Chapter 79: Punishment Regardless of Distance

“Let the entire army rest for half an hour. After that, we march!” Yang Weiguo addressed the members of the Feiyu Army.

Without any unnecessary words, the soldiers sat down on the ground. Though the journey was not especially long, it had drained them greatly; exhaustion weighed heavily upon them.

Half an hour later, Yang Weiguo led the troops forward once more. On this rugged path, time seemed almost to stand still. Only those with unwavering resolve could endure this ordeal; anyone else would surely have broken down by now.

“General, we've been in the mountains for two days now. How much longer till we escape this cursed place?” Wang Ping sidled up to Yang Weiguo, voicing his concerns.

Yang Weiguo himself was somewhat irritable, but as the commander, he had to remain clear-headed and composed. He replied, “His Majesty said this path should take three days to traverse. Two days have passed, haven't they? Tell the brothers to hold out a little longer. We’re almost through.”

Wang Ping nodded. “The troops’ spirits are unstable. Living so close to death is unbearable. If we don’t get out soon, I fear some may go mad.”

Yang Weiguo nodded, saying, “Hold it in for now. Once we’re out, we can unleash ourselves upon the enemy!”

“I’ll go tell everyone,” Wang Ping said. “It’ll give them something to look forward to, so they won’t fall apart.”

On the third day, they finally emerged from the mountain path. The Feiyu Army, once so proud and spirited, now looked like refugees fleeing disaster. Yet their eyes blazed with resolve.

“General, scouts report a small tribe ahead!” Wang Ping came to Yang Weiguo, excitement in his voice.

“How many people?” Yang Weiguo asked.

“We’ve checked. It’s a small tribe, fewer than ten thousand people. Less than a thousand able-bodied men, likely all taken by the Western Xia army. Should we sneak in?” Wang Ping made a slashing motion across his neck.

“You mean kill them all?” Yang Weiguo asked. Truthfully, he felt some reluctance.

Wang Ping nodded. “If we leave a single survivor, our movements will be exposed. We’re deep behind enemy lines; we can’t leave any loose ends or we’ll be doomed.”

Yang Weiguo nodded. “Very well. Pass down the order—surround the tribe. Leave no one alive. Make it swift.”

Wang Ping went off to carry out the command. Having just escaped death, the men were under enormous pressure. Such slaughter was, for them, a way to vent their pent-up anxiety.

“Brothers, avenge the fallen!” Wang Ping rallied the troops.

It was a massacre. Though the tribe was nearly ten thousand strong, with no fighting men, they could not resist the elite Song soldiers. They were wiped out with hardly a struggle.

The slaughter took less than an hour.

“General, what about these children?” a soldier asked Yang Weiguo.

Yang Weiguo looked at the children, hesitating for a moment.

“General, now is not the time for mercy. Look at their eyes, full of hatred for us. If we spare them, someday they’ll attack our own people in chaos,” Wang Ping urged, seeing Yang Weiguo’s reluctance.

Yang Weiguo nodded. Mercy to the enemy was cruelty to his own. He could not afford this mistake. He told the soldier, “Kill them all.”

“Rest for half a day, replenish supplies here. Afterward, we move to the next tribe!” Yang Weiguo ordered.

“General, shall we leave our mark here?” Wang Ping suggested.

Yang Weiguo shook his head. “That would only reveal our whereabouts.”

Wang Ping nodded. “Our five thousand men are deep in enemy territory, aiming for the Western Xia imperial city. With only five thousand, attacking the city won’t do much damage. Instead, if we slaughter our way along, we can draw out the imperial guards, making it easier to breach the city. And when word reaches the Western Xia army marching out, they’ll waver. This will relieve the crisis in Guanzhong.”

Yang Weiguo considered Wang Ping’s analysis and nodded. “Makes sense. Once we’ve replenished supplies, have the men burn the place. Leave behind a message: ‘Under heaven, any who dare offend the mighty Song, where our banners point, no matter how far, they shall be punished!’”

After a brief rest, the Feiyu Army moved out once more. The Western Xia had mobilized two hundred thousand troops—nearly the entire nation’s army. Thus, wherever Feiyu Army went, there was little resistance. They slaughtered their way forward.

In three days, the Feiyu Army wiped out more than ten tribes.

At last, word reached the Western Xia court. Li Qianshun was shocked, and he questioned his chancellor, Huang Shouren.

“How many enemy troops are there?” Li Qianshun asked, baffled at how the Song army had arrived. With two hundred thousand soldiers guarding the front, did these men sprout wings and fly over?

Huang Shouren shook his head, smiling bitterly. “Your Majesty, we haven’t even glimpsed their shadows, let alone know their numbers.”

“If you haven’t seen them, how do you know this was done by the Song army?” Li Qianshun was angry, feeling played for a fool.

“Calm yourself, Your Majesty. They left their own mark: ‘Under heaven, any who dare offend the mighty Song, where our banners point, no matter how far, they shall be punished!’” Huang Shouren handed Li Qianshun the verse, speaking with grief and indignation. “They are exceedingly ruthless. Wherever they go, not even dogs or chickens are spared—no children left alive.”

Li Qianshun’s face darkened. Pointing at Huang Shouren, he said, “What’s wrong with you people? The Song army has already stormed into our lands, and you don’t even know what they look like, or how many there are? What use are you to me?”

Huang Shouren managed a bitter smile. “They’re so ruthless, they killed everyone who saw them. If not for their deliberate message, we wouldn’t even know who slaughtered these people!”