Chapter Fifty-Six: The Great Grey Wolf

“Stop the carriage!”
Shangguan Chuanyun called out to those outside.

“Yes, young master.”

Jia Cheng’s voice sounded from outside, and the carriage at the front halted on the official road. Shangguan Chuanyun stepped out of the carriage. A gust of cold wind swept by, and the air had already grown chilly. Lou Jin followed behind him. Even though the autumn wind was now sharp and biting, none among them seemed to feel the cold at all; their bodies brimmed with robust vitality, so much so that a faint mist could be seen rising from their forms.

Turning to Jia Cheng, Shangguan Chuanyun asked, “Is there anyone nearby we can dispatch?”

“For the moment, there’s no one in the vicinity. Does the young master require assistance?” Jia Cheng replied with some confusion.

“It concerns Nanguo County. Master Ren has already imprisoned the wooden Buddha there and is in urgent need of men.” Shangguan Chuanyun relayed the message he had received from Daoist Ren.

Jia Cheng nodded inwardly—indeed, the young master’s efficiency was unmatched. “No one is nearby for now, but if the young master is in a hurry, I can send word by carrier pigeon to Shengjing and arrange for reinforcements to be dispatched at full speed. They can reach Nanguo by tomorrow.”

Tomorrow would suffice; it was not slow at all. Besides, he had no time to linger here. With such powerful backup, as long as Nanguo was under control, it would only benefit the Jia Trading House, never harm it. Proper governance was all that was required, and so long as he could rally them at critical moments, all would be well.

“Very well. Make contact at once. Head to Nanguo and find Daoist Ren as swiftly as possible. Upon arrival, follow his instructions in all things.”

“Yes, young master,” Jia Cheng replied, calling for Jia Liang. The two began drafting the letter, discussing its contents.

Shangguan Chuanyun knew that as for the specifics, Jia Cheng would handle them well. In such matters, he could not match their expertise; he need only grasp the overall direction.

At present, he relied on the armillary sphere to observe the fortune of his journey, weighing pros and cons, making choices for the greatest benefit. He used the Way of the Sword to blaze a path, to guide and to vanquish demons. Everything else was best left to the professionals. If he tried to command everything himself, he would only make matters worse. Thus, his method was to trust those he employed and never doubt them. If he did not lose his virtue, then even if his organization was somewhat loose, nothing would go amiss.

As long as the world was one day pacified, the demons vanquished, and a new order established, the grand scheme would be set, and only small adjustments would ever be needed; no great problems could arise.

He turned to Commander Wu. “Commander Wu, select three men to go to Nanguo County, and there follow Daoist Ren’s every command.”

“Yes, young master,” Commander Wu replied, picking out three guards and giving them instructions.

“Let’s move on,” Shangguan Chuanyun said, seeing that Jia Cheng and Commander Wu each had their tasks.

This was all he could do. As for finer details, he simply wasn’t skilled. If he were versed in military strategy, he could lead an army; if he understood the Legalists, he could implement law; if he had the learning of the Mohists, he could develop technology; and if he mastered Daoism, he could govern a nation.

But he had none of these. What he possessed was the ability to elevate his own existence, a flying sword with which he could comprehend the will of Heaven, and the talent to weigh advantages and connect disparate ideas, to maneuver as circumstances demanded.

Cultivation was the foundation of his survival; the flying sword his compass in sensing the Way. All else was method and means.

Only when everyone fulfilled their role could a true collective be formed.

...

On Black Wolf Ridge, a monster with a wolf’s head and a man’s body stood atop the mountain. In his hand he wielded a club bristling with wolf-fang spikes—this was the great gray wolf’s weapon, the wolf-fang club. The shaft was carved from wood, but the fangs studding it were taken from his own mouth; with each evolution, he shed his teeth and embedded the new fangs, though the spikes were still somewhat sparse.

The great gray wolf twirled his club and stroked it with his shaggy paw, thinking to himself, “Just two more sets of new teeth and my club will be complete.”

He turned to regard the many black wolves sprawled below. Only now did the great gray wolf feel like a true wolf king; otherwise, he’d be just another wretched gray wolf.

He recalled that many years ago, in the first wolf pack he ever belonged to, he fought for the position of wolf king and was nearly torn apart by allied rivals. He barely escaped, only to almost fall into a hunter’s trap. By a stroke of fate, he absorbed a sliver of moonlight, and so began his journey of cultivation, though he was nearly exorcised by a demon slayer. At last, he hid away in the deep mountains, content to be the great gray wolf. Only yesterday did he descend from the mountains, passing through Black Wolf Ridge, where he defeated the wolf king and became the new ruler.

This time, he intended to make a grand show of power. He learned from the former black wolf king (now his subordinate, the Black Wolf General) that a pack of wild dogs in Lan Feng County were enemies of Black Wolf Ridge. He decided to lead his wolves in an assault on Lan Feng.

A long, echoing howl rose from his throat, and the pack howled in chorus. The great gray wolf swung his club and charged down the mountain, a hundred wolves surging after him. With a few bounding leaps, he descended into the ravine, glancing back at the hundred-strong pack following. He grinned, set his sights on Lan Feng County, and led the way along the official road. The wolves poured down the slope, running full tilt behind their king, the dust trailing behind obscuring their tracks.

At the very front of Shangguan Chuanyun’s convoy, a guard carried a five-foot banner fixed to a thin iron pole strapped to his back. Suddenly, he stopped; the banner trembled violently. The guard listened closely—this banner was a special tool used by scouts, the thin iron sensitive to vibrations from approaching masses. If a large group was running, the banner would shake. The guard dismounted, lay flat to the ground, then swiftly remounted and rode toward the carriage.

“Report! About twenty li ahead, a group of around a hundred is charging this way at tremendous speed. They’re not cavalry, nor do they seem like infantry. Please await your orders, Commander.”

Commander Wu frowned. If it were cavalry, they could not possibly stop in time before reaching the convoy; collision would be unavoidable, and evasive maneuvers would be forced and hasty. He said, “Continue scouting. The rest of you, search for cover and prepare to avoid direct confrontation.”

“Yes!” The scout spurred his horse and galloped off.

Shangguan Chuanyun overheard and lifted the curtain, using his aura-sight to scan the distance. A vast black cloud was sweeping toward them, and within it he could discern the shape of wolves—his heart tightened. He said to Commander Wu, “Commander Wu, I believe that is a wolf pack, and from the direction, they must be coming from Black Wolf Ridge. It seems the wolves are on the move.”

At this, Lou Jin Dog’s hackles rose and he bared his teeth, ready to charge out. Shangguan Chuanyun pressed him down, saying, “Hold your temper; your chance will come soon.”

Lou Jin calmed down.

Commander Wu, piecing together the scout's report and this new information, mused for a moment. “Young master, they are in the open and we are hidden. We should prepare for battle, set traps, and, with the help of the dogs, launch a surprise attack.”

Shangguan Chuanyun agreed; after all, warfare was his forte. “Very well. Commander Wu, you are in charge of all arrangements. Take command of every available asset.”

“As you command!” Commander Wu saluted and immediately directed the carriages into a small mountain valley—a place easy to defend and hard to attack, just off the main path. It was the only way through; if the wolves passed by, they could be ambushed from the flank, minimizing casualties.

The wolves were only a quarter of an hour away. Commander Wu quickly settled the carriages and ordered traps to be set: tripwires, snares, barricades, and stakes. They tied rocks along the roadside, ready to be dropped with a single cut of a vine. Everything was made with materials at hand. The tripwires were simply two stones connected by a rope. The barricades were placed at a bend in the road—should the wolves rush through without slowing, they’d crash right into them.

The more complex devices were handled by Commander Wu, his four guards, and Jia Cheng and Jia Liang. The simpler tasks, like hauling rocks, were left to Lou Jin and his dog-headed demon followers.

Everything proceeded with military efficiency, befitting the elite troops of the Divine Wind Battalion.

Shangguan Chuanyun patted the five Thundercrash Bombs in his coat. He had forged thirty-six in total, used seven against the centipede demon, left twenty-four at home, and carried five with him. If worst came to worst, he would use them. They were indiscriminate in their destruction, but their power was unrivaled.

With nothing else to do, Shangguan Chuanyun went to help the guards build barricades.

“Young master, you—” Commander Wu was startled to see him lending a hand, but paused.

“What is it, Commander Wu?” Shangguan Chuanyun turned and asked.

Commander Wu, seeing this noble young master working alongside his subordinates, sharing hardship, wanted to say something but held his tongue. Glancing at the dog pack moving stones up the slope, he replied, “Nothing. I’ll see if Lou Jin has finished placing the rocks.”

The guards and two stewards, inspired by their young master’s willingness to labor with them, worked all the harder. A leader willing to share hardship with his men was rare indeed.

But Shangguan Chuanyun thought nothing of it. In his previous life, except for the highest commanders, even company-level officers in the army ate and lived with their soldiers, so he found his actions only natural.

Suddenly, the scout felt the flag on his back quiver violently and shouted, “They’re within three li—quick, hide!”

With a few agile leaps, the group slipped behind the carriages and crouched behind makeshift barricades. A vine was strung from the cliff to a jutting boulder, holding a pile of rocks supported by sticks. At the right moment, the sticks could be kicked aside and the rocks would fall. Behind the barricades, they piled more tripwires; in front, the road was blocked with barricades made of stones, rotting wood, and brambles. The area was dotted with simple traps. Lou Jin Dog and his pack lay hidden, ready to strike.

A rumble grew.

“They’re here,” Commander Wu thought, signaling for readiness.

Everyone gripped their tripwires. Shangguan Chuanyun hefted one but, feeling he wouldn’t wield it well, simply picked up a large stone and held it in one hand.

They waited for the wolves to stumble on the barricades before attacking.

The pack, led by the great gray wolf, charged on. The wolf howled, turned the bend, and saw an obstacle blocking the path. Could such a paltry barrier stop him?