"They say madness is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. But sometimes, madness is doing something so unexpected that even the gods are left speechless."
---
Time was running out.
The war drums of Qin's army now thundered loud enough to make the earth tremble beneath our feet. Five thousand men on the march make a sound that reminds you just how insignificant you are in this rotten world.
"Alright." Captain Hu spat into the mud. "We're listening, young master. But make it quick, because in less than an hour we'll all be ground meat."
Liang Feng smiled—that smile that sent chills down my spine. There was something predatory in it, as if we were all just pieces on a chessboard only he could see.
"Tell me, Captain," he bent down to scoop up a handful of blood-soaked soil, "what do you know of General Mo Xie?"
Hu frowned. "He's a Martial Master of the fifth stage, said to be unbeatable in single combat. Wields the Nine Heavens Thunderclap Sword Technique. A monster, basically."
"Mmh." Liang Feng let the dirt fall through his fingers. "And his temperament?"
"Arrogant as hell. Considers himself the greatest swordsman of his generation."
"Perfect." Liang Feng's eyes gleamed. "Arrogance is the Achilles' heel of great warriors. And you, Zhang Wei—what do you know of Qin's battle formation?"
I rubbed my wrist, still sore from our brief clash. "Standard formation. Heavy infantry in the center, cavalry on the flanks, archers in the rear. Mo Xie leads from the vanguard with his elites."
"Excellent." Liang Feng began pacing, hands clasped behind his back. "Now tell me—what does a general fear most on the battlefield?"
Hu and I exchanged a puzzled look. This lunatic was giving us a lecture on military strategy while an army was charging straight at us?
"Encirclement?" I guessed.
"No."
"An ambush?"
"Closer, but no."
The sound of hooves was growing louder. I was starting to seriously regret listening to this madman.
"The unexpected," Liang Feng finally said, stopping in his tracks. "Above all, a general fears what he cannot predict. What lies outside his calculations and experience."
He turned toward us.
"Here's what we'll do… We'll surrender."
"WHAT?" Hu exploded. "You want us to surrender? Damn it, they'll butcher us anyway!"
"No," Liang Feng replied calmly. "They won't butcher us. Because we won't surrender like cowards, but like warriors acknowledging the superiority of their foe. There's a difference."
I shook my head. This was nonsense.
"You're insane. Mo Xie will never accept a surrender. He lives for the glory of battle."
"Exactly!" Liang Feng's smile widened. "And that's where his pride comes in. What happens when a proud general is handed an effortless victory?"
I thought for a moment, then the pieces began clicking into place. "He… he'll want to prove his superiority. Show he can crush us even if we fight."
"Precisely. Mo Xie will reject our surrender and demand a fight. But not just any fight. He'll demand an honorable duel. Him against our champion."
Hu barked a bitter laugh. "And who's going to face that monster? You? You might be strong, but Mo Xie is on another level!"
"Oh, I have no intention of fighting him fairly," Liang Feng said with casual ease. "That would be stupid."
Now I was completely lost. "Then what's your plan? To watch our champion get carved into pieces?"
"My plan," Liang Feng stepped closer to me, "is for our champion to survive just long enough for me to execute the real strategy."
He placed his hand on my shoulder, and a chill shot through my flesh.
"You see, gentlemen, while everyone is watching the duel, no one pays attention to a humble spectator moving quietly."
The pieces finally came together. "You want to assassinate Mo Xie during the fight?"
"Assassinate is such a strong word," Liang Feng protested with mock innocence. "Let's just say… intervene decisively at the right moment."
It was pure madness. But at the same time, it was exactly the kind of madness that might work. Mo Xie was arrogant; he would want to prove himself. And while he focused on the duel…
"And after?" I asked. "Even if we take down Mo Xie, there are still five thousand soldiers."
"Ah!" Liang Feng raised a finger. "That's when things get truly interesting. What happens when an army suddenly loses its general… unexpectedly?"
Hu muttered something under his breath, then said, "Confusion, disarray. But their officers will take control soon enough."
"Not if their general's death is accompanied by… other complications." Liang Feng's smile turned downright terrifying. "Zhang Wei, you said the archers were positioned at the rear, didn't you?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because an army's stockpiles of arrows are usually kept near the archers. And arrows, you see, are flammable."
I suddenly saw where he was going. "You want to set fire to their rear during the chaos?"
"Exactly! A blaze in their supplies, the sudden death of their general, and five thousand men turn into a panicked mob. That's when we strike."
"We?" Hu shook his head. "We're three hundred against five thousand! Even in chaos, we can't win!"
"Who said anything about winning?" Liang Feng shrugged. "The goal isn't to destroy Qin's army. The goal is to survive and inflict enough damage that our reputation precedes us."
He paused, staring at the horizon where enemy banners now loomed clearly.
"You see, gentlemen, there are two kinds of mercenary bands in this world. Those who take any contract for a few coins, and those whose names are whispered with fear and respect. Those who are paid a fortune because people know they can accomplish the impossible… Imagine this: six months from now, when people speak of the Battle of the Bloodstained Plain, they won't remember Qin's victory or Yan's defeat. They'll remember the day three hundred mercenaries humiliated an army of five thousand and killed their invincible general."
In spite of myself, I felt a spark flare in my chest. That feeling I thought had died twelve years ago.
Ambition.
The desire to leave a mark on this merciless world.
"And concretely?" Hu asked, though I could hear in his voice he was already half convinced.
"Concretely, here's the plan." Liang Feng pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his robe and began sketching with a bit of charcoal.
He drew circles and arrows across his improvised map.
"And if this fails?" I asked.
Liang Feng looked me straight in the eyes. "Then we die. But at least we die attempting something great, instead of being trampled like cattle."
"This is pure madness," Hu muttered.
"Yes," Liang Feng nodded. "And?"
I looked around. The corpses of my comrades littered the plain. Men I had shared campfires, battles, and bottles of wine with. All dead to enrich kings who didn't even know their names.
I had a choice. Die like a dog waiting passively for the sword to take my head, or die attempting the impossible. Something people would remember.
"Fuck it," I growled, rising to my feet. "I'm in."
Hu stared at me like I'd lost my mind. Which was probably true.
"You serious, Wei?"
"Look around you, Captain. Do you see another option?"
He glanced at the corpses around us, then at the approaching army, then at Liang Feng, who was still smiling that unnerving smile.
"Shit," he sighed at last. "Fine. But if we survive this, you're buying me drinks for a month, Wei."
"If we survive, I'll buy you drinks for a year."
Liang Feng clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Now hurry, let's gather the others. We have a reputation to build and a world to shock."
As we headed toward the camp of the surviving Iron Black Regiment, I couldn't help but wonder what I had just gotten myself into.
A few minutes later, I had my answer. I was about to follow a madman into the most insane battle of my life. And strangely, for the first time in years, I felt truly alive.
---
"They say great men are born of great circumstances. That day, I realized Liang Feng was different. He created the circumstances. And we, poor fools, followed."