Chapter 78: The Hengduan Mountains—A Difficult Passage

“Kill! Kill! Kill!” The furious roar of five thousand soldiers thundered as one. This was a cry from the depths of their hearts. The Song Dynasty had suffered under oppression for too long—first, a century of humiliation by the Liao, then by the Jin, and now even the minor kingdom of Western Xia dared to trample upon them. Was this still the great Han nation, once revered by all the world?

“Good! Soldiers, hear my command! Now, follow me—climb the Hengduan Mountains by the narrow path, and together we shall slaughter our way straight to the Western Xia imperial palace!” Yang Weiguo’s voice rang out powerfully.

With that, Yang Weiguo led by example, the first to advance along the newly discovered path. The extraordinary cohesion of the Flying Feather Army stemmed precisely from such leadership—when the general led from the front, the soldiers followed. As the saying goes, the conduct of those above shapes those below.

The path was truly narrow, with a few engineers clearing the way ahead; only three men could pass abreast at most. All five thousand soldiers moved forward in perfect silence and unity, advancing along the constricted trail.

Even with the excellent stamina of the Flying Feather Army, after an hour, they were breathing hard, their clothes drenched in sweat.

“General, the path ahead only allows a single person to pass at a time!” At this moment, several soldiers clearing the way returned to report to Yang Weiguo.

“Very well. The entire army will rest for a quarter of an hour, and then proceed single file along the path ahead!” Yang Weiguo announced. He realized he had underestimated the difficulty of this mountain path. He had thought it would be a simple climb, but once they were truly on it, he discovered it was not merely a test of physical endurance, but one of spirit. The thin air here was more taxing than any physical exertion.

Many soldiers gasped desperately for breath, not so much from exhaustion as from suffocation.

“General, we cannot linger here. If we stay too long, we may all suffocate!” At this point, the deputy commander, Wang Ping, approached Yang Weiguo.

Yang Weiguo nodded and replied, “The air here is far too thin. Marching in such a place exhausts the body several times faster. Rest quickly, then we move on. Go and warn everyone not to fall asleep—if they do, they may never wake up. I’ll scout ahead.”

Wang Ping nodded. “General, allow me to go instead.”

Yang Weiguo waved him off. “You are to cover the rear. His Majesty entrusted us with these five thousand soldiers. We have yet to face the Western Xia army—we cannot let our brothers fall behind here!”

Seeing Yang Weiguo’s resolve, Wang Ping nodded. “As you command, sir. I’ll see to it. Please be careful!”

Yang Weiguo nodded, took a deep breath, and was the first to squeeze through the narrow passage. It was truly a goat path, barely a foot wide, with a sheer drop beside it.

A grown man could not walk upright along such a path; he had to press his body close to the cliff face, inching forward. While crossing, one must never look down, or risk losing all footing.

Yang Weiguo clung to the stone wall and, by instinct, glanced below. Instantly, vertigo overwhelmed him. He quickly turned his head, pressed himself tighter to the rock, and inched forward, step by agonizing step.

That stretch of road felt to Yang Weiguo as if it lasted ten thousand years; the ordeal was almost unbearable.

“Everyone, be careful! Along this part of the path, do not look down! Keep your body pressed against the wall!” Yang Weiguo shouted to the ascending soldiers. “This is a direct order—no one is to look down!”

Orders were as solid as mountains. Even now, not a single Flying Feather soldier faltered. Their relentless training had bred in them a fearlessness in the face of such trials.

Soon, the entire cliffside path was covered with Song soldiers. From above, it would have looked as though geckos were clinging to the rock face.

Yang Weiguo led the way, his pace slow but steady. In such terrain, each step had to be sure—one misstep, and they would plunge to their deaths, leaving not even a trace behind.

“Ah!” With a scream, a soldier lost his footing and fell. “Careful!” Another soldier instinctively reached out to save his comrade, forgetting for a moment the peril around him. As he extended his hand, his own balance shifted; with a cry, he too tumbled into the abyss.

“Old Six!” a soldier nearby shouted.

“Don’t be rash, Earth Monkey! Be careful!” Another quickly grabbed him, fearing he too would fall.

“Everyone, be careful! Watch your footing and stay pressed to the wall!” Yang Weiguo roared, taking a deep breath. With pain in his voice, he declared, “If anyone falls, those nearby are strictly forbidden to attempt a rescue!”

These last words were spoken through gritted teeth. For a general who loved his men as his own sons, issuing such an order was more painful than death.

“General!” some soldiers cried out in anguish.

“Obey the order!” Yang Weiguo barked. “Only by surviving can we honor the fallen!”

“Yes!” the soldiers answered in unison, their voices thick with grief and unwillingness. Long months of training and camaraderie had made brothers of them all. To watch a brother die helplessly before one’s eyes was agony beyond words.

The treacherous path did not grow any easier for their suffering; if anything, it became more perilous. From time to time, more men fell from the cliffs, but not a word of complaint was uttered. They leapt into the abyss like heroes, unafraid of death.

Had they been ordinary soldiers, many might have broken under such pressure. But not the Flying Feather Army. This was their strength, their terror; only by conquering fear could a man become truly formidable.

It was not a long stretch, but it took the Flying Feather Army a full hour to traverse it. When they finally reached broader ground and counted their numbers, they found that a hundred men had been lost on that path alone.

Yang Weiguo looked at his soldiers, wiped the tears from one man's face, and said, “Why are you crying? Remember the humiliation we suffered today, and repay it a hundredfold on our enemies!”

“Yes!” the soldiers roared, venting the fury in their hearts.