Sol stayed cooped up in his tent with Mei, exchanging bodily fluids, creampieing and riding without remorse. On that day, he came to understand that the best sex one could have was sex without consequence—or rather, responsibility. By the time Mei took it all in from this amazing experience, he would be long gone.
Either dead or done with the test, so why should he care about the outcome?
The entire day was spent learning the ancient arts of intimacy that would make modern-day men wince in envy, and by night, he and a hundred bald soldiers dressed in monk clothes snuck toward the southern camp under the cover of darkness, while Jiju, Mei, Bo, and a few soldiers followed with fifty horses. However, they did not reach the camp. Instead, they diverted and hid at a designated location.
— Southern Camp —
Approaching the camp, Sol was surprised to see Yao Gong personally waiting with a small detachment of fifty men. The old fox was all smiles, but his sinister intent did not escape Sol's notice.
'He's the type that love-bombs his victims before slitting their throats? Isn't that cute.'
Sol gave Lord Yao a small bow before speaking.
"I didn't think Lord Yao would make the effort to welcome this lowly commander."
Yao laughed and patted his shoulders like they were old friends.
"Hahaha! Don't be like that. Commander Yan has taken it upon himself to pave a way for our Jin army's victory. It would be a crime if I didn't give you a welcome and send-off befitting a hero!"
Lord Yao's eyes flashed with cruelty, but only for a moment. Everyone failed to notice except Sol, who bore sinister intent as well.
Not wasting any more time, Lord Yao invited them into the camp, offering them plenty of food and wine. Sol, of course, didn't refuse. He and his soldiers quickly blended in with Yao's men, drinking, eating, and dancing merrily until late into the night before calling it a day.
By midnight, the sound of snores filled the camp, with only a handful of patrol soldiers remaining awake. Most patrols were placed along the front lines where the monks might attack from, leaving other areas sparse. This made it easy for Sol to sneak out with fifty men. He knew a hundred men moving in the dead of night would attract unnecessary attention and ruin the plan, which was why only fifty horses had been prepared beforehand.
Under Sol's guidance, they escaped the camp and headed straight for the designated location where the horses were being held.
Mount Hua was surrounded by a stretch of land plagued with a thousand displaced forests. The forests in the region were scarcely connected, creating enough open field for soldiers of this number to set up camps. However, these forests were not left unguarded. They were always patrolled by roughly a hundred soldiers at all times. But this mattered little, because Sol had come looking for a fight.
Within one of the forests, Bo laid a massive map on the ground beside a crate of weapons. Several soldiers were stationed at strategic locations, keeping watch for enemy troops, while Mei held up a torch for him.
"If Lord Yao plans to get rid of Master Wang, I believe he will be secretly moving his forces to this part of the forest as we speak." Bo pointed to the edges of the forest they were hiding in. It was the largest body of vegetation in the region, stretching all the way to the foot of the hill.
This was the place where Sol would be ambushed by morning, so he deduced the positions of these troops. Bo concluded that the bulk of the deployment would be placed near the foot of the mountain, where they could block every nook and cranny of the border, keeping the Shi Ming monks out and preventing the traveling monks from reaching Mount Hua.
"They will be the greatest problem the young master and his unit will face." Jiju frowned, perplexed by the odds stacked against their young master.
"Why can't we just help get him to the foot of the hill? Do we really have to gamble with our lord's life?"
Mei protested vehemently. Initially, she had agreed with the plan, but after experiencing hours of intimacy where Lord Yan showed genuine interest in pleasuring her, she was certain their bond could grow stronger. She was now less willing to let him risk his life. She couldn't lose everything she had finally gained after more than two decades of waiting.
"Because we need to convince the monks watching everything happening down here that we are monks, not just soldiers in disguise. They need to see us struggle for our lives."
Sol's voice rang out from the side, drawing everyone's attention.
He and his group of fifty men arrived, and he approached his friends while his soldiers went straight to the crate and began picking up their weapons.
"Young Master!"
The trio bowed lightly, and he gestured for them to rise.
Sol's attention briefly shifted to the fifty horses tethered among the trees. His soldiers were already mounting, swords and bows in hand.
"Alright. Get back safely and wait for my good news." Sol used Wang Yan's usual command for moments like this.
Before anyone could respond or protest, Mei ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"Come back," she said softly.
"I will." Sol lied without remorse.
Bo and Jiju were reluctant, but eventually bid their farewells and left, leaving Sol behind with a quiver full of arrows, a bow, and a sword. His gaze shifted to the dazzling golden light in the distance.
As long as he could reach that light, he won.
"Can I?" Sol's eyes were blank even now.
"I can…"
His blank expression cracked as a depraved smile was born. At this moment, he looked like a suicide bomber preparing for a deadly task ahead. Instead of waiting until morning when Lord Yao's preparations were complete, Sol chose to take the initiative and strike first, catching Lord Yao's men while they were still getting into position.
Although the number of soldiers he would have to deal with had been reduced drastically, it was still a massive risk.
Hiyah!
With the crack of a whip, Sol and his men made their move. Under the cover of night, heads low and hands tight on the reins, they sped through the forest at terrifying speed.
All fifty men were Wang family elites, personally trained to fight like him, ride like him, and shoot like him. Unlike his father, who relied solely on brute strength, Wang Yan depended on speed, technique, and versatility. He understood the need for adaptability on the battlefield.
Swoosh!
Feeling the wind brush across his cheeks, Sol was filled with excitement, though a sense of familiarity dulled the joy. Even though this was his first time riding a horse, Wang Yan's memories and body reacted on their own, maneuvering through the maze of trees despite the poor visibility.
A few kilometers in, they rapidly approached a patrol team of around twenty men walking through the forest with torches held high.
Under the rumble of fifty charging horses, the patrol was alerted. But before they could spot Sol's group, Sol had already seen them thanks to the torches.
"Alright, just as planned. Kill everyone. Leave no survivors!" Sol laughed as he nocked three arrows and took aim.
His subordinates followed, moving with practiced ease.
"LOOOOSSSSSSEEEEEE!"
Swoosh!
At his command, more than a hundred arrows were unleashed with terrifying accuracy. The patrol team was still in disarray, struggling to understand what was happening when the arrows rained down.
In an instant, a bloody mist erupted from the group as several soldiers were turned into porcupines, leaving only a few at the center of the formation alive.
But not for long.
Swaaaaaa!
Thick shadows were cast over them by torchlight, causing their heads to snap upward in terror as Sol and several others flew past overhead, airborne on their horses, bows aimed straight at them.
"LOOOOOSSSEEEEEEE!"
Using this tactic, Sol and his men bulldozed through several patrol teams without losing a single soldier. The strategy relied entirely on wiping out patrols before they could even grasp what was happening.
It was an extremely effective fighting style that required elite individuals trained for years, with nearly a decade of battlefield experience.
This was Wang Yan's elite force.
"Torches ahead!" Ju Li warned.
Sol acknowledged him with a nod, his brows knitting into a frown. The number of torches was three times the usual amount, and unlike the others, there was no chaos. It almost felt like—
Swoosh!
Sol's hand moved like lightning, unleashing a white, zigzagging sword light that cut through the air and reached Ju Li's face.
Peng!
An arrow shattered mid-flight. It had been aimed straight at Ju Li's temple. The nineteen-year-old gasped in shock. He hadn't even seen it coming. Without Sol's reaction, he would have died.
"They know," Sol hissed.
Pa! Pa!
Pa! Pa!
Not even a second later, dozens of arrows were hurled into the sky, diving toward Sol's unit. However, neither Sol nor his soldiers panicked. He had been fighting alongside these men since he was fifteen. They had endured hell together. This meant little.
"Squads Bai, Shi, and Ren, cover fire! The rest, counter-fire!" Sol barked.
Within the fifty-man unit, the force split instantly into ten squads of five. Fifteen soldiers aimed skyward to intercept incoming arrows while Sol and the remaining thirty-five unleashed piercing volleys at the patrol team ahead.
Peng! Peng!
The patrol had already formed a defensive line, shield bearers up front. Even so, arrows slipped through the gaps, killing several men in a single exchange. Sol didn't slow down.
Both sides continued trading volleys as the distance between them closed rapidly. Arrows whistled past him, and Sol felt a thrill surge through his body. This patrol numbered over forty men—far too many to wipe out in one strike, and there was no time to try.
"BREAK THROUGH! OUR DESTINATION REMAINS THE SAME!" Sol roared as he cast aside his bow and unsheathed his sword.
Let's ride!