Call Me Daddy

Up ahead, Tan Tu, puzzled as to why they had been running for so long without leaving the forest, immediately raised his hand to signal the troops to halt upon hearing Su Aobai’s words.

Nearby, several southern tribesmen, restrained by soldiers, kept their heads down with clenched fists, their expressions extremely grim.

How could these Central Plains people have discovered that the markers were swapped? They were unfamiliar with the forest environment, and even the young people who had grown up in the forest sometimes accidentally entered restricted areas. Only the older generations were confident in their extensive knowledge of the forest.

***

Tan Tu quickly walked to the back of the line and looked at Su Aobai, who had raised the issue.

These markers were left by them when they entered the forest. Could it be that the Heiwu Tribe had set up a trap from the beginning?

They might have sent some tribe members to feign surrender to lure them into the forest, then left others at the entrance to ambush them. After they entered, these ambushers could have followed them, destroyed the markers they had left along the way, and replaced them with false ones, leading them into a dangerous part of the forest while they thought they were nearing safety.

Wang Chunmu also considered this possibility but was more curious about how Su Aobai had discovered it.

He had just arrived at the military camp for the first time that day and had never entered this forest before. Even veterans who had been in the area for decades and had fought countless battles with the southern tribes could only remember the section of the forest close to the edge.

As they retraced their steps, they relied only on the red cloth markers tied to the tree trunks. If these markers were destroyed, it meant they could easily become lost in the forest.

“The trees have changed.” Su Aobai pointed to the nearest large tree with a red cloth strip.

“This is the thirty-third-to-last tree I counted during our retreat. I remember this tree had a scar on it.”

He touched the area about 30 centimeters from the top of the cloth strip. There was no visible scar there, and after walking around the tree, he still couldn’t find one.

“You remember this too?”

Wang Chunmu and Tan Tu looked surprised. Who would pay attention to the tree we had tied a cloth strip to?

Moreover, every tree looked quite similar to them. Between entering the forest and encountering the swarm of flies, they had tied cloth strips to at least fifty large trees. Even if they tried to remember, they could only recall a few. If they could remember all the distinctive features of the marked trees, they might as well give up being soldiers and go become top scholars instead.

Due to their surprise, Wang Chunmu and Tan Tu were skeptical of Su Aobai’s explanation.

“Don’t you remember…” Su Aobai scratched his head and asked carefully.

If the situation weren’t so dire, Wang Chunmu would have given him a couple of eye rolls.

Is this even possible to remember?

“I’m sure I’m not mistaken. These markers have been changed. If you don’t believe me, let’s walk back and check. The thirty-second-to-last tree had a broken branch one foot above the cloth strip. It wasn’t there originally. Also, the cloth strip on the thirty-second-to-last tree was shorter and only had a short knot after being tightened. The thirty-first tree had a curved trunk, but it was originally straight, and the trunk was hollowed out by birds with a nest inside…”

Su Aobai quickly described the features of the marked trees they had seen during their retreat and what the trees with those numbers should have looked like.

As for the trees further along, he hadn’t paid much attention in the panic of the escape. It was only after calming down that he noticed something was wrong.

Su Aobai’s detailed and confident description made Wang Chunmu and Tan Tu, despite their doubts, subconsciously start to believe that what he said was likely true.

Of course, there was a simple way to verify this; by retracing the path with the changed markers. If the distinctive features of the trees with numbers thirty-two, thirty-one, and so on matched Su Aobai’s description, it would prove his memory was correct.

Thus, as long as they retraced their steps through the area with the flies, following Su Aobai’s memory, they should be able to safely leave the forest.

Currently, they seem to have no other choice. They had supposedly passed thirty or forty marked trees and should have reached a familiar part of the forest by now. Yet, they were still wandering in an unfamiliar area.

With no other options, Wang Chunmu and Tan Tu exchanged glances and ordered the troops to regroup and retrace their steps.

The first marked tree they saw on the way back matched Su Aobai’s description; a broken branch one foot above the cloth strip. Wang Chunmu’s expression changed upon seeing it. As they continued, the second tree also had a short cloth strip tied with a knot that was difficult to make…

Several trees in a row matched exactly what Su Aobai had described.

At this point, the expressions of Wang Chunmu and Tan Tu couldn’t simply be described as shock.

How could someone have such a large chest and such a well-developed brain?

Wang Chunmu found this the most incredible thing in the world. How could Su Aobai be anything but a brute, with no sign of intelligence? Wasn’t he just a typical, reckless warrior?

Yet, it was precisely this seemingly simple-minded, earnest man who had such an unforgettable memory that made them feel a deep sense of admiration.

Wang Chunmu thought about it more. In the past, they had often spared the cunning and treacherous Southern people because they couldn’t navigate the forest terrain well and found it hard to retreat to safety once they had entered. Now, with someone like Su Aobai, who was like a walking map, they could press on and fight their way to the heart of those tribes’ strongholds without worrying about being unable to return.

Thinking that way, Wang Chunmu looked at Su Aobai with a fiery gaze, even more intense than when he first saw his wife bathing.

***

From the moment this army entered the forest, the Heiwu Tribe and the Luopo Tribe had cautiously concealed themselves, watching with glee as the troops walked into their planned trap.

According to their altered route, this army would end up in a forbidden area filled with quagmires. Only their rigorously trained south warriors knew how to avoid these natural traps. Once the Central Plains troops entered that area, unfamiliar with the terrain, their combat effectiveness would be greatly reduced by the continuous sinking into the swamps, and their lives would remain within the domain of the gods.

Everything had been going according to plan at first, but for some reason, those Central Plains troops suddenly started heading back. Did they forget that the return path was infested with flies?

These flies were a type of poisonous insect that even the Southern people found troublesome. They appeared in the millions, and their touch would leave burn-like scars, causing intense pain. Even with the best medicinal herbs, the burns would leave lasting scars.

As the Southern people in ambush watched the troops get closer to the flies’ area and further from their planned quagmire, they couldn’t help but feel anxious.

They clearly realized that the Northwest Army’s sudden return was because they had discovered the markers had been changed and were going back to the starting point to find their way again.

If this was the case, their months-long plan would end in failure.

Indeed, from the beginning, the idea of using prisoners to lead the way had been a joint scheme of the Heiwu Tribe and the Luopo Tribe.

They had first provoked the Northwest Army and then quickly retreated, leaving behind a few prisoners as part of their plan. One of these prisoners, pretending to be timid, had volunteered to lead the Northwest Army.

At that time, the soldiers had certainly been skeptical, but the idea had taken root in their minds, and in the days that followed, the other side would undoubtedly try to execute this plan.

Some prisoners would eventually relent after enduring severe torture, while others would remain defiant to the death. Some, overwhelmed by fear after witnessing their tortured comrades, would wail and scream, declaring their willingness to surrender and lead the Northwest Army.

The soldiers might not trust a single surrendered prisoner, but he would trust many prisoners who had sworn loyalty after his severe torture.

One person might lie and mislead, but could many surrendered prisoners all agree on the same false route?

Once the Central Plains soldiers entertained that thought, the initial conditions of the plan had already succeeded.

When they saw that the separated prisoners all pointed to the same route, they naturally believed that it was indeed the route leading into the Heiwu Tribe or Luopo Tribe’s territory.

It had to be said, this was indeed a clever plan, but unfortunately, they encountered someone sharp-eyed.

The leaders of the Heiwu Tribe and the Luopo Tribe were clearly unwilling to let such a good opportunity slip away. To gain trust, they had sacrificed nearly a hundred of their own as captives.

So, the two hidden leaders exchanged glances and ultimately decided to launch a surprise attack.

In this dense forest, they still held the advantage, and with a surprise attack, the more than five thousand troops might not stand much chance.

***

Near the flies’ area, suddenly, many Southern border people, bare-chested and wearing short skirts or large leaves, emerged from all directions, brandishing weapons and charging at Wang Chunmu and his group.

“Damn it!”

Wang Chunmu spat and recognized the Luopo Tribe members among the crowd.

It was indeed a trap. The Heiwu Tribe had first provoked them, and without the fierce Luopo Tribe warriors, they had underestimated their opponents from the start. As it turned out, the Heiwu Tribe and the Luopo Tribe had long since allied, waiting to catch them in a trap.

“Bah.” Wang Chunmu spat again, thinking; I’m no turtle’s grandson, I’m a tiger, a fierce tiger!

(T/N turtle’s grandson = a bastard.)

He and Tan Tu reacted swiftly, immediately ordering their soldiers to form their respective formations and unite against the enemy. Soon, the forest echoed with various screams, the sounds of blades piercing flesh, and the splattering of blood, as the strong smell of blood quickly filled the forest.

Su Aobai, the newly appointed Officer, had not developed sufficient rapport with his troops yet. To make matters worse, most of the attackers were from the Luopo Tribe, notorious for their recklessness in battle.

Yang Yong, who was also nearby, had been in charge of these soldiers since the previous Officer’s death. Seeing the unfamiliarity between the new colleague and the soldiers, Yang Yong could only grit his teeth and command the two squads to form ranks.

Among the crowd, Yang Yong and Su Aobai were the primary targets. One appeared to be the central figure, and killing him would easily disperse the troops. The other seemed to be the strongest, and killing him would intimidate the remaining soldiers.

As a result, the reckless Luopo Tribe members surged towards the two men.

Several spears thrust at Su Aobai were quickly caught under his arms. With a slight exertion of force, he snapped the thick wooden shafts of the spears with a sharp crack.

At the same time, he reached out, grabbed the broken spears, and yanked them toward him. Seven or eight Luopo Tribe members holding the other ends of the spears were dragged toward him, stumbling.

Smack—Smack—Smack—!

His large, powerful hands slapped their heads with the force of hitting ripe watermelons, causing blood to burst forth like exploding melons.

The fierce Luopo Tribe warriors, unable to even let out a cry, fell to the ground one after another.

Soldiers nearby, regardless of their allegiance, were all petrified by his brutality.

Was this the power of a human?

No, this was the power of a god!

Even the Luopo Tribe warriors, who were prepared to sacrifice themselves for their god, were struck by fear.

***

Su Aobai had already lost count of how many lives he had taken; perhaps dozens, perhaps hundreds. With his single-handed efforts, he alleviated the pressure of the battle.

Yang Yong, still numbly swinging his great sword, suddenly noticed that there seemed to be no enemies around him anymore.

“Swish—Swish—Swish—”

He continued to swing the sword, only hitting air.

Where did everyone go?

The swings had become mere muscle memory, and after cutting through empty space, Yang Yong’s numbed brain regained some clarity and he began to notice the strange situation around him.

He looked around and saw that most of the standing figures were his own men, all seemingly gazing in the same direction.

Following their gazes, Yang Yong saw Su Aobai, drenched in blood, and the mountain of corpses piled around him.

“Demon! Demon!”

“This is an evil deity! A demon god! A demon god!”

The remnants of the Heiwu and Luopo Tribes, terrified, pointed at Su Aobai while muttering to themselves. One by one, they dropped their weapons and, wailing like ghosts, fled deeper into the forest.

Perhaps due to their extreme panic, these defeated soldiers scattered in all directions, with several running into areas infested with strange, stinging insects.

Yang Yong roughly estimated that the thousands of enemy soldiers had been reduced to just over a hundred in their rout.

Of course, the Northwest Army had also suffered significant losses, with many soldiers killed and others injured, resting on the spot with their wounds covered. However, compared to the near-total annihilation of the Heiwu and Luopo Tribes, this expedition into the forest could be considered a great victory.

Wang Chunmu and Tan Tu wiped the blood splattered on their faces and looked at Su Aobai with indescribable expressions.

They knew well that, this time, Su Aobai had achieved a great feat.

Not only had he killed the most enemy soldiers, but his way of killing, as easy as slicing vegetables, had caused immense psychological shock to the remaining enemies.

Many of the enemy soldiers stared dumbfounded as Su Aobai slapped one of their kin to death, some even losing their ability to resist and allowing the Northwest Army soldiers nearby to kill or stab them without a fight.

The several hundred commanders who had sparred with Su Aobai earlier also realized that he had held back during their matches. Had he fought with his true strength, they probably wouldn’t have been able to stand there at all.

Su Aobai seemed unaware of his own terror. After the few remaining enemies had fled, he wiped his face with his sleeve. Unfortunately, his clothes were already soaked with blood, and wiping his face only smeared the blood around, making it impossible to see his features clearly.

He was still the same person, but now he seemed to exude a menacing aura.

This man should not be provoked! Our heads and chests aren’t made of steel!

By the way, it was said that Su Aobai’s family also lived in Lin’an City. When they returned, they needed to remind their own families; mothers, wives, and children, not to provoke the Su family. If possible, they should try to maintain good relations with them.

This was the unified thought of everyone present.