waist and carefully pulled the man from beneath the pile of corpses.

The man’s abdomen, wrapped in lamellar armor, had been pierced by iron pellets, coating Li Yan’s hand with spotted traces of blood. His forehead burned like charcoal, and had he not been so robust, he would have likely breathed his last already.

“A Fleeting Glimpse, activate.”

“Name: Deng Tianxiong. Status: High fever, moderate injury.”

Without much hesitation, Li Yan pulled open the man’s clothes and placed his palm over the man’s wound. A faint white light emanated from his hand.

Yellow Turban Talisman: Qi Healing

The man groaned in pain. The gruesome wound writhed at a visible rate, and pellets crusted with blood were forced out.

Li Yan gently prodded with the tip of his sword, revealing fresh red flesh. The wound was still horrific, but the blood vessels sealed by themselves, and the subtle white light lingered around the injury, undissipating.

The man gasped for air, his complexion regaining some color. He muttered in amazement:

“Heavenly Master Tao…”

“Brother, what should I call you?”

Deng Tianxiong swallowed.

“Chengwu Camp’s Sixth Division Colonel Deng Tianxiong, may I know who you are, brother?”

“Chengwu Camp’s Second Division General Banner Li Yan.”

Deng Tianxiong blinked, struggling to rise, but Li Yan held him down.

“This humble one pays his respects to Lord of the Banner.”

The military structure of the Great Ming was complex, with variations in different places. Taking the Qi Family Army as an example, twelve men made a squad, three squads a banner, three banners a company, four companies a division, two divisions a regiment, three regiments a camp. In today’s terms, a Chief Banner is roughly equivalent to a platoon leader.

“How is your injury?”

Deng Tianxiong looked troubled.

“Milord… the magic is miraculous.”

“Brother Tianxiong, I need not tell you the situation we’re in. Let us look around. If there are any surviving brothers, we should save them if we can; and if we cannot, we must make the hard choices.”

“But our current situation…”

Deng Tianxiong’s expression was filled with despair. More than three thousand brothers nearly all lost, amidst the icy snow of a foreign land, anyone would feel the desolation and helplessness.

“Our Great Ming has a million celestial soldiers. A temporary setback does not spell defeat; the court will surely retaliate. Brother Deng, your life is spared for the purpose of slaying the enemy. How can you be disheartened so?”

Li Yan spoke calmly, yet with a persuasive determination.

Deng Tianxiong composed himself and suddenly knelt again.

“What are you doing, Brother Deng?”

Li Yan hurriedly helped him up, but had Deng Tianxiong truly intended to resist, Li Yan could not have prevented him from kneeling.

“My first bow was to the court and the authorities above. This bow is to my lifesaver. I, Deng, am a simple man and not good with words, but if Lord of the Banner does not mind, I, Old Deng, am ready to devote my life to your command.”

Li Yan narrowed his eyes imperceptibly, but his face revealed nothing.

“We are comrades-in-arms who shared life and death today. Why speak of such things? Let’s first see if we can save a few more brothers.”

Deng Tianxiong heartily agreed.

Name: Deng Tianxiong

Status: Moderate injury, Qi Healing.

Expertise: Military Skill 72%, Horsemanship 66%.

Skill: Well-Trained

Threat Level: Blue (Friendly)

The Qi Healing Technique could only be used twenty times during this Yan Fu incident, yet Li Yan was willing to expend a few more uses here.

In the midst of the complex and unpredictable Renchen Japanese pirate upheaval, individual power was truly minuscule. Whether the position of General Banner would grant him a few dozen lazy men who would respond without obedience, or a few dozen fierce and agile warriors who were ready to fight where directed, depended entirely on his own abilities.

If he did not recruit a few trustworthy soldiers now to form the core of his unit, once they reached the Ming Army Camp, a mere General Banner would hardly be stronger than a front-line soldier.

“`

The two men then found about a dozen more Ming soldiers who were still breathing, but most of them had severe injuries. One soldier had even been cut in half at the waist, with his entrails spilling out. He moaned in agony, unable to find death until Li Yan cleanly cut his throat, granting him release.

“Save me, save me~”

Li Yan followed the sound and came across a middle-aged man in iron armor, with facial hair that extended over his neck. He had an arrow in his back that had pierced through to the front, and his right leg was trapped under a broken cannon barrel, turning his face pale.

“I am a Centurion of Chengwu Camp, save me…”

Li Yan’s eyes shifted, and he knelt on one knee.

“This subordinate pays respects to the Centurion.”

“Save me!”

The man’s voice grew louder.

“Do not panic, my lord. I will rescue you right away.”

Li Yan stood up, shook his leg armor, and leaned forward.

“Quick! Quick!”

The man called out weakly.

Li Yan laid his hand on the cannon barrel, his eyes downcast.

“Your Excellency must see, our brothers have been scattered by the Japanese pirates. As a Centurion, you are likely the highest rank among the survivors, the backbone of us all… May I know what your plans are for the next step, to organize the brothers?”

“First get that thing off me, call more people over, it’s killing me.”

Li Yan slowly patted the cannon barrel.

“No need.”

With his palms wrapped around the cannon barrel and his waist and legs exerting force in a twist, he moved the dark half of the cannon barrel aside.

The Centurion’s right leg had been crushed by the cannon, and the bone was horribly disfigured.

Li Yan pretended to help the man stabilize his broken leg and asked,

“Why not gather the brothers and search for the main force in the direction of the Yalu River…”

“Are you insane?”

The middle-aged man growled lowly, “There are at least tens of thousands of Japanese pirates in Joseon territory. We would be wiped out before we even got started.”

Li Yan, without lifting his eyelids, said, “Then what do you suggest, my lord?”

“First, we hide and change into the clothes of Joseon civilians. We must make long-term plans.”

Li Yan spoke gently, as if he was somewhat troubled.

“We are the Ming army, the heavenly forces. If we cannot kill the enemy in battle, we should regroup at the camp as soon as possible. Your stance seems to have a hint of cowardice before the enemy.”

“What do you know, this is a strategy of advancing by retreating.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

“Impudence! I am your superior, do you dare to defy orders?”

The middle-aged man’s face turned stern with inner panic.

The man binding his leg did not hastily apologize as imagined.

He paused his motion, his gaze shifted to the man, and he curled his lips upwards, filled with a sinister air.

“My lord, you really don’t understand the situation~”

“What do you… mm~”

Li Yan’s palm rested on the nape of the Centurion’s neck, his four fingers pressed into a claw against the spine, and the middle-aged man’s body shuddered, his complexion turning from white to purple. His mouth opened and closed, but he could not utter a word.

About ten breaths later, a wetness seeped from the middle-aged man’s trousers. His complexion had turned a dark purple, indicating he was no longer alive.

Li Yan squatted for a while, his hand reaching to close the man’s eyes when a stuffy male voice suddenly came from behind.

“Lord of the Banner~”

“`